//------------------------------// // Rain Storms Pt. 1 // Story: Learning to Love: An Apple Tiara // by Wolfe15 //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Apple Bloom paused in her story to drink some hot chocolate she had ordered and smile as Diamond Tiara pigged out on some cupcakes. The door to the shop opened and Silver Spoon trotted in along with Dinky Hooves. "Hey Silver Spoon! Dinky!" Both fillies looked at her and waved then paused and trotted over. "Are you finally telling them Apple Bloom?" Apple Bloom nodded and Sweetie looked a bit hurt. "Are we the last ones to find out?" She asked pouting slightly. "No. Silver Spoon and Dinky found out by accident too about a week ago I think. Continue please Apple Bloom?" Diamond Tiara asked softly. "Sure thing sugarcube." Apple Bloom giggled at the pet name her sister used for her marefriends then sighed. "Okay. Skippin' the boring stuff, we were a week into our tutorin' sessions, we decided that we were gonna be civil so we wouldn't kill each other, when the storm hit." "You mean the Big Thunder Storms? The ones that weren't scheduled?" Scoots asked. "Eeeyup!" Apple Bloom fixed her bed then pulled a face and looked to Applejack. "Sis?" "Yes Bloom?" "Why does she have to spend the night?" "Cuz you both need ta work together ta get her up to speed with the other kids." Apple Bloom sighed softly then nodded and trotted after her sister. "Sis?" "Yes?" "Can Ah kill her?" Applejack rolled her eyes and shook her head, chuckling lowly. "No Apple Bloom." Apple Bloom smiled strained then sighed before trotted downstairs after Applejack. She looked out a window and frowned. "It looks like it's gonna rain." Apple Bloom said. Applejack nodded then shuddered lightly. "Ah'm gonna go out ta check on everythin'. Get the house settled then report to Big Mac." Apple Bloom saluted her then rushed to do her job. When she finished, she was trotting towards the house when the first crack of thunder illuminated the orchard. Apple Bloom smiled and took in a deep breath then released it. She loved the rainy days. "Get yer hat on Apple Bloom." Applejack yelled while she ran towards her. Apple Bloom pulled on her brown stetson hat, Applejack had made Rarity make one for her, and grinned up at Applejack, who was at her side, looking to the sky with a slight frown gracing her face. "Daring and Dash are in their house but it'll freeze in the sky. Should Ah head up?" Apple Bloom nodded then turned to see Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara rushing up the steps to their door, both shivering violently. "Ah'll handle them sis. You go make sure Dash and Darin' are okay." "Thanks Apple Bloom! Ask Mister Rich if he want's ta spend the night! Ah don't want him headin' out in the rain!" Apple Bloom nodded and galloped towards the house, managing to get to the porch just as the sky opened up and rain began to pour down in sheets. She smiled at the shivering Mister Rich and Diamond Tiara, nodding towards the house. "Come on inside! Do ya want ta spend the nice Mister Rich?" "I would hate to impose." Apple Bloom shook her head and ushered them in. She looked back to see Applejack, streaking towards the house, helping Daring and Dash fly through the torrent of rain. "Get the fire roarin' Bloom!" Applejack yelled over the roaring of the wind. Apple Bloom nodded then ran to the small but cozy fireplace and tossed another log in to get the fire to burn bigger. As soon as the fire was roaring Applejack, Daring, and Dash collapsed in front of it. They panted heavily and Rich tried to stroke the fire higher, so the mares could warm up faster. Apple Bloom looked to the disgruntled Diamond Tiara and grinned in a friendly manner, "How bout we go up to mah room?" Diamond Tiara shot her a glare and a grunt but nodded, following Apple Bloom as she trotted out of the front room and to the stairs. Right before they were about to climb the stairs, though, Diamond Tiara grabbed her and snapped out, "I'm not going to be one of your stupid friends if that's what you want." "Ah don't care. Just don't mess up mah room." "Ha, what can a hick like you own that's so important?" Apple Bloom snarled silently and readied a buck kick to Diamond Tiara's descending flank but a shadow fell over her head. She gulped then looked up to see Daring standing over her. Daring raised an eyebrow and Apple Bloom blushed a bright red. "A-Ah..." "I heard what she said. You know how to beat a bully?" "Hit'em?" Daring chuckled then walked her next to the staircase and they sat down. "No dear. What you do is give her no reason to make her insult you. Be the kindest pony you can be. If you are and she is still being rude then show her what she's been doing is wrong. Give her some kindness and a guide and she'll turn around." "Are ya sure? What if she doesn't?" "If she doesn't then she doesn't deserve your friendship. Also I'm completely positive that will work! Or I'm not Daring Do!" Suddenly Applejack trotted out and glared at Daring. "Darin'! Go back to the fire! You're probably frozen still!" Daring stuck out her tongue then trotted over and nuzzled her before trotting off. Apple Bloom got up and trotted up the stairs, hoping Daring was right. When she came in Diamond Tiara was sitting on the ground looking tired and shivering slightly. Apple Bloom trotted to her closet and pulled out her special quilt, sighing deeply before gritting her teeth. She hoped nothing bad happened to her quilt. "You look cold Diamond Tiara. Wanna cover up with mah quilt?" "So you shared a quilt with her? How did you guys start dating?" Said Scoots in boredom, listening to sappy stories was not her strong point. Apple Bloom gave her a dead panned look and Diamond Tiara looked at her in irritation. "Don't interrupt." Sweetie said gently while Scoots snorted and grumbled under her breath. Apple Bloom gave Scoots a look and smiled tiredly. "It wasn't because she used mah quilt. Plus you both know the quilt Ah shared was mah ma's." "Wait. The quilt I used was your mothers?!" Diamond Tiara squeaked out as Apple Bloom nodded with a shrug. "Ah was being nice. Anyway, the real event happened after dinner." Apple Bloom was looking over the flash cards and arranging them when Dash rushed in, kicking the door closed behind her. "Hey! Hide me squirt!" Apple Bloom pointed to her closest without looking up and Dash rushed into their right as the door opened and two angry mares came in. "Where's Dash?!" Apple Bloom pointed to the closest without looking up and grinned as Dash was dragged out screaming. She chuckled then finished arranging the flash cards and got up to get Diamond Tiara. Suddenly the orchard was alight with lightning and she watched it in awe. She was snapped out of her watching by a loud crash and she rushed to the front to see Diamond Tiara holding onto Rich. He was trying to soothe her and she was whimpering into his chest, her eyes shut tightly. Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow then trotted over. "Um, maybe we won't do any work for tonight. She looks tired." "Thank you Apple Bloom." Rich said quietly. She shrugged then began to clean up the mess Diamond Tiara had made when another crack filled the air and Diamond whined loudly. Rich hushed her tenderly and stroked her mane rapidly,hoping he could soothe her. Apple Bloom went to take the pieces of the plate Diamond had broken to the kitchen when Rich let out a yell. She jumped then rushed back and found him holding his hoof in pain and the front door was open. "Damn it!" Rich yelled. Apple Bloom rushed to her room and pulled on her bandanna, then her stetson hat, running out as soon as she was done. She rushed down the path and the wind whipped her hair into her face. She shook her head then looked and found a trail of filly hooves. She took off after it and soon found herself in a cave. She ran inside and found the hooves doubled back. She grunted in irritation then turned and ran out. She was growing tired, as she looked down, following the filly tracks. The hooves were fading fast in the mud and she looked up. A streak of lightning slammed into the ground close to her left and she jumped in fright/shock. She looked up and found pegasus were fighting the clouds back. This wasn't a scheduled storm! She gulped then rushed faster after the fading trail of hooves and came to the path leading to her clubhouse. She took a look up and sighed in relief when she found a light on in the clubhouse. She rushed down the path and to the clubhouse. "Tiara?!" The light flickered and a shivering head poked out of one of the windows and looked down at her. "Tiara! Git down here now! It's not safe up there!" Tiara shook her head and moved back into the clubhouse. Apple Bloom looked up nervously and rushed up into the clubhouse. Tiara was sobbing into her hooves and she trotted over slowly and nuzzled her, trying to offer some kind of comfort. "We gotta get out of here." "N-No." The distraught filly whimpered. "Ah'll protect you but we gotta-." The lighting sliced through the air and the branch under the tree house began to crack. Tiara whined loudly and the tree house shifted then fell. Apple Bloom managed to grab her close before a searing pain shot through her right forehoof. She let out a strangled cry as she hit the ground and the roof crashed into her back. She whined softly then looked down at Tiara. Tiara's eyes were wide and she was panting in short quick gasps. "Calm down Tiara. Shhhhh." She nuzzled the filly and whispered soft words of comfort until the filly began to sob raggedly. Only marginally better but better than the short pants. Apple Bloom sighed then moved and winced as her fore hoof throbbed in pain. She moved back then said, "Get up. Can ya move? Anything hurt?" Tiara shook her head then sobbed harder before moving to her feet, trembling hard. Apple Bloom looked around then took her stetson off and put it on Tiara's head. "Come on, we gotta get home." Tiara sniffed loudly and Apple Bloom sighed softly and moved under Tiara, moving her onto her back. Tiara wasn't heavy and she was thankful as she limped away from the tree. Apple Bloom looked back and saw the tree go up in flames as lightning crashed into the trunk. She shuddered and took off for home. She limped down the path as fast as she could and looked up into the cloudy sky. Each time the sky was illuminated with lightning she would pause. The lightning was wild and she knew one wrong step would spell her and Tiara's doom. She looked up as the rumble began then jumped to the right as lightning rushed down. She cried out in pain as she landed on her injured fore hoof, briefly, but gritted her teeth and looked behind her at Tiara. Tiara was whimpering and whispering softly. Apple Bloom forced the pain down and took off again. She came to a hill and looked down. Down one path was Fluttershy's house and down another was hers. The difference was Fluttershy's house was closer. She moved to take the path home when a tree was knocked over and she looked to Fluttershy's house once again. Looks like she was staying there. When she got to the door she slammed her left hoof on the door and it banged open. She rushed in and shut the door panting heavily. "A-Apple Bloom?" A soft voice said. She looked up and smiled weakly at Fluttershy. "Hey Shy." She managed to get out before collapsing onto her side, while Tiara screamed. Apple Bloom paused and frowned at the small crowd at her table. Scoots looked at her with wide eyes, Sweetie's eyes held tears, Silver looked a shocked as did Dinky and their newest addition Pinkie looked shocked. "So that's why your fore hoof was in a sling!" Pinkie squeaked out. "Yup! Broke it clean through. Ah'm not done though." Apple Bloom said, grinning. "More?!" Pinkie said with a bit of excitement. "Eeeyup." Apple Bloom said, taking another sip of her hot chocolate. Author note time: Thanks everyone for the comments, they make me feel better bout my writing. I just have a few questions for you. If someone could help me figure out how to structure the damn stories so every one would feel comfortable. If people would like I'll go back and redo Learning to Love: A Daring Apple Spectrum. Who ever wants to beta read please drop me a message. I want help, seriously dudes.