//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: The Cold Shoulder // Story: Winter's Howl // by 71NYL-5CR4TCH //------------------------------// Winter’s Howl Chapter 19: The Cold Shoulder ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You…” Snowstorm whispered. His jaw went slack, eyes widening. “Me…” replied the stallion in the doorway. Suddenly, Snowstorm’s face morphed into one of rage, “WHERE THE BUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?! 5 YEARS, 5 YEARS GO BY AND I HAVEN’T SEEN YOUR FACE! WHAT BUCKING RIGHT DO YOU HAVE SHOWING UP HERE?!” “Aww, what’s the matter Snowstorm, going to cry over your daddy issues?” Snowstorm’s father gave him a sarcastic smile. “Thought I’d raised you to be tougher than that.” “You didn’t raise me at all.” Snowstorm growled through gritted teeth. “Pssh, like you wanted me around anyway,” Snowstorm’s father began to walk into the home before Snowstorm put up a hoof to block his entry. “How did you find me?” Snowstorm asked, still enraged. “Wasn’t that hard. The chick around here that’s ben giving me booze said she’d seen you around town. Some pony named Berry. Now can I come in? I am family after all…” “You’re shit to me Stormshadow. What even makes you think I would want to see you?” Snowstorm pressed a hoof against his father’s chest, pushing him back. “You thought I’d even think about what you wanted? My, my, you don’t remember me at all do you? Please, I just needed a place to crash.” “Sounds about right. Let me guess, you’re out on the streets cause your drunk flank spent all your bits on booze, and you think that because you’re my father, I’d just take you in?” “Heh, at least you ended up a smart one.” “No thanks to you. So I think it’s best that you beat it before you upset my guest.” Rainbow was now standing behind Snowstorm, giving his father a terrible glare. “Ok, ok I wouldn’t want to impose…” Stormshadow raised a defensive hoof, before glancing back at Rainbow, “so that’s your guest huh?” “What’s it to you?” Snowstorm asked. “Well given you’re a stallion, and her rainbow mane, I’d say you would have your hooves full with that emotional rollercoaster…” Stormshadow felt a hoof collide firmly against his jaw, causing him to stagger backwards. His already cracked, dry lips were now split, blood running down his chin. Stormshadow brought a hoof to his mouth and removed it, looking down at the new formed pool of blood. Snowstorm stood his ground, growling furiously. “Oh you done bucked up now boy…I’ll be back…real soon.” Stormshadow turned and walked through the streets of Ponyvile, crimson blood rinsing from his coat as the rain continued to soak his coat. He took one last glance back to Snowstorm, who continued to stare at him, Rainbow’s protective wing draped over him. “and I’m going to cut you where it really hurts.” Stormshadow drug a hoof over the heinous scar on his face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snowstorm and Rainbow returned into the house, as Snowstorm shut the door firmly and locked the deadbolt. “I can’t believe he’s even still alive…” Snowstorm said to himself, his head hanging low. After the pair reached the den, Rainbow sat back on her haunches, looking at Snowstorm, “Are you ok? It must be strange seeing him again…” Snowstorm sighed, “yeah, I’m fine, he hasn’t changed a bit really, I just couldn’t even recognize him…It’s weird, he hasn’t changed at all, but it was like he was a complete stranger. I…I had almost forgotten about him.” Rainbow extended a wing over Snowstorm, “I can’t even imagine, I was lucky enough to keep both of my parents for a long time…” Snowstorm looked up. The thought dawned on him that he didn’t really know anything about Rainbow’s parents, while she had already met his. “Are they still together?” Snowstorm asked. Rainbow gave a sad chuckle, “Yup, and forever. They died together in a train accident about 4 years ago.” Snowstorm’s face dropped, “Oh Rainbow, I’m so sorry…” Rainbow waved a dismissive hoof, “Don’t be, I had my grieving time, and I don’t want a pity party. I loved the time I had with them and what happened made me who I am today.“ “That’s…awfully big of you Dash, I’m impressed.” Snowstorm said with a small stutter. “Changes make us who we are, for better or worse. You just need to learn to embrace them.” “Are you saying I shouldn’t have turned my back on my father like that?” Snowstorm looked up at Rainbow. “Oh no not at all. Even if you two did have an awful history, I wouldn’t have let him stay for three major reasons.” “And those are..?” “Well one, he was a perfect asshat. Two, he was filthy, and would have been a mess to clean up after…” “And three?” Snowstorm raised an eyebrow. Rainbow gave a sly grin, “do I really need to count to three?” Snowstorm smiled, “humor me.” Rainbow leaned in and embraced Snowstorm in a deep kiss, bringing him down to the floor, “That’s three…” she said with a proactive whisper. “I like three…” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestia’s sun rose the next morning, as it had for every morning before it, and would for every morning after. The cloud cover still hung in the sky, as the rain continued to pelt Snowstorm’s sleepy home. Snowstorm awoke later this morning, this time to the sound of a toaster popping. He lifted his head slowly from his fuzzy rug, and slowly cracked open his eyes. In the kitchen rainbow frantically juggled a piece of blackened toast, muttering. Snowstorm stood and stretched his back, allowing a loud series of pops to escape from his spine. Rainbow looked over at the sound of what she assumed was a Chinese firework, only to see Snowstorm in an awkward arch. “Is that normal?!” Rainbow asked, carrying to plates of ‘breakfast’ in her mouth. “When you sleep on the floor, yes.” “I’d hardly call all that sleep,” Rainbow said with a grin. “Only adds to my point. Did you make breakfast?” Snowstorm trotted into the kitchen. “Um…I tried…” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the entirely burnt display of food before them. “How did you burn the cereal?” Snowstorm asked. “That was supposed to be oatmeal…” “Oh…” Snowstorm looked at the…oatmeal…and turned to Rainbow. “well, thank you for trying…” Snowstorm kissed Rainbow on the cheek. “Yeah…no problem…” Rainbow blushed, “guess that’s why I’m your boss and not housewife.” Rainbow grinned at Snowstorm. “I thought we settled on partner…” Snowstorm said slowly. “Oh don’t get your panties in a wad. When’s Scoots coming home?” Snowstorm shrugged, “Sometime today, probably early knowing Sea Mist. Mom will probably come too…” “Why would your mom come?” “To chew my ear off about her mouth.” Snowstorm sighed “Oh yeah…that reminds me, why did I wake up in Scootaloo’s bed last night?” Rainbow asked. “It was easier to move than ours and I needed it for a little prank…” Snowstorm grinned. “I see what you did there…” Rainbow smiled as well. A series of knocks came from the front door, interrupting the laughs Rainbow and Snowstorm shared. Snowstorm approached the door and opened it, still giggling. He opened the door swiftly and turned to the ponies in the door. “heh, hey mom…” “Hello Snowstorm…is…now a good time?” Icicle looked cautiously into his home. “Yeah, we’re fine…come on in everypony…” Snowstorm opened the door wide, allowing his mother, sister, and Sea Mist to enter. “welcome to my humble abode.” Icicle and Sea Mist looked around the main den briefly, “Um…where is everything?” Sea Mist asked cautiously. “This is everything, for now anyway. As you probably noticed, I had to invest quite a few bits on this one. Enjoy your weekend sis?” Snowstorm smiled at his sister, who merely glared. “Well, I certainly hope you weren’t awarding her POTTY MOUTH.” Icicle poked Scootaloo with a hoof, while she merely continued to glare at Snowstorm. “Uh, not exactly, but that’s not really important…sorry, she’s normally so well behaved around here.” He gave Scootaloo a malicious grin. “Yes, well, do let me know if she slips up again. Also, why didn’t you ask me for help? If I had known you needed furniture I gladly would have pitched in.” Icicle gave a caring smile. “Thanks mom, but actually I’m doing just fine. Just a little set back this first week. We should be up and running soon.” Snowstorm smiled at his mother, “I’d love for you to stay for a while though, after all, this is the first time you’ve seen my new home.” “Well thank you so much sweetie! I’d love to stay for some breakfast, did you make any?” “Um…Rainbow tried…maybe we should go out to Big Colt’s…” Snowstorm glanced at the incinerated spread on his kitchen counter. “Oh, I’m sure she did just-“ “I burnt the orange juice.” Rainbow interjected. “Oh…” “Shall we?” Snowstorm asked. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snowstorm’s family chatted idly with full bellies as they returned to Snowstorm’s home. Spirits were high among the group, and even Scootaloo hopped alongside her new family. For the first time, things felt complete for her again, she had her brother, her mother, and now, a new father. Thing’s were finally returning to a balance in her life, and she couldn’t be happier. Plus, she got to see Rainbow everyday now. “So Scoots, did your mom give you any flying lessons this weekend?” Rainbow asked. “No, we we’re too busy moving in,” she replied, “I really get a chance to do much of anything.” “Well, after we clear what’s left of this overcast, how ‘bout we spend some time getting you up in the air?” “Really? Do you mean it Rainbow Dash?!” Scootaloo allowed an enormous grin to spread across her face as hopped, buzzing briefly in the air. “Sure think kiddo.” Rainbow chuckled as they reached Snowstorms home. Snowstorm laughed, turning the knob, opening the door to his home. As he opened the door, his smile instantly washed away, being replaced by a hateful scowl at the grungy stallion standing in his den. “Well, well, look who’s back. Figured I’d wait for you to show up, turns out you aint got shit worth stealing around here.” Stormshadow spoke with a hideous, yellow-toothed grin. Sea Mist instinctively stepped in front of Scootaloo, spreading his wings out. “Stormshadow…” Icicle whispered, a look of terror spreading across her face.