The Storm's Challenge

by OneLonelyPickle

20 - The Herb of Omnom-Sense

Chapter 20

-

The Herb of Omnom-Sense

“Come on, eh? Tell me the truth!”

Slapshot pleaded with Pinkie, who gleefully bounced to his left. The two were headed to the Big Cheese to discuss Maelstrom over a much-needed late lunch.

“You’ve had hockey training before, yeah? Like, that wasn’t your first time, right?”

“It wasn’t my first time!” Pinkie answered cheerfully. “It was my second! My first time was as a filly! I fell over so many times, it was hilarious!”

Slapshot nearly ripped his mane out.

“Ahh jeez, I really lost to a newbie? Seriously?” Slapshot stopped and rummaged with his saddle bags. Pinkie stopped too, and saw Slapshot pull out something that looked like a big gumball with a wrapper.

“Oo oo! Candy! Can I have some?” Pinkie asked. Slapshot scoffed.

“Yeah, like, not a chance, eh?” Pinkie’s bottom lip quivered, and she looked at Slapshot with puppy dog eyes. He rolled his eyes and sighed then popped the small object in his mouth. “This isn’t candy, yeah? It’s Seeptree Sap. I chew it to clear my thoughts, yeah? It tastes gross, you really wouldn’t like it.”

Slapshot started to walk again while chewing and Pinkie followed. “Thank goodness you didn’t give me any then,” Pinkie said, “I can’t stand icky food! If I eat something that’s gross it makes my tongue swell up and my eyes start to do this” – she leapt in front of Slapshot and started to bulge her eyes out and pointed them each in a different direction – “weird, googly thing!” She finished with a giggle.

“Real fascinating, eh?” Slapshot said, deadpan. The pair continued on their way.

The intense heat had dried both ponies off not long after they dragged their drenched forms out of Saddle Lake following their hockey match. Slapshot had collected all of his things in his saddle bags and the two had taken off. Several ponies along the way shot Slapshot odd glances, seeing him in attire that would be too much even for Vanhoover at that time of year, and others were happy to meet and greet the hockey star. Slapshot was pretty ticked about his loss and didn’t give out a single autograph.

Eventually the pair reached the Big Cheese and grabbed the last free table outside under an oak tree. Slapshot ordered one of everything – Pinkie ordered two of everything.

“Holy moley, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until you brought it up, Slapshot! I think I could eat a horse!” Pinkie tilted her head. “Is that… weird?”

Slapshot put his hooves on the table and leaned his head against one. “Yeah, I don’t know, eh? So, like, what do you want to know about Maelstrom? Once we’re done eating, I’m going for a nap back at my hotel, yeah?”

Waiters brought over the first of the dishes and the two hungry “stomachs with hooves” dug in.
Pinkie ate an entire dandelion sandwich in one bite. She licked her lips and hummed with satisfaction.

“Yummy! Well,” Pinkie looked at Slapshot seriously all of a sudden and pulled out her Sherclop Pie outfit. She donned the hat and pipe and started to blow bubbles. “What’s he like? Do you see him a lot?”

Slapshot spoke through a mouthful of hay fries. “Yweah, whell, loike, shometimes. Dwuring taining he’s pwetty noice, shmiles a lot, but dwoesn’t say mwuch, yweah?” He stopped eating and swallowed. “Honestly, I can’t say we’ve had, like, a conversation except when he hired me onto the team. And he was the same way, smiling, nice guy, can’t really say he came off as anything other than what everypony says he is. Though…”

Pinkie was drinking a hayshake and raised a brow. “Though…?” she repeated.

Slapshot took a bite out of half an oatburger, chewed five big chews with his mouth open, then swallowed. “Well, there was this one time, the day after he hired me, yeah? He had come to Vanhoover with that little minx VeeVee and her weird sister, eh? So that was weird, y’know, like now it is, when I think back, but at the time I thought she was his wife or something.”

More waiters brought more food. Pinkie licked her lips again and “ooo’d”.

“Anyway, they met me at the arena, where I was every day. It was near the end of the day, so by the time we were done, I went for a shower and to get my stuff, yeah? But the three of them stayed out on the ice and talked when everypony had already gone home. They must have thought I left too, because what they were talking about sounded sort of, like, secretive, or something.”

Pinkie pulled out a notepad and a pencil. “Yes, go on, my dear witness.” She blew some more bubbles with her pipe.

“It was weird, eh? What they were talking about.” Slapshot finished off his oatburger and continued. “I listened from just outside the locker room. Sounded like they were discussing a plan, and Maelstrom wanted to make sure VeeVee understood what was what. I guess even the sister was involved, but I’m not too sure. I barely remember this, yeah? But what I do remember for sure is something they were talking about.”

Slapshot leaned in towards the table, and Pinkie did the same. She looked at him with giant, eager eyes.

“Which was…?” Pinkie asked. Slapshot opened his mouth to speak then stopped. He got up.

“Oh jeez, can you hold that thought, eh? I gotta use the little colt’s room.” He galloped off into the restaurant. Pinkie’s eye twitched. She held her breath and counted the seconds. Eventually Slapshot emerged from the restaurant, happily sighing as he took his seat once more. Pinkie nearly exploded.

“What were we talking about there, pal? I forgot,” Slapshot asked, picking up a quinoasadilla. He was going to take a bite before Pinkie shouted and made him drop it with a start.

“GAHHHH! THE SUPER SECRET THING THAT MAELSTROM AND MS. VEEVEE WERE TALKING IN SECRET ABOUT!”

Other ponies sitting outside and eating turned towards the source of the outburst. Pinkie cupped her mouth with her hooves and started to melt into a pile of pink goo in her chair. Slapshot looked around awkwardly and lowered his head.

“Not so loud, jeez Louise!” He shushed Pinkie with his hoof. “The thing they were talking about was something called the Herb of Omnom-sense.”

Pinkie cocked her head and removed the pipe from her mouth.

“The Whosit of Whatnow?” she blustered. Slapshot shrugged.

“The Herb of Omnom-sense. That’s what Maelstrom called it. Said it was super important and that VeeVee better figure out how to use it properly. I have a theory,” Slapshot started to devour his quinoasadilla and spoke through his chews. “Shee, I shink BweeBwee an’ Mwaelstom are swecwetly loike dis” – Slapshot put his food down and tapped his hooves together – “Cwoltfriend and mwarefwend kwind of dweal, yweah?”

He finished off the last of the dish and spoke with an empty mouth once more. “So, Maelstrom was trying to see if his secret flame was able to cook his favorite food, and that required the Herb thingy.” Slapshot smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Not a bad theory, eh? I think you could make a killing if you sold that story to the paparazzis, yeah?”

Pinkie raised an eyebrow.

“So Maelstrom and that Ms. VeeVee lady that Rarity is with in Canterlot are secretly, you know” – she tapped her hooves together – “like that. But that doesn’t tell me what he could be—” Pinkie covered her mouth again.

Better not tell him. Maelstrom is his boss!

“I mean, is there anything else you can tell me about Maelstrom? Anything else that he wants to hide so nopony finds out?”

Slapshot shook his head and started to eat again. “Nwot dat I know of.” Pinkie frowned and picked up an oatburger. She ate it in one bite. Slapshot finished his last dish, a rice pudding, and sat back in his chair patting his stomach.

“But, if you’re really looking for some dirt that’ll get the ponies talking, yeah, you could sneak into his tent at Pepperheart Field, eh? His guards are always watching it, and nopony is allowed near. Even when Maelstrom wants to talk to somepony in private, he goes to their tent.”

Pinkie rubbed her chin and blew some more bubbles.

“You think he’s hiding the Herb in there, or something sinister, perhaps?”

Slapshot shrugged. He popped the previously chewed Seeptree Sap back into his mouth.

“No idea, pal. You got the meal covered, yeah?”

He pulled out the empty pockets of his jersey and smiled sheepishly. Pinkie’s mouth contorted into an upside-down smile. A waiter with a furrowed brow walked up, clearing his throat loudly.

“S-sure,” Pinkie managed. She pulled a purse out of her mane and started to count out the bits. Slapshot got up and walked away, chewing loudly as he went along.

“Thanks for the fun times and the food, eh? See you around.” Pinkie chased after him.

“Wait!” she grabbed at his jersey and Slapshot shoved her off lightly.

“What is it, yeah? I need my afternoon nap.”

Pinkie pulled out her notepad and pencil again and smiled wide.

“Can I get two autographs pretty, pretty please?”

* * *

Rainbow flew towards the sun, an enormous smile plastered on her face. She couldn’t help but sing as her and Tank headed for Sweet Apple Acres to meet with Zephyr.

“Are you as excited as I am, Tank? Because I am big E excited! Zephyr – THE Zephyr, and me, training! Together! Isn’t this super and totally awesome beyond anything else that has ever been awesome EVER?!”

Tank nodded slowly, a small smile on his face. Rainbow giggled and loop-de-looped forward. She loop-de-looped so fast that she generated a strong breeze which descended to the world below and collided with a nearby denizen of Ponyville.

“Oops, sorry Cranky!” Rainbow called down to the grumpy donkey, who was collecting his wig and mumbling to himself.

“Shoot, Rainbow Dash! Can’t you keep that stuff up in the sky where it belongs!”

Rainbow stuck her tongue out cheekily and Cranky shook his head. He smirked as he turned away. A stray thought invaded Rainbow's mind.

What if I can't teach Zephyr the Sonic Rainboom? And what if he asks to see one?

Rainbow gulped.

I don't even know if I can do one. Every other time just sort of happened. I've never done one on purpose before.

Rainbow and Tank reached the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres in no time flat. When the cyan pegasus had spotted Big McIntosh, stomping inside a container filled with apples, her and her tortoise companion flew down to greet him.

“Hey Mac! Having an awesome day?”

Big Mac looked up and nodded. “Eeyup!” he exclaimed. Rainbow hoofbumped the air.

“Right on! Listen, me and a friend were going to use Three Tree Hill for some flying training. You don’t mind, do you?”

Big Mac shook his head. “Eeenope!”

“Cool, thanks Mac!” Rainbow was about to take off again when an old, cantankerous voice stopped her.

“Now just hold on there one whip-crackin’ minute, Cranberry Smash!”

Rainbow turned around and saw Granny Smith, shaking and tonguing her dentures.

“It’s Rainbow Dash, Granny.” Rainbow corrected. Granny Smith snapped back.

“No matter, ehh, Blazerow Nash! I want to know what my Applejack’s been up to in Canterlot, skippin’ her chores what to go off galivantin’ with them big city ponies, talkin’ about making more bits than I’ve seen in a decade, that’s what she said. Foolish, if you ask me.”

Rainbow planted her hooves on the earth and raised a hoof and shook her head.

“Sorry, Granny, but I haven’t been to Canterlot at all. I’ve been busy training here in Ponyville.”

Rainbow talked out the side of her mouth quietly, “And if AJ was as good a friend as I thought, she’d be coming to cheer me on. So would the rest of my friends.”

“Wassat, girlie? Speak up!” Granny cried. Rainbow smiled and shook her head.

“It’s nothing, Granny. But I really don’t know what’s going on with Applejack except that her and Rarity went to Canterlot to sell apples and dresses. Apparently it’s a good time for sales, since there are so many ponies in Canterlot who came for the Storm’s Challenge.”

Granny spat on the ground.

“Well all I know’s is that Applejack better come back soon with all the bits in Canterlot. She had Big McIntosh go up there at the wee hours this morning, wagon full of apples and such. Whyyyy, nothing good ever comes selling to big city folk, no matter if they live there or came around for this event or that. I remember back when I was a young mare – this was before you kiddies were born—”

Rainbow rolled her eyes with a smile. Big Mac and Tank shared a look and a slow head shake.

“Alright, well, we have somewhere to be, Granny! See you later!” Rainbow interjected before taking off towards the meet up spot. Granny continued to go on and on as Big Mac crushed apples into cider.

Rainbow and Tank landed on Three Tree Hill, which, as Rainbow had told Zephyr the day before, was the highest point in all of Sweet Apple Acres and was accented by three big apple trees at its top.

Rainbow started to doubt herself again and stared at a random cloud for what seemed like a long time. At some point, a figure flying towards her and Tank entered her peripheral vision. It was Zephyr.

“Hey, you made it!” he called out as he made his approach. Rainbow waved and smiled awkwardly.

“Of course I did! Wasn’t going to miss this chance!” Rainbow jolted her head up so her mane moved out of her eyes. “So, you ready to be trained by the best flyer in Equestria, Zephyr?”

Zephyr grinned.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get to it!”

- - -

Tears streamed from the goggles on Zephyr’s face as he shot down towards the earth like a flying spear. He gritted his teeth so hard they were almost splitting. His wings were pressed tight against his body and a cone was forming around his front. The ground wasn’t far off.

“Arggggghhhh!” he cried as he was forced to pull back in time to avoid becoming a splat. His form twisted and twirled back as the sheer power of the almost-Rainboom knocked him upwards. Rainbow, on a cloud higher above in the sky, shouted down at him.

“You need to be more aerodynamic! Keep those wings tight! And were your hooves forward enough?”
Zephyr regained his momentum and stopped tumbling into the clouds. He huffed and puffed to refill his lungs.

“Rainbow… Dash… that was… the third try… I don’t think… it was any better… than the last two…”

He flew up until he was situated on the same cloud as Rainbow. Tank was flying from one cloud to the next all around Sweet Apple Acres, killing time as the ponies did their thing.

“There’s got to be something else we’re missing!” Zephyr cried, sweat dripping from his ponytail and down past his muzzle. He wiped the salty liquid from his lips. Rainbow shook her head.

“There isn’t, trust me. I remember the same thing both times: I was tight, hooves out, like a bullet. Heading right for the ground, totally a 90 degree angle, wings parallel with my hooves.” Rainbow thought of Twilight saying something similar and made a disgusted face as she realized she sounded like an egghead. “Anyway, there’s not really any trick to it. You just need the proper form and the proper speed. You definitely have the speed, so it’s got to be the form that’s holding you back.”

“Impossible,” Zephyr said. His tail was swishing back and forth and he eyed Rainbow with a determined gleam, “My form IS perfect! It was perfect the first time, at least based on how you described it!”

Rainbow demonstrated the correct form once again, lying down on the cloud with her hooves out. She even scrunched her face up as much as possible. Zephyr copied. Anypony flying by might have thought there was something wrong with the two pegasi, stretched out and making strange faces.

“Uww gwtta mwake ywer fwce lwike dwis,” Rainbow said through tight lips. Zephyr opened his eye just a bit and glanced over.

“Lwike dwis?” he mumbled. Rainbow peeked.

“Nwo, lwike DWIS!”

Zephyr jumped up, exasperated.

“Enough! This is ridiculous! Why can’t you just show me an example!”

Rainbow got onto her hooves as well. She took a step back.

“W-well, you see, it’s like this—”

“Yes?”

Rainbow’s ears folded down.

“The thing is…”

“I’m listening!” Zephyr tried to look at Rainbow’s eyes but she kept darting them around.

“I’m too tired! From training, yeah!” Rainbow walked back and forth as the words spewed out. “And when you’re too tired, you can’t do the Sonic Rainboom! E-Everypony knows that! You need full energy!”

Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “Full energy, huh?”

Rainbow nodded far too quickly. “That’s right, hehe. Gotta have a full stomach, too! A-and a good night’s rest – you know, it would be a lot better if we did this kind of training in the morning. Guess it will have to wait for another day! What a shame!”

“Why’d you have me even try if it was going to be impossible, then?” Zephyr looked annoyed, so Rainbow looked past him.

“W-well it’s good to learn the proper form! And practice makes perfect! And I thought, m-maybe if anypony could do it after a day of training, you c-could!”

Zephyr closed his eyes and sighed.

“Alright, understood.” Zephyr laid back down on the cloud and stretched his hooves out forward. “How’s this look?”

Rainbow blinked a few times before flashing a brazen smile and jumping into position next to Zephyr.

“More like this!” she said, stretching out herself.