The Storm's Challenge

by OneLonelyPickle

30 - Verstandwechseln

Chapter 30

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Verstandwechseln

Pinkie Pie’s eyelids twitched and she slowly opened them. She was still in Maelstrom’s tent. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Uhhh…” she groaned, bringing a hoof up to her throbbing skull. She saw Spike, noticed he was tied up, and panicked.

“W-what’s going on—ouchie!” Pinkie only struggled for a second before the sharp pain in her head stopped her movement. Spike flipped himself around to look at Pinkie.

“Pinkie! You’re awake! Thank goodness! Listen, it’s—”

A guard trotted up and bucked Spike in the side. Spike silenced with a cry of pain. Pinkie reacted with a shrill “Hey!”

The guard shouted, “I said no talking, fiend!” Pinkie looked up at the stallion, encased in emerald armor, like all of Maelstrom’s guards. His eyes burned with anger. Pinkie didn’t understand it at all, but she laid back down with a whimper. She locked eyes with Spike, who while wincing from his pain, motioned behind him with a jolt of his head. Pinkie looked behind Spike.

Off to one side of the tent was the grey pony named Velmeera, laying down with her eyes closed. She appeared to be in pain, shaking and whispering to herself. Her dark, black mane covered most of her face. Pinkie frowned and looked back to Spike, who widened his eyes to signal his surprise at the turn of events. Pinkie mouthed words to Spike.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Spike mouthed back.

“No idea.”

Pinkie cocked her head, misunderstanding.

“Oh my knee? What happened to your knee?”

Spike made a “What?” face and shook his head. He tried again.

“I said NO idea.”

Pinkie lowered her brows.
“You… Are out of here? But how will you escape?”

Spike gritted his teeth and started to hop in place, claws and feet hogtied behind him. He cried in frustration.

“No I said, ‘NO IDEA’ Pinkie! You’re terrible at this!”

He immediately regretted his words as the guard came near. “Hey, what did I say?” But before the guard’s kick could connect, somepony ran into the tent.

“Vhere is mein Schvester – dah! Velmeera!”

It was Ms. VeeVee. Her face had dropped, and a look of fear overcame here. She rushed over to her sister’s side. Velmeera looked up and smiled weakly before VeeVee wrapped her in a hug.

“S-sister…” Velmeera said, quietly and in a normal tone, not like what Spike and Pinkie had heard before. There was life in her voice, and she sounded like a normal, young mare. The two prisoners exchanged glances. They turned their attention back to Velmeera, who had a small smile on her face.

The two sisters separated and VeeVee looked at Spike and Pinkie, then back to Velmeera.

“Vhat happened here? Vere you forced to be using zhat ability?”

Velmeera nodded. Pinkie noticed that Velmeera’s eyes were no longer pinpricks but were deep and purple, much more visible now that there was form and color, especially as they sat behind her curtain of a mane. VeeVee sauntered over to Pinkie and Spike and rose an eyebrow.

“Vell, zhe ‘jigging’ is up, as you vould say – mmmm, no?” VeeVee shook her head sadly. “Now you vill see vhat happens when Maelstrom comes back.”

The guard from before cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“M-Ms. VeeVee, y-you look radiant… um, anyway, Ms. Velmeera caught these two sneaking about. I don’t know how they got inside, but they found out about the Orb.” The guard motioned at the Orb, once again covered with a blanket. VeeVee nodded at him. The guard glared down at Pinkie and Spike. “Ms. Velmeera used her powers to freeze them until we could tie them up. We’ve been waiting for Maelstrom to return. Shall he be along shortly?”

VeeVee looked into Pinkie’s eyes. The pink mare’s pupils were huge and shaky, and her lips quivered. VeeVee turned her gaze to Spike, who was a bit more defiant, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. VeeVee sighed.

“He vas just behind me, I am thinking. Something held him up. But, mein Schvester und I are going to go rest… Maelstrom vill handle zhe rest.” VeeVee turned to leave but a pony at the entrance stopped her in her tracks. A cold sweat trickled down the back of VeeVee’s neck as a booming voice swelled inside the tent.

“I think not, VeeVee. You and your sister will stay.”

Maelstrom had arrived, an attendant unicorn at his side. The eager attendant’s horn was glowing as pieces of Maelstrom’s ruby-red armor were slowly taken off by a magical glow and placed on an armor rack. His shiny, well-groomed coat underneath was a very similar shade as his armor. Maelstrom strode into his inner sanctum like a lion parading among his pride, though his blonde mane was cut short like a soldier’s, not long and regal like a lion’s. He postured his head and body straight and forward as he moved, his emerald glare penetrating and fearsome.

Maelstrom passed VeeVee and half-turned towards her with a bitter expression. VeeVee obediently shuffled over to her sister, and the two laid motionlessly, staring at the ground.

“Two little spies, hmm?” Maelstrom turned and looked down at Pinkie and Spike, who could not match his gaze so far above them. He towered over anypony in the tent by at least an entire head. He was so wide it seemed like he surrounded the two, his shadow from the candlelight casting nearly complete darkness over them. Maelstrom scanned Pinkie then smiled.

“Ahhh, you must be Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You and your friends have been quite the little Equestrian champions over the last few years, haven’t you?”

Pinkie swallowed then dared to look up at Maelstrom and defy him.

“T-that’s right, and we’re gonna whoop your flank if you try anything weird or evil or… weirdly evil!”

Maelstrom started to laugh. The callous arrogance made Pinkie’s blood boil. She was now more mad than afraid.

“What do you think I am going to do? All you have seen is that strange orb over there.”

Pinkie moved her tail to in front of her body.

“My tail told me! You’re gonna do something bad, I know it! My tail is never wrong!”

Maelstrom rose a brow. He looked back at his guard, who shrugged. Maelstrom turned back around and chuckled.

“Rrriiiight… they do say you’re the odd one of the bunch. In any event, you have no proof of anything substantial. Still, you know too much.”

Maelstrom paced back and forth. Pinkie and Spike both noticed with gasps that he had no Cutie Mark, and also, that his body was covered in small scars. “I cannot allow you, the Element of Laughter, to just walk out of here, knowing what you know now.” Maelstrom stared at Pinkie, who glared back at him. Then Maelstrom looked over at Spike. “Well, you’re not trouble, little dragon, but still, the information you both contain is too dangerous to risk it being shared.”

Spike protested. “Y-yeah, well, what a-are you gonna do? Ponies will n-notice that we’re gone if you k-keep us here!”

Maelstrom rubbed his chin and laughed, arrogant and confident.

“Right… right you are, little dragon! That is true! Hahahaha!”

Maelstrom turned to VeeVee and Velmeera. He motioned with his head for the two to approach.

“Come, sisters! I need your powers combined. Change their memories.”

Pinkie and Spike looked at one another, eyes wide. Spike struggled with his binds, feeling a slight give in them. VeeVee responded to Maelstrom.

“I-I have none of zhe problems vith helping you, M-Maelstrom, but mein Schvester is still recovering from using her powers earlier. It takes—” VeeVee was stopped by the sheer force of Maelstrom flying over. The gust of wind shoved Pinkie and Spike and even the guard was unsteady on his feet. Maelstrom’s pupils were tiny dots and little veins stood up on his neck.

“Are you defying my command?”

Each flap of Maelstrom’s immense wings threw dust around the room. He glared at VeeVee, who could only lay back down and stare at the ground.

“B-but…”

Maelstrom landed on the ground with a thud and quickly flapped one of his wings. The gust it generated wrapped around VeeVee and picked her up, surrounding her like a mini tornado and keeping her in place. Maelstrom roared.

“DO AS I COMMAND! I DON’T CARE HOW MUCH IT HURTS THAT BRAT!”

Maelstrom gritted his teeth and stomped over to Velmeera. The little mare shook like a leaf in a windstorm. Maelstrom used one hoof and picked up Velmeera by her neck.

“Those eyes are the only reason you’re here! The only reason I deal with your presence! Use them as I command or I’ll send you back to that vile little hamlet you call a home without them!”

Tears rolled down Velmeera’s face and she broke into a full sob. She cried like a little filly and struggled against Maelstrom’s grip, to little effect. She started to beat at his hooves with a frantic desperation.

“Please don’t force me to use them anymore! No more, please! The voices… the voices are too much!”

VeeVee cried out amidst the gale surrounding her, “Maelstrom, let her be resting! Just for a few more of zhe hours!”

Maelstrom shouted, “No, there is no time for that! The sun has set and their friends will start looking for them! It has to be now! Pull those eyes out and do it already, Velmeera! Or so help me…”

A snap sound brought everypony’s attention back to the prisoners. Spike had broken out of his rope and was running to the opposite end of the tent.

“I’ll go get help, Pinkie!” he yelled back as he made his escape. Maelstrom growled and dropped Velmeera. He shot after Spike and slammed his hoof down on the baby dragon’s back, knocking the wind out of Spike’s lungs. Maelstrom held him down for a moment, then stepped off and used another gust of his wing to wrap Spike in a mini tornado. Spike was unconscious.

Pinkie screamed, “Spike! SPIKE! Let him go, you big meanie bo beanie!” Pinkie struggled against her own bonds, but had no claws to cut through. It was fruitless. The tornado around Velmeera started to dissipate and she dropped to the ground, quickly running over to her sister and wrapping her within her leathery wings.

“I-it’s okay, little Schvester…” VeeVee started to sing a quiet lullaby and she rocked the sniffling, shivering Velmeera back and forth. Maelstrom stomped over to the two.

“NOW! DO IT NOW!” he commanded.

Velmeera hid herself with her hooves. VeeVee glared up at Maelstrom, biting her lip in frustration. Her pupils were bat-like and diamond-shaped. Pinkie couldn’t believe that the elegant, beautiful Ms. VeeVee looked like a scared, tiny mare at that moment. Her usual souffle mane looked disheveled, her eyeshadow had bled from her stray tears causing an unattractive and sad streak down her face. Instead of looking poised she looked backed into a corner, like a feral animal, more like a bat than a batpony. Pinkie frowned.

Finally, VeeVee got up with a huff and her amber eyes started to glow. A shiver wormed its way through her body and after a moment, the long branch tied to her side started to move, covered in an amber mist. The mist lifted the branch and lodged it into the ground, and a glowing black stone at the end of the branch started to vibrate, switching colors between white and black.

“Get up, Velmeera,” VeeVee said through her teeth. “Use zhat. Look at zhe stone.”

Pinkie continued to bitterly fight her restraints as Velmeera got up onto shaky hooves. Pinkie watched as the foal-like Velmeera changed into the other Velmeera in an instance. Her eyes were pinpricks and her voice became monotonous.

“Right… the combination spell… Verstandwechseln…”

Velmeera’s gaze fixated on the stone and her eyes went black. Suddenly, a bright grey light exploded out of the stone and Pinkie had to shield her vision. Then, tentatively, she peeked out from behind her hoof and saw a streak of grey magic shooting towards her. Pinkie screamed, and remembered nothing else after that.

* * *

Rainbow looked down at her friend with a smile.

“Hey, Jerri. How you feeling?”

Jerri saw Rainbow and beamed, despite the cast covering half of her face. The nurses had fully bandaged one of her wings and it was hoisted into an open position by a contraption connected to the ceiling of the Citadel infirmary. It seemed like there were more bandages on her body too, but Rainbow couldn’t see much because Jerri had a blanket on up to her chest.

“R-Rainbow Dash! I knew you’d come! I feel—well,” Jerri looked at her hoisted wing with a wince. “Not that great, if I’m being honest.”

Rainbow smiled flatly and kicked the ground with her hoof.

“Yeahhh… no kidding. Listen, I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I got… wrapped up in something. But guess what! We got through to the second race!”

Jerri exploded with happiness, an eagle's cry escaping her beak.

“Wow really?! We really, really did? Crackclaw wouldn’t tell me! So, I was useful to you, Rainbow! I did it!”

Rainbow’s eyes started to water and she nodded.

“Yeah… you did. You were the best, Jerri.” She wiped her eyes with her hoof and sniffled. “Y’know, I’m really glad you’re okay. I know we only just met but if something had happened… like, something really bad, well… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I feel responsible.” Rainbow trotted over to the side of the bed. “Jerri, you didn’t need to push yourself so hard for me. Trust me, I get having heroes and wanting to impress them and make them notice you, but if it means getting hurt that bad—”

Jerri stopped Rainbow with a talon. She furrowed her brow with a fiery determination.

“Rainbow Dash, I think you’re awesome, and I’d do anything to help you out! But don’t think for a second that I did all of that just for you! I have my own reasons for trying so hard.”

Jerri released her talon and smiled again. Rainbow rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh, o-okay. But still! You won’t be flying for a while, huh? So I guess we’re not going to round two anyway…” Rainbow maintained a faulty, shaky smile. Jerri shook her head.

“I’m not, but YOU are. The races are individual races from now on! And the next one starts the day after tomorrow. I heard it from the nurses.”

After Jerri said the last word, a nurse walked into the room. She seemed surprised to see Rainbow.

“Hey, no guests at this hour! Please leave!”

Rainbow nodded at the nurse and apologized. She turned back to Jerri before leaving.

“Really? I’m definitely glad to hear that, but I feel bad for you! I’ll come back with Crackclaw to visit you when I can!” The two said their goodbyes and Rainbow left. Just outside the door she squealed and did a hoofbump into the air.

For a second there, I thought everything Zephyr and I went through with Maelstrom was going to be a waste of time! Thank you, Jerri, for what you did… you have no idea what it means to me.

Rainbow glanced back inside Jerri’s room, the door now closed, with a smile. A voice pulled her attention down the hallway.

“RB!”

It was Zephyr. He smiled lightly. His bright pink mane was down, drawing a strange look from Rainbow as she realized that he had quite long hair. Most stallions – well, no, all of the stallions Rainbow ever saw – did not have such long manes. There was a sharp contrast between his dark blue coat and his mane, but all the colors seemed to mesh well when he wore the dark green EFL uniform.

“Hey, Zeph! Uhh, what are you still doing here?”

Zephyr came closer.

“Oh, I was visiting Bushwhacker. That guy…” Zephyr shook his head. “He is fast but boy he’s really kind of a wuss sometimes.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Yeaaaah... I’ve met him before. I know what you mean. My gal pal Fluttershy has a crush on him, and I don’t get why. I mean, they’re both kind of scaredy cats; maybe that's why.”

Zephyr laughed. “Yeah? They make a good match then, don’t they?” The two continued to talk as they left the Citadel.

“Bushwhacker’s not that bad though, once you get to know him.” Rainbow watched Zephyr speak as the two flew away into the night, his long, pink mane trailing behind him like a sheet of silk. “He might be afraid of most things, but he has no fear when it comes to animals. He comes from a big, important family and he’s the youngest, so he never got much attention growing up. Always wanted to be a big-time flyer, but his family never liked the idea, you know? He’s one of those types.” Rainbow looked in front of her.

“I can’t relate. My folks always supported me so much it felt suffocating.”

Zephyr sighed.

“Must have been nice,” he said quietly. Rainbow remembered their conversation from the night before and tried to save face.

“I m-mean, folks aren’t everything! Being great yourself is important too, and practice! Yeah!”

Zephyr laughed. “Hey, it’s fine, RB. Don’t sweat it. Anyway, we better split and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, remember? The Sonic Rainboom, Sweet Apple Acres.”

Rainbow remembered alright. Her heart sank like a boulder. She struggled to swallow.

“O-oh right! That was tomorrow morning? As in the morning that comes when the sun rises? That one?”

Zephyr raised a brow.

“Yesssss… that would be tomorrow morning. Is something wrong?”

The two passed a wisp of cloud on their way back to Canterlot. Rainbow’s turn off for Cloudsdale was coming up before long.

Rainbow shook her head.

“Nothing’s wrong, Zeph! Tomorrow morning, Sweet Apple Acres, the Sonic Rainboom! You got it!”

She stopped and faced Zephyr, raising her hoof up like a fist and smiling wide and confident.

“You’re gonna see the biggest Sonic Rainboom you’ve ever seen, Zeph! Get ready for it!”

Zephyr grinned.

“It’ll be the only Sonic Rainboom I’ve ever seen, RB. You better not disappoint!” He flew off towards Canterlot. “Remember: I’m going to show you my secret, too!”

When Zephyr was far enough away, Rainbow grasped her mane and started to sweat.

“Crud! I can’t do the Sonic Rainboom off the hoof like that! If Zeph finds out, he’ll think I’m a fraud and then we’ll be enemies!” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, Zeph’s not like that. He won’t hate me. He’ll just… look down on me and think of me as a normal flyer not worthy of being his friend.” Rainbow sighed.

I should just go to bed and worry about this tomorrow. It’s already pretty late.

Rainbow thought about her friends as she headed home.

The girls…

She narrowed her vision and grunted.

Maybe what I said to Zeph has some truth to it. You gotta be great by yourself sometimes.

* * *

“Whoa boy, Pinkie… what’d you just say?”

Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy stared incredulously at Pinkie, who had just arrived with Spike as the girls were about to part ways outside Pony Joe’s cafe. Pinkie was all smiles.

“Sorry, I was so out of breath everything just kind of came out at once! I said, ‘Maelstrom is A-OK!’ Spike and I had a good talk with him at his tent at Pepperheart Field, he’s got nothing to hide. See, when we said we were helping out the Cakes earlier today, that was kind of a fib. Well, it was more a lie. Or was it a fabrication?”

Spike nodded.

“Yeah! He gave us a tour of the camp and his tent. He’s got, like, a million statues! Pretty cool stuff, even though it sounds a bit, well, boring.”

Applejack adjusted her stetson.

“Well, guess that settles it then, folks…”

Rarity hummed in agreement. “Indeed.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Does that mean you and Spike are done the investigation?”

Pinkie nodded rapidly, still smiling. Spike scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah, I’ve gotta work at the library tomorrow, some of the books are due back and I gotta make sure they get checked in properly. But I’ll be back here in Canterlot for the second race! I’m not missing anymore of those!”

“And I,” Pinkie began, “Will actually be helping the Cakes, for real this time! Make sure to come by and say hello and grab a piece of cake or six!”

At the mention of cake, three little groans came from the sidelines.

“Please don’t bring up… cake…” moaned Sweetie Belle.

“Or pies… or donuts…” complained Scootaloo.

“Er… umm… yeah… ughhh…” cried Apple Bloom.

The CMCs had swollen bellies and were lying down on the ground, green tinges touching upon their faces. Applejack rolled her eyes and Rarity shook her head.

“Told them fillies to slow ‘er down with the pastries…”

“Honestly, Sweetie, how unladylike…”

Fluttershy cleared her throat.

“Umm, everypony, if it’s okay, I think I’m going to head home now with Spike. Are any of the fillies coming with me?”

On a dime, the CMCs presented themselves in front of the mares, huge smiles all aglow. Their sore tummies seemed to disappear like magic.

“Nope!” They said in unison. “We’re going to have a Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover in Rarity’s hotel room!”

Rarity shot back, “Oh no you aren’t, I—” She was confronted with not just one set, but three sets of wet, puppy dog eyes. “I m-mean, Applejack already volunteered to host your sleepover earlier!”

The CMCs cheered.

“Now hold on a tick, Rari—"The CMCs started hopping around Applejack and planning out their activities. Applejack glared at Rarity and sighed.

“Fine.” Another set of ear-busting cheers from the fillies rattled everypony’s brain. Rarity snickered to herself. Fluttershy cleared her throat one more time as Spike walked up to her side.

“Right, and before I go, are we still planning on apologizing to Rainbow tomorrow? What time should we meet up, and where?”

Rarity and Applejack looked at one another, then at Fluttershy.

“Ah suppose we should meet near town hall in Ponyville. We’ll borrow the balloon and go visit Rainbow at the Wonderbolts Academy.”

Rarity nodded.

“Yes, we’ll all meet around noon. We need to settle things here with our sponsors then head out by foot. The trains are still so busy during the day.”

Pinkie interjected.

“Speaking of trains, you two better go now if you want to catch the last train, Fluttershy!”

Everypony said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Far to the north, a very hungry alicorn said goodnight and fell asleep, unsure of what the morning might bring.

Author's Note:

Longest chapter yet, I believe. Enjoy!