A Change of Weather

Chapters

A Cloudy Day
A Storm on the Horizon
A Twister of Fate
A Ray of Sunshine
A Foggy Memory

A Cloudy Day

“Come on, come on! Almost there. Just work!” The Pegasus looked on, desperately waiting for his device to work. The fuse on the homemade rocket had almost reached its base. “Yes! Now fire!” The last bit of sparks from the fuse worked their way into the barrel of the device. However, instead of producing a shooting rocket, a slight fizzling sound could be heard, and was followed by a small ‘poof’ of smoke out of the end of the barrel. “Not again.” The Pegasus said distraughtly.

“Ha! And another great failure, by our very own ‘Cloudy Airhead’! When are you going to give up on those little projects of yours? You should know by now, that things like that will never work.” One of the other Pegasus ponies on the cloud edge said to him. The Pegasus didn’t care much for this Pegasi, named Red Rocket, who seemed to get enjoyment out of his failures.

The Pegasus took his device, and wheeled it back towards the warehouse on the middle of the floating cloud. The warehouse was built into the side of a mountain peak that protruded up through the cloud, and was the base of the Cloudsdale Weather Research Facility (CWRF), where all of Cloudsdale’s new weather technological advancements were made. As he reached the entrance to the warehouse, the Pegasus’ research manager, Daisy Drizzle, emerged from the opened double doors. “At it again, huh? Cloudy Airy? This is the fifth time this week that you’ve tried shooting off, one of those…things. Only to have it smoke in your face.” The seasoned research Pegasi said to him. When she had agreed to hire Cloudy, she had hoped that he would help the research team to find new ways to control the clouds, so that they could help make the work of the weather ponies easier. Instead, he only appeared to spend his time making small machines, which were similar to the fireworks stands down with the Earth ponies.

Cloudy turned his head away a bit, as he pulled his device back into the warehouse. “It’s just a minor difficulty. I’ve almost got it.” He headed towards the section of the warehouse that housed all of the weather technology developments, and pulled into the stall where he worked. He unhooked the device from the reigns, and tossed it into a corner of the stall, onto a large pile of other failed devices. Cloudy removed his glasses and set them to the side of his work table, before proceeding to bang his head on the table, speaking to himself in between slams. “What. The. Buck. Am. I. Doing. Wrong?”

Cloudy’s work at the (CWRF) was much different than that of every other weather pony. Whereas other Pegasus ponies tried working with the clouds themselves, Cloudy tried working with machines he had built, so that he could cut down the amount of work required of the weather ponies. However, this way of thinking wasn’t anything new to the ponies of Cloudsdale. Even back in weather school, Cloudy always questioned the methods on how to control the weather in Equestria.

He figured that there could be faster ways to get work done, rather than by flying around all day in the sky. It was this thinking that made him want to join the weather ponies at (CWRF). Although, as the months have gone by since he first started working there, Cloudy had yet to find any way to successfully change the weather. His latest device had been an attempt to artificially recreate the weather effects in clouds that, up until this point, weather ponies had to do themselves.

Cloudy stopped banging his head on the table, put his glasses back on, and turned his attention to his blueprints board. “Let’s see. The design should’ve been right. I used the correct amount of powder. The angle wasn’t off to launch the rocket.”

“I just don’t know what went wrong, right?” Suddenly, Windy Thunderclap, the facilities top weather pony walked into Cloudy’s stall. “You’re always saying that whenever you mess up, and that’s pretty often. Why not let my father’s business help you with your designs? You could obviously use the help.”

Windy Thunderclap belonged to the famous Thunderclap family, which had been on the forefront of all of the cloud technology used all over Equestria. She was also, one of the few Pegasus ponies that didn’t ridicule Cloudy for what he was doing, or trying to achieve. She would often come by his stall to see what new ideas Cloudy had come up with, and to get away from all the other male ponies who were constantly flirting with her. Perhaps it was because Cloudy was always so involved in his work, but he seemed to be the only pony who wasn’t constantly chasing after her, either to win her heart, or her family’s.

Cloudy adjusted his glasses and let out an annoyed sigh, before turning to speak to Windy. “I’ve told you before, I don’t want, nor need, your family’s help. All of the technology of the Thunderclap family is too…simple and safe. Sure, it’s meant to be that way, so that all of the clouds and weather of Equestria can be handled without much problem, but it doesn’t have the capability to evolve.”

Windy let out a sigh of her own before responding. “And it’s your stubbornness that’s keeping you from evolving. I mean, you’re always working with such dangerous things. Explosive powder from fireworks, chemicals that I’m pretty sure half of which you can’t even pronounce, and more importantly, the patience of the entire research team. If you don’t start working with the other ponies more often, you’re going to find yourself sitting on a cloud somewhere without a bit to your name.”

“I have to take risks, otherwise, nothing will be accomplished! Even your family took risks, when they made all of the technological advances that we have up here today. They didn’t slowly build their way up to it. They built it, threw it in the air, and prayed to Celestia that it worked. And you know what? It did, and it didn’t. The Thunderclap family has had their fair share of failures, just as I’ve had mine, but that didn’t stop them from taking more risky endeavors. If somepony like me won’t take the chance to make something new, then who will?” Cloudy exclaimed to Windy, stamping his hoof on the ground.

“And that’s why you should accept my fathers’ help. You could be working in an environment where you could take all the risk you want, but more controlled, and safe. The longer you stay here, the more you’re going to lose the trust of the other ponies.” Windy replied back.

“Then why are you here, huh? Why aren’t you working with your father in a real weather development environment? Why work in research, when you could just go and make the technology that solves research?” Cloudy retorted back with.

“Because, what good would making the technology do, if you didn’t have somepony to understand it, and know what it needs to do? You’re brighter than this Cloudy, you shouldn’t be wasting your time here waiting to blow yourself up over your own stubbornness. What would any of us do if you accidently killed yourself doing this?” Windy tried to reason back with.

Cloudy had gotten frustrated enough, after having yet another failed device, now he had to be lectured, yet again, by the ‘ideal weather mare’. “I think you’ve overstayed your welcome! Why can’t you just let me work in peace? I don’t want to work for your father, I still don’t understand why you’re working here, and I’m getting bucking tired of why you, and everypony else, can’t just leave me the buck alone! Say what you will, but I’m not going to stop working on my endeavors, even if it kills me. Now if you don’t at all mind, I’d like to get back to my ‘failed’ research.” The failure of his latest device caused Cloudy to verbally lash out at Windy, instead of casually shaking off whatever was said.

Windy could do nothing but stand in shock and disgusted awe, at the way that one of the few ponies she had considered her friend, had just treated her. She turned and left in an angry silence, but not before kicking at one of Cloudy’s work tables, causing one of the jars on it to fall and break on the floor. Cloudy quickly turned and went to clean up the mess that Windy had just made, all the while gritting his teeth in anger, as she disappeared from behind the stable wall. He didn’t think about it at the moment, but in time, he would come to see that he had made a mistake in what he had said, and would have to apologize. However, as with most things that made him angry, it would take a good while until that came into play.

Having cleaned up the mess, Cloudy returned to his blueprint board, and continued to ponder what exactly had gone wrong this time. “What am I missing? What is it that causes my devices to fail every time? I’ve built everything to the specifications that should allow the devices to function properly, yet they continue to fail. Perhaps I should take another look at my source, to see if I’ve missed something. It wouldn’t surprise me if that Earth pony screwed something up in the plans he gave me.” Cloudy left his stall, and headed for the main entrance to the warehouse. It was starting to get late, and he always worked past the clock to work on his devices. So he decided to punch out, on his way down to the ground beneath the clouds.

The receptionist had just started to make her way out herself, and waved to Cloudy as he passed by and punched his card into the machine. “Have a goodnight Cloudy.”

Perhaps it was the clicking of the punch machine, or maybe the storm still rolling in his head, but the words she spoke were deaf to Cloudy as he continued out the door. He took a few more steps away from the building, before spreading his wings, and taking off in flight. He flew over to the edge, before diving down to the ground below.

The pony that he was on his way to see, lived near the outskirts of Ponyville, but was still involved enough with the town to not be considered an outcast. Although, one might think otherwise, upon meeting him. Cloudy had originally met the pony when he ventured down to Ponyville once, in the hopes to find something to help achieve his dream of finding an easier way to manipulate the weather. At the time of his visit, he was introduced to what would be the catalyst of his work: fireworks.

While he had lived up in the clouds his whole life, he had only seen fireworks as they exploded up in the sky, but he didn’t know how they worked. When he saw the machine that they were fired from, inspiration immediately struck Cloudy. Here was something that was capable of firing off a projectile that, at the end of its line/fuse, would explode into something to have a desired effect. If he could find a way to manipulate the properties of the fireworks and their launching station, then he might be able to create a form of remote cloud control, so to speak. All he needed now was, to find out how to build these machines.

There was however, one problem. All of the fireworks stands that he found were run and operated by Earth ponies. In his time living in the clouds, Cloudy had always been very judgmental of the Earth ponies below. While he was intrigued at the Unicorns for their magic and intelligence, he thought that Earth ponies were nothing more than brutes without a brain. Because of this mentality, Cloudy evaded Earth ponies at all cost and never spoke with one unless he absolutely had to. Ironically, when Cloudy had about given up hope finding somepony to show him how to make the fireworks, he happened upon the one Earth pony that he could stand working with.

Cloudy landed near a small shack just outside of Ponyville, and took a few steps up to the door to listen if the pony he was looking for was even home. He pushed his ear to the door and listened for any movement inside.

“He he. Oh, Mr. Tanner, you’re so big and strong.” Cloudy could hear a young mare’s voice inside.

And then another mare’s voice spoke up. “Oh yes, show us another one of your famous rockets, Mr. Tanner.”

“Please, please my wonderful mares, it is Rrrrrural Tanner. Owner of the finest, and most impressive, fireworks in all the lands.” And finally, there was the pony Cloudy came for, Rural Tanner. The way he always rolled the ‘R’ on his name annoyed Cloudy, but then again, just having to talk to an Earth pony always seemed to get on his nerves.

Satisfied that Rural was home, but frustrated that he’d already be distracted, Cloudy turned around, and kicked at the door to get the attention of the ponies inside. “Tanner! Quit horsing around and open up!” Cloudy took a step to the side, as he heard hurried rustling from inside, which was quickly followed by the two mares running out, covered in what appeared to be cheap drapes.

Tanner followed from behind, stopping at the door and extending a hoof out, as if to call them back. “Wait! Come back my lovelies! Gah, must you always interrupt me when I’m working? Don’t you know its bad luck to rush a fireworks display?”

Cloudy watched as the stallion looked around, trying to figure out where he was. It was rather ironic, and reckless to boot, that the owner of a fireworks stand…was blind. “I’m right here Tanner. Besides, I’m sure I did them a favor, saving them from having to watch your sparkler show. Now let me in, we need to talk about those design plans you gave me before.” The only reason that Cloudy could stand working with Tanner, was simply because of the fact that he was blind. He figured, as long as the pony couldn’t see what he looked like, then it wasn’t a problem being associated with him. Even if Tanner told other ponies about him, as long as he couldn’t point him out to others, then he could hide the fact that he knew him.

“Ah Cloudy! My friend from the skies above! So nice of you to visit again, although, you could’ve given me a few more minutes to finish my display. How are my fireworks looking in the land of the clouds?” Tanner stepped out of the way of the door inside, slightly relieved that it was Cloudy whom knocked at his door, rather than the collection ponies.

Cloudy walked inside. The shop hadn’t changed much since his last visit to the Earth pony’s shack. Things were still scattered around the room, the shades half closed, and yet somehow, there were completed boxes of fireworks stacked against the walls. Windy had called him reckless, but it still surprised Cloudy how this blind Earth pony was able to make all of these fireworks, and actually have them work. “They’re going about as well as this shack of yours appears to be doing. Are you sure you gave me the right blueprints the last time I was here? I’ve had countless of my devices blow up in my face, and I get the feeling that you gave me defective plans.”

Tanner couldn’t help but laugh at the Pegasus pony’s complaining. “Ha ha ha, and ponies call me blind! Even I can see that you’re doing something wrong. There’s nothing wrong with my plans. They were written and designed by my father, his father, and his forefathers before him. They’ve never failed.”

Cloudy was starting to get hot under the collar again, listening to an Earth pony tell him that he was wrong. “Well I’m here to say that there ‘is’ something wrong, and I demand that you give me plans that will actually work. My whole career is at stake, and I’m not going to lose everything I’ve worked for, just because somepony who can’t even see their hoof in front of their face has given me defective plans.”

Tanner just shrugged as he answered the Pegasus. “I’m sorry my friend, but the problem isn’t in the plans. I think you’re still missing that certain something that allows everything to come together.”

Cloudy gritted his teeth in frustration, before stamping his hooves on the ground. As a result, a small box that was on a higher shelf, fell to the ground. Cloudy saw that there seemed to be blueprints inside, and walked over to take a look.

The sound of the box falling caused Tanner’s ears to perk up, and he turned towards the sound, talking to Cloudy at the same time. “That box fell from up…don’t look in that box Cloudy!”

Cloudy was amazed at what he held in his hooves. The blueprints appeared to be unlike any of the others that he had seen before, or even tried to make himself. They were archaic, yet seemed more advanced than anything that was being used today. He looked at the date at the top of the paper, and it appeared to pre-date the banishment of Nightmare Moon. These were plans that had existed in the same time of the Drachonis attacks against the Alicorns! How Tanner’s family had managed to keep these, without them ending up in the royal archives was amazing. “Ta…Tanner. What are these? J…Jav...Javel...Javelin. What is a Javelin? I’ve never seen anything like this before. This design, the propulsion system, the way it’s fired. This is even better than anything you’ve showed me before! I…I think I could probably build this!”

Tanner walked over, and surprising managed to snatch the blueprints out of Cloudy’s hooves without ripping it. “I told you not to look in that box! These designs, my great grandfather once told me that they will only bring forth nothing but destruction. That’s why they’ve never been used since the time of the Drachonis. They’re simply too dangerous. I’m actually glad though, that you found them. I’d been forgetting to get rid of these, like my great grandfather had asked me to. I don’t know why he didn’t just get rid of them himself, but I see that they need to be destroyed now, more than ever.” Tanner reached around for the box that the blueprints were in, and stuffed it back in the box before picking it up.

“Tanner wait! Those plans could be used for good! I’ve never actually been making your fireworks launchers up in the clouds, I’ve been modifying them to be used for weather manipulation. I could do the same for those plans. Make them from something destructive, into something that could benefit all ponykind.” Cloudy tried to reason back to Tanner.

Tanner seem shocked at what Cloudy had just told him. “You…You weren’t making my fireworks displays? You’ve just been changing them to suit your own needs? Well no wonder they’ve never worked for you! Fireworks are meant to be just that; Fireworks. If you try to change something from what it’s supposed to be, into something else, it will never work for you. That settles it, I’m no longer giving you any of my family’s designs! If you can’t even be trusted to bring joy to other ponies, than you’re no longer permitted to work with these wonderful machines!” In a fit of rage and disappointment that a pony he called a friend had betrayed him, Tanner collected all of the blueprints that he had stashed around the shack, and tossed them all in his furnace. It was surprising how Tanner was able to move about the shack, tucking his hooves and face into crannies and specific places all throughout the shack. For a big blind pony, he was moving as if he had never lost his sight at all.

Cloudy tried to physically stop the pony from burning all of the plans, but his light Pegasus body wasn’t enough to stop the sheer strength of the Earth pony from shacking him off. “Just give me one more chance Tanner!”

“For the last time, it’s Rrrrural Tanner!” Tanner exclaimed, before shacking off Cloudy again, and giving him a strong buck kick to the stomach, sending him flying out the door. He then tossed the last of the blueprints into the furnace, and started the fire. With that, all of Tanners’ family designs, and Cloudy’s hopes and dreams, went up in smoke.

Cloudy managed to catch his breath outside the shack, only to look up and see smoke coming from the chimney of Tanner’s shack. He couldn’t believe that ignorant Earth pony would just destroy all of that hard work and all those possibilities. Cloudy got to his feet, and readjusted his hat and glasses, before yelling back at Tanner in his shack. “You’ll never understand what you’ve done, you stupid earth walker! Those plans could’ve been used for good, and now they’ve gone up in smoke, just like your dream to see fireworks ever again! You better have a good memory, because if not, you’ll never make fireworks again!” He watched as Tanner walked to the door, a stern, yet sad look on his face, before closing the door. Cloudy just stared angrily at the shack, not noticing the other ponies approaching to see what all the commotion was about. He turned away from the shack, finally seeing the residents of Ponyville that had formed around him. Most of them were looking at him, while others were staring at the shack behind him. He didn’t bother wasting any of his time talking to any of them, instead, he spread his wings and took off up into the sky.

The sun had just finished setting, giving way to the now rising moon, as Cloudy arrived back at the warehouse. The building had already been locked up for the night, but Cloudy knew where the spare key was kept, and opened up the side door, letting himself in. He made his way down the halls, and to his stall in the weather technology developments wing. He cleared off all the things on his desk and wiped away what was previously on his blueprint board. He then picked up a marker off the ground and wrote on the board: Javelin.

A Storm on the Horizon

Chapter 2 – A Storm on the Horizon

Windy stretched her wings, as she tried to sleep in her bed. While it wasn’t as fluffed and fancy as her bed back home, she still preferred it over sleeping in a giant empty mansion. Windy had opted to move out of her father’s luxurious home in the clouds, to a simpler abode in Cloudsdale. She wanted to shake off the rich mare persona, and just try to be like everypony else. Even her apartment itself wasn’t all that fancy. It wasn’t a big suite, but she wasn’t just sleeping on a random cloud either.

She rustled back and forth under her sheets, but couldn’t seem to lull herself to sleep. “Erm…argh…gah! Darn that Cloudy! Why can’t I stop worrying about what he’s getting himself into? And to talk to me the way he did? I was only trying to help. Add on that, Mrs. Drizzle wants me to give a seminar on my research with cumulonimbus clouds, and how their incorporation into modern weather science could cut back on the dependence of water below for the rainy season. Sigh, I’m getting too stressed out. Come on Windy, just take deep breaths. One. Two. One. Two.”

Being the top research Pegasus at the (CWRF) had been taking its toll on Windy from time to time. She had always been at the top of her class in weather school, thanks to the help of her father and his business. Windy knew just about all there was to know about clouds and the weather phenomenon of Equestria, but she always found herself wanting to know more. She joined the (CWRF) to further enhance her knowledge, and to be able to help her father’s business, and eventually take over when he passed. Even in her short time at the facility, having only joined a few months before Cloudy, she had already risen to the title of top weather pony, and was on her way to becoming a Research Manager, just like Mrs. Drizzle.

All this was fine and good, but Windy often times found herself with more colleagues than friends. While she was dedicated to her work like Cloudy, she still had a bit of a social life, with traveling around Equestria, meeting new ponies, and seeing new things. There was also the fandom that she had gathered with the male ponies she met, making her a bit of a celebrity, but she didn’t really care about that. She was just glad to be able to learn as much as she could about weather, and how it affected the lives of all the ponies of Equestria.

“One. Two. One. Two. One…this isn’t working. Sigh, maybe I should get some fresh air. I’m not doing myself any good just laying here worrying.” Windy got out of bed and headed for the door. Once outside, she spread her wings and took off into the night’s sky. She flew around for a bit, before her mind started to wander again. She would look at the clouds that she flew by, and occasionally see images from her childhood. Her sitting on her father’s back while they both looked out over the balcony at the Thunderclap factory in the distance. Her playing with other fillies at school down below. And, just for a moment, she remembered lying in her old bed, and listing to her mother sing her to sleep.

“Momma.” She said softly to herself. It had been a long time since Windy had remembered her mother. The warm feeling, made her decide to fly over to visit her father, which she hadn’t done in a while. Windy changed direction and headed over to her father’s mansion. As she approached, she took in the sight of it. A giant three-story mansion made of clouds, sitting atop a gigantic cloud. The style of the architecture was based on buildings from the Reneighssance. Windy landed in front of the golden gates that were erected around the mansion, and was greeted by one of her father’s night guards, Coffee Break.

“Ah! Ms. Windy, so nice to see you again. Yawn. Haven’t seen you around here in a while, not since you made top weather pony at the (CWRF).” The Pegasus said, trying to hold back another yawn.

“Good to see you too Coffee Cup.” Windy replied. She always gave a cute name to all the staff that worked for her father, to try and make them feel more welcome. “Is my father in?”

The guard chuckled at the name before answering. “Heh heh. Yes, he’s still here for the night. He had already returned from his trip to the factory before I took shift.” He then opened the gate for her to walk through.

Windy was glad to hear that her father was in. “Thank you Coffee. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying for tonight.” She said to the guard as she walked through the gate. She walked up to the main entrance and knocked on the door. Doorbell, her father’s butler who had worked for him for years, answered the door.

The old Pegasus answered in a slow voice, while opening the door, just as slowly. “Ah…good…evening…Ms.…Windy. Your…father…is…in…his…study.”

“Good evening to you too Knock Knock, and thank you.” Windy said to the old Pegasi as she walked in. She then proceeded to head up the stairs and down one of the halls to her father’s study. She entered the room to find it just as it always was, not a book out of place, save for a few spaces that had been occupied by the books her father was currently reading at the time. “Good evening father! I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was coming.” She called aloud in the giant room.

From behind a giant chair by a small fireplace in the corner of the room, rose an equally tall Pegasus pony. “Wandy! So nace of you to drop by after so long.” Windy’s father, Stormy Thunderclap, spoke to her, with his southwestern accent. It was difficult at times to tell what he was saying, since his accent seemed to replace every ‘I’ with an ‘a’. Stormy Thunderclap had been born and raised in San Palomino, where he developed his business tycoon mentality, before moving to Cloudsdale, where he learned the weather portion of his family’s business. “What brangs you by thas late at naght pumpkan. Everythang alraght?”

“Yes father I’m fine. I was just out for a flight to clear my head, and decided to drop by to say hello.” She replied to her father, trying to hide the worry that kept her up.

“Oh come now sweetae. You know A can tell when somethangs botherang you. What’s on your mand?” Her father replied back with. He had always been able to tell when something was bothering his little filly, and even age hadn’t slowed him down.

Windy gave in, and began to tell her father about what was troubling her. “It’s just work father. I’ll be giving a big seminar on my research in a couple days, and the thought of it was keeping me up.”

Her father didn’t seem convinced that was the only thing bothering her. She was never one to break under pressure, and she was a Thunderclap, so he knew it wouldn’t be something trivial. “Hmm. What about that one Pegasus pony? The one you’re always tellang me about. What was has name agaan?

Windy blushed a little at her father’s question. “Who him? Oh, uh, no. He’s just, being his stubborn self as usual. I keep trying to offer him a job at your factory, but he keeps turning it down.”

Stormy still wasn’t convinced. “You sure he and those other stallaons aren’t botherang you?”

“No father, the stallions aren’t a problem. They still keep flirting with me all the time, but Cloudy just….” She answered hesitantly.

“Dad that lattle squart say somethang to you!? Why, A’ve got half a mand to go and teach that lattle…!” Her father started with.

“No father wait! He just yelled at me today, that’s all. Another one of his devices failed again, and I think I just caught him at a bad time. He didn’t mean to do it, I’m sure of it.” She reasoned back.

Her father calmed down a bit, but still seemed concerned. “Well, alraght. But why do you keep hangang around that pony anyway? From what you keep tellang me, he sounds lake a lost cause. Can’t seem to buald anythang raght, and keeps agnorang you. Why not assocaate wath some of the other weather ponaes at the facalaty, or try gavang some of my busaness partners’ young stallaons a try?”

“Because! Because…he’s trying to do something different.” Windy replied. “He’s not like the other weather ponies. He’s trying to find new ways to help Equestria’s weather, just like I’m trying to learn more about it. Even if he seems like a lost cause, I just don’t feel like I should give up on him. I think too many ponies have already. That, and I’m worried about him. These devices of his seem to get more dangerous and unstable with each design. I’m afraid he’s going to hurt himself.”

Stormy Thunderclap seemed to understand a bit more, why his daughter was concerned so much about this one Pegasi that she always told him about. “Well, A can understand not wantang to back down from a challenge. Stall though, what exactly are these devaces that he’s tryang to make? They don’t sound as straaghtforward, as the machanes that we have at the factory. Where’s he comang up wath these desagns?”

Windy gave her father a puzzled look as she answered him. “I’m not sure myself. He’s never told me where he got his designs from, or if he came up with them himself. Although, they do seem like the fireworks stands that the Earth ponies use below. It almost seems like he’s trying to do some kind of cloud seeding with these devices. Trying to make something that he can shoot into the clouds, but I’m not sure why. Weather ponies already plant seeds in the clouds from time to time, to help make it rain in extremely arid areas, but it seems like he’s trying to complicate the process?

Stormy replied with a puzzled look of his own. “Hmm, that does sound strange. Anventave, but strange. A’m not one to say that machanes haven’t helped Equestraa to become what at as today, but there are somethangs that machanes just can’t do.” Stormy looked on as his daughter still had a puzzled, but concerned look. He began to clear his throat, as he tried to make his little filly feel better. “But A’m sure the lattle buck wall fagure at out, af he’s as clever as you say he as. Now, enough worryang for tonaght. Why don’t you spend the naght here, and rest you’re lattle head?”

Windy smiled, glad that her father was trying to cheer her up. “I guess it couldn’t hurt for one night. Thank you father.”

Stormy smiled at his daughter’s smile. “Tas no trouble at all, my lattle pumpkan.”

The two of them walked out of the study, and down the halls to Windy’s old room.

“I also stopped by, because I thought of mother again.” Windy said to her father, as she closed her eyes, and rested her head on him while they walked.

“A know sweetae. A mass her too.” Stormy replied back, wrapping his hoof around her as they walked, to comfort her.

The next day, Windy waved goodbye to her father, as she spread her wings, and flew away from the gates of her father’s mansion. She would have to hurry, as she was now twice as far away from work as before, and she also had to stop by her apartment to get a few things. Windy was always the first pony to punch in for work at the Research Facility, and she didn’t want to break that streak now.

Sure enough, as she landed in front of the building, there wasn’t a single pony around yet. She pulled out the key that she had been given, so that she could let herself in and out, and opened up the front door. As Windy approached the punch machine, she was startled to see that there was already a card in the “IN” box. Curious to see who had beat her to work, she reached to see who it belonged to. It was also strange, that the card had been punched, when the doors were still locked. She pulled the card out just enough to read the name, and was shocked at who it belonged to. It was Cloudy’s!

Quickly, Windy dashed down the halls, and into the Weather Technology Developments’ wing, to Cloudy’s stall. As she pulled around the corner of the stall, she could see Cloudy standing over his work table, blocking the view of what he was looking at.

“It’s done. It’s finally done. My greatest creation ever.” Cloudy said aloud, although, half asleep.

“What are you doing here so early Cloudy? Did you ever even go home?” Windy tried asking him.

Cloudy realized that somepony was behind him, as he turned his head to see who it was. Still half asleep, he couldn’t make out who it was, and the machinery work he had just finished still drowned out his hearing a bit. “Ha. We’ll see who the airhead…is now….” Cloudy collapsed back on top of his newest device, finally falling asleep.

“Cloudy!” Windy jumped to see if he was alright. Seeing that he had just fallen asleep, she gave a sigh of relief. It was then that she noticed what he had been making. Although Cloudy was still covering the majority of it with his body, she could make out that it was another type of cannon device. This one however, seemed shaped a bit differently on the end that she could see. It was like somepony had placed a hollowed out bowl on the end of a tube. Windy looked up at Cloudy’s blueprint board, to see what he had been making.

The sketching was mediocre at best, but the title was pretty clear: Javelin. She had never heard of the name before, and the so-so drawing only added to her confusion. She decided that she wasn’t going to get any information out of Cloudy right now, so she took off the cape portion of her uniform, and draped it over him. She then turned off the light to his stall, and closed the curtain to the stall behind her. The other weather ponies knew that Cloudy kept most of his devices secret, so leaving him in his stall like this wouldn’t look so suspicious. Windy then left for her own office in the Weather Research Developments’ portion of the building.

Sometime towards the middle of the day, Cloudy finally woke up in his stall. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes a bit, before putting them back on. “Yaaaawwwn. Good thing I punched myself in when I came back in this morning. Otherwise, Mrs. Drizzle would’ve rained on my parade already.” Cloudy felt a rustling on his back as he stood up from his work table. He flexed one of his wings out, and could make out what looked like somepony’s jacket. “Ugh…Why’s it so dark in here? I thought I left the light on in my stall?” Cloudy let the makeshift blanket hit the floor as he walked over to the light to his stall, turning it on. “Hmm? Somepony closed the curtain as well? Huh? My device! Is it still here!?” Cloudy quickly turned back around and hurried to his work table. “Ah, good. It’s still here. Whoever it was that stopped by must’ve just seen me asleep on the table. Guess they knew better than to look around my stall.”

Cloudy took a step back to admire his completed work, now that he was awake. It was essentially a cannon, which could be mounted on a harness, and attached to the back of a pony. Its lightweight frame made it easy to pick up and mount, but the real genius came in the firing mechanism. A button on the side, which need only be pressed, to cause a spark at the back of the cannon, igniting the powder and chemicals in the back, to fire out whatever’s inside the barrel. This way, he could save the time of waiting, and just push the button when he’s ready, to fire the device.

Cloudy’s stomach began to rumble, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything since last night, while he had flown out to pick up some parts he needed. He walked out of his office, and up to the break room, where an assortment of coffee and muffins were usually there. Cloudy walked in as a few Pegasi were talking on the other side of the room, and a few others were helping themselves to the muffins.

“So there I was, sitting at a table with Milky Way, and you could totally tell that she wanted me. So we both left for my place, and let’s just say, there were a few noise complaints that night.” It was Red Rocket, the pony who had mocked Cloudy the other day, telling the story. The other ponies were chuckling at his story.

Having finally completed his latest device, and after downing a quick cup of coffee, Cloudy felt like giving the cocky Pegasus his own two bits. “I guess I can understand the noise complaints. I mean, I’m sure I’d get some too, for excessive laughter from my partner, for how quick it was, and for me crying myself to sleep. I wonder though, can you really call it quick, when all it takes is for some mare to rub your belly?” Cloudy said aloud for the whole room to hear.

The whole room immediately burst into laughter, while Red Rocket turned an even redder shade than he already was. “Hey! Who the hay asked you, Airhead! I should say that ‘I’m’ surprised that you can even show your face, after that pathetic failure yesterday.” The Pegasus responded, trying to turn the joke back on Cloudy.

“Well I’m happy to say, and I’m sure you’ll be disappointed to hear, that I’ve finally completed my greatest device yet.” Cloudy said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Oh we’ve ALL heard this dog and pony show before.” Red Rocket replied, getting a couple laughs for his side.

Cloudy felt like it was time to put this pony in his place, and to prove himself to the other weather ponies. “Well how about I show you? High-noon today! Out at the clouds edge!”

A silence filled the room. The ponies in the room looked at each other, and then back at Cloudy, before Red Rocket spoke up. “Yeah…you mean the high-noon that was two hours ago?” A few more laughs come out this time for the Pegasi.

Cloudy stood there for a second, before checking his watch on his hoof. It was already two in the afternoon! A slight embarrassment came over Cloudy, for not checking the time before he left his stall, or before making his challenge. He quickly collected himself and tried again. “Right…yeah. I mean, the end of work today! Bring everypony in the facility to watch! I’ll show you all that I’m no airhead!”

There were still some chuckles in the room, but Red Rocket just clapped his hooves together. “You got it. The ENTIRE facility staff. We’ll ALL see you then.” He said, a big grin on his face.

Cloudy took off out of the break room, still hearing some laughter from behind. He headed back down to his stall, to make sure that everything would be ready for his grand unveiling. He worked hard the rest of the work day, making sure that everything about the Javelin would go off without a hitch. Cloudy knew that if he wanted to show that the Javelin was capable of firing something, he of course, needed something to fire. He hadn’t made any grooves in the barrel to slide something specific in, so he looked around his stall for something that he could shoot out of it, and possibly retrieve later if he had to. While looking through the rest of his scrapped devices pile, he found one of his small rockets, which he had tried to fire from a previous device. He loaded it into the barrel, covered the entire device, and then wheeled it out to the clouds edge.

Cloudy’s jaw dropped when he saw the turnout at the clouds edge. Red Rocket hadn’t been joking when he said that he’d get EVERYPONY in the facility to show. Cloudy must’ve really hit the nail on the head with his joke, if he made the Pegasi THIS serious to get a turnout. Weather ponies from each of the different departments were here for the unveiling, including all the Research Managers, cleaning staff, and even the head of the (CWRF), former Wonderbolt, “Dusty” Rain Gauge. Cloudy wheeled his device to the edge of the cloud, just as he’d done numerous times before, and turned to the crowd of Pegasi.

Windy looked out from the group of Research Development ponies. She could see that Cloudy looked a little nervous, standing in front of this massive crowd from the entire facility. “Good luck Cloudy.” She said to herself.

Cloudy cleared his throat, before speaking aloud to the crowd. “Mares and Gentleponies! Accredited staff, and facility officials! It is my great privilege to present to you today, what will become the future of weather manipulation in Equestria!” Cloudy ripped off the cover of the device, causing oohs, and ahhs, throughout the crowd. “I present to you! The Javelin!” The ponies familiar with Cloudy’s failures just looked on in boredom, while the rest of the Pegasi all looked intrigued. Even “Dusty” Rain Gauge raised an eyebrow.

Cloudy continued to speak, as he assembled the device, and strapped it to himself. “With this device, all of the manual labor required by weather ponies will be a thing of the past! No longer will Pegasi have to traverse dangerous weather to reach a destination! No longer will we weather ponies have to jump from cloud to cloud, just to plant seeds for the arid lands below!” Cloudy then took aim at a cloud in the distance, before wrapping up his speech. “The future of weather manipulation is as easy as: 3. 2. 1!” On the count of one, Cloudy pressed the fire button on the side of the barrel. Almost immediately, the device gave a slight kick back, and the rocket on the inside came blasting out.

He had done it. He had finally created a working device, all thanks to the plans that Tanner had been too afraid to use. Cloudy, and the rest of the Pegasi looking on, watched, as the rocket went screaming through the air, towards the cloud that Cloudy had shot at. The rocket almost reached the cloud, before it violently jagged off course. It zigzagged through the air, going in all different directions, before it finally straightened out on its new course…towards the crowd. By the time the ponies realized where the rocket was heading, they all spread their wings and took off as fast as they could. However, one Pegasus didn’t move, too shocked to even spread her wings. Windy. She just couldn't believe that it happened again, and that this time, it was the possible worst.

By the time she realized what was going on, she had just seconds to get away before the rocket was upon her. She quickly spread her wings and escaped to the air, seconds before the rocket impacted the spot she just occupied. Upon impact, the rocket exploded, sending pieces of metal and cloud seeds in every direction. Windy was pelted by the seeds, and scratched by a few pieces of metal, before falling back to the cloud. Cloudy could only look on in horror, as he had failed yet again, and this time, hurting somepony else in the process. “I…I just don’t know…what went wrong?...”

A Twister of Fate

Chapter 3 – A Twister of Fate

Cloudy sat on the cloud, staring off into its infinite whiteness, while the sounds of the medic Pegasi in the distance, retrieving the wounded Pegasus, flooded his ears. Mixed shrieks and shouting also filled the air, coming from the facility Pegasi. He couldn’t make out who or what they were talking about, but he only assumed that they were talking about him, and his failure once again. It wasn’t until the facility guards arrived, and began to restrain him, that Cloudy snapped back to reality. “Hey! What are you doing!? Let me go!”

“Hold still!” One of the guards said to him.

The guards had attached magnetic bracelets to his legs, preventing him from moving them. “Why are you doing this? What’s going on!?” Cloudy exclaimed, trying to move his limbs. He continued to struggle, until “Dusty” Rain Gauge, and the Research Managers approached him.

Cloudy’s Research Manager, Daisy Drizzle, was the first to speak. “You’ve really done it this time Cloudy. Not only have you failed, yet again, on these ridiculous machines of yours, but now you’ve injured one of your fellow weather ponies.”

The next to speak was the Research Manager of the Weather Application Development department, Spotty Radar. “Your endeavors have done nothing, but waste the time and resources of the entire facility since you arrived. The only productive thing you’ve managed to achieve, was to show us that we made a mistake in hiring you.”

Cloudy didn’t know the name of the Research Manager in charge of the Weather Research Department, but the Pegasi only shook his head back in forth.

Finally, “Dusty” Rain Gauge spoke. “There are times, when we weather ponies forecast the weather for all the ponies in Equestria, that we are wrong in our predictions. Sometimes, it’s a simple mistake of a rain shower on a sunny day, while other times, it’s a surprise twister that wipes out a small town. Needless to say, we are not perfect in how we control the weather, nor do we know exactly what will happen from a brewing storm. You, Cloudy Airy, were the twister that we never saw coming. As such, the only option that we have left, is to dismiss you from the facility.”

Cloudy’s heart sunk. The Research Manager’s comments had dented his chest, but the words of the head of the facility were what tore a giant hole in it. “But, but sir! There must be some way for me to make up for my failures?”

“Dusty” raised a hoof to stop Cloudy from speaking, before talking again himself. “Unfortunately, that’s no longer possible. Had you just failed again in your inventions, then we might’ve considered making you part of the cleanup team here at the facility, or a more harmless desk job. However, your actions with this failure endangered, not only the entire staff, but brought harm to one of our own. Ms. Windy Thunderclap.

Cloudy’s eyes grew small, as a horrific chill shot up his spine. “Win…Windy? That…was Windy that got hurt?”

“Yes.” Replied “Dusty”. “We’re not sure of her condition just yet, but from the looks of it, she won’t be returning to the facility for some time.”

Cloudy’s eyes dropped once again to the cloud beneath him. A horrified look on his face, as he stared blankly into the cloud. “I…just don’t know…what went…wrong?”

“Dusty” brought his attention to the facility guards, whom were still holding Cloudy. “I’d say that about wraps things up here. Take him to the Cloudsdale ward. We need to get started on our report for this whole mess.” He told the guards, before they flew off with Cloudy.

Cloudy couldn’t feel anything, as he watched the cloud beneath him get smaller and smaller, until it was completely gone.

Not long after the (CWRF) was out of sight, the guards and Cloudy reached the outskirts of Cloudsdale. They flew into the city, passed all the other Pegasus ponies going about their daily lives, until they finally arrived at the Cloudsdale Mental Ward. Cloudsdale, like Equestria as a hole, didn’t have much in the way of jails or prisons, so due to Cloudy’s actions, and his current state, he was brought here to be locked up. The nurses inside the ward took Cloudy, tied his wings to his body, and pulled him on a floating table down the halls to his new room. The room had been layered several times over with soft clouds, but was sturdy enough to prevent any Pegasi from bursting through.

Cloudy just sat there in the middle of the room, after the door had been closed behind him. The nurses had confiscated his hat, vest, and watch, but left him his glasses. Had he not still been mentally out of it, Cloudy would’ve felt naked sitting there. Not because of his vest taken away, but because of his hat. Cloudy always wore and adored his hat, due to the fact that he had a bald head, save for a white spot on his forehead. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, while thoughts still made their way into his head.

“What went wrong? How did this happen? Why was Windy of all ponies hurt? Everything was going so smoothly. Why did the rocket streak off like that? I thought I built everything like those plans had portrayed? Why did I have to show off like that? What was I thinking making that? I wonder if Tanner had forged those plans? I bet he made those just to make me fail. When I get my hooves on him I’ll!”

Cloudy continued to sit there into the night, until a knocking came at the door. Cloudy was still too out of it to realize that somepony was at the door, and coming in.

One of the nurses opened the door, and tried to get Cloudy’s attention. “Mr. Airy. Mr. Cloudy Airy, hello?”

The nurse’s words still couldn’t reach him, as he still sat there, with his back turned to the door.

“Mr. Cloudy Airy, you have a very important guest. Please, make yourself somewhat presentable.” She spoke again.

Cloudy still didn’t move.

The nurse turned around, before speaking to the pony that was in the hallway. “Forgive me Princess, but he still seems unresponsive.” She then stepped to the side, to let the pony enter the room.

The pony could see that Cloudy was sitting in an almost catatonic like fashion. The pony realized that even though Cloudy wasn’t asleep, that his consciousness might still be out of it enough, for the pony to interact with him. The horn atop the pony’s head began to glow a dark blue, and soon, Cloudy’s head began to glow the same way. The thoughts in Cloudy’s head continued to talk to himself, until he heard another voice that was not his own speak to him as well. “Cloudy Airy. We wish to speak with thee.”

Cloudy’s mind focused on the one voice, and he soon found himself talking to it, in his head. “Who…who are you?”

“We are here to speak with thee, about the events that unfolded earlier today.” The voice spoke to him.

Cloudy could tell that it was a mare’s voice that was talking to him, with a regal accent. “About…what happened?” He replied.

“Yes. It has come to our attention, that due to your actions, one of our subjects was harmed. Even more disturbing, is in regards to what she was harmed with.” The voice spoke again.

“What…she was harmed with?” Cloudy replied.

“Yes. The device what she was harmed with, was one of which has never been seen since ancient times. We are here, to ask how thou came into possession of such a device.” The voice spoke.

Cloudy found himself thinking to himself yet again. Only one image came to mind when he repeated the statement. Tanner’s. “It, it was that Earth pony Tanner! Rural Tanner! He and his stupid family had the plans for it! I just wanted to use their designs to try to benefit all ponykind, but he must’ve forged them to make me fail!” He said aloud in his head.

“Rural Tanner. We know of this blind pony. How he could’ve possibly drawn said plans is beyond even our comprehension, but we shall look into it. Thank thee.” The voice replied.

Still annoyed with the thought of thinking about Tanner, Cloudy decided to question the voice talking to him. “Alright, I answered your question. Now tell me what the buck is going on!?”

The voice replied back to Cloudy angrily. “Watch thou language peasant. Thou art addressing the Princess of the Night. Princess Luna.”

“Prin…Princess Luna!” Cloudy thought to himself. He had seen Princess Luna and her sister Princess Celestia on occasion in Cloudsdale for their royal visits, but he had never heard Princess Luna talk before. “For…forgive me Princess. I wasn’t aware to whom I was speaking with, but I still wish to know what is happening. Is Windy ok? What’s to become of me?”

“We are not surprised that thou were unaware of our presence. We do not speaketh like this to many ponies, but your condition seemed to dictate it. The mare, Windy, is going to be alright.”

Cloudy was relieved to hear that Windy was okay. “Oh thank Celestia, err, rather Luna. Heh, heh.” He said.

Princess Luna began to speak again. “However, the same cannot be said of you.”

“What…what do you mean?” Cloudy responded, surprised and scared.

“The making of the very device that thou constructed, hath been outlawed since their dismissal in ancient times, after the plague of the Drachonis was silenced. While it is still unknown to us, exactly how thou was able to make the device, the very fact that it was created, inherits banishment.” Princess Luna replied.

“But…but how can that be? How could I have known that such a thing was punishable by banishment, if the plans for it had been kept away for centuries? I realize that what I did, caused Windy harm, but I never meant for it to happen. Honest!” Cloudy pleaded.

“While we could leave thou here, in this room for the rest of your life, we hath decided that it would be better to keep a closer eye on you. At least, until our sister awakens in the morning, and we can bring the subject to her.” Princess Luna told Cloudy.

“Keep…a closer eye on me?” Cloudy hesitantly questioned.

“Yes. In the dungeon beneath Canterlot, where the most heinous of ponies and creatures doth kept a watchful eye on.” Princess Luna replied.

The thought of himself being locked away in a dungeon, snapped Cloudy back into reality. He turned to face the Princess, but tripped over his restrained limbs, falling to the floor. He looked up to the Princess before speaking. “Please! The must be something I can do to make up for all this? What if I help you get…” Cloudy thought about going to turn in Tanner, but remembered that Tanner had already burned all of the designs before he left.

Princess Luna looked down at Cloudy, unsympathetic eyes joining her statement. “Forgive us, but thou art beyond help by this point. Now, we must be off to Canterlot.” Her eyes and horn began to glow a dark blue, before the two of them suddenly disappeared in a flash of magic.

They reappeared in a long stone hallway, dimly lit with torches along the walls. Two of Princess Luna’s personal guards stepped forward from their post, and bowed to the Princess to receive her order.

“Take this stallion to one of the holding cells. Our sister and I shall return in the morning to speak with him again.” Princess Luna told the guards, before disappearing using her magic again.

The guards took Cloudy, dragging him down the hallway, to an open cell.

All while being dragged, Cloudy could hear the sounds of other ponies and creatures, as they banged on the bars of their cells, and cursed at the guards as they walked by.

“Let me out of here you pathetic excuse for a guard!” Yelled a random pony.

“The time of my return shall be at hand! You all will do well to fear me!” A deep monstrous voice cried out from another cell.

The guards continued to drag Cloudy, until they reached the open cell. They then tossed him in, before slamming the door shut, and locking it. The guards then left, to return to their original post, leaving Cloudy alone in his cell.

“I just don’t know what went wrong?” Cloudy said to himself, as he laid on the cold stone floor. He thought about trying to sleep, while he was stuck there, but the thought of Princess Luna invading his mind again, kept him awake. Cloudy laid still in his cell, until he noticed movement in one of the cells adjacent to his. “Who…who’s there?” He said, a nervousness in his voice.

The shadowy figured crept slowly closer to the edge of his cell, until Cloudy could make out that it was a Unicorn.

“Well well well, look what we have here.” The Unicorn spoke to Cloudy. “Aren’t you something.”

By the voice, Cloudy could tell that it was a mare. “Who…who are you? He replied.

“Oh, us? Why, we’re just a poor misunderstood genius, living locked away in this horrible dungeon.” The Unicorn responded.

The lack of lighting from the walls made it very difficult to see the features of the Unicorn. Aside from the horn, the only other things that Cloudy could see, were her bright yellow eyes, and sharp teeth.

“So tell us, what’s a handsome looking stallion, such as yourself, doing in a place like this?” The Unicorn asked.

“I…I don’t wanna talk about it.” Cloudy replied.

“Aww, that’s too bad. We haven’t had a nice conversation with anypony for such a long time. At least tell us your name? The Unicorn replied back.

“Cl…Cloudy. Cloudy Airy.” Cloudy responded.

“Oh, what a nice name. We are called Galaga. Galaga Century, but you can just call us Gala. Nice to meet you Airy.” The Unicorn responded.

In the back of his head, Cloudy knew that he shouldn’t even be talking to this mare, especially considering where they were, but something about the way she talked to him, made Cloudy respond. “N…Nice to meet you too, Gala.”

“Oh, he he. What a nice charming voice you have. We really would like to hear more of it.” Gala replied.

This mare had to have done something horrendous to end up down here, but the way she was talking to Cloudy with such kindness, as opposed to everypony else that day, made him keep talking. “Well…what would you like to hear?”

“Why, anything at all dear. We do so enjoy talking with somepony who isn’t insane down here.” Gala responded.

“Well…I…used to work at the (CWRF), until another one of my devices failed, and hurt a friend of mine.” Cloudy said.

“Oh dear, whatever happened?” Gala replied.

Cloudy felt like he was warming up to the mare, and his nervousness seemed to slowly disappear. “I’ve been trying to find a way to control the weather of Equestria with devices that I made, but for whatever reason, they would never work. I was finally able to make a working device, based on blueprints that I had gotten from this stupid Earth pony I knew, but, in the end, it turned out to be a failure too. As a result, the rocket that I had launched, turned itself back towards the crowd of onlookers, and my friend got hurt in the explosion.”

“Oh my, that’s horrible. And we guess your peers abandoned you just like that?” Gala said back.

“Yeah.” Cloudy replied. “I was just trying to help Equestria with my devices, but instead, they all ridiculed me, and left me. And, I know that I deserved some punishment for hurting my friend, but to end up here, just because of making that device? I can’t help but feel that this is all unwarranted.”

“Hmm, this device of yours sounds very ingenious, if it was meant to be used to help all of Equestria. What exactly was it?” Gala asked.

“Well, it was based off of this ancient device, which was used around the time of the Drachonis, but I had modified it to be used for weather manipulation.” Cloudy told Gala.

“Oh my, and how ever did you come across a thing like that?” Gala inquired.

“From that Earth pony I told you about. His family had been keeping the blueprints for it for over a thousand years. I just happened upon them when I last visited him. Although, thinking back on it, I’ll probably be stuck here for the rest of my life because of what he did.” Cloudy responded.

“And what was that?” Gala asked.

“When I told him that I hadn’t been making his fireworks stands up in the clouds, he took all of the plans in his home, including those ancient device plans, and burnt them. I still don’t understand why he did it though? All those plans could’ve been used for good, and with them gone forever, now neither he, nor I, will be able to make them ever again. Well, I might.” Cloudy replied.

“And why is that?” Gala asked.

“Because, while I have a near photographic memory for designs, he’s just a stupid Earth pony, and he’s blind to boot.” Cloudy told Gala.

“A blind pony, working with designs to create devices such as yours. That is rather peculiar. How was he even able to make them himself?” Gala replied.

“I don’t know how he was able to read the plans, but it’s all because of those fireworks of his, that he’s even blind in the first place.” Cloudy said.

“Oh, do tell.” Gala inquired.

“Well, back when I had first met him. He had told me that he never used to be blind, that it was one of his fireworks that actually blinded him, permanently. However, he had just enjoyed seeing and making fireworks too much to give up on them. He said it was his dream to be able to see a fireworks show again, but just like all my devices, his dream went up in smoke too.” Cloudy explained to Gala.

“Hmm, so we’re guessing, that because this pony burned all of the plans, that there will be no evidence to clear your name. Hmm?” Gala replied.

“Yeah. The Princesses are most likely going to go to his shack tomorrow to find the plans, but with them being gone, it will look as if ‘I’ somehow found them myself, and I’ll be stuck here forever.” Cloudy said reluctantly.

“Well, perhaps not.” Gala said with a grin.

Cloudy seemed puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“If you could make it seem, as if this pony already had one of the devices himself, then you could claim that ‘he’ was the one that had made it, and you were just the unfortunate test subject. We mean, don’t you find it odd, that this, blind pony, is still able to make those fireworks of his? Perhaps he’s not as stupid as you think he is, and you could use that underestimation to your advantage. Just make another of the devices and plant it at his home before the Princesses arrive, and you can shift all the blame to him.” Gala told Cloudy, a sinister look on her face.

Cloudy was taken aback at the idea, as he considered it in his head. “That’s…that’s not a bad idea. I probably could get myself out of here at least, and I could get back at that Tanner in the process! But, how am I supposed to make another of those devices, if I’m trapped down here?”

“We’re a Unicorn dear, and we have extensive knowledge in magic. We could just teleport ourselves out of here, and back to your workshop.” Gala said, with a sly grin.

“Then why haven’t you done so already?” Cloudy asked, confused, and slightly unimpressed.

“Alas, it is due to these magic negating bracelets on our hooves, which prevents us from using our magic. If only we could find some way to get them off, then we could help you in your endeavors.” Gala replied.

“I’m guessing your limbs are restrained with these magnetic bracelets too, huh?” Cloudy asked.

“Yes, unfortunately. All residents of this unsightly abode, are shackled with them, to prevent any escape attempts.” Gala told Cloudy.

Cloudy thought for a second, trying to find some way that he might be able to get the bracelets off. He considered trying to use his mouth to bite them off somehow, but figured that probably wouldn’t work, seeing as if Gala had the same capability to do so herself, and she’d apparently been trapped down here for a while. Cloudy continued to think, turning his head around the room to see if he could find anything, until he was met with the glare of one of the torches in his glasses. He had heard from one of the Pegasi he knew, that certain gems in Equestria had the capability to negate magnetic fields, and it just so happened, that his glasses, like most others in Equestria, were made from certain gem fragments. Cloudy began to shake his head back and forth, trying to work his glasses off his face.

“Why, whatever are you doing Airy?” Gala asked.

While still shaking his head, Cloudy answered her. “I’m trying to get my glasses off. There’s a chance that mine are laced with a gem material, which may be able to negate the magnets on us.” Finally, Cloudy managed to shake his glasses off, sending them flying at the wall of his cell, braking apart. “Buck.” Cloudy wormed his way over to his broken glasses, just as Gala had to the edge of her cell, and retrieved them. He then tried testing them on his own bracelets, but couldn’t quite reach. Cloudy instead, worked his way over to Gala, as she tried putting her hooves through the bars for him.

Cloudy finally reached Gala, and placed his broken glasses on her bracelets. Amazingly, the bracelets reacted to the glasses, and fell apart. Gala then took half of the glasses from Cloudy, and placed them on the bracelets on her rear hooves. Like before, the bracelets fell apart, and Gala then proceeded to take off her magic restraints.

“Okay, now just help get mine off, and we can get out of here.” Cloudy told Gala.

Gala began to laugh at Cloudy, as she finally managed to stand up. Even with his blurred vision, Cloudy could still see how tall Gala really was. She may even have rivaled Princess Celestia in height. Gala’s horn then began to glow a bright yellow, just like her eyes, as she illuminated her cell. She was indeed tall, with a spiraled Unicorn horn, and even two small horns on both sides of her head. Her dark green coat was splotched with even darker purple areas on it, and her mane and tail were a dark black, with white tips on the end of each strand.

“What’s going on!? Get me out of these!” Cloudy demanded.

Gala stopped laughing, as she looked a Cloudy with an evil smile. “Oh, how rude of us. We never did tell you why we were locked up down here. You see, the reason we are called Galaga Century, is because we have mastered the aging spell, allowing us to live for the centuries since the Drachonis attacks. Back then, aside from our use of the spell, we may have killed, oh, about a dozen or so ponies, until the Princesses stopped us. And now that we know that one of those devices from centuries past is still around, we think we’re going to go continue having our fun.” Galaga then began to laugh maniacally, before disappearing from her cell, leaving Cloudy alone.

Cloudy could only stare off into space, as the horror of what he’d just done, began to set in. “Celestia help us. What have I done?”

A Ray of Sunshine

Chapter 5 – A Ray of Sunshine

Cloudy looked up, to see the blurred outline of Princess Celestia, looking down at him from her throne. “Princess Celestia! Princess please! There’s been...” He tried to speak.

“Calm yourself Cloudy Airy, I only wish to talk for now. Now, I have received some troubling news this morning, and I wish to get your side of the story, before anypony jumps to conclusions.” Princess Celestia told Cloudy.

“Yes, I understand Princess, but there are bigger problems at the moment!” Cloudy replied back.

“Whatever do you mean?” Princess Celestia asked.

“A Unicorn from the dungeons, Galaga Century, has escaped!” Cloudy told the Princess.

“What!? How?” The Princess began to sound angry.

Cloudy didn’t want to admit that he had been the one to set Galaga free, but he knew that it would be a bad idea to lie to the Princess. “I…I set her free.” He admitted.

“What!? Why would you do such a thing?” Princess Celestia demanded. Her guards began to prepare themselves, in case they needed to apprehend Cloudy.

“I was blinded by her words, and by my petty will for revenge. She didn’t tell me who she was, until after I had already freed her from her shackles, and I never thought to ask before she tricked me. Although, she probably would have lied until I set her free anyway.” Cloudy replied distraughtly.

“Cloudy Airy, your actions have released a great danger upon Equestria, and now we must try to contain it once again.” The Princess told Cloudy. She was then about to summon her sister for her help, before Luna appeared before her from using her magic. “Luna.”

“Sister, we have grave news. The residence belonging to the Earth pony Tanner, hath been destroyed, and Tanner himself, badly injured.” Luna told her sister.

Cloudy’s eyes widened a bit at the message of what happened to Tanner and his shack. While Cloudy had wanted to get back at Tanner for supposedly tricking him, he would never have wished this kind of catastrophe upon him. “This is all my fault.” Cloudy thought.

“Oh dear, what is his condition?” Celestia asked.

“He seems stable dear sister. We enlisted the help of the local ponies to look after him, while we returned here. Our guards are also protecting him, in case whatever caused the explosion comes again.” Luna spoke.

“Galaga, it had to have been her!” Cloudy thought to himself. He had told her about Tanner, and she most likely went there to try to find out more about the devices.

“That’s good to hear, but I’m afraid our troubles won’t end there my sister. It also appears that Galaga Century has escaped from the dungeons, and is roaming Equestria once more.” Celestia spoke.

“What!? But how?” Luna exclaimed.

“That, is what I still wish to truly know. Cloudy Airy.” Celestia told Luna, before looking down again at Cloudy.

“Welt! Thou art to blame for catastrophes yet again!?” Luna yelled at Cloudy, using her loud Equestrian voice.

Cloudy could only look back and forth between the two princesses, not sure who to answer first. He bowed his head down, shut his eyes, and shook his head back and forth.

Princess Celestia spoke first. “Time is short Cloudy. Tell us how you freed her, so that we can prevent her from escaping again.”

Cloudy opened his eyes, and turned to Princess Celestia. He was still fearful in her emotionless look at him, though he also dared not turn around to gaze upon the anger of Princess Luna. “My glasses. My glasses were laced with a gem that had the properties to negate the magnetic bracelets that held us. I couldn’t reach mine to undo them, so I placed them on hers instead, and they fell apart. I still don’t know exactly what kind of gem was in them, but it could be any number of types.”

“Very well, now that we know how that vile cretin escaped, we can prevent her from doing so again. Guards! Return this pony to the dungeon.” Luna exclaimed.

“No, wait! I’m pretty sure that she was the one who attacked Tanner, and I’ve got a feeling that I know where she’s heading next.”

“And where precisely is that?” Princess Celestia asked him.

“I was the one who told her about Tanner, and I also told her where I had originally made the device. I get the feeling that she’s on her way to the (CWRF) to retrieve it.” Cloudy told the Princess.

“Ha! The device hath already been confiscated from said domain. It now resides here at the castle, where the vile witch shall never find it!” Luna told Cloudy, sounding sure of herself.

“Then the facility is still in danger!” Cloudy exclaimed.

“What nonsense do you speaketh of now?” Luna questioned.

“If she doesn’t know that the device isn’t there. No, even if she did know that it wasn’t there, she would still tear the facility apart, trying to find out more about it. Not to mention, she might attack the other ponies there!” Cloudy told Princess Luna.

“Then we don’t have a second to spare. Come sister, we must hurry to the facility.” Princess Celestia spoke.

“Right.” Replied Luna.

“Wait, Princess!” Cloudy called out as the Princesses began to take off in flight. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Please just let me help save my fellow weather ponies at least? I know the facility like the back of my hoof, and I can help get everypony out safely. I’ve been denied repeatedly the opportunity to try and make up for my mistakes. Once this is all over, I’ll gladly return to my cell, or accept banishment for the rest of my life, but I just want this one chance to help.” Cloudy desperately spoke to the Princesses.

Princess Celestia turned to her sister Luna, whom still had a doubtful look on her face. Celestia then looked back at Cloudy, seeing the desperate look on his face. She thought to herself for a second, before turning to her guards, and ordering them to release Cloudy. She then cast a spell on Cloudy, to temporarily fix his eyesight. “We must hurry if we want to beat Galaga to the facility.” She said.

With his bracelets off, and his vision normal again for now, Cloudy spread his wings and lifted himself off the ground. “Thank you Princess.” He spoke to Princess Celestia. The three of them then left Canterlot, flying as fast as they could towards Cloudsdale.

Beyond the outskirts of Ponyville, Galaga Century made her way to the base of a very tall mountain. “If we are not to give ourselves wings to fly to the clouds, then the peak of this mountain should be a good place to start.” Galaga then began to teleport herself up the mountain, moving between each higher ledge she could find. Eventually, she could see that the mountain jetted up through a cloud, and she cast a spell on herself, to allow her to walk on clouds once she arrived. She teleported a few more times, until she was just beneath the cloud. “Now let’s see if we’ve found the right place.” She said with a sly grin, before jumping up through the cloud.

Once she had cleared the cloud’s surface, she heard something else land back on the cloud, besides herself. Galaga turned to find a red Pegasus sitting on the cloud, and looking back up at her.

“Hey watch where you’re going!” The Pegasus said to her.

“Oh, we’re sorry, we didn’t see you there.” Galaga responded to the Pegasi.

The Pegasus was about to yell at her again, until he noticed how tall and pretty she looked. “Oh uh, don’t worry. I must’ve just tripped. Say beautiful, why haven’t I seen you around here lately?”

“Oh, we’ve been in a very dark place, for quite a long time darling.” Galaga replied back. “We don’t suppose you could show us around?”

The Pegasi stood up and brushed himself off, before speaking again. “It would be my pleasure sweet thing. The name’s Red Rocket by the way. I’ll show you whatever you wanna see.”

Galaga decided that she could use Red Rocket to find her way to the (CWRF), so she began to play along with his flirting. “Oh, how generous, that such a handsome looking stallion such as yourself, would be willing to help us. We have been ever so lonely lately, and it really would help us feel better to be with such a capable looking pony.”

“Well look no further beautiful, I’m the best there is to ease a young mare’s heart. So, where are we off to?” Red Rocket replied.

“He he, well, we were hoping that you could show us the way to the (CWRF). If it’s not too far away.” Galaga asked Red Rocket.

“The facility? Oh, well it’s your lucky day sweet thing. I just so happen to work at the facility, and we’re not far from it. It’s just on the other side of the mountain here. What do you say I escort you over there, and maybe we can find someplace inside to help work away those lonely feelings?” Rocket told the Unicorn.

“Oh, that sounds delightful dear. We do so appreciate it.” Galaga replied.

The two walked over to, and around, the mountain, until the facility came into view.

“And there it is.” Rocket told the Unicorn.

“Ahh, so this is the Weather Facility that we’ve heard so much about.” Galaga said, before turning to Red Rocket. “We do so appreciate you showing us the way.” Her horn then began to glow yellow, as she used her magic to remove Red Rocket’s vest.

“Whoa! A mare that likes to get to the point, I like that.” Rocket grinned. However, his grin quickly formed a confused look, when the Unicorn then wrapped his jacket around him, preventing him from moving his wings. “Heh heh…so I guess you’re into the whole restraining thing huh?” The Unicorn then lifted him up in the air with her magic. “And forceful too. Not really my style, but hey, whatever helps you feel better. Uhh…I still haven’t gotten your name?”

“We are called Galaga. Galaga Century. We wish we could play with you further, but we have some unfinished business to attend to first. If you’re still alive after we’re done here, then maybe we’ll let you have some fun with us.” Galaga told Red Rocket, a sinister grin on her face.

“Uh yeah, maybe later…wait what!? Still alive!?” Red Rocket exclaimed, before Galaga swung him with her magic, and tossed him far off the cloud. “AHHH!!!”

At the same time; the Princesses and Cloudy were just arriving between Cloudsdale and the Weather Facility.

With his vision slightly a little better, thanks to Princess Celestia’s magic, Cloudy could see a red object fly off of the cloud that the Weather Facility rested upon, and begin to fall to the ground. “What is that?” Upon flying and looking a little closer, Cloudy could see that it was a pony falling! “Oh no!” Cloudy exclaimed, before flying off towards the falling pony as fast as he could.

The Princesses also saw the pony falling, but let Cloudy chase after, while they continued on quickly to the facility.

As Cloudy got closer, he could hear the pony’s screaming, and he soon recognized that the pony was Red Rocket. He dived down faster, and eventually managed to catch up and stop Red Rocket from falling.

Red Rocket continued to scream, until he realized that he had stopped falling. “Oh, oh thank Celestia! Thank you! Thank you…Cloudy!?” He looked up, and responded in complete surprise.

“Let me guess. She sweet talked you into helping her, and you thought with your other head as usual the entire time?” Cloudy annoyingly said to Red Rocket.

“Uh…I…uh…” Red Rocket hesitantly said.

Cloudy looked around and spied a small cloud that he could put Red Rocket on. He then flew over to it, and set Rocket down. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re better off here. She’d probably bite it off after she was done laughing anyway.” Cloudy then flew back up towards the Weather Facility.

Red Rocket sat there on the cloud, as he watched Cloudy fly away. He then gave a look down, and gave a fearful gulp.

Cloudy finally reached the edge of the top of the cloud, and had to quickly move out of the way, as he saw a magic beam come straight at him. Having narrowly avoiding the beam, Cloudy looked over to see the Princesses already battling Galaga. Each of the three ponies firing magic beams from their horns. Cloudy quickly made his way to the entrance of the facility, busting open the doors as he came inside.

“Cloudy Airy? What are you doing here?” The receptionist said to him as he entered.

“Please there’s no time! We need to evacuate everypony as quickly as possible!” Cloudy exclaimed.

“I don’t think so. You’re not supposed to be here, and what’s going on outside? I saw the Princesses fly up and…are you running from them?” The mare said to Cloudy.

“No, I’m not running! Just listen to me!” Cloudy told the receptionist. Just then, a stray magic beam from outside struck one of the windows of the front doors, sending glass flying across the floor. The receptionist gave a quick scream, and Cloudy used the distraction to fly past her and down the halls. Cloudy flew up and down each of the halls, turning on every alarm he could find, causing all the Pegasi in the building to leave their respective offices and head for the exits. Now that he was starting to get a steady stream of ponies in the halls, Cloudy tried directing everypony to head out the exits opposite of where he figured the main fighting on the Princesses and Galaga was going on.

Upon flying back a couple times to pick up stragglers, Cloudy ran into Daisy Drizzle. “Cloudy? What are you doing back here? What’s going on? Did you trip all the alarms to try and get back at the facility!?”

“No, I’m trying to help the facility! Now hurry and exit out the west wing!” Cloudy exclaimed.

“Oh no. You’re not telling me what to do! I was the boss of you before, and I’m still the boss of you now! Everypony! This is all a trick! Please return to your respective offices!” Daisy called out.

“It’s not a trick! I’m trying to…!” Cloudy began to say, before both he and Daisy heard a small explosion come from somewhere in the building.

“That sounded like it came from…” Daisy started to say.

Cloudy quickly darted past Daisy, and headed down the halls to where he thought the explosion had occurred. “Please don’t be there! Please don’t be there!” He thought to himself. Cloudy flew down a hallway and into the Weather Developments Research bay where he had worked. He looked down at the other end of the warehouse, and saw that a giant hole had been blown into the bay doors. He didn’t see any other damage aside from the doors, and then made his way to the stall where he had worked.

“Oh thank Celestia that none of this stuff blew up.” He said aloud to himself. Had just one of his previous failed devices exploded, it may have caused a chain reaction that would’ve proved disastrous for the building. Cloudy looked back out from his stall, at the hole in the doors, and saw the Princesses still fighting with Galaga. “Okay, think Cloudy. All of the ponies should have been evacuated by now. There must be something else I can do to help.” He said to himself.

“What’s going on in here?” Daisy Drizzle called out from the hallway entrance to the warehouse. She began to make her way towards the hole in the doors at the other end of the warehouse, until she spied Cloudy in his stall. “Are you responsible for this too Cloudy Airy!? How dare you turn your aggression out on the Weather Facility! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Daisy started to yell something else at Cloudy, but was cut short by another stray magic beam from outside, hitting her in the side.

“Mrs. Drizzle!” Cloudy called out, as he rushed over to her. She had been knocked unconscious, and her side and uniform were slightly charred from the beam. Cloudy pulled her back into his stall, and out of sight of the hole in the doors. He looked around for something to cover her with, and found the piece of jacket on the floor, that had been used as a makeshift blanket for him the other day. He then turned his attention back to trying to figure out what to do next. “Let’s see. There must be something I can do? Come on think!”

Cloudy banged his head on his work table a few times, before picking his head up, and looking at his blueprint board. A thought than ran through his mind: “If you try to change something from what it’s supposed to be, into something else, it will never work for you.” He then looked over at his pile of failed devices, and then back at his board. Cloudy finally understood what Tanner had been trying to tell him a couple days ago. “He was right. There was never anything wrong with his plans. I was the one who was wrong.” Cloudy then wiped away his plans for the Javelin off the board, and began to draw something new instead.

Meanwhile, outside the Princesses continued to fight against Galaga Century.

“Ha ha! You two seem to be showing your age now. You were much faster back then.” Galaga boasted to the Princesses.

“Stand still wench! So that we may blast you back to the cell from whence you came!” Princess Luna yelled back, using her Equestrian voice.

“Calm yourself Luna, we need to work together if we want to stop her.” Princess Celestia told her sister.

“Aww, are the sisters going to argue now, hmm? We’re surprised that you can even work with your sister again dear Luna, after she banished you to the moon for the past centuries.” Galaga spoke. “Even we had the company of so many deranged ponies and creatures, but you, you had no one.”

“Silence! Your trickery shall not work on us you witch!” Princess Luna replied back.

“Heh heh, we’ll see about that.” Galaga said. Galaga’s horn began to glow yellow again, as she was about to shoot another beam of magic at the Princesses, but was cut short by an explosion of colors off to her side.

Two more explosions followed behind it, as they came from rockets being fired from inside the facility warehouse, through the hole in the doors that had been made earlier. The source of the rockets then appeared at the entrance, as Cloudy pushed out a portable fireworks stand from inside. He lit a few more of the rockets, as the short fuses quickly made their way into the barrels. The rockets then shot off, straight towards Galaga, before exploding into fireworks all around her.

“Gah! What nonsense is this!? What are you doing here Airy!?” Galaga said, as she raised a hoof to shield her eyes from the blasts.

“Something I should’ve done a long time ago!” Cloudy called back, as he lit the last of the rockets. The fuse burned through, and the rocket quickly soared towards Galaga, before exploding a couple feet in front of her.

The light from the fireworks blinded Galaga long enough for the Princesses to get a clear shot in at her. Celestia struck Galaga with a beam, knocking her to the cloud, while Luna launched magic negating bracelets at her hooves, preventing her from using magic again. At the same time, the spell that Galaga had cast on herself to walk on the clouds wore off, and she immediately fell through the clouds.

Luna began to fly away to retrieve Galaga, but was stopped short by her sister. “But sister, we must return her to the dungeons! She must pay for her crimes”

Princess Celestia shook her head back and forth, before answering Luna. “Just as I sealed you away for a thousand years little sister, she too was trapped in the dungeons below Canterlot for just as long. She has already paid for her crimes, and another thousand years would just risk her escaping again. This is…for the best.” Princess Celestia told Luna.

“Sister.” Luna replied.

Princess Celestia then turned her attention to Cloudy. “Now, as for you Cloudy Airy.”

“I understand Princess Celestia. I’ll accompany you and Princess Luna back to the Canterlot dungeons, or wherever you would have me go.” Cloudy replied.

“Actually, that won’t be necessary.” Celestia replied.

“What?” Cloudy said.

“Your actions today have proven to me that you never intended to do anypony any harm. Furthermore, we were wrong to persecute you like we did, and ask for your forgiveness.” Celestia told Cloudy.

“Th…thank you Princess.” Cloudy responded.

“However, while the transgressions against you regarding the device you made are lifted, you will still have to be held accountable for the harm you caused your fellow pony.” Celestia replied.

“I understand Princess.” Cloudy told Celestia.

“I’m afraid for the time being, you’ll have to return to the Cloudsdale ward, at least until the pony harmed has made a full recovery. I will however, ask to have your things returned to you while you’re there. I know how much you like your hat.” Celestia spoke.

“Yes Princess, and thank you.” Cloudy replied.

“I do have one question however. What exactly is that device that you have there?” Celestia asked.

“Yes, we were wondering the same thing.” Luna replied.

“This? This is actually one of my previous failed devices. Originally, it had been modified to fire weather manipulation technology, but I changed it back to fire fireworks instead. Before, this, like all of my other devices, failed because they weren’t firing for the right reason. I had made something wonderful, and wanted it to be something other than what it was supposed to be, and as a result, it never worked properly. Even the Javelin that I made worked the same way. It had originally been used to cause harm, but because I wanted to use it for good, it wouldn’t work. Although, my guess is that it had its roots in so many bad deeds that, even modified, it still wanted to cause harm.” Cloudy told the Princesses.

“Well that is indeed amazing, and a lesson well learned. Does this mean that you’ll give up making them then?” Princess Celestia spoke.

“Yes…and no. I’ll no longer use other pony’s ideas to try and achieve something that I want to do, but instead, I’ll make them for the reason their supposed to be made, to bring joy to others. As for my own intentions, this just means I’ll have to come with ideas of my own, for making weather manipulation. It’s my dream to make the lives of the weather ponies easier, and I can’t stop yet.” Cloudy replied.

“Well said.” Princess Celestia told Cloudy.

“Likewise.” Stated Princess Luna. Just then, one of Luna’s guards appeared from below the clouds, and reported that Rural Tanner had regained consciousness. “That is most wondrous news. Thank thee.”

“Tanner…I owe him one of the biggest apologies of all. Him, and all Earth ponies really. I abused the kindness that he had given me, and as a result, crushed his dream to ever see fireworks again. Also, for thinking that he and all the other Earth ponies were too stupid to accomplish anything. I can only hope he’ll forgive me someday.” Cloudy spoke.

“We’re sure he will, if thou truly means it.” Luna told him.

“I suppose we should all be returning to where we need to be then.” Celestia stated.

“Princess!” “Dusty” Rain Gauge spoke aloud, as he, and all the other Pegasus ponies of the facility bowed to the Princesses. “Forgive me Princess, but what’s going on here? Why is Cloudy Airy not in the Cloudsdale ward?”

Princess Celestia returned a bow to the Pegasi, before answering. “Fret not my subjects, for all is well. Cloudy Airy is actually on his way back to Cloudsdale. Although, I would like to ask something of you first ‘Dusty’.”

“Anything Princess.” “Dusty” replied.

“I ask that you forgive Cloudy for his actions against the facility, and allow him to continue his work, once he has been released from the ward.” Celestia asked.

“As…as you wish Princess. We’ll allow Cloudy to return after his release, as long as Ms. Windy Thunderclap forgives him.” “Dusty” responded.

“Very well. Take care my ponies. May the sun forever shine on your endeavors.” Celestia spoke, before she and Luna took off for Canterlot.

“Dusty” turned his attention to Cloudy, who was already mid-flight away from leaving. “Cloudy Airy.”

“Yes sir?” Cloudy replied.

“I don’t know exactly what’s been going on, but if the Princess is fine with you continuing your research here, then so am I. Perhaps that twister of yours managed to plant the seeds of change in its wake. However, I am serious about waiting on Ms. Windy’s approval. She ‘was’ the one who was injured, and I’m leaving it to her, as to what happens to you.” “Dusty” told Cloudy.

“I understand sir.” Cloudy replied back, before taking off, and heading back to the Clousdale Mental Ward.

A few days passed, and Cloudy was released from the ward. He gathered his things, and made his way down the halls to the front entrance. He thought that Windy might meet him to lecture him after his release, but instead, Cloudy was met by another Pegasus instead.

“Well well. Af at asn’t the stallaon A’ve heard so much about.” The Pegasi spoke to Cloudy.

“Oh, uh, hello. Do I know you?” Cloudy replied.

“A’m Wandy’s father, Stormy Thunderclap. A’m here an her place to release you.” Stormy replied, eyeing Cloudy.

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you Mr. Thunderclap. Windy’s told me all about you and your factory,” Cloudy responded nervously.

“Now A promased Wandy that A wouldn’t touch a feather on your lattle head, after everythang you’ve done to her, so you best get goang.” Stormy told Cloudy, giving him a mean look.

“Yes sir!” Cloudy replied, before taking off out of the ward.

Stormy turned and watched Cloudy fly off, as he put a smile on his face. “Aurora would have a faeld day wath that colt. Ha ha!”

Cloudy arrived at the Weather Facility, and was about to punch his card in the “IN” box, when he noticed that Windy’s was still in the “OUT” box. He turned to the receptionist and asked if Windy had come in today. The mare replied that she hadn’t. Stating that she was apparently still in the hospital. Cloudy then put is card back in the “OUT” box, and was about to leave when he was stopped by Red Rocket calling to him.

“Hey Cloudy. Umm…I just want to say thanks, for saving me the other day…and that I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you since you’ve been here. Perhaps I should’ve had my head more in the clouds like you, instead of…well you know. Thanks.” Red Rocket told him.

Cloudy acknowledged the Pegasi, before taking off and heading for the Cloudsdale hospital. Upon arriving, he asked the nurse at the front desk where Windy’s room was, and she directed him down the halls.

Cloudy stood outside the door for what felt like an eternity, before taking a deep breath, and opening it. Windy was sitting up in her bed and looking out the window, before she noticed that Cloudy had opened the door. The two just stared at each other in silence, before Cloudy walked up, and began to apologize. “Windy I…I don’t really know what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ just doesn’t sound like it’ll cut it. I’ve been rude to you, ignored you, yelled at you, and…almost killed you. I can’t possibly ask you to forgive me but, I just want you to know that I’m…” Cloudy’s words were cut short, as Windy wrapped her hooves around him, and hugged him with tears in her eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re alright. I thought I’d lost you forever.” Windy spoke while hugging him.

“Windy I…” Cloudy started to say.

Windy brought her face in front of his, tears still in her eyes. She smiled through the tears as she spoke. “You could try to blow me up a hundred times, as long as I’m with you. I…I love you Cloudy.”

“Windy…I…I never knew that…you…” Cloudy just stared into her eyes, until eventually tears formed in his as well. “I guess we’ll worry about apologizes later then. I…I love you too Windy.” Cloudy spoke to Windy, as they nuzzled noses.

The sun shined through the window, warming the faces of the two Pegasi, and leaving a heart shaped shadow on the wall next to them. Here was a mare that Cloudy thought he’d never get to know, and all it took, was a change of weather within himself to see it.

A Foggy Memory

Chapter 4 – A Foggy Memory

“Pick me up higher daddy!” Windy said to her father.

“Alraght pumkan, hold on taaght.” Stormy told Windy.

Windy gave a childish “Wee!”, as she was picked up by her father, and placed on his back. She always enjoyed coming to the factory with her parents, and getting to see all the new wonders that her family was creating. “Oh look daddy! There’s mommy! Hi mommy!” Windy called out, waving to her mother.

Windy’s mother waved back, and gave her daughter and husband a smile, before turning back to talk to the factory workers again. Aurora Thunderclap, formerly Aurora Stratosphere, was lecturing the workers on getting complacent around all the machinery. “You all need to be very careful, working around the machines here in the factory. Remember, this isn’t the Cloudsdale Weather Factory, where colorful rainbows, and fluffy clouds are made. This is the Thunderclap Factory, where we make the machines that are used to operate ones like those at the Weather Factory, and others around Equestria. If you so much as have a hoof or wing out of place, it’s gone!” Aurora always spoke to the workers in this manner, to reinforce that she was in charge, and if they didn’t listen, then they’d pay the consequences.

Aurora had been working at the Wonderbolt Academy for quite some time, as an instructor, before she met Stormy Thunderclap. The two had met at a Wonderbolt show one year, when Stormy approached Aurora with the proposition of using her leadership talents to help him in his family’s business. She initially declined, but Stormy was persistent, and continued to ask her after every show the Wonderbolts performed. Eventually, Aurora realized that her toughness with others, did seem to match Stormy’s business drive, and in time, the two found themselves inseparable, both in, and out of the factory. A couple years later, the two married, and a year after that, Aurora gave birth to her and Stormy’s daughter, Windy Thunderclap.

Aurora flew back down to Stormy and Windy, nuzzling Stormy on the nose, and giving Windy a kiss on the head. “How’s my wittle Windy doing?” She said, in a fashion that was a complete opposite of how she had just spoken to the workers.

Windy giggled before answering. “I’m fine mommy!”

Aurora then turned to Stormy. “And how are things back at the office dear?”

“Thangs are goang pretty well. Just closed another deal wath the weather ponaes an Fally Delphaa. A’ll tell you what though, those ponaes have one hard accent to follow. A could barely understand what they were tellang me.” Stormy replied back.

Aurora chuckled back. “Well, I guess they don’t have an ear for how a normal pony talks. He he.”

“What are you making today mommy?” Windy asked her mother.

“Oh, we’re just working on a new gear system sweetie, to help speed up production lines for the clouds. Once we’re done making these, we’ll be able to make twice as many wonderful clouds to look at in the sky.” Aurora replied happily to her daughter.

“Yay!” Windy said back.

Just then, a loud grinding sound erupted from one of the machines on the other side of the factory. Aurora turned to angrily eye the closest workers to go check it out, before turning back to her family and smiling. “I should probably go make sure everything is okay over there. Why don’t you two head home, and I’ll meet up with you when I’m done here.” She told the two of them.

“Aww, but I wanna stay with mommy!” Windy protested.

“Aww, come on now my lattle pumkan. Let’s leave mommy to her work. Stormy told his daughter. “We’ll be waating for you when you get back.” He told Aurora.

“I’ll try not to be long. Take care sweetie!” Aurora replied.

“Bye bye mommy!” Windy told her mother.

Aurora turned and flew off to the commotion, while Stormy and Windy turned and made their way out of the factory. Time began to pass, and soon, Stormy and Windy found themselves waiting into the night.

“Sure as takang a whale.” Stormy said. “A hope everythang’s alraght.”

Windy was playing with one of her stuffed toys, while her father walked over to the window in the room that overlooked the factory in the distance. Not long after he looked out, he saw the silhouette of a Pegasus flying from the factory, over to the mansion.

“Phew, guess A was worraed for nothang.” Stormy said, before heading down to the front door to great the Pegasus. He opened the front door to find, not his wife, but one of the workers from the factory. “What’re you doang here?” He asked the Pegasi.

“I’m sorry to trouble you like this sir, but…” The Pegasus said.

“Well, spat at out boy! A don’t have all day.” Stormy replied.

“I came over as soon as I could sir. There’s…there’s been an accident.” The Pegasus told Stormy.

“What? What happened? Where’s my wafe!?” Stormy demanded.

About this time, Windy made her way to the top of the stairs, and could see her father talking with the worker pony down below. She couldn’t tell what they were saying, so she just watched from the stairs.

Stormy stood there and listened, as the worker pony told him about what had happened at the factory after they had left. After the pony finished talking, Stormy just stood in silence. The worker then took a couple steps back away from the door, before turning around and flying off. Stormy continued to stand there, until Windy called to her father on her way down the stairs. “Daddy?”

Stormy shivered at the sound of his daughter’s voice, before turning around to face her, his eyes filled with tears. He looked at Windy’s confused face, and tried to wipe away the tears from his face, before calling his daughter over. “Come…come here Wandy. Dad…Daddy’s got somethang to tell you.” Stormy sat down next to Windy, and held her close.

“Daddy, what’s going on?” Windy asked. She then looked at the still opened front door, before speaking again. “Where’s mommy?”

Stormy choked a little, before talking. “There…there was an accadent at the factory pumkan, and mommy got hurt.”

“What? Is she okay daddy?” Windy replied.

“No, I’m afraad not sweetae. Mommy was tryang to help the worker ponaes wath those machanes, and she got hurt pretty bad.” Stormy told her.

“What happened daddy!?” Windy began to cry.

He wasn’t sure if it was the pride of his family name, or not wanting to lie to his daughter, but Stormy just couldn’t bring himself to not tell his daughter the truth, even though she was just a little filly. He gathered all the courage he could, and told Windy about what happened to Aurora. “She was flyang around all those gears she told you about, tryang to get them back an place. When she stopped payang attentaon for a second, and got her wang caught an one of them. The workers traed to pull her out, but at was too late, and…and…” Stormy was beginning to tear up again, and couldn’t keep himself from crying.

“Mommy…mommy!” Windy started crying with her father. At that point in her life, Windy wasn’t sure what it meant to be caught in gears like that, only that it apparently meant something really bad. An image then flooded into her head of Aurora trapped in the gears and being pulled into them. She saw her mother scream and yell, before she heard a crack when she was halfway gone.

Windy’s eyes snapped open, and she tried to sit up, only to fall back to her bed in pain. She realized that she had just been dreaming, only, that she had never dreamt of that day in her life before. Windy looked around the room she found herself in, and saw that she was in the infirmary. “What…what’s going on?” She asked aloud. She then looked down by her side, and saw her father leaning on her bed, asleep. “Father?”

Stormy stirred for a second, before waking up. He looked to see that his daughter was awake, and looking at him. “Wandy! Oh, thank Celestaa that you’re alraght!” He started to hug her.

“Ow ow ow! That hurts!” She told him.

“Oh, sorry pumkan. A’m just so glad that you’re alraght.” Stormy told her.

Windy looked out a window on the side of the room, and saw that it was daylight. “How long have I been here father?” She asked.

“All naght sweetae.” He told her.

“All night? Huh? Is everypony else alright!? Where’s Cloudy!?” Windy replied, trying to sit up again, before falling back on the bed.

“Now now, don’t you worry pumkan. Everypony’s alraght. That Cloud colt on the other hoof! Why, when A heard what he dad to you, at took A don’t know how many of the ponaes to hold me back from crushang has tany head! When A get my hooves on ham A’ll!” Stormy began to yell out.

“Father please stop! What happened? Where’s Cloudy?” Windy pleaded.

“That lattle colt almost kalled you wath that stupad machane of has! You should’ve been more clear that he was makang thangs lake that sooner! A could’ve stopped ham from ever makang that thang!” Stormy replied back angrily.

“Where’s Cloudy!?” Windy told her father, in a voice angry and demanding, reminiscent of the way her mother used to talk to the ponies she worked with.

Windy’s father was taken aback. He had never heard his daughter speak in that tone before. “He…he was taken away. A don’t know where, otherwase A’d have gone there myself already. Wandy please. Why do you care about what happens to that colt anyhow? A’m seraous sweetae, he almost kalled you.”

“I don’t care about any of that father! I just want to know that he’s okay. I saw the look in his eyes father, before things went wrong. He was overjoyed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that happy since I’ve known him. I know that it was all an accident, there’s no way that he would purposely try to hurt me.” She told him.

Stormy just stood there, mouth agape. He couldn’t believe it. His daughter had been ignored by this pony, yelled at by him, and almost blown up by him, but she still didn’t blame him for any of it. And just like that, a switch in his head finally flipped. “Wandy…do you…do you really care about thas pony?”

It now appeared to be Windy’s turn to lay there with her mouth agape. She quickly caught herself, but instead, decided to not hide her feelings. “I do father. I do care about him. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to him. He needs me father, and I need him.”

Stormy stood there, staring at his daughter. He looked at the sad compassion in her eyes, and thought back to the same face she made, when he had told her that her mother died. A tear came to his eye, and he wiped it away before he spoke. “Wandy, af your mother was here, A’m sure she would’ve smacked me clear back to San Palomano. A’m sorry A ever questaoned you about thas colt. However pumkan, that fact stall remaans that A don’t know where he as, and unfortunately, you’re an no condataon to go chasang after ham.”

“I know father, but please, if you do find him, please don’t hurt him.” Windy told her father.

“Sigh. Alraght sweetae. You have my word.” Stormy replied.

“Thank you father, but are you sure you have no idea where he could be?” Windy said.

“The ponaes at the facalaty told me that he’d been taken to the Cloudsdale Mental Ward, but when A got there, he’d already been taken somewhere else.” He told his daughter.

“But who took him father?” Windy asked.

“A don’t know Wandy. The nurse there wouldn’t say. Maybe they thought A’d try to beat the snot out of ham, whach A may have at the tame, but they wouldn’t tell me. They just saad that he’d been taken away durang the naght.” Stormy said.

Windy thought to herself. “Who would want to take Cloudy though? They should’ve told my father if it had been Cloudy’s parents or somepony, but who would want to take Cloudy and keep it a secret?”

Around the same time that Windy had awoken in the infirmary in Cloudsdale, Princess Celestia was waking up in her room at Canterlot. “Hmm? The sun is already up? How unlike me to sleep in like this. Aw well, it just goes to show how good and dependable Luna is.” Princess Celestia dressed herself, walked out of her room, and down to the throne room. “Good morning everypony!” She called aloud as she entered the throne room, only to find Luna and some of the guards waiting.

The guards all bowed, while Luna stood tall. “Good morning sister. We’re sorry we didn’t wake thee earlier, but we thought it best to not bring this matter up until you had awakened.” Luna told her sister.

“Why? What’s going on Luna?” Celestia asked.

“We have troubling news dear sister. It appears that one of the machines from the time of the Drachonis, hath reappeared.” Luna told her.

“What!? How did this happen? I thought we had destroyed all the machines, and collected all of the plans to build them?” Celestia said.

“Unfortunately not dear sister. It appears an Earth pony lineage by the name of Tanner, hath been keeping a set of plans a secret from us for centuries. We’ve been awaiting your input on the matter.” Luna said.

“Well, I suppose we’ll have to visit this Tanner, and retrieve the plans. What of the machine? Has it been confiscated yet?” Celestia spoke.

“Yes sister. My guards retrieved it from the facility from which it was created last night, and we’ve been holding its creator in the dungeons below.” Luna told her sister.

“Its creator? So somepony was working with this Tanner to build the machine?” Celestia asked.

“It would appear so dear sister. How all of this managed to elude both our sights tis troubling, but we should not need fear too much, now that the creator and the machine are secured.” Luna said, sounding confident in her accomplishments.

“Well, we still need to acquire the plans, and I wish to have a word with this creator. Luna, would you go and retrieve the plans from this Tanner, while I speak with the pony in the dungeon? Celestia asked.

“Right away sister.” Luna replied. She then turned and summoned her personal guards, to escort her to Tanner’s residence in Ponyville.

Celestia then turned to her own guards, and asked to have the pony responsible for creating the machine brought to her.

On the outskirts of Ponyville, Rural Tanner was working in his shack, trying to make more fireworks. “Let’s see, it should be about this much powder in here, and, done! Ah, it’s good to know that I am still able to make my families magnificent fireworks. Although, it was a little bit easier to be able to use the plans. Perhaps someday, I’ll ask somepony to help me draw up new ones.” Just then, a knocking came at Tanner’s door. “Hmm, I wonder who that could be? Hello? Can I help you?” Tanner asked, as he went to go open the door.

“Why yes, we’re looking for a Rrrrual Tanner? That wouldn’t happen to be you by chance, would it?” The pony at the door said to Tanner.

The sound of a mare’s voice captivated Tanner, even more so, by the fact that she had spoken his name right. “Why yes my dear, I am indeed Rrrrual Tanner. How may I be of service?”

“Oh, he he. We’re just so glad to finally be able to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.” The mare spoke again.

“We’ll I am more than happy to meet you and your friend, Miss?” Tanner suavely said.

“Galaga. Galaga Century.” The mare told him.

Tanner seemed confused. He thought that there was another pony there as well, given how the mare who was speaking to him was talking. “It’s…it’s a pleasure to meet you Ms. Century. What of your friend though? What is their name?”

“Oh, enough with the formalities dear. We’re here to speak with you about certain creations of yours, and where they’re being made.” Galaga told Tanner.

“Creations of mine?” Tanner said, confused. “If you are referring to my fireworks displays, then look no further. However, I’m not quite sure what you would be referring to beyond that.”

“Let us make this simple.” Galaga spoke, as her horn began to glow yellow, and a ring began to form around Tanner’s throat, choking him. “Tell us how to get to where your friend, Cloudy Airy, works.”

Tanner tried to answer, in between being choked. “I…know not of this…Cloudy…that you speak of.”

“Oh, but we think you do dear. You’ve been giving him plans on how to build these fireworks of yours, not to mention plans on how to build a particular set of machines that we’re very interested in.” Galaga said, choking Tanner a little more.

“I told you…I know not of this…Cloudy Airy…or anypony who’s…been building my…plans.” Tanner struggled to speak.

“Hmm, then last chance Mr. Tanner. Where can we find this, Cloudsdale Weather Research Facility?” Galaga told Tanner, tightening her magical grip on him just a little more.

“How…should I know?…It has…cloud in the name…right?...Do I look…like a…Pegasus…to you?” Tanner tried to say.

Galaga held her magic grip a few seconds longer, before releasing it, and letting Tanner fall to the ground. “We suppose you do have a point. Although, we can’t just let you live, now that you’ve heard us. Ah, yes. Your friend Cloudy told us that you simply adored fireworks. Why don’t we let you go out with a bang then?” Galaga told Tanner, with a sinister smile. She then used her magic, to light every single fuse in Tanner’s shack, before shutting, and blocking the door. Galaga then laughed maniacally, before disappearing with her magic.

“Cough…cough…Who was that mare? Huh? Oh no! My fireworks!” Tanner desperately ran around his entire shack, trying to put out as many fuses as he could. He knew that the shortest fuse he had was ten seconds, and he quickly rushed to try to stomp that one out first, before trying to work his way around to the rest.

Just above Ponyville, Princess Luna was en route, being pulled by her guards. She looked around, until she spotted the shack that belonged to Rural Tanner. “There. Let us land outside that shack.” She told her guards, who swooped down towards the shack. However, just as they were closing in, the shack exploded in a fury of fire and fireworks. The guards quickly pulled up, and Princess Luna jumped from her chariot, flying above the now burning shack. She landed outside the shack, and began to use her magic, to move the debris out of the way.

Eventually, she found Tanner, badly burned, but still alive. Princess Luna picked tanner up with her magic and set him down away from the shack, before turning to her guards in the air. “Hurry and find some Pegasi in the town to get rain over to the shack!” Her guards then sped off into Ponyville, causing a few frights from the residents, due to their appearance. Princess Luna then turned back to Tanner. “Mr. Tanner! Mr. Tanner! Arts thou alright?”

Tanner slowly stirred, trying to figure out where he was. He couldn’t move due to the pain, but he still tried to open his eyes out of habit. He looked around, and to his surprise, saw not black, but color. It was still very blurry, but it was a miracle! He could see again! He looked over at Princess Luna, and then up above his shack, at the fireworks, still going off. “So…beautiful…” Tanner then closed his eyes, and passed out again.

By this point, ponies from the town had arrived to see what was going on, and all stopped short to bow, upon seeing Princess Luna. “Please my subjects, never mind the formalities, and help this pony!” She cried out to them.

A bunch of different ponies came to Tanner, and helped pick him up. They began to take him away, just as a group of Pegasi arrived with rain clouds to put out the fire of Tanner’s shack.

Princess Luna looked on, as both the fire was put out, and Tanner was taken away. “This is indeed troublesome. We only hope our sister is not sharing the same fate.” With that thought, Luna then ordered her guards to stay and protect Tanner, until he was conscious. She then told them to report to her once he was awake, before disappearing with her magic.

Back in Canterlot. Princess Celestia’s guards had finally arrived with Cloudy, dropping him in front of her throne. Cloudy looked around, not sure exactly where he was now, until he heard a very familiar voice speak to him. “Cloudy Airy, I presume?”