Spark Storm followed Cheerilee into her home. She pulled him further inside, barely giving him a moment to look around at her new place. It was darkly lit, but the room they were walking into was very bright. It was a small room, but the space was utlized well. There was a single dining table, some chairs, a big blue map - no, blueprint. Cheerilee sat at the table, then pulled out a chair for her brother, which he took, his eyes never leaving the blueprints.
Spark glanced at his sister, then settled in and took a look at the plans. He'd never been one to know how these things worked - in fact, he couldn't remember a time when he had to look at one. Nothing really made sense to him. It was plans for a house, sure, but...he finally gave a resigned shrug in Cheerilee's direction. "I don't get it. What's this for?"
"It's for a house," Cheerilee told him, a warm smile on her face, her chin propped up with her hooves.
"Well...yeah, I got that much from looking at it," Spark replied, a small smirk of amused annoyance on his face. Cheerilee's eyes closed as she sighed. When they opened again, they shone with tears.
"Spark Storm...these plans...they came from Mom."
Spark stared at Cheerilee, not sure he'd registered what his sister had just told him. He looked down at the plans again, wondering if perhaps it had her signature on it, or something. However, the longer he looked, the blurrier the plans became. "Um...I can't...I can't make it out, um, where?" he stammered. He could feel his very core start to shake. Cheerilee stepped down from her chair and approached Spark from behind, gently wrapping her arms around him.
"Before Mom...before she died, Mom bought a plot of land, and hired someone to make a house for us."
Spark stared down at the plans, barely aware of Cheerilee's embrace. Suddenly, he looked up, a word Cheerilee had uttered a moment ago having caught his attention. "'Us'?"
Cheerilee nodded, a hoof reaching up to stroke Spark's mane. "Yes, that's right. Mom ordered a house to be built for us. But..." she trailed off, prompting Spark to turn and look at her.
"But...?"
Cheerilee smiled at her little brother and sat down before him. "Spark, it's all paid for. We just have to wait for it to finish. But when it does...I want you to have it."
Once more Spark just stared, shocked into silence before the first shock was over. "I...you want me to...to have Mom's house? I'll have a house in Ponyville? That's mine?"
Cheerilee's happy tears spilled down her face as she nodded. "Yes, Spark. I want you to have Mom's house, just for you. You deserve to have your own house in our town."
Spark Storm, who had faced his mother's death, who had joined a monster-hunting squad, had traveled across the world, fought assassins, survived lightning strikes, fought with an alicorn and collapsing caves filled with murderous changelings, fell into Cheerilee's arms and cried like a child. Cheerilee cried with him, and when he was done, they spent the next five hours talking, catching up on each other's lives, crying a little more. Spark and Cheerilee spent the whole day together in that house, and finally, after midnight, they turned in for the night.
The next morning, Spark Storm woke up bright and early. He stepped outside into the cool air, and stood at the door, looking out at Ponyville. His eyes scanned around the white-blanketed village, the memories of the day before playing back in his mind, causing a smile to spread across his face. Nearly four years after the passing of his mother, and she was still looking out for him. She'd made sure that this village would always have a place for him. This was his home again.
A sound behind him alerted him of his sister's presence. He turned, and Cheerilee greeted him with a smile. Slowly, the sun broke over Spark's head, illuminating his mane and back. The confident, happy look on his face surprised her - he hadn't looked nearly this alive when she'd run into him the day before. Cheerilee approached him, and the two embraced. After a moment, she pulled back. "You're leaving in a week, right? What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. I've got some catching up to do around town, some ponies to see before I go," he told her. He hugged his sister one last time, then set out. He didn't really know where he'd be going this early in the morning, so instead of heading into town, he ran back for the farm - surely Orea would've found her aunt in the day he'd been gone.
Spark was nearly to the barn when he saw a bounding blur of pink bouncing past him, headed for Ponyville. He stopped, and made sure that was...it was. Pinkie Pie? She giggled and waved to Spark when she saw him watching her. He frowned with concern, then headed into the barn to see Big Mac, Applejack and little Applebloom playing with Orea, the two little ones chasing each other around the barn. Spark smiled at the happy little scene, until Applebloom made a beeline for him, followed by Orea. He held up his hooves in defense. "Uh, wait! No-" He didn't finish as the two bowled into him and pushed him into a sitting position against the hay behind him.
Spark laughed as the two batted at each other with their hooves and giggled, then d'aww'd as they laid together, then sighed with resignation as they began to nap together on his chest. Spark glanced over at Applejack, who was staring at him intently, while Big Mac had seen enough. He nodded his greeting to the pegasus and shuffled off. Spark turned his gaze again to Applejack, who still hadn't taken her scrutinizing eyes from him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he finally asked.
"Just what did you do last night?" she demanded, an amused yet somehow annoyed look in her eyes.
"What?"
"Ya look different, Spark Storm. Yesterday you were a sore sight - no offense, sugarcube - and today ya look like...well, ya look new, ya look alive. What happened yesterday, where'd ya go?"
This actually came as news to Spark. He hadn't realized that he had'd had a 'less alive' look. Then again, he'd seen others pull out of depression; there was definitely a distinct difference in appearance. "I went to see Cheerilee. Spent the day with her..." he trailed off, a small smile on his face. He wasn't sure if he should start spreading the news of his future home just yet, so he decided to leave it out.
Applejack nodded approvingly. "Family's the way to do it, Spark, you can always count on family to come through in the end."
Spark smiled warmly and nodded at the truth of this statement. Suddenly remembering the bouncing ball of pink, he asked, "Applejack, what the heck is Pinkie Pie doing here? Isn't she still...?"
The farm mare rolled her eyes and shook her head. "She came in 'bout thirty seconds before you did, babblin' about a "surprise" goin' away party for ya. Heck if I know, though. I try not to get too involved with that crazy mare, I got too much stuff to do to pay much attention."
Spark shrugged, then looked down at the two sleeping fillies on his chest. Only they weren't sleeping, they both had one eye open, both pretending so they could listen in. Applejack noticed this too. She swooped in and grabbed Applebloom in her forelegs, tickling the little filly into shrieks. "All right, little'n, it's time to go and get breakfast, go on!" she said, closing with a little swat to the filly's behind as she set her sister on the floor. Applebloom ran off, still giggling madly. Applejack watched her with a smile, then glanced at Spark, then Orea, then left without a word, leaving the two to talk.
Orea turned after a moment to face Spark, a hesitant, sad look in her eyes. "So. She's still mad at me?" he guessed.
Orea nodded as she snuggled closer, easing her muzzle under Spark's chin. "She told me to tell you, 'Go on your little trip. You can think about what you did, then maybe I'll forgive you when you get back'."
"Ouch." Spark sighed and wrapped his forelegs around Orea. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't've-"
He paused when Orea covered his mouth with a hoof. She looked into his eyes, and she smiled. "You're different, daddy. You're better, so don't fall back in that hole you've been in. Ampelus will come around, and she'll let you apologize to her...or she won't, and she'll regret not coming back to let you apologize and she'll regret every second you're gone, 'cause she really likes you."
Spark stared off into space at this - just for a moment. When he returned his attention to Orea, he smiled and hugged her. "Since when did you get so wise? That was very insightful."
Orea smiled happily and grabbed one of Spark's hooves, clutching it to her and snuggling it. "It rubs off on me from you, daddy."
Spark chuckled and turned on his side. Orea snuggled closer against him, and the pair fell into a nap for a little while.
Spark Storm narrowed his eyes against the strong winds, the blinding white snow, the biting cold. He pulled a foreleg over his head to shield his eyes, though it was pointless against this relentless snow storm. He slowly lowered his foreleg, attempting to see the great wall in front of him. It was like a gate, a great white gate that spread from horizon to horizon, endless and ageless.
Suddenly, the gate sprung open, the door lifting to reveal a figure standing there in the snow, tall, regal, and as ageless as the gate itself. The body was somehow engulfed in shadow, and the snow storm seemed to be coming from the figure itself.
Spark felt his chest clench tightly with fear at this tall figure. It seemed to loom closer, and closer. Spark felt a pressure in his head, and suddenly...the figure threw a snowball in his face.
Spark let out a gasp and jumped from his spot in the hay, landing on his butt to the sounds of girls laughing, one such laugh easily recognized by the scratchy voice. Spark narrowed his eyes and started wiping the snowball from his face, then frowned as he spotted his cousin and a maroon pegasus mare sitting behind a snow drift from outside the barn. The two stood up and clopped hooves together before taking off into the air. Spark was pretty sure he recognized the other mare from a few months before when he'd gone to take Turbid to the Ponyville hospital. What was her name? Lightning Squeeze or something?
Spark sighed and rubbed his temple. What was up with that dream? It was so vivid, and it had been so glaringly real. It stuck in his mind even as he sat awake, unlike most of his dreams. He shook his head free of those thoughts and looked around for Orea. Once again, she was nowhere to be found. Thinking he hadn't seen Amacia in some time, he looked around inside the barn until he spotted her nearby in her tiny, fluffy red and brown chicken form, nestled in a warm corner, asleep.
Deciding it time to head outside and face whatever was coming his way today, Spark stepped out of the barn, watching specifically for two trouble-causing mares. Not seeing either of them, he frowned. Both of them should be easily spotted against the white snow, but he wasn't seeing them. Then again, they were both pegasi.
Spark took a few steps further, then he heard it. He leapt to the side to avoid the maroon mare's tackle. He immediately shot forward into a run, but Rainbow Dash's tackled turned into a full-on chase. "Nowhere to run, Spark, prepare for 'Operation White-Wash'!" she yelled as she got closer.
There was no way he was going to outrun his cousin, that was for sure. He had just seconds before she'd catch up. Getting an idea, he flapped his wings, catching the snow with the tips and sending flurries back into RD's face. "Ah! Hey, that's cold!" she complained, and predictably raised a foreleg to wipe her eyes. Spark jumped into the air, turned, and caught his cousin in mid-flight. They both went down, tumbling end over end in the snow.
As Lightning Twist caught up and came down to look for Rainbow Dash, said mare burst out of the snow, shivering and covered from head to hoof in it. Spark Storm burst out of the snow laughing like he'd just experienced fun for the first time, barely able to contain his laughter at all. Rainbow Dash just glared at him, completely unamused at having being caught in a tie. She grumbled and got to her hooves, and glared death at Lightning Twist, who snorted as she tried to keep her laughter in. It didn't work. The maroon pegasus fell to the snow-covered ground and guffawed in complete and utter mirth.
Spark finally calmed down enough to say hello to the two. "Oh wow that was fun. You should try 'Operation White-Wash' more often! Oh hey, Rainbow Dash," he called as his cousin turned to leave. "Have you seen Pinkie Pie today?"
RD rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes. She's fixing up a party for you for some reason or another. Don't ask me, I thought she was supposed to be in Canterlot."
Lightning Twist turned and flicked a small ball of snow at Spark with her tail, a wiggle in her behind as she walked. Spark rolled his eyes at her flirtatious efforts and pulled himself out of the snow. Now that he thought about it, when was this going away party supposed to be, and who was Pinkie inviting? This was just getting more and more frustrating, thinking about why she was here. Aside from the party.
Feeling that he'd relaxed enough for one day, Spark headed back out to town. By the time he arrived, it was nearly noon, and lunchtime was looming closer. As he walked through the market, he was greeted by several ponies, some old friends he hadn't seen since the last of his school days.
Some of them he'd kept in contact with, others he hadn't spoken to since the day he'd left. One face stood out from the others - a beautiful white face framed with an elegant purple mane. Spark stared at Rarity with what was probably the most intense stare that any passing pony had ever seen. Rarity was dressed in a humble white coat, the sleeves and collar lined with beautiful brown and black fur - synthetic, of course. She wore matching white boots on her hooves, also laced with the same decorative material.
The unicorn was talking with a friend, but Spark realized that she wouldn't be talking forever, and eventually she'd see him staring at her. Quick, you've gotta hide! he told himself. Looking around frantically, he found a choice barrel and ducked behind it, his back pressed against it vertically. Ok, good. Wait, why am I hiding from Rarity? Oh...because...some stuff happened between us. The kind of stuff where you talk and then you shouldn't talk again until something big happens, otherwise it's gonna get awkward really quick...
Spark frowned to himself. He was a proud Fighter, not some silly twelve year old colt with a crush whose tongue turned to sponge when he ran into the mare he was crushing on. He stood and turned to look where Rarity had been, only to come face to face with the fashionista, who looked as surprised to see him as he was her. "Oh! Spark Storm, you're in town! Oh, does anypony else know you're here? Have you just arrived?" she asked. She spoke like their last conversation hadn't happened. Maybe she forgot? Not likely, he told himself, but it would be easier to talk to her this way.
"Oh, I've actually been in town for a couple of days, but-"
The indignity of Rarity's gasp turned several heads their way. "Really! Well! Were you even planning on telling me?" Both Rarity and Spark were suddenly aware of eyes on them. The unicorn daintily cleared her throat and stepped closer to Spark and lowered her voice. "I-I'm just being dramatic, darling. But seriously, you've been here two whole days and you didn't drop by to say hello?" she said, putting on a cute, teasing pout.
Spark found himself blushing, and he knew she'd notice that. He sighed and took in a deep breath, and took a half a step closer to her. "I'm sorry, Rarity. I've just been working on getting my skies cleared. I've had a lot on my mind."
Rarity narrowed her eyes at Spark. Confound it if he wasn't good at this. "I see. And how is that working out for you?"
Spark smiled at her, no longer caring about the blush on his face or the goofy grin he was probably wearing. "It's an on-going work in progress, but I'm definitely making headway."
Rarity stared up at Spark Storm, the tiniest of blushes gracing her cheeks.
"HI!" Both Spark Storm and Rarity jumped as Pinkie Pie popped up between then. "Hey you guys whatcha doin'? You know there's gonna be a party tonight in honor of Sparky? Oh did you know that he's leaving Equestria to go on vacation, that or he's going on adventuuure!" Spark and Rarity both stared as Pinkie Pie moved down the street, now assuming a pirate personality as she grabbed half a nearby fence post and using it as a sword prop. "Arrr! Sailing the high seas, avast ya cotton swabs! I'll make ya trot the plank!"
Nopony was safe as the pink mare chased or otherwise terrorized the market, her voice eventually moving beyond earshot. At this point, Spark was too embarrassed to continue this conversation with Rarity, Fortunately, the fashionista was a patient mare. "I do so hope to see you before you leave, Spark," she told him, accenting her speech with the lightest of touches to his foreleg. "I'm sure we'll see each other at the party tonight, wherever it is. Ta, darling."
Spark watched Rarity go, a small crooked smile on his face. He'd only been single for two months, was he really ready to start serious flirting again so soon? Then again...this was Rarity. She was different, and she was worth living for. He sighed quietly, reminding himself that he would be leaving in just under six days. Spark frowned - this made four of five close friends that he'd seen. There was one left to see before Pinkie threw her party.
Spark Storm made his way towards the cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest. It was such a beautiful day out that he took his time, the snow-covered trees and gently rolling hills made for a beautiful walk. As he topped the last big hill, he saw her - that butter yellow pegasus that he hadn't seen since...
Spark paused and closed his eyes. He remembered. He and Fluttershy had just made it out of that hole in the ground, only to be ambushed by changelings. Spark defended Fluttershy, but the mare was afraid that Spark had killed them. Telling her they were only stunned, she was overjoyed that Spark had had mercy. Next up the hole in the ground was Ampelus, carrying a wounded Fire Lotus, with another horde of changelings on their tails. It was too close, and Fire Lotus ditched the nymph to save herself, resulting in the nymph staying behind of her own will, and told Spark and Fluttershy to flee while they could, but that was something Spark wasn't willing to do.
He turned to Fluttershy, and the look in his eyes scared her. He told her to go, to leave, and to not dare look back at him while he savagely killed those changelings. Fluttershy was terrified of that look. She ran, and she didn't look back. She hadn't looked back since. She hadn't visited, sought him out or even written him in the last two months.
Spark came out of his thoughts to see Fluttershy staring at him. Seeing his chance, he raised a hoof to call to her, but she turned tail and shot into her cottage, slamming the door behind her. It didn't look like he was going to apologize today. Spark sighed and turned around, heading back the way he'd come and feeling less hopeful.
That night, the ponies gathering into town hall was a dead give-away on where Spark needed to go. As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by the loudest collective "AAARR!" he'd ever heard. Looking around, he noticed that Pinkie Pie had gone to extreme lengths to make it known that Spark Storm was going to be traveling by ship. The entire place had been set up to look like the deck of a ship, there were life floats decorating the walls, and almost everypony was sporting a black pirate's cap or captain's hat. Some had even dressed up in sailor outfits or pirate costumes. Spark walked in very slowly feeling more embarrassed than he'd ever felt. He loved it.
As Spark walked further into the room, he received warm greetings, and sometimes farewells for his big trip. More than once he was tempted to tell them that he wasn't going to be leaving until next week, it only being Wednesday night. What was Pinkie Pie thinking, throwing this party in the middle of the week? Honestly.
After a good fifteen minutes chatting it up with random ponies, Spark found himself a nice pile of big wooden boxes in the corner to sit on, a good meter or two above the crowds, just watching his friends talk and play and laugh. It wasn't that he didn't feel like joining them - just watching them live made him feel alive. It wasn't long before he found himself in familiar company - Emerald Skies and Laser Reflex flew over to sit beside Spark. "So, a new adventure, huh? Well aren't you lucky," Laser said with the usual pessimism. Spark frowned. Ever since the incident with the changelings, he'd been dying to get back into a new scheme.
"Y'know...I'm kinda taking applications," Spark said, his tone ambiguous.
Laser arched a brow, not sure if Spark meant what it sounded like what he was saying. "Hahah...no thanks," Emerald said, holding his hooves up chest-level. "The last time I went for a boat ride with you, dragons nearly sank our ship. And knowing you, this trip isn't going to be a vacation so much as a thrill ride. I think I've had my fill of those, thanks."
Spark let out a laugh that shook the box he sat on. When he looked down again, he saw that Russet Hearts had approached, his eyes wide. "Did...did you say that you're recruiting for a mission?"
Spark, Laser and Emerald stared down at the unicorn in surprise. Two months earlier, Russet Hearts had been the target of changeling kidnapping, then upon rescue, had to help support a collapsing cavern, then tunnel his way to the surface. He had extraordinarily strong earth magic, with specific ties to wood. His manipulation of tree roots had been key to surviving that terrible ordeal, and after all was said and done, he'd seemed so insistent on returning to normal life. Why was he so interested?
"Well...yeah, Russet, but...are you sure?" Spark asked.
"Yeah, you used to yell at me for ever bringing up anything that was more exciting than going to the market!" Laser added accusingly.
Russet ducked his head for just a moment, the guilt of his mood over the last two months having weighed on his conscience. But...it was time to move on. Russet had been stuck in the same place since back then. He'd insisted he'd hated the action, that he hated having that secret world thrust on his life, but in secret he craved more. He wanted to be part of that secret world, he wanted to be what Spark Storm was - a hero. He wanted what Laser Reflex had shown him - selfless courage. "I'm ready for it, Spark Storm. I want to be with you when you sail those seas and see the world!"
Laser Reflex, before his run-in with the changelings, before Rarity pointed it out, had no idea that Russet Hearts was gay. Now that he knew, he was able to catch those little things that stood out, those little things he said. He grinned and nudged Spark in the side until the dark pegasus clocked him on top of the head. "Not. Funny." Spark told him.
Russet suddenly realized how he'd made that sound. "Oh, uh, n-not like that, Spark..."
Spark smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, I know what you meant, Russet. It's ok. And if you're really serious about coming with me, then you'd better get ready after tonight, because I'm leaving on Monday."
Russet's face lit up with excitement. Without another word, he nodded and headed out. He was done for the night, he wanted nothing more than to go and prepare.
Spark glanced between his friends, then shrugged. He looked out over the crowd, and eventually spotted Rarity. It looked like she was having an animated conversation with Choco Swirl. He watched intently, wondering they were talking about.
Spark had grown up with two mares, his mother and Cheerilee. He'd spent enough time around mares to get body language, and from the way those two were talking, it looked like they kept trying to look prettier than the other. The constant hair tossing, slight posing to the side...were they competing? Spark shook his head, thinking that was ridiculous. Rarity already had his vote.
Spark finally spotted the one mare that had been getting him more frustrated that day than any other - Pinkie Pie. It was time to get this whole thing straightened out. It was nice that she was throwing him this party, but she was supposed to be apprenticing in Canterlot! He hopped down from the small box tower and approached her as she was acting out a scene from an old pirate film.
She was completely dressed up. She wore a wide-brimmed pirate's hat, complete with dreadlock wig, eyeliner and a belt that held a fake pistol. She held a jar of crushed cookie bits over her head. "I've got a bottle of dirt, I've got a bottle of dirt, and guess what I put in it!" she yelled, garnering applause from her audience. Spark stepped close and cleared his throat.
"Pinkie Pie, a word?" he said, getting sour looks from the three or four mares and stallion that had been watching.
Pinkie Pie sighed, set the jar on the ground, and hopped over. "Hey, Sparky! Having a good time tonight?" she asked.
"Of course I am! Your parties are the best, Pinkie. I'm just wondering, I mean I appreciate everything you're doing, but aren't you supposed to be in-"
Pinkie couldn't stand it anymore. She glared off in an odd direction and threw her hooves up in the air. "Are you kidding me?! Seriously, I haven't featured since chapter five of Legends Of Ponyville™, I had to get in a chapter before-"