With Ponyville finally getting it's own sheriff, everypony is excited to get to know their new lawpony. Yet Twilight has some reservation about this mysterious newcomer and his firey haired daughter.
Ponyville is finally getting it's own county sheriff, and Twilight and her friends and ready to give their new lawpony a true Ponyville welcome. Yet Twilight doesn't trust the newcomer, and she is determined to find the truth. Even against the new sheriff's wishes.
"Come out with your hands up!" The guard yelled through a window.
Somepony in the house answered with a gunshot. The guards ducked and covered their heads.
Make shift barricades surrounded a small grey home. A nearby radio reporter shouting into a microphone, narrating what was happening."I've live at an armed standoff between the royal guard and an unknown armed assailant!" A shout rang out and the reporter ducked. "According to reports the gunpony is holding a young filly hostage!"
A sergeant yelled into the house through a mega phone. "Open up or we will force our way in!"
"Fuck off!" Another shot rang out.
The sergeant picked up his rifle. "Fuck this," he cocked the rifle. "Storm the fucking place!"
The reporter turned towards the barricades. "The guards are now entering the building!"
A team of riot guards carried a battering ram up to the door. "Alright boys, knock it down!" The sergeant yelled. The battering ram smashed the door and they charged in. Shots rang out from the house. Shouts were heard from the house and the sergeant came out of the house carrying a small red manned unicorn filly.
"Sergeant!" The reporter ran over to the sergeant. "Sir, can you answer some questions."
"He's headed out the back!" A Pegasus burst out the back and leaped over the back fence.
The blue manned Pegasus ran down the alley as the guards leapt over the fence and ran after him. The Pegasus out ran the guards and cut though some pony's yards. The Pegasus stopped to catch his breath. "Damn it I'm out of shape."
The sound of a pistol cocking came from behind him.”You seem to be great shape," The Pegasus groaned. "Hands up Storm don't make this hard."
Storm turned around and faced the pony. "Hey Shining, how's the wife?"
Shining armour smiled. "She's good, and yourself?" Storm shrugged. "That's nice, now are you going to cooperate?" Storm shook his head. "I thought as much." Storm drew his gun but shining fired his gun first.
"Fuck you Armour." Storm swore on the way down.
"Fuck you too." Shining holstered his weapon as the guards came down the alley. "I got him!"
The grand double doors swung open and royal guards dragged Storm's body into the regal bedroom. Celestia put down her book down. "Sit him down on the bed." The armoured ponies put on the body on her bed. "Please stay behind Prince Armour." Shining Armour nodded. Celestia stood up and walked over to Storm's body; she looked him over and rolled her eyes. "Wake up Storm." She floated her book over to him and slammed it into his gut.
Storm gasped and wrenched. He rolled onto his side coughing. "You're a dick Shinning!"
Shining shook his head. "You we're going to shoot me!"
"You did shoot me!"
"Please you we're wearing a vest."
Storm sat up. "You're gun was supposed to have blanks you ass hole!" He began coughing.
"Yet you still wore a vest!" Shining retorted.
Storm stopped coughing. "I always wear a vest."
Celestia sighed and floated a bottle of brown liquid over to the Pegasus. "I had someone pick up some your favourite scotch."
"Thanks Tia." He took a long drink. Celestia and Shining remained silent while Storm drank. "I just want to say thank you, this means a lot to me and Cherry. Where is she any way?"
Celestia smiled. "She's with Luna." The princess sat down next to Storm. "Now listen I have a proposition for you."
"I'm listening." Storm took another drink.
"Well there is a small town called ponyville and they want their own police force and I need somepony to be in charge." Celestia explained.
Storm drank again. "You want me to be a cop?!" He laughed and took another drink.
"Sheriff," Shining interjected "Sheriff, you would police the county, not just the town." Storm rolled his eyes and when for another drink but Celestia pulled it away making Storm lean forward to grab the bottle and to fall down. He groaned and curled up slightly.
"Fuuuu-shit that hurt!" He stood up slowly. "Ponyville huh, so what's the catch?"
"Catch?" Celestia asked innocently. "Why would there be a catch?"
"There is always a catch with you Tia." Storm grabbed the bottle. "Remember Vegas?" Celestia blushed and looked away.
"My sister Twilight lives there." Shining informed, blushing at the memory of the Vegas incident as well.
Storm took a drink. "Oh yeah, Princess Twilight," He took another drink. "Now are you sure?"
"About what?" Celestia asked.
Storm looked up, and burned holes in Celestia with his golden eyes. "Are you sure they won't be able to find me."
The princess laughed. "This is not the first time I helped fake a death."
"Not the first time I died." Storm smiled
She extended her hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Storm slammed the bottle down. "We have a deal." He grabbed her hand.
Twilight sat in her study scribbling away in a scroll. Papers and discarded scrolls were strewn about the room. The windows were all closed and the only light came from a candle on her desk. A knocking came from her door and Spike poked his head in. "Hey Twi you skill awake?" The young alicorn turned and looked at the dragon.
"Yeah I'm awake." Twilight yawned. "What do want Spike?" She said with a dopey smile.
"I got a scroll from Celestia." He held the scroll out.
Twilight smiled and levitated the scroll over to herself. "Oh I was expecting a scroll soon!" She opened the scroll up and read it carefully. Her eyes shot open. "She found a sheriff!" Twilight was beaming. "Oh Mayor Mare will be so happ-!" She reread the bottom of the scroll. "H-he's coming tomorrow!" She fell out of her chair, her wings flailed about as she tried to get her balance. "We need to get a welcome comity-"
"Pinkie's already on that." Spike informed her.
"H-his house?"
"Been arranged."
"And the Sheriff’s station?"
"It's being furnished as we speak."
Twilight sat back in her chair. "When did you get that scroll?"
"A few hours ago." Spike opened a window. "You've been awake for three days." He began to clean up the study. "Go get some sleep, Rarity's coming over latter today and take you to the spa."
Twilight yawned. "You see that's the reason you are the number one assistant!" the young princess stood up and made her way to her room. "When I can I am going to make you duke."
Spike smiled. "Duke Spike." He puffed his chest out. "I like the sound of that!"
The world was too bright, too loud and a jerk. Strom sat in the small train cabin nursing a headache. His sun glasses offering little relief from the offending light, and the train could fuck off with the sound.
"Hangover daddy?" A small unicorn sitting beside him asked. She got an irritated grunt in response. The red manned filly giggled and opened a book and turned the pages as loud she possibly could, which wasn't very loud but Storm Cloud still got the message. He made another annoyed grunt and drank greedily from a bottle of water. "How long until we get there?"
Strom stirred in his seat and looked out the window. "About an hour, hour-half." He closed his eyes.
"What's it like in Ponyville?" Cherry asked as she closed her book.
They grey winged Pegasus rubbed his temples. "You make a lot of noise." He laid an arm over the filly's shoulders and sighed. "Well the streets and paved with gold and the trees grow fruit the size of-" Cherry elbowed him. "Gah- I was shot there sweetie!"
Cherry responded flatly. "I know."
Storm laughed. "You're defiantly your mother's kid." he coughed a few times and cleared his throat. "It's a quite little farming town, the kind of place where everypony knows everypony."
The unicorn put her feet on the seat and leaned into her dad. "That'll be nice." She reopened her book and began reading.
Storm shifted again and closed his eyes. "Yeah it will be a place to escape in."
Twilight watched the tall Pegasus stallion with careful curiosity from a table in the corner of the town hall's main room. He was nice enough, but something was off. His eyes bugged her, something about the way he looked at everything. It was like he would scan everything and everypony, like it was habit.
"Like what you see?" A soft voice with a fading accent pulled her from her thoughts. An earth pony mare with a charcoal mane sat down next to her.
"What?" Twilight asked confused.
The mare smiled. "Twilight you were staring at that stallion for a good five minutes."
Twilight frowned and rolled her eyes prompting a laugh from the mare beside her.
"Hey Twilight," a second mare with an electric blue mane draped her arms over the dark manned mare "stop hitting on my Octi." It was Octavia's turn to roll her eyes. "So princess, done eyeing up the new guy?" The blue manned mare asked with an overconfident smile.
"No it's-" Twilight started.
"Oh you want some more time?" The third mare asked wryly.
"Vinyl, behave yourself." Octavia scolded the DJ. Vinyl laughed in response hugging the mare.
Twilight cleared her throat. "As I was saying, he just doesn't make sense." The princess' eyes narrowed as she watched Storm talking with Filthy Rich.
"Then make sense of him." Twilight turned to look at Vinyl. "You're a sciencey type pony right? Don't sciencey ponies do that?" Vinyl looked at Octavia for confirmation. Octavia gave an embarrassed smiled.
Twilight thought it over and agreed. Standing up she downed a cup of punch and walked over mentally preparing. She looked him over, examining him once more. He was tall for a Pegasus with broad shoulders. His grey wings were large perfect for sustained long distance flight unlike Rainbow Dash's much smaller wings good for quick aerial acrobatics. He had dark blue hair that was combed neatly and pulled into a pony tail, bright golden eyes, and dark skin. He wore a trench coat that was once white but had since changed colour, a button up shirt, dark pants, and cheep looking leather boots. He was a handsome stallion, but he didn't draw attention, he was just another face in the crowd. He seemed too normal, so ordinary it was strange. "Mr Cloud?" Twilight asked sweetly. The Pegasus turned away from his conversation to give his attention to Twilight.
"I'll leave you two alone." Filthy Rich said as he backed away politely. "Don't forget Storm, I expect to see you on the golf course."
Storm rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know." He took a deep breath. "Princess," he said with exhausted cheerfulness "what do you need?"
"We just need to discuss some things concerning your new role as sheriff."
"Can't that wait?" Storm said annoyed as he grabbed a small cup cake off a passing plate carried by a waitress.
"No it can't" Twilight started.
Storm bit into the small pastry. "Props to the cook," he took a quick look around "and to who ever put this together, they really went all out."
"That would be Pinkie Pie," Twilight informed him "But we reall-"
"She's the bouncy one right?" Storm interrupted.
Twilight blinked in shock. "Y-yeah, Storm I think we should start-"
Storm stopped her with by putting his finger to her lips much to Twilight's shock. "Look I just got off the train, and I'm a little hung over-"
It was Twilight's turn to interrupt. "You're hung over?"
"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you would not interrupt me." Storm waited a few seconds until Twilight nodded. "Thank you. Now as I was going to say before somepony interrupted me, I still need to move in. But if you're that busy, I'll be at the station later today around four, we can talk then."
"Fine, we'll talk then." Twilight said frustrated. “So much for science.” She muttered under her breath.
A unicorn who was close by stepped into the conversation. "Now now Twilight don't keep the guest of honour all too your-self." The elegant mare curtseyed slightly towards Storm. "Pleasure to meet you Sir, I'm Rarity."
"Pleasure's all mine Miss Rarity." Storm kissed one of Rarity's hands, prompting an exhausted sigh from Twilight and the attention of Spike.
The fashionista smiled. "Please, no need to be so formal my dear."
Storm smiled back, a pleasant warm smile. "Very well then Rarity."
"So tell me darling," Rarity asked, "What did you do before coming to our little hamlet?"
Twilight walks away irritated and slumped down onto a chair. Spike walks up, visibly upset. "Who does he think he is hitting on Rarity?!" The small dragon crossed his arms with anger.
"He's not flirting with her Spike." Pinkie told him. Twilight and Spike both jumped at the sudden appearance of the pink pony. "He is being a gentlestallion."
The two looked at her with confusion. "That looks like flirting to me." Twilight responds.
"Oh Twilight, you just don't have the same classical refinement as I." She finishes the sentence with a flourish of her hand and bounces off.
"I'm Royalty." Twilight said to no one in particular.
Twilight was getting angry. It was supposed to be a good day, but it was shaping out wrong. Rainbow Dash was "sick" probably curled up in bed. The sheriff was unprofessional, and probably worst of all, LATE! The princess sat in the sheriff’s new office and watched a clock mounted on the wall. She counted every second he was late, she would find some suitable punishment for every second he is late. He was at 234 punishments. 235. One strand of her mane suddenly popped out of place.
"Okay that's creepy." Storms low voice stopped her counting. 236. "I know for a fact hair can't do that." He smiled and chuckled.
"You're late." Twilight's eye began to twitch.
Storm was unfazed by the growing insanity he saw. "I'm a dad, we tend to be late."
"Fine." 230, he had a valid reason. She stood up and presented the chair to him. "This is your new office."
"Thank you." He passed the opposite side of the desk. "Nice desk." He felt the surface of the smooth oak. The sharp sound of metal against metal rang out followed by a loud thunk. A long silver knife sticking out of the desk vibrated slightly. "Now Sparkle, I believe you wanted to talk." He fell into his chair and put his feet onto the desk top.
Twilight's eyebrow twitched. "Call me Twilight."
"Shouldn't I call you princess?"
"I'd prefer that you didn't."
Storm laughed. "Ok then Sparkle, what did you want to talk about?"
"You."
"Oh goody, my favourite topic." Storm took his feet off his desk.
Twilight smiled not catching his sarcasm. "What did you do before this?"
"Let me stop you there," Storm put his hand up "my past is my past. Nothing against you but please understand, there are things I want to leave behind me. For my daughter's sake."
Twilight nodded. "Is there anything you can tell me? Honesty is the key to friendship."
"Honesty, I've never really been good at that." Storm sighed. "Okay Sparkle, I'll tell you this. I was a good pony that did bad things, the type of things that you don't talk about."
"What are you now?" Twilight asked carefully.
"A father trying to make up for his mistakes."
"I don't have a clue why Celestia picked you, but I trust her judgement." Twilight stood up and walked towards the door. "Welcome to Ponyville sheriff Storm Cloud."
"Thank you for giving me a chance." He watched Twilight leave before leaning back in his chair. "Don't betray my trust."
Storm Cloud fell onto the new tan leather couch in his living room sighing loudly. "What's up Shadow Wing?" A shaggy head of rainbow hair hung over him wearing a cocky grin.
"Light Spectrum, what's it been ten, twelve years?" Storm laughed.
"Ten." Rainbow dash hopped over the back of the couch and landed beside him. "You got old."
"With age comes experience, and besides I'm only three years older than you." Strom put his arm around her. "Good to see you Dash."
"It's good to see you too Hurricane." She reached under the couch and pulled out a large bottle filled with a brown liquid. "I got you a present."
Storm grabbed it. "Cheep whiskey, classy. Oh and the name is Storm now, officially Hurricane Blaze was shot two days ago in a shoot out with the police."
"Good to know." Rainbow opened the bottle and took a swig. "To Hurricane, he was a good stallion."
She passed the bottle to Storm who shrugged. "I always thought he was bit of a dick." Rainbow laughed.
The next morning they were both certain that Celestia had a personal vendetta against them.
My dad is busy with with his new job, something about 'Celestia damn interviews' or something along those lines I wasn't listening. I was too busy getting ready for school, okay I wasn't getting ready. I don't like going to a new school, daddy said that we aren't moving any-more. I hope he's telling the truth, because I'm tired of not being able to make friends.
"What ya writing honey?" Storm asked while struggling with his tie.
Cherry looked up at him. "Nothing." She closed the small black diary.
"Damn thing!" Storm ripped the tie off and threw it at a wall. "Why do ponies wear those?!" He grunted. "No tie, I'll be a relaxed boss. Come on sweetie off to school." Cherry jumped off her dad's bed. Storm bent down and kissed her forehead and they rushed down stairs.
“Which way to school dad?” Cherry asked.
Storm looked around. "That way!" He said with determination and strode off confidently.
"The school is that way." Rainbow dash shouted from a cloud and pointed in the opposite direction.
"That way." Storm said with much less gusto and walked away from the napping Pegasus with the young filly close behind laughing quietly.
Storm stopped in front of the library. "Hang on honey." He walked up to the door and banged heavily. "Wake up Sparkle."
"One minute!" Twilight yelled from inside. Storm banged on the door in response.
"Well howdy Storm," a blond mare stopped in front of them and tipped her hat "Cherry." The small unicorn waved.
Storm nodded. "Applejack right?"
"Sure as sugar Hun." Applejack smiled warmly. "Ya'll waiting on Twi right?" Storm nodded. "Well I can take Cherry to the school, my lil' sis goes there so I know the way."
"Yeah that'd be great, lets me get ahead of schedule." Storm bangs on the library door. "Hurry up we're going to be late!" With that Twilight burst out the door, her hair half done. "Let's move out Sparkle. I would rather get through this quickly."
Cherry rolled her eyes. "Behave dad."
"No promises."
Applejack watched quizzically as the strange pair walked off. "He's gonna give her a heart attack."
"That or she'll give him a brain aneurysm." Cherry looked up at Applejack. "Either way somepony isn't going to make it through the day."
"E-yup, Come on, let's get ya to school."
"Settle down class." Cheerilee reigned in her class. "Please quite down." The class followed their teacher's request. "Good news class, we have a new student joining us today, her name is Cherry Blossom."
Cherry, who was read the art of war, looked up. "Hmm?"
"Why don't you come up and introduce yourself?" Cheerilee said with a smile.
Cherry Blossom sighed heavily. "Okay." She closed her book and walked up to the front. "Hi, my name is well Cherry blossom. I'm from Manehattan originally."
"Do you have your cutie mark yet?" A purple manned filly asked.
"No."
"Looks like we got a blank flank on our hands!" She shouted.
"Girls!' Cheerilee shouted. "That is enough, Cherry Blossom sit down." Cherry stormed back to her desk at the back of the room and sat down. She instantly buried herself in her book again. "Now, let's start with math."
The school bell rang and the foals ran outside for recess. Cherry, with her book in hand, Climbed a tree and leaned against it trunk letting her leg hang off the branch. She began reading a chapter on manoeuvring. 'Let your plans be dark and imperturbable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.' She imagined two great armies clashing, swords, guns, and spears hacking away at each other. She, dressed in extravagant armour of gold and silver, shouted commands as her soldiers fought with deadly precision. 'Fight to the bitter end and we will prevail this day!' Her army roared in response, shouting praise and victory. Her banner flew high adorned with the ancient symbol of the-
"Hey!" Cherry jumped slightly and looked over at the ground. "Cherry right?" A tomboyish Pegasus shouted up at her.
"Uh yeah..."
"What are you doing in a tree?" She asked.
Cherry closed her book. "My dad's a Pegasus; you pick up some weird habits." She hoped off the tree with natural grace. "What do you want?"
"Well first things first, the name's Scootaloo." She smiled big. "Congratulations!"
The unicorn filly tilted her head. "Congratulations for what?"
"For becoming the newest member of the cutie mark crusaders!" Scootaloo shouted.
"The what?" Cherry asked.
"Come on you have to meet the rest of the crusaders." Sootaloo grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
"Wait what?" Cherry asked quickly as she was dragged behind the Pegasus.
"Girls!" Scootaloo called to two fillies. "Hey Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, I found her."
The two fillies waved. "Awesome!" The unicorn filly's voice cracked as she shouted.
Cherry pulled herself free. "Okay somepony explain what it going on!"
"We want ya to be a part of the cutie mark crusaders!" The earth pony filly said in response.
"And what are the cutie mark crusaders?" Cherry shrugged.
Scootaloo smiled. "We are on a mission to help each other get out cutie marks!"
Cherry considered it. "Makes sense, and you want me to join your group." The three nodded all of them smiling. "No." Not the response they were expecting.
"B-but why?" Sweetie Belle stuttered.
"I'm flattered but," Cherry smiled softly "I do better on my own." She turned to leave. "Good luck on finding your marks girls."
"Look at this Silver Spoon," an annoying voice made Cherry freeze "all the blank flanks together."
"Birds of a feather flock together." A silver manned filly said.
"Yeah leave us alone!" Applebloom shouted alongside her friend.
Diamond Tiara scoffed. "I'm not here for you losers, I'm here for the new girl."
Cherry turned slowly to face Diamond Tiara. "Hi." Her voice dripped with venom.
"So blank flank tell me," she circled Cherry eyeing her up "how would you like to be my friend?"
Cherry laughed. "What?" She put her book down gently. "I would rather die."
"Hmpf!" Diamond Tiara frowned. "Guess you are just a loser."
"I think you're mistaking me for yourself," Cherry approached Tiara dangerously "you shallow bitch."
"What did you call me?" Tiara pushed Cherry.
Cherry pushed her back. "Don't touch me!"
"What ya going to do about it!" Tiara pushed Cherry again.
"That's simple." Cherry smiled and punched Tiara square in the nose knocking her flat on her back. "Sucker punch bitch!"
"If you could be any type of tree, what would you be?" Storm swivelled in his chair with an amused smile on his face.
Twilight groaned and rubbed her temples. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It tells me a lot about his personality." Storm smiled happily.
"Could you at least try to act like a professional?" Twilight groaned loudly.
"Uhh..." The Stallion sitting across the desk was visibly nervous. "Pine?"
"See," Storm's smile became bigger "he doesn't know a lot about trees." Twilight let her head hit the desk. "This is too much fun."
The phone on the desk rang pulling the Pegasus' attention. "The phone is connected?" He picked up the phone. "Sheriff's office. Oh Cheerilee," Storm snapped his fingers.
"The school teacher." The stallion told him.
"How's Cherry?" His smile faded. "She what? For how long? Two minutes huh? Okay yeah I'll right there." Storm stood up and pulled on his jacket.
"Wait, Storm we're in the middle of something." Twilight stopped him.
"My precious little girl just knocked another girl out." Storm turned to the stallion. "Silver Star, we'll have to cut this short."
