//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Love Breeze // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// Seeing strange sights in Ponyville was something most had grown used to by now. After all, when the Spirit of Chaos was a regular visitor, dating a certain pegasus near the woods, you didn’t really get phased by much anymore. So when ponies saw Pinkie Pie’s sister running away from Fluttershy’s brother, screaming about words of romance and destiny, ponies just shrugged and went back to their everyday lives.  Limestone didn’t know what this pegasus’ deal was, but all she wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible. Zephyr Breeze, to his credit, had only kept up with her no matter how many objects she threw at him. Chairs from a nearby restaurant, bricks from some construction ponies, dishes from a stand selling used dinner utensils, and even a confused mail pony with a muffin in her mouth. Zephyr Breeze dipped, dived, and dodged all that was thrown at him like an expert gymnast. He even did it without his wings. Seeing a nearby market stand, Limestone rushed over and kicked down a wheel from a cart containing watermelons, hoping they would slow him down. Indeed, they fell and began to roll around the street, causing ponies to trip and splatter themselves with watermelon all over them. Zephyr Breeze managed to get his two front hooves on top of two of them, but he soon balanced himself and flipped himself on his rear hooves while using his new transportation to get right next to Limestone.  “Limestone! Can’t you see that I cannot stop rolling towards you! You are like a magnet that guides my heart at every turn!” Zephyr shouted with hearts in his eyes. “How about you roll off a cliff!” Limestone shouted, skitting to a halt.  Zephyr Breeze looked back as his beloved went the other way but then returned facing forward to find himself smashing into a fruit stand. He fell face-first into the grapefruit section as his hindquarters stood out while he was trapped. A blind elderly pony slowly walked up with his saddlebags before placing a hoof on Breeze's right rump cheek. “Ooh, these fruits really are thick and juicy.” Limestone, seeing her chance, rushed out of the market area and made her way further downtown. She noticed her home of her sister’s friend, Rarity, and knocked on the door in haste.  “Um, hello?” Rarity asked, opening the door. “Limestone? Why are-” “No time to talk! Need to get inside!” Limestone shouted as she forced her way in before closing the door and locking all the locks. “Really, just because you happen to be Pinkie Pie’s family doesn’t mean you can just barge in here without an explanation,” Rarity pointed out. Limestone took Rarity by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Look, I’m being chased by some maniac, and I need to hide out here! Either you let me in, or I’ll bury each of your dresses so deep in our farm you’ll need to use a jackhammer to get all the dirt and rocks off!” “Um, okay. Please make yourself at home,” Rarity nervously muttered as she pointed to her fitting room.  Sighing in relief, Limestone walked inside and took a moment to relax. “Nearby was a couple of dresses that she found to be way too colorful for her taste. She preferred working without them, unlike the rest of her siblings, who like to wear clothing. “Still, I wonder what I would look like with them on?” “Oh, I think you would look lovely in blue, my dear.” Limestone froze as she slowly turned to Zephyr Breeze, now wearing glasses, and checking the dresses personally. “It would go so well with your mane. Oh, and this ruby dress would go great with your eyes. But this is the one that I think works best for you.” He pulled out a wedding dress and smiled. “Well, what do you think?!” “Gaaaah!” Limestone Pie screamed as she ran to the other end of the house and smashed her way out of the store, leaving behind a big hole. “Oh, come on! What am I supposed to tell the insurance ponies about this?!” Rarity shouted, gripping her ears in frustration.  *** Limestone didn’t know how far she ran, but she was pretty sure she was at the other end of town. Gasping for breath, Limestone tried to look for someplace to hide and just ran into some somber-looking building with a giant flowery wreath as a decorum for its door. She shut the door closed and ducked into the nearest room, only to freeze upon seeing just where she ended up.  It was a big empty room with many chairs, flowers in pots, wreaths, baskets, pictures of angels playing harps, and a giant casket at the end of the room. “Well, at least I didn’t enter during an actual service,” Limestone muttered as she made for one of the chairs near the casket and sat down. “Hopefully, that idiot will have quit by now. I swear I’m dead tired at this rate,” Limestone said. She then heard the creeping opening of wood. Feeling a tingle in her spine, Limestone looked over her shoulder to see the top opening of the casket slowly open until Zephyr Breeze rose up and smiled. “Don’t worry, Limy. We shall never part in life or in death. I am yours forever!” Limestone’s reaction was to slam the casket shut with her hooves and lock it with haste. Using her incredible strength, she picked it up and ran out of the building, using her rear legs to walk. Seeing a nearby graveyard, she burst through its gate and looked around. Spotting an empty hole that hadn’t been filled yet, she rushed towards it and dropped the casket inside. Using her farming techniques, the rock farmer began to fill the grave with dirt before finally putting down a nearby rock as a tombstone. Sighing in relief, Limestone slowly fell to her back and laughed. “Finally...he’s gone...” “But never forgotten.” Limestone’s eyes widened, and her pupil shrunk. She slowly turned her head to see Zephyr lying right beside her with a smirk. “Hiya, cutie.” “FOR CELESTIA’S SAKE!” Limestone shouted before she was off again, with Zephyr hopping away after her. *** Limestone had never run as fast as she did in her entire life, but her limbs were starting to burn up. The annoying pegasus didn’t stop following her or shut up as she continued to flee. Realizing that she needed to get to an area where he couldn’t possibly enter, she found a nearby public bathroom and headed straight towards the ladies' room. Slamming the door behind her, Limestone quickly found an empty stall and sat down on the toilet with a heavy sigh. “Finally...” Wiping the sweat from her brow, Limestone wondered what to do next. She couldn’t live in a bathroom forever, and she didn’t know how long that freak was going to be waiting for her outside. Still, I should at least get some water from the faucet. I’m thirsty.  She felt her face turn pale upon seeing a smiling Zephyr Breeze right outside of the stall coming out of the stall. “...Why?” “Unisex bathroom,” Zephyr Breeze said as he walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the sign that had both a male pony, a female pony, and a mix of both on the door.  CRASH! Zephyr Breeze watched as Limestone burst out of the nearby window and continued to run. He then stared at the open stall and shrugged. “Quick bathroom break, and then I follow.” *** Limestone was growing desperate. She had been hiding and running from Zephyr Breeze for over two hours now, and she was beginning to lose energy. She needed to escape Ponyville entirely, her sisters would understand, but the next train wasn’t for another four hours! She tried to find some way to get out of town until she saw that someone was renting a hot air balloon near the edge of town.  Rushing over, Limestone asked the salespony. “How much for the whole thing?!” “Uh, it’s for rent, now ownershi-” His voice died down when Limestone threw him a bag of bits almost as big as he was. “Um, thank you?” Limestone didn’t even bother to reply back. She just took a nearby helmet, climbed in, and released the sandbags one by one. Her balloon slowly floated into the air while she used the gas to light the flame that sent her higher and higher into the air. Once she was a reasonable distance in the air, Limestone sighed in relief.  “Finally, I’m out of here.” “Honeybun, if you wanted to just go for a ride in the sky, I could have provided that,” Zephyr Breeze said, flying right beside her while winking at her. “Oh, will you please just stop running and go out with me?!” Limestone smacked herself upon remembering what race her stalker was before grabbing a nearby parachute and jumping out of the balloon. “I’d rather be paste, you freak!” She dived down, narrowing her eyes as she saw the town’s square nearby—a perfect place to land.  She gritted her teeth and pulled the cord...only for it not to work. “What the?!” Limestone pulled it again and again. “Oh, you have to be kidding me!”  Ponies down blow gasped upon seeing the flailing earth pony falling from the sky, unable to stop herself. Pinkie Pie pushed through the crowd and gasped. “Limestone!” “I take it back! I’d rather not become paste!” Limestone screamed. Rainbow Dash, who had followed Pinkie Pie, was ready to leap into action, but to the surprise of all, a green comet swooped in and grabbed Limestone just as she was ten feet away from the ground. Limestone, who had covered her eyes at this point, slowly opened them and expected to see herself with a golden harp and halo. Instead, she felt a strong set of arms holding onto her as she was gently placed down on the ground. Turning to her savior, she gasped upon seeing Zephyr Breeze stare at her with concerned and gentle eyes. “Are you alright, my love?” “Um, yes?” Limestone said, blushing. She yelped before she found herself taken back into his hooves bridle style. “I said I was fine!” “Regardless, I shall take you to the hospital and make sure you are checked out! Tally ho!” Zephyr shouted as he took off into the wind with Limestone complaining that she could walk. “Phew, thank goodness he was there to help save Limestone! What a caring colfriend he is!” Pinkie Pie said with a smile. “Pinkie, they aren’t even dating yet,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Oh, they will! They indeed will,” Pinkie Pie said with a wink. “I just wished he took a sip of that second milkshake before he ran off. Now I gotta throw it out.” “...wait, what?” Rainbow Dash asked, eyes widened. “He...didn’t drink the milkshake?” “Hmm? Oh, he was about to until Limestone walked in. Why?”  Dash just stared at Pinkie with wide eyes and an open jaw. *** Meanwhile, a certain gator with no teeth was looking for its master because it was feeding time, but she wasn’t around. Seeing as Pinkie Pie was nowhere, he decided to try this milkshake that was left all on its own for nobody to use. Using his long tongue, he tipped it over and started to drink its contents.  “Hello? Brother, are you here?” Fluttershy asked as she entered Sugarcube Corner. Angel Bunny was on her back, looking annoyed that he had been brought here against his will. “Oh, where is he? I thought he would meet me here.” She then noticed Gummy near the counter and walked over. “Oh, hello, Gummy! Is Pinkie Pie in? She told me my brother was here and I came to...um...” Fluttershy tilted her head as Gummy’s yes started to glow pink for a few seconds before ending. “Um, are you okay?” A split second later, Gummy had tackled Angel Bunny off her back and was nuzzling the stunned bunny on the floor. He cried out in terror as he kicked Gummy off, but he then dived again for the rabbit, who hopped out of the store like his tail was on fire. The toothless gator went right after him with a bounce and hopped as Fluttershy tilted her head. “Um, what just happened?” *** Needless to say, despite the hospital staff saying Limestone was fine and didn’t need any treatment, Zephyr insisted on having her at least given some kind of care. For once, Limestone didn’t complain because said pegasus was massaging her hooves on a comfy bed while sipping a glass of lemonade.  Sighing in relief, she looked at Zephyr and felt a small blush coming towards her cheeks. “Um, thanks. For saving my life.” “No need to worry, my love,” Zephyr said with a beaming smile. “I would gladly save you from a nest of angry dragons if it means that you are safe.” “Yeah, about that...” Limestone sighed before looking at Zephyr in the eye. “Look, I get you think I’m...attractive and all that, but could you just tone it down?” “What do you mean?” Zephyr Breeze asked, tilting his head. “That whole over the top sappy romance talk! You’re acting like a total jerkwad by sounding like that! Girls don’t like boys who speak and behave that way!” Limestone shouted before rolling her eyes. “I mean, have you tried that on any other girl in your life?!” “...Well,” Zephyr Breeze rubbed the back of his head. “Kinda? I mean, I always thought-” “Whatever you thought was working is not working! Just be...I don’t know, normal without all the fancy Romeo drama stuff!” Limestone pointed out. She crossed her hooves. “Otherwise, you’re going to remain a single pony for the rest of your life.” Realization seemed to enter Zephyr’s head as he rubbed his chin before raising an eyebrow. “So, do you think you can show me?” “Huh?” “Show me how to be less...like I act and more...what you were saying?” Zephyr asked. “...I’m not sure I’m the best to teach you, but I guess since I owe you my life, I can try,” Limestone said before turning away. “....Over lunch.” Zephyr’s eyes turned to stars as his wings flared open with joy. “Really?!” “Yes, but nothing weird! And I lead this date! Got it?!” Limestone shouted, pointing at him. Saluting, Zephyr nodded. “Yes, my dear. I swear.” “Good, and it’s Limestone,” she answered, shaking her head. “Now get back to massaging my left hoof.” *** “So Zephyr is out of our manes once and for all?” Soarin asked, snuggling next to his marefriend in her bed. The two had a perfect date to celebrate the fact their little stalker finally had a marefriend. “Yeah, who would have thought? Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie’s siblings? And I didn’t even need that stupid love potion,” Rainbow Dash said with a grin.  Soarin snorted. “Just promise me you won’t be using potions again? Weird stuff tends to happen when they’re used on ponies.” “Oh, so this potion of lovemaking that I made was a waste of my time?” Rainbow Dash asked, pulling out a small blue vial of glowing liquid. Soarin eyed the vital and then at Dash before smiling. “Well, maybe one more wouldn’t hurt.”