Martial arts hi-jinx hit Ponyville, when a pigtailed stallion arrives to fulfill a family promise.
After Lesson Zero Twilight makes the decsion to get to know the citizens of Ponyville better and make some more friends. With this in mind she decides accompany Applejack on a visit the Stonehoof Martial arts dojo and meet the family that runs it. It just happened that stormy night would change the lives of the Stonehoof clan forever with the arrival of Stonehoof's old friend Stormy Night and his son Wild Tempest. Martial arts hi-jinx ensue as challenges arise, duels are fought, and rivals begin to show up looking to even the score... With Twilight and her friends are stuck right in the thick of it.
Yin and Yang has Never been so much fun...
(This story is a Fusion of Friendship is Magic with Ranma 1/2, ponifying the Ranma cast and meshing them into the world as if they were always there. Thus events will play out differently. Both from Ranma and MLP. Big Thanks to Prosopeio for helping with the concept and editing)
Dear Princess Celestia, I'm sorry this letter is a bit late, I hope you weren't worried considering the state I was in last time you came by. Though this time, it was more the fact that Ponyville has been pretty hectic lately, even by it's usual standards. The more I learn about our world, the less it seems I really know, but I digress. It would probably be best if I started from the beginning.
You'll be pleased to know I'm making an effort to extend my circle of friends a bit, I've met most of the Ponyville's citizens of course but I haven't really gotten to know many of them. With that in mind I decided to take the afternoon to accompany Applejack as she went to pick up her sister from her martial arts lessons. In doing so I met the family that owns the Stonehoof Dojo, as well the latest visitors to Ponyville...
~
Twilight fell into stride with Applejack as she passed through the town center, the pair heading north as the rest of Ponyville tried to finish the last of their business. The weather team was already building up the first of several storms that Ponyville could look forward to in the near future. The librarian had been prepared though, an umbrella sitting atop her saddle bags in case their little trek took longer than expected. A lot of ponies seemed to believe there was some kind of error in the paperwork to call for so many sudden and shifting storms, but if the Pegasi flying above had any complaints they were keeping them to themselves. Granted, She hadn't run into Rainbow Dash yet.
"Thanks for comin' along Twi, it's a bit of a walk and the company is much appreciated." Applejack spoke with her usual casual drawl, breaking her away from her musings.
"Not a problem, we've both been busy in our own ways lately." Twilight said with a slight smile. "It's nice to have a bit of time to chat. Besides, I've never been up this way before." she passed a glance to the worn road, the amount of houses thinning as they continued north. The Stonehoof Dojo was made on the outskirts of Ponyville, away from most of her usual destinations. "I'm must admit I'm curious, I've never met a martial artist before."
"Ah, Well Stonehoof and his Kin are a good buncha ponies. Least wise from what ah've seen since Applebloom started takin lessons."
"So she's enjoying herself then?" Twilight asked with a raised brow. Applebloom was on of the most impatient of the Crusaders when it came to getting their cutie marks. To stick with an activity for so long after was a wonder in itself. AJ chuckled a bit before passing a grin.
"You could say that, She really hit it off with Stonehoof's youngest daughter. Hoof to hoof combat may not be her special talent, but she enjoys it. It's good for her anyways, helps build up her leg muscles." Her expression gained a mischievous tint. "Besides, any energy she burns off buckin' sandbags can't be spent on any reckless crusadin' ideas they can think up." Twilight raised an eyebrow at the unexpected moment of deviousness and grinned herself.
"Maybe we should send the idea to Scootaloo's parents..."
"Couldn't hurt." AJ chuckled a bit, "Though I'm not sure Rarity would appreciate Sweetie Belle with real Kung Fu Kick Action."
"Probably not." the mental picture sent both mares into a small bout of chuckling. A shadow cast over the pair as the clouds were moved into place above them. Twilight sighed a bit looking up the the growing expanse of grey. "and it was so nice today..." her horn glowed a bit unlatching her umbrella with magic.
"Well I can't say it's completely unwelcome, it's been a bit dry lately and I'm sure the crops could use it." Applejack tipped her hat back looking up to the clouds. "We should probably pick up the pace if we want to beat the storm, it should just be a bit further on," she tipped her hat back down, twilight nodded trotting a bit faster to keep pace. The pair broke into a full gallop as the first raindrops began to fall.
Thankfully the building came into veiw before the rain really started to pour. From a distance it was nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the outlying houses, save for the curiously tall fence around the property which the second story peeked over. After passing through the open archway in the fence the dojo became fully revealed. It was an addition off to the left of the house connected by an open air path. Kind of like a stout barn, only rising a single floor with a curious set of sliding doors midway along the wall, no doubt allowing easy access in or out. All details that were much more pleasant to observe in the drier space under the awning.
"Whoo whee, it's really startin' to come down now." Applejack said shaking stray droplets from her stetson, parts of her mane sticking to her coat as she slipped it back in place. The rain had indeed intensified and looked not to be letting up anytime soon.
"If I knew it was going to be this bad I would have brought a bigger umbrella." Twilight muttered with a small sigh, shaking the last errant drops from her Umbrella before folding it back up. Though she managed to fend of the worst of it, the quick pace still left her far wetter than she'd have liked.
"Now don't you fret Twi, a little water never hurt anypony." The earth pony said with a good-natured smile as she moved to knock on the door. Twilight found her eyes drawn to the sign standing beside it as she waited.
Stonehoof Dojo School of Indiscriminate Bucking
To engage the owner in Savage Combat please use rear entrance
"Wha?"
"Coming~" a mare's voice called out from inside. A moment later the door swung open revealing a pegasus with a teal coat, her mane was a shade or so lighter streaked with wisps of Yellow. She brought a hoof to her mouth in concern. "Oh my, you're soaked. Please come in, let's see if we can't get you warmed up."
"That's mighty kind of you Miss Morning." Applejack said with a grateful nod as she trotted in, Twilight hanging back with a puzzled look.
"Misty Morning?" She'd seen the pegasus mare before, one of her regulars back at the library. She always came by to pick up new topics and exchange pleasantries. After all a pegasus who specializes in cooking was a rather uncommon sight. Twilight slowly trotted in hearing the door close behind her.
"Miss Sparkle? What brings you by? Did I miss my due date... oh dear, I get so wrapped up sometimes-"
"No no nothing like that." Twilight finally got her mind back in order. "Applejack is a good friend of mine so I decided to tag along... I didn't realize you lived here. You're a martial artist?" she asked tentatively, unable to picture the soft spoken mare engaging in combat. Misty giggled lightly waving off the idea.
"Oh no, I haven't practiced seriously since I was a little filly." She smiled softly. "My father owns the dojo while my little sister Scarlet handles those duties. She's the one with the real drive for it." she turned, motioning for the two to follow into the main family room. "Father, we have guests!" It was a large room with a low sitting table surrounded by cushions. A Brown stallion looked up with at the call, Black maned with a large mustache perched at the end of his muzzle. Further back by the window, a younger tan coated mare sat, a small pile of bits on her flank. A magazine hovering in an amber glow lowered slightly so she could peek at the newcomers. After a single raised brow, the magazine floated back up into place, as if deeming it none of her business.
"Oh?" The stallion's face was stern as he stood and trotted over, standing a good head taller than any of the mares, the shattered brick on his flank adding more to his intimidating aura. It only lasted for a moment before a friendly smile graced his muzzle. "Ah, AppleJack. Here to pick up little Applebloom I take it."
"You know it."
"She should be finishing up the last of her drills with Scarlet." he said before gaining a sterner look. "I hope you're not planning about going back out in that storm? You and your friend are welcome to stay until it passes, let it not be said that the Stonehoof Family is lacking in hospitality. Summer!" he turned causing the Unicorn to peek back over her magazine. "Go help your sister get some towels for our guests." She hesitated for a moment before sighing.
"Yes Daddy." the aura fell away from the magazine as it closed and came to rest on the floor, the Tan mare trotting off while muttering to herself.
"And you would be Miss Sparkle, correct?" Twilight's attention was drawn once again to the martial artist who met her with a grin.
"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Stonehoof." she returned his smile gladly, thrown off as the earth stallion gave her a thunderous pat on the back.
"You and your friends have certainly been making a name for yourselves, haven't you?" he said loudly, "Truly you all have the martial artist spirit! Defending the weak, fighting against evil and protecting the citizens of Equestria. Reminds me of my youth, HAHAHA!" he said boisterously, a growing flush spreading across Twilight's face at the praise.
"Y-You're giving us way too much credit." she squeaked, unused to such sudden praise. Applejack leaned in hiding a bemused expression.
"Don't let it worry ya much Twi, it's just his way. He did the same thing to me when we first met. Rainbow Dash too, though she ate it up." she said with a soft chuckle easing her friend's anxiety.
"Now father be nice, you're embarrassing her." Misty's voice returned from the laundry room, a pair of folded towels balanced easily on her back. Her slight pout seemed to puncture his boisterous demeanor and he stepped away to allow his daughters to come closer, an amber aura encompassing both towels, floating them over to the still damp mares.
"Sorry about Daddy, he tends to let his emotions get the best of him." The Unicorn stated calmly. Applejack took her towel with a thankful nod, sitting down so she could give herself a good drying. Twilight's own magic reached out to take hers as the other unicorn relinquished control. "Name's Summer Shade, but everyone calls me Shadey." she said with a little grin that made Twilight slightly uncomfortable, though she couldn't place why exactly. Putting the odd thought aside she returned the smile, grateful to finally dry herself.
"It's nice to meet you, er Shadey." she struggled a bit with the nickname, noting the other unicorn's cutie mark. "I take it you don't practice Martial arts either?" she ventured getting a chuckle out of the mare.
"No way, too much work." she said bluntly. "Scarlet's got more than enough energy for all of us, so I'll just stick to numbers." she continued, flashing that little grin once more.
"Shadey's been a big help with managing the finances of the farm." AJ chimed in, mane ruffled but at least dry. She let the towel rest around her neck as she got back to all fours. "Though Big Mac usualy handles those kinds of details, never really been my thing." she admitted with hardly a care.
"Big Mac? Really?" Twilight was hard pressed to keep the disbelief from her tone.
"Oh yeah, a real bit pincher that one. He just calls on me for a second set of eyes to look for mistakes or loop holes. It's a service I offer to anypony," Shade said proudly with a wink. "For a modest fee of course."
"Of course." Applejack replied dryly, making Twilight wonder how 'modest' it really was. Misty plucked the towel with her mouth and flipped it on to her back with hardly a care, doing the same with Twilight's after she was finished.
"There, I'll take care of these. you should really head to the dojo, I'm sure Applebloom is waiting. We'll have to talk sometime after you've met my little sister Miss Sparkle, I never have much time to talk when in town." The pegasus smiled sweetly.
"I'd like that Misty, and please, Just call me Twilight."
"Very well M- Twilight. I'll see you on your way back from the dojo." Misty happily trotted back to the laundry room. Stonehoof dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief sniffing loudly.
"Such a sweet girl, she really takes after her mother." he took a breath as if holding back a further bout of tears, before turning back to the girls. "I'm sure Applejack can show you to the dojo, if you need anything at all don't be afraid to ask." he said in a calmer tone, though his powerful voice still held a tremor in it. Summer Shade rolled her eyes a bit at her father antics and inclined a nod to their guests before trotting back to her magazine. Casually flipping it open once more with her magic, she dropped lazily back onto her cushion.
"Thank you Mr. Stonehoof, Your hospitality has been great." her words seemed to bring him out of whatever mood he was beginning to fall into. Applejack motioned for Twilight to follow and the pair headed out the side door of the house towards the dojo. Behind them, a knocking came to the door once more.
"Summer could you get the door."
"Yeah yeah... It's the Mail mare..."
_
Twilight and AJ passed through into the open air hall. The rain continued to pour, but luckily the roof kept them dry. Still, the temperature drop was noticeable, causing Twilight she shiver a bit. "They seem... friendly."
"Like I said, they're good folks." Applejack said with a grin, though it faltered slightly. "Though I'd keep an eye on Shadey. She can get... mischievous if she gets bored." she added dubiously.
"If I can handle Pinkie, I think I can handle a little mischievousness." Twilight said calmly. Though claiming one could 'handle Pinkie' was a bold statement up for much debate in its own right.
"Well don't say I didn't warn ya." she replied with a light shrug. Coming to the end of the open air hall she slid the door to the side and trotted in, Twilight following a step behind. It was very spacious, likely able to hold a good two dozen ponies or so before things got too crowded. Off to the far corner, there was a pile of mats and pads stacked up, waiting to be used. On the opposite corner furthest from the door, two earth ponies were hard at work.
"Right!"
"Ya!"
Applebloom kicked up at the sandbag with a shout, she wore a white top coat belted with yellow cloth. The older mare was up on her hind legs holding the bag. Her coat was a dull red, wearing a similar white top coat with a black belt as opposed to the filly's yellow one, her hindquarters remained bare giving full veiw of broken board resting on her flank. She had a sturdier build than her sisters, likely from years of training. Her yellow mane was tastefully pulled into a bundle and tied off towards the bottom, much like Applejack's save for two long bangs on either side of her face.
"Left"
"Ya!" Applebloom switched her balance, bucking back with her other leg on command. The martial artist continued to bark out orders, which the filly did her best to follow. Alternating kicks turned into sweeping under the bag, which turned into launching a few quick strikes with her fore-hooves before finally going back to the much more powerful bucks. Twilight and Applejack watched in pleasant surprise at the scene. It really seemed like the red mare had gained the respect of the stubborn crusader.
"Once more, full on! Remember draw energy from the ground up through your legs!" Applebloom steadied herself before giving one solid buck with both legs, the little filly actually managed to move the heavy bag a bit for the first time in the whole session... though not a moment afterward she collapsed unceremoniously on to her stomach, breathing heavily. Her efforts were met with a happy chuckle as her teacher released the bag and circled over to the exhausted crusader, ruffling her mane. "That was great Applebloom! You did it this time!"
"Thanks... Dawn... sensei..." the little filly huffed, the odd term coming out a bit strange in her country drawl. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but grin a bit at the praise. She actually moved the bag this time! She could already hear the clapping and the cheers of her sister... wait. "Sis?"
"Way to go Applebloom." Applejack trotted over with a proud smile, "Looks like the the work you're puttin' in is really startin' to pay off." she turned her gaze to the older mare with something wry look. "Though I'm not sure you should be leaving my sister as a pile of jelly at the end of every session Scarlet."
"Hey, Applebloom's a tough filly, she can handle it!" she said in defense of both her student and teaching style. Applebloom slowly managed to sit up on her haunches and look proud, though was still a little woobly.
"That was intense to watch." Twilight chimed in as she joined the group, getting a curious glance from the martial artist.
"Who's your friend?"
"Oh This is Twilight Sparkle, she works in the library in town. Twi, this here is Scarlet Dawn, Stonehoof's Youngest and heir to the Dojo."
"It's a pleasure." Twilight greeted with a friendly smile, with Scarlet returned.
"So YOU'RE Twilight! I've heard a lot about you." She offered her hoof which Twilight took giving it a simple shake. "Nice to meet you. What brings you out our way? You interested in martial arts?" Scarlet said with a hopeful look.
"Well, I've done a little reading on it lately before coming over. It's a fascinating subject really." She admitted, "Though I've never really been into combative studies... I was just coming by to meet your family since we've never been properly introduced." The drop in Scarlet's enthusiasm was obvious when she found out Twilight wasn't there to learn, but she seemed to put it aside easily enough to smile.
"In That case I'm glad you came out, considering the storm and all. I've never been out to the library myself, too busy running around outside to do much reading." she said with an embarrassed chuckle, before Twilight could defend her passtime a voice came up from the entryway.
"Hey Scarlet, Daddy wants to have a family meeting. Apparently he got some news in the mail." Summer Shade peeked in through the doorway.
"Okay!" she looked back to the rest of her companions. "I'll just be a minute girls. Be sure to take it easy Applebloom, there should be a water bottle over by the mats. Excuse me" she said with a little bow to Twilight and Applejack before heading back toward the main house. The Filly trotted slowly over to the mats, a little steadier on her hooves after her short rest, her sister at her side. Twilight gave the bag an experimental push, surprised at the resistance it had. It was clearly weighted in some way, not too much for an adult mare but for a filly with would take a concerted effort.
"Everythin' hurts." Applebloom groaned as she reached for the water bottle, squeezing it together in her hooves drinking greedily.
"That just means yer gettin' a good work out." her sister said good-naturedly, familiar with the feeling from the long work days in the field. "She's not workin' you too hard is she?" she asked in a softer tone resting a hoof on her little sisters head.
"No way, Scarlet wouldn't let me get hurt." Applebloom insisted, "and I'm gettin' better too! You saw me finally move the bag!" her energy seemed to be returning as she bounced a little in place. "If I keep this up I should be ready for next season er..." she clammed up as her sister raised an eyebrow and gained a gentle smile.
"Ahh, so that's what this is about."
"I just want to help..." she muttered blushing lightly at letting her goal slip out like that. "There's so much ground to cover for just you and Mac..." Applejack couldn't hide the welling of pride in her chest, giving her little sister a hug.
"Well if that's what you want, we'll see how far along you come by then. Til then just go at your own pace okay?"
"Alright..." Applebloom replied softly, leaning into the hug. Twilight smiled at the sisterly moment, not wanting to ruin it. It mattered little when only moments later a screech rose up from the house, causing all three to jump.
"WHAT?! FIANCE?!" Twilight and Applejack exchanged a look before looking back to the door.
"Um, should we?"
"It's family business, it ain't our place to be stickin' our noses in it..." The apple farmer was of course right. Though as silence stretched on the curiosity only increased.
"What's a 'Fiance'?" Applebloom muddled over the odd word.
"Oh, well it's kind of like getting a coltfriend... though with the plan to be married." Twilight ventured under her friend's watchful eye.
"Married? But isn't that a good thing? They certainly didn't sound happy."
"Well I reckon that they just heard about it themselves." Applejack said with a little frown.
"Wha? But that don't make a lick of-"
A new scream came, though this one was less surprised and more afraid. With hardly any hesitation Twilight and Applejack made a break for the hallway, Applebloom trotting a step behind. Horn glowing, Twilight reached out with her magic, opening the door a few paces ahead so they could rush right in. The whole Stonehoof Clan was huddled to the far side of the room, warily watching the intruder. Upon seeing said intruder, Twilight found herself taking a step back.
"A bear?" A large black and white bear stood on it's hind legs, silhouetted in the open door. It's thick fur was soaked, looking between the two groups with beady black eyes. Slung over it's shoulder was a small pony with a light blue coat, a whirlwind emblazoned on her flank.
"What's going on-"
"Applebloom, stay back!" Applejack said firmly, causing the filly to duck back into the hallway. "You see what it's got Twi?"
"Yeah..."
"Think you could get her free?"
"Maybe." she said keeping her eyes firmly on the bear.
"Why is it just standing there?" Summer Shade spoke up, trying to sound calm.
"Ugh, what the?" a mare's voice rose up from the bear's shoulder. "Put me down you big oaf, you're scaring them spitless!" she said in a coarse tone, trying to wriggle free from the bears grip.
"Twi."
"I know." she powered up her horn prepared to snatch the hostage from the beast... until he calmly placed the mare down in front of him. She was a petite thing, her mane braided into a tight pigtail, a horn peeking out from amidst her crimson locks. Twilight stopped her magic, looking at the scene completely puzzled. The mare looked down, pawing at the floor awkwardly and allowing her soaked bangs to cover her eyes.
"Wait... are you?" Stonehoof took a few tentative steps forward. The unicorn sighed softly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
"I'm Wild Tempest... Sorry about this."
~
Wild Tempest and his father Stormy Night, two ponies baring one of the most curious magical afflictions I have ever seen. But it's really not my place to say, as this lesson was not mine to learn. Included below is a message from the stallion in question. It took a little prompting but I did eventually get him to record his first impressions of ponyville and who he met. I hope it's all to your liking.
I can't believe I actually wrote that... Well, Twilight is insisting I send you this letter about my first impressions of Ponyville for your 'friendship research' or whatever. I've never been one for letters, but recalling the events shouldn't be too hard since it's been memorable to say the least. Hopefully you're not expecting anything too fancy...
I had been in a rather foul mood, considering the weather. Running into a huge storm right on the way into Ponyville to meet Pops' old friend. I wasn't pleased about the engagement in the first place, but knowing that I wouldn't even get to do it in my normal body was the last straw. I tried to give the old bear the slip, but without wings there wasn't too much that I could do. He finally caught up with me at the outskirts of town and we ended up duking it out. Naturally I won, but Pops is a sneaky one and caught me off guard with somepony's mailbox. Anything Goes after all, I should have been ready for that. Oh well. I woke up in the Dojo with everypony freaking out at the sight of Pops' other form. Instead of doing anything himself, he left it up to me to try and explain things...
~~~~~
"I'm Wild Tempest... Sorry about this."
"Tempest." Stonehoof stepped forward solemnly before enveloping the timid mare in a massive hug. "You've come! It's good to see you, my boy!" he said with a hearty laugh, the little unicorn looking surprised and a bit relieved.
"Um Daddy...? She's a mare." Summer Shade spoke up, having finally collected her wits.
"Hm?" the stallion took a step back and took a good look at their dazed guest. "W-What?! This can't be!"
"I'm pretty sure it can." She said dryly, looking Tempest over from her father's side. "She's not even a pegasus." Tempest's eye twitched slightly at that comment.
"Well pardon me for not having wings." she muttered bitterly to herself.
"But Stormy Night assured me he had a son!" Stonehoof finally managed to sputter out, which only managed to incense his daughter further.
"Cut it out you two, you're being rude." Scarlet spoke up with a frown toward her father and sister. Walking past them both, she stopped in front of Tempest and offered a smile. "Sorry about them, my name's Scarlet Dawn. You want to be friends?" the unicorn was shocked at first from the sudden offer, but her expression softened enough to return the smile.
"Sure..."
"Great!" Scarlet clapped her forehooves together excitedly. "Why don't you come out to the dojo! Rainbow Dash has been busy, so I haven't had a good spar in weeks."
"I would LOVE to." Tempest gladly grabbed any excuse to slip out of this awkward situation. She fell into step behind Scarlet, the rest of the ponies seeming to come out of their shock as the pair disappeared into the open air hallway.
"Er, this is nice an all, but y'all still have a bear in yer living room."
"Growf."
"Is... Is that a sign?"
"Ooh, hot water? I can get that for you Mr. Bear!"
~~~~~
"Scarlet- Er ah mean Dawn-sensei. Is everything okay?" Applebloom asked with a worried frown.
"Oh, yes I believe so. Well, I'm not too sure about the bear..." she admitted glancing to her guest, who gave a careless shrug.
"He's harmless. Considering how keen he was on coming here, I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Okay..." Scarlet replied a bit puzzled but gave the unicorn the benefit of the doubt. Tempest passed a distasteful glance at the rain that continued to pound on either side of the path. For a brief moment she contemplated hopping the rails and making a break for the coast while Pops was otherwise occupied. Tempting, but instead of solving any of her problems, that would just delay them a few days. So instead, she turned her attention to her host and the student.
"So... Sensei?" Tempest raised an eyebrow, her interest in the coming spar growing the more she thought about it. The crimson mare's cheeks turned slightly darker at the scrutiny.
"To the junior students," she admitted with a little ego, placing a hoof atop the young filly's head. "Tempest, this is Applebloom, my star pupil."
"Ain't I yer only pupil?"
"Thus making you my star." she said with a cheeky wink, eliciting a giggle from the filly and a small smile from Tempest.
"Nice to meet ya Kid."
"Hiya!"
"In any case I think we can give an official end to the lessons today. Just change out of your gi and you're welcome to head back in with your sister. Tempest and I were just going to have a friendly spar." Scarlet's calm tone gained a notable hint of energy at the last fact, which seemed to be contagious.
"Wow, really? Can I watch?" Applebloom looked up to the older mares with her best pleading gaze. She rarely got to see her teacher in action. Martial arts was a rather rare pass time in Equestria.
"I don't see why not, if Tempest doesn't mind of course."
"Not at all." The unicorn gained the slightest of smirks. The little filly cheered and bounced into step behind them, her own tiring workout apparently forgotten.
~~~~~
"So, first to fall or score three points." Scarlet Dawn announced as she stretched a bit, "Nothing too heavy, just a light spar. Sound fair?" Tempest, who stood casually across from her, nodded with a little smile, watching her with a careful eye. This spar would be a good way to judge her skill level, it would be the first time she'd went against another practitioner of Anything Goes aside from her father. It was an exciting prospect.
The earth pony tensed, watching her opponent carefully, but the unicorn remained loose. She merely watched Scarlet with a neutral expression, though she was actually very focused on her opponents movements.
"Very well then!" Scarlet said before darting forward for a swipe of her forelegs. Tempest nimbly hopped to the right, her expression unchanged. She could tell her speed had taken the earth pony off guard as Scarlet shifted her weight to easily react to a swift counter strike before attacking again. It was a good choice when dealing with an opponent with superior speed, but Tempest instead dodged again, moving her body slightly so the hoof strikes would miss. Scarlet cautiously began to press her attack, not wanting to over commit, but the unicorn continued to dodge with little effort, making no offensive move of her own. "Aren't you going to strike back?!" Scarlet pressed, striking faster and losing her cautious approach for faster strikes, but no matter how quickly she moved Tempest would easily evade, her continued silence grating on the instructor's nerves.
It was taking all of Tempest's willpower not to taunt the struggling earth pony, too many years on the road with her father leaving some hard to resist urges. Scarlet was good, no doubt, but not to the level Tempest was used to fighting. She debated holding back to make a more even match, but her silence was doing more damage than any of the unsaid insults she was biting back. Scarlet's strikes were getting more and more reckless, though she could feel the power behind them. Scarlet's skill level may have been lower, but physically she was clearly in top shape. Even as the dodges got easier, she found herself getting backed up against the wall. Seeing no other option, Tempest readied herself to end the match.
"Fine, this time for real!" Scarlet snarled, her forehooves stomping to the floor her body turning rapidly and lashing out with a powerful buck.
Unconcerned, Tempest jumped straight up and over the blow, seeming to hover a moment as both of the earth pony's hind legs broke holes in the wall. with the slightest tap against the wall for momentum, the unicorn twirled in the air before landing face to face with her opponent, lightly tapping Scarlet on the nose.
"Point." was all the red head said, unable to repress a slight smirk at the earth pony's shocked expression. There was a moment of silence before Scarlet lowered her head, all the frustration draining from her body as she started to chuckle. Pulling her legs from the wall, she looked back up to Tempest, slightly shamed.
"We should probably call it there, huh?"
"Probably."
"Wha? But that was just one point..." Applebloom spoke up in defense of her teacher. Scarlet turned her smile to her student, touched but still resigned.
"Tempest could have ended that bout a few minutes ago. I allowed myself to get frustrated at how she wasn't fighting back and I got sloppy. I'm sure I had my share of openings." she said with a light glance to the unicorn, who nodded but didn't want to interrupt the impromptu lesson. "You need to keep a calm head when you fight, especially when dealing with somepony of unknown skill... a lesson even I need to learn." she said with slightly redder cheeks. The student nodded a little, looking to Tempest with a curious expression.
"I still don't get why you didn't fight back Miss Tempest." the filly's eyes a mixture of confusion and awe.
"Er, well." The unicorn shuffled a bit uncomfortable. "I was curious how good Scarlet was, so I decided to just watch. That, and NOT doing anything seemed to work just fine." she explained awkwardly, unused to needing to explain her unconscious strategies.
"She just had to give me enough rope to hog tie myself, as your sister would say." Scarlet finished for her. "The fact I never could even lay a hoof on her means she's quite skilled in her own right." she grinned a little bit. "Hopefully next time though, you'll exchange a few blows, I'm curious how good you really are."
"Er, well." Tempest faltered a bit at the sudden question, trying to ignore the sudden knot of guilt from her earlier musings of escape. "P-probably not. I mean, our Dads will likely want to catch up after all these years." she added, forcing a smile. Though when the curses were revealed, such sentiments were hard to judge... at least no mare in her right mind would be up for engagement considering the circumstances. A thought that was both comforting and somewhat painful.
"Speaking of which, where IS your father?"
"Uhhh..."
"Yeah," Applebloom chimed in. "You just showed up with that weird bear thing... that a pet or somethin'?"
"Funny story that..." The unicorn said with an awkward chuckle. Fortunately she was rescued from the conversation by the dojo door opening. Scarlet's eldest sister stood in the doorway, a calm smile on her features though her mane slightly out of place.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but could the three of you join us back in the living room? We're having another meeting..." she said giving Tempest an odd look before disappearing back outside. The unicorn mare didn't need a crystal ball to see where this was going. Hopefully they could at least wait until the storm was over before they got kicked out.
"Um, okay Sis..." Scarlet, still quite in the dark merely shrugged. "I was hoping to get a bath settled first, but oh well. Shall we?"
"Yeah." The mares began their walk back to the home proper with a confused filly at their heels. Tempest resisted a sigh and ignored the growing knot in her stomach. Best to get this over with anyway.
~~~~~
The scene would definitely have a been a curious one to the outside viewer. The large bear was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced with an older, stocky black pegasus stallion wearing a white bandanna and spectacles. He sat across from Stonehoof, sharing a stoic expression. Not a few feet away, Twilight was in the midst of an extensive note taking session, a bucket and kettle on either side of her. Misty seemed to be doing her best to keep a calm facade but she clearly seemed out of sorts. Her sister and Applejack seemed to be faring better, but that could be more due to disbelief then acceptance.
"You called?" Scarlet broke the silence as Applebloom trotted over to her sister. Tempest remained silent, knowing exactly where this was going.
"Ahh Scarlet, you came." Stonehoof said, expression lightening up. "Come sit, we have much to discuss."
"You too boy." the pegasus spoke up, his voice rough.
"Boy?"
"Yeah yeah," Tempest muttered, ignoring Scarlet's confusion by flopping down unceremoniously at the spot opposite her father, joined shortly by the confused Earth pony.
"Scarlet my dear, allow me to introduce you to my old friend Stormy Night."
"Oh um, pleased to meet you sir." Scarlet gave the pegasus a polite bow, recognizing the name from the postcard. "You're Tempest's father?"
"The pleasure is mine." he replied with a smile. "And yes that would be me, sorry for the confusion earlier."
"Um, no problem?" she replied awkwardly unsure what he was talking about. Stormy Night raised an eyebrow looking to Tempest.
"So you didn't tell her?"
"It's not something that exactly comes up in conversation." Tempest snarked to the clear annoyance of her father.
"What is this all ab-"
"Where'd the bear go?" Applebloom suddenly asked drawing the attention of everypony.
"Applebloom, what did I tell ya about interruptin'' family business."
"Sorry..."
"That is a good question though." Scarlet muttered, looking about the room. A drying puddle by the door the only reminder of the odd looking bear.
"Oh, why Mr. Night was the Bear." Misty Morning said with her forced smile twitching ever so slightly.
"Er... Sis, are you okay?"
"It's true!" Twilight spoke up suddenly, ignoring the chastising look from Applejack, excitement alight in her features. "It's the most amazing example of metamorphosis magic I've seen since Mandrake the Cunning's 'Art of Alteration'. A near perfect transformation apparently to the biological level... though I'd need to run more tests to be sure. This is unprecedented!" she said, practically bouncing at the idea.
"Could you try that again in Equestrian?"
"It's easier to just show you." Stormy Night said gravely. Twilight was already lifting the bucket, the water sloshing precariously. Before he could say another word, Twilight emptied the contents over the older pegasus and, in the blink of an eye, he was replaced with the huge panda that had came across their doorstep. "Growf." The bear passed an annoyed look toward the lavender unicorn pulling out a sign. [I wanted the Kettle!]
"Oh sorry, I just assumed. one moment."
"W-What?!"
"It's something else isn't it... it kinda loses its luster by the fifth time though." Shady commented idly. Twilight was already levitating the kettle over when the bear grasped it from the levitation field and poured a small amount of the steaming liquid over his head, returning almost instantly back to being a pegasus having to catch the kettle's handle in his mouth when paws were replaced by hooves.
"No way..."
"I know, the simple difference in water temperature alters between the two forms, though its hard to say where the threshold is on whether the water is 'cold' or 'warm'. What if it was right on the li-"
"That's enough for now Miss Sparkle, we don't want to get too off track."
"Oh yes, of course. Sorry." She said blushing slightly. The older pegasus pushed the half filled kettle towards Tempest.
"I think it's about time."
"You don't need to tell me twice." Tempest said with a huff, pulling the kettle into reach.
"W-Wait, does that mean?" Scarlet seemed to be putting two and two together as she came down from the initial shock.
"Yeah... sorry about this." with that she picked up the kettle and angled her neck to pour the steaming liquid onto her back. All at once the unicorn was replaced with a larger pegasus stallion, his coat a darker shade of blue with a stark black mane tied in the same pigtail.
"Oh my..."
"He really IS a pegasus..."
"A change in both gender and species while till staying a pony, this could make all the potential tests lined up in a much easier for-"
"Hold on there sugarcube, no need to get ahead of things."
"Yes, right... sorry."
"I... am so confused right now." The little filly muttered, looking between the two pegasi, her young mind unable to process the impossible sights happening before her.
"You're... a stallion." Scarlet finally managed to say aloud, somewhere between curiosity and confusion. "Is this the... real you?"
"Yes." Tempest said firmly, "and if Pop hadn't taken us to that damned spring, I'd be that way ALL the time!" he said passing an annoyed glare across the table. His father huffed in annoyance at the accusation, glaring right back.
"You're weak, Boy! I thought you were willing to sacrifice anything for your training!"
"My life is one thing, my gender is something else entirely!" he growled back, wings flaring threateningly as he barely restrained himself from leaping over the table to attack his father. Applejack stomped her hoof to the ground with a loud thump that caused everypony in the room to jump.
"Now you two squabblin' isn't going to clear any of this up any faster, so cool yer heads." The farmer said firmly glaring at both stallions who backed down reluctantly.
"You're right, Miss Applejack." Stormy Night said solemnly, "We mustn't lose focus of what's important here." He cleared his throat, and cast a serious gaze to the Stonehoof clan and guests. "It all began with the last leg of our training trip, through the wilds of Ib'xian. We had been traveling to all of the greatest training spots across Neighpon, and on reaching landfall in Shanghay I had been given a tip about a secret training ground hidden away in the mountains." Tempest snorted but didn't interrupt, allowing his father to continue. "Naturally, I hired a guide and we set out right away, it was a long, arduous journey, far from the civilized coast and into the forgotten wilds of the interior. But that's when we saw it... the Springs of Jusenkyo." he paused for dramatic effect, though Tempest stepped in, stealing the momentum to move the tale forward again.
"It didn't look like much to be honest, just a valley of pools with bamboo poles sticking out of them. The idea was to fight while balancing atop the poles without falling in the water. Simple really." the young stallion's voice held a heavy note of bitter irony, but he continued on nonetheless.
"So naturally, we decided to up the ante and set to tying our wings down."
"But wouldn't that be dangerous?" Applebloom chimed in. "If you fell then you wouldn't be able to fly away."
"Exactly," Stormy took over, "For those that truly dedicate themselves to the Art, such risks are hardly given a second thought. Besides, our guide had advised against flying in the area, something about avoiding the attention of one of the indigenous tribes,"
"And that worked out SO well." Tempest muttered to himself.
"Anyway, with that out of the way we made to test our skills against the supposed dangers of Jusenkyo-"
"But why would you?" Twilight interrupted this time, causing Stormy to lower his head in annoyance. "I mean you're both pegasi, don't you use an aerial style? Why commit yourself to a training ground designed for ground styles?" the unicorn looked to the martial artists curiously. She'd been reading up on the various histories and backgrounds of the common martial arts, informative but not always descriptive. Stonehoof took the opportunity to answer on his friend's behalf.
"While that is true for more common forms, Anything Goes is a style designed to work for any being, winged or no. The key is being able to fight at your best no matter what situation, injuries, or competition rules may crop up. Anything Goes Martial Artists pride themselves on adaptability and preparedness, to be ready for anything."
"Indeed Stonehoof, well said." The older pegasus took the reigns once more and continued the story before any more interruptions could chime in. "So with the preparations done we took our places on opposite poles and began our training. We did a few exchanges, testing the steadiness of the bamboo supports."
"Until I got a solid blow on the old man and knocked him into the Water." Tempest added with a little smirk as his father grunted in annoyance. "A moment later, a panda jumped out and balanced on the pole across from me. I froze in shock for a moment before he got me good, knocking me into another spring."
"Where you came out as a Unicorn mare." Scarlet spoke up softly.
"Er, yeah. As you all had seen..." Tempest muttered looking down.
"The guide took the time to explain our curse-"
"Magical Condition." Twilight interrupted causing everypony to look her way.
"What?" Stormy Night raised an eyebrow at the unicorn, unsure where she was going with this.
"There's no such thing as curses, you two just have a case of 'Involuntary Transformation'. A magical condition my friends and I were subjected to once."
"I don't know about you lady, but when I'm forced into another body by cold water I think that's a pretty strong curse." Tempest muttered, cross at the unicorn for marginalizing the issues he had been dealing with. But Twilight stood firm.
"There was no spell cast on you, you got this condition from a spring. A natural magical phenomenon no different from Poison Joke. Thus, it's not a curse." she spoke with certainty meeting Tempest's annoyed gaze. Applejack place a hoof over her face and shook her head.
"Um, terminology aside it's really not so bad." Stonehoof said cheerfully, taking a seat by Tempest and putting a foreleg over the confused stallion's shoulder.
"What?"
"You have already met my three daughters, Misty Morning, Summer Shade and Scarlet Dawn." he said motioning over to the girls. "Pick one of them and she will be your bride."
"What?!" the Stonehoof daughters cried alongside Tempest.
"You're still going to bring that up right after these 'revelations'" Shady asked, narrowing her eyes.
"It really is a bit sudden Father," Misty added uncomfortably. "We hardly know each other."
"Well that is easily fixed in time, right?" Stonehoof continued, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness of the whole situation. Scarlet hadn't said a word, just looking between her father and Tempest with an unreadable expression. The rejection was understandable, but it still stung the stallion's ego. He shook Stonehoof's foreleg off and took a few steps away.
"The last thing I need right now in an engagement. All I want to do is go back to Jusenkyo and get this CURSE cured." he said firmly, eyeing Twilight as he stressed the word, much to her visible annoyance. "Come on Pops."
"I could help you know." Twilight spoke up calmly, not rising to the frustrated stallion's bait.
"What are you blabbering about?"
"Your condition, I could cure it." Her confident tone floored both father and son, though she did clarify after a pause. "IF I could properly study it. Once I can get an understanding of the magic behind it, it should be a simple enough prospect to reverse the changes. With your assistance of course." she finished with a meaningful look to Wild Tempest, who lost his bluster in exchange for tentative hope.
"It's not nice to play the desperate, Miss Sparkle." Stormy Night said cautiously.
"Mr. Night, yer not gonna find a unicorn who knows more about magic then Twilight." Applejack stepped to her friend's defense, "She's the personal student to Princess celestia." Twilight was never one to brag, but Applejack knew dropping the princesses name would have the desired effect. Both stallions' eyes widened suddenly, taking the unicorn's claim with dead seriousness.
"That is true." Twilight agreed reluctantly, "My position gives me access to a lot of information that others might not have. Having gone through something similar, if not far more temporary, I'm confident that I should be able to figure out how to stop your involuntary changes if given enough time."
"And that would give you all plenty of time to get to know each other better!" Stonehoof stepped in, taking advantage of this swing in favor. "No need to rush things after all." he said with a chuckle, ignoring how he'd pushed at the beginning of this discussion.
"Sounds like a fair agreement," Stormy Night immediately jumped to join his friend, this having turned out better then the aged pegasus could have dreamed.
"But what do YOU get out of all this." Summer Shade spoke up, suspicion clear in her tone. Twilight blinked at the accusation.
"Well, Knowledge is always a reward in of itself." she admitted, "But I'd hate to just sit aside when somepony is in trouble. It's not a bad way to make new friends either." she added with a hopeful smile.
~
Friend... I never had a lot of friends. Oh there was D back in flight camp, and that unicorn Chance during basic schooling. Otherwise, it was just me and Pops traveling the roads. When Twilight said that, I didn't think much of it. It was just a way to get cured, a place to stay for a bit then it would be back to the road again.
Anyway, The conflict ended there. The engagement was temporarily on hold and I was to be Twilight's study project to figure out how this whole curse Magical Condition worked. Dinner was awkward but with the marriage nonsense off the table the girls were pretty friendly. Stonehoof set Pops and me up in his guest room. A little cramped but nicer then camping out in the woods, especially during the storm. Come morning the weather had cleared and prospects were high, I wouldn't be meeting up with Twilight until the afternoon so I had some time to sleep in.
well I would have but, I should have figured that some things never change.
~~~
"Up and at'em boy," Tempest awoke airborne, having been thrown bodily out the window. With only a moment before hitting the koi pond he did his best to voice his feelings.
"Damn it pops!" The blue pegasus collided with the water with a mighty splash, and a moment later was replaced with a very soggy unicorn. Spitting out a mouthful of water she glared up to the window where her father stood with a triumphant smirk. "Was that really necessary?" she grumbled loud enough for him to hear. Scarlet peeked out from a different window confused at the early morning racket.
"Can't let a night inside make you soft boy." Stormy said taking to the air and slowly lowering himself to the ground. "A martial artist must be prepared for anything," he lectured solemnly as the mare's eye twitched. In one smooth motion Tempest jumped from the pond grabbing her father. Using the momentum she turned him around in midair and bucked him down into the water. She looked back over her shoulder with a triumphant smirk.
"Anything huh?"
'Growf'
"Thought so." she needled sticking out her tongue. The panda lumbered of the pond and took a fighting stance while Tempest smirked wider readying herself for round two. Up above another window opened revealing an annoyed Summer Shade, her mane sticking up out of place.
"Do you MIND, someponies are trying to sleep!" she growled glaring down at the two martial artists who did their best to look innocent. With a final grunt the window slammed shut once more, Scarlet chuckling lightly as she too headed back inside. Father and 'daughter' exchanged a look, the panda raising a wooden sign only reading-
[Later]
Tempest his her best to ring out her mane and tail with her hooves before heading into the house, the scent of cooking washing away any remaining frustration. Peeking into the kitchen she spied the pegasus of the family humming to herself as she stirred a pot with her wing. Tempest look to the scene glanced up to her horn with a sigh, stamping down any petty jealousy.
"Oh, good morning Tempest." Misty Spoke up pausing her work. "I didn't hear you come in, are you and your father done sparring?"
"We, ah, decided to reschedule it for the afternoon on account of angry unicorns." she said with a small note of irony, the pegasus gave a melodic giggle.
"Summer can be cranky in the mornings, she's never been a morning pony." the eldest sister said patiently. "Give her an hour or so and she'll be fine. So, um, are you going out like that today or-" her tone grew awkward but Tempest spared her needing to go far with that statement.
"No, just got detoured by the smell of good food." She brushed the topic aside in favor of something much more pressing. "It smells delicious in here. Is that for breakfast?" she asked hopefully.
"Oh my no," Misty replied almost immediately causing the unicorn to droop slightly. "I was just preparing a bit of stock for Clover's,"
"Clover's?"
"The Cafe in town, I work there two days a week." She explained turning back to her work. "If you want any you're going to have to stop by for lunch." she said with a hint of teasing. "There should be some fresh apples over in the pantry if your hungry." Tempest nodded, hiding her disappointment. She plucked an apple from the basket with her mouth and made swift work of it on her way to the bathroom. It was surprisingly good, definitely a step up from some of the fruit he'd had throughout his journey. A quick shower later Tempest returned to the front room in his pegasus form. Passing a dozy Summer in the hallway, she had given him a long look over before muttering something unintelligible and heading into the bathroom herself. Returning to the main room his father, still in panda form, sat off to the side, reading a newspaper. Used to such absurd scenes he continued past.
"I'm heading out early, I'll catch you later." He heard the bear rumble some manner of response accompanied the turning of a page. Stepping out he looked up to the blue sky and sun thankfully stretching his wings. Not a stray cloud in the sky, the weather team in this area was definitely on the ball. On some level it was odd to the traveler. After so many years off the grid you get more used to dealing with storms then having them swiftly moved away.
"Oh you're still here," Scarlet's voice roused him from his musings. "I thought you left already."
"um, Just lost in thought a bit." he admitted
"Yeah, it was a bit of an odd night." She gave a nervous smile. "All things considered."
"To put it mildly." The pegasus added with a sardonic twinge, "Don't worry, we'll be out of your hair once that Sparkle lady gets this curse thing figured out." He said casually started to hover.
"I don't think our fathers will drop the engagement like that, I haven't seen that kind of determined look in his eyes for a long time." it was hard to place the Earth ponies opinion on the matter, but Tempest was fairly out of his depth when it came to this kind of relationship so he wasn't looking too hard for signs.
"I don't know about pops, I've seen him skimp out on deals in the past..." he muttered bitterly, getting a shocked gasp from the youngest mare of the household.
"You don't think he's just playing my father do you?" an angry edge was creeping into her voice.
"Well... I don't know. I mean he's never gotten into a deal so big that marriage was involved..." Tempest admitted, his earlier pessimism fading. "It's usually pretty clear what he's after in those kinds of deals. I don't really see what he could want." he scratched the back of his head. "I mean if Pop's really as close to your dad as he claims then, maybe this ones for real..." Tempest trailed off unsure who he felt about that. He glanced over to Scarlet, one of his potential fiancees, and caught her looking his way at the same time. They held gazes for a moment before looking away. "Right, well I'm gonna take in the sights a bit before I go to Sparkle's place." wings flapping in preparation to head off and away from this whole thought process.
"Um, well I'm about to go for my morning Jog. I could show you around if you want..." she offered tentatively.
"Oh," he halted not answering for a moment. "Ah, sure I guess." his hooves touched earth once more turning back to the earth pony who was offering him a small smile.
~
The two ponies jogged along the edge of town for a couple of laps. The town itself was a fairly small community, peaceful and simple. The surrounding area was another thing entirely.
"Wait wait, a Hydra?" Tempest gave his companion a skeptical look.
"Well, that's what I heard." Scarlet replied after I moment. "I mean it's not something you go off to double check, unless your the kinda pony who enjoy poking giant lizards with sticks."
"I think there's a distinct difference to seeing if something is true and going out of your way to provoke it." The pegasus returned diplomatically.
"Okay fair enough, either way it's nothing compared to the kind of beasts that wander around in Everfree forest." She shuddered a little, "I still have nightmares about that giant Star bear that attacked last year." Tempest gave scarlet a deadpanned look.
"...Okay now you're just making things up."
The pair of joggers arrived in town after their third lap around town, slowing their pace so Tempest could get a feel of where things were. It was mostly residential toward the edges, small cottages spaced moderately apart that grew closer together the closer to the town center one got. The whole south side of town was taken up by a massive apple orchard ran by Applejack's family. In general though most things of note were more toward the center of town.
"First off we have the market place." Scarlet began as they passed into the circular center of Ponyville. Several ponies were in the process of prepping their stalls for the start of the the day. All manner of fruits and vegetables being set up to be most appealing to the passer by. The two early risers gravitated to the only sign familiar to the newcomer. Though the pony behind the stall was not the mare Tempest had met the night before, but a large red stallion. "Good Morning Big Macintosh." she greeted in a notably more chipper tone.
"Ah, good morning Miss Dawn." rumbled the older stallion in a deep bass. "With company today." he noted eyeing the pegasus carefully.
"Er, yes. This Is Wild Tempest, his father is an old friend of my father. So they'll be staying for a while." she returned after a slight hesitation. "I was giving him a tour."
"Well that's mighty kind of ya." he praised getting the crimson mare's cheeks to flush slightly redder. He offered Tempest a friendly smile. "Welcome to Ponyville, if'in you need anything don't be afraid ta ask. We all look out for eachother here." he offered a hoof which Tempest took shaking it.
"Ah, Thanks."
"No problem, welp better get back to work. Got to get the stand set for the morning rush." He effortlessly shifted a large bussel of apples form the his hauling cart. "Enjoy the rest of yer Jog." The two returned the pleasantry before moving on. Tempest couldn't help but notice the increased spring in his companion's step.
"Big Macintosh huh, he's related to that Applejack mare from last night?" Tempest began as they made their way further into the town center.
"Yeah, he's her older brother. He usually works on the farm all day but sometimes he comes out to run the apple stand." Scarlet explained smiling a little.
"He's a fighter too isn't he?"
"Hm?" crimson mare blinked. "Yes... Well he used to. How can you tell?"
"The way he looked at me when he first saw me, he was gauging my skill... he must do it unconsciously." he muttered to himself. "What do you mean he USED to?"
"Well I'm not sure on the details but I remember him coming to the dojo a lot when I was younger to fight my dad, but some years ago he stopped. Not sure exactly why, but now he spends most of his time on the farm." she shrugged
"Hm..." Tempest glanced back to the stallion in question one last time before dropping the subject. The two continued in a companionable silence broken only as Scarlet pointed out points of interest. The post office, which had doors for both ground and sky mail on the first and second floors respectively. The library, where he'd be meeting with Twilight later. A dress shop, which was apparently famous but Tempest's disinterest was quite clear. Last but not least a store much more up his alley...
"This is our last stop Sugercube Corner." She said motioning a hoof toward the odd building seemingly made up of sweets. "and here we will have a post jog snack."
"How did this place not melt during last nights storm?" He snarked, to cover his excitement. Tempest was an athlete in peak condition able to live off minimal foods for months on end. But his sweet tooth was rivaled by few, possibly due to the long gaps between his binges.
"Okay, the architecture is a bit much but the pastries are delicious." Scarlet assured the pegasus as they approached the building. A cheerful jingle of the door was accompanied wonderful collection of scents. Inside there was a much more sensible design sense going on and had a few other morning ponies eating breakfast. The pair trotted inside getting line for order.
"So Tempest, in the mood for anything in particular?" Scarlet asked cheerfully, looking forward to her own breakfast.
"Not sure, it's been way to long since I had any fresh baked goods." He eyed the displays hungrily thrown off a bit when the mare in front of him abruptly turned and rushed out of the building, clipping him slightly on the way by. A quiet stuttered apology being all heard from the grey and yellow blur. "Huh... they kinda look fami-"
"Here you go!" A cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts turning his eyes back toward the counter where a confused pink pony was holding a bag. "She left without her breakfast? Guess she was in more of a hurry then I thought." She shrugged placing the bag aside and turned to the pair who were now next in line. "Good Morning Scarlet, what will it be to-" It was then she caught eye of Tempest and gasped, vibrating with energy. "A new face! Hello, Welcome to Ponyville!" she greeted brightly, Tempest was more then taken aback at the enthusiasm glancing to the mare at his side who looked distinctly amused.
"Um, hey. I uh, just stopped in last night with my Pops..." he said slowly, uncomfortable with the intense attention the mare was giving him.
"Pinkie, this is Wild Tempest. His father is an old friend of my dad." Scarlet finally deemed it time to step in and save him from the enthusiastic mare.
"I see I see," she nodded quickly. "So you're a martial artist too?" she made some wild arm gestures vaguely connected to martial arts moves, her antics bringing a small smile to his face despite the early awkwardness.
"Yup, Trained with my pops since I could walk." he said proudly, exuding confidence.
"Wowie, That's a looong time." She looked about to continue her questioning but she caught herself and smiled. "Oopsie, can't chat too much when on the clokc. Well there will be plenty of time to talk later, what can I get ya?"
"A Banana Nut Muffin for me."
"um," Tempest mentally checked his wallet. he didn't have a lot of spending money so any binges would have to wait until later. "A slice of Apple Pie." he eventually decided, the apple from this morning still on his mind. Placing their bits on the counter-top the pinkie pony gave a one hoofed salute.
"Okie-dokie-lokie, coming right up!" she disappeared under the counter and was gone. Tempest looked to his companion who smiled innocently.
"Well... that was interesting." he said awkwardly before shrugging. "She seems nice enough."
"Pinkie is something else but you'll have trouble finding a more friendly pony in town." she said with chuckle. Before much else could be said the pink pony popped up at the counter again two bags in hand.
"Here you go, hope you have a super dooper day."
"Thank you Pinkie."
"Yeah, Thanks."
"See you later tonight." Pinkie said casually getting a double take from Tempest.
"Wait what?" he received no explanation from the baker aside from a knowing wink before she bounced off to the back. "What the hay is that suppose to mean?" he muttered to Scarlet who just giggled.
"Don't worry about it." They headed back into the open air once more, the streets a bit more populated as more ponies began their morning routines. "Well I'm gonna head back to the dojo, hope things go well with Twilight."
"Um Thanks, I'll see ya later."
"Yeah..." There was a short pause before Scarlet trotted off. He gaze lingered at her retreating form before took to the air, finding a perch in the large tree that was apparently Twilight's house as he ate his pie and reflected on the odd series of events... he didn't reach any profound thoughts, but the Pie was good.
~
He spent the rest of his morning stretching his wings and flying. There was nothing quite flying on a clear day to lift ones mood. His hoofs touched ground about mid day and he made his way to the library, his earlier anxieties creeping back ever so slightly. A cure... It was more then he could hope for. He knocked on the door and was greeted by another unexpected sight.
"Hello? Oh, you must be Tempest."
"And you're a Dragon." his deadpan reply brought a chuckle from the boy(?).
"Yup, Names Spike. I'm Twilight's Assistant," he offered a claw to which Tempest shook, going with the flow.
"Nice to meet ya Spike... So is Twilight around? Not late or anything am I?"
"Nope, she's just getting things ready downstairs. Come on in." he pulled the door fully open letting the stallion inside. He took in the decor... yup, this is a library all right. Disinterested he turned to the small dragon who pointed to a door on the other side of the room. "Just head right through there and head downstairs to the lab."
"Lab?" Tempest blinked confused, "I thought she was an expert in magic?"
"She is, she's one of the most power unicorns in Equestria." He replied with a note of pride. "Though she studies in a very Scientific way." he explained unhelpfully leading the pegasus down a winding staircase into a much dimmer room. At the bottom of the stairs was a series of a odd machines and a tale not out of place in a hospital. Twilight seemed to be carefully organizing wires of some kind. She looked up at their approach offering a bright smile.
"Oh you made it, Everything is just about ready."
"How is all this stuff going to cure me?" Tempest waved indistinctly to the collection of machines with a dubious.
"Oh there won't be any cures today. To start were just going to be establishing the basic effects this affliction has on your body. From there we can start trying to go from there."
"What effects i has? That's simple it turns me into a Unicorn Mare." He muttered somewhat annoyed. Spike looked surprised at the casual admittance.
"But HOW." Twilight said patiently, emphasizing the word. "How it changes your body, what this affliction does to your innate magic. And how complete the transformation is. These are the first questions that need to be answered." she finished clearing off the table and motioning for him to get on. Not quite getting the difference Tempest relented and flew up onto the table.
"Whatever, if it helps find a cure I'll do it."
~
Tempest was somewhat regretting his words as he lay on the table. a helmet with blinking lights was strapped to his head. He now had various wires attached all over his body and wings to the point he could hardly move. "So... How is this going to help?"
"Well first things we have to do is establish the base readings of your body unchanged." Twilight trotted up to the table double checking the wire placement. "Should just take a few minutes to settle." her face hovered up closer to his own and she offered him a small smile. "So while we're waiting how have to found Ponyville thus far?"
"It's okay," Tempest began uncertainly, not prepared for the casual conversation starter. "Got that small town atmosphere going for it, though the mare at the bakery was a little weird. Nice but weird."
"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asked knowingly.
"Uh, Yeah. She always like that?"
"Pretty much and wouldn't have it any other way." She finished fondly. It seemed the pinkie pony had endeared herself to many people though the stallion admittedly wasn't quite sure why. "Though Ponyville being quiet is only mostly true. Things can get pretty crazy here."
"To put it mildly." Spike snarked from his position off to the side.
"So I hear, sounds interesting if what Scarlet told me was true." Tempest said with a small grin.
"Well Hopefully your arrival is the most interesting thing to happen for a while, I'm in no hurry for excitement." she said trailing back to the screen and eyeing it carefully. "Okay that should do it. Spike, ready the catalyst." she announced getting her assistant to jump to attention.
"The wha?"
"The water glass." she whispered.
"Oh, ah. Got it."
"Then, Commence the procedure."
With a rather pitiful splash the change was set into motion. Normally it passed so quickly Tempest could barely feel it but the rapid shifting of the diodes and wires was awkward and pinching as her body shrank, several falling to the floor with her wings gone. All ending with a dull clang as her horn offset the helmet.
"Woah..." Spike was clearly impressed by the whole show, where as Twilight's eyes were glued to her readout screen.
"Such a burst of dynamic energy! It reshaped your physicality and magic signature. This is incredible!"
"Um... little help?" Tempest grumbled trying (unsuccessfully) to untangle herself from the wires and loosened straps.
"Oh, right sorry." Twilight rushed over and with a bit of telekinesis sorted the issue. "There, I guess I didn't take enough account into the size disparity between your two forms. are you okay?"
"Yeah yeah, I'm fine." The petite unicorn sighed, "So did ya get the information you wanted?"
"I believe so, I'll have to study it in detail later but it was quite the magical reaction. On par with some truly powerful rituals."
"Fascinating, does that mean I can take these things off now." She lifted one of her wired limbs.
"Not quite, we need to get a reading on this form as well." Twilight said with an apologetic smile as her test subject deflated slightly. "We need to see how real this form is and how much of this form is based on your affliction." she pulled up a stool next to the table and took a seat. "So while were waiting why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"
"Um, okay." Tempest shrugged and laid back on the table. "Not too much to tell. I've been on the road traveling and learning martial arts with my pops."
"How long have you been traveling?"
"A little over ten years now."
"That long?" Spike seemed to recover from his initial shock to return to the discussion at hand.
"Well if you want to be the best you have to dedicate yourself to the art." Tempest replied like it was obvious.
"Well if you've been on the road that long you must have met a lot of ponies. How do you keep friendships going over such long distances? How often do you keep in touch?" she sounded genuinely interested and even had a quill and paper to record the information. Her puzzled look must have gotten through as she gave a sheepish smile. "Well my primary study is in Friendship at the request of the princess."
"Studying friendship?" Tempest sounded dubious at the prospect but let it go with a shrug. "Well I'm not going to be able to help you much on that front. I've never had a lot of friends."
"Really?" she sounded concerned. "You seem like the outgoing sort..."
"Well we never really settled down that long. I mean there were a few schoolmates it's run around with and a buddy I made way back in flight camp but Pops said that kind of stuff would be too much of a distraction from my training." he said with a resigned tone, something he'd come to terms with long ago. Twilight looked put out at the very notion.
"A distraction? That's hardly a healthy attitude..." she muttered to herself.
"Not too different then how you were before." Spike reminded her dulling her annoyance. She frowned at the thought.
"True, I had been so focused on my studies I let it get in the way of everything else. There was so much I missed that I never realized." she raised her eyes once more to Tempest with an almost pitying look.
"H-Hey, it wasn't like I was alone or anything. I had Pops... he's not always reliable but he was there with me the whole time." Tempest was surprised at her own insistence to defend her father. For all his faults, he had been there with her all those years.
"I'm sorry Tempest I didn't mean to overstep. I shouldn't judge." she relented but offered a small smile. "But since your going to be settling her for a bit I think it would do you well to get to know some of the townsfolk and make some friends."
"Well, we'll see I guess..." He turned away with a non-committal shrug. Things had gotten a bit more personal then he'd have liked. Twilight seemed to have gotten the message and backed off, going back to the readouts.
"Scan completed... Fascinating. Spike can you help Tempest unhook from the machine."
"Finally..."
"No problem." The little dragon scurried over to the now vacant stool and used it's perch to help free the annoyed mare from the medical equipment. "I know she can be a bit pushy sometimes," he whispered as he unfastened the helmet. "But she does mean well, Ponyville is full of a lot of cool ponies. I'm sure you'll fit right in."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll try..." she muttered, seemingly tired from the whole ordeal. "So whats the verdict Doc?"
"Only the most impressive feat in transmutation I've ever seen. In fact your condition could contain the missing link of magic the school of transfiguration has been seeking for years." she replied brimming with excitement. "All of your vitals match up with that of other mature unicorn mares. Even your magical energies are in line if unfocused. Which I suppose is unsurprising since you didn't grow into your power through childhood."
"Wait a second, are you saying I can use magic?"
"With practice certainly, I'm surprised you haven't had any spell surges yet from lack of control."
"Well I try not to stay in this form any longer then I can help it." she admitted, even the prospect of magic did little to dissuade this.
"Hm, I suppose that could be holding the magic in check in the short term. But it could be dangerous if you even ended up holding that form long term."
"All the more reason to get this cured then."
"...Is it really so bad?" Twilight began hesitantly. "Though against your will you've been put into a situation to experience things far outside what you could normally." she trailed off as she saw how Tempest tensed up glaring away at the wall.
"Don't talk it crap you don't know, loosing you entire identity with just a splash of water. It's not 'amazing'. It's awful."
"Sorry Tempest, I didn't mean to come off as Demeaning. I Just-" Regret was clear in her tone enough that the part-time mare waved off her frustration.
"It's fine, Let's just focus one the cure first..."
"Very well, One step at a time. We still have several more baselines to establish before we dive into any of that." Twilight hovered a steaming cup over. "You're free to change back, I'm going to need a few days to study these before we can continue with the tests." Even as she spoke she could hear the light splash of him hurriedly changing back.
"That is really freaky," Spike stated bluntly as he took the empty cup from the pegasus stallion.
"Yeah, well just imagine it happening to you." He said with a forced smile. He turned his attention back to twilight as he hopped back to the floor giving his returned wings an appreciative flap. "Just contact me whenever the next test are ready, looks like I'm not goin' anywhere for the moment."
"Very well." Twilight paused as she watched the stallion start to leave. "You know... You're welcome to come by anytime you know, not just for curse testing." she offered with a hopeful smile. Tempest hesitated briefly at the foot of the stairs.
"I'll think about it." he muttered before trotting up the stairs, the distant hoof-falls of twilight behind him as his mind wandered. Seemed like he was in this for the long haul. Though he was still a little unsure about Twilight's goal from all this she seemed to know what she was doing... He sighed, "Maybe some sparring will clear my head, wonder if Pops is up for-" he opened the door flash of light and confetti(?)
"Surprise!" a cheer rose up from the library, it was filled with dozens of ponies, many smiling his way with Pinkie Pie at the lead.
"Wha?" It was a party, full of refreshments, decorations and friendly faces. A Banner hanging up over the door confirmed the most shocking. (Stormy Night and Wild Tempest. Welcome to Ponyville). "It's for... me?"
"Yeah!" The energetic Pink pony was at his side bouncing in place. "I did the best I could with what time I had, I know Twilight's experiments can get SUPER boring sometimes so why not follow it up with some fun!" He could see Stonehoof family milling about in the crowd, his father off to the side with a large plate of food. "Do you like it?"
~~~
...I was at a loss. Pops was never one birthdays and that kind of stuff. Always said that stuff was for 'soft ponies'... fillies... For a pony who barely knew me to do something like that.
It was a blast. The food was great. The games were a little sily but i'd be lying if I didn't say it was fun. I was introduced to a bunch of ponies... Some even wanted to be friends. It keeps coming back to friends doesn't it? But I guess I've got nothin but time so, we'll see. Maybe this town won't be so bad.
and that's pretty much it. I'm not sure what Twilight even wants me to say but hopefully this is what you wanted to hear. I still find it hard to believe you'll even be reading this. Anyway, I'll just end it here.
It took a few days for the initial excitement of the new arrivals to die down. By the end of the week most ponies had gone back to their day-to-day lives, unphased by the new faces. Sure there was a black and white bear that would wander into town and talk with signs sometimes, but those are just the kind of things you have to get used to in Ponyville. It was always best to not ask questions... It was a concept Thunderlane tried to live by, but it had been getting harder as of late.
It was early morning as he winged his way to the edge of town. It was a clear day with no clouds scheduled for at least a couple of days, and that meant it was a day of relaxation for the weather team. Cloud Chaser was still out of town, so with his marefriend indisposed he was left to his own devices. He began his descent as he closed in on one of the outlying buildings of town, the Stonehoof Dojo.
"Huh? They're already at it?" He muttered in surprise as he could hear the sounds of combat. He spotted two pegasi as they fought it out in the sky over the dojo, trading blows while turning and maneuvering around each other. It was an impressive display, as it had been the first time he'd seen it just few days prior. He landed at the doorstep and knocked. After a moment he was greeted by the sweet smile and warm tones of Misty Morning.
"Oh, good morning Thunderlane. Are you here to pick up Tempest? I'm afraid he's still sparring with his father."
"I don't mind. Actually I came early to see the show." he chuckled. She looked bemused as she motioned him through. He trotted through their rather sparse living room to the back porch for a front row seat to said 'show'.
"You're getting slow, Old Mule."
"Keep talking, Colt!"
Hoofstrikes flew nearly as fast as their insults, pulling dizzyingly tight curves, fully utilizing their aerial arena. Though there was only one possible ending. Tempest pursued his father in a dive toward the ground. The target? The small pond in the middle of the back yard. Stormy looked to be in a free fall, but no more then 3 ft from the ground the elder pegasus redirected his momentum into a tight semi-circle ending up behind his son. He pushed off of the stunned stallion back into the air as Tempest disappeared with a massive splash. A moment later, a distinctly unhappy unicorn mare rose out of the water, her red mane stuck to her face, covering her eyes.
"You've still got a lot to learn, Colt." Stormy said, casually dancing away from the disgruntled splash of his child.
"Next time, Old Mule." Tempest grumbled irritably, wiping the hair from her eyes. Her father only laughed heartily as he headed inside as the fuming unicorn pulled herself from the pond.
"You certainly know how to start the day here, don't you?" Thunderlane said with a grin, catching the petite mare's attention.
"Aww hay" She groaned, covering her face with a hoof. "He just got lucky, I woulda had him in one hit. Next time, he's going down." She assured him, taking a moment to shake off some of the excess water.
"Yeah, yeah. Just go get your wings back." He nudged the mare with an errant elbow as she passed. She stuck her tongue out as she disappeared into the building.
Wild Tempest, pegasus martial artist extraordinaire. Thunderlane had met him at his welcome party and they hit it off pretty well. He had a bit of a big head, but when you've worked under Rainbow dash long enough you learn to look past that. Oh, and he turned a cute unicorn mare when splashed with cold water... It was always best not to ask questions.
~
One shower later, the two stallions were off to the green fields beyond the borders of Ponyville.
"I really appreciate this bro," Thunderlane said to break the silence.
"No prob, not like I had much else to do anyway." Tempest admitted with a small shrug. He cast a sidelong glance to his mohawked companion. "Though if you're just trying to get fit, I'm sure you could find a personal trainer or something..."
"It's not about staying in shape..." Thunderlane narrowed his eyes, gaining a determined look. "In a few months time there'll be a tryout for Wonderbolt prospects in Cloudsdale. They're having them all over Equestria looking for future talent. The top prospects will get hooves on training at the Wonderbolts' own training facility! It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, bro!" He held his right hoof in front of him, shoulders tensed. "Joining the Wonderbolts..." He managed to calm himself down, and after a moment continued. "It's always been my dream, but I've never really put much effort into my training before, just coasted along on my natural gifts. That is, until The Best Young Flyer's competition last year." He bit his lip and closed his eyes. "I knew Dash was good, but that move. The Sonic Rainboom... It was then I realized that if I wanted to reach my goals, I'd have to step it up. I can't just be a good flyer, I have to be a GREAT flyer! One of the best!" he re-opened his eyes and looked to Tempest who had a thoughtful, if slightly puzzled expression on his face. Thunderlane's cheeks flushed red, "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away..."
"...who are the Wonderbolts again?" Tempest's question nearly caused Thunderlane to fall out of the sky in shock. Fortunately he caught himself quickly, merely dipping in his flight path before he gave the martial artist an incredulous look.
"You can't be serious! It's the Wonderbolts!" he exclaimed, though his companions face showed no recognition. "Come on, they're the longest running flying troop in Equestria! Only recruiting the best of the best!" The two had paused in their flight, Thunderlane gesturing wildly at this point. Finally it seemed a glimmer of familiarity seemed to click.
"Hm, I think I remember some of the other foals talking about them back at flight school. I always thought it was some kind of circus sideshow or somethin'." Tempest gave an unconcerned shrug and the other stallion hid his face in his hooves.
"And you call yourself a Pegasus..."
"Hey, flying is but one part of The Art, I can't get all tied up on a single aspect." Tempest said calmly before slowly offering Thunderlane a grin. "Either way, it's clear you're passionate about this, so if you really want my help I'll do what I can. But don't expect it to be like some normal exercise routine. I'm not going to go easy on you."
"I'm prepared." He said firmly. "If I want to stand on the same ground as Dash and ponies of her caliber, I need to step up my game... If you can show me how to do even half of the maneuvers I've seen you and your dad pull off, I'll be well within the running. So whatever you've got planned, I'll do it!" He was genuine and earnest, but in the back of his mind something about the way Tempest smiled at that sent chills down his spine.
"Alright, that's the spirit. There's no time like the present, so let's get started."
~
It was just past mid-day when the pair of stallions slowly made their way back into town, now walking instead of flying. Tempest looked quite pleased, a light sheen of sweat on his coat from the workout. "Not a bad start for the first day," He said cheerfully. "You held up better then I expected. How you feeling?" He cast a look over his shoulder to the slightly slumped figure trotting behind him.
"Dead..." Thunderlane managed to groan out. His whole body ached in ways he couldn't even fathom. Muscles he was pretty sure didn't even exist were sore. Every feather of his wings felt like they weighed 10 pounds... and yet Tempest had done all of the drills right alongside him and he looked positively chipper. "What kind of demon are you?" he grumbled half-heartedly. Tempest merely snickered in response.
"You'll get used to it. A month or two down the road you'd be surprised with the results." at the word 'month' the dark grey stallion paled.
"You're going to kill me..."
"You got to be broken down before you can be built back up." Tempest replied with a wild grin. "Hay, I don't know about you, but I'm STARVED! Come On, I'll treat you to lunch." he offered happily. Thunderlane managed a weary smile.
"Now that's some lifting I think I can handle." The pair shared a laugh as they reached the center of town, Thunderlane's worn state occasionally drawing a curious eye.
Clover's was a welcomed sight. After taking one of the outdoor tables, Thunderlane offered a grateful sigh as he finally got off his weary hooves.
"Well you should get a job or something," Thunderlane suggested, resting his head on a hoof. "Weather team is always looking for an extra set of wings."
"I guess... but if I'm not careful I could have an express trip back back to the ground." Tempest sighed and turned his gaze to the side. "Stupid curse..."
"Oh riiight." It was hard to repress the mental image of Tempest bucking a rain cloud before turning into a flailing unicorn plummeting to the ground. "Well, just sign up for sunny days... it's a lighter paycheck but it's something."
"Maybe..." he slowly grinned, "Maybe a personal trainer?"
"Well some ponies like torture, so maybe." Thunderlane grumbled managing a wry grin, the other stallion waving off the complaint. "How about deliveries? You're quick."
"Hmm... Could work." Tempest looked thoughtful before he stretched and looked up to the sky. "It's so weird to think about this... spent so much time on the road, always moving on. Never really settled down long enough to consider a job.
"How the hay did you eat then?"
"Well I mean we took odd jobs once in a while... other times..." He trailed off, Thunderlane waited for him to continue but the arrival of food seemed to have ended the conversation. There would be no chatting while the stallions dug into their meals with a ravenous appetite.
"Well, Well. If it isn't the new guy." A familiar mare's voice roused the pair from their meal. Rainbow Dash stood just outside the cafe, her forehooves leaning on the low barrier that separated it from the street. She bore a confident smirk, not unlike the one that was forming on Tempest. Just a step behind her was Fluttershy, the shy mare trying her best to go unnoticed.
"Hello Rainbow, not too busy today I hope." The martial artist's tone was conversational, though the implication was anything but.
"You could say that," she said with the slightest of shrugs, like it had hardly occurred to her even though she was the one who had initiated. It was clear to everypony involved that the pair were eager to engage in some manner of wing measuring contest. It had been that way since the welcome party. Thus Thunderlane found himself annoyed with how coy they were playing it, that and the fact his own presence had gone completely unnoticed.
"Hello to you, too." He muttered, breaking the tension as Rainbow Dash blinked and turned toward him.
"Oh, hey Thunderlane! Didn't see ya there!" She greeted genially.
"Clearly." his snarking was ignored as she turned back to Tempest.
"Was hoping Wild here was up for a friendly competition."
"Sure, I just finished a nice warm-up, so I'm good to go." He said, standing from the table and cracking his neck. Thunderlane's face hit the table. A warm-up? He still felt like a pony-sized mold of jello, and Tempest called that a warm up? Clearly a demon. "So how did you want to be beat first?"
"Oh really?" Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed as Tempest approached, the two locking eyes fiercely.
"I'd say kiss already, but he's engaged so..." Thunderlane drolled out, grinning as the two immediately reddened and looked over to him in shock. Fluttershy for her part covered her mouth.
"Oh dear."
"I-It's not like that at all!" Rainbow Dash sputtered shaking a hoof at him.
"Yeah, don't make this weird!" Tempest exclaimed before awkward silence followed the conversation for a moment.
"Ugh, technically..." Tempest conceded with a sigh. "Our fathers decided it for us, hay they haven't even specified which of the three sisters..."
"Wait, THREE mares?" Rainbow Dash frowned, "Is that even legal?"
"No, look it's just ONE of them but it's not decided-" Tempest covered his face. "I really don't want to talk about it. Can't we just punch each other or something?" after a moment the mare seemed to take pity on the poor stallion and file this information aside for later.
"How about a race first, tough guy? First one to the train station and back."
"You're on," Tempest flared his wings, glad for the distraction. "On three?"
"Ready When you are."
"Alright... three." and with that he was off. Rainbow Dash cursed, taking off a moment later.
Thus, Thunderlane found himself alone with a very uncomfortable mare. Fluttershy, from what he could tell, was a very private pony. She rarely interacted with those outside her immediate friend group... Well besides that time when she became a model for a couple of weeks, but well... These things happen. Thunderlane tried to think of where to start and couldn't recall any time he'd had even tried to chat with the mare before. So best to start simple.
"Hello."
"Um, Hi..." she replied meekly. Silence soon followed as she turned her gaze downward and lightly toed the dirt.
"Uuh, you want to take a seat?" He offered after a moment. It seemed patience would be most important in dealing with her.
"Thank you, But I'm fine standing." she gave a shy smile, "Rainbow Dash won't be long after all." she wasn't wrong, mere moments later two blurs returned to the restaurant, Dash touching down just ahead.
"Yeah! In your face, even with your little trick, the fastest pegasus prevails!" she stood on her hind legs, forelimbs in the air in victory. Tempest hovered a few feet behind, crossing his forelimbs with a stubborn hmph.
"That was too short for an accurate test. Best 2 out of 3."
"Heh, Sure. I'll race you anywhere."
"Alright, to the big red barn at the far end of the orchard and back!"
"AJ's barn. Piece of cake. Prepared to be smoked AGAIN, Wild?"
"We'll see Dash, we'll see." and just like that they were off again. Fluttershy and Thunderlane met eyes once again.
"The offer's still open." he said, somewhat bemused.
"Well I suppose it can't hurt..." Fluttershy slowly trotted into the restaurant area and took a seat across from Thunderlane. He didn't wait for the silence to begin, it was clear when dealing with this mare he'd have to be the one to initiate.
"So, you take care of animals right? How has that been going for you?"
"Um, pretty well I suppose..." She trailed off, the stallion worried the conversation would die before it began, but she surprisingly chose to elaborate. "I actually hired some help recently."
"Really? Do you normally handle it all by yourself?"
"Oh yes, many of the animals aren't comfortable with most ponies." She admittedly gently. "But Mr. Night's ability to turn into a bear seems to make them less anxious." she clapped her forehooves together, looking pleased. "It's so nice to have help for the heavy lifting."
"Mr. Night, wait you mean Tempest's Father?" Thunderlane blinked. He tried to imagine the gruff martial arts masters dutifully following Fluttershy's timid suggestions and shook his head.
"If I'm honest... I think it would be kind of fun. Changing into an animal." she admitted softly, looking away.
"Really?"
"Oh yes, haven't you ever wondered what it might be like to change yourself in some way?" Curiosity tinged her tone while she began eyeing him. Thinking about it for a moment, he simply scratched his head.
"I never really thought about that kind of thing..." he admitted honestly. It was best not to ask questions after all. Those kind of odd events didn't happen to him. He frowned slightly, but what did it mean now that he had started to hang out with a pony like Tempest... was he opening himself up to strange things like that? Was he okay with that?
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to upset you..." Fluttershy's words brought him back to reality, the mare was looking positively dejected, her eyes turned back to the ground.
"I'm not mad, my mind wandered a bit was all." he tried to assure the girl with a sigh. He was overthinking things. Tempest and his situation WAS odd but he was a good guy. That's all that mattered. A rush of wind alerted the pair that the racers had returned. This time it was even closer, without any formal way to mark it, it was impossible to see who won. Rainbow Dash passed an annoyed look to Tempest.
"You Cheated."
"Cheated?" Tempest frowned in return. "I didn't even touch you."
"You did... SOMETHING to your slip stream back there."
"And if I did?" He raised an eyebrow, "It was a perfectly valid technique. Racing isn't only about raw speed." The two glared at each other.
"um, you don't have to fight..." Fluttershy tried to interject in her usual meek manner. Thunderlane stepped up to join her.
"Yeah, we're all friends here. It's just a little competition. Right?" he said hopefully. Tempest seemed a bit taken aback, having an odd thoughtful looked while Dash only calmed down a little bit.
"Yeah yeah."
"Um yeah... friends..." the martial artist muttered shortly after, glancing at Thunderlane with an odd expression he couldn't quite identify. Turning to Dash, Tempest seemed to fight with... something... before he began to speak. "Look Dash, I'm... sorry." He hesitated, clearly out of his element. He scratched the back of his head with a hoof. "You've got some crazy speed straight on, I had to find someway to even the odds..."
"Look, it's fine... Just be more straight with me next time." Dash put a hoof out. "we cool?" Tempest smiled a little as he bumped it with his own.
"Yeah, we cool." the smile morphed into a more of a smirk after a moment. "Don't think I'll go easy on you in the spar though."
"Oh really?" And in a flash the touching moment was lost as the swagger returned. Thunderlane rolled his eyes and shook his head, he could hear a muted giggle from across the table. Though before it could build up all over again, another voice chimed.
"I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear," Summer Shade strolled up to the group, a curious look crossing her features. "The two of you were going to have a spar?" Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. What of it?"
"Well," A knowing smile spread across her face. "It's just a LOT of ponies have been curious how that may play out." she tapped her chin, "So I was thinking, wouldn't it be fun to give them a bit of a show?" Her voice was casual but the convenience of it all was fishy. Sadly, the fighters in question didn't seem to notice.
"That sounds pretty cool..."
"I guess that's fine."
"Great, how about you guys delay the match til say... tomorrow afternoon?" she suggested offhandedly. "Most ponies will be out of work, School will be out so the foals can come. Should be able to get a good crowd." she smiled, "Just leave the rest to me."
"Fair enough, guess I'll just have to wait a day to kick your flank." Dash said casually, flashing the stallion a grin.
"Oh really?" Tempest returned it in kind getting in her face once more. "Talk all you want shorty, you'll be the one eating dirt tomorrow." Thunderlane tuned out the banter and got back to his achy hooves. The meal and rest had done wonders but 'wonders' pretty much meant he might make it home before he fell into a boneless pile.
"Well it's been fun guys but I'm wiped, gonna go take a nap for like a week." his rather weak attempt at humor gained a couple of chuckles at least.
"Well at least do some light exercise over the next couple days," Tempest advised with a friendly smile. "You want to keep limber, we need to do these session at least twice a week if we want to get that stamina and wing power up." His matter-of-fact tone did little to stop the cold chill Thunderlane felt. Something must have shown up on his face as the martial artist continued. "You wanted the training. Once you've adjusted in a few weeks, we can get to the real stuff."
"Yes sir..." Thunderlane gave a defeated sigh. The real stuff? That stallion was going to kill him... Defeated he began the slow walk home, he could hear Tempest and Dash having one last high energy parting and the distant apologies the rainbow speedster was giving to Fluttershy, though the other mare's voice was far too quiet to hear.
"Hey Thunderlane, you got a moment?" The stallion stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Summer Shade.
"Uh sure Summer..." he waited for her to catch up.
"You live on the south side of town right?"
"uhh yeah."
"Then could you do me a favor," her horn lit up, opening her saddlebags and floating over a small pile of paper. "If you could put a few of these up on your way home, it would be a big help." Thunderlane's brow furrowed as he looked over the paper, blinking as he turned back to Summer who grinned.
Rainbow Dash VS Wild Tempest The Battle in the Skies An exhibition match sponsored by The StoneHoof Dojo.
"Sponsored is a bold term," he snarked lightly before noticing the date already printed on the poster... for tomorrow afternoon. "Wha? How? Did you know they were gonna-"
"It's called preparation, with a dash of psychology" she said with a wink and a sly smile. "Now be a dear and put those up for me. I still have a lot of work to do for tomorrow." she said before sauntering off in the other direction. Thunderlane stared dumbly at the flyers in hoof before he slowly made his way home...
