The Elements Of Love

by Patience

Chapter 3

Luna sighed. It had been too long since she had slept. She, unceremoniously, flopped into her grand four poster bed. With her magic she pulled at a small rope that hung down from the ceiling. The rope would summon a servant to her and within the minute there was a knock at her door.

"Enter." Luna was curt and straightforward.

The door opened and a male unicorn entered. He bowed low.

"What does thy Princess need for?" The servant asked in a crisp and clear voice, neither loud nor soft but its clarity undeniable.

"Tea. Chamomile." Luna continued, ever curtly.

The servant returned only after a few moments. A silver tray, sitting atop a collapsed stand, alighted by his magic. He trotted briskly to Luna's bedside and with a resounding snap the tray stand popped open. He set the stand down and the tray upon it. His magic continuing his work as it poured hot water from a kettle into a dainty cup, occupied by a tea bag.

Once more the stallion bowed.

"If thy want for nothing more, Princess, then I shall take my leave." Luna waved him away with a dismissive hoof.

Just the smell of the tea was eliciting the drowsiness within her. She sipped her tea as she thought about the days events. Storm Wing had seemed to fulfill the prophecy set before her. With the realization that her prophecy had reasonable grounds she became equally delighted and disturbed. On one hoof she was right, Celestia is sure to be surprised, but, on the other hoof, she was right. Something bad was going to happen. She just hoped she could prevent it.

Twilight had given Steam a tour of the small town. As they walked through it Pinkie Pie had come, from seemingly nowhere, to gasp haphazardly and sputter about new ponies and friends and parties. Even Luna could not escape that pony's need to throw parties, as she was too invited.

Steam Wing had come off as initially reluctant, but he was neither shy nor diffident and thus appeared, especially seeing as he, unwittingly, submitted himself to the do or die contract of a Pinkie Pie Promise.

---

Steam Wing made his way through the crowded library, music was playing but he took it upon himself to move away from the speakers. He was more than happy to make new friends but he also wanted a chance to settle. He sighed.

"I guess I have all day to settle in tomorrow." He said to no one in particular.

"Steam! Steam Wing!" Steam looked around for the own of the voice, spotting Twilight and an orange earth pony wearing a stetson hat. Twilight made her way to him. "Steam Wing this is my friend, Applejack. Applejack this is Steam Wing."

Twilight introduced them and stepped away, presumably to find another friend to introduce Steam Wing to.

"Ah must say, its nice to meet you, any friend of Twilight is a friend of mine." Steam shuffled his wings absentmindedly, his cheeks grew a slight rosy.

'That has to be the cutest accent I've ever heard.' Steam thought to himself.

"It's nice to meet you too." He said, after a moment. His eyes scanned the crowd, and he spotted Twilight pointing him out to another of her friends, this one was a cerulean pegasus with a rainbow mane. He looked at her questionably, he had never seen so many colors on one pony.

"She sure stands out doesn't she." Applejack voiced what he was thinking.

"Uh, yeah she does." He turned to attempt more conversation with Applejack. "So, you own Sweet Apple Acres?"

The conversation would have gone on to him describing how much he liked Sweet Apple Acres apples and how they were a sort of commodity to apple lovers in Canterlot, were it not for the strong smell that hit his nostrils. It was coming from the cups they were holding.

"Wait!" He shot out a wing and knocked away the cup Applejack was putting to her lips.

"Now what in tarnation was that for?!" Was all the disgruntled farm pony could say.

"Hot sauce, someone put hot sauce in our cups!" He said quickly. Giggles was the response he got, but not from Applejack. The multi-colored pony from earlier rolled out from under the table, trying to stifle the fit of giggles she was in.

"Rainbow Dash! That's no way to welcome someone new to town!" Applejack resounded over the giggles.

Rainbow Dash stopped giggling in order to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eyes.

"It was just a small prank! Besides he caught it, no harm done right." She tried to weasel her way out. Steam Wing chuckled. Rainbow stopped moving away from them and turned to Steam Wing.

"What's so funny?" She asked him.

"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to pull one over on me." He said simply with a suddenly serious look on his face.

Rainbow's pupils narrowed. Applejack was mouthing a silent 'no' to Steam Wing but he didn't catch it. He smiled, and winked at Rainbow Dash.

"Admirable, really." His smile grew wider.

A rainbow streak suddenly appeared, as streamers and confetti flew up off the floor in Rainbow Dash's wake, she had flown out the nearest open window.

"Oh sugarcube, you've gone worked yourself into a hole ah'm not quite so sure you want to be in. All I know is I don't want to be around when Rainbow retaliates."

"What? I didn't upset her did i?"

"No, though almost as bad, you challenged her." With that final statement, Applejack left Steam Wing.

A loud pop pervaded the air and Twilight appeared next to Steam Wing in a bright raspberry colored flash.

"I saw Rainbow leave, what happened?" She turned an inquisitive look to Steam Wing.

"Uh, she tried to prank me and Applejack, I caught it and got a little smug and I construed a challenge." Twilight just shook her head.

"I guess that explains why Applejack left too."

"Yeah. I guess. I didn't offend Rainbow though? I'm all for games of wit but my goal wasn't to hurt her pride or anything." Twilight chuckled

"No, no. She probably not mad at you, but if you don't want to spend your days running from one pony sized storm clouds targeted at you or chili pepper cupcakes I suggest conceding." It was Storm Wing's turn to chuckle.

"Concede? As in admit I was wrong? Heh, she's gonna have to work for that to happen." He sauntered away. Twilight stood, mouth agape, she didn't think she would ever meet a pony as brash as Rainbow Dash.

Steam made his way to the other corner of the party room. He sauntered away for effect, walking back to Twilight would ruin its purpose but he still wanted to be away from the music. He looked out a window and saw a few ponies outside. He decided he wanted to get some air.

He closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. He walked the perimeter of the library, if only to not be idle. He walk took him around towards the back of the tree, where a pale gold colored pegasus mare with a brilliant pink rose colored mane was trying to coax a squirrel out of the tree.

"Oh... you simply must come down, Mr. Squirrel." The squirrel chattered animatedly, throwing an acorn at Steam Wing as he approached. The pegasus followed the acorn as it flew past, but upon seeing Steam Wing she let loose a small 'eep' and became intensely reserved. Sensing the sudden change in the mare Steam stopped his approach.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

Nearly inaudible squeaks were all that came from the mare but he could make out the words 'you' and 'weren't'.

"Uhh, well my name is Steam Wing."

"My name is Fluttershy

"Uh I didn't quite catch that? Try again?" He got closer to her, hoping to hear her this time.

"My name is Fluttershy...

"Uh, well-" He stopped short, noticing a strange fluffy shadow had appeared around himself and the quiet mare. The pony shaped head emerging from the moon cast shadow confirmed it for him and he proceeded to shout. "Look out!". He threw up his wings and backed himself and the pegasus against the tree and lightning and a thunderclap resounded and a small torrent of water narrowly missed him and the mare.

Steam Wing found himself in quite a compromising position. His attempt to shelter the quiet mare resulted in her trying to evade him and tripping him up. Then the thunderclap sent her careening back, suddenly she was wrapped around him, clinging tightly. His face going rosy for the second time that night.

Guffaws came from the cloud and Rainbow Dash fell out of it in her rolling fit. Steam rolled his eyes, so confident she doesn't even check to see if her pranks worked.

"Oh my gosh you guys are soa-" She finally looked at her handiwork. Both pegasi were dry, and only Fluttershy appeared shaken. She was clinging to Steam Wing, who blew a raspberry at Rainbow Dash.

"Not this time Dashie." Steam got to his feet and helped the quiet mare get up as well.

"Hey! Only my friends call me 'Dashie'."

Steam stopped and laughed.

"Poniesactually call you 'Dashie'?

"Rainbow it wasn't very nice to prank me and Mr.Wing like that." Fluttershy said, suddenly assertive.

"Sorry, Fluttershy," Rainbow said sheepishly "uh, collateral damage?"

"Oh so your name is Fluttershy?" Steam turned his attention on Fluttershy, who once again became reclusive, mumbling about something incomprehensible as she hurriedly left the area, her cheek blazing in blush. Later she would muse about how soft 'Mr.Wing's' fur was and blush to herself.

Steam looked back to Rainbow but both her and her cloud were gone.

"I don't know what you did to get on Dash's hit list but I do suggest reconciling before the night is out." Came a very elegant voice onto Steam's ears. He turned around and saw a very elegant white unicorn with an indigo mane, styled fabulously. To Steam she looked like she belonged in Canterlot.

"Uh, right, but I'm not going to say she better than me or let her trip me up, and judging her so far, that is what is seems to take to get her to let up."

"Quite right, dear. I'm Rarity, and you are?"

"Enchante Madame Rarity," Steam stood straight and tall, taking Rarity's hoof in his own to kiss the back of it. "I am Steam Wing, charmed to make your acquaintance."

Rarity eyed him with surprise and high regard, the stallion had gone from brash to suave in a second. Steam smiled sheepishly, he learned how to respectable and charming from ol' Cooper. That stallion would berate Steam for talking inelegantly around nobles and ladies. Steam thought the dusty old stallion would be all crotchety around nobles and the like, as he often was around Steam, but he surprised Steam with a lecture about how being proper was important and tried to convey a few lessons onto the young stallion.

"My, you sir are practiced in a fading art." Rarity smiled, a critical eye looking over the young stallion before her. She began to circle Steam.

"You give your best to all you grace yourself upon, it would be unfair for me to not offer up at least a modicum of elegance." Steam remained still under her scrutiny.

"I own and operate a boutique locally, you simply must stop in one day soon and let me design you a tuxedo." She said, eyes sparkling with intensity as she spoke. She envisioned the suave stallion in tuxedos, materials and colors changing by the second.

"Black and red would make you look so charming and mysterious." She said the last word with a bit of sultriness and a smirk. "Where did you say you came from?"

"I didn't say but I come from Canterlot." He said, knowing those were the words she wanted to her. She completed her circle and stood in front of him.

"Oh and what is it that you did in Canterlot, if you don't mind me asking?" Rarity inquired further.

He paused and coughed slightly.

"I was, err, am a mechanic. I work on the train engines." He told her, assuming that would break her obvious interest. She instead smiled.

"Oh? Honest work then? Bureaucrats and politics are quite, shady, for a lack of a better word."

"Color me surprised, milady," Storm continued with the charm, "No offense, but I assumed my position would have been compromising of your interest."

"Oh?" She smiled knowingly. "One should always be objective. No sense in running off a pleasant stallion because he's a mechanic. I certainly rather a pleasant stallion over a self absorbed noble." She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"There you are!" Twilight called to him, just coming around the tree. "I've been looking for you all over! Oh, hi Rarity, I see you've met Steam Wing."

"Certainly, he quite charming."

"Well Princess Luna asked me to find you, she wants to explain what's going on to everyone else. With Rarity only Fluttershy is missing."

"Dashie scared her away with a prank aimed at me." Steam informed the mulberry unicorn. Twilight scowled.

"Oh well, we can tell her what is said tonight later." Twilight led Rarity and Steam into the tree house and back into, what Steam assumed was, her room. Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat in wait. Rainbow Dash kept a close eye on Steam Wing but everyone else seemed receptive of his presence.

"Fluttershy isn't here because somepony," She paused to glance at Rainbow Dash. "Took a prank too far, but we can start now Princess."

"Thank you Twilight, now that everyone is gathered I will explain why Steam Wing is here." Everyone had been assuming Steam Wing had come to Ponyville at his own volition, know the Princess summoned him brought interest into the eyes of everyone not in the know.

"Seven days ago I witnessed a foretelling of doom onto this world, and for the next six days I then witnessed that there six ponies out there that are capable of stopping this doom." Luna let the statement settle into everyone's minds before continuing.

"After some searching I have found that Steam Wing is likely the first of the six." Luna finished.

"Ah'm not a magic user and ah'm not the studious type, but is this nothing the Elements of Harmony could handle?"

"I'm afraid all indications say that the Elements of Harmony will be needed but there six others will somehow fuel the Elements with some kind of different power, one that I don't quite have a grasp of yet."

Steam had somehow found himself in the center of the room, all eyes on him. He chuckled nervously. He knew of Twilight's link to the Elements of Harmony but he now realized that the other five mares he had met were the rest of the bearers.

Comments

[TwilightFox]

I am loving this story! I like how you've made it fairly obvious that Steam Wing is gonna end up being a romantic interest for one of the Mane6, but you've given us little teasers for all of them so we have no true way of knowing which one he'll end up with!

Poor stallion... He's got 99 problems, but a mare ain't one....