The cage inside.

by Sylif Daring Doo

Killing time.

______*The next day 9:36 AM*______

Storm opened his eyes and sat up. "Ugh, I gotta stop drinking." He said to himself.

He looked around and saw that the company was preparing to move out. "Oh great." He said with annoyance.

Storm walked over to the rest of the company and noticed that Scootaloo and Pinkamena were helping to load the supplies. "And they're my partners." He said with annoyance.

One of the company members looked over at Storm and waved, it was a white unicorn mare with a blue mane and teal streak, Storm walked over and grinned at her. "What kept ya mom?" He asked teasingly.

Vinyl rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Couldn't find you." She replied.

Storm raised an eyebrow. "How could you not? there's only one city and one town in this land I go to, you know I have a feeling that you were looking for Daring." He teased.

Vinyl blushed and scratched the back of her head. "Shut up wolf boy." She countered.

Storm pretended to be hurt and he held the spot his heart was at mockingly. "You wound me." He said dramatically.

Vinyl laughed. "Yea right." She replied in a happy tone.

Storm hovered lightly in the air and crossed his arms. "So how's your eye powers developing?" He asked.

Vinyl closed both her eyes and after a few moments opened them revealing one discolored blood red eye and one forest green eye making Storm grin widely. "That's what I'm talking about." He said happily.

"And how's the shadow energy coming along?" She asked.

Storm grinned and after a few seconds his wings had a thin black layer of mist around them. "Quite well actually." He replied.

Vinyl sighed as Storm landed and she shook his head rapidly. "What have I told you about suppressing your emotions!" She shouted.

Storm started to feel dizzy. "Aaaaaaaaa, Not to do it!" He said with his voice wobbling.

Vinyl stopped shaking Storm's head and smiled. "Good." She said before walking away.

Storm watched as Vinyl walked away and held his head. "Why me?" He whimpered making a dog cry as well.

This made Storm groan. "I hate my canine traits sometimes." He said quietly.

Storm walked to the company and started to help with the supplies when he noticed Scootaloo and Pinkamena talking with a Griffin. "Griffins." He said with hatred plain in his voice.

_____*three hours later outside the Brownseed woods.*_____

Scootaloo walked with the caravan as they approached the Brownseed woods.

Pinkamena was pulling one of the carts, while she did admit it was heavy she still pulled it.

Vinyl was walking next to Storm with a serious look on her face. "How did I get stuck with guard duty? She asked herself.

Storm hovered alongside Vinyl with a thoughtful look on his face. "What's wrong big guy? having second thoughts?" Vengeance asked teasingly.

"Shut up Vengeance." He said quietly.

Vinyl looked at her son and noticed something off about him. "Hey, you alright?" She asked.

Storm chuckled. "Just fine, don't worry." He replied.

Vinyl did not believe him but returned to her work nonetheless.

Storm bit his lip. "How dare you! lying to your own mother, that's just wrong." Vengeance teased.

"Vengeance I swear, if you don't shut the hell up I'll stab you out of my skull!" He swore quietly.

Vinyl looked at Storm with concern. "He's been talking to himself a lot lately, what happened to him?" She asked herself silently.

The company came to halt and Pinkamena sighed in relief as she could take a break.

Scootaloo walked up to Storm and Vinyl. "Storm, you might want to be careful tonight." She said.

Storm raised an eyebrow. "Why?" He asked.

Scootaloo took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, tonight is full and you have that 'thing' that happens." She said with avoidance which caused Storm to burst out laughing.

"That's your attempt to hide my secret?" He said jokingly.

Scootaloo promptly smacked him. "Shut up." She ordered.

Storm held his arms up in defeat. "Fine but still, oh and by the way Scoots, I got someone to introduce you to." He said.

Scootaloo looked at Vinyl and vice versa. "Don't believe we've met." She said.

Vinyl nodded and Storm rubbed the back of his head. "Vinyl this is Scootaloo, Scootaloo this is Vinyl." He said.

Scootaloo smirked and looked at Storm. "I thought you said you hated unicorns?" She asked.

Storm laughed nervously as he received some looks from some of the unicorns in the company. "Well thanks for sharing that in the open, but yes." He admitted shamefully.

Scootaloo slapped him across the face. "Weren't you the anti-racism guy?" She asked accusingly.

Storm scoffed. "Shut up, I only like two of the unicorns that I know." He replied sarcastically.

This time Vinyl shot him with a low power magic blast. "And they are?" She asked semi-innocently.

Storm's eyes widened and he groaned and smacked himself. "You and Lyra." He replied.

Pinkamena was listening in on the conversation as she had the urge to do so.

Vinyl smiled happily at this. "Good, now lets go." She said.

Scootaloo stifled a laugh at the sight of Storm acting scared. "You look hilarious!" She said teasingly.

Storm let out a mock laugh. "You haven't seen her angry have you?" He replied.

Scootaloo shook her head. "No I haven't but since your all powerful you shouldn't have to worry about it." She teased.

Storm gulped. "If she wasn't my mother that would be true." He replied shamefully before smacking himself on the face in realization of what he just said.

Scootaloo couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That makes it even better!" She said between breaths.

Storm shuddered and flew up to a cloud and landed, he made sure he was alone and he reverted his eyes to their normal purple color, Storm pulled out Pain and let a tear out. "I'll never let it happen again, not while I can help it." He swore.

Storm stared at the demonic dagger so intently that he didn't notice someone coming up behind him. Storm then pulled Demise out and held the two in an x pattern. "I hope I never become that desperate." He said to himself as he sheathed the daggers.

As soon as Storm stood up on the cloud he was immediately knocked down and through the cloud.

Storm growled and his left eye became forest green while the other became a discolored dark blood red and he quickly recovered from the hit.

Through his scanning eye Storm could tell that there were 2 pegasi one changeling and one griffin which made Storm smirk.

"Four against one? that's not fair." He said mockingly as he stared down the circling group.

The griffin however noticed Storm's blades and got a better look of his face and grinned evilly. "Oh this is to perfect! guys! we could get a nice reward for handing the kid in at Griffonia." He said darkly.

Storm shook his head while chuckling. "Come on, lets not get violent." He said quietly.

The two pegasi of the thugs group were far to happy to circle Storm like vultures. "What's wrong kid? to scared for a fight? a shame, you'd think that the supposed killer of Snowmist would flee from a fight, such a disappointment." One of them said.

Now the other Pegasus spoke. "I think that rumor that he killed a thousand griffin's was exaggerated, he couldn't even dodge my attack earlier." The Pegasus boasted.

Storm simply remained silent as the thugs circled him, he simply grinned at their weak taunts. "Is that all?" He asked.

The changeling sighed and rubbed his or her eyes. "Guys we should just go." The changeling said.

Storm shrugged and released the sheath on Demise and drew it. "You should listen to your shapeshifting friend, if not, well at least I got a new portrait for my wall." He said maniacally.

The changeling promptly fled. "COWARD!" The griffin yelled.

Storm grinned. "I knew your species was thick but, you know what I'm going to do you a favor and kill you." He threatened while clutching Demise tightly in his hoof.

The three remaining thugs instantly attacked immediately after Storm threatened them, the griffin attacked with his claws, one of the pegasi thugs attacked with an unusual method of fighting which was the dive bomb approach while the other Pegasus used kicks.

Storm rolled his eyes and closed them, in an instant he flew at the dive bombing Pegasus and stuck Demise in the Pegasus' head before turning his attention on the griffin all the while dodging the attacks.

The griffin and Pegasus had combined their attacks in an attempt to throw Storm off balance but seeing as Storm simply yawned while dodging made them rethink their attacks.

Storm smirked and flew at high speed towards the griffin who looked ready to dodge but quickly changed course and slashed the pegasus' throat.

The griffin made one last attempt to attack Storm but found himself falling and unable to move.

Storm's eyes widened but his expression lightened and he sheathed Demise. "Been a while." He said calmly but with a happier tone.

Standing on a cloud was a yellow Pegasus mare with a pink mane and a flame bee mark and had soft blue eyes, the mare also had a pair of brown saddlebags on her back.

Storm flew to a nearby cloud and landed on it and he folded his wings. "I had that under control you know." He said in mock annoyance.

The mare chuckled. "I know, but you were taking to long so I helped you." She replied.

Storm rolled his eyes. "Yea, although we'll probably get blamed for that right? not that you care eh Quartz?" He asked calmly.

Quartz smiled and shrugged. "Probably, I took that guy's nerves out entirely." She replied.

Storm chuckled. "Alright, but seriously Quartz, what ARE you doing here?" He asked in a serious tone.

Quartz gained a grim look on her face as she stared at Storm. "I have bad news Storm, VERY bad news." She replied grimly.

Storm watched as Quartz pulled a small box out of her bags and throw it at him, Storm caught it and looked at Quartz who nodded.

Storm's eyes widened and he gasped at the appearance of the box, it was black with a gray top and bottom and a skull as the lock, Storm put his hoof to the skull and muttered some words which caused a click to come from the box.

Quartz flew up to Storm up looked inside the box, the contents of the box was a letter an orange rock and two short white stems.

"Quartz, don't you dare tell me that this is what I think it is!" Storm warned with a rising voice.

Storm was fuming at the moment. how dare she just bring THAT here, and now of all times!

Quartz poked Storm's side with her hoof and Storm just stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a questioning look.

"Quartz, what are you doing?" Storm asked.

The mare clearly paid Storm no mind and continued to poke him.

After a few moments Quartz poked Storm's wing muscle and Storm just stopped moving entirely.

Quartz looked at Storm's frozen expression and suddenly realized what had happened. "Oh my-I am so sorry!" She said in a panic and quickly repeated her previous action causing the young Pegasus to jump away from Quartz.

"Never do that again." He ordered.

Storm then walked back to the box that he had dropped and read the letter.

The letter read. Greetings assassin, if you are reading this then you must already know, your leader is dead and your team is dying, and it is with this that I leave you with these items, you know what to do.

Storm gritted his teeth and looked at Quartz. "Who's still alive?" He asked darkly.

Quartz sighed and bit her lip. "You me and Partial." She replied sadly.

Storm let out a low growl and he hovered above Quartz. "Where is Partial?" He asked.

Quartz pointed below the clouds. "Down there somewhere." She replied.

Storm nodded and assembled the boxes contents. "Get him and I'll find you later." He ordered.

Quartz gave him a look of disbelief. "Storm are you blind? someone is hunting our team!" She stated in a raised voice.

Storm sighed. "Then keep quiet, do you want them to find you?" He asked before flying off.

Quartz winced as Storm flew down to the company. "I wish he would listen." She said before following.

Author's Note:

Bonus chapter coming up.

As always I hope you enjoy.

Now uh, I just wanted to say that I do appreciate feedback whether its positive or negative.