A Stormy Relationship

Chapter Five

    "Well, I'm going to check on them in the library. Make sure they don't need any help. You can come if you want." Twilight said.

"No, that's ok. I'll... go do something." Tempest responded.

"You sure?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. I know nothing is going to keep you from that library for long."

She laughed. "Alright. But if you feel lost or want to hang out with someone who knows you, I totally don't have to be finding ways to sneak into the library."

Twilight turned and walked to the castle. Tempest smiled as she walked. Twilight, you don't know how much you mean to me. You are so amazing. Tempest thought.

Tempest turned around and stared at Ponyville. "Well, like I said, I guess I'm doing something." She murmured and began to walk to the town.

...

In town, she noticed Rainbow Dash in the gym next to a huge, muscle-bound white pegasus with wings that were hilariously small when compared with his body. The two had a crowd gathered around them, and they seemed to be bench-pressing the same weight.

"I do like a good competition..." Tempest hesitated a moment, then stepped inside. "How long have they been at this?" She asked one pony.

"I don't know. But they're nearly at fifty reps! I knew Bulk Biceps was strong, but Rainbow Dash is matching him, and she's a quarter of his size!" He responded enthusiastically.

"Has anyone else ever competed against them?"

"With weights that high? Are you crazy? They're way stronger than anyone in Ponyville!"

Tempest grinned. "For now..." She responded.

She pushed through the crowd and lay down on a third bench press. Rainbow turned to Tempest and raised one eyebrow. "You're joining? You're about fifty reps late."

"I'll make it up." Tempest responded.

"That would be one heck of an achievement against me."

Tempest took a second to prepare herself and then began to raise and lower the barbell quickly.

Rainbow's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, it's on." She said, grinning.

Tempest gained slowly on Rainbow, counting slowly under her breath. Bulk began to slow down, huffing a bit, until finally, he slumped down at his one-hundred-fourth rep.

But Tempest and Rainbow were still going strong, fueled by their love of competition.

Rainbow slowed down the slightest bit. "Too - heavy - for - you?" Tempest panted.

Rainbow gritted her teeth and sped up again. "You wish!" She gasped.

But finally, the pegasus's legs gave out and she fell backward, breathing heavily. "Two hundred. A new personal best." Rainbow said weakly. "What are you at?"

Tempest concentrated on the task at hand, her legs shaking from exertion, but she pushed up the barbell one last time and let it fall. "Two hundred and one." She grinned.

Rainbow laughed. "You're pretty strong." She said. "Wanna just hang out on these benches? I have a feeling you won't be walking for a while, and I'm not just going to leave you here."

Tempest smiled. "Thanks."

Rainbow got quiet for a second. "Look. I don't trust you. I think you're pretending to be good. I think years of betrayals by villains and supposed friends have made me a bit paranoid. So I don't trust you. But I do like you. So this is your shot. Convince me that you can trust me in the next few weeks. Start with talking to me. I promise I'll talk to Applejack about trusting you if I trust you."