//------------------------------// // The Accident // Story: Tempest Tossed // by cobrawars //------------------------------// He casually lay on his hammock that hung suspended between his telescope and bookshelf and just enjoyed the day. It wasn’t like anyone was going to come bother him anytime soon. After all he had made sure the next storm wasn’t scheduled for another month. A few slight drizzles with one down pour were all there were in the forecast for the next few weeks. He had at least a good month before anyone would expect anything from him. That didn’t bother him in the least either; the less the other ponies expected the more downtime he had. The more downtime he had the more time he could plan surfing trips. A nice surfing trip was exactly what Tempest wanted right now, which was what he was planning as he laid in the hammock Until the door on the lower deck of the hollowed out tree he used for his home and office burst open. “Yo Tempest where are ya man? Some serious waves are going on at the beach. You’re making me miss them bro!” An earth pony stood framed in the door, his brown mane unkempt tussled around his shoulders framed his face. The only thing keeping his mane out of his eyes were the sunglasses pushed up on his forehead. Jumping out of the hammock Tempest began to flutter down, “Hey I’ve been waiting all morning for you Beachhead.” As he landed he couldn’t help but let out a laugh at how comical his friend looked. A while stallion with a mane that could use some serious attention wearing blue and yellow board shorts. If anyone knew how to enjoy the beach, it was Beachhead. He turned to grab his board by the door before galloping out. Tossing it under a wing he looked over his shoulder to make sure his buddy was following. Sure enough not only was Beachhead following but he was gaining. Putting a little more effort into it Tempest started to get the lead again, unfortunately it was at that time he looked back once again. In that moment he did he had failed to notice that a group of six ponies was coming up over a rise in the trail. He saw her a moment before he plowed into her sending them both flying. A blur of brown and green went one way as a blur of yellow and pink went another. As the world stopped spinning he could see that both Beachhead and the group of fillies were looking at him. His goggles that he wore lose around his neck covered one eye obscuring part of his view though. He tried to play it cool as he brought a hoof up to straighten them again. “I ran into someone, they okay?” he asked sheepishly. It took him a moment to realize the group he was talking to. Not until he saw Rainbow Dash did he put two and two together. Then he was the yellow pony he had knocked over. She was still on the ground and her wing was at a weird angel. No way, this wasn’t his day. He had not only knocked Fluttershy down, but it looked like he had messed up her wing. Beachhead came over to Tempest and whispered in his ear, “Dude what did you do?” He didn’t have time to think about what he had done. Here were six of the arguably most important ponies in all of Equestria and he had ran pell-mell into them. “I am so sorry,” he began to stammer before Rainbow Dash was in his face. She started shoving her hoof into his chest, “Sorry? Sorry? Did you even bother watching where you were going? I mean I give you credit, running that fast was pretty cool, but you hurt Fluttershy!” “Now now Ranbow Dash,” Applejack said as she came up beside her friend, “It wasn’t like he was trying to hurt anyone. I mean we didn’t see them on the other side of the hill neither.” “Yeah but Fluttershy’s wing looks like it’s broken!” Rainbow Dash fumed, “And look at him. It doesn’t look like he even got a scratch on him.” From behind the ponies talking he could see Rarity and Twilight helping Fluttershy up. It looked like she tried to move her wing but was unable to. From the way it had been laying he didn’t doubt it was broken. “I’m okay,” Fluttershy managed to say before cringing in pain, “really.” Rainbow Dash turned to look at her friend, all present could see how much pain she was in. Without another word Rainbow Dash flew over bracing Fluttershy up. “I’m taking you to the Doctor,” then she took a quick look at Tempest, “This isn’t over.” The other ponies present looked at him and then the departing injured Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. “Don’t worry,” Twilight Sparkle had come over, “Rainbow is just a little upset. I’m sure once the Doctor sets Fluttershys wing she’ll be able to talk some sense into Dash. Just be more careful okay?” Not waiting for a response the group was headed after their friends. He just sat there not knowing what to do. He had broken Fluttershy’s wing. Being a Pegasus himself he knew how much he relied on being able to fly. How would he feel if that was taken away by someone’s recklessness? He was snapped out of his thoughts moments latter by Beachhead calling him over, “Dude I found your board! Not a scratch. Lets get going bro.” How his friend could act like nothing happened he didn’t know. Trotting over he picked up his board. “Yeah,” he tucked it back under his wing, “lucky.” It didn’t matter to him that Beachhead had taken the lead this time. His mind was on what had happened. Out of all the ponies why did it have to be Fluttershy he ran into? He didn’t notice anything around him the rest of the way to the beach, it wasn’t tell his hooves were even in the water that he realized they had arrived. “Come on dude. Look at this surf, aint it great?” Beachhead clearly had one thing in mind. Tempest watched as his friend put his board in the water and started to head out. Beachhead was right the surf was amazing, Tempest just didn’t know if he was going to be able to enjoy it.