Raison D'être

by mechafone

First published 1st of July, 2012

Following the tragic events of SCSD, Spark Storm must find a purpose for his life.

Join Spark Storm on his journey to find purpose in his life after a terrible incident in Ponyville. Spark finds love, adventure, mythical creatures and reunites with old friends in this story of romance, personal growth, and features fantasy, action and light humor. -Sequel to Star-Crossed School Days- Some sexual material in later chapters, as well as some violence and death and occasional language.
Shown: Spark Storm, Orea(s) and Almalthea (Top left)

This gorgeous image is © to greenknight5700 of deviantart.

1 I'd Kill To Fall Asleep

Spark Storm laid awake for what seemed like hours. It had been nearly a week since the incident that had landed him sleeping out in the woods. Well, trying to sleep.

When Spark had come to his senses after his melt-down, he had fainted from exhaustion. His friends all stayed with him for days, until he made them leave. His exile was his own, and he wouldn't have them halting their own lives just for him.

It had taken some convincing, but after a while all but Ditzy had left. She absolutely refused to leave his side. She was sleeping at his side now, pressed against him for warmth, the spring air still chill at night.

Spark laid where he was, feeling himself nod off. But each time, he would start to see visions of the week before and snap awake. It was taking it's toll on him physically. It was completely exhausting.

After a while of being awake, he decided he needed something to do. He sat up, waking Ditzy. "Spark...are you ok? What are you doing getting up in the middle of the night?" He got to his hooves shakily, swaying a bit as his balance was missing due to his exhaustion.

"I don't know, Ditzy. I can't sleep. I keep seeing it whenever I try..." Ditzy stood with him and braced herself against him for his balance and nuzzled him affectionaltey. "Anything I can do to help?"

Spark looked back at her, blinking through the sleep gathered at the corners of his eyes. "You can go home so I can stop worrying about you." Ditzy shook her head, shivering a bit in the cold. The moon overhead, bright and full, allowed for nearly clear vision.

"It's not gonna happen, Spark. I won't leave you." As she finished speaking, her stomach grumbled loudly, piercing the night silence. Spark arched a brow at her almost angrily. "When was the last time you ate something?"

Ditzy blushed and looked down at the ground as her stomach called for food again. "I don't know...three days maybe?" Spark sighed and pushed gently against her as he started to walk. "Look, I won't have you starve out here. I'm taking you home."

Ditzy gasped and pulled away from her like she'd been stung. "But..." He glared back at her, his golden eyes shining in the moonlight. "No buts. I have to be out here, but you don't. I'm taking you home so you can rest and eat."

Ditzy frowned at him, but she knew he was right. She was starting to feel much too weak. How could she protect him if she fainted? "...All right. You're right..."

The two made their way back out of the Everfree. Spark's eyes started to water as he saw the town, but he shook it off. He had to get Ditzy home.

The two walked through the empty streets. It all seemed the same to Spark. He had thought that the place would change, that things would look different, though he didn't really know why he'd thought that. Nothing looked out of place.

Finally, they reached Ditzy's home. The door was locked, and Ditzy didn't have a key. "Hold on, Spark," she whispered. She flew up into the air, and slipped inside her room window.

There were voices suddenly coming from where she'd gone in, and Spark figured she'd been caught by her parents. At least now they'd make sure she ate something and stayed home, where it was warm. He turned around and headed back the other way when the front door opened and an adult Pegasus came at him.

Spark was too tired to defend himself, so he just braced for pain. He was caught up in a pair of forelegs however, and squeezed. He looked up, and noticed tears in the mare's eyes. "Oh, Spark...thank you for bringing Ditzy home. Thank you..."

Ditzy's mother brought him inside and made him a sandwich, which he hungrily devoured. She gave him water, then fitted him with saddlebags filled with sandwiches and several bottles of water.

As he was getting ready to go, she rested a hoof on his back and smiled at him. "Spark, Ditzy really wants to see you before you go." He took off his saddlebags, then headed up to Ditzy's room. She was tucked into bed, barely awake.

He walked to her bedside. When she noticed him, she sat up and wrapped her forelegs around him. She tried to hold in her emotions, and she let slip a couple of silent shuddering sobs. "Spark Storm...my mom says it's time to stay home, and..."

Spark rubbed her back comfortingly. He knew how important her promise to Sapphire was. "I know, Ditzy. It's better this way, though." She shook her head, her blonde mane shaking crazily. "No. It's not better for you. I don't want to stay."

He sighed, holding her tighter. "I know you don't...but this is my situation, not yours. I don't want you out there if you don't have to be. You belong here in Ponyville where you're safe."

Ditzy pressed her face against his neck. She had taken comfort in his presence since the day she met him six years ago. She could never tell him how much he meant to her.

After a moment, her breathing became slow and even. She'd fallen asleep in his arms. Carefully, he tucked her into bed, then went downstairs to gather his things. Ditzy's mother gave him a huge hug, her wings draped around him like a blanket. "Thank you for being a friend to her, Spark. You mean more to her than you'll ever know."

Spark returned to the Everfree. His exile seemed much colder now, much more foreboding, now that Ditzy was gone. Now that he was alone, he felt afraid. He felt lonely. With a trembling sigh and a heart almost too heavy to carry, Spark returned to the woods. For the first time in a week, he finally felt truly alone.

2 - When The Wrong Road Is The Right One

Two weeks later, Spark Storm had long since run out of the food that Ditzy's mother had given him. The days had started to stretch into each other, and he was no longer sure of the date. Not that it really mattered to him. He wasn't sure if anything really mattered anymore. He could teach himself to thrive in the woods, but...to what end?

He often found himself asking this question. What was the point? He had nothing to live for. He had no goals. He'd forced his friends to leave him alone, so he had no one to share this boredom with. After a while, he just started lying around. His reason for being was gone.

A day later, as the leaves idly brushed over Spark's prone body, a tall, dark figure approached him, the smell of death following it. The creature grew closer, and the smell became intolerable. Spark got to his feet and saw the creature looming over him. Spark's heart filled with fear, but at the same time, he welcomed death. It was preferable to this slow wasting away.

"...Go on, do it." He dared the beast. He was becoming annoyed with all this waiting. "Go on, kill me!" The beast glared down at him. It seemed confused at the pony's willingness to die. It slowly backed away from him, but Spark was determined to see this through, and the creature was making him mad.

Spark flared his wings, igniting the flow of electricity through his feathers. The Shadow Breed seemed to reconsider the little pony as a threat, and lunged. Spark closed his eyes and released all the energy pent up in his wings, sending the beast flying into the trunk of a tree, snapping the beast's spine. It let out a horrible howl, then lay still.

Spark stared at what he had done. Had he really killed that huge creature by himself? Is this what the village meant by 'monster hunters'? Is that what he was? Well, whatever he was, he hadn't been intending to defend himself. At the last second, he'd decided he wanted to live. And now that he'd been thinking, really thinking hard about what had happened in Ponyville, he came to a conclusion: There was absolutely no way that fire could've been caused by Cheerilee. (little rushed i know, but eh ¯\(°_o)/¯ )

As Spark Storm ran through the Everfree, his thoughts went back to that day. River had been saying something about their families never meeting. The things he said. What his friends said happened outside the school. Cheerilee attacking him. Why hadn't he seen it sooner? He ran faster and faster, finally bursting out of the Everfree.

His wings were twitching with agitation as he ran, causing a line electricity to form behind him. The sun was just rising as he approached Ponyville. There were a few ponies here and there setting up shop at the market stands, and he could swear he saw Applejack and Big Mac. He zipped past, almost too fast to note. He didn't stop until he came to the mansion along the outskirts of the village.

He didn't stop when he got to the door. He burst through it with a blast of electricity, sending sparks and splinters everywhere. Servants went into hiding as he flew down the hallways, checking each room until he came to what must've been River's room. He blew the door in like the other's, and walked in, wing's raised high, charged with more energy than they ever had been.

He had made a lot of noise coming in, so he didn't understand why River wasn't getting out of bed. Well, he wasn't going to be polite and wait. He released the energy built up in his feathers, directing it under the bed. The bed, heavy frame and all, bounced up and fell upside down, bits of it smoking but not yet on fire. River still didn't get out of bed.

After a moment, Spark felt a gentle hoof on his shoulder. He turned to see Filthy Rich, a concerned frown on his face. Spark turned to face him, aggression and adrenaline fueling his anger. "Where is he? I know he had something to do with the fire! Where is he?" Rich sighed quietly. He hadn't been expecting Spark to figure it out...this would be hard to explain. "Spark...he's gone." "What do you mean, 'he's gone'? Gone where?" "I mean, he's not here. I sent him away."

Spark shook his head slowly. This wasn't happening..."Rich...if my mother ever meant anything to you..." Rich cringed. "...Tell me the truth. Did River kill her?" Rich let out a deep, heavy sigh, then nodded slowly. "Yes, he killed your mother, Spark." The dark Pegasus turned away from Rich. He let out a scream and made to reignite his wings. He fired upon River's old bed again and again until it was splinters. Finally he collapsed on the floor with his head in his hooves.

All this time. All this suffering, and River had been behind it all. For ten long years, River had plagued him and his friends, and had finally taken his mother and his entire life away from him, and now he had no chance at taking his revenge. He was done. Spark was just done. Taking revenge had given him a chance at a goal, at doing -something-. But...it was all over now. He had no more drive, he had no more desire to live. He wished that creature -had- killed him.

Rich looked down at Spark with pity. He'd gone through so much, and he deserved so much. He turned as a servant entered the room cautiously, his eyes widening with shock as he saw the damage the little Pegasus had done. So the whispers about town were true: Another Monster Hunter had been discovered. The servant leaned in to whisper to Rich, "Sir...shall I call the guards?"

Rich shook his head and rested a hoof on servant pony's shoulder. "No, Alfred. Ready my carriage. I'll take care of this myself." Alfred bobbed his head and set about to his task. "Right away, sir." Rich turned back to Spark Storm. He looked like he'd fallen asleep. Rich carefully picked him up onto his back, and carried him outside. The ride to Canterlot was a long one. Spark was asleep for the entire trip.

"...And then he'll look into my eyes..." "Uh huh." "And...he'll kiss me." "Uh huh." And then we'll get married..." "Uh huh." "..." "Uh huh." Sapphire glared back at her strawberry-shaded friend, her eyes playful daggers. "You're not even listening to me anymore, are you?" Lemon Pop just shrugged at her, and said, "Uh huh." Sapphire scoffed, and dramatically whipped her head back around so her friend could continue braiding her hair.

The two of them sat in the park, which stood at the gates of the royal castle. It was a beautiful day out, and it was nice taking a break from the daily training. They didn't get a whole lot of days to themselves like this anymore, so when they did, they made the most of it by being girly for a change.

The two friends had met when Sapphire had moved to Canterlot five years ago. Taking an instant liking to each other, they had been thick as thieves since day one. And since that time, there wasn't a day that went by that Sapphire didn't talk Lemon's ear off talking about the "wonderful, dashing Spark Storm". Lemon Pop had to constantly remind her friend that the last time Sapphire had seen him, he was five years old. She also constantly called her friend 'pervy' and a 'cradle robber'.

Sapphire sighed as she let herself dream again. She wondered how he was doing, what all she had missed. She was so lost in thought that she didn't see the carriage pull up to the gates across the street. Rich and Spark emerged, and the dark colors of the Pegasus walking with Rich caught Sapphire's eyes.

She wasn't sure she was really seeing him, but she bolted upright, and immediately fell onto her back as Lemon was still braiding her hair. "Owwwwwwwlemonhe'shere!" "What?" Lemon looked around, and spotted the little dark blue Pegasus. She immediately recognized him from the fact that Sapphire wouldn't shut up about him. The two looked at each other for a brief instant before both Pegasi took off into the air to catch up.

3 - Tell Me

Spark Storm plodded aimlessly alongside Rich. He didn't remember what the business pony had told him about where they were going, and he really couldn't care less. As long as it let him sit in a quiet room by himself, Rich could take him anywhere.

Spark was completely concentrating on not existing anymore when he was blinded by white. Forelegs were wrapped around him, but he barely noticed. A sweet, angelic voice was calling his name, and for a moment he really thought he had finally died. It would've been a reprieve, but once again fate gave him a sound slap and told him 'Nope.'

So when he leaned back to see who or what had attached itself to him, he was a little dazed and confused when he saw the most beautiful face in his memories: Sapphire Snow's. He tried to process this confusing turn of events when she kissed him with tears in her eyes. Everything was happening so fast, and the happy feeling when she kissed him, while nice, just wasn't enough to keep him from passing out.

Lemon Pop watched Sapphire Snow pout. They were seated in the royal chambers just outside Celestia's audience chamber, waiting for Rich and maybe a conscious Spark Storm. Sapphire was seated with her forelegs folded over her chest and her hind legs stuck out underneath her. Lemon loved it when her friend pouted. It was undoubtedly the cutest thing she had ever seen.

Sapphire glanced at Lemon, then looked away. "Shut up." Lemon surpressed her giggled with both hooves, but it was futile. She released her laughter with snorts and giggles, kicking her hind legs. "I didn't say anything!" "You were thinkin' it!" "Totally was not. I'm just...*snrk*...Ok, fine. It's just, you've been talking about Spark Storm for the last five years, and the second he gets here, you kiss him and he passes out. I-I'm sorry, it's just too funy!"

Sapphire was about to get up and show Lemon what-for when Filthy Rich exited the doors, which quickly closed behind him. He approached Sapphire, who had eagerly met him halfway. "What did the Princess have to say? What's going to happen to him?" Her enthusiasm made Rich smile. "She's going to let him stay for a while in the palace." Sapphire let out a happy squeal and did a back flip in the air, flittering there for a moment before dropping to the floor again. "Sapphire, he wants to see you."

Sapphire stood stock still at this news. For five long years she had been going on and on about Spark, and now that he was here, she wasn't sure what to do. Rich chuckled quietly as he headed out, nodding in farewell to Lemon Pop. Lemon sauntered up beside Sapphire, whose joints had frozen. She poked her friend in the ribs. Sapphire let out a shriek and glared at Lemon.

"Celestia, you're jumpy! What happened to your brave kiss outside?" Sapphire gulped and took a few steps towards the audience chamber. "Well, I wasn't really thinking...I better go see him..." She stepped to the huge doors and swung them open slowly, only to find the chambers empty. Feeling even more nervous, Sapphire closed the doors behind her and walked into the large, echoing chamber.

Sapphire stepped into the center of the room, thoroughly confused. Hadn't the nice gentlecolt mentioned that Spark wanted to see her? From across the room, Celestia poked her head out around the corner. "Psst! This way!" She disappeared again, the only sign that she'd been there in the first place her billowing tail disappearing after her. Sapphire arched a brow and ran after her.

Celestia waited for her at a door at the end of the hallway. The Princess had the most eager grin on her face, as if she'd heard the best dirt in the history of the royal family. Sapphire frowned disapprovingly up at her. "Princess..." Celestia raised a hoof to cover her mouth. When she brought it down, she looked calm and collected once more. "My apologies, Sapphire. He's ready to see you now." She stepped aside, allowing Sapphire inside, but not before playfully whispering, "No funny business, missy." Sapphire slipped inside with a blush covering her entire face.

The room was small, compared with the other rooms in the castle. It was square-shaped, with a personal bathroom. It was sparsely decorated, with a writing desk on the wall adjacent to the bathroom. The bed was high up, she couldn't even see over the top of it. She didn't see Spark anywhere, so she climbed up on the bed. There, Spark lay. He seemed asleep, but he opened an eye to look at her. He looked like he didn't believe what he was seeing.

Sapphire stepped closer to him and brushed a hoof over the hair in his eyes. He was a mess...he looked like he'd been living in the wild. He had little twigs and bits of pollen in his mane and fur, and he looked like he hadn't bathed in a long time. Smelled a little bit like it too. "Oh, Spark..." She whispered. "What happened to you?" He didn't answer, but rather balled up lying away from her.

Continuing undeterred, she laid down with her belly pressed to his back and took him in her forelegs. She gently stroked his mane and buried her face against his neck. After a few minutes, she could feel him shaking. She could tell that he wanted, needed to get something off his chest. "Spark..." she whispered into his ear. "Talk to me. Tell me what happened...please."

After a moment of waiting, he turned to face her. His eyes spoke of such pain. Finally, he spoke to her. He told her the whole story, of everything from the moment she had left to when he had arrived at the castle. By this time, they were both weeping for his loss. They stayed wrapped up in each other's forelegs for hours, eventually falling asleep together, like they had so many years ago.

4 - Call of the night

Spark sighed heavily as he let Sapphire groom him. They were in the bathroom, knee-deep in dirty water. The white Pegasus let the water out, then turned the shower on, the warm water pouring over both of them.

Taking care of Storm gave Sapphire feelings of warmth and mother-like care, but it also put other feelings she'd had for him in perspective, a few of the feelings that made her blush, too. Something about this situation made her heart flutter, but she knew she was too young to even think about stuff like that yet, so she put those on the back burner for now.

Sapphire lathered Spark's mane, using immaculate care to get his once shining and beautiful mane to sparkle like before when he was a child. She was careful with his wings. She knew what messing with her own wings felt like, and she tried not to imagine what it felt like for him. If it affected him, he was making no effort to voice any complaints.

When Sapphire was satisfied with bathing Spark, she lead him back to his bed and had him lie down on top of his towels as she started to dry him off. He gave her one pleading glare, trying to take the towel from her. "Nuh uh." "Sapphire, you've really done enough. Just..." Sapphire smiled down at him and poked his forehead with a hoof. "Nope. This is your punishment." Spark crossed his eyes briefly, concentrating his focus on her hoof. "Punishment for what?"

"Punishment for letting yourself get so dirty. You didn't take care of yourself, Spark." The dark Pegasus frowned at Sapphire, then looked away across the room. "Yeah, well...I wasn't really myself, was I." Sapphire reached down and touched his face to make her look at him. "Your mother wouldn't've wanted you to waste away like that, Spark. You have to promise me you'll take care of yourself from now on...Or I will take care of you again." It was a flirting threat, but a threat nonetheless. Spark felt himself blush, but he said nothing and let Sapphire dry him off. He supposed she had a point...

Finally, after 20 hours of sleep, talking, bathing, and preening, the two Pegasi emerged from the room. After nearly a whole day in the same room, both preteens needed to get out and stretch. It was after midnight now, and the hallway torches had been lit. "Come on. I think it'd be cool to see the stars. There are some great towers to watch from!" Sapphire said as she took off down the right hallway.

At the top of the tower, in the cold April air, they both shivered. Their fur still a little wet from the shower, they huddled close together and looked to the stars, so bright and so clear. Spark Storm's eyes gazed over the sea of stars. He'd never seen so many before, not even in Ponyville. Ponyville...He tried not to let out a sigh, but it slipped out of his lungs anyway.

Sapphire laughed quietly. She knew Spark Storm was trying not to be down for her sake. She'd heard the whole story, so she knew the things he'd been through would take a long time to get over. For now, she was content just sharing the night sky with him. She turned to face him and looked up into his eyes. He looked back at her. Why was she staring at him like that? Was she going to kiss him again?

She leaned in slowly, just to see what he would do. Would he let her kiss him? She gently nudged his chin with her nose before she tucked her head under it and snuggled against him. Her teasing brought out a sigh from him again. This time, she just settled for being close to him, her forelegs wrapped around him. She let out a contented sigh as he wrapped his forelegs around her shoulders.

Spark Storm smiled as he held Sapphire Snow in his arms. He'd waited such a long time to have her this close to him, and now that he was staying here...he paused in his thoughts as he looked up at the moon. There was something there that he'd never really noticed before, a shape.

His focus on the shape became more and more clear, and it was almost as if the moon was whispering things to him. Sweet things...sweet little nothings into his ear. It seemed like the moon was looming closer and closer down upon him, until it completely filled his sight. It's brightness encompassed everything he saw.

Suddenly, he was there. He was on the surface of the moon. He could see the his planet off in the distance, but his gaze had not deterred from the tall figure before him. It was completely black, adorned with silver armor. It's mane and wings were as a starry mist, weaving and bobbing like silk sheets blowing in a nonexistent wind. The figure loomed closer, and closer. Whispers reached his ears, whispers he couldn't understand.

As he watched the figure, he witnessed a line of red flowing from it's most definitely feminine form, reaching out for him like a thread trying to find it's way through the eye of a needle. He could not move, he could not speak, as the thread suddenly found it's way to his heart, the red ribbon now connecting him with the other figure's heart.

A soft cackling pierced the silence. Unlike the figure before him, the voice was definitely male. "Hm...the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. Wouldn't you say, my dear?" The voice echoed in the silence of space. The shadowy figure before Spark Storm seemed to regard him with interest, before her own voice boomed out into the silence surrounding the apparently three of them. "Yes...Yes, your promise holds true...He needs more time, but he shall be perfect. Your promise pleases us."

Spark's eyesight returned to him, as he returned to the turret, Sapphire Snow wrapped around him. He was about to talk to her about it when his mind began to cloud. The strange dream was disappearing. Small details remained, but even those eventually drifted out of his memory to be forgotten. He looked back down at Sapphire, and merely remembered how happy he was at this moment in time, the memory of the encounter on the moon completely wiped from his memory.

5 - Back To Work

The two Pegasi ran together, pounced and wrestled each other, slipping in and out among the trees, laughing, playing. It was a scene of young love, coupled with a childhood of friendship. Their relationship would be a thing of beauty when it truly blossomed.

Celestia sighed as she watched the two friends together in the gardens. She had rarely seen two ponies so much in love. Their relationship would change very soon, all too soon. They would grow up and...well. She'd need to intervene so they didn't grow up -too- fast.

But for now, she hated the thought of sending Sapphire back to her training. She seemed to be having so much fun helping her friend find passion for life again, and it was working wonderfully. The two of them had had time to themselves for an entire week, and it was time to get Sapphire to focus on her job once again. She had volunteered for it, after all. She had a responsibility.

Sapphire made one final lunge at Spark Storm. He saw it coming, and he could have dodged, but he stood still as she collided against him, sending them both tumbling through the grass. They both laughed, hugging each other as she laid half on top of him. She looked down at him, her eyes bright and shining against the shade of the tree they were under.

There was a clearing of a throat, subtle but clear. Sapphire glanced back to see Princess Celestia with a pointed look on her face. Sapphire then noticed her that wings were standing straight on end. She pulled them down tight against her back with the deepest of blushes and faced the royal Alicorn, her eyes trained anywhere but on Celestia's gaze. "H-hello, Princess, how are you this afternoon?"

Spark Storm got to his feet, and joined Sapphire's side. Not really sure how to address the Princess, he gave a light bow, to which she smiled. "Hello, Sapphire, Spark. Now...Sapphire, I know you've enjoyed your time with your friend, but..." Sapphire sighed heavily. She knew what the Princess had come for now. Honestly, she'd thought this week would've been a lot shorter. Celestia had been kind.

"Yes, Princess. I guess I'm ready to get back to work." Spark obviously hadn't been there for the conversation about 'work'. He cast a confused look between the two. "Sapphire is training, Spark, to become a 'Fighter'. They're my secret police, you might say." Spark furrowed his brows. It couldn't be..."You don't mean...monster hunters?"

Celestia couldn't hide the look of surprise on her face. "You know of them?" Spark sighed deeply and took a few steps away from the two, his wings spreading wide. "It's why I'm here and not in Ponyville." He activated the power in his wings, sending little threads of electricity between his feathers. "...It's because I was branded as a monster. Or a monster hunter. I don't know, one of those."

He turned to see shocked looks on the two mares' faces. He cringed inwardly. Had he blown it? He had to look away in shame as Sapphire approached him. She hadn't heard the part about where he could manipulate electricity. He'd decided to leave that part out.

Spark felt her muzzle against his cheek, then practically melted as she whispered into his ear, "It's ok, Spark. I don't care." He pulled back to look into her adoring eyes. She nodded as if to confirm her statement. "Really, it's ok, sweetheart." He felt his heart flutter at the petname. She hadn't called him anything other than Spark Storm before.

Sapphire looked back at Celestia. Maybe...just maybe. Celestia seemed to get what the Pegasus was thinking. After a long moment, she addressed the two of them. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to at least let him see what we do." Sapphire jumped for joy, her wings buzzing and keeping her aloft in the air. "Oh, yes! Maybe...maybe he can be a 'Fighter'!"

Celestia chuckled at Sapphire's enthusiasm. "Maybe...but we'll need to see what he can do, first. Let's get started." Celestia took to the air. It was roll-call time.

Spark Storm sat down in the shade, watching the scene unfold before him. Sapphire Snow was standing in the center of a black circle on the ground, struggling to stand. Before her, about 20 feet away, stood an adult brown Unicorn. His mane and tail were stylish, and he had a short goatee. The most curious thing about him, though, was the color of his magic. It was black, and surrounded his horn as he held the strength of his spell around Sapphire.

The white Pegasus was struggling just to stand, as well as raise her wings. Her whole body trembled, her petite, lean muscles straining in a dead flex. Finally, she collapsed. The circle around her immediately faded, giving way to ground. The brown Unicorn moved towards her quickly. "Sapphire, you ok? You did good, you lasted five seconds longer than I thought you would!"

Sapphire laid where she was, breathing hard, her body still trembling. After a moment she stood shakily and smiled proudly. "Geez, Braham, did you up the gravity again this time?" The Unicorn known as Braham let out a laugh that shook his belly and echoed in the courtyard. "Oh, did you notice? Well, you're a growing girl, and you just proved it!" Braham glanced over at Spark Storm, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Is that your boyfriend?"

Sapphire blushed at the term. She wasn't sure she could really call him that, at least not yet. There were things they hadn't gotten around to talking about yet, and she didn't want to talk about those things. It was too soon. Braham laughed and waggled a hoof dismissively. "Forget I asked. So, do you think he'll join us, Sapphire?" At this, another Unicorn that had been watching approached. Braham rolled his eyes. Away from her so she wouldn't see, of course.

"Braham...enough. Stop meddling. You know better." The unicorn was a stern female, teal in color, with a two-toned mane and tail. Her colors were teal and turquoise. Braham sighed and shook his head as he stepped over towards Spark Storm. "Honestly, Muddy." The mare narrowed her eyes after Braham, calling, "You call me Turpid! Not Muddy!" "Yes, yes..." he called over his shoulder.

Spark stood to attention as the large, imposing stallion approached him. Braham laughed at this and gestured with a hoof to relax. "Relax, son. I won't bite. I was just wondering if you'd like to take the same test that little Snow took. It won't hurt, it's just a test of strength and endurance."

Spark nodded after a moment. "Well, it did look kind of interesting...what does your test do, and why was it so hard for her to stand?" "Well...the spell I used was gravity." Spark blinked. "Gravity?" Braham chuckled and walked back towards the center of the courtyard. "Why don't you come and see for yourself?"

Spark gulped nervously and looked over towards Sapphire and the other Unicorn. Muddy-er-Turpid watched disapprovingly, but Sapphire nodded with a big grin on her face. Secretly, Sapphire wanted to see what it looked like when Spark worked out, getting all sweaty, and...She felt a sharp tap on her shoulder, and became aware that her wings were acting up again. She pulled them closed with a snap, blushing profusely. "S-sorry, Turpid..." A cold, but slightly amused "Control yourself, child..." was returned to her.

After Spark was in position, Braham's horn lit up, this time a dark brown light surrounding his horn, different than before. "Are ya ready, kiddo?" Spark Storm nodded, and braced himself for whatever spell could've been used to stagger Sapphire. Braham closed his eyes, and his magic seemed to change. It became black. An instant later, a circle appeared around Spark, three feet in diameter. Slowly, it expanded until it surrounded him in a perfect 20 foot circle.

Then, it started. Spark could feel the earth pulling at him. Every inch of his being was being pulled to the ground. His head, his tail, his knees. And it was pulling hard. He fell down onto his belly with a grunt. He strained to get back up, his muscles pushing to resist the pull from the earth. Sapphire, Turpid, and Braham all watched in fascination as Spark stood up straight despite the gravity spell.

"A...amazing..." Braham said, breathing out slowly. He slowly increased the strength of the spell, causing Spark to wither a bit, until he straightened out again. The gears in Braham's head were turning..."Tell me, Spark...can you walk? See if you can walk out of the circle."
Turpid wanted to tell him to stop, but her own morbid curiosity told her she also wanted to see how strong the Pegasus was.

Spark grunted as he tried changing his balance. He took a step forward, then fell before catching himself. His breathing was forced now as his lungs nearly refused to work on their own, but still he pressed forward. Every movement was agony, but he worked through the pain. A full two minutes later, and he passed through the circle and collapsed on the ground, trembling from the strain.

Sapphire ran over to him and sat by his side, gently stroking his back. Turpid and Braham gave each other a silent look. This colt was definitely 'Fighter' material. "L...Liar..." Spark managed. "That hurt like hell!" The courtyard echoed with Braham's laughter.

6 - An Inconvenient Tour

Spark Storm lay awake in his bed that night. His whole body was sore. Braham's spell had forced him to use every last muscle he had in his body, including muscles he didn't know he had, especially muscles in ridiculous places. Braham had told him that none of the Fighters were that strong at his age. Then again, none of the Fighters had ever been farmers. Spark wasn't a farmer either, but he had spent many, many months plowing the fields at Sweet Apple Acres.

He looked at the clock on the wall. It read 2:35. Ugh...two thirty in the morning. Why was he still awake? After all that exercise he got today, why wasn't he sleeping? He looked out the window from his room. From here, he had a perfect view of the moon. It was large, and was halfway through it's cycle, at the third quarter. It's light was hypnotizing. Soon, he felt himself falling asleep.

When Spark awoke again, he found that he wasn't alone. Sapphire Snow had snuck in at some point during the night and was snuggled up against him from behind. He smiled and turned around carefully so as not to disturb her sleep. She had a smile on her face as she slept. He yawned sleepily, and was about to get back to sleep when he noticed something on the nightstand on her side: a sketchpad. Now he was curious.

He watched the sketchpad almost obsessively for the next ten minutes. Could he reach over and look inside it without waking her up? Aside from being a serious breach in privacy, he was very, very interested in seeing what was inside. He stretched out his wings, testing to see if they were long enough. They were, but the tips clumsily pushed the sketchpad onto the floor, causing a soft thud. He immediately snapped his wings back and looked down to see if Sapphire had woken. She hadn't, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

Finding it too risky to get up to look inside, Spark let it go for now. He was still a little sleepy, but he felt it was time to get up and go. Sapphire was going to be busy today, and Celestia was going to be giving him a tour of Canterlot. He slipped into the bathroom and started his bath. After getting into the tub, he let his sore muscles soak up the warmth.

After resting for a good twenty minutes, he got out and dried off. Then, for the first time in quite a while, he preened. He brushed his mane, his tail, and personally groomed each and every last crooked feather. By the time he was done, he was shining like a model. He opened the door to see Sapphire just beginning to wake up.

He hurried up onto the bed and stood over her, a confident smile on his face. His appearance was so sudden Sapphire blushed as she was pushed back onto her pillow. He hadn't been this forward with her, ever, and it was both startling and breathtaking. He smirked down at her and touched his nose to hers, letting his fresh breath cascade over her mouth, making her shudder. He grinned and kissed her forehead, then dropped down to the floor and, taking a backwards glance at her, left the room to start his day.

Sapphire watched him go with an amused look on her face before reaching for her sketchbook. Funny...it wasn't where she'd left it.

Spark Storm walked with Celestia. They had been touring the castle first, and they were nearly finished. The Princess had saved this room for last on purpose. It was her science and magic classroom, and it was in session. A pretty yellow Earth pony with a stylized mint-green mane was giving a lesson in physics and chemistry. She was very proficient at mixing, and she could work and talk at feverish paces and still not make a single mistake.

As soon as classes were finished, the students came piling out. Princess Celestia then called the for the student she'd been waiting for, a bookish purple unicorn with an interesting looking star cutie mark. "Twilight Sparkle!" The Unicorn looked up at the Princess with a smile. Instead of bowing, she hopped over and gave her a hug, which surprised Spark. He hadn't seen anypony -that- close to the Princess before.

Twilight glanced at Spark Storm, and she began to act apprehensive. "Oh, um...who is this, Princess?" Celestia gave her a knowing smile and touched a wing to Spark's back. "This is Spark Storm. He'll be our guest in the castle for some time, I was hoping that you might make him feel welcome and take him around the city today?"

Both Spark and Twilight, at the same time, in the same tone, accused, "You're trying to set me up?"

Pegasus and Unicorn glared at each other. Suddenly, neither one of them wanted to look at the other. They both turned their heads and 'hmph'd. This set the Princess into a fit of giggles. "Oh, you two are perfect for each other!" Spark glared pointedly up at Celestia. "I beg your pardon?" The Alicorn stared down at him. Such a sudden transition from upset to indignity. It was too funny! She held a wing over her mouth to quell the giggles threatening to escape. "Oh, Spark...I don't mean like that, but you two are so alike..."

It had taken some coaxing, maybe even a little pleading, but Twilight had eventually agreed to show Spark around Canterlot. Twilight was brief with everything she showed him, like she had somewhere to be. Spark hadn't really enjoyed her company, either. She hadn't made any efforts to be friendly. Finally, they arrived back at the castle some two hours later. It had certainly been the longest two hours of his life, even though he'd been able to see the key points of the city. Twilight had just been that unpleasant.

He certainly wouldn't miss her. "Well Mr Storm, that's about it. If you'll excuse me..." "Sure, whatever." They were almost out of each other's line of sight when they had to stop as a line of soldiers came marching towards the castle, blocking them in.

Twilight watched this with interest. She seemed to be looking for somepony among the guards. Somehow, Spark spotted him first. He was a white Unicorn, but he greatly resembled Twilight. After a moment, Twilight spotted him as well, her eyes lighting up happily. "That's him! He finally made it into the guard!" She bounced where she stood, letting out a quiet, nearly controlled squeal.

"Who is he?" Spark asked, although he guessed it was probably family. "He's my brother! I haven't seen him in two years, and here he is, in the guard!" Her brother, while a stoic, regal looking Unicorn, took a single instant to recognize his sister and gave her a wink before falling back into the military mask. Twilight responded by doing a little hopping dance in a circle around Spark. It was amusing, to say the least, of the unemotional and distant Twilight he'd just spent the last two hours with.

After a few minutes, the guard was done with it's routine, and the line of Unicorns and Pegasi marched off. One rarely saw an Earth pony among the guard anymore.

Twilight slowly calmed down after seeing her brother for the first time in ages. She glanced behind her now at Spark, hoping he hadn't taken her departure of character too seriously. She didn't want him to confuse her actions as 'opening up' to him. "Uh. Sorry about that. I should probably get going..." She sighed and began to walk away when he spoke to her.

"Twilight...This whole time you've barely said a word to me. You tried to rush things and drop me off here as fast as possible. But when you saw your brother, you kind of opened up there for a minute." Twilight looked back at him with a light glare. She didn't like where this was going. If he saw the warning look in her eyes, he made no indication that he got it.

"I thought it was kind of weird the way the Princess put us together. I'm...kind of getting the impression that you don't have many friends to hang out with." There it was. The point she knew he was going to get to eventually. "Look, Spark...I have a lot of things going on right now. I have studying, magic practice, and keeping the Princess constantly informed on my progress. I wasn't going to tell you this, but I'm the Princess' personal protégé, so there's a lot riding on my getting things done. I just don't have the time or the inclination for friends right now. I'm sure you'll find somepony else to - "

Spark laughed, cutting her off in the middle of her speech. She gave him her best annoyed look, which only served to amuse him more. "Look, Twilight...I think I see what the Princess was doing. She doesn't want -me- to find friends. She did this for you. You seem so deep into your work that you don't give yourself time for anything other than studying." Twilight turned to face him. It was taking all her lessons on protocol not to yell at him for poking his nose where it didn't belong.

"Spark Storm, it's really not your business what I do with my free time." "What free time?" He retorted with a grin. She gasped as if she'd been scandalized. "Oh! You- I-I don't have to explain myself to you! Honestly, just...go wherever it is you think those lame wings of yours can take you and leave me alone!" She threw her nose into the air and stalked off, the both of them miffed with each other.

Celestia sighed as she watched from her window. This hadn't gone exactly as she had planned. Not at all.