//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Unloved Storm // by mechafone //------------------------------// The first thing that Spark Storm saw was Pinkie Pie tumbling into the Everfree Forest, head over heels. For the briefest of moments it seemed like she'd cartwheeled away from a tender moment into a dance frenzy, but then he noticed the hooves surrounding him. He heard a symphony of "Oof!" and "Ow!" and "Stickers!". It might have made him smile if he weren't surrounded by five of the faces highest on his 'I don't want to look at your ugly mugs' list. His good feelings from before were quickly erased, and that itself made him very upset. "What do you jerks want today? And you better apologize to Pinkie when she gets back here." Spark spat, eyes directed to River. He knew he was behind this. He always was. A brief, cruel smile drifted over River's face. He glanced lazily at Mint, and gestured with his head towards the woods. "Mint, why don't you go apologize to the pink wonder?" This confused Mint for a moment before realization hit him. "Oh. Right. 'Apologize'. Ahuhuh. " He smirked and trotted off. "What do you think you're-" Spark was cut off as the three Pegasi prevented him from following Mint. He glared at them, baring his teeth. The three of them chuckled. Something was different about the way they surrounded him. Their intent was practically palpable. "This is funny, guys. You know I always stomp your heads in." Spark said, trying to keep a brave face. It was true, but usually he had Big Mac's help, or Applejack's. Today was going to be a real test. "You're alone today, 'Sparkler'." River shot back at him. "You're all alone, and your little girlfriend is gonna have a few new colors on her face when Mint is done with her." At this, Spark Storm's anger grew. He scowled, digging his hooves into the ground as he prepared to strike at River's stupid face. He could feel his useless feathers start to quiver. It was a new sensation, but he paid it no mind as he launched himself at the rich brat. Mint smirked at the sounds of fighting behind him. The odds were stacked against the dark Pegasus, but he didn't care. As long as he got to have his fun. He had hit fillies before, and Pinkie Pie had long been on his list. She laughed too much, was happy too much. "Hey, come out and play little piggy!" He snickered to himself. The little pink fluffball was a little softer than most, but lately she'd begun to be a little fussy about it. When he didn't get a response, Mint wondered if she'd gotten past him and back to the clearing where the fight was. The big colt continued into the Everfree, calling out insults here and there. The pink pony suddenly appeared from a bush, yelling "SURPRISE!" Mint yelped and turned around, blushing with embaressment at being caught with his guard down. Pinky giggled and hopped back into the bushes. Mint charged in after her, head down, intent on simply trampling her. He didn't realize that the bushes gave way to a tree. He ran headlong into it, knocking him to his haunches. Unsurprisingly, his hard head protected him from too much damage. He'd have a bump, but other than that he simply got to his feet and looked for his victim. He might have found her to the side, holding her sides from laughing quietly. But instead his vision went black and the pain began. He had loosened a bee hive from the tree and had fallen directly on his head. He began screaming. "Aah! Not the bees! Not the bees! AAAAH!" Mint ran around in circles, blind and in pain as the bees stung the poor colt over and over. "Help me! Pinkie, help me! I'm sorry!!" Despite all the bullying he had done to her over the years, Pinkie couldn't just let the poor pony suffer. She ran up to him, turned, and bucked the hive off his head. The bees were now stinging her as well, but she bit back the tears as she pushed herself into Mint's side, guiding him into a run. "Ow! Owie! F-follow me!" She grunted as more bees stung her sides. Mint ran with her, and eventually they came out of the forest and made it to a clearing with a stream. Both of them jumped in where the bees couldn't follow. After a few minutes, the bees left. The two ponies, swollen with bee stings, glanced at each other as they crawled onto land. Pinkie frowned sadly at Mint. She didn't like him, but he hadn't deserved to be attacked so viciously. Suddenly remembering why he had been chasing her in the first place, she braced herself for more bullying. It didn't come. He stared at her with anger and tears in his swollen eyes. Finally, after moments of silence, "I'm supposed to beat the crap out of you, Pinkie. But...I guess it can wait till later. I'll just tell 'em you look even worse than I do." He started to walk away from her, intent on going home and resting up. He stopped before getting too far, his conscience getting the better of him. "...Thanks, Pinkie." Pinkie Pie stared after him as he left. Did he just thank her? She felt a soft smile pulling at her lips before she remembered. Spark Storm was in trouble... Pinkie Pie arrived on the scene to see Spark holding his own against his four attackers. They tried to keep him enclosed, but he was fast. Too fast to really keep him penned in. He was more agile and a better fighter than any of them. Spark already had plenty of bruises, and it looked like his forehead was bleeding. However, the other four looked worse. All three Pegasi looked like they'd had enough. Their attacks were getting sloppy. Righteous River looked the most exhausted. He was covered in dirt and his usually perfect hair was sweaty and disheveled. Seeing Spark Storm mostly unhurt brought Pinkie Pie's spirits soaring. She was so happy that she started to cheer for him. Having been in deep focus while fighting, this brought his attention to the pink mare that was hopping up and down in place and 'woo'ing. That was enough for Hoops. He took the opportunity to land a solid hoof on Spark's jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. Pinkie gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves. She had accidently caused Spark to take a hard hit. She growled, and blindly ran towards the fray. Spark shook his head of the stars that were swirling around his head. When he saw Pinkie furiously approaching, he called, "Pinkie! Stay out of it!" River scowled as Pinkie ran closer. What was that fool Mint doing? Still, this made things easier. "Score! Pin her down!" The heavy Pegasus smirked and launched himself into the air, and came up behind the blindly charging Earth pony. He bowled her over, and then sat on her belly. Pinkie Pie gasped as the intense weight of the obese Pegasus weighed down on her. She grunted as she tried to wiggle out from under the bully, but this was one paperweight that wasn't light as paper. Spark Storm let out an angry shout, and blindly charged at Score. This was the moment that River was waiting for. The other two Pegasi came down on Spark from above, knocking him to the ground and pinning him there. Spark growled threateningly, trying to push the two Pegasi off him, but they pressed their hooves down onto his legs and back, digging painfully. "Finally..." River said, slightly out of breath. He approached Spark, landing one final slap to his face. He laughed at the angry grunt from the down Pegasus. Spark prepared for more, but River instead walked over to where Pinkie lay, fruitlessly battering against Score's back. "You know, this has been a long time coming, you freak. You've been annoying me since day one, and I'm tired of it." He looked down at Pinkie, now staring up at him, partly in fear and partly in anger. "Why do you always have to be such a mean, meany-mean pants?" She demanded. She was getting scared now as he stood over her. "You two are both freaks, you know that? That freak over there can't fly. What's he good for? Nothing! And you! Why the hell are you always so happy? You're so annoying!" He paced back and forth now. He'd had a whole speech planned out for this moment. It'd been a long time coming, but now that the moment had come, he found himself without his prepared speech. That annoyed him even more. "Sh-shut up, brat!" Storm shouted. "Leave her out of this! If you want to beat me black and blue, then do it! I swear, if you touch her -" He yelped in pain as Hoops brought a hoof down to the middle of his back. "Don't worry. We're -gonna- paint you black and blue, and her, too!" Hoops hissed into Spark's ear. "Yes. Yes we are. Starting with her. And you," River said, pausing as he lifted a hoof over Pinkie's face. "You can watch. If you want someone to blame, though, blame yourself. This is your fault for being born and being an inconveniece to everypony." And with that, he brought his hoof down to strike Pinkie, causing her to cry out in pain. It was all Spark Storm could think about as his feathers started to flutter. Another strike. Pinkie was crying openly now. Spark Storm's entire body was tensing, pushing up against the bigger Pegasi holding him down. He let out a shout as his wings suddenly came to life. Hoops and Dumb-bell wisely backed off as Spark Storm shot to his feet. River looked back at Spark. "What are you two doing? Do you want this to-" He was cut off as a sudden light zig-zagged into the air and hit him, lifting him off his feet and propelling him away from Pinkie where he landed on his side. A painful numbing feeling spread out across his chest. He coughed once and started to stand. Spark Storm's back was quivering with light and sparks. He was hyperventilating as a new feeling, a surge of power flowed through him. There was a numbing, throbbing feeling at the base of his wings. It hurt, but it felt good, like he was holding something new, something powerful in his wings. His feathers were twitching as if they had a life of their own. They were shifting, rubbing together, electricity dancing in little bolts between them. Sparks face was a picture of rage. He didn't know what was happening to him, and he didn't care. River had taken it too far, and he honestly didn't care if it was the last thing River ever did. He didn't see Score get off of Pinkie Pie. He didn't see the three Pegasi take off. He saw Pinkie Pie's face, which was bleeding a little from her mouth as she got up shakily. He saw River. He saw blood on River's right hoof. Pinkie's blood. This was all he needed to see as he ran towards River and launched himself into a headbutt. River let out a surprised shout as Spark's head connected with his chest. He fell down again, hooves over his chest, where he had been burned. Spark Storm loomed over him, the dancing lights in his wings growing in intensity. "You are so dead." He growled menacingly. River looked up at Spark Storm, and he believed him. Pinkie Pie sniffled and rubbed the last of her tears from her eyes. She looked over to where Spark Storm was standing over River. She rubbed her eyes again, unsure if what she was seeing was real. His wings were erect, and constantly shifting back and forth. Electric lights danced inbetween his feathers. And there was River, on the ground, holding his hooves over what looked like a burn wound. River looked up at Spark with fear in his eyes. He backed away slowly, and raised a hoof to Spark defensively. "H-hey, take it easy. I...I didn't mean any harm..." Spark Storm's eyes, as wide with anger as they were, opened wider. "No harm? NO HARM?" As he shouted, another line of blinding light shot down on River, landing on his side. River screamed, twitching as the electricity shook his body. He tried to limp away. Fear and pain hindered his logic. He didn't know where he was going and he didn't care, so long as it stopped the horrible pain he was feeling. Pinkie Pie stared in horror as Spark Storm ran after the panicked pony. 'No more, please...' she thought as she ran after the bully's attacker. "Spark! Enough, he's had enough! Please stop!" Her calls fell on deaf ears as all the years of embarrassment, bullying and pain came flying from Spark's wings and searing River's skin. Celestia stared at the violent scene before her. She stood in the shadows of the Everfree Forest, alone. Her royal guard had been ordered to stand down just outside of the Ponyville borders, and were ready to intervene at a moment's notice. Ordinarily, an adult wouldn't need to step intervene with a simple scrap. But then, this situation wasn't so simple. The scene before her was unlike anything she'd seen before. It looked violent. It looked dangerous. But more than that, something about this fight was weakening the seal keeping Discord in his stone prison. His words about a problem with the Elements had urged her to check. While her connection with the Elements had long since severed, she could still feel them and where they would appear next. What she saw here was two of the Elements, and one of them was in danger of being horribly misused. If something didn't happen soon to calm the situation, the seal on Discord's prison would indeed break. Spark Storm looked down at the burned and broken Earth Pony before him. He had struck three more times, and none of it seemed enough. Years of abuse and strife fueled his rage, and no amount of damage he did seemed to help calm him. River cried tears of pain as he looked up at the vengeful Pegasus. He had never felt such fear, such pain. "Please..." he muttered weakly, his voice shaking. "Please, I-I'm sorry! I'll never bother you aga-" his words turned to screams as more electricity hit him again. Spark Storm let out a bark of a laugh. Really? The little punk was asking for mercy? Forgiveness, even? Spark had not an ounce of forgiveness for the little brat. Consequences be damned, there would be no mercy. He readied yet another strike when he felt a pair of forelegs wrap around him. There was a sound foreign to his ears as he heard Pinkie Pie scream. Pinkie held onto Spark Storm, ignoring the sudden, searing pain running through her body as she held on to him tightly. "Spark! It's time to stop! You're killing him, you have to stop!" She was oblivious to the fact that she was screaming out her words, inflected with horrible, numbing pain. Spark Storm stared at Pinkie, with her head buried tightly against his neck. It took only a moment to realize that he was causing her pain. Almost instantly his wings fell harmlessly around the both of them, like a billowing sheet. The thrill of causing pain quickly gave way to guilt, and Spark Storm nearly joined Pinkie in sobbing. He turned to her and took her in his forelegs. He met no resistance as she melted against him, taking large, sobbing breaths. The pain soon left her, but she stayed leaning against him, bawling her eyes out. "Pinkie, I..." He sighed and remained silent, resolving to hold her, and hope that she could forgive him, oblivious to the smoking body at their hooves. Celestia let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She had been ready to intervene when she saw the pink pony throw herself onto the attacking Pegasus. At that moment she knew the situation had been dissolved. A crisis averted. If the Earth Pony hadn't been there to stop him... Hearing a huff of indignity inside her head, she turned inward for a moment to see the image of Discord slowly becoming obscured by a heavy fog. The seal had remained unbroken, and was in the process of repairing itself now that the danger was over. 'Hmph...Love. Love always triumphs. So -boring-.' He waved her off, settling himself in for more prison time. Celestia couldn't help but chuckle as Discord pouted. 'Of course...love won't always save the day, Celestia.' She frowned at this statement. Unable to let her curiosity remain silent, she took a tentative step towards the now nearly blurred Draconequus. 'And what do you mean by that?' He turned towards her once more, his eyes no longer mischevious, but deadly serious as the fog finally covered his form and obscured him from view. 'Oh, you'll see. These next few years are going to be -fun-, Celestia. I know I won't want to miss it.' He chuckled darkly before the spell was finally complete. The situation you saw with Discord and Celestia is still canon in my story. So in case none of you have guessed...Spark Storm was written to be the seventh Element of Harmony. That remains true in my current stories. Anyway, that's as far as I got with this story before I started Star-Crossed School Days. Thanks for reading, and look forward to more chapters in Raison D'être!