The Elemental Manipulation

by GalaxyEmpire

Chapter 41: Twisting Tornado (S2E22)

Twisting Tornado

"Go Ponyville pegasus! Let's be the first in a generation to break a record!" Leo cheered to the pegasi, with Rainbow Dash next to him as she watching them stretching and training.

"Stretch those glutes, Flitter! Nice flexibility, Cloudchaser. A...little too much flexibility, Blossomforth..."

"Does she need help to untangle herself?" Leo asked Rainbow worried.

"Uh, somepony give Blossomforth a hoof. Let's see some faster trotting, Thunderlane. Good pace, Silverspeed!" The stallion trotted by as the other Pegasi flew by at a brisk pace. Rainbow then blew her whistle as she stood around some other Pegasi while they stretched and another Pegasi was lifting weights. "Keep it up! We're gonna need all the wing power we can get to break that record!"

"Let's put those feathers to the wind, everypony," Leo added.

"YEAH!" Bulk Biceps grunted and snorted the process.

Ah, yes. Today, the entire pegasus, well...most of it, is in the oval race track was located. The Pegasi were hard at work stretching and working out to stretch and increase their wing power, or WP as Leo abbreviated it. Rainbow had also put on a navy blue sports cap with a red whistle around her neck.

"Good work, everypony!" She said before muttering under her breath, "Everypony except Fluttershy."

"Well, do you wanna go find out what the problem is?" Leo asked, it wasn't long before they arrived at Fluttershy's cottage. "Remember, Rainbow. Calm and collected approach. Being too brash will only make her close up, or worse..."

The mare then banging the door. "Fluttershy? I know you're in there! You're avoiding tornado duty and I want to know why! Fluttershy, open-" Rainbow was then cut off when the door opened and Fluttershy came out, wearing her purple robe and covered in red spots.

She giving a very cute sneeze. "Hi, Rainbow Dash. Hi, Leo."

"Oh no! What happens?"

"Yeah, Fluttershy. What happened to you?"

She sniffled and coughed weakly. "Oh, I... I think I have...the pony pox. I'm sorry. I wanted to come to training day today..." Coughed weakly again, "...but this pony pox has knocked me for a loop. Achoo."

Rainbow exchanged a look with Leo as he just sighs and nodded back discreetly. "Oh, you poor thing. You know, there's only one cure for pony pox."

"I know," Fluttershy with a smile on her face, "Plenty of bed-"

*SLOSH!*

She yelped when a dumped bucket soaked carry by Rainbow Dash, making her red spots melted off her coat.

"Coldwater!" The mare held the now-empty bucket, "Those pony poxes are clearing right up."

"Fluttershy...what's wrong?" Leo asked.

"Oh, nothing, but all of a sudden, I'm, I'm starting to feel better," She replied with a nervous laugh as she backed up and then pretended to fall onto the back, "I'll get out of these robes and-ow! Oh, my wing, oh, oh, it's hurt. I guess I can't fly after all"

*TWEEEEEEEEEEEET!*

She yelped and jumped into the air as Rainbow got close to her and blew her whistle as loudly as she could.

"Messed up the wing, huh?" Fluttershy just smiled sheepishly as she made a soft landing, "Stop horsing around, Fluttershy. We've got a lot of training to do. Come on now, what's going on?"

"Yeah, Fluttershy. If you want Rainbow to care about your feelings, you need to speak up and say what's on your mind. Remember, you don't want to keep what's bothering you inside anymore." Leo added, carrying for Fluttershy as she sighed.

"Well, see, uh, well..." The mare stuttered, before grabbing Rainbow's fore-hooves, "Oh, Rainbow Dash, Leo, I just can't do it! I can't fly!"

"What are you talking about?" said Rainbow puzzled, "Just last week you went into that wicked nose dive to save that falling baby bird right before it hit the ground!" She did a demonstration despite being indoors.

"And I've seen you flying about when you're busy tending to the animals. You even do some trick that I secretly want to learn too!" Leo added.

"But that was different, that was an emergency! Or I'm just by myself! This whole tornado thing, it's more like a performance and you know how I hate performing in front of others."

"I don't get it." Said the lion.

"Leo, you actually do some performing without notice by yourself. I hear you create a skatepark made out of the earth!" Rainbow retorted.

"Oh, that's why somepony bring their skateboard this recently..."

The Loyalty face-hoof while the Kindness just concerned about herself. "Don't you remember flight camp? I couldn't gallop hard or fly very fast, not with everypony looking at me!"

"It wasn't that bad," Dash said.

"Really?" Leo looking at Fluttershy curiously.

"No! It was horrible!" She said as they began to wobbly. The cub sigh again, knowing a flashback was coming so let's skip.

So that I don't need to make lots of words to type like last time...

---

Back at the racetrack, Twilight was tweaking what appeared to be a small device with a fan on top of it.

Cloudchaser and Flitter standing next to her. "What exactly does this machine do?"

"This is an anemometer. It measures your accelerative velocity and translates it into wing power, thus gauging your cumulative H2O anti-gravitational potential." The two Pegasi give her both awkward and puzzled looks as Twilight just smiled. "Any more questions?"

"Yeah," Flitter said as she turned to Spike, "What exactly does this machine do?"

"It tells you how fast you're flying and how strong your wings are." He answered plainly.

"Oh..." Now everypony understand, much for the unicorn who hunched over with a bitter look on her face. It was then she heard the sound of somepony cough. "Is that you again, Thunderlane? Please, we need to have a germ-free environment."

As she sprayed a can of anti-bacterial in his face, but not in the eyes. "It wasn't me, it was Blossomforth!" He pointed at the Pegasi mare, who gasped silently as being called out.

"Don't worry, Twilight. Thunderlane's just cooking up an excuse to spend tornado day in bed. Why don't you get over here and be our first test flyer?" The stallion gasped as he glared at Blossomforth as he walked away. She just smirked, but as Thunderlane walked off, she turned away and coughed again, showing that she was the pony coughing all along.

The black pegasus headed over the starting line of the oval racetrack. The test flight would require him to simply fly in a straight line over the anemometer to measure his speed and wing power. Thunderlane revved his wings before taking off and flying over the anemometer. Twilight then knelt to read the meter.

"We have 9.3 wing power!"

"Wow! That's fast!" The pegasi all complement Thunderland as he lands near them, this situation always attends by a certain lion whose love to praised which makes Twilight realized.

"Spike, where Leo?"

"Oh, I ask him to buy some drink from the store. He'll come."

Later, Rainbow Dash took towards the starting line. She quickly stretched her wings a bit and cracked her leg and wing joints before she knelt, revved her wings and took off before took off so fast that her cap and whistle fell off. She quickly zoomed past the anemometer, caused a strong wind to blow past the ponies. Poor Fluttershy was struggling not to get blown away and ended up flying backwards a bit.

"16.5 wing power!" Twilight announced excitedly with a frazzled mane. The other Pegasi cheer as Rainbow hovered above them. Spike whistled.

"Wish Leo could participate, he probably could be the same level as Rainbow Dash."

"I am wondering just how strong his wing power would be, even though he has no wing but Wind could work with anemometer since he is the wind." Twilight remarks.

It was then a sphere of air arrived as it speeds through the track, past the siblings who startling by the gust. The sphere also brings a strong wind that blows past the pegasi. The ball of air stopped next to the Drake as the swirling began to clear to see who was inside. You guess it, it's Leo.

"Leo?!" Twilight asked in shock, Spike had just been chiller from the start.

"Hey, Sis! Sorry for the wild breeze, I'm don't want this juice box to turn warm." His holding a plastics fill will juice box flavour as he picks it and gives it to Spike who happily got his drink.

He turns to look at the machine. "Uh, Twilight? Look at the anemometer."

The mare did as it told, her eyes shrank. "16.2 wing power?!"

Everypony gasped in surprise, especially Rainbow Dash who's her mouth wide open. Leo saw it and quickly shook his head.

"Wait! That just a misunderstood! That's not winged power, it's just the gust I create so I can fly!"

"Leo, it still the same thing..." Twilight corrected.

"Oh..." He give a straight face and transform back, the cub look at Rainbow. "Oopsie."

"That's the most awesome thing I saw!" She zooms and grabs his cheek. "You and me. We race after this event! And I won't forget about all of you guys!"

The mare look to every pegasus. "Now listen up! If each of you can get your numbers up to at least 10.0 wing power just like Leo by the end of the week, we'll no doubt set a new tornado speed record. We'll be number one!" The Pegasi all cheer excitedly as they take to the skies...except for Fluttershy who just squats down on the ground and watches them quietly. Feeling worried for her the manipulation walked up to her and placed a gentle paw on her back.

"Fluttershy..." He said gently.

"I'm...I'm okay."

"I know you don't want to disappoint, Rainbow. But don't let her..."

"She's not forcing me. I said I'd do it and I'm here. I'm just...nervous. 10.0 wing power is a lot for me."

"Well, try not to go straight for that, start with 1.0 and then work your way one level or even half a level at a time. It's just like me training my power!"

"That would be much easier," Fluttershy with a smile as Leo returned it.

---

Things didn't look pretty well for the shy mare since she left before she burst into tears and ran off with her face hidden inside of her soft pink mane after heard her wing power are 0.5. Leo and Rainbow Dash try to reason with her but all did nothing as Fluttershy disappear. Dash then walked away sadly.

Leo stares at her. "What good is that gonna do? If you're worried about her, get off your flank and go after her!"

"I'm not good at this, Leo!" She retorted, "I'm not that good at helping ponies who are crying and blubbering like that!"

"But you had no problem when dealing with friends! Aren't you known Fluttershy longer than I have?!"

"How did you know? You don't know anything because you are just a lion for celestia sake!"

"Hey, at least I help the best I could! I thought being loyal was your job and besides, aren't you stand beside Fluttershy when she got bullies?"

"It's not the same! I am-...we-ugh..." She groans before sigh. "I'm sorry, but...please help her. Not because of the record, not because of me, but because I don't want to see her give up on herself." Leo gave her a nod and headed on his way. The mare sigh again before head back to the group.

After a while, the cub finally found her, sitting under a tree near the edge of the Everfree forest with Angel who using a comb to stroke her mane to try and calm her down. The other animals were there to support her as well, giving her sympathetic looks. If Leo wants to approach her without making the animal hostile to him. He needs to act like them, something like nature...

Meanwhile, Fluttershy leaned against a tree root and continued to cry. Two birds hovered above her and pulled her mane to help her sit up and then chirped at her. "I know it's important to have confidence in myself..."

It was then she felt something on her head. Her eyes look up to see a pink flower crown, it appears it was been made as she turned her head to see a certain botanokinesis lion.

"Never get discouraged if you fail. Learn your mistake, keep trying! KEEP SPIRIT!" Leo cheered with an innocent smile. Which Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle.

"Thank you, Leo. You're a very nice lion." She softly said. The manipulator sits next to her, the two birds before casual land of his green mane, chirping joyfully.

He gasped and smiled, his big pupil sparkle that it the sign of comfortable for the critter as others come closer to the cub. "It works, looks like I'm great to communicate with fauna in this form!

The mare keeps giggling and finally stop crying. She then blinked as her face changed from happy to determined. "I shouldn't give up. I will get my confidence up and show everypony that I am a good flyer. A great flyer!"

The animal and Leo smile as Fluttershy hovered in the air and ascended vertically through the tree and hovered above it. The animals began to cheer for her.

"Pawesome, Fluttershy!"

"Thank you, Leo, for helping me."

"But I didn't do anything."

The pegasus happy sigh. If what Twilight said about Leaf being like this, it better just go with it. "That's okay...uh, can you watch me practice?"

"And if that wasn't enough, you can just give Rainbow Dash support too!"

"Alright, Leo. At least that is the last thing I can do, now let's do this!"

---

Two Days Later...

---

A giant version of the anemometer was placed to measure the total wing power was set up near the lake of the Ponyville water reservoir. Twilight, Spike, Leo, and Rainbow were standing beside the machine. The rest of the Pegasi were all in line getting ready for action. Up above them was the city of Cloudsdale. It was then a single pegasi came zooming down to the ponies below and made her landing. Spitfire had arrived as the ponies all cheered and Rainbow smiled excitedly, except for Leo. Why? Because he walked up to Spitfire and they exchanged a rather elaborate hoof-paw-shake followed by a giving a hoof-paw-shake using their tails. The two just laughed as they shared a hug afterwards.

"Is so glad to see you, Spitfire!"

"Same here, buddy. You here to watch the awesomeness of tornado power?"

"You betcha. But I have almost perfected my Wind Elemental so...maybe I'll be taking part in the action...?"

"Nice try, buddy. But only the one who has wing can perform the tornado and I don't make the rules."

"Wing???" Leo looks at his back bitterly, then back to Spitfire. "That's so not fair..."

She chuckled. "Let it go, buddy. Someday, or maybe, if your Wind Elemental are powerful it could make you a pair of wings just for you!"

"Then all those flying lessons you teach me were nothing if I got the wings." Leo nudging her shoulder with a foreleg.

"Wait," Rainbow said. "Spitfire taught you how to fly?!"

"I thought you already know how to fly when you got the power?" Twilight added.

"Yes and no, I have some issues when trying to fly. When I meet Spitfire again and told her about my power, She told me that freedom is a wind key element. So, I let the wind flow around me and letting it do what it wants, all I have to do is move my body and the wind will follow direct where I towards." Leo explained, Twilight awe.

"Fascinating! And here I think you control the gust, but the truth is that the air function itself!" She exciting said while writing in her notepad she makes magically appears.

"Ah, I guess this is your sister that took experiments on you is it?" Spitfire laughed as the unicorn blush.

"I-It's just an ordinary experiment..."

"You treated him like a lab rat," Spike said.

"Shut up."

After that, Rainbow Dash took everyone attention. "Are we ready to do this?" She called as she hovered before the rest of the Pegasi.

"Yeah!" the Pegasi all shouted. Rainbow made her landing as Spike walked up to her.

"Look!" He showed her the attendance notes and there was an X next to Thunderlane's picture.

"Lazy Thunderlane! Where is he?! He's been trying to get out of tornado duty the whole time with his fake coughing and all. Rumble, where's your lazy brother?"

"He's got the feather flu," Said Rumble, "He's down at the Ponyville Hospital."

"But he's not the only one," Spike showed that there's eight Pegasi who were also not present either on the list, Rainbow felt her heart stop while Twilight was doing some calculations with an abacus.

"Let's see, with those eight Pegasi out with the feather flu..."

"Don't tell me we won't be able to break the windspeed record?"

"No..."

"Phew!"

"...You might not have enough wing power to create a tornado powerful enough to lift the water to Cloudsdale!"

Everyone looks worried and Spitfire just looked at her fore-hoof watch.

"Well, should we pack up?" said Spike.

"Maybe we could ask some help from the other pegasus?" Leo suggested.

"Double no for that! Forget the record!" Rainbow put on her goggles and fliers to the other Pegasi, "Cloudsdale still needs water! Let's give it all we've got! On the sound of the horn, we take off!"

The Sparkles getting to their position as the pegasi put on their goggles. With the giant anemometer ready, Spike took a deep breath and blew into the alpine horn. The Pegasi then took off and began to fly in a circular motion to create a giant tornado, causing the wind to howl and made the fan connected to the giant anemometer spinning.

"You think they're gonna make it to eight hundred wings power?" He asked worriedly.

"We're gonna find out," Leo called out over the wind as he stayed close to the machine to avoid being pushed away.

"I sure hope so!" Twilight then look at the meter. "One hundred fifty wing power, two hundred and fifty wing power... Five hundred wing power!"

It was then the water from the reservoir began to slowly rise like a giant bubble. "Seven hundred and fifty wing power!"

"They're almost there!" Leo shouted, "Keep it up everypony!"

"Twilight!" called a voice.

"Fluttershy! What are you doing here?!"

"Even after my wing power only 2.5, but Leo told me before that I could still contribute even if I don't feel comfortable flying. I figured...if I couldn't help Rainbow Dash with the tornado...the least I could do was offer moral support."

"Glad you came, considering that eight pegasuses are sick with the feather flu!" Leo added.

"Oh no! That's terrible news!"

As the water started to rise through the eye of the tornado, several Pegasi had started to tire out. Because they stopped flying, they were then at the mercy of the swirling tornado and started knocking the other flying Pegasi out of formation and out of the tornado. Soon their tornado collapsed and the water splashed back down into the reservoir. Poor Rainbow shouted as she crashes landed into the ground and slammed headfirst into a nearby tree trunk.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked as the other approach her.

"I'm fine!" She said in a muffled tone as she tries to pull her head out of the tree trunk.

"Oh, you were so close to the eight hundred wings power minimum... I'm sorry Rainbow Dash..."

With Leo help, she finally pulls Rainbow out of the tree and crashing right in the top of his stomach. "We've got to try again!"

"Are you crazy?!" Leo, who still grip on her grip even right, not letting her go while Twilight used her magic to grab Rainbow by the tail.

"You've pushed your crew to their limit already! If you break apart again, somepony could get hurt! You should quit! It's not safe!"

Rainbow Dash then looks at the lion. "No! One more time! Please, Leo, I've gotta know we gave it our all! If I'm going down, I'm going down flying!"

He stares at her eyes, full of determination. If she thinks she can do it then fine, but... "Alright..."

"What?!" Twilight shook, he let go of the mare as she hovering on top of him.

"But this time. I'm gonna help you out." Leo stood back up as the breeze started to swirl around him before he's smiled.

ELEMENT WIND!!!

"Gust Sprint!" He jump and spin around as blue wind surrounding his bottom so he was now hovering with Rainbow. Spitfire's jaw dropped in surprise. "Wing or not, I'm still the Wind Elemental. Plus, my wing...or wind power is great enough to help!"

Rainbow just smiled as she handed him some goggles. "Welcome to the team, buddy." Leo smiled and put the goggles on.

"Let's do this thang!"

Soon, everypony was back in position with Leo right behind Rainbow as Spike blew the horn once more and the Pegasus, plus Leo, took to the skies to recreate the tornado. It wasn't long before the giant anemometer fan was spinning again and the winds were howling once more.

"Okay, here we go..." Twilight read the speed gauge once again, "One hundred wing power! Two hundred wing power! Five hundred wing power!"

"Stay in position!" said Rainbow inside the tornado. "Flap those wings! Faster!"

Leo called out "You can do it! If you see somepony starting to tire out, do your best to keep them informed so they can catch their breath and keep going. Look out for each other and we'll pull this off!"

The unicorn screams out that there went to seven hundred, Spike yells that this is where there fell apart but Twilight reply that Leo is in this time so the situation might change. Fluttershy however, looks nervous as she covered her eyes with her fore-hooves.

The Magic cried out that the pegasi plus lion has reached seven ninety-five before she looks at the shy one. "Fluttershy, they need you up there!"

"I won't make a difference!"

"You can make a difference!"

"My measly 2.3 wing power is still too little!"

"It's sticking at seven ninety-five!" said Spike, "I don't know if they've got any more in 'em. Leo must have already maxed out! Just wait until he's running out of energy before fall down!"

"Do it for Equestria!" Twilight shouted as she handed Fluttershy some goggles, "Do it for Rainbow Dash! Do it for Leo! Do it for yourself!"

Fluttershy looked up, seeing the unicorn giving her a pleading look. After some hesitation, she grabbed the goggles and put them on, setting Angel down on the ground and the bunny went flying into the back of a tree where her other animal friends were watching and waved at her for good luck. The pegasus gulped as she timidly tried to approach the tornado and yelped as she was sucked inside. It took a few seconds for her to stop swirling about, but she managed to stabilize herself and fly forward. Rainbow and Leo then turned to see Fluttershy and smiled as the yellow Pegasus flew alongside them.

It was then she heard some familiar teasing. 'Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly!' the voices taunted once again. She trembled and covered her eyes. She then felt her fear turn into anger, she had enough of this.

"NO!" Fluttershy screamed angrily before channelling her anger into her wings as she suddenly surged ahead and passed several Pegasi in the process.

"What was that?"

"I think it was Fluttershy!"

It was then the speed gauge passed eight hundred wings power, even going beyond it. The anemometer began to beep as the tornado funnel reached the maximum height and blasted a huge geyser of water into the air and right into the opening of the water storage container up in Cloudsdale. Spitfire lowered her goggles in amazement as Twilight and Spike hopped up and down with excitement as they held each other.

"She did it! She did it! They all did it!"

The drake then rushed over and blew the alpine horn as he was blown away by the wind. The Pegasi, Leo included, then gracefully break the formation and fly out of the top of the tornado funnel as it dissipated on its own. The Pegasi all cheered as they removed their goggles and landed. They also started to stomp their hooves excitedly as Rainbow made her landing. Poor Leo just plopped to the ground as he changes back to normal, covered in sweat and panting heavily. He was too tired to cheer or stomp about.

"I gotta...work...on my flying endurance," He panted when Twilight sternly smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"That was reckless! You had me worry!" She scolded before lifting him and hug him. "Yet, that was amazing."

Leo smiled for her praise while Fluttershy still flying about as fast as she could. Rainbow grabbed a nearby cloud to make Fluttershy stop and told her that there did it. More, every pegasus applause and cheering for her help as they picked her up on the shoulders of several of them.

The Kindness mare then wrote down a letter for Princess Celestia, saying that we everypony's contribution is important, no matter how small. If you just keep your head high, do your best, and believe in yourself, anything can happen.