//------------------------------// // Broken // Story: Tales of the Rainmaker // by BleedingRaindrops //------------------------------// “What about the Young Fliers Competition? You have those trophies, so… You must have won?” Rainstream turned, tears already drying on her face. Somehow, the thought of what had actually happened that day allowed a smile to force its way onto her face. She let out an easy breath, and passed one of the bowls of oats to List, then trotted back to the couch. “Well, like I said. The idiot broke his wing. He was showing off for some silly mare and well, she kinda left him hanging after that. So I looked after him.” With the lie finished, Rainstream felt the elation of the month following her big storm come rushing back to her. ~ ~ ~ The rain was her element. In it, she was at home, free, unmatched. She sliced cleanly through the heavy wet air from the storm. The wind became a roar in her ears and whipped her mane as she dropped like a bullet. Her initial burst of energy subsided, and her wingbeats slowed to an easier pace, until she was gliding down toward the lower edge of the storm. It wasn’t her biggest storm. That was last week, and that one had gotten her suspended for a week, and a spot on the weather team. Rain chuckled as she recalled Cloud Vent defending her unmatched skill at cloud forming to Headmaster Zephyrus. Something about a storm that only she seemed able to contain, and that her level of ability would significantly lighten the load on the rest of the team. The Headmaster had decided weather duties would be a fitting punishment for her. Idiot. He didn’t realize she loved it. It was only a week later another storm was scheduled, and Rainstream seemed to be the only one eager to put it together. Cloud Vent had helped her with it, saying that all storms had to be supervised by the weather chief, which was him. He shot down a lot of her ideas for rolling updrafts and side winds, and especially her big idea to make the storm spin. He was a bit of a killjoy, but at least she had her rain. That made it all bearable. The rain allowed her to lose herself in it. Sometimes too much. She got carried away a number of times and Cloud had to reign her in—which always seemed to leave him exhausted and out of breath. Now it was the next day, and time to clean up. Cleaning up a storm was always dull, but Rainstream just left the rainclouds at the top for last so she could at least somewhat enjoy herself. A few of the clouds near the bottom were still saturated, and flying pretty low. She gave each of them a swift jab as she flew by, releasing the magic that bound them together so they could dissipate. They dissolved with a splash and she continued on her way. Her ear twitched upward. A noise on the wind. Someone was falling, fast. She glanced upward to see a dark grey blur headed right at her, at an alarming speed, and at a very close range. A quick flick of her wing tips pulled her sharply to the side, just enough that the diving figure slid past her. She reached out to catch him as he did, and thrust down hard with her wings to slow their descent. His momentum pulled her roughly toward the mountain peak just below, and her wings felt like they might tear off. But Rainstream knew they wouldn’t. This would hurt, but not that much. The mountain rushed up to greet them, and with the other pony’s massive weight Rainstream couldn’t maneuver properly. They were going to crash. “Fold your wings NOW!” she shouted, hoping he would respond in time. He did. The two of them tucked their wings tightly against their sides at the last moment before impact. Rainstream’s wings cried in relief as the pressure against them was released. “Oof!” The two of them slammed into the rock beneath them, though at a far less considerable speed than they would have if Rainstream hadn’t been pulling so hard. The other pony hit the ground first, on his back, with his wings—thankfully—tucked low on his midsection and out of the way. Rainstream then slammed into him from above, smooshing his belly and whatever air had been in it. She bounced, and landed in the dirt next to him. He immediately sat up coughing and clutching his stomach. When he tried to breath in, it was like something was stuck in his throat. The rain felt cold on Rainstream’s back. What could she do? She couldn’t breathe for him. His face turned white. Rainstream tensed up, unsure whether to rush to his side or… She rushed over and put both front hooves on his shoulders. He looked up, and Rainstream saw that it was Stormfeather. Immediately his coughs slowed. He was almost smiling. He put a hoof up to cover his mouth, and spent the next five minutes recovering. His other hoof remained across his belly. When he finally recovered, he looked up at her with a really stupid smirk on his face. “You Di-idn’t have t-o d-o that. Yo-ou kno-ow,” he coughed. She raised an eyebrow. “Nngh, I was go-oing to miss you a-anyway. And I knew the mountain was The-ere.” He groaned and rubbed his stomach. “Ugh, that one really took the wind out of me for a second.” The hoof on his belly moved to his shoulder. He rubbed it a bit, rolled the shoulder twice, then set his hoof down and stood up. “I was just trying to buzz you, silly. I knew you were out here cleaning up and I wanted to surprise you.” Rainstream hit him, gently. “And look how that turned out you big dumb idiot.” She couldn’t resist letting her hoof slip to his side, where his wing muscles were. They’d grown so tough lately. He was turning into an impressive stallion. She grinned, imagining him wrapping her up and just holding her. But she shook the thought away a moment later. “And what do you mean, surprise me? What were you up to?” He laughed and turned bright red. “Oh, well since you couldn’t come to our date, I thought I’d bring it to you. See if I could make your community service hours a bit more fun.” He grinned sheepishly. And squeed. Rainstream took a step back, heart fluttering. She placed a hoof over it, then composed herself and straightened up. Rainstream rolled her eyes, but smiled wide and gave him a gentle shove. “I’m cleaning up a storm, dummy .It’s pouring rain, and I’m flying. It’s not like I’m cleaning the bathroom stalls.” Then she raised an eyebrow. “And what do you mean date? When did this happen?” Stormfeather grinned sheepishly and tried to look anywhere but at her. She sharpened her gaze. He began sweating a bit. “Oh, you know. Just now. If you were to be so kind as to just say yes?” He managed to stare at her with the sweetest smile she’d ever seen. Oh, gosh. Her breathing quickened and her face grew very hot. She stared wide eyed at him. Oh she desperately wanted to say yes, but… She frowned. There was no reason not to. Why was she holding back? Her thoughts ran back to last week, and the night they’d shared. The night she wished they hadn’t had. She felt sick as she remembered. It wasn’t a bad night, but… it was a mistake. She shouldn’t have said yes then. “Stormfeather, I… I can’t—” His bottom lip curled, and he looked at the ground. “Yeah, I figured that, after last week.” He let out a long sigh, then looked up, blushing a bit. “I just um… I wanted to see you.” “Storm…” “A-and away from other ponies,” Stormfeather went on. “You get kinda shy around others, and I… I really like this you. When you’re in the rain. You’re… different, in the rain.” He… Oh. Rainstream’s heart skipped a few beats. “And I wanted to hang out with you while it was still raining. To see that more confident side of you. The one that comes out when you’re in the rain. I thought she might be more playful.” Rainstream could not form words, let alone a response. She opened her mouth several times, then shut it. Oh that sly devil. He knew he could get her by mentioning playing in the rain. She placed a hoof on her chest and stepped back. Should she? Could she? She didn’t want to get hurt again but… He really was sweet, and as long as things didn’t move too quickly… She glanced up at the storm. Cloud had given her an hour to clean it up. She could probably get it done in half the time. She could spare a few minutes. She looked up at him and tried to find a response. Then, there was nothing left to think about and her body decided for her. She nodded slowly. His smile grew instantly. “And maybe after this, you could consider going steady?” Her heart skipped several beats. He stiffened, panic rising in his face. “You m-mean like…” “Would you like to be my marefriend?” He said, trying to look confident but betraying complete nervousness. She visibly melted, and when he leaned in, she practically threw herself around him. Yes! Their lips met and her heart exploded in a thunderclap that continued to roll until the kiss ended. This was the kiss she had wanted last week. The one she moved into wholeheartedly, without holding back. The one where she didn’t feel sorry because of what led up to it, or what happened after. She was simply lost in the moment, and she never wanted it to end. She chuckled so low it was nearly a moan, grinning up at him with all the composure of a limp noodle. He smiled down at her. “There, see. That’s the Rainstream I love.” Storm gave her another quick peck on the lips, then just stared at her warmly while the rain trickled down his face. His mane clung to his face and for some reason it just made him look that much more… delicious. “Have you even flown in the rain before?” She asked, pressing forward to nuzzle his shoulder. “Oh, sure I have,” he protested, but she could tell from his tone that he was joking. “I followed you that day, remember?” He leaned down toward her again. She laughed, but leaned up to kiss him. “I would hardly call that flying,” she said between kisses. Then he grinned really wide and stepped backward. “Well, then. I guess today’s the day I really learn." Stormfeather spread his wings out to their full extend and puffed out his chest. The way the rain flew from his wings as they snapped open really added a neat effect. Rainstream hummed. His left wing jerked inward quickly. He moved the other one to match it, but the reaction was different. He reached up and rubbed his shoulder near the base of his left wing. Rainstream’s excitement vanished, but Stormfeather was still smiling at her. “Ready to show me a thing or two?” He had turned his back to her, but she was focused on his left wing. “Storm, are you sure you’re up for a flying session in the rain?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s harder to fly in the rain and your left wing looks a little tense. You’re massaging it pretty hard, too.” He turned to look at her, then looked down at his hoof on his shoulder. He quickly set it down. “Oh, what, this? Nah, I’m fine.” To demonstrate he stretched his wings all the way out again for a moment, then folded them again. “See? Come on, let’s go.” He crouched, and extended both his wings. His left one held, and Rainstream shook her head. “Fine. Just don’t get hurt, please.” She had a bad feeling about this. He smiled. “You just try to keep up.” Then he launched himself into the air. ~ ~ ~ “Rainstream?” Somepony was poking her. “You’re doing that weird face again.” It was List’s voice. “Hey, Rain. Come on, tell me what happened next.” “Huh?” Rainstream blinked until List came back into focus, then dropped her head. She’d been staring blankly into space again. “Oh, um… where did I leave off?” she asked sheepishly. “You were cleaning up the storm when you saw Stormfeather practicing for the competition near a mountain ridge. You were worried he was going to crash into it.” Had she really skipped that much? “Oh, right. Sorry. Yes, he was practicing for the Best young flyers competition, and well, he sorta clipped his wing a bit, so I had to come rescue him. ~ ~ ~ Rainstream had not flown this close to solid earth since the day she’d left home. The air flowed differently when it could not move about freely. It dipped suddenly over cliffs, turned sharply when it met a rock face, and flowed swiftly between small gaps. It was different, but Rainstream welcomed the challenge. The rain had taught her much, and it became her guide once again. Her ears became her eyes, directing her wings, tail, legs, head—her entire body listened through her ears to the sound of raindrops on a rocky ridge. Stormfeather held tight behind her as he chased her down the mountainside, hugging the face like she did, but with far less confidence than Rainstream. He had not made friends with the rain. The wind tossed him slightly side to side, and she could hear him gasping every few seconds as he fought for control. He probably didn’t remember how to fly near the ground. Neither did she, for that matter, but she didn’t need to. There was a big drop off coming up. Rainstream could hear how the rain called through the open air. She rolled over onto her back, stared back at Stormfeather over her belly, then just as she reached the edge, leaned her head back and dove down over the cliff. Her ears were turned fully back, listening to the echo of the rain off the rock face that was but a few feet away. Her heart pounded in her chest and shivers ran through her whole body. She was actually flying blind. Well, not really blind. A laugh started, low in her chest, growing stronger as she smiled back at her friend. This was probably the most fun she’d ever had in her entire life. His dark fur was nearly invisible against the storm above him, but she could still see where he was. Right on her tail, not a full body length back, where he ought to be. But further from the cliff face than her. Rainstream leaned her head back to stare ahead where she was going, and spotted a gap between some trees coming up. She angled her wings, squeezed her pectorals, and caught the wind rolling up over the ridge. She pulled tightly around the tree, just missing the tips of its branches, and sailed between two more with her wings tucked. Stormfeather probably wouldn’t be able to follow her through that. He didn’t have the skill with acrobatics she had. He hadn’t practiced nearly as much as she had, nor flown through winds as strong as she had. He hadn’t— “AAAAGH!” There was a crack like a whip, followed by a splintering snap. Rainstream didn’t need to turn around. She could feel him spinning, hear his scream. But his scream was exactly why she did turn around. A glance back showed her a dark blue blur wrapped around a small tree, and the large one she’d just spun around was missing a branch. Rainstream beat her wings hard, propelling her straight up. She arched her back and continued to press, tightening her loop beyond where gravity would have left it. Then she tucked a wing and rolled out of the apex of her flight. The other followed suit and she was speeding down toward Stormfeather with incredible speed after a near perfect half 8 maneuver. On her approach, she flared her wings out to slow her descent, and flapped hard at the end to come to a stop next to him. “Oh no.” He wasn’t conscious. He was draped over a thick branch, with a broken one still supporting his back legs. Both wings hung loosely, but his right wing was… there was no word broken enough for it. It was torn and bloody and hanging at an angle that should not be possible, and bent in places where Rainstream knew there were no joints. It was a crumpled bloody feathery mess. Rainstream cringed at the sight. He must have passed out just from the pain. “No, no nonononononono.” Rainstream shook her head and raised her hooves to her temples. This was bad. This was very bad. She looked around. They were out in the middle of nowhere, she still hadn’t cleaned up the storm, there was nopony else around, and Stormfeather definitely couldn’t fly. She had to get him up to the infirmary. And in the rain. Rainstream’s muscles twitched with sudden fatigue. Thunder shook the sky overhead. No. It was raining. Rainstream looked back at Stormfeather’s limp form. The rain was her friend. She could do this. She flew closer, and nudged him gently. He didn’t move. Good. She’d rather he not be awake. She landed as lightly as she could on the branch, and grabbed his hoof. “I’m really sorry about this, Storm.” She pulled his arm across her back, and began beating her wings hard. They slapped against the branches above and below her, and she threw pine needles everywhere, but after a few stinging wingbeats, she gained enough lift for the both of them and she was able to slide Stormfeather more comfortably onto her back. “Okay, just hold on, Stormy. I’m gonna get you to the hospital.” ~ ~ ~ Several hours later, Rainstream and Doctor Sunspot sat in a mostly quiet waiting room, listening to the sounds of ponies trotting about the clouded hallways of Cloudsdale Hospital. Rainstream had eyes only for the floor. She sat silently, not moving, not looking up at anything. Her skin felt clammy. Her breath was slow, but shaky. Sunspot put a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright. You got him here. I’m sure he’ll be just fine. And all thanks to you spotting him.” Rainstream shifted so that his hoof fell away. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” Rainstream didn’t answer. “Well, hey. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in my office. How’ve you been?” It had been more than two years. Rainstream hadn’t felt the need to see Doctor Sunspot in over two years, because she had found comfort in the rain. She had initially told him about it, but she didn’t realize he would remember. Most of the last two years had been spent learning to make and control weather, and studying acrobatics. Other than that, she’d been a shut in. She had avoided social contact, focused on her diary, and on her reading. She always sat in the back of class because she already knew everything they were trying to teach her. She never spoke to anypony, and nopony spoke to her much either. She was very good at avoiding attention. But then Stormfeather had found her. He’d shown an interest in her, and suddenly hiding hadn’t been such a good idea. She’d opened up to him, regretted it, and then he’d made her fall in love with him all over again. She’d even made it onto the weather team. The past week, Rainstream’s life had been wonderful. Right up until… “It’s my fault.” Rainstream murmured it mostly to herself, but it must have been audible, because Doctor Sunspot replied. “What, that Stormfeather got hurt? Don’t say that. You got him to the help he needed. You’re the reason we knew something happened.” Rainstream squeezed her eyes shut, releasing a few tears, then opened them again. Her lip trembled. “But it’s my fault he was out there. I was supposed to be cleaning up the storm.” “Come on, you can’t blame yourself for everything. H—” “His wing was hurt when we started flying,” Rainstream said, bursting into sobs. She put her face in her hooves and cried into them. “I had weather duties, so he came to cheer me up. But I thought he needed help and he hurt his wing as he landed and I… I shouldn’t have let him fly. It’s my fault. He told me he was fine but I knew he wasn’t fine. It’s my fault he got hurt like this.” She closed her eyes and curled up into her chair, burying her head in her hooves.Sunspot put a hoof back on her shoulder. She didn’t bother removing it this time. She should have been more careful. Should have realized he wouldn’t be able to make that turn. Now Stormfeather’s life was in danger, and it was all her fault. She let out a fresh sob. “Hey, um—” Sunspot began, but he was rescued by a nursepony walking up to them “Miss Rainstream? Your friend is waiting for you in the ICU. I can take you to him.” Rainstream’s head shot up, eyes wide. “Is he okay?! How bad is it?” She pressed her hooves against the nurse’s chest. She blinked, but otherwise didn’t respond. Rainstream dropped her hooves. “He’s never gonna fly again is he?” New tears started to form. The nurse put on a broken smile. “Why don’t you just come with me, and you can talk to him. Does that sound okay?” Rainstream nodded slowly and trudged after the nursepony. Sunspot hopped up and followed closely behind. The nurse led them down a long hallway and around a corner, then slid open a glass door and ushered them inside. Sunspot opted to wait outside, leaving Rainstream some time with Stormfeather. He lay wrapped up in white blankets on a cot, hooked up to a couple of machines that beeped at regular intervals. “Stormy!” Rainstream leapt at him, but caught herself mid leap and managed to only gently hug him. He winced at the shift in position required but let out a satisfied groan when she let him back down. The cot had slots in the back where his wings could slip through. One of them was folded up and bound to his side, but the other extended backward and was held up by a series of slings. Rainstream winced. “Hey, it’s alright,” Stormfeather laughed. “They’re giving me lots of morphine for the pain. I almost can’t even feel it.” “His left wing suffered minimal damage,” the nurse chimed in. “Dislocation at the shoulder and a small transverse fracture along the humerus. We’ve set it and it should heal up in about six weeks.” Rainstream turned toward her as she flipped a page and continued. “However, his right wing has suffered a comminuted fracture of both the ulna and the and radius, and his metacarpals have disconnected entirely. And the surrounding muscle has been torn to shreds.” Sunspot let out a low whistle. “He also suffered minor injuries to his skull, and there is evidence of a concussion.” The nurse closed the folder and gave them a very stern look. “Is… is that bad?” Rainstream asked, knowing it was. “It will be a long road to recovery, probably a year at least before he’s flying again, and even then he won’t be ready for whatever sort of high speed antics got him into this mess. She dropped the glare and adopted a smile again “I hope this will be a lesson in proper caution when flying. Your wings are fragile, and you’re not supposed to bang them into things. I’ll leave you two alone.” She left and closed the door, then immediately started talking to Sunspot, who smiled brightly at first, but then his expression grew serious, concerned even. He flashed a worried glance at Rainstream and quickly returned his attention to the nurse. Rainstream didn’t linger. She turned back toward Stormfeather. Her earlier elation at seeing him alive faded. She looked at him and he just looked… broken. Rainstream knew a lot about flying, so she’d only needed to pay attention in one class. Anatomy. She knew what two of the bones mentioned were, and they were pretty important if he wanted to fly. This was bad. She wanted to say something. Tell him she was sorry, that it was her fault, that she could’ve prevented it if she’d known but… no words came. Rainstream just stared at him, as though her desire to see him whole again would magically make it so. He saw her look and forced a smile. “Heh, bit of a crummy date, huh?” Rainstream let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Tears filled her eyes and laughter filled her lungs. She refrained from hugging him and resorted to nodding and unsuccessfully trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. “What happened?” Rainstream's heart stopped. “You don't know?” Stormfeather shook his head. “Last thing I remember is heading over to your room to see if you were there. I guess something happened between here and there?” Ice filled her chest, trailing out to the rest of her body. He didn’t… remember? “Rainstream?” She shook her head in tiny movements, but growing in intensity. She took a few steps backward and crouched to the floor. “Rainstream? Are you alright? You’re scaring me.” No. Their first date. Their first kiss—sober kiss—gone. Stolen by fate. Rainstream’s breathing quickened. Her skin grew hot and cold at the same time. She could feel tiny needles pressing into her skin. The world grew silent beneath the roar of her own blood rushing through her ears. Rainstream put her hooves over her head and curled up on the floor. She felt sick. Her stomach wanted to leap out of her throat. The world was spinning. No. No, it’s not fair! No, nonononono NONONO! She was screaming. Her hooves were smacking the floor. Somepony was holding her. She let them. The world kept spinning, but if she just focused on whoever’s hoof was on her shoulder, she knew that she wasn’t. The roar in her ears began to subside, the spinning slowed, her stomach settled back into her gut. She stopped screaming. She could hear somepony calling her name. “Rainstream. Come on are you alright? Rainstream are you okay?” She let out a low whimper. “Rainstream?” It was Sunspot’s voice. He spoke softly and slowly, and rubbed her back. “Hey, look it’s alright. We’re both here. Everypony’s safe. Nothing’s happening right now. Why don’t you tell us what’s wrong, when you’re ready.” Rainstream sniffled. Nopony moved, or said anything. She took in a few ragged breaths, then let them out. “Rain?” Stormfeather said quietly. She didn’t want to look up at him. She didn’t want to look at what she’d done to him. “It’s not fair,” she murmured, just audibly. “What’s that?” Sunspot asked. “Rainstream, what’s wrong?” Stormfeather asked. “You,” she sputtered out. “You’re what’s wrong.” She said it softly, but her anger and frustration rose quickly through her chest, and she couldn’t keep her volume below a normal speaking voice. "You’re not supposed to be broken like this. You’re supposed to win the Best Young Fliers competition and make your dad happy. How are you supposed to fly now?” It wasn’t fair. He was supposed to fly in the competition. He was supposed to win, and make his parents proud, so they could give him the praise she never got. She wasn’t supposed to steal that from him. And she wasn’t supposed to ruin their first good memory together. A long sigh came from the hospital bed. “I...guess I won’t,” Stormfeather said dejectedly. Rainstream flinched, taking in a quick gasp and inciting more sniffles. She heard a groan from the bed. “What even happened, anyway? It’s not like I could get hurt crashing into a cloud. And why can’t I remember anything after this afternoon? It was raining, so I went to see how you were doing and then… there’s a nurse asking me if I’m alright. What happened?” Rainstream’s chest tightened. You asked me to be your marefriend and then I nearly got you killed. “You hit a tree,” she said, staring down at the wheels of his bed. “A tree? What was I doing low enough to hit a tree?” Following my stupid flank. “Training for the competition,” Rainstream sighed. “There’s a mountain range not far from the school, and you were dodging trees.” “Heh, sounds about right. Wow, I’m an idiot.” Sunspot tapped her on the shoulder. Rainstream looked up at him, and he nodded toward Stormfeather. Rainstream’s heart twinged. She slowly turned to look at Stormfeather. He was… smiling. At her. “Sorry for worrying you. I’ll bet it looked pretty bad.” Rainstream forced a smile for a moment, then let it go. “C-can we talk about something else? What about the competition? What’s your dad going to think?” Stormfeather rolled his eyes. “Well, my dad’s actually on his way here, so we’ll find that out pretty soon. The competition though...” He tapped his chin for a moment. “I guess you’ll just have to fly in it.” Rainstream found her feet very quickly, but backed into the door before she could stop herself. “What?! Me?” “Please?” He asked with a really dumb looking fat lip “You’re honestly the best flyer within a hundred miles. You’d destroy the competition.” Rainstream let out a squeak. Her. Performing in front of… hundreds of ponies. Stormfeather must have seen the look on her face because his turned to panic. “Okay, okay, maybe not, but could you please think about it.” Wow, he looked really upset. “I really want to see you fly.” Rainstream started to shake her head “Come on, do it for me?” He had that stupid fat lip again. Rainstream frowned. He was right. If she didn’t have such a crippling fear of crowds she could blow everypony out of the clouds and then some. And she really owed this to him, more than he knew. Dammit. “Fine.” “Yes!” “But…” “But… ?” It was one thing to say she could do it. It was another thing entirely to actually do it. But she had to. She had to find a way. She would make this up to him, and win this thing, for him. She just needed one thing; “How am I going to handle performing for a real crowd?