In a Glen
In a Glen
Pinkie Pie bounced happily along a path in the Everfree forest, humming a jaunty tune. Leaping downed trees in her usual gait, she was making good time on her return trip from Zecora's house.
Pinkie had always been fascinated with the zebra's medicinal knowledge, and had recently gotten it into her head that a few extra ingredients in her tasty treats might not only lift her customers spirits, but improve their health as well. With this joyous idea in mind, she had started making frequent trips into the Everfree to take instruction in the art of the apothecary from her striped friend.
Things were going just super in Pinkie's estimation, with only a few minor setbacks. Who could have known that cooking Tiger Tails would turn a powerful cleansing agent into an equally powerful diuretic? Twilight hadn't even spent a whole day in the bathroom, so it wasn't a huge deal. Back to the point, Zecora was a wealth of knowledge in the properties of obscure herbs, including their reactions to baking, blending and preserving.
Hopping a merrily burbling brook, Pinkie slowed down to better survey her surroundings. Zecora had told her that this area teamed with rare plants this time of year, and it would do her good in her education to attempt to pick and identify as many as she could find. Zipping about in a blur of movement, Pinkie brushed through brush, lifted logs and rolled rocks.
"Yippee!" she cried, as with a particularly exuberant bounce she hopped up into the lower hanging branches of a tree to make a closer inspection of something she had spotted. Just as she'd suspected, a long string of Lovers Twine was wrapped up in the tree. A parasitic vine, it implanted itself in the limbs of Fir trees, leaching moisture out of them. Although slightly harmful to the Fir, it didn't kill the tree and grew slowly.
"You're going to make a great blood thinner for Cranky, aren't you little guy?" Pinkie crooned to the vine as she snipped off a few segments, careful to cut it between the vaguely heart-shaped leaves and at an angle, so as to promote growth instead of impeding it. Jumping the fifteen feet down from the branch to the forest floor, she gave a happy wave to the tree and continued on her way.
<----------------------------->
"Here I am!" Pinkie giggled as she pushed the boulder back for the forty-second time, revealing the slowly crawling Pillbugs attempting to make their way back under the rock and into the comfortable darkness. She had found the cute little critters after rolling the boulder to see if a mat of Hearthloam extended underneath it as well as all around it. Sadly it did not, but happily she'd found these funny little bugs, and after an almost excruciating fifteen minutes of concentration, and two bulging saddlebags to show for it, it was high time for some pure fun.
Letting the boulder come back to rest in its origional position gently, Pinkie looked up at the sky. Shifting around for a better view through the forest's canopy, she finally found the Sun.
"Hmmm, almost ten o'clock. That means I have about an hour and a half before i need to be back to help the Cakes with the lunch rush...." Pinkie had a, well, at least a decent idea of where she was. "I may have wandered a bit off course, hehe." Plopping down on her hind legs, she crossed her forelegs over her barrel, lifting one up to tap the side of her head. "Think, think, think". From here she could make it back to Ponyville in the time she had, but it would require cutting through a section of forest she usually went around. Not only was there a Manticore that claimed that particular section as it's home, but there was almost always an unusual weather formation above it. It was one of the sections of the Everfree that some theorized was the source of the frequent storms that whipped out of the forest into the unsuspecting Weatherponies of Ponyville's laps.
"Well," Pinkie said to herself, "I'm always ready for a good game of tag if Mr. Manticore wants to play, and a little weather never hurt anypony!" She grinned. This had all the makings of an exciting morning!
<----------------------------->
Zipping around trees and leaping bushes, Pinkie was making good time on her way back to Ponyville. She figured she had travelled about half the distance home in only thirty minutes. If she kept up this pace, she'd even have time to give Gummy a bath before she had to man the counter at Sugar Cube Corner. Glancing down at herself and the muddy, leaf bristling state of her coat, she giggled, deciding sharing the bath with Gummy might not be a bad idea.
Clearing a jagged stump with a happy bounce, she suddenly slowed down to a trot as she saw the trees begin to thin out around her. She glanced up to see the cloud cover was darkening from a light gray to a deepening black above her. Looking back down, she came to a screeching halt. Spread out before her was an unfamiliar clearing about fifty yards across, practically covered in small silvery-white flowers.
"Huh," Pinkie said to herself. "If I didn't know better, I'd say these were Snowgleam blossoms. It's the middle of spring though. Snowgleam only blooms from fresh snow melt..." All of a sudden, Pinkie felt a by now familiar sensation in her tail.
"Twitcha twitch...?" Looking up, Pinkie's eyes widened. The corners of her mouth slowly curved upward, her face soon engulfed in a wonderous smile. Pinkie could barely believe it. It was snowing! she wiggled her nose as the first flakes came down on her, tickling her with the cold as they instantly melted on her warm coat. The same could not be said for the ground, as within a minute the entire clearing had a light layer of snow over it. Looking behind her, she saw that outside of the glade, the snow wasn't falling. Whatever this place was, it was special. Magical.
With a delighted laugh and a great bound, Pinkie threw herself into the snow, running in circles, flinging up great gouts of it into the air with her forehooves. It sparkled! It gleamed! Looking up to the sky once more, she noticed that the it had, for the most part, cleared. The gray overcast that had covered this part of the forest seemed to have burned off, leaving a great expanse of blue only marred by the boiling black clouds directly above her. The angle of the sun, now out in full glory, cut through the snow as it fell.
Everything around Pinkie sparkled. The light refracted through the ice crystals falling lazily around her, casting tiny flashes of rainbow all around her. It might have been the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, with the possible exception of the first time she'd seen Dashie's Sonic Rainboom. Just like it had been back then, she couldn't stop smiling. "This is amazing!" She cried. The only thing that could have made it better was if her friends had been by her side. She wished with all her heart that they could be here to see this. Even Twilights calm, scientific demeanor would have been cracked by this wonder of nature.
Laying down on her back, Pinkie gazed up into the almost hypnotic swirl of colors above her, slowly making a snow Alicorn in the deepening bed of ice crystals. Suddenly her body was wracked with a series of twists, shimmies and vibrations. After several seconds, Pinkies body relaxed back down into the cool embrace of the snow.
"Well, duh! Calling them a little late aren't you? I could already tell this was a doozy, hehehe!" Happily squirming about and giggling, Pinkie cast her eyes back to the sky. The snow was thinning out, and the black ball of clouds directly above her was slowly losing its darkness and calming down. It no longer roiled in the sky, and Pinkie found it slighty odd that such an angry little ball of clouds could produce such a beautiful sight.
A sound intruded on her moment of silent revery, one that she had heard before but had difficulty placing. It was slow, deep, and regular. Pinkie was sure she had heard it before, but was unsure when it had been. She looked to her left and right, seeing nothing but the snow filled clearing. Looking in front of her produced similar results. Craning her neck backwards, she remembered where she had heard that sound before with a slight bit of trepidation.
"oh, hello Mr. Manticore..." Pinkie said as the was looked down upon by a thousand pounds of winged feline. The expression on the beast was less than encouraging. The monster let forth a roar right in Pinkies face, strings of saliva dripping down from its immense fangs onto her. Slightly deafened and more than a little upset with the Manticores attitude, Pinkie rolled forward onto her hooves and did a quick one-eighty spin to bring her facing the beast again.
"What's the big idea, buster? That's not the attitude I'd expect from someone that wants to play a game of tag! If you're not going to play nice, I'm going to have to seriously reconsider whether I'm in the mood for a game anymore." Pouting, Pinkie sat, crossed her hooves over her barrel and put her muzzle up in the air, slightly turning away from the slightly befuddled monster. Shaking it's head slightly, the Manticore's expression changed from one of confusion back to one of intense rage. Roaring again, it took a swipe at the pink meal in front of it.
Pinkie immediately shot straight up, passing over the huge paw with an outraged squawk. The Manticore launched into a series of slashes and swipes, occasionally throwing in an attempt at a bite when it could see the pink blur in front of it well enough.
'Well,' Pinkie thought to herself, 'Mr. Manticore doesn't seem to be trying too hard.' She performed a front flip over the Manticore, narrowly avoiding another bite. 'I feel like I'm forgetting something, though.' Just as this thought struck Pinkie, so too did something else. The Manticore's tail crashed into pinkies side, sending her flying across the clearing to impact with one of the trees at its edge. Trying to get up, Pinkie screamed as agony tore at her shoulder. She looked down to see a gaping wound there, blood and a clear liquid oozing out of it.
Slumping down to the floor of the clearing, blinking back tears of pain, Pinkie watched the Manticore tread the distance toward her. Even as it came closer, it seemed at the same time to be getting farther away. The edges of Pinkies vision began to turn black, and time seemed to slow down. Pinkie wasn't sure what was happening. Everything sounded hollow, like it was coming from miles away even though it was right in from of her. Her vision swam, and the darkness closed in further. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she heard a sound, like an exuberant cry from a million miles away. Just before her eyes closed she saw a flash of white. Then, nothing.
<----------------------------->
Horse Power stood atop a roiling mass of clouds. The muscle bound pony surveyed his work so far. The clouds stretched out for hundreds of yards around him in every direction. Satisfied with his progress, he looked down to the black stuff beneath him. It was hard, like he was. He would make it harder, just like he had made himself. It was angry, like he got sometimes. he would make it's rage boil to a fever pitch, and then he would tame it, as he'd learned to do for himself.
Drawing on his innate magic, he pulled. The cloud cover surrounding him shrunk slowly from five hundred yards to four. Four hundred yards to three. His muscles bulged from the strain, sinews and veins becoming more defined under his thin coat. His Earth Pony blood surged in him, granting him the endurance to do what few other Pegasi could. His small wings beat furiously, sucking the heat out of the clouds below him and dispersing it into the air above. Eagles rode the artificial thermal he was creating above him. Horse Power looked on them and their majestic wingspan, feeling a bit envious, but not sad.
He pulled again. The clouds below him took on the appearance of a mad maelstrom of silver and black, churning and bulging. Every attempt to escape was headed off, the knowledge his mother had passed on to him put to good use as he shaped the clouds beneath him. Finally satisfied with the breadth of the weather he was shaping, this time he pushed. Increasing the density of the storm, upping the internal pressure. Snowflake, his mother, had taught him to shape the clouds to his whim. She had been a master in her field, many commendations from the Manehatten weather bureau stuffed in a little drawer in her office she never opened.
Horse Power snorted. Reminiscing was a distraction, and this took concentration. He could take all the time he wanted to get all weepy eyed over his mum when he was done. In the privacy of his own home, with the doors locked and the curtains drawn of course. Looking down, he realized that the distraction hadn't hindered his efforts. The clouds were cold. The clouds were hard. The clouds were furious. He never got these feelings when he worked with the clouds from the weather factory. These clouds were wild, while those felt tame. It was so easy to make the manufactured variety do whatever you wanted with them. Too easy for Horse Power's liking. This, what he was doing here, it took skill. Nopony else on the Ponyville weather squad could do this.
Well, maybe one, but she was special. A natural, they called her. She was fast, strong, and talented. And his boss. Honestly Horse Power wasn't really sure what Rainbow was still doing kicking around here. She had turned down so many promotions his head started spinning thinking about it. Then again, Maybe she was holding out for something better, just like he was.
Looking down again at his work, he snorted again, nodding. Rearing up on his hind hooves, he brought his forehooves crashing down on top of the cloud, just... There. The cloud shrieked against his magic, scrabbling to find release, and Horse power gave it an avenue. Straight down. His magic felt like it was spread out into a million little cookie cutters, laced into the bottom of the cloud. He knew the shape of every flake that poured out of his work, all the billions of varieties in all their unique beauty. For the space of less than a thousandth of a second at least. Then he let it go.
Horse Power colapsed on top of his cloud, barely having the strength to keep himself from falling through into the fury below. He was satisfied, and calm. Calm in the way he could only be after an effort like this. He had so much strengh. Even looking at his mighty form, people underestimated the sheer power packed into every fiber of his being. It battered at his consciousness to be let out, constantly yearning to be set free. At times like this, when he had expended it, his mind grew placid and he could think about things. Sometimes this was a good thing, sometimes not so much. Horse Power had a lot of regrets, and though he tried not to dwell on them, sometimes they got the better of him.
During this calm before the storm, it was a little bit of both. He thought back to when he first came to Ponyville to take the Weather position that had opened up. Small team, lots of responsibility, managing the weather coming out of the Everfree was worth big points to the higher ups. He'd had the same problem here as anywhere else though. Big strong pony, only good for kicking clouds. No way he'd have the the finesse to shape storms.
That had changed, though, when Rainbow showed up. First thing she did was throw away the evaluations the last weather manager had written up. Took them each out for a few hours and asked them what they had done, what they thought they could do, and what they dreamed of doing. So why not? He took a chance, and spilled His guts, and waited for her to laugh at him. All she did was point at the Everfree and say "show me."
So he did, and here he was, graduate of the Wonderbolts academy, honing his craft and taming wild weather to his whim. Horse Power wasn't sure if he could ever repay her for beleiving in him. He knew he was sure as Tartarus going to try, though, and he'd never forget it even if he did.
Feeling sufficiently rested from his exertions, Horse Power decided to hop off the quickly dwindling cloud formation to look at the results of his work. Looking downward, he quickly took in the image of a pink pony lounging in the results of his hard work, and the large red shape of a fully grown Manticore approaching her from behind. Snorting in alarm, he angled into a steep dive. Planing to the left, Horse Power set up to level out into a swoop that would take him broadside of the monster.
Pouring on more speed, Horse power watched as the pink pony went through a series of acrobatics to avoid the great beasts blows. Pink pony? Poofy hair? He knew this pony...
<----------------------------->
Horse Power stepped out of the weather office, a stack of forms and the weeks schedule stuffed into his saddlebags. As he turned toward his new apartment to drop off the forms and get settled in, a bouncing pink ball of energy ran up to him, talked very fast, then handed him a note. 'Ponyville's premier party pony invites you to partake in a plethora of fun. Please be our guest at Sugar Cube Corner at eight PM tonight!'
*
The sounds of music and laughter can be heard from the streets surrounding Sugar Cube Corner. Over these a loud exclamation of "YEAH!!!" can be heard. A huge crash follows, and the south wall of the store blows out. A huge banquet table now lies splintered in the middle of the street. A large white shape soon follows it, head down, and upon clearing the hole in the wall, takes to the skies. If one were to take a look inside, one would see a plethora of shocked faces, and one straight haired pink pony looking out with tears in the corners of her eyes.
*
A letter lies open on a desk, the room said desk resides in littered with all manner of party paraphernalia. it reads, 'I cannot apologize enough for my actions. Becoming overly stimulated is no kind of excuse for my behavior. If you will kindly send a bill for the table, wall, and any other damages to 214 Hemlock Blvd. apartment c, I will immediately repay you. Beyond this interaction you will not have to worry about any further disturbances from me.' Surrounding the letter are many crumpled up balls of paper.
*
"So what's the deal, Horsey?" Cloud kicker sidled up to the huge white stallion, handing him a bag marked with the SCC logo. "You always have me grab your stuff from Sugar Cube Corner before work. Why don't you just get it yourself? Not saying I mind the extra bits for playing delivery mare, but... It's kinda wierd." Horse Power scrunched up his shoulders and lowered his head as he passed Cloud Kicker a hoof full of bits.
"I made... A mistake. I can't go back there. Just drop it, OK?"
*
A sobbing pink pony cries in the arms of a cerulean blue pony with a red and purple mane. The blue pony quietly pats her back, shushing her and murmuring platitudes.
"Why doesn't he come, Mrs. Cake? I always invite him, but he never comes!" The pink pony broke down into fresh sobs.
"I don't know, dear. He did a silly thing a long time ago. He might just still be too embarassed to see you. Some ponies don't get over that kind of thing so easily..."
<----------------------------->
Pinkie Pie. The shock of seeing her here almost sent Horse Power careening off course into the forest. Old memories of a younger, more foolish pony swam up into his vision. Shaking them out of his head, Horse Power put on another burst of speed. 'Ten more seconds,' he thought. As he was leveling off from his steep dive, he saw Pinkie flip over the Manticore, only to have its scorpion tail smash into her side, the stinger goring her shoulder and sending her flying across the clearing.
"No..." Horse Power muttered. He couldn't let her down this time. He had disappointed her enough. He had to save her. He WOULD save her...
"YEEEAAAAH!!!"
The cry was ripped from his throat as his three hundred pound frame of pure muscle collided with the Manticore at over a hundred miles per hour. The oversized cat let out an agonized roar as they connected. The great beast found itself experiencing a new sensation for it : Ballistic flight. At least until the first few trees slowed it down a bit.
Picking himself up, Horse Power regarded the mess he'd made. He shrugged and turned toward Pinkie's prone form, or would have if the motion hadn't sent his right shoulder joint into spasms of agony. Looking at it, he noticed it was out of socket.
"Nothin' I can do about that now, gotta get Pinkie to the hospital..." Horse Power muttered to himself. "You just hold on now, Pinkie." He said as he limped over to her. Sliding his muzzle as gently as he could under her barrel, he wiggled his head under her, sliding her down his neck, over his shoulders (not the most comfortable of sensations) and settled her over his barrel, behind his wings.
"We're just gonna go for a little flight, now, ok Pinkie? We're gonna take you on down to Ponyville General and get you all patched up." As Horse Power took off, he noticed a sensation of wetness along his left flank. He didn't need to look back. He knew what it was.
"We're gonna get you to the hospital and you're gonna be just fine..." Horse Power reassured the young mare, his voice cracking as he said it. "I won't let you down again. It's a promise..."
<----------------------------->
Pinkie Pie came back to consciousness slowly. Attempting to open her eyes, she immediately shut them tight against the harsh glow that assaulted them. Slowly this time, she cracked open her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the harsh flourescence of the overhead hospital lights. Taking in her surroundings, she found herself lying on her side on a hospital bed. She saw that she was hooked up to an I.V. and a heart monitor.
Leaning up in bed, the blanket rolled off of her, revealing her right shoulder and barrel to be swathed in bandages. 'The Manticore...' Pinkie thought to herself. She remembered now. She had been stung, and lost consciousness. She might have been a silly pony sometimes, but she understood the food chain, as it were. 'Shouldn't I be in Mr. Manticore's tummy right now?'
Looking to the next bed over, she suddenly gasped. The beeping from her heart monitor began to climb in pace. A large white form occupied the bed next to her. Its right shoulder was also covered in bandages, although it was lacking the I.V. and heart monitor. As Pinkie stared at the form, its barrel slowly rising and falling, a flick of its ear brought into focus a gold earing. It was HIM...
Wincing from the pain, Pinkie rolled her hips out of the bed, touching lightly down on the floor with her back hooves. Catching her balance, she grabbed her I.V. stand, wheeling it around to the other side of the white mound's bed. Lifting the covers, she lightly hopped up onto the larger than average hospital bed. She layed down on her side, scooting backwards and gently lifting a large white leg until her back came into contact with his barrel. Settling the leg comfortably onto her barrel, she snuggled her bushy mane back into a prodigious chest.
A snort interrupted her attempts to get comfortable.
"Pinkie," a low, rough voice said, "what are you doing?" Pinkie only snuggled in closer.
"Pow-Pow, I've been wanting to do this for a long time, but more importantly... I'm really sleepy. Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Horse Power felt her body stiffen, awaiting his rejection. He layed there for what felt like forever to Pinkie, saying nothing, just breathing. As she was beginning to think she couldn't stand a second more, he spoke.
"Good night, Pinkie." He nuzzled her cheek from behind and settled down to sleep. He then felt what seemed to be her mane and tail go through a strange series of convulsions.
"Night night Pow-Pow."