//------------------------------// // Birthday Stumbles part Dos // Story: Storming Sun // by Pegysus //------------------------------// Twilight and I sat inside the train station. It wasn’t long until the horn blew signaling the arrival of a train. It chugged slowly to a halt, steam whistled and puffed. The door opened with a hiss. I was giddy with anticipation. I couldn’t keep my right hindleg still for a second. There aren’t many times all my relatives from the Crystal Empire come to Canterlot, and normally the one who comes is Flurry Heart. But now, all three of my relatives are here. Shining Armor, Cadence, and Flurry Heart. I’m so happy that I could just… I could just… “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!” I leapt and flew into the three of them like a bowling ball to a pin, striking all three out in a dog pile. “I miss miss miss miss miss you!!!” Nuzzling on three very confused ponies. Now, this is just embarrassing! I can cope with how I talk and I can cope with how I act, but this is just so cringy. What sane person or pony would actually do this? See what I’m talking about, barely any control over my actions, especially when I’m excited. It’s like someone is in control for the moment and I’m riding shotgun. This would be terrifying if it wasn’t a dream. “Stormie, calm down.” Twilight pulled me away with her magic. I puffed my right cheek in a pout. “It’s okay, Twiley, she’s just excited to see us,” Shining said. “Yup!” Flurry Heart trotter up, giving me a little tickle, earning her a giggle. “My baby cousin is just the cutest when she’s excited!” She nuzzled me and I nuzzled back. “You’we onwy twee yeawrs oldew dan me!” I protested and she stuck out her tongue in counterprotest. Cadence trotted up, “I swear, she’s bigger every time I see her.” Giving me a nuzzle of her own. We began walking. The adults were chatting about whatever as Flurry Heart came to my side. “Wha cha been up to?” “Supa dupa secwet pwincess stuffs.” I said casually. “Wike awways.” “Ooo, me too! I do super-duper secret princess stuff all the time. Like that time when I had a tea party with all my guards!” She bounced then look down in thought. “That wasn’t a secret huh.” I giggled at the Flurry and I bumped her with my flank. “Tag! youw it!” I zoomed off as fast as I could. “Come back here!” She shouted as she galloped after me. “Girls! Sto-” But it was already too late. We were soaring through the air. I banked a tight left around a building, feeling the g-forces pressing on me. The advantage to being a small filly is that I can do things that adults can’t do. Like turn on a dime. Of course, it helps I was flying only a little faster than galloping speed… Foal galloping speed. The crystal princess was gaining on me. I ascended up and banked right, the forces pulling on me, my head feeling light. I bit my lip to keep from passing out. Flurry followed with a not-so-sharp turn. I went into a dive only to find Flurry Heart was right in front of me in a flash of light. I realized too late I had too much momentum and I couldn’t yaw fast enough to dodge her. I smashed into her hard. The world went into bullet-time as we stalled. It would only be split seconds before we crash into a cabbage stand. I focused on the thrum and tingle of my horn, my charm fizzled and broke as raw magic pumped into my horn. I didn’t know any spells; I think I had asked Twilight one day about magic but I can’t remember if she actually taught me anything or told me that I’m too young. What I do understand about magic is from few books I could understand. Cantrips are something every unicorn could do. They weren’t spells as they didn’t need the knowledge to use them. Only imagination, willpower, and magic. And I had an abundance of all three. You ever played the game portal? Well imagine a massive hole in the fabric of reality, it’s edged fiery red. We fell into it and fell in reverse through another hole, its edges blue-violet. The holes collapsed and reality became normal again. Gravity slowed our momentum allowing up to untangle and land roughly rather than a full-on crash. My breaths were heavy and frequent, my body ached with exertion, and an agonizing pain pooled in my head and flowed into my horn. Yup, I used too much magic today. At least too much for a foal. I fell back on my hind legs. My eyes drooping heavy. I could hear clopping but I didn’t care to acknowledge it. “Couz’ are you okay?” The sound was so loud that it slammed into my head with agony. “Ow ow ow.” I whimpered, clutching my head, massaging it with my hoof field. “Sorry.” Flurry winced. Hooves galloped towards us, “Girls! You okay?” The sound punched my head causing even more pay. My ears splayed back as I huddled to the ground to cope with my aching everything. Lavender hooves clopped up to me, “Baby, what’s wrong?” “Stormie used too much magic.” Flurry said matter-of-factly. I could hear a twinkle of a horn glowing as warmth filled my being. My splitting headache didn’t disappear but it was better than before. I clutched onto Twilight, tears rolling down my face. Tears, I didn’t even know I was crying. “Oh, poor baby.” Mommy rubbed my back with a wing. “Do you want to nap on my back?” I nodded in mommy’s fur. I felt weightless as I was set gently between her wings. “Sowwy, mommy.” I whimpered. “It’s okay, baby, just be careful next time.” She cooed. I wiped my eyes on lavender fur. “Flurry, can you tell me what happened?” “Well, we were flying, and…” The sound of voices became distant, an echo, as I crashed into the slumbering world headfirst. Solar Storm’s Mindscape No seriously, I fell headfirst back into the whiteness of the mind. Luckily for me, there’s no such thing as pain in the mindscape so all it hurt was my pride. Not like I have a lot of that left anymore. With a heavy sigh, I pushed myself up and dust myself off. The mindscape was a beige color now. A throbbing sound pulsed through the world. Headaches always did this. I looked to Daybreaker who was lounging in her cage, on a couch, reading I think the power pony comics. It was odd, when she wasn’t being a maniacal crazy evil spirit, she was pretty attractive. Some may even go as far as to call her beautiful. But then they’d have to ignore her personality, attitude, and basically, everything about her besides her looks. Which isn’t easier to do. “Hey there, Sunbutt.” This startled the sun demon. “Wha cha reading?” Her reptilian eyes narrowed into daggers. Her glare was lukewarm at best. “None of your business, ape.” “Oh, come on, sunny, we’ve been together for what? 3 years? Can’t you open yourself up a little? Maybe we could actually be friends and I wouldn’t have to keep you in the cage all the time.” The Sun Tyrant grew thoughtful for a while. “If you and I become friends, you will let me out?” “Yup.” “Do you want to be my friend?” “Sure!” “Soooo will you let me out?” “Weeeell, I’m pretty sure you asked that so that I’d let you out so that you can take over Solar Storm’s body and use it for your evil plots.” “Tch.” The Sun Demon retorted and spun the couch to look away from me as she continued to read power pony comics. I sighed, turned around, and walked to the control panel. I feel like I sigh a lot. Maybe that’s just me. The control panel wasn’t what it used to be. It had gotten an update as a full-on computer. One of those high-end models I could never afford. It glowed a fiery gradient just like Stormie’s mane. I booted it up. The lock screen was Stormie, the cute little tyke dressed up for one of those Royal dinners Celestia seems to pull her in at every turn. She was smiling with her blue-violet eyes glistening with excitement. Despite our hatred of dresses. Rarity’s dresses were always so comfortable and amazing. We liked those dresses the best. I typed in the password. It was nothing special but something that Daybreaker couldn’t possibly figure out. The password was so diabolically simple that no one could guess it. It is… Password123. I’m brilliant, am I right? The lock screen unlocked to a picture of Stormie, Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Pinkie, and Flutter’s daughter: Surprise, Spike with his son I forget his name, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart all together for a group photo. Stormie was in the middle looking happy as a clam. She’s too precious. I double-clicked on the Dreamcast Application installed a while ago when I learned about Luna’s ability to dream walk. Don’t want her knowing that Daybreaker and I exist inside of Stormie’s head. That would end terribly for everyone. I’m feeling the need to play a game so I click on the games tag and began sifting through them. After a long stressing day that hasn’t even ended yet. I feel like playing some Stardew Valley. My little farm has blossomed into something beautiful. I’m even married to Penny. Of course, I had to ponify that games so if anyone is looking then they’d see me just having a good time on the farm. Which is odd because I decided to keep all the character names to make it easier. The look on Luna’s face when I played Deadspace was hilarious. She thought it was a nightmare and in reality, it was but one I had complete control over. I double-clicked, put on the nerve gear, and took a deep breath. “Link Start.” Meanwhile “Incredible! Are you telling me that Stormie warped and bent reality so that she could create portals all just to survive a fall?” Twilight wonder, giving her daughter a very proud look. She always knew the tyke had some power but never knew she could do THAT with her power. “I don’t know, I’m five.” Flurry retorted. “Is Stormie going to be okay?” Then waltz on out of there with Shining to go play in the gardens.” “ABSOLUTELY! She is already strong enough to create new magic with only a magically exhausted horn to show for it! She’ll be the forefront of arcane research! Creating spells, cantrips, and theories that nopony has even thought of before.” Twilight hugged Celestia. “Oh, it’ll be wonderful, Tia. Our daughter will be the greatest mage that has ever graced Equss! She’ll do incredible things; I just know it!!” Twilight was out of breath and panting. “She’ll even-” Tia smiled gently as she placed a hoof on the purple pony’s mouth. “Twilight, breath for me, honey.” Her eyes went to her little sunshine. “She did something incredible, yes, but let us not force something that she may never want. For all we know, she’ll be a farmer.” “Tis true, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna interrupted. “I have seen many dreams where she has been farming in some capacity.” Twilight deflated a little before giving her filly a smile. “You’re not wrong, I shouldn’t get too hasty. She’s just three after all.” Celestia’s wing blanketed Twilight. “You’re proud of her and so am I. After all her very destructive magic surges, she finally did something with her magic that wasn’t destructive without needing the limiter charm to keep her from exploding.” Said limiter charm was black and still smoldering. The thing nearly melted into Storm’s horn when Twilight arrived to take it off along with casting the painkiller spell. “Anyway, about this ‘Birthday Ceremony’ you’ve planned for her.” Twilight pushed herself away from Celestia and moved beside her foal. “Do you think it’s a good idea? You do remember what happened on her first birthday when she found herself the center of attention.” Celestia could never forget that day. Not only because it was her sunshine’s first but also because it’s the day, she found out that her sunshine had some major stage fright. Tia sighed. She hated the idea that her little sunshine is going to suffer because she had to do this ceremony. The nobles have been way more than rowdy no matter how much she tried to appease them. But they all wanted the new princess to become part of their game of thrones. It’s why she really didn’t want to go through with the Birthday Ceremony. However, Celestia wasn’t an absolute diarch, and no ruler rules alone. The House of Nobles may have no more power than the House of Commons but they did hold more wealth, and they weren’t above bribing representatives in the HoC if it meant to get their way. Even though it was very illegal to bribe a statemare. Celestia took a very deep drink of air, her lungs puffing out from the amount. “It needs to be done, unfortunately.” Tia gave her Twiley a small sad smile. “I have put this off for too long. I wish I could hold it off for longer but unfortunately, the Nobles have made it quite clear that they want a foal in their game of manipulation and narcissism. We will need to teach her how to defend herself against those who would throw her away as a pawn in their machinations.” For centuries, Celestia has been peeling away the power of the noble houses. Bit by bit, she’s whittled it down to a level where they could no longer inconvenience commoners of any kind. Twilight blinked at her lover’s monologue. Then she blinked again trying her best to wrap her brain around how politics got into the equation. Of course, her big, wrinkly brain was creating seem and all Twi could say was “Oh uh, I was talking about her extreme aversion to lots of attention but that too I guess.” She loved her sun goddess but damn did that mare made things confusing sometimes. Twilight wonders if she got her neurotic behavior from her. She mentally shrugged at that. Flurry, who was playing with Shining out in the gardens, clopped on through and made a declaration. “I got an idea!” All the adults in the room stared at the small alicorn in surprise (and in Twilight's case, relieved) at the change at the very sudden change in topic. Cadence, who was in the bathroom, finally came back into the conversation. “What’s your idea, little gem?” “I wanna surprise Stormie and I know how to do it!” The adults were listening, curious about what the little alicorn was talking about. “All we have to do is…”