//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine: Blast from the past // Story: The Gathering Strom Part III: Cyclone // by WiskeyMikeOne //------------------------------// Chapter Nine Blast from the past That afternoon I commandeered the throne room to hold a meeting with the MoD and plan out our next move. I was tired of the MoD bunker ops room, it was too small. “I’m telling you that is the best option.” said Intel tapping an open folder on the table. “Our forces will be too spread out if we take your idea Intel.” said Molotov. “I agree, we need all our forces together.” said Bon Voyage. “Well I have some information that might help us.” I started handing out red folders around the table. I gave all the members a few minutes to read the folders. One by one there head’s slowly popped up. “Whirlwind…where did you get this Information?” asked Bon Voyage. “From the same place that I got the Intel for the Twilight capture op, Operation Wave and Agent’s Delta’s rescue.” “Where?” asked Molotov. Before I could answer there was a knock on the throne room door ad it creaked opened. The guard on the other side cleared his throat. “Err sir.” “What is it?” “There are two ponies here that wish to talk to you.” “We are a bit busy at the moment, tell them to come back after the meeting is over.” “Hello son.” By heart skipped a beat, I turned to see my mother and father standing in the door way. “Whirlwind!” My mother let out a cry and ran towards me, crying as she ran. She hugged me hard. If it weren't for my armor I think she would have snapped to in two. I used my tail to cover the secret documents on the table. “Hi mum.” “Oh Whirlwind I've missed you so much.” “I think we should end this meeting, Whirlwind we will resume this later.” said Intel. “Sure, take the folders and go to the MoD bunker and continue without me, this might take a while.” My father remained in the door way, but he did move a little to let the members of the meeting get passed him. My mother was asking so many questions. “How have you been, how is Rainbow Dash, are you okay, where is your sister?” “Easy dear, let the boy speak.” “Thanks dad. I’m fine mum.” “No you’re not. What happened to you face?” “Ask Spitfire.” “What? She’s here too! Where is she?” “In my room.” “Why?” asked my dad as he made his way towards me and my mother. “I didn't want her coupe up in a jail cell, so she shares my room here in the castle.” “I have to see her.” said my mother to my father. “Do you think that is wise dear?” “We haven’t seen her since she was a teenager. I going to see her with or without you.” My mother stormed off, I signaled the guard at the door with a nod to escort my mother to my and Spitfire’s room. The wooden door slammed closed and echoed, myself and my father were left alone. The first time in eight years. “So…” he said looking over the rim of his glasses. “Go ahead, say it. I know you want too.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about son?” “Don’t play dumb with me, just get it over with.” “Fine. You should have listened to me and none of this would have happened.” “That’s it, that is what I was expecting.” In a huff I walked out on the balcony overlooking the meadow, my father flowed. “You should always listen to your parents.” “Like you know everything.” I folded my hoofs onto the stone railing and set my head on them. “I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t, but you should have listened to me when I said. Don’t apply to the Royal guard.” “We and the rest of the country were starving, what else would you have me do?” “Don’t lie to me; it wasn't about serving Equestria it was about making a better name for yourself, admit it you were board working in the weather factory weren't you?” “Yes I was. The nine to five routine was horrible plus I would always have to stay after hours to get everything in order for the next morning. I never had time for anything; I never had time to relax or to hang out with my friends.” “What friends?” I turned my head and glared at my father. He crossed the line. “This conversation is over. I will arrange a room in the castle for you, mother and Spitfire.” I headed back into the throne room. “That’s won’t be necessary. Your mother and I have a nice little cottage just on the outskirts of the city. As for Spitfire you can keep her.” Dad started to walk away, he was half way the door before what he said hit me. I court up with him at the door. “How long have you and mum been here in Manechester for?” “Since the Grate Rescue.” “That was months ago, and now you and Mum decide to reunite with me!” I block his path to the door. “We knew you had a lot on your plate, so we both decided to wait for a lull.” “Lull? Ha! There’s a storm coming dad, and the Empire is right in its path!” My dad nodded, smiled, walked passed me and left. “That was interesting.” “Not now Nightmare.” I turned to see Nightmare sat on Luna’s throne, her hind legs were hanging over the arm rest. “Your father seems to be a bit… annoyed with you. Why is that?” “Why do you care?” “Oh don’t be like that Whirlwind, you can tell me anything you want. Anything.” she whispered. I gave her a blank look, but I was actually trying to figure out what she was up to. “My father wanted me to leave the military after my three years compulsory service was over and take the position of Director of the Cloudsdale weather factory.” “And…?” “I joined the Royal Guard.” “Because it was more exciting and more of a challenge?” she asked. “That’s right.” I trotted back out to the balcony, but Nightmare stayed inside and out of the sunlight. “Well its seems to me that you enjoyed fighting.” “Well I admit it’s exciting but I don’t enjoy in it.” “When was your first taste of battle? The invasion of Le Mare?” “Nope. It was during the wedding of Princess Cadence and Shining Armour in Canterlot.” Nightmare looked confused. “I was just a spectator at the wedding, but when the Changelings attacked I found myself along with some other ponies trapped on a bridge. There were some school kids from Boltamare trapped with us. As the grownups we defended the kids from the Changelings, we were surrounded on both sides of the bridge. We held them off until a unit of Royal Guard came to our aid. One of them even said to me you’d make a fine soldier.” “He was right.” said Nightmare still standing in the archway. “You are…” I turned expecting Nightmare to be right behind me but she was gone. I could have sworn that she said the last phrase right in my ear. It was now too late to go to the MoD bunker so I decided to head back to my room. When I opened my door I saw Spitfire lying on my bed. “So… how did everything go with mum?” I asked. “Don’t get me started. It took me a while to get her stop crying, and then she asked what I expected her to ask. Why did you run away?” “And what did you say?” I said as I took off my ballistic vest. “The truth” she responded. “And that is?” I asked. She sat up. “Are you stupid or something?” I raised my eye brow, Spitfire's eye widened. “I haven’t told you have I?” “No you haven’t.” She lied back down on the bed and turned to look out of the window at the golden sunset. “Before you were born dad wanted me to follow in his hoof steps. But I wanted to fly. The night I ran away dad wanted me to fill in an application form to join the Cloudsdale Weather Factory Patrol Unit, I refused and he went into a rage. He wanted me to do what he wanted me to do; I was being smothered by him I had to get out of there so I left.” “Where did you go?” “I had a very special somepony at the time so I went around his and I stayed there, I was welcomed there all the times.” “Let me guess, was it Sorin.” “Yep.” I walked over and sat next to her on the bed. “Everything you just said, I knew already.” “What…how?” she sat up again. “That night you left, you and dad woke up with the shouting.” “So why did you make me tell you the whole thing when you already knew?” she sounded annoyed and confused. “I just wanted to hear you say it.” Her eye’s started to well up, she lent forward and hugged me, I put my hooves around her. “I’m sorry…” “For what, leaving or the scars?” “Both.” We continued to hug for a while; I now had my sister back after all of these years. It felt good, it was like retrieving a piece of myself that has been lost for many years. “It’s getting late. I need to get to bed, long day tomorrow.” I said as I broke away from the hug. “Wait. Whirl. If there is anything I can do to help you just let me know.” “What about the Empire and Celestia? You said it yourself she gave you everything and more.” “ I've been doing a lot of thinking these past couple of weeks; let’s just say I was blinded by the light.” I nodded and smiled. Spitfire got up off of my bed and went into her room. “Good night little bro.” she said from behind the door. “Good night big sis.”