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// You always find something in the place you least expect it. 
// Story: Heart of the storm 
// by Sebbaa 
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You always find something in the place you least expect it. 
When he woke up an orange pegasus filly was sitting on his bed, watching his face.
“Uh! You are awake!” she noticed and sprang from the bed. “He is awake!” she shouted and galloped out of the room. “Sweetie Belle, Applebloom! He woke up!” he heard her yell when her hoofsteps faded in the hall. The event left him startled and wide awake. He sat upright and gritted his teeth when his body complained about the sudden movement with biting pain. How long had she been sitting there? Where was he? He looked around dumbstruck and blinked a few times.

It was day outside and Celestias sun was shining brightly through the rooms window. He was in a practically furnished bedroom with wooden furniture, many of which were decorated with carvings of apples. Other than the bed there was a large wardrobe, a simple chair and a small table in the room. 

Slowly memory came back to him. The storm, the fillies, the crash, than waking up to find the best flier in all of Equestria and this really nice mare, who had taken care of him, at his bed. The later memory brought up a strange sensation in his stomach he could not place.

Before he could elaborate any further, three young fillies stampeded into the room. Each was carrying a tablet with something to eat in it's muzzle. Without pause they jumped on the bed and put the goods on the blanked around him. Even with all four of them and the food on it, there was still room on the bed.
“Good morning Stormheart!” Scootaloo beamed.
“We made you breakfast.” Sweetie Belle added.
“Thanks for saving our hide.” Apple Bloom finished.
For a moment the blue pegasus could do nothing but stare at each of the three in turn, than at the food, than again at the three.
“Ohm... you're welcome?!” he finally brought forth with a crooked smile.
The three fillies grinned widely and looked at him expectantly.

The food. It dawned the colt. They had probably made it themselves and wanted to see if he liked it.
He took another look at the breakfast they had made for him. There was a bowl full of steaming greyish black goo which had little bubbles blasting on it's surface and smelled like charcoal. Second was a glass with a substance of similar color and smell but less gooey. And last was a plate with too fried eggs and some parsley garnish, that was placed just perfect.

He blinked at the three fillies, who still had the same look an their face, than at the food, than again at the fillies.
“What is this?” he finally asked and pointed at the bowl.
“Toast!” Sweetie Belle answered happily.
“And that?” he said and pointed at the glass.
“Orange juice.” Apple Bloom informed him and raised an eyebrow.
“Right.” he stated and raised both his eyebrows. He was fairly certain he could not eat ether toast nor orange juice and live. Yet he did not want to disappoint the fillies, who obviously had put much effort into this to give him their thanks. There had to be a way out of this dilemma.

“Eh, could you do me a favor?” he asked at last. The three fillies leaned forward as one and listened intently. He took that as a yes.
“You know I always eat some fresh apples with my breakfast.” he told them. Apple Bloom rushed of immediately. 
“And some hay.” he added and Scootaloo dashed out of the room. 
“And some.....water?” he finished with a forced smile, cold sweat was forming on his forehead. Sweetie Belle looked at him skeptical for a second, then she too was gone.
He let out the breath he had been holding and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hoof.
He really hoped they would manage to at least get food, they did not have to prepare, without burning it. The trick would not work a second time.

He quickly got out of bed, ignoring his protesting foreleg. In a hurry he dumped the contents of glass and bowl out of the window and crawled back under the blanked. Before the Cutie Mark Crusaders got back he managed to dump the eggs, garnish and all, into his muzzle and chomp down in gusto. At least the eggs were good.

In surprising union the three friends came back and brought the things he had asked for. To his relieve, nothing was charred.
“Thank you!” he said with a honest smile and continued his breakfast. He started with the hay and saved the apples for last. And by Celestias flowing mane was he hungry!

The three fillies had settled around him on the bed and watched him eat happily. It was Scootaloo who finally raised her voice.
“So Stormheart, your are not from Ponyville are you? I have never seen you around.” she said. 
“No. I'm 'rom Clouschdale.” he answered his muzzle full of hay. Noticing, that he was barely understandable this way, he quickly swallowed.
“Hey, you already know my name, how about telling me yours.” he suggested, pointing a hoof at the three.
They didn't hesitate and introduced themselves in turn, while Stormheart quickly finished his breakfast.

His strength renewed he crawled out of bed again.
“Now I really need to stretch my wings. How long did I sleep anyway?” he said and tried to do so. Only then did he notice, that one of his wings was strapped to his body with bandages and it was rather painful to move it around. He groaned. 
“Make that stretch one of my wings.” he joked between gritted teeth.

The three crusaders winced when they saw this and the rest of his battered body, feeling for him. He was no sight to behold, having his shoulder and wing bandaged and missing several feathers of the other one. When the pegasus noticed their discomfort, he put on a brave face.
“Oh please. This is nothing! I had much worse, after I got into a fight with a griffon that one time.” he told them while leaving the room. He was trying not to limb, or at least not limb much.

Just as he had hoped, that put their mind of his wounds. It was Scootaloo who asked him about that story, when they were descending the stairs.

“It's not really a good story.” he admitted, scratching his neck. But one look told him, they wanted to hear it anyway.
“It was when I was in first year of flight school. I was not much older than the three of you are. At that time I was a real hothead. So I came across this young griffon, who was bloating about himself  and bullying everypony who did not jump at his whim. I did not. Don't remember what it was about any more, but we ended up battling it out hoof to claw.”

“How did you beat him?” Scootaloo asked skeptical, when he did not continue his story right away.
“You kidding? He asked with a chuckle.
“I got my flank kicked! The teachers had to tear him off me and I was out for three weeks!” he admitted amused.
“When I got back too school he was gone though. Heard they kicked him out.” he told them shrugging with his one good wing.
“Never get into a fight with a griffon.” he advised gravely, shaking his head. 

By now they had reached the kitchen and Stormheart was helping the little fillies stacking the platters he had used into the sink. They were just done, when a massive red earth pony, who barely fit through the door, entered the kitchen. Stormhearts eyes grew big when he looked up to Big Macintosh. 
“Wow! Your are big.” he said in awe.
“Eyeup?” was the only response Bigmac made.
The blue pegasus quickly shook his head to clear it and remembered his manners. 
“Sorry....eh Hello! My name is Stormheart. I kinda crashed here yesterday.” he said as formal greeting.
The last remark made the big earth pony chuckle. He walked into the kitchen and greeted the three fillies with a nod.
“Howdy. I'm Big Macintosh, call me Bigmac. Applejack told me everything. Guess I owe you a thank for saving my little sister Apple Bloom and her friends.” he explained and ruffled Apple Blooms head with his hoof when he mentioned her.
The young pegasus looked away and waved it off. 
“It was nothing really. Anypony would have done the same in my stead.” he explained bashful.
“Aye-up!?” Bigmac remarked but led it slide. 

The kitchen became kinda crowded, when Applejack entered too.
“Howdy everypony.” she greeted cheerfully when she did.
“Good to see you up and about Stormheart. How are you?” she asked the blue pegasus.
“Better I suppose” he answered unsure himself. “But I don't think I can fly back to Cloudsdale any time soon.” He added letting his ears sink.
“Don 't you worry about a thing sugar cube.” the orange mare declared. “You are always welcome at the Applefamilys home. It'll be our honor to house you until you are better. Isn't that right.” With the last question she looked at Bigmac and Applebloom, who nodded in unison.

Stormheart blushed unsure how to handle the situation. 
“Oh thank you. But I really don't want to impose on anypony.” he said. 
Applejack waved it off. “It's nothing. We have plenty of spare room. We are used to house dozens of ponies during a family reunion.” she explained.

“Oh.. alright then... thank you.” the blue pegasus answered bashful and finally gave in.
That made the three fillies bounce up and yell: “YEA!” Which in turn lightened the mood of everypony in the kitchen.

“Do you want to tell your parents you are OK? We can have Rainbow fly to Cloudsdale in no time.” Applejack said, changing topic.
The blue pegasus thought about it briefly and then waved it off. “No need. My parents work in Manehatten. I am just going to boarding school in Cloudsdale. Many pegasi from all parts of Equestria do.” he explained. “I can just send them a letter and another one to my teachers. Telling them I am on sick-leave.” he added.

Applejack nodded. “You can give the letter to our mail mare Ditzy Doo when she makes her rounds tomorrow, or drop it off at the post office in Ponyville.” she informed him and he nodded in agreement. 

“Might just do that. I was about to take a stroll anyway. You know, stretch my wing.” he said and waved his one good wing.
“Heh. You do that. But take it easy. Fluttershy wanted to come by later and check on your wounds.” Applejack told him slightly amused by his pun. 

The mention of the yellow pegasus made the blue ones heart jump and his wing pop up in excitement. He blushed slightly. Not knowing why he reacted this way, he made for a quick escape, hoping that no one would notice.

“Can we come too? We wanted to hear how you got your Cutie Mark?!” Scootaloo asked before he was clear of the room. The question made him stop dead in his tracks.
“My what?” he asked and turned back, visibly confused.

“Your Cutie Mark.” Scootaloo exclaimed an pointed a hoof at his flank. “It almost looks like the Wonderbolts insignia. You must be fast as lightning!” she added grinning excited.

Stormheart eyes widened in wonder and he began to run in circles trying to get a better look at his own flank.
“Oh let me see, let me see, what is it, what does it look like? What...oh...ohhhh.” his excitement quickly vanished when he had finally gotten a good look at his Cutie Mark. He led his ears sink.
The other ponies in the room stared in wonder, as he made a fool of himself.
“You didn't know your Cutie Mark?” it was Applejack, who asked the obvious.

“No...” he answered with a sigh. “My flank was blank last time I looked. Must have gotten it in that storm.” he explained frustrated.

That left Applejack and her brother perplexed. Shouldn’t he be glad to have gotten his Cutie Mark? But before they could inquire, Apple Bloom jumped into the center of the group super excited. 
“UH! Did you get it, when you saved us from crashing? Is your special talent search and rescue?” she said, her words coming like an avalanche. 

Now the wall was broken and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo joined in.
“Will you join the Royal Equestrian Army? You could be in like in the special air forces!” the orange pegasus motioned. “Yea, you like bolt out of the clouds and swoop in to save the day!”

Under the onslaught of appraise from all sides, Stormheart could not keep being grumpy. He found his composure and started smiling again.
“Yea. Of course. That has to be my special talent.” he said, more to himself than anypony else. He really wanted to belief it, even though he knew it to be a lie.

Chattering about the endless possibilities, the four foals left the kitchen and headed outside, leaving a dumbstruck Applejack and Bigmac behind.
“What just happened?” the mare asked, but her brother just shook his head. “Let it slide sis. They'll work it out.” he advised. But Applejack was not convinced. She knew the blue colt was troubled about his Cutie Mark and she knew he was lying about his talent, but she didn’t bucking know why. 


The swarm headed south, riding on the colt north wind. Animals fleet at their presence, they hid in their burrows. Thunder and rain followed in the swarms wake. They were far from their original strength yet. But they would gain it once again. In the south, they would rise to the heavens themselves.