//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: The Storm 
// by The_Last_Centurion 
//------------------------------//

This story is a fan-fiction of MLP:FiM. I don't own any of it. It belongs to Hasbro, etc, etc.
Don't sue. Seriously. That would be so uncouth.


Part Five: Cloud to Ground 

Sunlight cascaded into my room from the glass ceiling, gently warming my face with its rays. I stirred slowly, not really wanting to get up, feeling too comfortable in the breeze linen sheets. But, I remembered I had to do some work today. I opened my eye and remembered that today was the day I started my training.
I left the room and went down the three sets of stairs to the floor where Celestia’s and Luna’s rooms were. Since I had no Idea where to go for breakfast, I might as well see if one of them could lead me. I stopped at Luna’s room first and knocked on the door.
“Princess? Are you there? I wanted to know where I should go to…”
The door flew open and complete darkness raced out of the room, encapsulating the corridor in shadows. From the depths of the room, I could see a monstrous face of only lightened eyes and a bright snarl. My breath was ripped from me as the creature traveled to right in front of me.
“If thy has a death wish, then you shalt do that again.” it said with a tremendous killing intent. I could feel my heart racing as the creature and all the shadows raced back into the room and the door slammed shut. I fell onto my rear and tried to calm myself down.
“I should have told you that Lulu doesn’t like to be woken.” Celestia said, appearing beside me without my notice. I thought she would be smiling, thinking this was another prank, but she had a grim look on her face. I guess even her sister was scared of a sleep-deprived immortal. 
“Well, come on.” she said walking down a different corridor. I quickly, but quietly, got up and followed her away from the room of intense darkness. I followed Celestia down various curving corridors, sharp corners, and down many sets of stairs. I tried my best to remember the way we took, but it was all very confusing and I knew I would be lost for quite a while if I ever roamed the halls alone. Eventually we came to two large doors and Celestia opened them magically. Inside was a long room with windows covering one side and a long dining table in the middle, stocked with empty plates and cutlery. At the table sat a royal-looking unicorn with a white coat and golden mane. From what I had heard, he must have been no other than Prince Blueblood. Blueblood was inspecting his hooves, but looked up as I came in with Celestia. He gave her a weird look but then looked at me quizzically. 
“Who is this Autie?” he asked.
“His name is Little Wing and he will be staying with us for a while.” she replied.
Blueblood smirked. “If you’re an Earth pony, why would you name be ‘Little Wing’?”
“I could ask the same to you,” I replied. “Why is your name ‘Prince’ when you’re obviously much more of a princess?” He quickly glared at me and I gave him one of my best annoying winks. Unfortunately, that wink caused some sparks jolt out of my eye and onto anything around, including the runner for the table.
After we had stomped out the flames, Celestia glared at both of us. Even though Blueblood didn’t do anything he squirmed under her gaze as much as I did. Princess Celestia finally shook her head and trotted off to the head of the table, leaving the two of us near the other end. I gave Blueblood a small apologetic smile and sat down across from him.
“Sorry about that. My name is Little Wing.” I said extending a hoof.
He returned my small smile. “Mine is Prince Blueblood.” He said shaking my hoof.
“So, um, how do we eat? There’s nothing here…” I said glancing at the particularly scarce table. I glanced down to the end and sat that Celestia had somehow gotten a newspaper to read and was snacking on a banana. 
“It’ll be out soon.”Blueblood said, motioning to the swinging doors behind him. “So what are you and where do you come from, if you don’t mind my asking.” 
I was surprised; after all I had just almost burnt down the dining table and he was taking it quite well.
“I am from Ponyville and I am a Thunderbird. How are you not, you know going crazy? Last time I revealed myself to ponies, well they were kind of attacked, but I bet they would have at least been surprised.”
Blueblood chuckled. “When you live at the castle for as long as I have, you tend to meet a lot of diplomats and ambassadors. Many are creatures you wouldn’t believe and have amazing powers, but the strongest ones always take pony-form, so that tends to take away the surprise factor after you meet your first or second fire-breathing pony.” 
“Wow, you must really live the good life.” I said looking at the ornamental cup and dishes and the amber chandelier. However, he just looked down at his plate, a little crestfallen.
“Yeah, I guess…” he said.
“What?”
“Well I usually stay at the castle, so I don’t get out much…”
“You’re a Prince, dude! You could go anywhere you want!” I exclaimed.
“Yeah that’s the thing,” he said, tracing circles on his dish. “I don’t do so well with crowds. I tend to get nervous and… turn into a jerk.” He said sadly.
“Oh please, how bad can it be?” I asked jovially.
He looked at me with a stern look. “Did you crush a mare’s heart and end up using her as a shield to protect yourself from getting hit with a cake, even though you really liked her and you panicked and now she hates your guts and tells all the other mares about how much a jerk you were and…and…” he said hyperventilating.   
“Hey, hey calm down dude. I’m sure if you explain it to her, she’ll understand. Talk to her one on one. I’m talking to you right now and I don’t think you’re too bad.” I reasoned with him.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, breathing deeply. “I think I’ll give it a try. Thanks Little Wing, you’re a good friend.” He said as the doors swung open to reveal a magnificent bounty of food. My mouth watered immensely even as the food was being brought out. Only in my wildest dreams could I afford something like this on my wages. Piles of haycakes, freshly sliced fruits, bowls of melons, towers of toast, and salad ingredients were laid out on the table, making me want to jump out of my chair and dive into the sea of food. I filled my plate and dug in with gusto, filling my rumbling stomach until I could barely move. By the time breakfast was over, it was apparent I was the one who ate the most and I was satisfied.
“Come Little Wing. It is time to start your training.” Celestia said as she rose from her chair and went to a set of double doors on the other side of the room that matched the ones we came in from. I groaned, but complied and got up. I gave Blueblood a salute and hurried off to follow Celestia. Again, she led me down a series of corridors and corners until we came out onto a veranda over looking Canterlot Gardens.
“Tell me all that you have observed of your powers.” Celestia said as she watched her subjects travel the hedgerows and observe the many plants of the gardens.
“Well, I can change from thunderbird form to my normal pony form on command. Um, I can fly…sort of. I can blink lighting and wink sparks. I can create storms and everything associated with them. I can heal myself with lightning. Oh, and I can tell things to do things and they do it.” I said.
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Things like what?”
“Well once I fell into the lake outside of Ponyville and when I got out I was soaking wet. But then I said ‘I don’t want to be wet’ or something along the lines and then I was dry. It was really strange.” I recounted.
“Let’s assume that only works with water Little Wing, since it would be foolish to assume otherwise. Now you said that you could ‘fly… sort of’. What does that mean?” Celestia said, businesslike.
“I can fly when I am controlling a storm, when the clouds and winds keep me aloft, but without them I can’t fly. For Storm’s sake, I’m an Earth pony! I didn’t have wings growing up, so I barely know how to. I know the basics from my parents, but I can’t really apply them.”
Celestia looked up at the sky. “Just as I thought. But don’t worry; I have called in a friend of mine to teach you.” A large chariot pulled by four of Celestia’s pegasi guards was approaching us from out of the clouds. As the chariot touched down, Celestia smiled to her guards before turning back to me. “She is waiting on the other side of the mountain, in the fields near the peak. She will teach you how to fly. Good luck Little Wing.” She said as she turned back to observing her subjects in the garden. She smiled and waved at a little filly that was waving at her.
I climbed into the chariot and closed the door. Before I knew it, we were flying at a high altitude. I looked down at the receding Canterlot castle and gulped loudly.
One of the guards heard me and chuckled. “You can’t learn to fly if you’re afraid of heights.” 
“But I’ve never really even flew before! I’m an Earth pony!” I exclaimed.
Now all four guards chuckled.
“Don’t fool yerself kid. We all know yer a thunderbird,” said one.
“Yeah dude, you could totally like beat us in a flying competition,” said another.
“But I CAN’T fly!” I shouted.
“Do not be worrying of that. The princess is knowing of that fact, so she is calling a very good teacher of the flying,” said one more.
“Don’t sweat it. Celestia knows what she’s doing. Plus, your teacher will have you doing tricks and flips in no time,” said the first guard who spoke to me. I just sighed and sat back, hoping they were all right. 
After a little while, we burst through the thick cloud layer around the top of the mountain that Canterlot was built into. We came out onto the other side of the mountain, where the clouds were less accumulated and there was a large valley of flowers on top of the long, flat peak of the mountain. The chariot set down in the flowers and I got out, saying my goodbyes to the guards while they wished me good luck. They flew off into the wild blue yonder, leaving me alone. I looked around; knowing that my teacher had to be here somewhere, when I noticed a large cloud was coming closer and closer. It was descending towards the ground, so I just stood still as it came down and surrounded me.  I felt myself go through the cloud and then I was standing on it.
“Oh, you’re here!” said an excited, but veteran voice.
I opened my eyes and saw that I was standing on the cloud and that there was a famous yellow coated, flame maned pegasi mare standing in front of me.
“You…you’re Spitfire! Holy…Can I get your autograph?” I asked, realizing I sounded like a little foal. It was just that I knew Rainbow Dash would never believe me if I didn’t get her autograph.
She laughed. “I get that a lot, and yeah I’ll give you something better: I’ll teach you how to fly.” She said happily. 
“Wow.” I said, falling onto the cloud. “I’m going to be taught how to fly by Spitfire, THE Spitfire. Rainbow Dash is going to be so jealous…”
“If you don’t mind me asking, Celestia said that I needed to teach you how to fly,” Spitfire said confusedly, noticing my lack of wings “but you’re an Earth pony. So how can I teach you to fly? And how are you even standing on this cloud?” 
I smiled at her. Now it was time for me to surprise her. “I might be an Earth pony, but I’m also a thunderbird.” I said, letting my coat and mane change, my talons grow, and my wings sprout from my back. When the change was done, I gave her a wink, sending small arc of lighting spread across my body.
Spitfire gaped and looked like she was about to faint, but I started laughing.  She kept staring, but slowly started to shake her head. She closed her mouth and smiled.
“Of course, Celestia would send me a surprise like with.” She said with a roll of her eyes. “So how about we start to fly?” she asked.

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“BUCK! BUCK! BUCK!” I shouted as I plummeted to the ground. I landed on the large cloud that Spitfire had lain down on the mountain top for the millionth time that day. I sighed and rolled onto my hooves and started smacking the clouds with my talons, making small thunderclaps. Why couldn’t I get this?
Earlier, I learned everything about my wings, the wind currents, updrafts, downdrafts, and everything a pegasi needed to know about flying. I had gotten gliding and hovering down easily, but flying itself just wasn’t working out so well.
“You almost had it that time Wing.” Spitfire said as she landed next to me. “Just tilt your wings up a little more and lean your weight back.”
I sighed and pulled at my face with my talons gently. This was way harder than I thought it would be. To try not to create a storm felt so… wrong. But I needed to learn how to fly without making one or else I would constantly bring winds that sent everypony away from me. And that would not be helpful when I needed them the most.
‘Stop this foolishness Little Wing’ Storm said aloud for both of us to hear. ‘You are the storm; to try to fly and not create one is against your nature.’
“But if I make a storm while I fly, it will endanger all my friends.” I replied. 
‘As a thunderbird, you will always make a storm when you fly, but it doesn’t always need to be near you.’ He replied sagely before leaving again.
My mind fired up with understanding. I looked over to Spitfire, who was reeling from the disembodied voice. “I know what to do. Let’s fly!” I said as I summoned a small yet strong wind to push me up into the sky. I felt that Spitfire rose a little ways behind me and I glided there for a second, thinking about what Storm had said. I closed my eyes and focused on the storm. I could feel it start to build up around me, but I mentally stopped that and I started to fall. As the wind rushed past me, I kept my eyes closed and tried to find a good place to allow the storm.
Stalliongrad, my instincts told me. 
So I allowed the storm to build up over the northern city and I opened my eyes. They blazed with lightning and I let loose a screech, pulling up moments before I hit the ground. I flapped my wings, creating thunder in Stalliongrad, and blinked, causing powerful bolts of electricity to dance in the clouds. I rose higher into the sky and I could feel the rain, no snow, wanting to be loosened from the clouds. As I flew on, I allowed them to and the city was soon covered in blankets of white precipitation. 
“That’s the strangest way to fly I’ve ever seen!” said Spitfire off to my side. I allowed the storm to run its course without my concentration and I looked over to her. She was smiling and had a curious look in her eye.
“Let’s see if you can catch me!” she said increasing in speed, doing various acrobatic tricks. I smiled and followed her exactly, taking every sharp turn, loop-de-loop, dive, rise, and corkscrew with the same amount of ability she had. The storm in Stalliongrad was following my flight pattern as well, the clouds churning and the snow falling to my speed. Then Spitfire called back to me.
“Ready to lose? I’m the fastest in all of Equestria!” she shouted mirthfully as she sped up. I raced behind her, getting faster and faster. Eventually, we were twin bullets, the air screaming around us. But then spitfire yelled something that sounded like “Sonic Flame-boom” and I saw her break the sound barrier, but instead of a rainbow, a corona of flame erupted around her trail. This surprised me, but I wouldn’t be shown up here. I increased my speed even more, going faster and faster until I was right next to her. She turned and looked at me as she saw what I could not. She pointed at my body and I looked down, seeing lightning running across my every limb. I smiled, knowing I could go even faster. 
“Watch this!” I screamed above the winds, speeding in front of Spitfire, feeling the charge in my body, knowing I was about to do something amazing.
The electricity was covering every part of my now, a living, crackling haze, and I was ready to release it all. All at once I saw an amazing flash and the world seemed to slow down. I sped across the sky over Equestria, over the seas to the south, over the frigid continent to the south, across the other seas and lands that belonged to the various other species on the opposite side of the earth, over the frozen north, and finally back to where I had taken off.
I laughed as I glided down to the mountain top where Spitfire was sitting exhausted. I could feel the storm in Stalliongrad petering out and I laughed even harder, realizing that my speed made the snow fall with such ferocity, that it had covered most of the city. 
“What was that?” Spitfire asked.
“My flying?” 
“Yeah, I mean I heard you go sonic a little ways after me and saw your trail of lighting, but then you started to glow and SPEW! Gone.” She panted. “How are you not tired?”
“I honestly don’t know! I just feel so energized!” I said sending a little cascade of lightning along my body. 
Spitfire laughed at me. “Calm down there. I don’t feel like getting zapped today.”
“Oh, sorry.” I said blushing at my eagerness. “So what now?”
“Celestia wanted us to fly back to the castle.” Spitfire said. I smiled and focused on another place that could use a good storm. Coltchester sounded like it was due for a good storm. My eyes lit up with small sparks of energy.
“Let’s fly!”

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“How do you feel today, Rainbow Dash?” asked Fluttershy as she entered the hospital room back in Ponyville. Rainbow put a book mark in her recent book, not another Daring Doo novel, but instead a book on ancient legends that she had specifically asked Twilight for before she had gone into surgery the night before. 
The doctors cursed her foolishness, but luckily, she would be alright. Although, she wouldn’t be able to walk on that leg for two months, she could still fly and that was all that mattered to her. In the meanwhile, she rested at the hospital since the doctors insisted that she stay at least two days. Most of the bones in her leg had been shattered, but luckily none of the tendons were cut, so it was a very cut-and-dry operation. Put the bones back where they needed to go and seal them there with magic. After that, it was all bed rest and staying off of the leg.
“Way better than last night, that’s for sure. But now my leg is starting to itch under that cast and it’s pretty annoying.” Rainbow answered with chagrin. 
“At least you are helping Twilight with the research.” Fluttershy said as she put a vase of flowers on the windowsill in her room.
“I guess, but I’d rather be out there helping with the preparations.” She said a little downcast. Fluttershy opened up and window and went stiff.
“No, you wouldn’t want too.” She said seriously. “It’s…I’m scared Rainbow. So scared. You should see what the others are doing. Twilight and Rarity are at the library researching like Celestia asked in her most recent letter while Applejack and I are helping ponies pack up and evacuate to Canterlot. I haven’t seen Pinkie Pie, but whenever we need a snack, there are always pies ready at Sugarcube Corner. It feels so unreal.” She said turning around, her eyes brimming with tears. “We…we’re preparing for war, Rainbow. And Little Wing is going to be their main target, and even though we say we’ll fight with him, I think he knows it’ll all come down to him. I just don’t want anypony to die Rainbow.” She said sobbing.
“Hey, hey come here.” Rainbow said, gesturing for Fluttershy to come to her. Fluttershy did and Rainbow pulled her into a big hug. “Little Wing is just like us Flutters. He’ll be fine. Remember what Father Pious used to say back in Cloudsdale?”
“Yeah.” She said with a small hiccup. “You can lose everything, even hope, but your friends will always remain.”
“That fat old preacher was right, you know? We’re all going to get through this together.” Rainbow said. “Look at this. I was going to mark it down for Twilight, but you should read it first.” She said, pointing to a page in the worn book she was reading. 
The pages of the book were yellowed with age and the print was starting to fade from the pages themselves. It was bound with ancient twine and the illustrations in it were some of the oldest in all of Equestria. Rainbow picked it out a while back because of the title “Awesome: Creatures of absolute power”, but quickly found out that the ‘awesome’ the book described meant ‘awe inspiring’. Nonetheless, Rainbow still liked it, even if she could barely make out the old, stylistic hoofwriting. 
“The birds of thunder are creatures of natural weather, the likes which have not been witnessed since days of the alicorns. While controlling weather itself, they doth make such tempests, that the earth itself shivers in their shadows. 
The majestic creatures are known for the power they have, but also for the beauty they possess. Flawless by nature, these creatures are shown to be also unrivaled in battle, but also to be friends of all creatures. If one is met, present them with all the respect thy owns and be ready to have a new friend.
-Centruy Sentry.” Read Fluttershy, quivering as the words passed over her lips. She gently touched the rough sketch of a thunderbird in flight that this explorer had seen and saw Little Wing’s eyes on the creature. She smiled sadly. She had just met him, and yet, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. Even without talking to him much, she knew he was like herself. Both often felt alone, but both could be the nicest creatures a pony could meet. 
“Jeeze, you have such a crush on him, don’t you?” Rainbow Dash asked playfully, expecting Fluttershy to turn a deep red like she always did when she was embarrassed. However, Fluttershy just nodded, still staring at the picture and Rainbow Dash’s smile slowly faded.
“Oh, um, wow. Hey, don’t worry. Everypony will be fine. He’ll come back, we’ll beat up a few more of those things, and then we’ll all live happily ever after. You’ll see.” Rainbow Dash said seriously.
Fluttershy got up and smiled. “I hope you’re right Rainbow. I’ll see you later. Feel better soon, ok?” she said as she left Rainbow alone.
Rainbow sighed and her smile vanished to be replaced by a heavy frown. She opened the book to her second bookmark.
“The horned serpents.” She read aloud to herself. “Are creatures of intense evil. While they do not possess any magic of their own, they are able to absorb magical attacks of all kinds. It was rumored not even the alicorns could harm them until the Thunderbirds came to their aid. The only known ways to kill one are with a weapon made from one of the seven hearts of such a creature or to have a Thunderbird destroy them for you. It is said that the thunderbirds killed them off during the time of the alicorns, but many believe they still exist in lands outside of Equestria. If one is encountered, run, fly, or teleport away immediately. If you are caught, attempt to end your own life there; for if you don’t you will have wished you did for the rest of your pin ridden life.”
Rainbow Dash closed the book and looked out at the clear blue sky outside her window. She could hear birds chirping and foals and fillies playing, their laughter ringing through the town. And yet, it all seemed ominous. 
There was going to be a war. She knew this. But did it really have to be here? Rainbow shook her head. It was just going to happen, no time to look back and grasp at wishes and wants. She looked out at the sunny sky and realized that sunshine is no weather to wage war in. She hoped on the day of the battle the sky would be dark and gray, and the chorus of thunder and blast of lightning would be enough to send those beasts back to the holes they came from.