Nor'easter
“Hey Blossom, I need your help”
“In doing what? Because if it is a banging session…”
“No, nothing like that. You see, I’m starting to regain memories of being Cloud Kicker and it is quite overwhelming. It would mean a lot to me if you helped me interpret and sort some of them out.”
“Are you sure about this? Some memories are meant to stay hidden and may have things attached to them that you may not want me to know about.”
“I’m certain I want you to know. You are the resident Equestrian expert due to your, what do you call it… experience with being a fan of My Little Pony…”
“A Brony?”
“Yes. Being a Brony as well as your own memories make you an excellent candidate. And as a friend I trust you.”
“Thank you, that means a lot to me. Alright. Let’s start with something simple. Could you tell me your cutie mark story?”
“My what?”
“Your cutie mark story.”
“What is a cutie mark?”
“The symbol on your flank.”
“This cloud and sun?”
“That is the one.”
“Why do you want to hear that one first?”
“Cutie mark stories are usually positive and happy memories. A cutie mark is earned when a pony discovers their special talent, usually as a foal. It represents not only their special talent but also hints at their destiny. Often times the marks have deeper meanings and are more than skin deep, so to speak, if you will pardon the pun.”
“Ok, here goes…”
“Leave her alone!” Rainbow demanded.
“Oooh,” Barbell said in a condescending voice, “What are you going to do about it, Rainbow Crash?”
“Keep making fun of her and find out!” Rainbow challenged
“You think you’re such a big shot? Why don’t you prove it?”
“What’d you have in mind?”
“A race around Cloudsdale. Winner gets bragging rights and loser does the winner’s laundry for a week.”
“You do realize we don’t wear clothes.”
“Erm. Um… just show up, Rainbow Crash.”
“I’ll be there.”
With that Barbell and his posse left.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Rainbow?” I said.
“Of course! I’m the fastest thing alive. So what if I get into a tussle or crash now and again, I’m just that awesome.” She claimed with her usual bravado.
“Just as have modest as ever, eh Rainbow Dash?”
“I am the most modest of ponies because I’m just that amazing.”
I rolled my eyes, “Let’s just get this over with. You don’t have to pick a fight with every picked on filly at flight camp, you know.”
“But I thought you were all like ‘protecting ponies is what Kickers’ do’ and stuff. You made it sound all noble and awesome and stuff.”
“Yes, but you are not a Kicker. It isn’t your duty.”
“Ha ha! You Kickers sure have a lot of dooty!”
I rolled my eyes again, “Come on, let’s just get this over with. You just jump in without looking. Hay, you didn’t even ask the filly’s name.”
We both took to the air as she responded, “I don’t need to know who it was, just that they were in trouble and I’m there to help, because I’m a good friend like that.”
We arrived at the starting line as ponies were lining up to watch the race. As usual, no counselors or other adults could be seen, but that suited us fine. I’m not much of a rule breaker, unlike my chromatic friend, but I’m sure this race is against policy somehow and as much as I hate showing up ponies, those three had this coming for a long time. I don’t mean to brag or inflate her vanity, but I think Rainbow really is the fastest thing alive and I’m sure if she wanted to, she could be Wonderbolt material someday.
I scanned the crowd and found our timid friend that we had swooped in to save alone on a cloud that she managed to flutter over to with great difficulty. I tossed her a checkered flag a nearby pony brought to his slight scowl and threw it to the timid yellow pegasus, which she barely caught with her mouth, almost falling off the cloud. I was about to ask her name, but then a pony brought out an air siren, and honked it in a loud blast, and the threesome took off in a flash, knocking the yellow pegasus over off her precarious perch on her little cloud toward the ground below.
I frantically looked around for some adults, but as per usual, they were nowhere to be seen. After minutes of searching a powerful blast and ring of color flooded the sky, followed by a triumphant Rainbow Dash, now brandishing a cutie mark of a cloud and rainbow. Rainbow talked at a million miles an hour as she relished in her victory, “Ohmygoshohmygosh did you see me? That was so awesome and sweet and I did a Sonic Rainboom and I got my cutie mark, see? Isn’t it awesome?!? I totally did what nopony has ever done in recorded history. Dude this is so awesome!”
After several minutes of this, I cut her off, “Rainbow I need you to focus for a second.”
“How can I focus when I’m so high and radical and cool and awesome?”
“The filly you were defending…”
“Yeah, what about her. Did she see me?”
“No, because she was knocked off the cloud and fell towards the ground.”
Her demeanor instantly changed to concern, “What? We need to help her, now! She could be hurt. Let’s go!”
“Wait, shouldn’t we try to find an adult first?”
“They are never around and she could be hurt or worse and we need to go now! Stop being a stick in the mud no goody four shoes!”
“Look, let me grab a tuft of cloud to put her on if she can’t or won’t fly so we can take her back.”
“Fine. Grab it and go. Let’s move.”
I gave her a salute, “Yes, Sarge.”
I grabbed the cloud and flew with Rainbow toward the ground below the starting line, but the yellow pegasus was nowhere to be seen.
“Where could she be? She must be ok since she isn’t here?”
“Rainbow, why don’t you look over there and I’ll look over here. Whistle or yell or something if you find her.”
She returned with a salute and zoomed off.
I searched in the other direction and after a few minutes came across a clearing with a little yellow pegasus nestled amongst a small troop of bunnies. The bunnies scattered at my presence leading the pegasus filly to look up then retreat behind her flowing, pink mane.
“Um, what is your name?”
The filly pulled herself even tighter into a fetal position.
“There is no need to be scared, I’m here to help. You fell a long ways, are you ok?”
She pulled her head out enough that I could detect a subtle nod of ‘no.’
“Where are you hurt?”
She meekly offered her left wing and even with my limited knowledge, I could see it was a bit bruised.
“I brought this could just in case you were hurt. I’ll take you back to Flight Camp.”
Suddenly Rainbow entered the clearing, “I searched and couldn’t find her anywhere, oh there she is. You could have said something.”
The meek pegasus returned to her fetal position and hid back behind her mane and began to shake in terror.
“What is your problem? I showed those bullies a thing or two. You should be happy not scared.”
“Rainbow, could you give us a moment? She’s kind of shy and you’re a bit loud.”
“Yeah, sure whatever. I’ll go above and scout for trouble,” and with a woosh she took off.
“Come on, don’t be scared. We’re safe now. What’s your name?”
A squeak was all I heard.
“I didn’t get that, could you repeat it?”
An eeep and another squeak.
“Ok. I’m going to call you Eeepsqueak. Come on, I brought this cloud and I’ll take you back up. I’m pretty good flyer.”
The pegasus refused to move but stopped shaking. I thought back to when I had entered the clearing and the family of bunnies. A thought suddenly occurred to me. I deftly pulled a wisp of the cloud and molded it into the shape of a bunny. Eeepsqueak watched with reserved interest as I made a second one. Only then did I see her full face as she pulled out from behind her mane and settled on my cloud. A faint glow and vertigo overtook me as the yellow pegaus pointed to my formerly blank flank, which was now graced with a cloud and sun. Apparently I have a way with cloud manipulation, who knew?
I slowly took to the air with Eeepsqueak and gestured for Rainbow to come over as we ascended back toward flight camp with our new shy comrade.
“That was a pretty sweet story, Cloud,” I commented.
“But confusing. How did I get here? Why did I care? Why was I acting that way? Why do I feel melancholy about the whole thing. It seems quite happy and all that, but I cannot shake the feeling of regret.”
“Maybe there are other memories related to it you haven’t remembered yet that are related.”
“It is all so much Blossom. You have the benefit of your knowledge as a human and as a Brony and pony and this all works for you, but little old me, I’m just lost. Who am I? Am I a pony or a man? Is my life all a lie? My parents and career and life, just a fluke? Why did we live our lives as humans for twenty five years, only to forget them in an afternoon?”
I looked at Cloud and held her now deformed hand, soon to be hoof, “Listen, I don’t have all of the answers and I’m scared too. I don’t want to forget who I was or am, but I do not have a choice. I, no we, must endure. You are a soldier. You have faced adversity and strife. You got though the most debilitating training and even were in combat and saw the horrors of war first hand or rather hoof. This is yet another test of your mettle, but I have faith in you. Don’t let this break you. You are a good person or pony or whatever you are. I believe in you, you need to believe in yourself.”
“It is so easy for you to say, but I am not like you. I cannot just roll with it. I have lived a life of regimented order and structure ever since I was little. I don’t have that ability to be flexible and roll with the chaos. The pony transforming thing, these memories… I just can’t.”
“Answer me this, Cloud. What is the alternative? These things are going to happen to you, with or without your consent. It is not prudent to be prepared and take this in stride? Besides, we can get through this together for we share the magic of friendship.”
“I don’t know what’s worse, that that was incredibly cheesy or that I feel better for you saying it.”
“That is what friends are for.”
“Come here, you.”
We embraced a platonic hug as we felt mutual gratitude toward each other’s presence and I felt the sting of a tear from Cloud.
We sat in content silence for a minute before Cloud asked, “So what about your cutie mark?”
“What about it?”
“Could I hear your cutie mark story?”
“It really is nothing special.”
“Come on. I shared mine. You owe me.”
“Um, Ok. Here goes”
There is nothing like a puffy cloud.
Except when it rumbles and shakes.
I had been playing on the edge of Cloudsdale, taking advantage of a warm spring day. My fellow orphanmates had long since gone back to the orphanage, so I was alone, but that bothered me little as I’ve always been a loner and self-reliant. Being an orphan has taught me that much. So imagine my surprise as the cloud began to rattle and shake as I looked around for a culprit, but none came to my view. I frantically looked for a method to escape, but the cloud began to break away from the bank. I flared my wings in a feeble attempt to fly, but a faceplant into my personal tuft of cloud was all that resulted.
My mind began to race as I thought about what happened and all of the potential implications. I might be swept away forever, trapped to starve or fall to my doom.
“How could this possibly get worse?” I said out loud.
The universe took this as a challenge as it did begin to get worse. A bank of nasty looking storm clouds began to coalesce above me as I followed their trail toward the weather factory. Within seconds they started to hurl raindrops down on my little cloud and within minutes my fur and wings were soaked. I called to the clouds, hoping some weather pegasus would hear my plea, but nopony came.
The storm intensified as thunderheads began to crackle and spurt. I cowered into my cloud, hoping and praying to the grace of sweet, merciful Celestia that I would be spared a shock and fall.
Celestia had forsaken me. A bolt of electricity arced out of the black thunderhead and shocked me. The pain was indescribable as every inch of me was engulfed in what felt like fire and shock. I smelt the burn of scorched flesh and burnt feathers as I crumpled in pain and tried to bury myself into my cloud of refuge. Unfortunately for me, the cloud did not respond well to the lighting and broke apart.
To my horror I began to fall toward the earth at what seemed like blinding speed. I painfully, but futilely failed to slow my decent by flaring my wings. For a second it seemed to work, but then they collapsed to my flank, resulting in more pain and fear. The ground became larger and larger as I sped toward it. I braced for impact and with a sploosh I landed into a large mud puddle. I struggled for air as I fought against the viscous fluid when out of nowhere an orange hoof appeared and pulled at mine and hauled me to the shore.
I looked up at my savior to find none other an orange filly, no older than me.
“Thanks a billion,” I managed to blurt out between bouts of coughing up mud.
“Sure thing, it is what anypony would have done. What’s your name?”
“Blossomforth, yours?”
“Carrot Top.”
“Again, thanks, but I need to get going.”
“Wait, are you ok? You just fell from the sky.”
“I’m fine.” I claimed, but as I stood up, my body had different plans as my legs collapsed under me and my wings refused to respond.
Carrot Top looked on with concern, “You don’t look alright. Come on, let’s take you home.”
“I don’t think you can do that, you cannot fly.” I said, mystified.
Carrot laughed, “Not your home, silly. Mine.”
“Ok, point the way.” I stood up again and walked a few steps before stumbling and falling over again.
“Maybe you ought to let me help you walk.”
“I can do this.” I tried to walk a few more steps and collapsed.
“Maybe not,” I acquiesced, “But you are smaller than me and can hardly carry me.”
“You underestimate earth pony strength, but still you are right, I cannot carry you. But I can help you trot to my place. It isn’t far from here.”
With that, Carrot stabilized me as we slowly walked along to her family’s humble cottage.
Carrot knocked on the front door. An older mare who I could only assume was her mother answered, “Carrot Top? I have some choice words for you. irresponsible young filly, being out so late and in this weather. It is a wonder I haven’t died of a heart attack yet.”
“Mom, I’m sorry, but I have a good reason.”
“It better be. Any more such infractions and you won’t have dessert for a week!”
With that Ms. Carrot opened the door and gasped when she saw me.
“Oh my gosh, you poor dear. How long have you been out in this weather? And you are injured! Oh my, let me see to those wounds.” And with a flurry she disappeared from view to return with supplies as she saw to my injuries. With her working on them, I saw how bad they really were. I hurt all over, but my wings received the brunt of the fall and they hurt the worst. A few bandages here and there and a healthy but painful application of iodine made them look better. Carrot Top looked on sheepishly at me as I tried to put on a brave face.
After that, Ms. Carrot invited me to stay not only for dinner, but also until my injuries healed or when pickup could be arranged so I could return to Cloudsdale. In that time I became good friends with Carrot Top as we played together and poked around in her garden.
To be honest, Carrot was the first true friend I have ever made. Granted, my orphanmates were fun to be around sometimes, but more often than not I got the feeling that they merely put up with me and that I was replaceable. With her, things were different. The feeling felt more genuine, more true. We talked about things that other fillies talk about: colts, toys and random nothings, but it somehow felt more enjoyable and fun.
Even as a filly, she had a green hoof. Like her parents, she tended to the family’s root garden and had earned her cutie mark from doing so. Unsurprisingly, it is a carrot. I could see from our conversations and from working in her garden that it was and still is her pride and joy. We spent hours in the garden, weeding and watering and feeding her plants. I helped plant rows of vegetables, flowers, and herbs, but my favorites were the pretty purple impatients. With Carrot’s help we planted one in a pot and I quickly became attached to it. The days became a week and the week became two as I enjoyed my hosts’ hospitality and my new friend.
My plant and friendship began to grow as the little seed began to sprout after a few days, then leaf and bud. On the last day of the second week, the budding flower bloomed not one, but two blooms, one green and one purple. At that moment I felt my flank get hot as a similar mark appeared on my flank as Carrot Top looked at me with a smile from ear to ear. We gave each other a hug and giggled.
“You must be a gardener like me! Your cutie mark says so.”
“I’m not sure. I think it has to do with friendship.”
“Whatever it means, nopony can tease you for being a blank flank now.”
“Carrot Top, Blossomforth! Come here.” Ms. Carrot called.
We answered the summons as a unicorn stallion in a dark suit stood before us.
“Are you Blossomforth?”
“Yes.” I said in a small voice, intimidated by this stallion.
“I am from Her Majesty’s Royal government and I am here to take you back to the Cloudsdale Orphanage.”
“But I don’t want to go back!” I pleaded.
“That is none of my concern,” he said coldly.
With that, he enveloped me in his magic as I was forcibly carried away from my new friend.
“What a way to kill the mood, Blossom. I thought you said cutie mark stories were supposed to be uplifiting.
“Mine is.”
“Not really. It was kinda sad.”
“But it talks about the magic of friendship and stuff. Sorry life isn’t perfect.”
“I know, I know.”
Cloud began to yawn and I did likewise.
“It really is getting late, maybe we ought to head to bed. What do you think, Cloud?”
Instead of the response I was expecting, a light snore came from her as she lay against my stomach. Oh well, it could be worse. I grabbed a throw pillow and fell asleep as Cloud’s rhythmic breathing lulled me into sleep.
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Poor blossomforth
Eh, wasn't Luna existence unknown when Blossom got her mark? Considering that this happen before Nightmare Moon release and that even Twilight was surprised to learn that Luna was Celestia sister.
but you are not...
your*
Just a friendly correction :P
2703092 It works.
because ponies..
2703092
Sorry, it will be rectified. Thanks for catching it.
Continuity error!
2704097
Grammer mistakes in my story! This is the... worst ... possible... thing!
The changes must be made, I go!
If i were you, i would change a lot of the cannots' to cant's. It sounds more natural.
2712200
Sorry about that. Going through English comp makes me avoid contractions and spell out numbers. My lexicon also consists of more exotic speech as well, and that finds a habit of working its way into my stories.
I don't think it is distracting enough that I need to go back and rectify, though.