Uncle Fine wants me to talk about the past. Why should I? He already knows everything. What good would writing it down do? I don’t care about this stupid book. The only reason I haven’t chucked it out the window is because it seems important to him. And because I read Miss Scratc

Okay, maybe this stuff is important. But Miss Scratch went through everything, didn’t she? And to do that, you have to remember. I don’t want to remember. It just makes me angry.

So angry.

—Gulfstream , Book of Shadows XLVIII

May 29, 1007

Gulfstream didn’t feel the legs wrapping around his barrel. He didn’t notice anything, save that his hooves were no longer in the bully’s face. Obscenities too mature for his five years poured out of his mouth unheeded as he was dragged back. “Take it back! Take it back right now!”

His opponent lay in a ball on the floor, sobbing and cradling her bloodied face. Though three years his elder, she’d barely landed a blow on the small red pegasus.

Gulfstream wanted to do more to her. He wanted to do so much more. He squirmed against whoever was holding him back, wings flapping wildly. “Take it back! Take back what you said about Momma!”

“Gulfstream, calm down!”

“No!” Tears formed unheeded rivers down his cheeks as he struggled. “Momma wasn’t a drunk! Momma was a good pony! Take it back!”

Something caught and twisted his ear, delivering a jolt of pain. “I said enough! Don’t make me call Mountain.”

He tried to jerk away from the magical grip, but the pain knocked at least some sense into him. After a few seconds he sagged in the headmaster’s hold like a bag of flour. “Momma was a g-good pony,” he choked out. “D-don’t talk about her that way. She was good.” The pain in his ear faded.

Heavy hoofsteps announced the arrival of the second headmaster. “Another fight?”

“Yes.” Gulfstream was set on the backside of a massive brown stallion. “Can you take him? I need to check on Peaks.”

A mere grunt was the only answer before the giant earth pony turned away. The blurry heads of the other foals followed his departure. Gulfstream was glad he couldn’t see their eyes.

The headmaster took him outside and sat him on a bench under a tree. Mountains covered in thick forest surrounded the quaint village of Foal Mountains. The sky remained overcast and grey, which suited the colt just fine. He fidgeted and rubbed the moisture from his cheeks, sniffing occasionally as his anger subsided to a mere buzz in the back of his mind. All this time the pony at his side, a mountain in his own right, said nothing.

Just when Gulfstream thought he might escape a lecture…

“Your cousin is coming tomorrow.”

Gulfstream gritted his teeth. “Mm-hmm.”

The bald pony wouldn’t look at him. “Do you think she would approve of your violence?”

He jerked his face away from Mountain. “I just wanted to defend Momma.”

“Hmm.” The headmaster’s hum had the rumbling quality of a minor earthquake. “And does fighting solve the problem?”

He nodded his head. “Mm-hmm.”

At last Mountain looked at him, his bright orange eyes contemplative. “And do you feel better now?”

“Sure.” Gulfstream huffed. His wings shifted and he puffed up a little. “I feel lots better.”

Mountain gave another of those throaty hums. “Pheasants always puff up when confronted with an eagle’s talons.”

Gulfstream slunk low and simmered. “Maybe I wanna be the eagle.”

“You only just hatched, little bird,” Mountain countered with unwavering stoniness. “Have you considered that the eagle may regret the kill?”

“That’s stupid. You’re stupid.” Gulfstream dropped from the bench and skulked away. “Eagles don’t care about their food. They’re tough.”

Mountain made no attempt to stop him. “So when your cousin comes for you tomorrow, should I tell her that you beat Peaks and felt no remorse?”

“Yeah, whatever,” he mumbled. “Tell her that.”

A knock on the door pulled his attention from the tin soldier playset. “Hey, Gulfie.”

“Lightning!” Gulfstream’s wings became a red blur as he zoomed across his room and crashed into his cousin, knocking her back into the hallway. He wrapped his hooves around her neck and laughed. “You’re finally here! What took you so long?”

Lightning Dust answered his laughter with her own, squeezing him tight as they rolled on the floor. “By Celestia, you’ve grown! You run into me like that too many times and I may have to go to the hospital.” She sat up and pushed him back with a grin. “How ya doin’, cuz?”

Gulfstream hovered before her. “I’m great! Look, I can fly and everything. I bet I’ll be as good as you!”

“Oh, I dunno about that. Aim high, kid, but not too high.” Lightning chuckled and gestured to her panniers. “I’ve got everything settled. Mountain Mantra and Mrs. Spring made it pretty easy.”

Gulfstream let out a gasp and began flying circles around his cousin so fast he was a red blur. “I’m gonna live in Cloudsdale! This is the awesomest day ever!”

Lightning tried to follow his movements, and soon her body began swaying in a wide circle as her eyes rolled. “Wow, you really are fast.” She shook her head and grinned. “That’s my little cousin colt! You wanna gather up some friends, say your goodbyes?”

“Nope!” He landed atop her shoulders piggyback style. “I’m ready to go. Don’t need those losers.”

Lightning hesitated, her wings twitching half-open. “Oh… okay, then.” She cast her head around, perhaps in search of something. “If you’re really sure?”

Gulfstream rolled his eyes and pulled on Lightning’s ears. “What? They’re just bucking bags. Let’s go!”

“Well, if you say so.” To his dismay, Lightning stepped back into his room. “What about bags? Surely you’ve got something you want to bring with you.”

“Nu-uh. I don’t wanna remember this place.” He gave her ear an even stronger jerk. “Let’s goooooo!”

“Alright, already! Yeesh.” She jerked her head to one side, freeing her ear from his grasp. “No need to act like a whiney filly.”

“I ain’t no filly,” he grumbled as she trotted back into the hall.

He stood tall on her back, chest puffed out and a smug expression on his face. The other foals – the less fortunate – watched them pass with curiosity and… was that relief? He shook off the thought. What did he care about their opinions, anyway? He was going to Cloudsdale, where he’d never have to think of any of them ever again.

Peace Spring, a unicorn with a pink, off-white coat and soft blue mane, was waiting with Mountain Mantra at the bottom of the stairs. Lightning slowed at the sight of them, much to Gulfstream’s chagrin.

“Alright, Gulfstream,” Peace said in her unpleasantly pleasant voice, “you will behave for Lightning, now won’t you?”

“Yessss,” he droned, his eyes rolling so far back his head rolled back with them.

Lightning chuckled. “He’s in good hooves, Mrs. Spring. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“I hope so, Miss Dust. I really do.” Peace’s frown shifted to a smile as she hugged Lightning. “It was good to see you again, Lightning. Tell your father I said ‘hello,’ won’t you?”

“Sure thing.” Lightning gave a respectful nod to the other headmaster. “Mr. Mantra.”

“Lightning.” Mountain Mantra did something that made Gulfstream stare: he smiled. Mountain never smiled! The Gates of Tartarus were more likely to crack open before Mountain Mantra’s grim face. “Tell your mother I’m still waiting for her to take them back. She’ll know what it means.”

“You betcha.” Lightning offered a lax salute. “Maybe next time I’ll bring one of them along. They both miss Foal Mountains.”

Gulfstream began to bob up and down, pressing his forehooves into her back. “Come ooooon, I wanna go!”

Lightning sighed and nodded. “See you guys.”

“Take care, Lightning.”

Gulfstream risked one look back before the door closed. He was just in time to catch the smiles slipping from the headmasters’ faces and a fretful look shared between them. As soon as the door was in the way, he stuck out his tongue.

Good riddance.

“Well, that was quick.”

Gulfstream’s head whipped around to this new, unfamiliar voice. Waiting in the dirt road was a pegasus he’d never seen before. His eyes widened at her multi-colored mane. “Whoa, that’s cool.”

“Well, I hate to brag.” The pony rubbed a blue hoof against her chest. “Ah, who am I kidding?”

Lightning turned so Gulfstream was face to face with the pony. “Gulfstream, meet Rainbow Dash. We work together in the Cloudsdale Weather Team.”

Rainbow nodded, her red eyes taking him in appraisingly. “Nice to meet ya, kid.”

Gulfstream took in her mane, then her gaze, then leaned sideways to examine her wings. She looked… strong. “Are you a good flyer?”

Rainbow burst into laughter. “I like this kid! He’s got his priorities straight.”

“And you bet your feathers she can fly,” Lightning answered, sharing a hoofbump with her friend. “Our squadrons compete all the time. We are gonna waste the competition at this year’s Best Young Flyers Competition!”

“Heck yeah, we are!” Rainbow gave a flap of her wings and struck a confident pose. “First and second place, guaranteed.”

“I don’t believe you.” Gulfstream’s small wings opened with a snap. “Prove it! Race ya to Bluegrass Falls!” He was off in a blur, leaving the two mares behind.

Or so he thought.

“Nice try, featherbrain!” A bolt of lightning flashed by his left.

“Hah! You call that flying?” A rainbow darted by his right.

Gulfstream’s eyes widened as the two wakes faded in the distance. “Whoa…”

Seconds later, the twin streaks banked into wide arcs in opposite directions, steadily turning back towards him. They came side-by-side and began spiraling around one another, only to blast by him so fast that Gulfstream thought the wind had pushed him into a standstill. He found himself inside a tunnel of prismatic vibrancy, electricity crackling about a swirl of colors.

The effect faded, and the two pegasi were abruptly flying on either side of him, both appearing smug.

“How’d you like that?” Rainbow asked.

He looked from her to Lightning and back. His lips broke into a wide grin as excitement coursed through his small body. “That was the awesomest thing I have ever seen!”

Rainbow and Lightning only laughed.

Gulfstream eyed the waterfall, his gaze peering and his wings twitching. It cascaded over a rocky ledge halfway up the mountain, the water upstream following a meandering course along the rocky slopes. The waters didn’t drop very far – only forty feet or so – and the river wasn’t very wide. What made Bluegrass Falls so unusual was the location, situated over a dozen feet along a cliff that left plenty of room for two or three ponies to walk between it and the curved mountain wall.

His ears perked to the sound of Lightning’s muffled laughter. “Come on, Rainbow! Not in front of my cousin.”

His eyes glanced to the rocks beneath the waterfall, just in time to see Rainbow pull her wing away from Lightning’s flank. Both mare’s cheeks were pink and they cast anxious looks his way, but he pretended not to notice. He was too busy glaring at the waterfall and ignoring the anger rising within him, an anger he didn’t understand.

But it was building. It had been for the past couple hours. He’d thought it only his imagination at first – the little glances, the wry smiles, the in-jokes he wasn’t supposed to catch – but that last sight sealed the deal. He knew what he was seeing, what Rainbow and Lightning were up to. He knew he shouldn’t care. It was just a bunch of stupid adult stuff. Stupid, adult and girly stuff. He’d always thought Lightning above that kind of thing.

He did care. It was driving him crazy already, knowing what Rainbow might be doing to his awesome cousin. Yet he didn’t dare show it. No, he would focus on the waterfall. He imagined it being a stream of colors, pretty and athletic and fun.

And girly.

He’d teach it a lesson.

Lightning’s voice caught his ears again, and this time it was taunting. “Oooh, he’s gonna try it.”

“Try it?” Rainbow asked. “Try what?”

“You can do it, Gulfie. Teach that waterfall who’s boss! If I can do it, I know you can.”

A smile wormed its way to his lips and he tensed in anticipation. Lightning thought he could do it. He closed his eyes and recalled the one time he’d witnessed it, the way she’d plowed through. If Lightning said he could do it, then he could do it. He spread his wings, opened his eyes and focused on the waterfall once more. His tail whipped back and forth in anticipation.

“Go!” Lightning began to chant. “Go, go, go, go…” Rainbow chimed in.

A smarmy grin graced his lips. He wiggled, adjusted his stance, began flapping.

He was off, flying in a blur for the bottom of the falls! He dropped low over the river, his barrel just grazing the water’s surface. He had to time it right… now! His flight path arched upwards at a sharp angle. When he reached the falls, he was almost flying straight up.

It was like being hit on the head with cement. The water stung his shoulders and soaked into his wings, but he flapped with all the force he could muster. The weight pushed on him, slowing him down, and he ground his teeth with the effort to push through.

He strained his ears as much as his wings. He could only barely hear Lightning’s and Rainbow’s cheers through the racket of the falls. Lightning was expecting him to succeed. He had to succeed!

But his ascent came to an unsteady halt. He growled and barely heard it. That only made him angrier. It was just water! Why couldn’t he best it? Even as he tried pouring more and more of himself into the flight, all he felt was his body hovering in place and his temper rapidly rising.

And he needed to breathe. He held out for as long as he could, but at last he was forced to pull away. Sucking down long gasps of air, he glared at the water through his tangled red fringe. His hooves shook and his blood boiled, but in his huffing he could offer no words.

“Hey, that was really good!” Lightning was at his side, rewarding his efforts with a grin. “It took me a dozen tries to be able to hold elevation like that.”

“Yeah, that was some kind of awesome.” Rainbow was at Lightning’s side. “Now I’m sorta tempted to try it.”

His glare jumped to Rainbow. She was too busy studying the waterfall to notice. He couldn’t let her try, if Lightning saw her succeed when he couldn’t…

“Hey, Gulfie? You okay?”

He sucked in one last huff of air. “No!” He darted to the water and kicked the falls. “Stupid water! Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

Lightning called out, “Hey, calm down.”

He didn’t listen. He was too busy being pissed at a bunch of stupid liquid to listen. He tried hitting at the falls again, but it was hardly satisfying. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson, you… you…” He shouted and flew through the water. That proved more effective; at least it felt as though the falls were hitting back.

He wanted more of that, so he turned around and flew through again. “Take that, you rotten piece of—”

“Hey!” Rainbow reached out to him. “It’s just some dumb water. No need to—”

“Shut up! I’m not dumb!”

“I didn’t say—”

Gulfstream snarled and went at the falls again. He wanted to hit something, and the water was his best choice. So he turned around and did it again. And again. That wasn’t fast enough, so he began flying in a tight circle, smashing into the falls over and over and over. The droplets stung against his hide, driving him to unleash more of his anger. He pounded, and pounded, and pounded some more!

His body was a blur of motion. His impacts with the wall of water began to feel less like hammers and more like… like tunnels. The wind around him changed quality, cool and sharp and tugging at his feathers. The water no longer battered him.

In anger-driven confusion, he thought he might have lost control of his flight. Yet, as he turned his head to look outside his blurred red circle, he could make out through the swirling world that he still flew beneath the waterfall. Where had the water…

When he looked inside his circle, he got his answer: the water wasn’t hitting him because the wind from his circle was funneling it away. Half the falling water curved into a new path, angled sideways from the original as the winds sent it crashing against the rocks. It was like nothing he’d ever managed before.

And then it dawned on him: he’d won. In his own way, he’d defeated the waterfall. A thrill of malicious victory ran through him, a sense of presence and strength and focused, infallible rightness. He let out a whoop and laughed as the waters bent to his will by sheer force. It felt so good!

Then a jolt of pain ran down his left wing.

He cried out and went flying sideways, all control lost and the world going crazy in his vision. He flew into something soft that wrapped around him like a cocoon, then he hit the surface of the river. He kicked and squirmed. Muddy water swirled all around. He thought he could hear muffled shouting.

Then the water receded. He sputtered and sagged, carried aloft by Lightning. She was saying something, but he couldn’t hear for the ringing in his ears. His world continued to spin even after she set him down the grass and began examining him.

“—hurt? Come on, Gulfie, talk to me. Tell me you’re okay!”

He sucked in a long breath. “That. Was. Awesome!” He leapt into the air and started to spread his wings, but his left one cramped and he fell to the ground on his side. “Ow. Ow. So cool. Ow.”

“Looks like he sprained his wing,” Rainbow said from somewhere behind him.

Lightning grabbed his face and forced him to look her in the eyes. That proved tricky since her eyes wouldn’t stay still and there were three pairs of them, but eventually they righted themselves out. “Gulfstream. Are you okay?”

He grinned. “I’m great. Did you see that?”

Rainbow laughed. “I think he’s just fine.”

“For the moment.” Lightning shook him, albeit gently. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again! What if you had gone flying in the wrong direction, huh? You could have broken your neck on the rocks!”

What was she so upset for? “But I didn’t, and I learned an awesome new trick.”

“New tricks are only great if you can survive to use them again.” Lightning sat back and rubbed a hoof over her eyes. “Geez, Gulfie, you almost gave me a heart attack. What the hay would I tell my parents if their nephew ended up dead before he even got to Cloudsdale?”

“Oh, lighten up, LD.” Rainbow appeared at his side and gave him a playful whack on the shoulder that nearly sent him to the ground. “He came out of it okay, didn’t he? I mean, yeah, it was dangerous, but now he’s learned a lesson.”

Gulfstream pulled himself up, bristling at his fall. He looked up at Rainbow with brow furrowed. “I have?”

Rainbow facehoofed before drawling out, “Nevermind.”

“The lesson,” Lightning said in a lecturing tone, “is to know your limits. You let that trick go on for far too long.”

“Oh.” He cocked his head and rubbed his aching wing. “Yeah, I guess I get that.”

“Good.” Lightning sat up and nodded. “Stick with us, kid. You’ll become an ace flier yet.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow chimed in, “and the next time you try to get a cutie mark, try to be a little less deadly, huh?”

His ears perked. “What?” He bent around and let out a gasp; a dark grey tornado adorned his flank. “That’s… I got my… but I’m only…” He looked up at Lightning and Rainbow, both of whom were grinning. Energy surged through him as realization settled into his mind.

“Yes! I got my—” He threw up his hooves and started to spread his wings. He promptly collapsed to the grass.

“Ow, ow. Best day — ow — ever. Ow.”

The mares could only laugh.

Author's Notes:

So, who knows what Gulfstream's special talent is?

When I started this, I had no idea exactly what I was going to do with Gulfstream. I mean, I knew a few major facts about his history, but there was a lot I wasn't prepared for. I am pleased to say that I am now 2/3 to 3/4 finished with the next chapter, and through it I have realized exactly what I want to do with this character. I just wish I was writing faster.

Gulfstream is the last member of the Order to sign up, which means that we will, inevitably, be going backwards in time after this book regardless of who the next character ends up being. As for Gulfstream, I anticipate his book being about the same length as Fine's, if not a little shorter.