Stormy walked through the fairgrounds with his father next to him. Thunder did the best he could to cheer up his forlorn son, but it was hard for Stormy to be positive.
“Stormy, look, to take your side, I don’t think that was fair what they did either,” Thunder said. “It’s a real shame they had to change the rules with the timing they did. I don’t think it was even necessary.”
“Daddy, if you agree with me, can’t you do something about it?” Stormy asked.
“Well there’s nothing I really can do, buddy. These things just happen. Maybe there was a good reason for it. Maybe there have been more injuries on some rides lately, so they brought the age up to avoid getting sued. You gotta remember, they make these rules for a reason. It’s for your safety. They don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Daddy, I can handle myself on the Leviathan. I’m less than a year behind Chip and Annie and they’re still allowed to go on it. It just isn’t fair!”
Stormy sat down on a nearby bench and crossed his arms. Thunder sat next to Stormy and put his arm around him.
“I know, buddy. Life isn’t fair. I believe you can handle the Leviathan too, but it is what it is. There are all sorts of rules in life you just gotta follow. Rules are there for a reason.”
“Yeah, well rules are dumb!”
“That’s what I once said. Did I ever tell you about the time I broke my wing when I was at junior flight camp?”
“No.”
“I wanted to fly with the older, more-experienced fliers and prove my worth, so I snuck out to try their training course while no one else was watching. Turns out, the reason I wasn’t allowed to go with them was because the course they were on was really tough. I ended up getting myself hurt and spent the next few days in the hospital. See, Storm, that’s why we gotta follow safety rules. Maybe the Leviathan would be fine, but if you just keep breaking rules, you could get yourself hurt, or even worse: one of your friends.”
Stormy sighed and hopped down from the bench to keep on walking as Thunder followed after.
“I’m still mad, Daddy. I waited so long to go on the Leviathan and they ruined it for me.”
“This is just part of life as a kid, buddy. We all gotta grow up at some point.”
“I wish I could just grow up right now. I hate being a kid.”
“Well there are times I don’t really like being an adult either. We have to follow a lot of rules too, you know.”
“Yeah right.”
Stormy continued to trudge along. Despite his crankiness, Thunder smiled, patted him on the back and began singing to cheer him up as they traversed the fair.
VERSE 1
Life is never easy
No matter who you are
You just gotta take it in stride
Moping will not get you far
We’ve all got rules to follow
Yes, I know it’s a pain
But you’ll never see a rainbow
If you don’t have some rain
CHORUS
Not gonna mince my words
Waiting isn’t fun
But you’ve got a life ahead of you
You’ll get there one day, my son
You can’t have everything you want
It’s cliché I know
Just hang in there, be patient
And most of all
Be thankful for who you are
Be thankful for who you are
As Thunder finished the first verse, he joined Stormy in watching a nearby water slide over a bridge. The ride came down under the bridge and sprayed water all over them before Stormy had time to fly away. Thunder got to the other side of the bridge, still smiling and singing, while Stormy was angry to be sopping wet. Thunder dried himself using a large fan, but Stormy’s hair was quite frazzled in the process. He kept following his father as Thunder moved through the fair, not missing a step and handling everything in his path like a professional. Stormy did his best to keep up, but nothing seemed to go right for him. Thunder could tell his son was still very unhappy with everything, but he did his best to cheer him up by winning a game for him. The prize was a small hat with a picture of a leviathan on it. While it was a nice trinket to make up for missing the ride of the same name, it did little to make Stormy’s day better, but Thunder continued singing regardless.
VERSE 2
We all have those days
Where we’re told what to do
It’s not something we want to hear
But I’ve got news for you
It’s a sad reality
That we must face each day
How do you think your old man
Brings home all that pay
CHORUS
Not gonna mince my words
Waiting isn’t fun
But you’ve got a life ahead of you
You’ll get there one day, my son
You can’t have everything you want
It’s cliché I know
Just hang in there, be patient
And most of all
Be thankful for who you are
Be thankful for who you are
Thunder took to the skies with Stormy following him, until he came across a pegasus security guard with a sign that alerted about flying in the rides zone of the fair. Thunder nodded his head in compliance and pointed the guard out to Stormy to remind him about rules that need to be followed. Stormy rolled his eyes and followed his dad, as they both landed on the ground to continue on foot. Thunder took his son on the Ferris wheel as he got through the second chorus. As the ride was finishing, they hopped off and Thunder began to reminisce about his own youth.
BRIDGE
Stormy, I was just like you
Rules were not my thing
Got into all sorts of trouble
That’s how I once broke my wing
But I learned my lesson
Now I finally see
I grew up, swallowed my pride
And now look at me!
FINAL CHORUS
Not gonna mince my words
Waiting isn’t fun
Enjoy being a kid right now
Cuz it won’t last that long, my son
If you keep getting what you want
You’ll never find what you need
Just hang in there, be patient
And most of all
Be thankful for who you are
Be thankful for who you are
Be thankful for who you are
Be thankful for who you are
As they cleared the rides zone of the fair, Thunder took to the skies again to get a bird’s-eye view of the whole fair. He put his arm around Stormy and held him close while finishing the final lines of his song. After Thunder was done, they both landed near some concession stands.
“Feel any better?” Thunder asked.
“Not really,” Stormy grumbled.
“You’re gonna do fine, champ. There’s always next year and there’s always a few more rides around here you can enjoy or some games to play. Why don’t you walk on a bit and find something to do. I’m sure Flurry and the others would love it if you’d join them.”
“Alright.”
Stormy left while still wearing the hat. Thunder smiled and headed to a nearby stand to order lemonade. Stormy still couldn’t crack a single smile on his face, but he did his best to ignore everything and try to find a way to keep himself busy. He kicked a small can on the ground to pass time, but as he got closer to the center of the fair, he found Flurry, Pound, Pumpkin, Chip, Annie and Spike.
“Stormy!” called Flurry.
“The Leviathan was awesome!” Pumpkin blurted out before Pound covered her mouth.
“Yeah, let’s not talk about the Leviathan around him, Pump,” Pound suggested.
“Hehe…sorry.”
“Cool hat, Stormy! Where’d you get it?” asked Chip.
“My dad won it at one of those games,” Stormy replied, flatly. “Too bad I can’t go on the real Leviathan though.”
“It’s okay, Stormy. The Griffon Glider looks pretty cool. You wanna give that a try?” Spike asked.
“Come on, Stormy. We’ll all go with you,” Annie said.
“Okay,” Stormy sighed.
“There you go, Stormy,” Flurry said, putting her arm around him.
They all got in line with Spike. He was actually allowed to go on this ride since the cars were big enough for him to fit. The Griffon Glider was a huge futuristic jet that had a griffon painted on the side. Inside were over a dozen seats. Stormy smiled as he looked at the ride. He finally started to get his mind off of the Leviathan until he heard the last thing he wanted to hear from the ticket pony.
“Alright, kids! Please line up single file, make sure you have your hooves stamped, and don’t forget that you have to be at least 8 to ride the Griffon Glider!”
Stormy’s face immediately turned red with anger. He sounded like a kettle letting off steam.
“Oh, shoot!” Flurry said. “Sorry, Stormy. We’ll do another ride.”
“Yeah, the Griffon Glider kinda looks weird anyway,” Chip said, trying to downplay the ride to help Stormy get over it.
“The bumper cars! Come on guys!” Pumpkin said.
“Yeah, that one has an age limit of 5. You can go on it, Stormy,” Pound said, patting Stormy as he walked by.
“Alright, this one looks good Stormy…Stormy?”
Flurry looked back to see Stormy had already stomped off furiously. She wanted to go after him, but it was no use.
“Poor Stormy. I hope he finds something to enjoy here,” she said, despondently.
Elsewhere in a less congested zone, Stormy began spouting off about how bad his day was.
“It’s not fair! It’s just not fair! I’m a pegasus and they won’t let me ride on the darn Griffon Glider?! How does that make any sense! UGH! Being a kid is so stupid! I wish I could just turn myself into a grown-up even for just one day! All my problems would just disappear!”
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared not far from where he was standing. Stormy looked up to see Discord dressed up in an old detective costume with a huge magnifying glass. He slithered around, using the glass to inspect various objects in the fair.
“Uh…Discord?”
“Oh, Storm Streak! Bonjour!” Discord said cheerfully before returning and doing his work. “Don’t mind me. I’m in the middle of a very important investigation right now.”
“An investigation? What are you looking for?”
“A powerful artifact.”
“An artifact? Like something Daring Do would look for?”
“Oh I’m sure she would. Ever heard of the Hourglass of Kronos?”
“Uh…the Hourglass of Kronos? I don’t think so.”
“It is a device with great capabilities. Even Starswirl the Bearded is mystified by it. It is said to have the ability to manipulate time around one’s body, thus transmogrifying one’s appearance.”
“Uh, what?”
“In layponies terms, it can change your age. All it takes is for a pony to touch it and then they will turn into whatever age they desire. Ancient villains of the past have used it to deceive their adversaries and get certain favors. If my calculations are correct, it should be hidden somewhere right where we now stand. I would do some digging, but I have to be respectful of the fairgrounds, so I’ll have to look around here first.”
As Stormy listened to Discord, his eyes widened and his smile grew to both ends of his face. He finally had the answer to all his problems.
“So you’re saying if I touched this thing, I could wish myself to be an adult and go on some of the rides here that I’m too young for?”
“Definitely. Its powers are great, but it doesn’t take that much to…oh dear. I’ve said too much, haven’t I?”
Discord looked back at Stormy and could already tell he wanted the hourglass for himself. He put the magnifying glass aside and hunched down to Stormy’s level to talk to him.
“Storm Streak!” Discord said sternly, snapping his fingers in front of Stormy.
“Huh?”
“Look, I know what you’re thinking, and I highly recommend you stop. The Hourglass of Kronos is too powerful for a little colt like you to handle.”
“But Discord, you don’t understand: I really wanted to go on this one ride and I’m like just a few months away from being the right age! If I could just make myself older-”
“AH-AH-AH! No, Storm Streak. You must stay away from it. Using the powers of the Hourglass could lead to disastrous results if you are not careful. Magic will not solve all your problems.”
“But I-”
“No.”
“But-”
“AH!”
Stormy tried begging, but it wasn’t getting him anywhere. Discord seemed serious and could not be convinced. Finally he gave up and groaned.
“UGH! Fine, I won’t go touch the Hourglass of Kronos!”
Discord smiled and patted him on the head.
“Excellent! I can see your parents have taught you to be patient with growing up and not do foolish things to get your way. That is the mark of a good family. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an hourglass to find. Arrivederci!”
In a split second, Discord shone with light and disappeared. Stormy looked around to see if anyone was looking. Only a few ponies saw Discord, but none of them appeared to know what he was talking about or give it much concern. A smile returned to Stormy’s face and he went airborne, pumping his hoof.
“YES! Finally! I’m totally gonna find that hourglass and turn myself into a grown-up! Then I’ll be able to ride the Leviathan and all the other rides here! I’LL BE UNSTOPPABLE!! Whoops, better keep it to myself. Don’t want Discord to find out. Hehehe…”
Stormy then turned around and rubbed his hooves together while smiling devilishly. His quest to locate the Hourglass of Kronos began.
This won't end well.
Well, that was sweet of Thunder to try to cheer Stormy up, not just through his own life experiences, but through a song, even. I know it's only a slight parallel, but with how Storm Streak's a bit of a rebel and Thunder's something of a 'retired' rebel, it reminds me of Tramp and Scamp from the Lady and the Tramp sequel.
But wow, that Griffon Glider moment was just adding insult to injury. I just can't see how Stormy's day could have been made up for otherwise with two disappointments like this is one day...
And there's our old buddy Discord. He certainly said too much about this Hourglass of Kronos, but at least he's being far more responsible than he usually is by trying to discourage Stormy from looking for it. Gone is the reckless and selfish Discord who leads ponies on for his own amusement. After the whole Grogar fiasco, it seems he's finally learned his lesson, while still being his comical self. Good on him.
But now Stormy's got a new obsession, and one that can only lead him into trouble...
To be honest I would say yeah it is kind of stupid of a rule like that it should have been the height and the weight I understand but the age thing I felt like that's just out of nowhere and also kind of unfair
11570754
Now Equestrians know how we feel with all our stupid laws.
Yep there it is he said the thing
Ain't that the truth being adult sucks
Yeah not helping kid
Then this is a bad place for any seven or under to come here
Yep
I felt like he did that on purposely but it's Discord what did I expect
Actually that depends what kind of situation I'm just saying
Oh boy something tells me things we're not go very well anyway stormy's father tried his best to calm the kid down that sometimes life can't be unfair but it doesn't really help ease of the kid until he saw his friends and they were about to go to a different ride but apparently the Wonder we're going to go on you have to be eight or higher to go which that makes stormy lost his temper and basically just ran away and basically saying that he wished that he was a grown up but popping out of nowhere this but popping out of nowhere Discord showed up and apparently he's looking for the artifact that's supposed to age a pony and a creature but hearing that information he wanted it now but Discord warned him that magic is very dangerous and they have no idea what it will do look what happened to the Cutie Mark Crusaders probably he shouldn't say that if he was supposed to on the top secret finding the artifact and now stormy wants to find it now and it's not going to go very well guess we'll find out next time
For you to go out of your way to create your own music is just amazing gift for us Brony’s! Thank you for another awesome chapter
11570820
She does that. XD
11570844
Just like Pinkie Pie lol
11570841
It helps to be multi-talented!
Thunder is a good dad for trying to make Stormy feel better, but it feels like the age limit at the Park is just out to get him since all the good rides are off-limits to him. Still, Thunder trying to teach Stormy about how rules are meant to protect him, even if they seem stupid, was the right thing to do. Stormy might think rules don't apply to adults, but he might find out soon enough that adults have a lot more rules to follow than kids do.
Nice to see Discord trying to be responsible and tell Stormy not to mess with the Hourglass of Kronos. I still feel like he is up to something but is trying to help Stormy in his own reverse-psychology kind of way.
Wow, Stormy's like a little supervillain in the making. I also feels like that enforces my theory, since Discord is always listening, even after he leaves.
Nice to see Thunder getting some stuff to do. Too bad that the other ride was age restricted as well though. Will be nice to see what sorts of trouble will Storm get into once he gets his hooves on that hourglass.
Did Cozy go off on her own?
Perhaps Discord should have kept this investigation more secret?
11570747
Yeah, I think that dynamic works well for both of them. Thunder does have that sort of streetwise style going on, but he's a responsible adult and follows the rules, having to be a providing husband and father. I've been itching to give him this development and I'm glad it came across well. :)
Yup. It's just one of those days. This will definitely be the catalyst for Stormy's mischief in this story.
I definitely wanted to convey that in Discord: how he's wise enough now to be able to pass on a lesson to someone like how they need to be careful about relying on magic to solve all their problems. And yes, Stormy will not do as he says and will be going after that hourglass.
11570882
It's been a while since I introduced Thunder and I went too long without giving him much character development, but it felt good to show him as a responsible father teaching his son the right things.
Yeah, Discord will definitely have a role to play in this story, but Stormy's the one who really causes the mischief (not that Discord wont' cause any though).
11570944
No, Cozy's with her mother right now.
Yeah, he definitely ran his mouth in front of someone who will definitely abuse the hourglass's powers.
Stormy. No.
11571350
gonna be hard getting him to listen at this rate.
11570944
She's kind of a loner when she's not trying to influence people.
I suspect this was a setup to teach Stormy some sort of lesson. I wouldn't be surprised if he planted the artifact here, or made the whole thing up just now.
11571632
Unfortunately I fear you're right...
Thunder is a good father for trying to cheer his son up, but it doesn't help that more rides have a stupidly unnecessary age restriction. (The Griffon Glider is even more egregious in this fact because, from your description, it's the kind of ride that would have an "accompanied by an adult" rule. Which wouldn't have been hard to accomplish.) Yeah, let me just say that I am having my suspicions of the owner of the park already.
Oh, and Discord shows up and (likely purposefully) says the quiet part out loud. Good job there, Discord. (Oh, and yes, I did think it was Discord watching Stormy in the last chapter. Sorry I didn't make that clear.)
I remember Rainbow doing that. Stormy is truly Rainbow's child. (Yes, I did imagine him with a "grinchy smile face" when you put that in.)
To the next chapter!
11841018
I guess an adult accompanying a child could work, though that makes those “you must be this tall to ride” signs make a little less sense. Either way, the audience is definitely feeling Stormy’s pain, but how he deals with it will be a different matter.
Yup. Good ol’ Discord. XD
When I write Stormy, I keep Rainbow Dash’s mannerisms and quotes in mind. He definitely gets that from her. :3