//------------------------------// // 12. The Big Return // Story: Soldier of the Night // by Skyfire Storm //------------------------------// Several weeks later, the summer break came to an abrupt end and soon enough, it was time to return to school. Storm sighed deeply as he walked up to the school building. The school grounds were still empty, except for a few students, as it was just after half past seven, which meant classes didn't start for about an hour or so. Rather reluctantly, Storm walked through the gates of the school and looked around. It had been over two months since he had last been here, and the school hadn't changed one bit. His nervousness only grew as he watched more students approach the building, but he couldn't make out his two friends, Singer and Violet. Maybe they'd both transferred schools... he thought to himself, fearing the worst. Another thing that deeply saddened Storm was that as the summer break was over, he could not see his lovely marefriend, Blue Night, as often as he wanted to. Just then... "Guess who?" said a voice from behind Storm, tapping his wing. Storm jumped into the air in shock, before landing back on the ground and turning around to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Singer and Violet, who were both laughing their heads off. "You should see... your face, Storm..." "Hey guys." said Storm, a grin forming on his face. "Hey Storm. How was your summer?" asked Violet. "It's been amazing..." grinned Storm. "What did you do?" asked Singer. "Did you go anywhere?" "Well, no..." replied Storm. "But I did learn how to fly..." he explained, flapping his wings and taking off into the air to prove his point. "Wow." grinned Violet. "That's amazing." "Yep." replied Storm. "Anyways, did you guys go anywhere?" "I went to Manehattan," replied Singer. "It's such an amazing place." "What about you, Vi?" asked Storm. "Well, I went to Mareami this year..." she said. "It's so warm and sunny there..." "I can imagine." chuckled Storm. "Hey Storm!" "Huh?" Storm raised his eyebrows, before they all turned to face where the voice was coming from. To Storm's surprise, Blue was standing in front of the school gates. "Am I dreaming or something?" "Who's that?" asked Singer. "My marefriend." he replied, trotting back towards the school gates. "Blue..." he said, before nuzzling her. "Surprised?" she asked. "Very." grinned Storm. "I didn't expect to see you here." "Well, I got transferred from West Cloudsdale High..." she explained. "My parents thought that I won't get bullied here and I'll have a better chance of success." "Well, it's a good thing you're here, babe." replied Storm, before kissing her on the cheek. He then opened the gate to the school, letting her into the school grounds. "Yeah..." she grinned. "Oh, and meet my friends." he said, moving slightly to reveal Violet and Singer. "Blue, this is Violet and Singer." "How'd you do?" asked Singer, outstretching his hoof. "I'm very well, thank you." she replied, shaking it. "Hello there." smiled Violet. "I'm Violet." "Hi, I'm Blue." she replied. "Anyways..." said Storm. "Do you guys wanna go in?" "Sure!" they all replied in unison. "Hey Storm." "Huh?" he asked, turning around to face who it was. To his surprise, it was Summer and Hurricane. "Hi Summer." "Hey." she grinned. "How was your summer?" "It's been good." he replied. "Hi, Hurricane..." "Hi." he simply said, before trotting off and leaving them all alone. "Well, that didn't go very well..." "Yeah..." she sighed. "I have no idea why he just left..." "Yeah. At least he isn't trying to punch me in the back of the head or something..." Storm groaned. "Anyways, Summer... you wanna come with us? We're all going up to the cafeteria." "Sure." she grinned. As they walked into the school, Storm begun to notice an uneasy look on Blue's face. "Hey babe?" he asked. "What's wrong?" "I'm just nervous, I guess, Stormy..." she replied. Storm wrapped his wing around her and smiled. "It's alright..." he smiled. "I was nervous when I first came here too, but with the help of some friends, I got over it pretty quickly..." "Really?" she asked. "Maybe I'll find some friends here..." "Hey..." begun Singer. "Maybe we can be your friends." "Yeah..." suggested Violet. "That is, if you want us to." "I'd love that." she beamed. "Thanks Singer, Violet... and thank you, Storm." "No problem, babe." he smiled. "I'll always be there for you." The school day went by fairly quickly, much quicker than Storm and his friends, especially Blue, thought it would go. For once, Storm felt respected by most of the school's students, and even Hurricane, who used to bully him at every turn, tried to for once, be nice to him. However, what made Storm really happy was seeing his marefriend Blue for once fit in. She had made quite a few friends on that day, both within Storm's clique and outside of it, and she never felt happier. A couple of hours had passed and it was time for the last period of the day, which was Storm's least favorite lesson of all; gym. While the other mares and stallions were heading to their respective classes, Storm stood next to his locker, shaking slightly. Just thinking about phys ed made Storm cringe. Although he had managed to learn to properly fly over the summer, he remained nervous about whether he was going to make it through the obstacle course or whether he was going to crash at every turn just like last time. However, he calmed down the moment he saw Blue approaching him. "Hey." he smiled a faint smile. "Hi Stormy." she replied. "So, you ready for gym?" "Yeah..." he put on a fake smile. "I am." "You sure?" she raised an eyebrow. "Well, no, not really..." he groaned. "I'm kinda nervous about whether it'll go good." "Don't be." she gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure it'll go good. Just believe in yourself and it'll go great." "You sure?" Storm asked. "I mean... I still don't think I'm that good." "You are, Stormy..." Blue nuzzled him. "Just try your best." "Alright, y'all." begun the flight coach, facing the class, who were all lined up in a row and standing very still. "I want you all to fly through this obstacle course, especially you, Storm..." Storm gulped, and looked at the obstacle course before him. It seemed even bigger than it was before the summer. "Yes sir..." "Okay then." the coach said, motioning for him to go stand at the starting line. Storm gulped, before rather reluctantly walking up to it. "You'll start us off... I want to see if your mother had taken our advice and actually enrolled you at a flight school over the summer break..." "Yes sir." he replied, turning back to look at Blue, who was giving him an encouraging smile, before turning to look at the obstacle course looming before him. This was it. There was no backing out now. Storm had to do this. He had to fly through the obstacle course without crashing. He just had to. "Scared?" he asked. "Me?" replied Storm, trying to put on a brave face. "Aw, no sir. I am... not..." he stuttered, looking over the edge of the cloud. "Well, you should be..." he grinned, before turning back to look at the class. "Alright, you flightless birds! I am going to make mares and stallions out of you all! You will all fly through this obstacle course, between the Moving Pillars of Terror, through the Gauntlet of Terror and... I'm pretty sure you all remember the rest. Anyways, all of you... line up in rows of three!" The class did as they were told, and two more students lined up next to Storm; Rainbow Dash and Hurricane Force. Storm gulped and his stomach churned as he looked over the cloud and at the obstacle course. He was having second thoughts about flying through the obstacle course, but he knew he had to. "So, you ready for this?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Well, kinda..." shrugged Storm. "You'll do great." she grinned. "I know it!" "Thanks, Rainbow." Storm smiled, although that didn't calm him down one bit. "What she said." replied Hurricane. "I think that if you try hard, you'll do great." "Thanks, but why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?" asked Storm. "Well..." begun Hurricane. "Look, the reason why I treated you like shit... was that... Nah, I'll tell you sometime else." "Alright..." Storm sighed. "And listen, about the way I've been treating you..." said Hurricane. "I'm sorry..." "It's okay..." replied Storm, smiling slightly. "Do you maybe want to be friends?" asked Hurricane. "Sure." grinned Storm. "We can be friends if you want." "Alright, you all ready?!" shouted the coach. "Yes sir!" "Alright..." he said. "Three..." "Two..." "One..." "GO!" Without any warning, the students took off and flew through the obstacle course, with Storm, Rainbow Dash and Hurricane staying in the lead. Storm turned around, and saw over a dozen other students, all fighting to get to first place, before turning back and noticing that Rainbow Dash and Hurricane had overtaken him and were at least a hundred feet in front of him. He groaned and flew back towards them, but not before he was overtaken by some others. Eventually, despite trying his hardest, Storm found himself at the very back, and while the other students were already at the Gauntlet, he was still at the moving pillars. But he wasn't alone, as Blue was there as well. She was trying her hardest to fly straight, but she just kept falling onto the cloud layer beneath her. "You alright?" he asked, landing on the cloud layer and helping her up. "Hi Stormy." she beamed. "I'm fine... I'm just trying to fly between these pillars... You know, our school had a similar obstacle course, but it was much more... unsafe." "What do you mean 'unsafe'?" asked Storm. "Well..." she begun. "All sorts of things. For example, we had some boxing gloves that were meant to come out and hit you if you didn't fly fast enough, but these broke during a really bad storm a couple of weeks ago and now, they keep hitting everyone, regardless of how fast you fly." "Wow..." chuckled Storm. "Interesting stuff." "Yeah..." she grinned. "Also, we had pillars too, but these weren't exactly made to withstand the elements and collapsed during the same storm. Our gauntlet was the only thing that remained standing, but the school district shut the entire course down, fearing that what remained may collapse onto something or somepony." "Wow..." said Storm. "Don't worry. This obstacle course is safe." "No no, it's not that." Blue replied. "It's... it's---I still haven't told my parents about my flight skills, or lack of." "Blue, you gotta tell them." explained Storm. "These are your parents after all." "What am I gonna tell them, Storm?" she asked. "'Mom, dad, I can't fly. Will you two teach me?' No! I'm too nervous to even try!" "Blue, look..." replied Storm. "They're your parents. You need to tell them sooner or later..." "But what if---" she asked, but was silenced by Storm. "It'll be alright." replied Storm. "I'm sure they'd be more than happy to teach you." "Alright..." she groaned nervously. "Hey..." he begun, outstretching his hoof. "How about... I show you the basics of flight?" "You'd do that?" she asked. "I mean, I'm pretty bad." "No, no." he replied. "You're good. Stop doubting yourself, babe. Just try your best and you'll go far." "You sure?" "Positive." "Alright..." she replied, grabbing hold of his hoof. Storm gave her a reassuring smile and trotted down the cloud layer with her. Just before they reached the edge of the cloud layer, they took off into the air, Blue still holding onto Storm's hoof. "Okay." he said, as they neared the first couple of pillars. "I want you to flutter your wings." "Got it." she replied, fluttering them. "Good." said Storm. "Now, I want you to let go of my hoof, alright?" "What? Are you crazy?!" she asked. "Blue, you gotta trust me on this..." he explained. "And if you fall, I'll catch you. I promise." "Alright..." she sighed, letting go of Storm's hoof and shutting her eyes. However, to her amazement, she was actually flying properly. "Oh my gosh..." "See?" grinned Storm. "I told you." "This is amazing..." she said, flying after Storm, who guided her through the first couple of pillars. "Thank you, Stormy." "No problem, babe." he said, winking at her. Eventually, the two managed to make it through all of the pillars, and reached the second stage of the obstacle course; the Gauntlet of Terror, however, Storm and Blue both managed to make it through the gauntlet without any problems. The next and penultimate stage was the Rubber Balls of Terror, which were much more difficult to fly through as they were packed so closely together, however, they managed to make it through that as well. Eventually, they managed to catch up to the rest of the students, who were all trying (and failing) to get through the final stage, which was added in during the summer break; the Boxing Gloves of Terror. "Oh, crap..." groaned Storm. "This is gonna be a tough one..." "Luckily, I know how to get through these." grinned Blue. "You do?" asked Storm. "Yep." she replied. "Remember what I told you about our school's obstacle course?" "Yep." he replied. "We need to build up our speed if we want to make it through to the finish line." she said. "This was one of the first flight lessons I had with my parents, you know that?" "Really?" asked Storm. "Yep." replied Blue. "Anyways, let's do this." "Alright..." he grinned. "Let's do this. Grab hold of my hoof, alright? I don't want you to get hit." "Okay." she shrugged, before grabbing hold of Storm's outstretched hoof. He gave her a reassuring wink before they both flew off towards the finish line, at the fastest speeds they could go at. Storm narrowly dodged the boxing gloves, which seemed to come out of nowhere. Eventually, they reached the finish line, both of them out of breath and panting heavily. Just then, the coach landed in front of them, with a proud grin on his face. "Well, Stormfire and whatever your name is..." he begun. "Blue Night, sir." she replied. "I underestimated you both." he replied. "Well done for finishing the obstacle course, however, next time, no holding hooves. I consider that cheating." he said, his smile disappearing from his face. Storm and Blue blushed slightly and stepped away from each other. The coach soon left to turn off the boxing gloves, leaving them both alone. "That was amazing, Stormy..." she grinned, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks babe." he grinned. "You didn't do bad yourself." "Thanks Storm." she replied. "Dude, that was awesome!" said Rainbow Dash, landing next to him. "How did you get through?" "Yeah, how?" asked Hurricane, who had several bruises on his body. "With a little help from Blue here." he grinned. "Aww." she blushed. "Thank you, Stormy." Eventually, the bell rang, which meant it was time to go home. While Storm and Blue were walking together and talking about how their day went, Storm's wing was tapped by someone. He turned around and he paused, noticing that it was the principal. "Afternoon, Mr. Principal sir." he said, trying to remain as calm as possible. "Hello Stormfire, Blue Night." the principal said. "I just wanted a quick word with you, Storm, if that's alright with you." "Am I in trouble, sir?" asked Storm, shaking slightly. "No, no..." he replied. "It's actually about your flying skills. Miss Blue?" "Yes sir?" asked Blue. "You head off home now, alright?" he asked. "Storm will join you in a couple of minutes." "Alright." she shrugged. "See you, Stormy." "Bye." he grinned a goofy grin, before snapping out of it, and realizing that he was standing next to the principal. "You wanted to speak with me, sir?" "Ah, yes." replied the principal. "Your flying skills are impressive. The coach told me all about your efforts today, and I must say, your flying skills are some of the best I've seen so far." "Thank you sir." replied Storm. "However..." explained the principal. "You should really think about doing something to make your flying better. I'm thinking that you should get a part-time job." "A part-time job?" Storm raised his eyebrows. "Yes, Storm." replied the Principal. "There are many places around the city that can offer students with above-average flight skills employment. You should visit the Weather Factory over at Alderneigh Boulevard and see if they have any vacant jobs." "Yes sir..." replied Storm, nervousness growing inside of him. "Good night, kids." said Equinox, turning off the lights on the top floor of the house. It was now around 10 PM, and Storm was having trouble sleeping, as he was too busy thinking, thinking about what the principal said to him after school. "Night mom." replied Gust Wind and Mist in unison. "Mom?" "Yeah, Storm?" she asked, opening the door to his room and walking inside. "Can I tell you something?" he asked, lying underneath the bed sheets. "Sure." she smiled. "You can tell me anything." "Well, today, I talked with the principal, and he says he's really impressed with my flight skills..." replied Storm. "And he even suggested that I get a part-time job." "Woah, really?" she asked. Storm only nodded in reply. "Well, I personally think you should, son." "He said I should look for vacant jobs in the Weather Factory," replied Storm, growing more and more nervous. "I honestly don't know if I should... I don't consider myself mature enough for a part-time job." "Oh, nonsense," she said. "You are mature enough." "Yeah?" he scoffed. "How?" "Well... by being there for your marefriend; by looking after Mist when she's sick or when me and dad are at work, by standing up for ponies you care for... That's maturity, Storm," explained Equinox. "And I must say, I am darn proud of you for doing so well." "Thanks, mom..." he smiled, as she stroked his mane. "No problem son." she said, before sighing. "What's wrong?" asked Storm "Nothing, nothing..." Equinox sighed. "It's just that...you've grown up, my son... I just wish that... me and dad could be there for you always..." "Mom..." said Storm. "You'll always be my mother... and I'll always love you." "And I'll always love you, my son," she said, some tears rolling out of her eyes before she kissed him goodnight on the forehead. "Sleep well. You have a long day at school tomorrow." After school and eating dinner back home, Storm made his way to the east side of town towards the Weather Factory, where he was hoping to get his first job. As much as he was excited about getting a new job (and maybe finding out his special talent), he was nervous, and by nervous, I mean very nervous. Eventually, he reached the Weather Factory, a rather towering building made of water ice, and after peering in and looking around through the glass door, he walked into the building's lobby. "Hi there." said the receptionist, noticing Storm walking up to her desk. "How may I help?" "Uh..." begun Storm, shaking slightly. "I'm here to apply for a part-time job." "Alright, sir," she said, taking out a notepad. "Name?" "Stormfire." replied Storm. "Age and date of birth?" she asked. "I'm sixteen, and I was born on February 21." he replied. "And lastly, do you know anypony who works here, like a relative or a friend?" she asked. "Both my parents." he replied. "Alright then," she replied, before picking up her phone and dialing somepony, presumably Storm's supervisor. "Lightning?" Yeah? "There's a pony here to see you in the lobby." she said. Alright, I'll be down in a sec. "Okay," she replied, putting down the phone on the desk. "Alright, sir. Lightning Fast, your new supervisor, will be down to see you in a couple of minutes. You may sit down if you wish." "Alright. Thank you, ma'am," he replied, sitting down on a nearby chair. A couple of minutes had passed, and the door to the elevator in front of Storm slid open, revealing a yellow Pegasus with a purple mane and a streak of white lightning as his cutie mark. "Stormfire?" asked Lightning Fast, walking towards him. "That's me." replied Storm, standing up and facing him. "My name is Lightning Fast, and I'll be your supervisor around here," he said, before turning and leading Storm through a hallway, which led to an office. "Follow me, please." A moment later, they arrived at Lightning Fast's office. "Sit down, please. Anywhere you wish," said Lightning, sitting down behind his desk. Storm shrugged and sat down on a couch, beside a water cooler. "I understand that you are looking for a part-time job. Is that correct?" "Yes sir." he replied. "I heard a lot of good things about your flying caliber, and that you're one of the better flight students at the North Cloudsdale High School," he explained, a smirk adorning his face. "And I also heard about your attention span, and your concentration skills, which are all good enough for this job. I would gladly recommend starting off on the cloud-busting team. You would work on weekends from nine AM til three PM, and if you perform good, we'll move you to a higher-ranking position." "Yes, sir." "Since you're 16 you won't be getting the benefits, let's say, your parents are getting, for example," Lightning explained. "Your parents work here, right? Equinox Moon and High Wind?" "Yep." "Luckily for you, since you're classed as a young worker, your wages will be tax-exempt until you turn 18. Do you know how taxation works?" "Somewhat..." Storm nodded in response. "A small part of my income will be taxed, won't it?" "Yeah, exactly. Are you on your parents' health insurance plan? I'd imagine you are at your age." "Yeah, I am." "Have you ever had any serious...accidents?" "Aside from a few scrapes back when I was a kid, not really." "Any involving your wings?" "I can't really recall," Storm responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Pay starts at minimum wage, roughly 8 bits an hour, and if you do well enough, we'll raise it to $9.50 an hour. Sound fair?" "Yep." "So, you think you'll be able to handle the stress and the hard work of being a weather pony?" asked Lightning, fixing a slight grin on his face. "Yes, sir." gulped Storm. "Excellent." he smiled. "You start Saturday. 9 AM, no tardiness. No excuses."