Chapter X: Thunder and Lightning
Igor
In the rain, haven’t felt like this in a long time. I don’t mind getting wet, why I never did this before? I look up at the overcharged sky, black clouds slowly rolling over the town. It’s not at full force, yet.
When I arrived with Crystal I received a less than pleasant welcoming, a few of the townsfolk tried to bar my entry, fear of the unknown and pack mentality, but I had a plausible explanation. Crystal was worried that I would receive the unwelcome card, but fortunately all I needed was to convince him, just asking with enough politeness and good ideas. A little lie, a traveler from the far north sufficed.
I walk back to the town entrance and look at the big sign, ‘Welcome to Neighagra Foal’s’, nice town by the way. How to describe it? Its rustic small town, almost as if it were a smaller version of Ponyville, some houses with straw roofs, a clinic and a town hall… with a mayor. A shiver goes down my spine and I shudder, politicians.
I’m completely soaked by now and make my way back to the inn. Opening the door I see Crystal holding a towel in front of me, I take off my shirt and wrap myself on the towel.
I nod to him. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Dripping, I walk towards the counter and I wait to be attended. One of the maids seems to notice and attends me.
“How may I help you?”
“Where can I take a shower, or a bath?”
“Oh! Please, this way.”
I follow her further into the building. There lies a small room with a wooden bathtub, some firewood on the side and a fireplace or a boiler, as if it were used to heat the water. She turns the faucet on and the water starts to fill the tub.
“Do you need help undressing?” She asks.
“No, thank you, but I need your help for something else. Turn around and don’t look.” She complies and I get all my clothes off. I grab two of the objects, the first one is my knife, ever since the wolves incident I’ve been carrying those on my pockets, second one is the room key, better not lose it. “Can you do something about my clothes? Try to make them less… wet?”
“Of course I can.” She turns around picks them. “Do you need anything else?”
Maybe I should… scratch that, I want to shave my beard! “Can I get a razor and a portable mirror?”
“I can get the mirror, but why do you need a razor?”
Stupid, should be more clear. “Oops, I meant a shaving razor.”
“Oh! Sure, I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Thank you. And sorry about the mess I made on the corridor.” She leaves. “Oh well… time to start!”
Gilda
Resting on my bed looking at the ceiling, can’t believe I’ll be stuck here for the next few days, it’ll bore me to death. I hear a knock on the door.
I hope it’s not one of those ponies. “Who’s it?”
“Igor.” That’s him.
I groan. “Come in.”
He opens the door. As he enters the first thing I look at is his face… I can’t hold my laugh. I close my eyes and try to regain my breath. I look at him again, with my eyes watered from crying I wipe them.
“And that’s why I never shave.”
I snicker. “I see. You look like a kid you know?”
He keeps rubbing his face. “No one will take me seriously from now on.”
I nod to him. “Why you took it off then?”
“I felt like doing it. Anyway, I’m going to my room.”
An idea crosses my mind. “I have an idea. Let’s go see Crystal. I want to see his reaction.”
He deadpans. “Ha… ha…”
I push him out of my room into the next one. He knocks on the door. I hear the hoofsteps behind as Crystal opens it, he looks at Igor and a grim spreads across his face.
With a small bow of his head he says. “You look more civilized.”
“I’ve heard this before, you’re right though. I like it more like a stubble.” He rubs his face. “It feels so sensible, I feel like a sheared sheep.” I look at Crystal, we both burst into laugh.
I give Igor a light punch. “You’re so silly.”
He shrugs. “I don’t get it. Best analogy I could come up with.”
I shake my head and smirk at his antic. “Whatever.”
He looks around, disinterested. “So, does either of you have any pastimes?”
“We can play a card game. We’ll need one more player though.” I give him a sly smile.
“Sounds cool, what kind of game?” He lightens up.
“We could try poker. It’s my favorite.”
“I’ve heard about, but never played.”
“Don’t worry.” Crystal says. “I can teach you.”
“Yeah don’t worry. We’ll teach you.” It’s time to have some fun.
Crystal
Two days indoors equals two days of unproductivity, finally when I start to feel useful again at something. Igor got the game quickly, the rest of us are already getting tired of poker with him, it’s impossible to know if he either bluffs or tells the truth, on the good side we haven’t been betting anything.
“Yeah, I give up.” The pegasus says.
“I’m off.” I say.
Gilda looks at Igor and frowns. “I regret teaching you that.” She throws her cards into the table. “How do you do that?”
“Do that what?” He looks quizzically at her.
“You know what? Forget it. I’m not playing this with you ever again.” She crosses her arms.
“Really? I thought you liked it.”
She points at him. “I like to play it, not with you. By the way, keep the deck.”
He picks the cards and starts to shuffle. “Thank you.”
I look at him with curiosity. “So, where did you learn to do that?”
“Maybe luck, maybe skill or maybe it’s your own fault. Anyway, I had my share of fun.”
“Our own fault? Please, explain yourself.”
He stops shuffling the cards. “I just know.” He shrugs and starts to organize the deck.
The pegasus looks at him. “Can you do that thing with your fingers again?”
“Sure.” The cracks and pops are disconcerting, to say the least. “Ah…” He sighs in relief.
“So, Lightning Dust, are you a resident of this town?” I ask her.
“Me? No way, I came here looking for some excitement.” She gives a light tap in the table. “I’ve heard about how things work up here. Less populated areas give me more space to be…”
“Daring?” Igor interrupts.
She snickers. “I was going to say reckless, but this one fits better.” He nods. “You see the storm out there? Solo work, just had to wind up a tornado there, another one there and the job was done.”
“Have you considered the safety of others?” I question her.
She gives a flap of her wings and raises an eyebrow. “Why do you think I was flying low when I found you?”
“Understandable.”
She turns back to Igor. “You’re really far from home, what’cha doing all the way down here?”
“Can we please change the subject? It’s not something I’m fond of, right boss?”
I answer him. “Yes, sorry for intruding.”
“Not going in a rant but, coming here was the best thing that happened to me.”
“Glad you like the kingdom.”
Gilda gives a huff. “When is the rain ending? This waiting is killing me.”
Lightning gives a nervous smile. “I may have overdone it.”
“Where is the rest of the weather team?” I question her.
She waves her roof around. “Around the town, they’re locals. Like I told ya, I came here for the excitement. Getting paid for something I like is just a bonus.” She grins.
Gilda looks at her with and electrifying look. “When it’s over how about a little race?”
Lightning rebuts her with the same look. “It’s on.” They shake hooves and claws.
Igor has been just observing until now. “Cool, I’ll want to see this one.”
“By noon?” Gilda asks.
“By noon.” Lightning nods.
Gilda points at Igor. “If you don’t get come, I’ll break down your room’s door and drag you out.”
He looks down. “Okay. Just call me.”
“You promise?”
“Sure do, I want to see it.”
When it was the last time I saw a griffon in a flight competition? “I too wish to watch it.”
Gilda looks at me. “Yeah, you can come too.”
Igor
I feel some kind of itch on my arm, I push it out and scratch it. A few seconds later the same sensation and I repeat the process. And I feel it one more time.
I rub my eyes. “That’s it. What the hell is doing this?”
I hear the sound of snickering. “I got you sleepyhead.” Gilda flicks her claw at my head.
“Funny.”
She points at me. “Yeah, considering I woke you up is a miracle.”
I get up from the bed. “I remember the reason though. You did it already?”
She shakes her head. “Nah, it’s still raining outside, it got even worse, don’t know how you can sleep with all this noise.”
I look out of the window and I see a raging storm outside, lightning strikes and thunder echoing in the distance. “It doesn’t look good.”
“Huh, Lightning and the rest of the weather team have to deal with that. I suddenly don’t miss working on weather teams anymore.” She snickers.
“It’s that bad?”
“When you have to work under those conditions.” She points out of the window. “It is.”
“When do you think it’ll be over?”
She looks up in deep thought. “One hour, maybe less.”
“Enough time to ready our leave.”
“I’m still waiting for my race with her. I’m not sure if she’ll pull it though. And you’re still coming with me.”
“Okay. Do me a favor and go talk with Crystal, once the sky is clear we’ll move.”
She turns around and waves to me while exiting the room. I had plenty of time to think about many things, or everything. Many possibilities from which I can pick, I’ll just have to choose the one which suits me most.
I stop my actions. “Decisions…”
“Lightning Dust! Don’t turn your back on me!” I hear a shout followed by crashing of objects.
I pick all my things and walk out of my room. On the hallway I find both Crystal and Gilda.
Crystal looks annoyed at the stairs. “What’s the commotion?”
“That Lightning, she’s into trouble.”
I notice the storm has receded. “I can only imagine why. You both ready?” They nod. “Let’s go.”
Walking downstairs begin to notice the damage caused: one of the windows is broken, some tables toppled and chairs broken. Lightning is fighting with another pegasus, black mane and dark purple coat.
“I don’t care if you can wipe a storm in less than a minute! You almost killed me!” He yells.
“Why are you making such a fuss about it? Nopony got harmed!” She rebukes.
I stop paying attention to them and walk to the place owner. “I’m here to settle the debts.” I’m hit by something in the back.
Lightning
I rushed behind the human and crouched. The wooden chair hits the bag behind the human, it falls to the floor and I dodge it, this was Thunder’s biggest mistake, besides trying to hit me. I want to see what the human will do about him. Somepo… someone armed will put some sense into his thick skull. But when he turns around and looks at me, his frown and the look of his eyes make shrink, yet I feel like I should be the one to careful around one him.
“Who did that?” He asks and I point to Thunder, he gives Thunder an even hateful look. Then he turns back to the inn owner and keeps talking, neither Thunder nor I daring to say a word. “All settled then.” He sits on the counter. “Better than the stools… now, what the fuck was that?”
Thunder is the first to break the silence. “This! I don’t even know what to say… she! She made a tornado just –”
The human interrupts by hitting the floor with his tool. “No, why did you hit me?”
I look at Thunder, the expression on his face is hilarious, but I prefer not to laugh given the circumstances. “I wanted to hit her.”
“Can’t you at least say you’re sorry?”
“I’m not so –”
“It’s for me! You hit me! Not her!” He’s right. Then he looks at me. “You too, just give me an apology.”
“I’m sorry!” I say quickly to him.
“I’m sorry?”
The human huffs. “I hope nothing is broken.” He opens his bag and fetches the timberwolf skull. “It’s intact. Nice.” I see what he’s doing now, intimidation.
“I’m sorry! Please don’t kill me!” Thunder throws himself to the ground and covers his face while shaking.
“Calm down, I’m not doing anything to anyone. Just be careful when trying to kill others.”
Thunder is taken aback by the response. “Kill?”
“Just be more careful with what you do, you could’ve killed someone. You don’t start to throw thing unless you’re really sure you want it.”
Thunder’s head drifts down. “I’m sorry… I didn’t want to hurt you... or her.”
The human’s face softens. “I’m out. Let’s go.” He gets down and walks outside the inn with the crystal pony and griffon behind.
Thunder walks to me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm.”
“I feel like a jerk, I’m sorry too.” We hug each other.
“I guess I’ll have to pay for the damages here.” He says with concern.
I shake my head. “It’s also my fault. I have some part in this.” I feel like a jerk.
Igor
Gilda gives me a light touch. “What was that?” She almost whispers.
I lean my weapon on my shoulders and massage my head with both hands. “I feel so stressed.” I pick it back and keep walking. “Just forget it.”
I hear the flap of wings and I turn to see Lightning hovering some distance behind us. She touches the ground and gives me a half smile.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” I answer.
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
“I already accepted it, shit happens.” I turn around and resume my travel.
She keeps walking behind me. “Where are you going?”
“Anywhere that’s peaceful.”
“Do you mind if I go with you?”
I stop on my tracks. “Why?”
“I’m feeling bad for what I did, I’m sure they don’t want me around anymore.” I turn around to look at her and look her right into the eyes.
“Can you take care of yourself?”
“Of course I can!”
“I don’t mind.”
“So I can?”
“If you want to… just don’t throw anything at me.” She gives a laugh. We walk for a few more seconds. I can’t keep those questions out of my mind. “Lightning.”
“Huh?”
“Do pegasus lay eggs?” Gilda gives a loud laugh.
“What? No!”
“Asking doesn’t offend.” A good dose of humor does wonders.
End of Chapter X