A Bond Never Broken

by knightcommander

Finding Hailstorm

CHAPTER TWO: Finding Hailstorm

"Cloudsdale?" They all cried out in unison. Twilight backed up a bit, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"What in the hay do you wanna go there for?" Applejack asked. Twilight sighed.

"It's Fluttershy." She said. "It... it really got to me, seeing her like that." She said. She started to get misty eyed, and Pinkie Pie placed a hoof on her shoulder. She placed her own over her friends.

"We were all hurt to see her suffering so much." Rarity said. "But why do you want to go to Cloudsdale for it." She said, and then suddenly the light when on in her head. "You're not thinking of trying to find this Hailstorm Tempest, are you?" She asked. Twilight nodded.

"That's exactly what I want to do." She said.

"We completely understand, Twi." Applejack said. "But you're talking about trying to find one pegasus in a city of dang near eight-hundred thousand. It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"I know." Twilight said. "But... I can't get the image of Fluttershy lying there with a broken heart out of my mind. I don't want her to feel like that, she doesn't deserve it." She said, blinking back tears. "I want her to be happy, to marry this colt like they promised each other so long ago. She's my friend, and I'll do whatever I have to to make her happy..." She would have continued, but Pinkie Pie interrupted.

"Well count me in." She said. "I don't want her to cry anymore either." She said. Twilight smiled.

"Thank you, Pinkie." She said. The two of them looked expectantly at the others, as though begging them to agree. Rarity and Applejack looked at each other. They both knew that finding this colt was going to be a challenge. Not only was Cloudsdale a huge city, but he might not even live there anymore, and, heaven forbid, he may have moved on. Still, it would make Fluttershy so happy to see her beloved again.

"If it means that much to you Twi, I'll help you too." Applejack said.

"As will I." Rarity said. "For Fluttershy." Twilight smiled.

"Thank you, all of you." She said. She gave each one of them a hug.

"I'd better get mah bags packed." Applejack said. "What time did you plan on leaving?"

"As soon as possible." Twilight said.

"I'll pack the party supplies!" Pinkie Pie said. Everyone stared at her. "Well, we gotta have a huge party when we find him." She said. Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Pinkie." She said.

***

While the girls got their things together, Twilight packed her things and formulated her plan. She figured that they should start by asking Firefly. She lived in Cloudsdale her entire life, and most likely knew if he would have returned after Rainbow and Fluttershy left. She also worked at the city's largest employer, the weather factory, and her position as manager ensured that she knew a lot of people, folks who might know if he had returned to Cloudsdale, or at least where to start looking.

First things first, they needed to be able to walk on the clouds. Normally, only pegasus ponies possessed the ability to walk on clouds, but Twilight had learned a spell that allowed other ponies to do the same feat for three days, a spell which came quite in handy when Rainbow competed in the annual Best Young Flyer Competition. To make sure she still knew what she was doing, she practiced the spell on Spike, who would be coming with them. A few brilliant flashes of light later, and the spell was complete. To test it, she had the local mailmare, Ditzy Doo, bring a small patch of cloud into her house and allow Spike to walk on it. Success.

"Thank you, Ditzy." She said, offering the gray mare a fresh banana nut muffin with butter. Ditzy thanked her and pat Spike on the head before heading home to enjoy her treat.

"Now what?" Spike asked.

"Could you carry some of our things out to the balloon?" She asked. Spike nodded and carried some of their luggage out. Then she waited for her friends to show up, taking the time to write a note to Fluttershy saying that they were going out of town to go find her a nice Hearts and Hooves Day surprise. And indeed, they were. She had it all figured out; instead of just simply bringing Hailstorm to her (assuming they found him) they would arrange a party for her, and when the time came for her to get her surprise...

"We're here!" A musical voice rang out. Twilight jumped a bit at the sudden intrusion

"Oh, hello Rarity." Twilight said. "Is everypony ready?"

"Sure thing, sugarcube." Applejack said, two green saddlebags stuffed with supplies for the trip. Pinkie Pie bounced in after her, and Twilight rolled her eyes when she a balloon suddenly rise up from an open saddlebag. Pinkie noticed too, an giggled sheepishly before closing it. Spike returned and took everyone's saddlebags out to the balloon, then delivered Twilight's note, and they were off. The day was a bit windy, so takeoff was a bit hairy, but once they get to altitude, everything was smooth sailing. Twilight oriented their course for Cloudsdale and allowed Spike to fly the balloon, something he had been wanting to do for a while. The others settled in for the trip, Pinkie producing some snacks from Sugarcube Corner for them. The rest of the trip was spent talking amongst themselves and otherwise enjoying the peaceful flight.

***

The sight of the magnificent cloud city, the pride of the pegasi, never ceased to amaze those who got to see it up close, and the four ponies and one dragon now coming in for a landing were no exception. They had only been here once before, but it never failed to amaze them just how big the city was.

"It's simply gorgeous!" Rarity remarked as they approached the city.

"I'll say." Applejack replied, taking a look into the distance where the weather factory was located. They must have been at full capacity, because storm clouds were popping out of it left and right. "Hehehe, looks like we got ourselves a rip roarin' rainstorm a' comin'."

"Perfect." Rarity said. "My flower garden could use it. They've been looking so droopy." Pinkie Pie was too busy prancing around the balloon, excited to be visiting Cloudsdale again, to respond to anything they said. Twilight simply rolled her eyes at her friend's exuberance.

A helpful pegasus stallion guided the balloon down into land at the Cloudsdale Sky Harbor, a huge landing area that was the first point of entry for those coming in to the city. Spike gently brought the balloon down on the patch of cloud right next to him, and they disembarked. The pegasus was surprised to see two earth ponies, two unicorns and a dragon walking on clouds.

"Um..." He said.

"Magic." Twilight answered simply. He nodded, though still somewhat confused, as they left the landing area and entered the huge terminal. All around were shops selling food, souvenirs, and even electronics. Surprisingly, there was no roof, and the sun shone brightly into the building, bathing everyone in the warmth of it's gentle rays. The ponies, having only seen a small corner of the city that last time they had gone, and they were all amazed at the new things to be seen in the city, the Sky Harbor included. A pair of uniformed police officers, attached to the Sky Harbor Battalion of the Cloudsdale Police Service, stood nearby, apparently off duty, as they were chatting amongst themselves, until they caught sight of the gang. The officers stared at them as they walked past. Rarity smiled.

"Don't look now," she said, "but I do believe those rather handsome policemen are admiring us." She said, jokingly. Spike scowled a bit, eliciting a giggle from the unicorn.

"I think they're just surprised to see non-pegasi walking on clouds." She said.

"And too busy to notice all the stuff we're smuggling." Applejack said, chuckling. The police officers heard that, and rolled their eyes.

***

"Here we are." Twilight said. "This is the address Rainbow gave in her note." They stood in front of a modest cloud house, less grand than Rainbow's, though still striking with its castle-like construction and pink and blue crystal gardens woven into the clouds. Rarity oohed at that display.

"If I'm not mistaken, those are rose quartz." She said. "Not a precious stone but striking nonetheless."

"Wonder why this Firefly would go to all the trouble?" Applejack asked. "I imagine doing that with clouds takes skill." Twilight nodded.

"Come to think of it, we've never met her before." She said. "First time for everything." She walked up to the door and knocked... only to hear the soft fluff of the cloud. She laughed sheepishly as she remembered the fact that cloud didn't knock and looked for a doorbell button. It didn't take her long to find one. "OK, take two." She said, ringing the doorbell and waiting for an answer.

Nothing.

She rang again. Again, nothing. Curious, she pressed her ear against the door, and soon learned what was up; someone was playing loud heavy metal music inside. Twilight scowled.

"What's wrong?" Spike asked.

"Her music's too loud." Twilight said. "What do we do now?"

"Maybe push this button?" Pinkie asked, pointing at another button on the doorstep. Twilight looked. It was like a doorbell, but was marked "PUSH THIS IF I'VE GOT MY MUSIC PLAYING". Twilight shrugged, and pushed the button. The music she could hear playing suddenly skipped, and then started playing again. Twilight looked at the others as if to say "don't ask me" when the door suddenly flew open, surprising them. It was then that they got their first look Firefly.

At first glance, they couldn't really see the family resemblance. Firefly's coat was hot pink as opposed to cyan. Her mane was electric blue, and was cut short in the back. She wore a black headband around her head. Her eyes looked similiar to Rainbow's, albeit violet as opposed to magenta. She flicked her tail, and they could see that it was the same electric blue as her mane, and also cut short, though not as short as Big Macintosh's. Her build was similiar to Rainbow's; lithe and athletic, but unlike Rainbow she had callouses on her hooves. Apparently she did a lot of physical work. Her cutie mark was two electric blue lightning bolts.

"Hey, what's up?" She said. Her voice was distinct. It had a slight rasp like Rainbow's did, but was lighter and more cheery. Twilight also detected of hint of a higher pitch than Rainbow. Rainbow hadn't told them a great deal about Firefly, mostly because the subject rarely came up, but she did know that she was younger, and this confirmed it.

"Hello." She began. "I'm..."

"Twilight Sparkle." Firefly said. Twilight was surprised. "Rainbow's told me about you. She said you're an academic type." Twilight grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I do keep well read." She said. Firefly grinned.

"Yep, academic." She said. Applejack chuckled.

"Don't tell me, Applejack." Firefly said. "And the one standing next to you is Rarity."

"Why, yes." Rarity said, pleased that Firefly apparently knew them. Firefly next looked at Pinkie.

"Don't tell me, Pinkie Pie."

"Yepper skeppers!" She said, bouncing up and down, releasing a few drops of rain from the clouds. "How'd ya guess?"

"The mane gave it away." She said. "And Rainbow's done nothing but talk about her 'super awesome' friends every since she got here." She said with a chuckle. "I feel almost like I've known you guys all my life." She beckoned them to come inside.

"Is Rainbow Dash here?" Twilight asked, as the music came back on, albeit at a lower volume. Rarity winced at bit at the crunchy sounding metal music. She wasn't a fan of rock music of any kind, preferring classical and baroque music that she felt fit her personality more, but of course, she was a guest in the house, and didn't dare impose.

"You just missed her, actually." Firefly said. "She went over the corner store to pick up a few things." She took her head band off and brushed her short mane down. "You've caught us by surprise. I haven't got much..." She said, looking in her fridge.

"Oh, it's quite alright dear." She said. "We don't want to impose. We're actually here on important business."

"What kind of business?" Firefly said, fetching some diet cola for them.

"If it's at all possible, we'd like for Rainbow Dash to be here to hear that." Twilight said. "Not that we're keeping secrets, but we want everypony on board for this one." She said, graciously taking the offered drink with her magic. Pinkie, meanwhile, was looking around the room, her eyes settling on some plaques hanging on the wall.

"Employee of the month?" She asked, looking at them closely. Each of them bore the recognizable seal of the Cloudsdale Weather Factory.

"Six months running." Firefly said, with an air of accomplishment.

"Oh, you work at the weather factory?" Twilight asked. "What do you do?"

"I run the rainbow works." She said, holding up her hooves. "Started as a lowly peon in the processing level before working my way up to manager." She said. "Calloused my hooves up from lifting and working machines, but it paid the bills." She said with a grin. "Now I mostly just patrol around the place and yell at people." They all laughed.

"Sounds like Granny Smith at Zap Apple harvesting time." Applejack joked. "Alright whippersnappers, hop to it! Go go go!" She said, imitating her grandmother. More laughing, followed by teary eyes and happy smiles, just as the door opened again. Rainbow flew in, carrying a load of groceries.

"I'm back." She said, dropping the load on the table. Her eyes went wide when she saw all her friends there. "Whoa, where'd you guys come from?"

"From Ponyville, silly." Pinkie said with a grin

"Duh, I know that." Rainbow said. "I meant what are you doing here?"

"They said something about 'business'." Firefly said. "Sounded important, because they wanted you here to talk about it." Rainbow was curious now, so she moved the groceries so they could talk before sitting down.

"What's up?" She asked. "And where's Fluttershy?"

"Back at home." Twilight said. "Rainbow, the reason we came here actually has to do with her. Have you noticed that she's been... troubled lately?" Rainbow's eyes widened with realization.

"You guys saw it too?" She asked.

"Yes we did." Rarity said. "What did you see?"

"It was more what I heard." She said. "Her voice was super soft, softer than usual. I could tell immediately something was bothering her, but I couldn't get it out of her. I didn't want to push it, anyway. You know how sensitive she can be." Rarity explained what happened with her and Pinkie Pie.

"Wow." Firefly said. Being Dash's sister, she too had known the yellow pegasus quite well. The three of them were a terrific trio back in their flight school days, and she was thrilled to hear that they had been reunited in Ponyville. This whole conversation was causing her concern as well. "What was up with her."

"That's what we were wondering." Twilight explained. "We decided to pay her a visit to see what was the matter, and when we got to her house...." She trailed off, her expression falling.

"What? What happened?" Rainbow asked, her concern mounting. Pinkie's eyes began to tear up, and she sniffled.

"Fluttershy was all alone in her house, and she was crying, and all the animals could feel it and..." She stopped when she started to sob again. Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"She told us about how she met this wonderful colt, a Hailstorm Tempest, and she showed us a picture of him." Rarity explained. "It all made sense then. With Hearts and Hooves Day coming up, she was being reminded all day of what she once had. The poor dear, to fall in love at such a young age, to meet the one you know you're destined to spend the rest of your life with, only to have fate snatch it away from you." Rainbow pounded the table with her hoof.

"I knew it! I had a feeling that was what this was about." She said. "It hit me as I was coming into Cloudsdale and seeing all the decorations, and it clicked. Guys, Hearts and Hooves Day was when they had their very first date." Everyone gasped.

"Oh no." Twilight said.

"No wonder she's hurtin' so bad." Applejack said.

"I remember it like it was yesterday now." Rainbow Dash said. "I was the one that convinced Fluttershy to make the first move." She looked out the window as she reflected.

Come on, Fluttershy! Rainbow Dash said as she pushed a reluctant yellow pegasus down a locker lined hallway, her pink mane hanging over one eye. Her cyan eyes were full of fright as she dug her hooves into the floor of the hall.

"B-b-but what if he says no?" Fluttershy said. "I don't think I can take it..."

"Come on, ya gotta stop being so scared." Rainbow Dash insisted. "You really like this guy right?" Fluttershy nodded.

"I love him." She said. Rainbow smiled.

"Then ya gotta go for it!" She said. "Nothing will ever happen if you don't take the initiative." She said, as they came around a bend. Fluttershy squeaked. There he was, Hailstorm Tempest, looking as dashing as ever. His mane was combed in grunge rocker pattern, which was accentuated by his leather jacket and the guitar case hanging over his back. Fluttershy felt her face grow hot. Her stomach began to fill up with butterflies, and her entire being seemed to tremble with nerves. Rainbow Dash gave her a nudge. Fluttershy squeaked again.

"OK, I'm going." She said.

"There ya go." Rainbow said. "Don't worry, you got this." Fluttershy nodded and gingerly tip-toed over to Hailstorm, just as he was closing his locker.

"Um... H-Hailstorm?" She said. Surprisingly, her soft voice was enough to get his attention. He turned around and flashed her a smile, that smile, the one that never failed to make her positively melt.

"Oh, hey Fluttershy." He said. "Where ya been all week?" He asked. She shivered from nerves.

"Oh, just going to class, taking care of the animals." She said. She twiddled her hooves in front of her.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just... Hailstorm, c-can I ask you something?" He smiled again.

"Go ahead."

"I wanted to ask you," she began, "that is, if it's OK with you... since the big dance is coming tomorrow... I was wondering maybe..." She froze. She couldn't get the words out. She knew what she wanted to say, but it just wouldn't come out. She began to sweat bullets. What was she going to do?

"Oh no." Rainbow Dash, watching from behind the bend, said. "She's dying out there!" She wanted to rush in and intervene, but she knew she couldn't. Fluttershy had to do this on her own.

Fluttershy felt a fireball rising in her throat. She blew it. This was the perfect opportunity, and she blew it. She was so close, too. She felt like running away, going to hide down in the woods, with her animals. But before she could do anything, Hailstorm placed a hoof on her cheek, an action which surprised her.

"Yes." He said softly. She stared.

"B-but, I didn't even ask you anything." He shook his head.

"It's OK, I know what you wanted to say." He smiled. "And the answer is yes." She gasped softly.

"You mean it?" She asked.

"Yeah." He said. "I was actually going to ask you myself, but you saved me the trip." He flashed yet another smile, and Fluttershy noticed a small blush appear on his own cheeks. She felt her heartbeat begin to quicken, and a smile cracked across her face.

"S-s-seven o' clock then?" She asked. He nodded.

"Cya then." He said, just as the final bell signaling the end of lessons rang. He leaned over and, to her surprise, gave her a gentle nuzzle across her nose. She blushed even harder than before.

"O-o-OK." She said, smiling. He flashed her one more smile before leaving. Once he was out of sight, she began to shiver, and then burst out in an uncharacteristically loud cheer and ran back over to her friend, enveloping her in a hug.

"Oof, careful, need to breath." She said with a laugh. Fluttershy cheered some more.

"Rainbow, he said yes!" She cheered. "He said yes!"

"I know, I saw." Rainbow said. "I told ya you could do it!" They both hugged each other some more, Fluttershy cheering and Rainbow whooping, both of them sharing the joy. Other pegasi watched them, wondering what the heck was going on, but that didn't bother them. All that mattered was that Fluttershy was so happy.

Rarity listened to Rainbow tell the story with a dreamy look on her face.

"That's simply romantic." She said. "Oh, how I wish I could have such a fairy tale romance." Applejack snickered.

"There she goes again." She whispered to Firefly. She laughed. Rarity glared at them.

"How rude." She said.

"You guys came here to look for him, didn't you?" Rainbow Dash said. Twilight nodded.

"I know it's a long shot, but we had to try." She said. "We just... couldn't stand seeing Fluttershy suffering so much." Spike put a hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him. "Thanks."

"But he moved away a long time ago." Rainbow said. "I don't think he's here anymore."

"Actually, I've been hearing a rumor he's come back." Firefly said. "The guy's cutie mark isn't just for show, he can literally create a hailstorm from scratch by himself. That kind of talent doesn't go unnoticed, not even here." The rest of the ponies lit up.

"You mean he might be here?" Twilight asked. Firefly nodded.

"Like you said, it's a long shot, but you could get lucky." She said. "And of course, I'll help in any way I can." Rainbow smiled.

"Thanks, sis." She said. "But were would we start?"

"If you could track down some of his old schoolmates, we might be able to start there." Twilight said.

"I'll go canvas." Rainbow said.

"Ooh ooh! Can I help?" Pinkie asked. Rainbow smiled.

"Alright, come on, Pinks." She said. Pinkie Pie bounced out the door with her.

"Rarity, you and Applejack come with me." Twilight said. "We could try some of his hangouts."

"I'll go with. Firefly said. "I know most of his old haunts." Twilight smiled.

"Thank you." She said.

"Another thing." Firefly said. "He was always singing this one song in particular, Kick It Into Gear. You'll know it when you hear it."

"Good to know." Applejack said. "Come on girls, let's get going. This rodeo fittin' to roll out." Together, they left the house and took out to the streets, eager to accomplish their mission.

***

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie started their end of the search by looking for an old friend of Hailstorm's, Autumn Wind. A rather pretty golden mare with an orange and maroon streaked mane, her cutie mark was some leaves being blown by an autumn breeze. She had been gifted with an ability to clear leaves with her powerful wings like no other pony, and her mark showed it. Rainbow scanned the houses, trying to remember where she lived. It wasn't long, however, before they spotted her, cleaning up some litter with her wings that was left by some rather thoughtless pegasi.

"Farking street is a farking mess." She grumbled. Rainbow smiled.

"Hey, Windy!" She called out. Autumn Wind looked up, her maroon eyes soon locking onto Rainbow. She grinned, hastily picked up the trash, and flew over to greet her old friend.

"Rainbow Dash! How ya doing, ya old speed demon!?" She said, hugging her. Rainbow returned it.

"I was in town to see my sis." She said. "I was gonna pay you a visit later, but then my pals from Ponyville showed up." She said. "Oh, this is one of them. Pinkie, Autumn Wind. Windy, this is Pinkie Pie."

"Hi!" Pinkie chirped. Autumn smiled.

"Nice to meet ya." She said. "Ponyville, you say? That's a long way from here."

"Tell me about it." Rainbow said. "Anyway, I wish I could stay and chat, but I got work to do."

"We're on a mission." Pinkie said. "We're trying to find someone."

"Oh really? Who?" She asked.

"Hailstorm." Rainbow said. "You remember him right?"

"Hard to forget." Autumn said, smiling. "I remember every single girl in the school was gaga for him, yours truly included." She said with a wink. Pinkie scowled.

"Hey, he's Fluttershy's coltfriend!" She said. The two pegasi just laughed.

"Pinkie, she's just playing around." Rainbow said. Autumn laughed.

"It's ok." She said. "I was never really serious about it anyway. His heart was pretty much set on Fluttershy the minute he laid his eyes on her. I always respected that." She smiled.

"Anyway, Firefly says she's been hearing around that he's back in town." Rainbow said.

"Can't say I heard that myself." She said. "But I do know who might know." Pinkie's expression brightened.

"Oh really? Who who who?" She said, bouncing like a ball. Autumn snickered.

"I like this one, Rainbow." She said. "Never fails to get a laugh." Rainbow chuckled.

"That's Pinkie for ya." She said. "Element of Laughter to a T."

"Anyway, to answer your question," she said, "he's an old griffon who lives down the road. Always has an ear open for news. We call him Old Gunther." She said. "Lives just down the way, house number 622. Place is covered with feathers, ya can't miss it."

"Thanks, Windy." Rainbow said. "We owe you one."

"Don't worry." She said. "And don't be strangers."

"Oh don't worry." Pinkie Pie said. "We're gonna throw a huge party for Fluttershy and Hailstorm when this is all over. You wanna come."

"Why not?" Autumn said with a grin. "Cya guys around." Rainbow waved before they continued on down the street. They soon spotted the feather covered house.

"Oooh, messy." Pinkie said. Rainbow simply flew over and knocked on the door.

"I'm a comin'!" A voice said. The door opened to reveal an ancient looking griffon. His feathers, which may have been black at one point, were now speckled with gray and white. His body was thin, almost lanky, with joints that looked sore from age. Rainbow felt a twinge of sympathy for the poor guy. "Who are you, missy?" He asked.

"Missy?" Rainbow asked, a bit miffed. She didn't like folks using that name with her. "Who ya calllin'..." she began, then thought better of it. "I mean, you're name's Gunther?"

A grunt. She guessed that meant "yes".

"Name's Rainbow Dash." She said. "This here's Pinkie Pie. Autumn Wind told us you know a lot about what goes on in this town." Gunther appeared to smile at this.

"That I do, Mis... er, I mean Rainbow Dash." He said, mindful not offend her again.

"Ever hear of a stallion by the name of Hailstorm Tempest coming back into town?" She asked. "He's pretty well known." Gunther scratched his chin, taking a moment to think.

"Nay, the name ain't familiar with me." He said. Pinkie looked crestfallen. "Though, I did hear something about some stallion who could make his own hailstorms."

"That's him." Rainbow Dash said. "You know where he is?"

"What I hears is he's lodging up at this apartment complex on Mustang." He said. "Sunlight Terrace, methinks it was." Rainbow looked like she could hug the guy.

"Thanks." She said. "We owe you big time."

"Tink nothing of it." He said. "Oooh. Now if you excuse me, me old bones could use a rest." He said.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie chirped, and they left him to rest.

"Follow me, Pinks." Rainbow said. "I know a shortcut."

***

Pinkie and Dash raced up the stairs of the huge apartment complex to the listed apartment for Hailstorm. For Dash, this was no problem, but poor Pinkie was huffing, puffing and feeling the pain with each and every step, and was quickly falling behind.

"Come on, Pinks!" Dash said. "We're almost there."

"I...can't...last...much longer." Pinkie huffed, sweat pouring down her in rivers.

"Don't you quit me." Dash said firmly. "Not now, not when we're this close." She said, though she also cursed the apartment for not having an elevator. Another couple of flights of stairs, and they finally made it to the top, which came as a great sigh of relief to Pinkie, who promptly collapsed at the top of the stairs. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes before picking her pink friend up.

"Thank goodness." She slurred. "We're here." Dash nodded.

"Come on, let's go." She said. They quickly located the apartment and rang the doorbell. They waited anxiously, but the expected answer never came. Dash tried again.

"Hey Hailstorm! You in there!?" She called. Still, they got nothing. An elderly pegasus stallion came around the corner.

"Can I help you folks?" He asked.

"Does Hailstorm Tempest live in this apartment?" Dash asked.

"I'm afraid he move out a long time ago, ma'am." He said. "Last I heard, he was livin' in Trottingham." Their expressions fell.

"Oh, OK." Dash said. "Thanks anyway." With that, they turned and left, going back down the stairs.

"Oh poo." Pinkie said. Dash pat her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we've still got other ponies to talk to." She said. "And maybe Twilight and them will have better luck." Pinkie nodded.

"I hope so." She said. "Oh, I hope we haven't missed him or anything."

***

"Here we are." Firefly said. They were standing outside Sky Fizzy's, which Firefly had told them was a popular bar/soda fountain for the younger set, mostly university kids on the weekends. Firefly told them that it was one of Hailstorm's favorite places to go when they were in school, as the establishment served a large variety of non-alcoholic drinks for the high school crowd.

"Looks nice enough." Twilight said.

"Small word of advice, order something." Firefly said. "Bartenders are more likely to talk to you when you buy something." The gang then entered the bar, the sound of music from a jukebox filling their ears as they approached the bar. A middle aged stallion with a shot glass as a cutie mark stood behind it, wiping down several mugs. He smiled when he saw Firefly approach.

"The usual?" He asked.

"Straight to the point, eh Shooter?" She said. "And yes." He grabbed a small mug and poured a brown ale into it, ensuring he had a good head on it before sliding it down the bar to her. She took a swig. "Ah, I love this stuff."

"Can I get anything for you, ladies?" Shooter asked the others. Spike, being a boy dragon, scowled, but stayed quiet.

"Would you happen to have any sparkling water?" Rarity asked. Shooter seemed confused. "No? Could I have a small glass of your good red wine?" She asked.

"I'll try whatever it is Firefly's havin'." Applejack said.

"May we have two root beer floats, if you can?" Twilight asked. Spike grinned.

"Comin' right up." Shooter said.

"Go ahead and put all that on my tab." Firefly said. Shooter made their drinks while conversing with one of the other patrons.

"You think he knows where Hailstorm is?" Applejack asked.

"He's a regular, he has to know." Firefly said. "Especially if he's paying with plastic." Shooter returned with their drinks. Applejack took a drink of the ale, tasting the bitter hops, which contrasted nicely with the taste of fire-roasted malts.

"Not bad." She said. Spike eagerly started sipping his root beer float, while Rarity sampled her wine. She smiled

"Marvelous." She said.

"If you don't mind us asking, sir, we're looking for someone, and we were wondering if you could help us." Twilight asked.

"I'll try." He said.

"Do you know of a Hailstorm Tempest has been here recently?" She asked. He thought for a moment.

"I heard he was supposed to be in town, moving into an apartment over on Mustang." He said. "But I've been out for the last few days, so I can't tell you if he's been in recently. I'll ask my servers when they get off break." He said. Twilight smiled.

"Thank you, sir." She said.

"Please, just call me Shooter." He said with a smile, before going back to washing the mugs. The gang were all smiles. Surely they had to know where he was. This had to pan out. The anxiously waited, downing their drinks, until a pair of mares stepped in from the back.

"You ponies looking for Hailstorm Tempest?" One of them, a sea-green maned yellow pegasus, said.

"That we are, ma'am." Applejack said. "We heard rumors that he was back in town, and we decided to check some of his old haunts. You seen him?"

"He used to come in here every afternoon." The other, a red pegasus, said. "Always ordered the same thing; Bluestone Lager with an order of those fried cheese stick things." She shook her head. "Poor guy's gonna have horrible cholesterol." The

"Used to?" Twilight asked.

"He moved to Trottingham a while back." She said. "I think he took a job with the weather team there, but I could be wrong."

"Swell." Applejack said. "We were hoping to talk him into coming back to Ponyville with us.

"Ponyville?" They asked. "How come?" Rarity explained everything.

"Awww." The red pegasus said. "That's so cute." The yellow pegasus hastily grabbed some note paper and wrote down some names.

"Here you go." She said, handing the paper to Twilight. "These guys are all the local town gossips. If anyone knows if these rumors are true, they will."

"Thank you ladies." She said. "Firefly, do you think you could give them a generous tip?"

"One step ahead of ya." Firefly said, paying for their drinks and leaving a tip for the helpful barmaids, before the gang left, eager to follow their latest lead.

***

"Sorry Dash, I haven't seen him." Said a tall lime green stallion, his yellow eyes looking down at them from the scaffold he was on, a brush for washing windows at his hooves. "And I couldn't tell about any rumors, I haven't heard any. Have you tried his old apartment? If he was moving back he might be there."

"Gunther told us that he was moving back into his old apartment, but when we got there the landlord said he moved to Trottingham."

"Ah." The pegasus said. "Gunther's a nice enough griffon but, lately he's been going a bit... scatterbrained."

"Thanks anyway, Squee-Gee." She said, leaving her friend to his work. Pinkie lost a bit of her color at this news.

"We'll keep looking." Dash said to her. "Don't lose hope now." Pinkie nodded, but it was getting harder for her to keep her spirits up. This was the fifth old friend of Hailstorm's they has asked, and it was a dead end.

Were they ever going to find him?

***

The rest of the gang wasn't having any better luck. They had tried three of his favorite hangout spots, and none of them had any idea if they rumors were true. They had also taken to following the town gossip leads, but so far, none of them had any information to offer them. They were now on their way to try another one, one Scoops, who was supposed to be the best at gathering information and verifying it. As it should be; she was a reporter for the Cloudsdale Examiner.

Twilight and her companions were led inside and to a small office to wait for her. Scoops was known for her punctuality, they were told, so they wouldn't have long to wait. Still, sitting in a boring, drab office for an hour was so boring, it felt like an eternity. But finally, their contact, a brown mare with a red mane and a newsman's hat for a cutie mark, entered the room.

"They told me you were waiting for me?" She asked.

"Yes." Twilight said. "Some ponies told us you were good at verifying rumors?"

"I would hope so." Scoops said. "It is my job."

"I heard that an old friend of mine, Hailstorm Tempest, was back in town." Firefly said. "He's the guy who can create hailstorms from scratch, first time in hundreds of years that someone could do that." Scoops thought for a moment.

"You sure?" She asked. "Because if that were true, I would know." She said. They looked almost crestfallen.

"I know the guy." She said. "Everyone in this city does. Next to Rainbow Dash, he's the most remarkable pegasus this city has produced. If he were back in town, I would be the first to know. The folks around her know me well enough that they would have told."

"Oh." Twilight said. "We're sorry for bothering you."

"Please, it's OK." Scoops said. "I wish I knew what else I could do, but I'm afraid I just can't help you."

"It's alright." Rarity said. "Thank you anyway." With that, they left. They plopped down on the sidewalk and sighed. Their search was turning out to be in vain. They had scoured all their leads. Now all that was left was trying to canvas around, showing a photograph and asking. It was the only option they had left, so they got up and started asking everyone they met.

It was better than sitting their, feeling the growing sense of defeat within them.

***

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie later joined up with them for dinner. They too, had had a run of lousy luck, as she explained to them. They had asked every single one of his old friends, and they had come up with nothing. They all either said they didn't know or that he had moved and had not come back. Pinkie Pie was taking it worst. Her coat was now a much darker shade of pink, perfectly matching her growing sadness. She felt like they were going to fail their friend. She didn't want to fail her friend.

"We've been trying too." Twilight said. "We've been reduced to showing a photograph around. It's not helping. Nobody knows anything. I'm about ready to just give up."

"We can't give up." Rainbow Dash protested. "We just gotta keep trying, for Fluttershy's sake."

"She's right." Applejack said. "We can't stop now. We have to keep tryin' to find Hailstorm."

"Hailstorm?" A male voice asked. "You mean Hailstorm Tempest?" They turned to see a uniformed police officer approaching. Apparently the cafe they had stopped at was on his beat.

"Who are you?" Rainbow asked.

"Name's Lock Down." He said. "Would you believe me and Tempest went to university together?" He said.

"You did?" Pinkie asked. He nodded.

"Why didn't you just come to me?" He asked. "I could'a helped you find him."

"You can!?" They said, all smiles. Officer Lock Down chuckled.

"It's a bit irregular, but I could put in a call to R&I for you." He said. "They'll be able to pull up a current work address. If he's here, he's got to have a job."

"Thank you so much officer." Twilight said. Officer Lock Down bowed respectively before walking over to a nearby police phone box to put in the call. They waited anxiously while he spoke to someone on the other end. Pinkie Pie's expression had brightened a bit, and she was hopping up and down waiting for the call to come back. If anyone could find him, the police certainly could. Lock Down soon finished his call and came back over to them.

"I'm afraid I have bad news." He said. "R&I says he's currently working in Trottingham."

"Trottingham?" They all asked.

"The Weather Service has him on permanent assignment in Trottingham." Lock Down replied.

"PERMANENT ASSIGNMENT!?" They asked in shock. He nodded, sighing a bit. That little bit of bad news did it. Pinkie Pie practically deflated. Her hair went flat, she last all her bright color, and her eyes lost their light, only tears of heartbreak remaining, perfectly symbolizing the breaking heart of every one of the Elements of Harmony. Lock Down gave them a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, ladies." He said.

"It's OK, Officer." Twilight said, her voice cracking. "Thank you for trying." Lock Down bid them farewell before continuing his beat. Once he was gone, Pinkie began to whimper, and finally cry full on, tears streaming down her face as she buried it in her hooves. Rainbow Dash tried to keep herself from crying, but to no avail, sniffling and wiping tears from her own eyes, while her sister tried her best to comfort her. Twilight and the others didn't even bother to try and dry their eyes, there were so many dripping from them.

"We're so sorry, Fluttershy." Rarity whimpered. "We failed you..." Firefly felt nothing but sympathy for them. They wanted so badly to reunite their friend, they gambled everything on finding him in Cloudsdale in time for Hearts and Hooves. But, they lost. It kicked her in the gut to see them upset, especially her sister, who was normally so composed.

"If you don't feel like going back today... you can spend the night at my place." She said. "It's not stylish, but it's comfortable." Twilight looked at her.

"Thank you, Firefly." She said, her eyes turning red from crying. They didn't even bother to order; they didn't feel any appetite then. They simply left for Firefly's home, tired and defeated.

***

Pinkie Pie had her eye on Firefly's clock. She watched the second hand move around the face of the clock on it's journey to count down another minute lost. She dried a single tear from her eye. They had all long since stopped crying, but the pain remained. They hadn't been able to get any sleep, so they simply stayed awake, commiserating. Firefly had done her best to comfort them, but the hurt remained. It was more than just sadness, it was defeat. They had failed their friend, and they all knew it.

Oh, what were they going to tell Fluttershy when they got back home?

With a ring, the clock struck midnight. The previous day and it's events were all over. It was now a new day, and a new beginning. Only, it didn't feel like it.

"Midnight." Pinkie said. "Hearts and Hooves Day." She felt as though a stake had been driven into her heart. They had well and truly failed. There was nothing they could do now. It was all over.

Her stomach began to growl. She was hungry, but for some reason, she just didn't feel like eating. However, it would be better if she did, if they all did. She walked over to where the others were sitting.

"If anyone else is hungry, I can get us a late dinner." She said. The others looked up.

"Might as well." Applejack said. "Better than just sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves." Rarity nodded. Firefly came over and gave Pinkie some bits.

"There's a 24-hour bakery around the corner." She said. "They make some pretty good doughnuts."

"Thanks, Firefly." She said, putting the bits in her saddlebags and leaving for the bakery. It was a short walk to the little hole in the wall place, and she almost missed it, but the smell of baked goods led her in. She entered, ringing a bell, and a kindly looking mare stood at the counter.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Could I have two dozen varied doughnuts to go please?" She asked.

"Of course dear." She said. "Is everything alright? You seem bothered."

"It's a long story." Pinkie said with a sigh. The mare took her order back to the kitchen.

"It'll be a little bit." She said. "You're more than welcome to have a seat." Pinkie thanked her before taking a seat. She laid her head down on the table, thinking about Fluttershy. It brought another tear to her eye when she thought about what would happen when they told her what they tried to do. Probably break her heart into a million pieces, she thought, if it wasn't already there before. She sighed again as the mare left to help with her order. Pinkie just buried her face in her hooves, ready to start crying again, feeling the fireball in her throat, when out of the corner of her ear, she hear someone singing loudly outside.

Had some money for a turbo drive.... It ain't the destination, it's the ride, ride, ride...

Curious, she looked up from her hooves and craned to listen, just as someone came in from off the street. Now she could tell it was a stallion.

Kick it into gear, kick it into gear
That's the only way you're gonna get on outta here
Kick it into gear, kick it into gear
Sometimes you just got to kick into gear

"That song... could it be?" She wondered. Before she could look, the mare came back from the kitchen.

"Oh my stars." She said. "Is that Hailstorm Tempest I see coming back in here?"

"Unless I have an evil, singing twin I don't about." The voice joked.

"I don't believe it! The Prodigal Son returns." The mare said. Pinkie Pie whirled around to see. She gasped.

The white coat. The blue mane and short cropped tail. The hailstone cutie mark. It was him!

Pinkie Pie felt a sudden surge of happiness go through her being, so much so that her mane burst back into it's usual poofiness, and her bright colors returned. Her eyes grew wide and shimmered with the joyous fire that now burned within her heart.

"Aaaaah!" She squealed. "I found you, IfoundyouIfoundyouIfoundyou!" She started hopping and bouncing around the entire bakery. Hailstorm grabbed his nicked ears and held them shut.

"Sure, you can murder my eardrums." He said. "Go right ahead." Pinkie Pie didn't notice, she was too happy.

"Hailstorm!" She squealed. "I can't believe it! We were looking for you all over the city for you, and we thought we couldn't, cuz you were in Trottingham, but now you're here and AAAAH!" She squealed. Hailstorm looked back at the mare.

"I don't know her, I've never seen her before in my life, and stop looking at me like that." Pinkie Pie bounded over and grabbed on to his hoof.

"Come on! You have to come with me! It's important!" She said. She looked at him with an insistent look in her eyes. Hailstorm grinned sheepishly, but though he had a strange mare he had never seen before trying to drag him out of the store, he felt he could trust her for some reason.

"Well, if it means that much to you..." He said, but Pinkie was already dragging him along before he could finish.

"Could you hold those doughnuts?" Pinkie asked. The mare was laughing.

"Of course, dear." She said.

"Thanks!" She said, dragging a stammering Hailstorm with her.

***

Rainbow Dash, feeling as miserable as ever, fluttered her way downstairs after washing herself up. The rest of the gang was trying to distract themselves with a card game, and she decided to join in.

"What are we playing?" She asked.

"Seven card stud, aces and deuces wild." Firefly said. Rainbow sat down and asked to be dealt in. They were just about to start the opening round betting when...

"I FOUND HIM!" Cards and poker chips flew everywhere as five ponies jumped in total surprise.

"Pinkie, what gives?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie just bounced like a ball.

"IfoundhimIfoundhimIfoundhimIfoundhim!" She chattered.

"Slow down, Pinkie Pie." Applejack said, just as someone began to come into view.

"Ugh." He said. "Alright, now that we've stopped, what the hay is so important?" He asked. Everypony's eyes suddenly went wide, especially those of Rainbow Dash and Firefly.

"Hailstorm!?" She said. He gaped.

"What the... Rainbow Dash?" He said. He would have said more had Rainbow not tackled him and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug.

"Aw man! We've been looking everwhere for you!" She said. "How ya been?"

"Fine." He said. "And I'll keep being fine as soon as you let me breath." She released her hug as the others began to crowd around.

"I can't believe it!" Twilight said, overjoyed. "It's really him!"

"Oh, he's even more handsome in person." Rarity said, causing Hailstorm to blush. "Fluttershy picked such a fine stallion..." Applejack said nothing, just looked at him with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

"What happened?" Firefly asked. "When were scouring the city, nobody could tell us where you were."

"We finally had to have a policeman call in to get your work address, but they said you have been placed on permanent station in Trottingham." Rarity said.

"Oh, that." He said. "Well, you see, they actually just reassigned me the other day. The Weather Service hasn't sent it in to R&I yet." He said. "I thought I'd drop in to see the old neighborhood before I left."

"Where are they sending you?" Twilight asked.

"Some little podunk town called Ponyville." He said.

"YAY!" Pinkie cried. "He's coming to Ponyville!"

"That's our hometown." Applejack said. Twilight beamed, then cleared her throat.

"Oh silly me." She said. "I haven't introduced us yet. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends." Applejack shook his hoof.

"Howdy, I'm Applejack." She said. Rarity smiled at him.

"My name is Rarity." She said. "You've already met Pinkie Pie." She said, pointing to the hyperexcited pink pony.

"You can say that again." He said. "So, if I might ask, why were you guys looking for me?" He asked.

"Wanna take a guess?" Rainbow asked.

"No, I stink at guessing games." He said. Rainbow chuckled.

"In that case," she said, "well, we were gonna ask you to come back to Ponyville with us tomorrow." Hailstorm cocked his head.

"But I'm not due there for another two days." He said. "Why tomorrow?"

"Well, since Hearts and Hooves gets kicked off in the morning, we figured you might want to see your old marefriend again." She said with a wink.

"My old wha..." Hailstorm began, but then it clicked. "What? Fluttershy? Fluttershy's in Ponyville?" He said. His voice cracked just a little bit.

"Yes, she is. " Twilight said. "That's why we came here. When we found out about you two, we just had to bring you back for Hearts and Hooves." Hailstorm pawed the floor.

"I haven't seen her in years." He said. "I doubt she even remembers me, let alone still loves me..." Rarity placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"Not only does she still love as much as she did before, darling," she said, "she's pining for you."

"What?" He asked.

"She's right." Applejack said. "She's all kinds of tore up inside from missin' you so much."

"Just devestated." Pinkie Pie said. "So please, will you come back with us tomorrow? Oh please please pleeeeeease?" She looked at him with a pleading look. Everyone else did as well. Hailstorm felt a smile crack his face. Fluttershy, his sweet little Fluttershy, the one who would give him butterfly kisses whenever she passed him, the one he promised he would marry someday, the one he promised everything he had to, was waiting for him back in Ponyville. He felt his heart begin to flutter at the thought of holding her again, of looking into those big cyan eyes, of sharing another kiss...

"I made her a promise." He said. "I promised her that I would come back to her. I promised her we'd never be apart, that I'd always be with her." He smiled. "I'll go with you guys." Pinkie Pie looked like she was about to explode.

"He said yes!" She cheered. "This calls for a PARTY!"

"Whoa there, sugarcube." Applejack said. "Ya gotta save that party energy for tomorrow."

"Ooh, right." She said. "And I know just what to do. But first, let's get doughnuts." She said. The others agreed. Firefly offered to allow Hailstorm to stay, which he graciously accepted. Pinkie Pie shot off and returned with the donut order, which everyone happily shared. Twilight told them about stopping Night Mare Moon and Discord, which Hailstorm listened to with rapt attention. After a hearty meal, they all retired. Blankets were set up, and one by one ponies drifted off to dreamland. Hailstorm in particular dreamed sweet things, about him, and the mare he loved and thought would never see again. He smiled in his sleep as the images filled his head.

"I'm coming home, Fluttershy." He said.

***

Hearts and Hooves day came to Ponyville with much fanfare. Ponies all across the little town were celebrating in their own way. Little parties were held at various locations, and at Ponyville's school, foals of all ages exchanged sweet little cards and candy with their friends. A few gasps and cheers were heard as marriage proposals were accepted, and hearts in general inflamed with love and passion.

The biggest celebration was yet to come, however. Applejack and her family spend the entire day setting up for Pinkie Pie's Hearts and Hooves Dance. She had invited practically the entire town there, and no expense was being spared. Even Mayor Mare offered to help out, generously donating some of her own money to help cover the costs. There was a bandstand for Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ PON-3, to use for her music, along with tables for the massive spread that was being prepared, and a special portable dance floor for the ponies to dance on, whether with a partner or without.

Rarity worked overtime preparing lovely dresses for the festivities, assisted by her friends and some of the local townsfolk. She designed an especially lovely one for Fluttershy to wear that evening, based on her Gala dress, since, after all, it was going to be about her. It brought a smile to her face when she thought of everything they had planned for her.

The hours ticked away, as work continued. Those who could help generously donated their time and talent, and nothing was left uncovered. Soon, everything was ready for the festivities. All that mattered now was to wait for the right time.

***

Fluttershy looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon. Another Hearts and Hooves day was coming to a close... another Hearts and Hooves day without the one she loved. It tore her heart to pieces. She longed to see him again, the feel him holding her, nuzzling her, kissing her. She longed to hear his voice again... to hear him singing to her. Oh, how she loved it when he sang to her. He had the most beautiful singing voice. Every Hearts and Hooves Day after they met, he would call her on the phone that morning and sing to her. She remembered how she would be sure to wake up early that morning, just so she could hear it.

She sighed. But now he was gone, and she couldn't hear him sing anymore. She tried to keep them at bay, just to avoid the pain that always came with them, but they came anyway.

"Oh, Hailstorm." She said, pain in her voice as she began to recall that first moment they had as a couple, when she fell truly in love for the first time.

Hailstorm and Fluttershy walked together under the starry night sky. The local youth club had put on a Hearts and Hooves Day dance for the local students, and nearly everyone was there. Fillies and colts alike milled about or danced with their dates, either in the club itself or under the sky. Hailstorm and Fluttershy were no exception.

"The stars are so beautiful tonight." Fluttershy said. Hailstorm smiled.

"They're not nearly as beautiful as you are." He said. Fluttershy blushed.

"I'm not that beautiful..." She said. Hailstorm placed a gentle hoof on her cheek.

"In my eyes, you'll always be the most beautiful filly in Equestria." He said. She blushed again. Just then, a song came over the sound system. She smiled when she heard it.

"I love this song." She said, and she began to sing along

I just wanted you to comfort me
When I called you late last night you see
I was fallin' into love
Yes, I was crashin' into love
Oh of all the words you sang to me
About life, the truth and being free, yeah
You sang to me, oh how you sang to me

Hailstorm smiled at her, and joined in. It was time to let her know

Girl, I live off how you make me feel
So I question all this being real
'Cause I'm not afraid to love
For the first time I'm not afraid of love

Oh, this day seems made for you and me
And you showed me what life needs to be
Yeah, you sang to me, oh you sang to me

Fluttershy felt a tear come to her eye when she realized what he was trying to say. Just as the song broke into the chorus, they slowly leaned into each other, closed their eyes, and allowed the lips to touch.

And with that, they shared their first kiss.

Fluttershy had to stop reminiscing at that point. The memory was one of her most cherished, and yet it was also the one that caused her the most heartache. At this point, she just couldn't take it anymore. She desperately tried to force herself to stop remembering, even as the song, their song, played in her mind.

"Please stop." She said, her voice cracking. Just then, there was a knock at the door. She dried what tears there were in her eyes and walked over to answer it. She was surprised to see Pinkie Pie there, a pink envelope sealed with a heart in her mouth.

"Oh, hello Pinkie Pie." She said. "What's this?" Pinkie placed it in her hoof.

"It's an invitation to the big H and H day dance at Sweet Apple Acres." She said. "There's going to be dancing, and cakes and cupcakes and games and you're the guest of honor." Fluttershy froze.

"But me?" She said. "Oh, I don't know..."

"We have a surprise for you!" She chirped musically. Fluttershy couldn't help but crack a smile at her friend.

"Well, OK, since you went to so much trouble." She said. Pinkie Pie grinned.

"Seven o'clock sharp." She said. "Be there or be square." She said, bouncing away. Fluttershy smiled a bit more, before going back inside.

At least she still had her friends.

***

"Do I have to wear this?" Firefly asked. Rarity had dressed her in the formal gown she made for her, and to be honest, she just wasn't the formal type. But Rarity only nodded insistently.

"I know it's not your style, but I must insist on formal attire." She said, pointing at the pink and blue crystal studded white dress. Firefly didn't like it one bit, but she relented. This was for Fluttershy, so she would bear it.

"Is Flutters coming?" She asked Pinkie, who stood nearby. She nodded.

"She'll be here any minute now." She said. The pink pony bounced off to go talk to her other friends. They waited for about ten minutes, before they spotted someone coming over the hill.

"Is that her?" Rainbow Dash asked. Everypony watched as not one, but two figures came into view... ones they all knew quite well.

"Holy guacamole!" Firefly said. "Is that Soarin' and Spitfire?" Sure enough, the two lead Wonderbolts entered the party, surprisingly dressed in their flight uniforms. Rainbow Dash gasped. The two Wonderbolts made a beeline right for her. She squeaked as though trying to suppress a fangirl squeal. Spitfire smiled at Dash, but said nothing, instead nudging Soarin' in the ribs. He smiled and turned to Rainbow.

"Hey, uh, Rainbow Dash." He said. She squeaked at him remembering her name. "I uh... well, I brought you a little... something... happy Hearts and Hooves Day." He said. He uncurled his tail to reveal a bouquet of roses, furnished by the local florist, and passed it to her. Rainbow Dash felt her heart being to race so fast it felt like it was going to explode. Did Soarin', the Soarin', like her. She looked at the tag, which was singed with.... x's and o's. Firefly noticed it too.

"Stand back, she's gonna blow!" She said playfully. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash burst into a series of fangirl shrieks and squeals and pranced around on her hooftips, so much that one might mistake her for Rarity.

"I can't believe it!" She said. "A... Wonderbolt... has a... CRUSH ON ME!" Soarin' blushed and grinned, while Spitfire just smiled approvingly. Applejack laughed at her friend's spasm.

"Well then for goodness sakes, go dance with him already." She said. Rainbow wasted no time in practically dragging him out the dance floor. Firefly laughed.

"Soarin' for a bro-in-law?" She asked. "I like the sound of that." The others smiled, happy for their friend. Twilight held the hoof of her steady coltfriend, Caramel, sighing, knowing that this was about to be followed up by something even more wonderful.

They waited for about another twenty minutes, and then, right on time, Fluttershy, dressedin her beautiful green satin dress, came into the dance, looking self-conscience, but still pleased to be there. Twilight came right over.

"Fluttershy, I'm so glad you came." she said. Fluttershy smiled.

"Thank you for putting this on." She said. "I feels good to be out with my friends again." She said, though she certainly still hurt inside. Twilight smiled.

"Good, because we have something special planned." She said, producing a blind fold, clearing the dance floor, and placing her in the center of it before blindfolding her.

"Twilight?" She asked, a little afraid.

"It's OK." She said. "It's just that special."

"OK." Fluttershy said. Twilight then clapped her hooves. Fluttershy waited their, not able to see, but still able to sense something, or someone, coming up to her. She held her hooves out to receive whatever it was, but instead was greeted by a soft breath on her ear, and then she heard someone start to sing.

Sing a song she knew very well.

All the while you were in front of me I never realized
I just can't believe I didn't see it in your eyes
I didn't see it, I can't believe it
Oh but I feel it
When you sing to me ]

Fluttershy knew that song... and that voice! She felt her heart begin to quicken, she began to tremble.

"H-H-Hailstorm?" She asked, her voice cracking yet again. She didn't dare believe it to be true, it was too good to be true. It just couldn't be true. Immediately she tore off the blindfold and looked to her side.

And there was no mistaking the pegasus stallion who stood beside her.

Fluttershy's eyes began to flood with tears. Her heart beat a pace she didn't think was possible. Her breathing came in short, ragged breaths. She just couldn't believe it. There he was, standing right in front of her. Her lost love, her soulmate, the other half of her heart.

"Hailstorm, it can... is it really you?" She asked. "I must be dreaming." If she was dreaming, she didn't want it to end. Hailstorm gave her a gentle nip on the ear. She didn't wake up in her bed, with only her heartache as her companion. The other ponies watched them intently. Fluttershy's vision grew cloudy as more tears, this time tears of joy rather than heartache, flooded her eyes.

"It's me." He said. Fluttershy cried out happily and embraced him, finally letting it all out. Her body shook as joyous sobs coursed through her. Hailstorm wrapped his forelegs around her in a loving embrace, some tears of his own beginning to form.

"Oh Hailstorm," she cried, "I thought I'd never see you again! I missed you so much, it felt like I was dying inside."

"I missed you too, Fluttershy." He said. "There wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't thinking about you, nor a night where I wasn't dreaming of you." He said. "I'm so sorry I was gone for so long..."

"Please don't." She said. "I'm just so happy you're here now. But, how did you find me?'

"Well, I had a little help." He said, gesturing toward her friends. She turned to them.

"This was my surprise?" she asked. "You went and found him?"

"Well, more like he found us." Applejack said. Twilight nodded.

"We wanted you to be happy again, so we went to Cloudsdale to find him." She said. Fluttershy smiled.

"Oh, thank you." She said. "I can't even repay you for this." Hailstorm put a hoof on her shoulder.

"It's not over yet." He said. He took something out of his vest pocket and slipped it over her hoof. She gasped loudly when she saw it.

It was a hoof ring, but a special kind of hoof ring... one that asked a very important question. She squeaked as more tears flowed. Hailstorm smiled.

"I made a promise." He said. "I intend to keep it." He said. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Everypony there leaned forward, anxiously awaiting her answer. Pinkie Pie leaned so much, she flopped over on her face.

"Ouch." She said. Fluttershy looked at the ring, then at Hailstorm, and smiled, a true honest smile.

"Yes." She said. Hailstorm teared up even more as they embraced again.

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash whooped. "Best day ever!" Everypony began to clap and cheer for them as Vinyl began to play their song. But they didn't hear them. They were too focused on each other. Fluttershy placed a hoof on his cheek, and just like on another Hearts and Hooves Day so long ago, they leaned toward each other.

And they shared a wonderful, passionate kiss.

***

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned something more wonderful than I can possibly describe. I learned just how powerful true love can be. Even after being separated by distance or even by the gulf of time itself, true love always prevails. The bond shared by two loving hearts is, when is pure and honest, is strong enough to withstand anything that life can send its way. And that is what makes it so wonderful to have.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

THE END

Comments

[Splatter8]

All I can say, tears were shed Now excuse me I need to go eat a bucket of ice cream

[MrBigmac1011]

D'AWWWWWW!!!

[MrBigmac1011]

Ok now for my real comment, great fic I only have two pieces of criticism
1) work on the difference between their vs. there.
2) the sorindash at the end felt a little forced. I would have liked some lead up to that.
But this is just nitpicky stuff. Keep writing cause its awesome.

[knightcommander]

166812

1) Doggone it, I did it again >_<. I know the difference, I just derped.
2) It did? Yeah probably. I might be tempted to rewrite it at some point. Maybe x3

[OminousBrony]

This right here deserves to be the Heart and Hooves Episode. Not some thing about the CMC using a love potion on Big Mac and Cheerilee

[Magical Trevor]

HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!

N-NO! BASTARD! YOU TOOK MY NICKNAME FOR FLUTTERSHY! (XD JK bro! AMAZING story! LOVE it! 10 star EASILY!)

[JayGraphite]

kk time to do something manly after many manly tears were lost
1) play bloody games
2) listen to rock/metal while playing
3) watch war movies
4) watch action movies
5) read more MLPfics
6) cry
7) repeat...

[-Brutus]

*sheds a tear for great justice!*

[jmlop0]

What...is this watery salty liquid coming from my eyes?I havent cryed since my little dashie!

[PinkAndYellow1025]

"And too busy to notice all the stuff we're smuggling." Applejack said, chuckling. The police officers heard that, and rolled their eyes.

Yeah, thats not going to get you tackled if you said that in real life at all...