//------------------------------//
// Chapter Ten 
// Story: A Tempest Tossed 
// by LotusTeaDragon 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Ten

Manehattan Library
Loading Dock Entrance


"This is insane, Violet," Candela said to her companion as she helped her suit up, placing her saddlebags on the young mare's back, while carefully avoiding her wings.

"What choice do we have?" Violet replied, her eyes downcast. "If we can't find parts for this transmitter, we're not likely to figure out what caused this storm, or what happened to Twilight. It feels like such a hopeless situation."

"It's not hopeless."

She raised her head, settling her gaze on her new friend. "I used to believe that once."

For a moment, the two just stared at each other, letting silence fill the spaces. Navigating the storm the first time had been hard going, to the point of exhaustion for the both of them. Violet had lost any optimism she had that another trip out to look for spare parts to fix the transmitter would result in anything other than the same at best. Add in the fact that they were already worn out from the events of that evening, and she wasn't sure if any outcome was going to be a positive one.

"I have to go," Violet said at last.

"You don't have to go, we can find another way," replied Candela, frustration tinging her words.

"Look, we both know that as a pegasus I can handle weather extremes like these. The directory in the manager's office showed a little repair shop not three blocks from here. I can make that distance. It wouldn't make sense to put you at risk by having you go out there again."

"Maybe I don't want you to be put at risk, did you consider that?" Candela retorted.

"It's not like I want to leave you behind."

"Well then don't go."

"I have to go!"

"You don't have to leave! You can stay here, we can find something to make the transmitter work, and then we can be rescued!"

Violet huffed. "If I thought we could do that, then I'd have suggested it. Truth is, it's only three blocks, I can handle it."

"No, the truth is that you want to go out and play the hero, and leave me here all alone again!"

"What?! Now wait just a bucking mi-"

Violet's reply was cut short as Candela closed the distance between the two of them and kissed the pegasus squarely on the lips.

Still locked muzzle to muzzle, Violet's wings flew from her sides, pain lancing up her body, but she hardly noticed it as she melted into the kiss. Her heart was thudding against her ribcage as she felt Candela bring her strong forelegs up and embrace her, their chests pressed against one another, sharing the heat between their two bodies.

The moment seemed to last forever and yet lingered for mere moments, before the two mares parted. 

Each gasping for breath, Violet spoke first. "What... was that... for?" she said between breaths.

"I've been wanting... to kiss you since... the first day I met you."

"Me?" came Violet's surprised reply. It was more confusion than a question.

"Yes, you!" Candela said, punctuating her words with the tap of a forehoof on the cold concrete floor. "You were in need, and I doted over you as you slept, and I have to admit I was taken, but it was when you woke up, when I saw your face, when I saw you smile. Your laughter, and your kindness. I couldn't help it."

The heat from Violet's blush radiated all over her face. She could have melted a snowball without it ever reaching her.

"You see," Candela continued, glancing away as she spoke. "I've been alone most of my life, living in this city. Alone but not alone, you know?" she finished lamely.

Violet chuckled.

Candela blushed, embarrassed, but Violet didn't let her linger on it as she pulled her to her own chest, and hugged the earth pony. "I know all too well," came the soft reply.

The earth shifted.

It wasn't a metaphorical shift that one experiences when overwhelmed by emotion, I mean the earth actually shifted. 

"Um, did you feel that?" Violet asked as she held Candela.

"Feel what?" came her response.

Violet stepped back to address Candela face to face. "It felt like an earthquake. You didn't feel it?"

Candela shook her head.

Before Violet could reply, the earth underneath their hooves rumbled again.

"Are you okay, Violet?" Candela asked, concern in her voice.

"I, uh, don't-" Violet began, but was cut short as the whole world tilted sideways. Everything was a scatter of light and sound, a cacophony of noise that assaulted her from every direction. For a moment, Violet thought the storm had torn through the building and had began terrorizing them with all of its fury.

Her heart leapt into her throat as the laws of gravity completely gave way to insanity, and the world went black. She felt a pressure against her head, pushing hard. Before she could react to it, her whole body flipped sideways, rolling, until she felt something hard slam into her side.

A yelp forced its way out of her muzzle as everything began to die down. First the earth stopped shaking, the rolling had stopped, and now all she felt was cold against her back.

Stillness.

She lay there for a few more moments, the dizziness and dysphoria coalescing into a quiet chirping.

Chirping?

She slowly opened her eyes, and saw a red robin sitting on a window sill. Her office window sill.

She was in her office.

She was in her office?

The question was confirmed as she rolled to her side, and looked around. Sure enough, she was lying on the hard tile floor in her office. 

"Oh, Miss Tempest, are you okay?!" a voice called out behind her.

She turned to see a tan furred earth pony mare wearing glasses, and a green sweater approaching her with concern etched on her muzzle.

"Uh..." Violet managed.

"Here, let me help you," the chestnut maned mare said as she helped Violet to her hooves.

"Um, thank you, I seem to have tripped over something," Violet said as she checked herself over and not finding anything out of place. Well, physically anyway. Once she found everything in order, she turned her attention to the mare.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The mare laughed. "My name's Candela. Candela Bright. I just started this week, I'm the new Applied Physics professor."

Violet's thoughts were swirling. Had she been dreaming? Was all of it just some kind of delusion? She quickly looked back at her desk, but couldn't see anything out of place. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" she heard Candela ask.

Violet turned back to her. "I'm... fine. I just... today has been a weird day," she said, laughing nervously.

Candela chuckled. "I know what you mean. I'm not used to dealing with Canterlot students. It's so much different than my old position at Manehattan Community College."

Violet absorbed this new, but familiar, bit of information. She had to know more.

"I would be more than happy to help you navigate some of the thornier issues, and acclimate you to the students and faculty."

Candela grinned. "I would sincerely appreciate that."

Violet nodded. "Great! If you're not, uh, busy, then we can even go out for lunch."

"It's 6 o'clock in the evening."

"Dinner, then?" asked Violet, recovering quickly.

Candela tilted her head in thought for a moment, something which Violet found adorable.

"That sounds lovely. It's a date then," Candela replied.

"Ah heh, yeah, a date." Violet said, opening the door to her office.

The two mares walked out of the office and began making their way down the school hallway. As they turned a corner, Violet could be heard asking, "oh, by the way, what's your opinion regarding cats?"


/)*(\