Courage Of The Heart

by AzureDreams

The Cloaked Pony.

Lightning crashed and thunder roared like some half forgotten god as the rain sheeted down upon the town. In the flashes of lighting a shape could be seen coming down the road. Soaked and cold, the pony battled her way through the town towards the inn...

~~~~~~~~~

Today was not a good day for Tight Penny. With the lightning storm that was thundering through town her business was hurting for customers. Sure, it wasn't really the weather team’s fault; after all, when a storm from the Everfree drifts into town, there really isn’t anything you can do about it. Still, as the rain ran down the glass of the window, she couldn't help but glance at her half empty common room and despair about how little money she was going to make tonight.

Which brings her back her position on the bar, listening to ponies complain about the rainstorm.

"-and then, to top it off, the vendor started moaning on and on about his cabbages! Like really!? My house just had a tree fall-" 'hmm nothing interesting there', Tight thought to herself as the mare continued to drone on about her house.

"Did you hear about the rodeo that almost got canceled in Appleloo-" 'Next.'

"-I hear they brought Rainbow Dash into the hospital with another broken wing today-" 'Aha! Now this one is interesting', she thought, before focusing all her attention on the mare talking.

'"Yeah, I saw what happened to put her in the hospital myself." Instantly, the entire bar, who Tight just realized had also been eavesdropping, focused on the mare and the stallion she was talking to.

"Really? What was it this time?"

"Derpy clipped Rainbows wing with a lightning bolt and she crashed into a tree." The gathered patrons all groaned and winced at this revelation; Derpy, while well meaning, was a bit accident-prone, and these kinda things tended to happen around the mare.

"Derpy again? That's what, the third time this month?"

"Eyup, she tries, though, and it's the thought that counts."

"What was she doing out there in the storm anyway? Doesn't she know that lightning storms are too dangerous to work with-" whatever the stallion was about to say however was cut off by the door slamming open, revealing a pony outlined by a nearby lighting strike.

~~~~~~~

'Today was so boring.', Heart Song thought to herself as she laid her head on the table, a small puddle of drool forming under her from sheer lack of caring.

With the Timberwolf attack yesterday, Heart Song had been sure that today would be interesting, if only because of the guards sure to be swarming over the small town to 'secure it' after such an event. Much to her utter disappointment, nothing of the sort had happened. For all extents and purposes, Ponyville might not have even been here for all the attention that the guard and Canterlot gave them. Odd, considering that the small town had a knack for drawing attacks from everything from Timberwolves to Hydras. Not even the fact that tomorrow was the summer sun celebration seemed to garner a response.

Just as she was considering heading up to her rented room for the night, the door flew open with a *THUD*

And just like that, Heart Song had something new to look at, or at least, in this case, "somepony" new to look at. And what a sight this pony was! A tattered cloak, waterlogged bandages and glint of metal around her head; she was the most interesting thing Heart had seen in town all week!

Eyes glued to the newcomer, Heart found herself leaning toward the mare under the cloak, straining to hear what she was saying to the barkeep on the other side of the room.

"Do you have any rooms still available for the night? Too tired to head home in this weather-" suddenly, the mysterious mare stopped and looked over her shoulder as if sensing Heart was watching. Their eyes locked.

White. The mare had white eyes.

"Give me a minute.", she muttered to the bar keep before heading over to Heart Song's corner.

"Can I help you?"

"How can you see with your eyes that way?"

It was, looking back on it, the wrong thing to say. With a steely glint in her eyes, the mare moved closer until she was just a foot away.

"I see just fine. And you would do well to keep your nose out of my business.", she said irritably, before turning around and heading back to the waiting barkeep.

'Well, it seems that I've found something fun to do!" She thought, already her brain filling with all the things she could talk about with the strange pony.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the waterlogged mare had climbed the stairs and out of sight, the common room again came to life with conversation. most of which was focused on the strange mare that had just left.

"Who was that?", one stallion asked, seemingly putting the words to the thoughts on everyone's minds.

General murmuring of the restarted conversation quickly drowned out most of the conversations; that is, until one pony heard an older mare comment "Azures back huh? Been what, a year and a half?" Instantly, like magic, the mare had the attention of the whole common room, judging from the perked and turned ears in her direction. If she or the other mare she was talking to noticed or cared, however, then they didn't show any outward signs.

"I believe so? She rarely ever comes home anymore. In fact, most ponies have forgotten that she still owns a house here."

"Aye, also, I couldn't help but notice another new addition to her 'collection' of souvenirs this time."

"The plate around her eye?"

"Eyup, she certainly didn't have that one when she left now, did she? Might be mistaken with that cloak mostly covering her head, though I'm sure it's there"

"Wonder what sort of adventure she went one this time to be away from home for so long?"

"Something off in the Badlands I think. I remember asking her when she was leaving."

"Badlands? nothing down there but dra....", the mare trailed off as the implications of what she was about to say sunk in.

Silence.

"How is she still alive if she fought a dragon?!", she whispered in stunned disbelief upon regaining her voice.

"Well, what else is down there? Nothing but rocks and sand."

"*Hmmp* Well, I don't believe it. You can't fight a dragon when you’re blind!" And just like that, the silence was back.
Blind.

Author's Note:

Someone told me I was messing with Derpy. Let it be clear I love Derpy, but that is her character and as such I am not going to mess with it.

Updates will happen once a week and possibly more.

it has been an out right war to get this out and, "accepted" by a moderator.

Comments

[OoohShiny]

I honestly like the story very much, there is a typo in "lightning" at start, but otherwise i would love to keep on reading