Talons of the Storm

by Storm Talon

Chapter 16: Emerald Needs To Do More Cardio

Talon trudged next to Fluttershy on the path back to her cottage. He just wanted to eat and sleep. Maybe not in that order, depending on how long he could stay awake.

Fluttershy made her way into the kitchen as Talon slowly followed and plopped himself onto a seat. He let out a large yawn that startled several mice who were having some sort of get together on one of the counters. “Talon is tired.”

“You should eat before you head to bed. I don't want you to be tired in the morning, too. Here” Fluttershy slid a plate of sliced fruits and vegetables. “I would have made more, but I'm afraid you'll fall asleep while I do.”

Fluttershy ended up carrying Talon to bed after he'd fallen asleep on the apple slices.

---

Talon woke up to Day Break shaking him lightly. “C'mon, Talon, wake up.” Day's whispers sounded urgent as she continued. “I don't wanna wake up Fluttershy if we can help it.”

Talon stepped out of his basket, yawning. He looked over to the window, the moon just setting on the horizon outside. “What you need?”

“We're supposed to do exercises in the morning, remember? Well, this is when I exercise. Thought it might help if you had somepony to work out with.” Day tiptoed out the door, followed by Talon's soft padding and the occasional small clacks from his claws.

Emerald sat waiting outside, already wearing his armor. “You manage to get him without waking up Fluttershy?”

“Yeah, you know me, I'm the definition of subtlety.”

He snorted as they trotted over to a nearby field. “Yeah, not buying it.”

Talon looked over to Emerald. “Emerald do wing exercise?”

“What? Heh, no, he's just gonna practice his magic while we do the wing exercises. He'll be doing the endurance training with us, though. He probably needs it more than you.”

“I dunno, Day. He is just a colt.”

---

Emerald panted as he ran. “How... are you... so fast...”

Day and Talon waited for him to come to a stop near them. Talon was panting almost as hard as Emerald, but Day had barely broken a sweat. “Fliers have to have better lungs, Emerald. You know that.” She held back a chuckle. “Still, wait 'til I tell the captain you were outraced by a colt.”

“Ugh... just... don't...”

Talon looked to Day Break as the sun stated to rise above the horizon. “Wing exercise?”

Day smirked as she trotted off. “Yeah, come on, we'll just leave Greenie to do his magic stuff. We can do the wing training by the cottage.”

---

Fluttershy woke to the sound of birds outside as the sun peeked into her window. Yawning, she stretched and ambled to the stairs so she could feed her animal friends. As she was heading toward the kitchen to make breakfast for her guests, she heard familiar voices outside.

“No, you need to rotate your wings more, or you'll push yourself down when you raise them.”

“Okay, I try.”

Fluttershy made her way to the door and looked out to see Talon with a look of concentration, slowly moving his wings in a flight pattern. Every once in a while, his wingstroke would create a small blast of wind. “When you're done out here, come in for breakfast, okay?”

Talon turned to look at Fluttershy and was halfway to agreeing to come in when he smacked himself in the face with his wing.

Day chuckled and shook her head as he glared at the wing. “Don't worry, it gets easier. I think you're good for this morning, though, so why don't we head inside?”

They trudged into the kitchen after Fluttershy, who took out a waffle iron and started gathering ingredients. She started on a strawberry syrup while the first waffle cooked, pausing to take it out when the iron beeped. Soon, the sweet smells filled the kitchen as Talon and Day sat quietly eating. Soon, Emerald stepped through the doorway, wiping sweat from his forehead. Fluttershy set a plate in front of him as he sat down.

“Thanks.” He turned to Day before taking a bite of waffle. “Maybe we should do this more often. We could pay for some of the food of course. We practically live here right now anyway.” He turned back to Fluttershy. “We really do appreciate everything you're doing for us.”

“Heh, yeah. Don't know how long we're going to be here, and there's only so many times you can eat at sugarcube corner for breakfast and still fit in your armor.” Day poked Emerald's side with a hoof. “Case in point.”

“Hey! It's not my fault they have my favorite flavor of... everything, actually.”

“Pfft... hahaha! No wonder you're so pudgy!”

---

After everypony had gotten cleaned up, Day and Emerald accompanied them to Rarity's boutique so that Talon could get his coat restyled. Rarity was waiting for them as they entered, fiddling with a few touches on a hat before floating it back over to a ponyquin.

“Oh, good, there you are. I was almost ready to come over and get you myself. I'm sure that Talon's coat was just terribly ruined by Rainbow yesterday. Here, come along dear.” Rarity's horn lit up as she picked him up in her aura.

Talon immediately went stiff, His eyes going wide and his pupils shrinking as much as they could.

“Wait, Rarity!” Fluttershy galloped after her, but by the time she had caught up, Talon was standing on a small pedestal while Rarity brushed his coat.

“Now dear, you simply must take better care of your coat. You can't go to the spa or come over here every day, after all.” Rarity brought out a few bottles of conditioning oils she kept on hoof for just such emergencies. “And you really do look quite nice when your coat has a nice, healthy sheen to it. Why, I have no doubt you've already caught the eye of some filly in town.”

Once she had his coat taken care of, she turned her attention to his mane. “Hmm... your mane is more feathers than fur, so there's only so much I can do with it.” She turned to Fluttershy, who had decided to simply let Rarity finish. “What do you think, dear? Any ideas for a good manestyle for him?”

“Um, not really...”

“Oh, well, I can always try a classic. Hold still, dear.” She brought out a pair of scissors and some mane gel, rapidly making small adjustments to streamline his mane while allowing the feathers to stick up just the right amount. “There, what do you think?”

“Oh, um, it looks great, but I think you freaked Talon out when you picked him up.”

Talon looked around, still standing stiffly. “Rarity done?”

“Yes dear, you can get down now. Here, have a look.” Rarity floated over a full-length mirror, angling it to give him the best view of her efforts.

“Um... why is shiny?”

“Why dear, that's what a healthy coat should look like! Just a slight sheen is all.” Rarity glanced over at the clock. “Oh, but I simply must be going now. I have a lunch with a friend in town; you know Octavia, don't you Fluttershy?” Rarity paused as Fluttershy nodded. “Well, I'd love for you to come. I know Octavia has been positively enamored with the stories I've been telling her about Talon.”

---

“So,” Octavia leaned over after they'd placed their orders, her hooves crossed under her chin. “You're the colt Rarity has been telling me about. Although, I suppose colt isn't the most accurate term in this case.”

Rarity put her hoof on Octavia's shoulder and shook her head, her mane flipping about as she did so. “Darling, he's a unique creature. I don't think there is a technically correct term in his case. We've just been going with colt because it's easier.”

“Well, that does make sense.” She turned back to Talon. “I've heard quite a bit about you, you know. All good things, of course.” She waved her hoof at him. “Why don't you tell me about yourself, though?”

Talon's brows furrowed as he thought. “Um... I... like fruit? And fish?”

“Well then, it's a good thing that's what you ordered.” Octavia smirked across the table. “What else do you like?”

The waiter arrived with their drinks, which for everyone except Talon was a tea blend that Octavia had recommended. She sipped at hers as Talon hastily gulped some of his water. “Um... bugs, and Fluttershy, and Discord, and Rarity, and Twilight, and Apple Bloom, and...” Talon hesitated slightly before continuing. “And Scootaloo, and Sweetie, and Pinkie, and, um, magic...”

It was around that time that their food arrived, interrupting Talon as his mouth became otherwise occupied. Octavia's eyes widened slightly and a smile tugged at her lips as she delicately ate her own lunch. “That's quite a list. Though it doesn't seem that table manners are anywhere on it at this point.”

As the mares around the table tittered softly, Talon looked to where Emerald sat next to him, eating large spoonfuls of a cucumber bisque. “What is table manners?”

“Well,” Emerald dabbed at his face with a napkin and turned to him. “It's... pffft... it's just... heheha, I'm sorry, but...” He trailed off as Talon looked in puzzlement at the others, bits of fish and barley clinging to his muzzle, with a raspberry stuck to the fur at the base of his ear.

“Here, dear, let me get that.” Rarity floated over a napkin, wiping away the debris of his latest demolished meal. Talon shrugged and picked up the raspberry from where it had landed on his plate and ate it.

“Eeeew!” Sweetie Belle shouted, giggling as she stuck her tongue out at him. “That was on your face!”

While the conversation continued, two fillies approached their table. “Hey, everypony!”

Sweetie turned to look over to the new arrivals. “Hey Scootaloo, hey Apple Bloom! What are you guys doing here?”

“We were just on our way to help somepony with getting their cutie mark.” Apple Bloom paused, looking between Sweetie and Talon. “Ya'll wanna come along?”

“Sure thing!” Sweetie jumped up, grabbing Talon and dragging him along. The guards scrambled to follow as Octavia yelled after them.

“Have fun, everypony!” She sighed as she looked down at her half-finished plate. “You know, girls, it's times like this that remind me how much me and vinyl have been wanting a foal of our own. We're starting to think about fostering as a way to adopt, but we really don't know where to start.”

Rarity wiped her mouth with her napkin before turning to speak to Octavia. “Well, I know Twilight is working on some paperwork to get Talon set up to be fostered. She might be able to help.”

Octavia smiled as she returned to her lunch. “Thanks. We just might do that.”

---

The rest of the group waited at the meeting spot so that Emerald could catch up.

“I gotta... stop... eating donuts...” Emerald panted as he trotted up to them.

Day Break glanced at him before returning to surveying the empty field filled with rocks. “That or you need to run more. Anyway, what are all of you doing out here?”

“Well,” Apple Bloom began, “Fine Detail is trying to find his cutie mark, and we reckon he might get it for finding or identifying gemstones.”

“I still say we should have had him try paragliding,” Scootaloo huffed.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Yeah, 'cuz that sounds like it wouldn't end with anypony in the hospital.”

“Hey, I was only in there for a day!”

“Girls! Stop arguing!” Day Break admonished as she continued looking around the field. “If he wants to try identifying gems, why didn't you all just meet at Rarity's? I'm sure she has plenty.”

Sweetie frowned, her gaze downward. “We're, uh, not allowed to crusade around the boutique. Rarity already pays too much for insurance on it.”

Emerald looked at them from where he stood near the road. “What did you do to her boutique?”

Sweetie cringed as she remembered that particular adventure. “Well, you see...”

---

Twilight stood on the path to the boutique, gaping at the wreck that used to be her friend's residence and place of business. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were working together to operate a fire extinguisher to put out a small patch of flames that had sprung up.

“Girls! How did you even do this? I thought you were trying to make dinner for your sisters?!”

Sweetie cringed as she turned to Twilight. “Well, you see...”

---

“...and that's why she won't let us crusade around there anymore.”

Emerald opened his mouth, the words refusing to come. Eventually, he closed it without a word.

Scootaloo sat nearby with a frown. “Yeah, but we learned not to let Sweetie make souffle after that, so I don't know why Rarity is still upset.”

Day trotted over to her partner.“Hey Greenie, you okay?”

“Yeah, just...” Emerald gestured at the fillies who were eagerly greeting a unicorn colt who'd just trotted up. “Do you think we should be guarding Talon from them?”

Author's Note:

I can sympathize with Emerald running out of breath, but at least I have a medical reason for that.