The rain fell in driving sheets, the heavy water droplets beating down grass and dispersing the pebbles on the town pathways. Trees swayed in the heavy winds which swept across the landscape. Every few minutes, a bolt of lightning would appear, enveloping the small town of Ponyville in a magnificent flash of light, and the almost simultaneous crack of thunder seemed to shake the ground beneath its small houses and businesses.
A brown, middle-aged stallion ran through the streets, his sturdy hooves splashing through the large puddles which had formed in the roads’ indentations. He kept his head low as he ran, trying to see through the rain which mercilessly beat down upon his scraggly, even darker brown mane. As he ran, he inwardly scolded himself for taking so long at the market; he’d spent far too much time browsing its wares, and he was paying for it now. After what seemed like forever, he rounded the street corner which was only a few houses away from his own. As he turned, he saw the front door of his home open. His wife, a cream orange pony with a scarlet mane, stood in the doorway, watching as he rushed toward her. As he ran, he saw his two young foals come up beside their mother. Their eyes lit up when they saw him approaching, and despite the driving rain which soaked him from head to hoof, he smiled warmly. Finally, he ran into his home, and his wife shut the thick wooden door.
The structures which housed the inhabitants of Ponyville were small but strong, composed of solid oak wood and heavy stone. For the small town that it was, Ponyville was able to withstand some of the most extreme weather conditions that Equestria had ever seen. It had to be, because it sat beneath the weather capital of the entire land.
High above the rural town, a city existed within the clouds. Its inhabitants were very similar to the inhabitants of Ponyville, save for the major difference of having wings on their back. These ponies, the Pegasi, were the only ones who could inhabit this city, known as Cloudsdale. Most of them lived as the residents of Ponyville did; raising families, running businesses, and holding city events. But some of these same Pegasi held a very important position in the scope of their city and livelihood- they were part of the Equestria Weather Control Corp.
Just as the Pegasi were born with the ability to live in the clouds, some were born with the ability to control the weather. These ponies were trained from a young age to develop this talent, and as their skill improved, they could make more drastic changes to the weather conditions. The ponies who reached the high level of skill required were allowed to join the EWCC, and be responsible for changing the weather conditions throughout nearly all of Equestria. Save for the Everfree Forest, the weather in Equestria didn’t change on its own. Thus, Cloudsdale and the weather ponies were an integral part of the entire land.
Above the storm which beat down mercilessly upon Ponyville, the clouds began to thin. The uniform mammoth darkness was dispersing, and turning back to a glowing white. The rain began to slow. In the middle of one particular cloud formation, a Pegasus hovered in place for a moment. Then, a wave of heat erupted from the center where she was, and the inky gray cloud immediately dispersed, turning into white tufts and rising higher into the atmosphere. As the last of the clouds floated away, the deep blue Pegasus smiled in satisfaction. She flipped her head to the side, throwing her mane behind her. The mane was an incredible sight; a brilliant fiery orange, with jagged red streaks spaced evenly to its end. Around her neck was a smooth purple amulet, embedded in an ornate golden neckpiece. The glare from the sun which reflected off of it was as bright as the young Pegasus’ smile. She turned her head forward again and surveyed the expansive sky… with eyes that glowed a bright, burning yellow. Above her eyes, the tips of her ears flickered like candle flames. And on the sides of her flank, a yin-yang symbol could be seen. The top of the mark resembled a fiery orange blaze, which intertwined with a swirling blue torrent beneath it.
This was the mare that had become a celebrity throughout the whole of Equestria. This was the mare that had fulfilled a long-told prophecy, and gained an incredible mastery of heat and fire, the likes of which nopony had ever seen before.
This mare was known as Aquaferno.
Taking a last look as more of the clouds drifted away, Aquaferno flapped her wings faster and flew into another gray patch a few hundred feet away. The clouds enveloped her completely, and then immediately dissipated as another blast of heat pierced the atmosphere. After inspecting her work, she angled her body downward and descended through the sky in a nosedive. She closed her eyes as the wind blew around and past her face. It was a calming sensation, and at the same time, a rush of excitement. It gave her a feeling of freedom; even if it only lasted a few moments, it was freedom from the struggle within her. As she descended further, she turned her head to the left and opened her eyes, seeing the rolling hills of the Equestrian countryside, and the magnificent capital of the land, Canterlot, in the distance beyond.
After a few more seconds, she saw a large, gray Pegasus stallion hovering below her. Smiling, she changed direction in the air and streaked toward him. Down below, the stallion caught sight of her as she approached, and turned to face her.
The stallion was incredibly built, with a large muscular frame and an angular jaw. His wings were nearly as large as his body, and with each flap the air around him was pushed away with great force. His coat was a shining gray which reflected the bright rays of the sun, making it look like hardened steel.
He called out to the approaching blue Pegasus; his voice was warm, inviting, and at the same time, it rang with a great authority and confidence. It sounded like the rumbling of an oncoming storm as he called out to her.
“Aquania!”
Hearing his call, Aquaferno smiled happily. Since she had gained the amulet and her abilities, everypony called her Aquaferno. She didn’t mind this new name, but to hear her father call her by her true name, the name which he and her mother had given her at birth, filled her with warmth. It was a happy reminder that the amulet hadn’t changed who she was in her parents’ hearts.
Aquaferno responded to his call with a wave of her hoof. Now only a few hundred feet away, she pulled her head up, leveling out her body in midair and slowing her descent. Within moments, she had stopped in front of the stallion. Throwing her mane behind her, she laughed slightly and hovered closer.
“What’s the matter Dad? You afraid I wouldn’t see you?” she teased. Her voice was young and energetic, complemented by her beaming expression.
Her father chuckled. “I’m not worried about your eyesight in the least,” he replied. “But my old eyes might be going south.”
“Yeah right Dad,” Aquaferno replied with a laugh. “You’re only forty-two. The great SteelStorm is still in his prime!”
SteelStorm smiled at her, shaking his head. “I guess looking at you, and how you’ve grown up, I’m starting to feel old.”
Aquaferno put her hooves to her hips and raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean, huh? Are you saying I’m old too? I’m only sixteen!”
They both laughed, and SteelStorm put his arm around his daughter. Aquaferno felt the gentle yet powerful strength of her father’s muscled foreleg, and it filled her with pride. Since the time she was a filly, she’d wanted to help her father in the EWCC, and while her newfound abilities from the amulet were sometimes a burden, they also made her one of the most efficient members of her father’s division. To be out on duty with him gave Aquaferno an overwhelming feeling of happiness and a sense of importance.
They looked in satisfaction at the vast blue sky before them, at the puffy white clouds that minutes before had been a roaring storm. Aquaferno turned her head to look at her father’s wings, noting the rigid, hardened muscle. The young mare admired her father more than anyone, but his strength still amazed her. Despite being a Pegasus, SteelStorm was as strong as any earth stallion, if not stronger.
“You really are amazing with those things Dad,” she said. “Those wings can squelch a storm, or start one!”
SteelStorm smiled wider. “Thanks sweetheart. But I don’t think my wings pushing a bunch of air around can compete with your thermal blasts.”
“Yeah, they get the job done, I suppose,” she replied with a shrug. She looked down at the beautiful amulet around her neck, and her smile faded slightly.
SteelStorm tightened his arm around her, and from his action she knew that he’d noticed her slight frown. Her father knew what she was going through with the amulet, and while she appreciated his concern, she wished there wasn’t a need for any. While the amulet made her feel important, and had stopped the constant teasing and criticism from others, it was changing the way she looked at herself, and she was still trying to sort through her thoughts and emotions.
Trying to shove the thoughts away, she put her previous smile back in place and looked at her father, forcing a carefree tone into her voice as she spoke.
“It’s alright Dad, don’t worry about it.” With that, she turned her gaze back to the expansive sky before her, looking at nothing in particular. SteelStorm nodded back, sporting a warm smile that belied the sadness he felt for his beloved daughter. After a few more seconds, Aquaferno spoke up again.
“So, where’s Dagger?” I thought he was gonna meet up with us after the storm was cleared.”
SteelStorm was about to respond when a small cloud to their left was dispersed as another Pegasus flew through it from below at an incredible speed. SteelStorm took his arm from his daughter’s shoulders and turned to look. Aquaferno flew a little higher to get a better view.
The Pegasus stallion that had appeared sported a slim build, covered by a light blue coat that at first glance might’ve looked white. His mane was almost jet black, it’s striking darkness accentuated by the sun’s glare. Beneath his left eye, a deep scar ran from the side of his head to the underside of his jaw. On his flank, beneath the wings which carried him higher into the sky, the image of a wavy icicle which ended in a sharpened downward point could be seen, with smaller ice needles falling around it.
Aquaferno watched him rise higher into the sky, and then he angled downward and descended, his wings at their full span. Against the glare of the sun, she couldn’t make out the stallion’s features. She turned to her father.
“That’s him?”
SteelStorm chuckled as the stallion closed in on them. “Yep, that’s Daggerhail. Can’t you tell by the way he’s showing off?”
Aquaferno laughed. Her father was right; in the time that she’d been working with them, she’d seen that Daggerhail was a showoff. He had great skill in weather control, and he was also one of the fastest fliers in Cloudsdale. His technique in both fields wasn’t the most refined, but it was highly efficient nonetheless. And he wasn’t overconfident or cocky; he just enjoyed showcasing his talents.
Daggerhail continued toward them, his speed increasing with every second. Aquaferno and SteelStorm had seen this bit before, and didn’t flinch at all as he stopped on a dime only mere feet from them. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and furrowed his brow.
“Dang, you guys just aren’t fazed by that anymore, are you?” His young, boisterous voice sounded genuinely disappointed.
SteelStorm shook his head. “The impressiveness wore off after the first ten displays,” he responded in a jokingly sour tone. “You might think of coming up with a new stunt.”
“Hey, I’m one of the fastest, not one of the fanciest,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He looked around at the clear sky. “It looks like you guys have this place pretty much cleared.”
“Yep, Aquania made short work of it.” As Steelstorm spoke, his daughter hovered down from her previous height. When Daggerhail saw her, he quickly flew over and rubbed his hoof on her head, messing up her mane.
“And how is our little Aquaferno doing today?” he teased. Aquaferno folded her arms in front of her as Daggerhail caused her mane to fall into her face.”
“Keep it up,” she said with a mischievous smile. “I’ll just give you a nice burn mark to go with that scar.”
Dagger laughed and pulled his hoof away. Aquaferno started fixing her mane as Steelstorm spoke up again.
“One of the best in the EWCC, yet a goofball all the same,” he said with a smile.
“Hey, I’m not getting any younger Steel,” he replied. “Time flies faster than we realize. You gotta have fun with it, you know?”
Steelstorm sighed and shook his head. At twenty-four years old, Dagger was in his prime, and he was one of the best, but he could also be a complete clown. Many years ago, it was his sometimes immature antics that had earned him the scar which ran down his face. They were also the reason he was rejected from the Wonderbolts, a group of professional stunt fliers known throughout Equestria.
Nonetheless, Daggerhail was a goodhearted stallion who truly cared about the other Pegasi, especially Aquaferno. Ever since she had joined the EWCC, Dagger had been eager to show her the ropes, and the two became fast friends.
And now, after numerous displays of bravery and incredible mastery of their work, SteelStorm, Daggerhail, and Aquaferno had become the most famous weather control trio in Cloudsdale. Their threefold combination of speed, strength, and heat was nearly unbeatable, and had earned the team a senior position in the EWCC.
Aquaferno finished fixing her mane and looked back at Dagger. “So, have you picked out your formal wear for the ball tomorrow?” she asked. “I’m gonna be all dolled up, so it’d be good if you could look nicer than your usual unkempt self.”
“Thanks a lot Fern,” he replied sarcastically. “And yes, I’ve got it picked out, so you don’t have to be embarrassed. I take it your mom got the dress back from Carousel Boutique?”
Aquaferno nodded. “Yup.”
“I’ve got to say, that seamstress is an incredible artist,” SteelStorm added. “She’s designed dresses for some of the most popular ponies in Equestria, even Princesses Twilight Sparkle and Mi Amore Cadenza.”
“Dang” Dagger said, his eyes going wide. “I bet you’re excited to be wearing a dress like that. And at a ball held in your honor!”
Aquaferno smiled slightly, not saying anything. After a few moments, she tilted her head downward, looking once again at the beautiful amulet around her young neck.
Aquaferno was greatly satisfied with what she’d done to help her father and Dagger, and was overjoyed to be such an integral part of the Weather Control Corp., but that joy was mixed with a feeling of confusion, and a questioning of her own worth. All the abilities she had which had gotten her team to where they were today, all of the abilities which had gained her almost never-ending attention… had come from something which wasn’t truly a part of herself.
As she looked at the jewel, lost in her thoughts, she felt her father kiss her forehead softly. She looked up to see him smiling at her again. He placed his hoof on her shoulder as he spoke.
“You’ll be fine. Your mother and I will be there, right beside you. I know it’s a big change, and one that you’re still trying to fully understand. Celestia knows I’m still trying. But tomorrow will be a happy day, just you wait and see.”
Aquaferno looked at him for a moment, and then she looked back down at the amulet. Finally, she let out a sigh and smiled, nodding at her father in agreement. He patted her shoulder, and then turned around so he could address his daughter and Dagger at once.
“I’d say our work here is done. It may still be a bit overcast near the northern part of town. We’d better double-check it to be sure. Even if it is, it shouldn’t take long to clear up.”
Dagger and Aquaferno both nodded in agreement. Turning to the north, SteelStorm lowered his head, leaning forward as his wings began to beat faster. After a few seconds, he pitched forward and took off, his great wings propelling him through the air and away from the other two members of his team. Daggerhail and Aquaferno immediately followed, and the three flew away through the bright blue sky over Ponyville.
***************************************
I don’t know if I’ll ever show this journal to anyone. But I’ve found that in the past, it can be hard for me to draw on previous thoughts and memories without some kind of reminder or record. And given what I’m thinking about now, I figured that this is a good time to start something like that. I won’t waste time with a long, drawn out back-story of my life. This is for me, and I know everything there is to know about it.
Tomorrow’s the ball, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little excited. I remember being a little filly and looking at the huge towers and prestigious towns of Canterlot. The castle was like something out of a dream. And tomorrow, I’ll be in that very castle, seated at a place of honor! Never thought I’d see that day. I’ll be sitting with princesses Celestia, Luna, and Twilight. I’m gonna feel like the odd-mare-out sitting with such important ponies. But Dad has met Princess Celestia in the past, and said that she’s one of the kindest mares he’s ever seen. So that makes me feel better. And Princess Twilight was just a regular unicorn living in Ponyville for the longest time until she accomplished some incredible magical feat related to Starswirl the Bearded’s magic. I’d be tempted to say that she and I have something in common, except she earned her claim to fame. I just had mine handed to me.
And the DRESS. It’s absolutely beautiful! I knew that the seamstress, Rarity, was good, but I never imagined she was capable of such incredible art. The satin fabric is exquisite, and when I wear it, it feels better than being wrapped in a cirrus cloud on a spring day. And the way she has the jewels patterned on it! It’s gotta be the best dress I’ve ever seen. I hope Flitter’s not too jealous.
Flitter’s one of the few ponies besides Mom and Dad that I’ve really told about what I’m going through with this amulet. She and Cloudchaser have been my best friends since I was little, and I’ve always been able to count on them. Flitter and I have been hanging out more often lately since Cloudchaser joined the Wonderbolts Academy. Flitter and I miss her a lot, and we write her every week. I wish I could’ve talked to Cloudchaser a bit more about the amulet, but she joined the academy almost right after I got it from Celestia.
Sometimes I feel bad about how much I talk about it with Flitter. I mean, she’s my friend and all, and she’s happy to listen. But I wish I didn’t weigh her down with my issues. This amulet is my problem; I feel like I should handle it on my own. But it’s so hard to do that. Sometimes I just lie in my bed and cry over it. Before I got it, I didn’t even have a cutie-mark. Ponies made fun of me, said I wasn’t good at anything. I know that isn’t true. I’ve been the co-planner for the annual Cloudsdale spring festival for four years now, and my poetry has been awarded 1st place at the festival writing contest for even longer. Everyone who reads it loves it. And then when they find out it was written by me, they almost can’t believe it. And even before I joined the EWCC, many of its members were impressed by my abilities in weather control.
It’s sad. I’m not the only pony who’s been judged for being a blank-flank. I’ve known other blank-flanks who’re some of the most talented ponies I’ve ever met, but others don’t see them that way because they base somepony’s ability on a mark. They can’t look deeper and see the real pony inside. But the difference between those other blank-flanks and me is that they eventually got their cutie marks by finding their special talent. Long as it may have taken, they finally earned it. But not me. I finally got my cutie mark when I was given a big, shiny, magical rock. What does that mean? Does it mean I’m really not talented, and that I had to be handed a special talent because I’m not good enough to develop one of my own!?
As Dagger would say, “That don’t do much for my self esteem, man.” He usually says that when Dad corrects him on something. Dagger’s a nut, but I love him like a brother. He’s immature, I’ll admit that, but he’s one of the most kind-hearted stallions I’ve ever met. It’s too bad that a lot of ponies see him as nothing but a clown. He’s misunderstood, and that’s something we have in common. Maybe not in the same way, but misunderstood nonetheless. I’ve found it a lot easier lately to notice other ponies who are misunderstood, thanks to this big stupid rock around my neck.
Heh, wouldn’t Celestia love to hear me say that? I honestly feel bad that I complain so much; this amulet was passed down through my family for generations, and it turned out that I was the pony it was meant to bond with. I’m honored that I’m the one who was prophesied to receive it, I really am! And my whole family is so proud of me. But the prophesy also states that the pony to whom the amulet bonds is destined to bring those at odds with one another together. I’m honored that I’ve been entrusted with such a task, and I’d love nothing more than to see all the ponies of Equestria getting along. But there’s one problem… I have no idea how I’m supposed to do it. Should I go around Equestria, speaking to all of them? Should I perform some daring act of courage and inspire them? I don’t know. Ay yi yi, I could just go crazy! “Those at odds” the prophesy says. It kind of sounds like opposites; cats and dogs. Oil and vinegar.
Water and fire.
It’s kind of ironic, really. Before I got the amulet, I questioned what made me who I am. Now, I question it all the more. Do I define me, or does the amulet? Every day, the name “Aquania” seems to drift further and further away.
Darn, it’s almost midnight. I’ve gotta hit the hay, or I’ll be yawning all through the ball. Thank Celestia that Mom and Dad will be there, and Flitter and Cloudchaser.
To them, I’m still Aquania.
Author's Note
The first chapter of Aquaferno has been uploaded. It feels good to be back into the swing of things with my writing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
