Lightning Only Strikes Once [Closed]

[CrimsonNova]

This RP is for ToxicPenguin [Azure Paradox] and CrimsonNova [Cherry Dancer] only.

Cherry Dancer was feeling wary. She'd seen these clouds before, the type you get with a lightning storm. She could clear the air in no time flat, but she wasn't sure if the pegasi around Baltimare had scheduled this storm for a purpose or not. She could hear a faint rumbling in the distance, which she assumed was thunder.

Looking out at the water, she noticed a fisher boat. She tried squinting to see if there was anypony on it, but she couldn't see anything, as it was too dark.

She knew she should probably run for shelter, or try clearing some of these clouds, but she didn't know which to do! She was also worried about that boat.. What if there was somepony on there? What if they got caught in the storm?

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure looked up at the sky, examining the formation of the clouds thoroughly. He knew Baltimare didn't have a good downpour lately and was in desperate need of one, despite it being as close as it was to the sea. What concerned him the most was the fact that they were still out on the water, doing what they did best, fish. Azure looked off the starboard side in to the distance, back at Baltimare. "Azure, get o'er here and help me with this load, it be a big one" "Coming, Pa!" he called in response, and trotted over to his father and helped him pull a net full of flounder over the side of the boat. "Don't you think we should be getting back to the dock, Dad?" Azure noticed the clouds growing darker. "Well of course, but we can't afford to lose such a bounty. One more net full and we'll head for the dock." He nodded, respecting his father's decision and went to grab another net, when he heard a loud crackle of lightning coming from a mile or two away...

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry picked at the ground with her hoof. She was sure she could hear voices on that boat, but it was pretty far away, and the clouds were starting to rumble. Maybe she was imagining it. Those waves sure did look choppy now though. What if there is somepony on there? She thought. But then again, why would there be a boat out in the water for no reason? They could have abandoned ship and swam to shore if they saw the clouds. The little voice in her mind nagged at her. She should find a small café, or a store to shelter in, but she couldn't help but worry about that lone boat..

Suddenly, the sky was illuminated with lightning, and she squealed, startled. The waves were getting even choppier now, and she was still so confused!

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure and his Pa were just beginning to pull up the last net, when a big wave slammed against the side of the boat. Azure lost his grip, and his Pa struggled to get it over the side, inevitably losing it to gravity. He watched the net veer left and right as the flounder tried to escape, when it was suddenly pulled in by the motor blades and tangled up. "That can't be good.." He saw the look on his father's face. He didn't know what to do either. A hundred yards away another lightning bolt came crashing down to the surface of the water. Azure went over to the stern of the boat and picked up a life jacket in his mouth, tossing it over to his Pa. "Just in case." "But, there is only one?" "Hey, I've got 4 hooves, I'll just swim." He nearly lost his balance when a second wave hit the side of the boat.

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry was getting really nervous now. She was sure she could see shapes moving on that boat. It could be her eyes playing tricks on her.. No! She knew what she had to do. Gathering all her courage, she extended her wings, took off and bolted out towards the rocking boat. She veered off when she heard another crack of thunder, the coupled lightning revealing itself soon after. She was panicking now, but she could finally see the two ponies clearly. Pressing herself harder than she had ever done before, she reached the boat, and tried to hover above it as best she could. Flailing in the high winds, she raised her voice to the two fisher-ponies: but her words were drowned out by the whistling of the winds.

She nodded her head to the two, swished her tail while pointing to the life jacket, to the young stallion, then to the water. She hoped to Celestia he'd understand what she meant.

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure saw the young mare as she flew over to the boat, and studied her hoof-signals, well, tail-signals. He glanced over at his Pa, who was already putting the life jacket on. He called, "She wants you to give me the-" He could only get those words out, when the boat was slammed by a third, bigger wave, capsizing it. The water was freezing, but at least it woke him up. Azure was panicking at this point; it's one thing to voluntarily jump in to freezing water, it's another to get forced in. He swam down and to the side to avoid being trapped under the boat and rose to the surface, gasping for air as he barely floated over the waves. He looked around for his Pa. Was he still under the boat? Maybe he was just behind it? He looked up at the young mare, who gave a reassuring nod.

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry watched in horror as a huge wave approached, panicking, she tried to scream to them to hurry, but yet again her words were drowned out. She watched on as the boat was capsized, and she knew what she had to do. Diving into the freezing water, she grabbed the older stallion and struggled to the surface and with a huge effort, she launched herself into the air. She looked frantically around for the other stallion, but she knew his grey coat would be near impossible to spot in the dark water. Suddenly, she spotted a streak of blue: his mane. Flying as fast as she could whilst holding who she assumed to be the young stallions father, she waved her tail in his face. She needed him to grab on so she could try to pull him to shore. It would be easier if he had the lifejacket to help him float, but it had been lost when the boat turned over. She knew it wouldn't be easy getting them both to shore, but she was brave and despite being slender, her wings were undoubtedly strong.

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure wasn't the best at swimming, but he had always been around the sea and had swam a few times before. He managed to keep himself afloat, well, that and breathing. In between waves, he managed to look up and see the young mare hovering over him, and without thinking, grabbed on to the mare's tail. He saw her struggle briefly, and he noticed she was carrying somepony. "Pa! Is that y-" Another wave came by, drowning out the sound. He kept trying to keep himself afloat, leaving the rest of the work to the young mare.

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry winced as the stallion bit her tail. He had a strong grip, and she knew, even before he took hold of her, that he was going to weigh her down. The mare flapped her wings as hard as she could, but they were wet, and for one frightening moment, she thought she was going to fall: but the wind was on their side now, so, while the journey to the shore was not exactly easy, it was considerably easier, now that she wasn't struggling against the wind. They reached the dock after what seemed like an eternity of struggling, and she set the older stallion down. She was relieved to see he was able to stand, and seemed unhurt; bar the fact he looked severely shocked. She wasn't too worried though, he was a fisherpony after all, so she was sure he'd seen worse storms than this.

She hoisted the younger pony up with a great effort, and left him dripping on the dock, before her legs gave way, and she collapsed in a sodden heap. She was so tired. She didn't want to walk. She knew it was windy, cold and dangerous, but she didn't care. She was just going to sleep here for a while... She couldn't walk, she couldn't fly. If they really wanted her, they could drag or carry her to shelter, but she doubted the fisherponies were in any fit state to do either. She didn't mind. She just needed to sleep for a few days, and right here, on this damp wooden dock seemed the perfect place...

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure hit the dock hard, but it was nice to be on something solid again. He was freezing, and the cold, pounding rain didn't help at all, either. He ran over to his father, hugged him tightly, and then helped him to his hooves. He turned around and examined the young mare quickly, while passively thinking about the storm they were in. "We can't just leave her out here, it's not safe at all..." "Let's take 'er over to the shop, hurry!" With that, Azure lifted the mare on his back, and followed is father down the dock. He would've used his magic, but he was still just a beginner. The last thing he wanted was to turn her in to a Manticore or something else. They made it over to the shop, where Azure and his father used to sell their daily catch, as well as a select few fishing rods and hooks. The power was out, and it was hard to see, but he made his way to the back bedroom, lying the mare on the bed before lighting a small candle and putting it on the end table. He pulled the covers up, and left the room to talk to his Pa for a little while, who was at the window, looking out at the storm.

[CrimsonNova]

It was a beam of light coming through a crack in the curtains that woke Cherry up. She winced against the bright sunlight, rubbed her eyes before realising she didn't have a clue where she was. Why did she feel so tired? Why were her wings and limbs so stiff? Slowly crawling out of the unfamiliar bed, she opened the door and made her way towards the voices she could hear. She walked into the sunlit room and froze when she caught sight of the young grey stallion sitting at a table alone. Shyly, she walked in, noticing the older stallion standing at the sink. Alarmed at how loud her hooves sounded on the floor, she decided to speak up. "Um.. Good morning?" she said, a slight hint of question in her voice.

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure heard the floor creek and turned to see the young mare had woke up. She still looked exhausted from the night before, and her mind was probably racing with questions. "Hey, good morning! Come, sit down." He pulled out a chair for her and went back to his own. He hoped he didn't look too bad. He and his Pa stayed up all night talking, and his mane was still a mess from the storm the night before. The mare sat down and looked relieved. "We'd like to thank you, for saving our lives. We might not be here right now if it weren't for you. Oh! My name is Azure Paradox, Azure for short." Pa was busy scrambling some eggs in a frying pan and humming to himself. "Oh, are you hungry? Can I get you something?" He stood up, worried.

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry tilted her head, and then it all came back. "Oh. The storm. Right." She glanced at the stallion, and tried not to laugh at his fussing. "Hey! Relax, my name is Cherry Dancer, and honestly, I'm glad I could help." She shook her head at his offer of food, but leaned over, grabbed a mouthful of his tangled mane and pulled him gently back into the chair. She was laughing at this point, and nosed his cheek in a friendly way. "I'm glad you're both alright. That sure was some storm. The Baltimare pegasi did a good job." she remarked, the conversation getting easier. Taking a glance at Azure's flank, she saw a fishing rod, which explained their need to be out on the water. Didn't explain why they didn't head back ashore when they saw the clouds. Glancing back up at the unicorn stallion, she shook her head. "You look like ya need some sleep. I didn't hog your bed, did I?" she asked, alarmed, just as Azure's father plonked down a plate in front of him.

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure laughed with her awkwardly. Yeah, this is going the wrong way, he thought to himself. After all, it's not every day that somepony saves your life. He couldn't figure out how to make it up to her. "Heh, very nice to finally get to know your name! Do you work with the pegasi wea-" The plate startled him. "Oh, thanks Pa!" This was the way they lived every day. Azure would wake up and eat breakfast together with his pa before opening up the shop. It's repetitive, but it's always nice to have a new face around. He didn't expect any customers to come in anyway; not after a storm like that. Azure was getting lost in thought. "Sorry, uh, you work with the weather team?"

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry leaned back in her seat and tossed her own tangled, scarlet mane. "Back at Seasaddle, yes, I work part-time on the weather team. Somedays, I work as a lifeguard down on the shore. I used to own a bakery but I sold it off to other ponies recently. What about you? What's your story?" She was more than a little curious, but with a glance at the clock above the sink, she frowned. "But, I really should get going soon, I don't want to keep you away from your work."

The mare stretched, and winced as her limbs shook from a dull throbbing pain. She really hoped she could find a medicine for this: she couldn't fly home in this condition.

[ToxicPenguin]

"Oh, no no, it's perfectly fine. I doubt anypony will come in right after a storm like that" Azure paused for a moment to figure out what else to say. "Anyway, my Pa and I run this little shop here... I joined him about, uh, 5 years ago, if I remember correctly. We sell: fishing rods, hooks, bait, string; anything that you'd need to go out fishing. Some days we go out fishing ourselves, and anything we catch goes up in the shop." That was about it. Their lives weren't incredibly exciting, but they managed to survive off this job. Azure even began saving a few bits every week. He always wanted to move out on his own, but he knew it'd break Pa's heart. He sighed quietly before continuing. "We work to make ends meet, but it's all good fun, too." Azure coughed and looked back, examining his cutiemark for a second. "Although, it feels weird knowing what you're destined to do with your life. Is a cutiemark always right? Sorry, I'm rambling on now, If you've got to go now, i mean." He looked down, remembering he didn't eat yet, and took a few bites of the eggs Pa had made for him. They were a little cold now after all the talking.

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry Dancer listened to the stallion intently. Is a cutiemark always right?

She pondered this as and watched in silence as he ate, and when he had finished, she smiled warmly. "Well, since you're not too busy, I don't suppose you could point be in the general direction of a pharmacy, could ya?" Cherry couldn't stop thinking about that statement though. She'd always thought she knew the story behind her own cutiemark, but come to think of it, her cutiemark didn't symbolise any specific talents. Huh. Weird.

She stood up, and flipped her tangled mane out of her eyes. "Err, on second thoughts, you couldn't point me in the direction of the nearest bath tub, could ya?" She grinned awkwardly. Maybe a warm bath was what she needed instead.

After the young stallion had pointed out the bathroom, Cherry filled and soaked in the bath for a while. She washed and brushed her mane, and felt the knots in her limbs unwind. After her soak, she got out and dried herself off. She trotted back to the main room, where she found Azure waiting for her. She flipped her spiky mane again and looked at him from under her eyelashes. "Now, about that pharmacy?" The water had done wonders for her limbs, but there was still a mild throbbing pain coursing through her muscles.

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure finished up with the customer that was currently at the counter. The guy wanted to buy a few life jackets, go figure. We may even get more business after this storm, who knows? He took the 10 bits from off the counter, put 9 in the cash register, and dropped the other into a jar under the counter. This one was half filled, as opposed to the other 3 full jars next to it. He tapped on one of the jars once, carefully reading the words on a piece of tape, "Azure's Savings". He had been saving up for a year, for whenever he decided to go out on his own, or buy a safe. He turned around and noticed cherry walking through the door, mane flipped back. She was really cute, and it took Azure this long to realize this. "Oh-Uh... back so soon? Um, the closest pharmacy is-" His mind went blank for a second. "about ten stores down to the right, make a right at the first street, and it'll be about one block down... uh, on the left" He raised a hoof at the wall, pointing in the general direction of the pharmacy. "Why? Is everything okay?"

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry smiled warmly at the stallion once more, and nodded, causing her to wince as her neck screamed in protest against this movement. "Oh, yeah I'm fine. I'm just a little sore after flying like that last night." She made to walk past him, and paused. "Hey who knows, maybe the sights I see on my way to the store make me wanna stay longer. Then we can hang out more." She laughed and just as she was walking out the door, she noticed damp saddlebags in the corner. "Hey - Those are mine! Did you go and get them for me? Oh, hay, I completely forgot about them!" She opened one of the damp flaps and took out her bag of bits. "See, it's just like me to leave to go buy something and completely forget to bring bits.." She shook her head and laughed at herself, then walked back to Azure to nuzzle his cheek. "Thank you for finding them."

Cherry was trotting back down the street to her new friends store when she reflected on the words of the pony who served her in the pharmacy. She had been scolded, and told not to do any flying for a few days. Sighing, she entered the small shop she was so familiar with now. Glancing up at Azure, she grimaced. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a little while longer," she said, placing the tub of ointment in her half-dry saddlebags as she walked inside. "Don't suppose you could help me find somewhere to stay?"

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure was surprised to see Cherry come back so soon, and a little happy. "Um, we have a small guest room, but the bed isn't the greatest.. I mean, if that's alright with you." He thought about the ointment before continuing. "Why are you down in Baltimare without a place to stay?" On second thought, he didn't feel the need to know; it was kind of personal. He nudged the door behind him open, giving the notion to follow. "I hope you don't mind it being next to our bedroom and the bathroom. Whoever built this place didn't know a thing about building." Meh, give the guy credit, this place is kind of small. I'm surprised this place has enough room for a guest room. Azure opened the door to the guest room, and walked in slowly, turning on the light switch on the way in. The lights flickered briefly before staying on, but other than a bit of dust he saw that the room hadn't changed much. The bed was made and the room was still pretty organized. He walked over to the side table, and saw a small book. He blew dust off the cover and picked it up with magic. Hey, it worked for once! He held the book at his side and turned to Cherry. "So, what do you think?"

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry followed the stallion through the house hastily. He was babbling on, but Cherry was hardly listening. She hadn't meant to stay here, and intrude on the two fisherponies like this. This young stallion and his father had been so gracious to her, and she was overwhelmed.

"So, what do you think?" Cherry smiled at him, before rubbing her cheek against Azure's shyly. "It's absolutely perfect: but I do hope I'm not intruding." She sat down on the bed and looked at him closely. "As for why I'm in Baltimare ... I've been travelling around for a while, just seeing the sights. That's what a pegasus does, right? Sometimes the same sea and sand gets too much. So that's when you go looking for some cooler sea and sand!" She laughed with good spirit. "Well, since I'm here... Anything I can help around the house with?" Cherry got bored easily, and she decided keeping her hooves at work would distract her from taking her boredness out on Azure.

[ToxicPenguin]

Azure smiled warmly at cherry and laughed. "It's no problem! Don't you worry at all. This room is mainly for storage, but we kept it a guest room for whenever family or friends decide to stay a night." He levitated the book over to the bed in the other room and set it down. Work, work, is there anything she can do? Azure walked over and sat next to Cherry on the edge of the bed, rubbing his head with his hoof. "Well, Pa and I have to get a new boat somehow... since the old one is gone. After all, how are we do run this business without a fishing boat?" He sighed, looking down at his hoof, and heard the sound of a customer at the front desk. "Sorry, I have to go for a bit. Why not have a look around?" He laughed once more and trotted out to the main room.

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry Dancer nodded and watched as the stallion left. She got up from the creaky bed, found the back exit and strolled around the town of Baltimare for a while. She didn't see much going on, except cleanup from last night's storm. Every now and then she'd get a friendly greeting, or a pat on the back. Did news travel so fast here, or were these ponies simply being friendly? She sighed, not enjoying the attention. She was no hero. She had helped out a pony in need, that's all.

She tried to smile at everypony, but she wasn't so sure she had done such a good deed. Perhaps if she had left the fisherponies alone, they'd have worked it out and still have had their boat. How would they ever get another one? Surely they couldn't afford a new boat?

She plopped her rump down on the dock, and gazed out to the calm water. Had she just made things worse?

[ToxicPenguin]

"Have a good day sir!" Azure called out as the customer left the shop. Finally! He wasn't the type of pony who would complain about somepony else, but that customer was an exception. It took him 30 minutes just to pick out what kind of hook he wanted! I give him some good advice on the better quality hooks and all he cares about is whether it's blue or not. Azure sighed and looked down at his savings, dropping 2 more bits into the half full one. We DO need a new boat... He pulled out one of the full jars and set it down on the counter, for later. He then walked over to the door and put up the 'Closed' sign. No more distractions. He went back to the guest room and, seeing that Cherry wasn't there, went out looking for her.

Before too long, he found Cherry sitting on the dock, watching the water. He walked slowly down the dock to her. "Hey, are you alright?"

[CrimsonNova]

Cherry was lost in thought, and jumped when she heard Azure's voice behind her. "Oh - Um, yeah I'm fine!" She smiled a little. Cherry took a deep breath, and spoke in a bit of a rush. "Are ya finished working? Would ya maybe like to come get something to eat with me? On me, of course, as thanks for letting me stay at your house." Cherry blushed and lowered her head, a little nervous. The stallion was cute, and he was being so nice to her. She wanted to return the favour, but she was worried Azure would think that she was being too forward with him. She tapped her hooves on the wood of the dock, and swished her tail nervously.