//------------------------------// // Family Night // Story: The Risks of Braving a Storm // by Wintergreen Diaries //------------------------------// Chapter 15: Family Night It was a very long time before Grace left the library, though Rainbow Dash and Storm didn't notice, having continued speaking in hushed whispers as she attempted to explain Cerulean’s long and complicated past. Given everything that had happened, it was amazing that he had retained any love at all. They stood as Flying Grace exited the building, her somber expression not revealing any information on how it went. “I know you’re probably wondering what’s going to happen now, but do not worry. I think there is hope for them yet. However, you two aren’t going to help by sitting outside her door worrying.” “That may be true, but we can’t just do nothing,” Rainbow Dash replied, unwilling to accept her words. “On the contrary, I’ll not see my son and his lovely fillyfriend sulk. Let’s take a day off from all the training and have some fun together, shall we? Oh, and invite Cloudburn too, I’m sure she’d like to come. Meet me back at the house while I try to think of some activities that everyone can participate in, ok?” Grateful for something to do, they both nodded and began to trot towards Sweet Apple Acres. “It’ll be nice to spend some time with your family, since I haven’t really gotten to see them much. They seem pretty cool,” Rainbow Dash mentioned, breaking the silence. “Oh just you wait, I’m sure you’ll have had more than enough of them by the time this evening rolls around.” “Oh come on, it can’t be that bad.” Storm snorted and said nothing, shaking his head. “At least you have parents.” Storm stopped in his tracks and stared at her as she tried not to make eye contact. “What do you mean, Dash? Did they...” “Dunno, never met ‘em.” Her reply was casual, but the words were tinged with something Storm couldn’t put his hoof on, and he knew that regardless of what she said it bothered her. As if by instinct he drew up beside her and draped a wing over her shoulders. “Well, they’re a massive pain in the flank, but I’m sure Flying Grace and Quakehoof wouldn’t mind another daughter.” Rainbow Dash tried not to be overly sentimental, but she gratefully accepted his kind words before shooting him a sly grin. “You do realize that means I’d be your sister, right? Would you really want to be kissing your sister?” Storm yanked away and sputtered violently, the sudden memory of the horrifying event prompting him to paw at his tongue in an attempt to clean away the taste. Rainbow Dash watched with great amusement, making a quick mental note that she’d have to bring that up again sometime when she wanted to urge a reaction. Storm, on his part, simply hoped that her comment didn’t ruin future romantic endeavours between them. “You do realize there’s another way,” he said, suddenly grinning as Rainbow Dash was struck speechless at the thought. “And now we’re even; let’s go,” he said, resuming their trip as Rainbow Dash’s mind was filled with thoughts of white veils and merriment. “Howdy, Storm, Rainbow Dash. You lookin’ fer Cloudburn?” Applejack inquired as she met them at the door. “She’s probably staring at Big Macintosh. That girl is givin’ me weird vibes, Storm. She better not try anythin’ strange with mah brother.” Just as Applejack predicted, Cloudburn was sitting on a hay bale watching Big Macintosh from a distance, too entranced to notice them approaching. “It’s a wonder I’m so easily replaced, Cloud,” Storm teased, breaking her from her fantasy and causing her to fall from the bale in shock. “I’d be careful, if I were you. I don’t think Applejack much likes the idea of you going after her brother.” To say that Cloudburn was vexed with their notice of her open infatuation would have been an understatement, and though she couldn’t do anything to Storm, she decided to turn it over to Rainbow Dash. “Don’t worry, Storm, I still think you’re better,” she giggled, throwing herself around his neck and nuzzling him. He could almost hear the gears grinding in Dash’s head as she fought to control herself, and he quickly extricated himself and shot them both pleading glances. “Knock it off, Cloudburn. We actually came to invite you to hang out with me and my family for the day, but you and Rainbow Dash are going to have to at least try to get along, ok?” Storm took a step back as her mouth creased into a devious grin. “But of course, Storm. I can act like a lady for a day.” “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Oh, would you like to? I didn’t know you went both ways, Rainbow Dash.” “Wha?.. No, that’s not what I meant! I was being sarcastic!” “Oh, were you? Could have fooled me, though I must say, you are quite fetching,” Cloudburn murmured as she brushed against her, causing Rainbow Dash to blush and stand petrified. “Enough!” Storm shouted, unable to take it any longer. “Just show up at my house in two hours. Now go back to staring or whatever. And in the name of Celestia, don’t do anything stupid, ok?” And with that, he and Rainbow Dash made a hasty exit, a steady stream of muttering quite audible from the cyan mare next to him. Cloudburn knew she was getting under Rainbow Dash’s skin, but it was just too much fun not to take advantage of all the easy opportunities they seemed to lob her way every time they spoke. They really were good for each other, and unless something terrible happened she had already resolved not to try and pursue Storm. Applejack passed by and sighed as Cloud once again resumed staring dreamily at her brother. “You sure know how to pick aggravating friends, Storm.” “Heh, you got that right. Just be glad it wasn’t Silent Gale. Gale could loot your entire house without you noticing until he returned the items to you.” “Somehow, I think I’d prefer that,” Rainbow Dash muttered as she entered her house, making for the bathroom to begin working on her hair. She hadn’t gotten a chance to try out her new curling iron, and she figured this would a perfect opportunity to test it. After having his offer to help denied, he sat on the couch and waited for a good ten minutes before growing impatient. “How much longer are you going to be, Dash?” “Oh, another hour at least, why?” Storm was suddenly glad he had said two hours and not one, not having planned on feminine habits taking such a ridiculous amount of time. It did, however, give him a greater appreciation for the fact that she bothered at all, and he silently thanked Celestia that she hadn’t flayed him alive when he had made it rain on her. Storm contented himself to playing with Tank for a bit before an increasing number of frustrated groans began to sound from the bathroom. “Rainbow Dash, everything all right?” he asked, rapping a hoof on the door. “Ahhh, I’m fine! Everything is fine, don’t come in!” she yelled frantically as she attempted to fix what was quickly turning into a fashion disaster. Fearing that she was indeed in trouble and smelling something burning, he entered anyways to find Rainbow Dash curled in the corner, desperately trying to be invisible. Her mane was sticking out in every direction as if she had been struck by lightning, and there were visibly charred streaks mixed in with the other hues. “What happened to your mane?” Storm asked slowly, careful not to let his contained mirth boil over. “I don’t know! I just tried to curl it like Rarity did, and this happened!” she wailed, pointing to her Pinkie Pie-like hair. “Did you follow the instructions?” “...Instructions?” Storm looked at the packaging and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing the diagram to her and watching as she quickly skimmed the contents. “This is horrible! I can’t be seen like this!” she said, staring miserably at the floor and throwing the paper to the ground. Storm slipped his hooves under hers and lifted her to a standing position and gently lifted her chin. “Rainbow Dash, I still think you’re beautiful, regardless,” he whispered before leaning in and kissing her softly. “Still, why don’t you leave the fashion to Rarity? You look great either way, and you don’t have to worry about impressing a pony you amaze on a daily basis.” “You? I just wanted to stick it to Cloudburn.” Of course, he should have guessed. Knowing it would be useless to try and explain why said rivalry was pointless, he motioned her to follow. They quickly made their way to Carousel Boutique, where Rarity immediately set about fixing the tragedy that had befallen Dash’s mane. Flying Grace had just returned to the house after speaking with Cheerilee about why Scootaloo was to be absent that day, when Cloudburn showed up an hour early. Storm’s parents eagerly ushered her inside, and they chatted the remaining time away quickly. Storm and Rainbow Dash arrived just after noon, and were immediately assailed by the other occupants in the crowded apartment. “My, you sure took your time arriving. Your mother sure has some interesting stories about you, Storm.” “Mom, you didn’t...” Storm started, not bothering to finish as Grace joined Cloudburn in a fit a giggles. Suddenly, having all three females together seemed like the worst idea imaginable, and he mentally braced himself for the terrors that were certainly about to descend. Having run out of chairs, Storm and Rainbow Dash sat on the ground, and she was immediately assailed by Scootaloo, ecstatic as always to see her hero. “Hey there, Scootaloo! How’s the flying coming along?” “Pretty good,” she quipped before shooting a mock glare at Storm. “I dunno if I want to learn from him anymore, though.” “Scootaloo, don’t you even think about it,” he warned, knowing where her mind was going. “Think about what?” Rainbow Dash asked, shooting Storm a quizzical glance. “What he did this morning. Sicko!” “Scootaloo, you’re asking for it. I said drop it!” “What, are you gonna kiss me again?” Crap. She had said it. Rainbow Dash and Cloudburn each shot him equally horrified looks as Scootaloo grinned evilly, their reaction exactly what she had been hoping for. “You kissed your sister, Storm?” Dash exclaimed, sheltering Scootaloo from him as he leapt upright, his eyes blazing. “Oh, now that is a bit much,” Cloudburn agreed, shooting him a coy smile. “Indeed. I’m quite disappointed in you, son,” Quakehoof said with a laugh. “I was asleep! I didn’t know what I was doing, ok?!?” Storm bellowed as everypony turned on him. “Asleep? What the hay were you dreaming about, Storm?” Rainbow countered, and then slowly matched his blush as his cheeks flushed at the memory. Their embarrassment only worsened as his wings ignored his dire warnings and slowly stretched out, and with a howl he ran into Scootaloo’s room and hid himself as the remaining ponies burst into laughter. Well, all except for Rainbow Dash, who was trying desperately not to land herself in the same position, imagining what must have gone on in his subconscious mind. “And you know the worst part? His tongue was nasty! He really needs to brush his teeth.” From inside the Storm’s heart froze as the door was wrenched open and he was confronted by a very peeved Rainbow Dash, who slapped the door shut and cornered him against the wall. “Let me get this straight... we started dating nearly a week ago, and your little sister gets more action than I do?” He was grateful for the fact that her anger had reduced her volume to a low growl, but it was extremely disconcerting none the less. She sat inches away from his face awaiting a response, and he spouted the first thing that sprang to his mind. “I can fix that now, if you’d like.” He wouldn’t have guessed she could look any more angry, but she managed to exceed his supposed limits as he quickly came to the correct assumption that he had blown it. “...Is there anything I can do to fix this?” “Not a chance. Tell me about your dream.” Had either of them been paying attention they would have noticed the sound of hooves drawing close to the door as Storm painted a shockingly vivid portrayal of their passionate moments under the waterfall. Their ears shot upright as Scootaloo could be heard retching on the other side, and they whipped open the door to reveal that the entire conversation had been heard by everypony present. “Oh, buck me...” Storm muttered, not even bothering to hide his wings as he slowly covered his face with a hoof. “My, my, Storm, isn’t that moving a bit fast? I can’t say I approve of that kind of behavior,” his mother chided, adopting a serious expression with much difficulty. “I dunno, it sounded kinda nice to me,” Rainbow Dash murmured to herself, her mind too absorbed with the revelation to worry about who heard. It also didn’t occur to her that her statement might be applied to his most recent utterance and not his dream, as she had intended it to be. Muscling his way through the crowd, Storm threw open the front door and tore down the street. “Somepony, make it stop!” he shouted, his voice quickly trailing into the distance. His family and friends all turned and looked at each other for a moment before falling to the floor, every pair of lungs being suddenly deprived of oxygen. Rainbow Dash was the first to recover, and she left the house to search out Storm, knowing that he was likely more upset than he was amused. She found him sitting on a cloud not far from the apartment, his wings brought around to shield his face. “Uh, Storm? You gonna be ok?” He lifted a wing just enough to give her the evil eye before covering himself again. “I’m sorry freaked out at you back there, I was caught a little off guard. And I know you wouldn’t kiss your sister on purpose.” “Thanks for your vote of confidence.” She couldn’t stand to see him so sullen, so as discreetly as she could she ducked under his wings and sat herself in his lap, to which he immediately removed his wings for fear any other pegasi might happen to see and get the wrong idea. “Any chance I ever had of looking cool to you just got eradicated at a moment’s notice. So much for pride...” Being somewhat headstrong herself, Rainbow Dash could understand perfectly how what just transpired could look to another pony, and to make it worse she had been present, the one he wanted to impress the most. “You impress me all the time anyways, Storm.” “Yeah, right, how is that even possible? How could somepony like me impress someone with your kind of speed, skill and raw talent?” “Well for one, I’ve never met a stallion with less tact when it comes to mares,” she said with a giggle, squeezing closer as he gave an exasperated snort. “Storm, you don’t expect me to be anything; you just like me for who I am. Around you, I don’t feel like I have to be strong, because I know that you’ll carry me if I start to fall.” His hooves, which had up to this point hung limp at his sides, slowly wrapped around her and squished her with a hearty embrace, and while her lungs didn’t much approve, the rest of her did, so she said nothing and returned the motion. He seemed to sense her minor discomfort and eased up slightly while still holding her tightly, savoring the respite from the insanity of his home. “Quakehoof, dear, I think we may have gone a little overboard on Storm back there,” Grace said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, desperately trying to restore some semblance of regularity to her breathing. “Indeed, I’m quite sure we will pay for this later,” he agreed, nodding as his deep chuckles began to subside. Even if Storm unloaded on them when he returned, the memories that they made with him were worth it. This kind of family interaction was something that hadn’t even been possible until recently. Cloudburn couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous at the way Storm’s parents interacted with each other and Scootaloo, her own barely acknowledging her unless it was required. “Quakehoof, Flying Grace? Thank you for having me over, it’s nice to feel loved.” “You’re quite welcome, Cloudburn. Though I would suggest you not meddle in Storm’s relationship; I don’t want to see him torn between the two of you.” Cloudburn nodded sagely, turning her head towards the door. “I’m going to go try and find him so we can start the games. Be back in a bit!” she called over her shoulder as she left. If he was on a cloud it would be hard to find him unless there was movement, and scanning the sky she found everything to be calm. The shape of a cloud not far from where she stood suddenly altered slightly, and she immediately trotted over to investigate. Over the noises of the other ponies she could just make out Storm’s voice, and she braced herself for the ensuing pain as she took flight. “Rainbow Dash?” “Hmmm?” she replied lazily, having become quite comfortable in his arms. “I know it’s hard for you to get along with Cloudburn, especially since she’s such an insufferable tease...” Rainbow Dash nodded, and a glance revealed that she was still smiling as she waited for him to continue. “It’s really shaken things up around here, which is why I’ve decided that as soon as I can figure something special out, I want to go on a date, just the two of us. Away from my parents and all the drama that seems to be around every corner here in Ponyville.” “Yeah, you do have a knack for landing in the worst possible situations. So does Cerulean. I wonder if it’s a stallion thing?” “Probably,” he chuckled softly and laying back, Dash adjusting herself so her head was resting on his shoulder. “...Will this place you take me have a waterfall?” “I wouldn’t settle for anything less,” he whispered, gently stroking her mane with a spare hoof. Rainbow Dash found her eyelids resisting her commands to remain open and she soon slipped into a doze. “What I wouldn’t give to be that mare right now...” Storm snapped his eyes open and looked over at Cloudburn, who had heard the discourse as she approached and landed panting nearby. “Storm, I admit defeat. I’m going to let you go, just like I said. As much as I’d like you for myself, I know it would cause you both too much pain for me to give in to my selfishness. But please, promise me this,” she pleaded, trotting over and sitting beside the couple. “Promise me you won’t forget about me.” “Don’t worry, Cloudburn. I wouldn’t let him, that’s not how loyalty to friends works,” Rainbow replied, having been awakened by her voice. “I may see you as a rival, but you’re not my enemy,” she continued, wearily standing upright. “As long as you keep your hooves to yourself, I guess I can make you cooler by being your friend. Deal?” Cloudburn grinned and shook her hoof in agreement, thankful that Rainbow Dash was giving her a chance. She was all too aware that not everypony would be so patient with her wiles, and precious few would actually call her friend. She didn’t want to press her luck, but she couldn’t help herself as she spread her wings and brushed them over Storm’s face, while he and Rainbow Dash stared at her for perpetrating such a provocative deed. “What? You never said anything about my wings.”