28 Days To Armageddon

The next morning was spent looking for clues and testing the hypothesis surrounding the weather factory. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew back to their old home to speak with Stormy Seasons, the factory manager. They explained in vivid detail just who they were and why they’d come. Their story took all the previously explained twists and turns, leaving the mare in a bit of a dizzy state. But, she shook her head and regained her faculties. After all, she was the manager of an entire weather factory. There was no time for flitting about inside one’s mind. Machines needed fixing, clouds needed puffing, and rain needed to be assigned to a sector. She was a bit perturbed by the theory of sabotage, but she laid it to rest.

“This facility is under some of the strictest security in all Equestria,” she proudly declared, “we’ve gone 45 years without an accident or an incident. I’ve been at the helm for 20 of those, and I’m very happy to say that we operate a tight ship.”

“We’re not saying you don’t, Ms. Seasons,” Fluttershy remarked politely, “all we’re saying is that the theory is something to be taken under consideration.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow put in, “otherwise, the entire factory could go…kablooey!”

“Well, as much as I don’t want the factory to go ‘kablooey,’ I also don’t want it to get shut down by Princess Celestia! Now, I have to get to work. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter, but I am needed elsewhere. Good day, mares.”

She stood up and trotted out of the office, followed closely by a couple of assistants. Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at each other. An odd sense of telepathy seemed to pass between them. They were such good friends that they automatically knew what the other one was thinking. For Rainbow Dash, it was thoughts of holding Stormy Seasons down by the tail and shoving the theory down her throat. For Fluttershy, it was the thought of having a nice conversation over two cups of tea. But a common denominator paced both their minds: the nonchalance of the manager. Stormy didn’t seem to care that her factory might be in grave danger. She was more concerned with what Celestia would think, and the two ponies both knew that. The princess would order a thorough investigation into the potential saboteur.

But for now, the manager ignored them, so they flew back home. They each had their own method of dealing with how upset they were. Rainbow Dash began randomly busting up clouds on their way back. Her powerful legs made short work of the puffy creations, leading to large tufts being blown into Fluttershy’s face. The yellow pony squeaked in surprise before removing the obstacle and giving Dash a look. Rainbow tried to play it off as innocent fun, but Fluttershy knew her better than that.

“You’re busting clouds that way on purpose!” She complained.

“You’re damn right, I am!” Dash barked, dropping the façade, “I just can’t believe that bitch didn’t listen to us!”

“Rainbow Dash! Such language!” Fluttershy exclaimed, “you don’t hear me talking like that.”

“What?! She’s a bitch!” Dash reiterated forcefully.

“She might not be the nicest of ponies,” Fluttershy said matter-of-factly, “but that doesn’t mean we have to be mean in return. Especially when she’s not here to defend herself. It’s not fair.”

“Fair, schmair,” Dash said immaturely, “I just wanna punch her in the face!”

“RAINBOW!” Fluttershy shrieked, “how dare you?!”

Fluttershy’s sudden intensity shut Rainbow right up. The pretty pegasus had that effect on her. One stare from her beautiful blue eyes and Dash became putty in her hooves. Her crush on the mare had been hidden from the others for quite some time. She had kept it this way, not for fear of judgment, but for fear of rejection. She couldn’t take the notion that Fluttershy might have feelings for somepony else. All the same, though, Fluttershy would always be her best friend, which is why the yellow pony’s exclamation silenced her. She didn’t want to argue with her.

“I’m sorry, Flutter,” Dash said, “you’re right. I shouldn’t be like that. But all the same, how could she take it with such…an uncaring attitude?”

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said, “but if our theory turns out to be correct, the weather factory might be the least of our worries.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s crazy weather all over Equestria, right?”

“Right.”

“So, what if whoever’s doing this has a remote way of controlling the factory? If that’s the case, then…then…”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide with fear. “They could make it so that no cloud ever hits Equestrian skies again! They could create eternal winter! They could synthesize the absolute pristine conditions for a werepony to thrive!

“Wow…smart thinking, Dash,” Fluttershy complimented.

“Eh, Twilight was teaching me some stuff,” Dash responded, “and now, we have to save her! Come on!”

Back in Ponyville, things weren’t going well. Ponies all hid in their homes, desperate to get away from the sudden scourge Twilight had become. Their doors were locked and barred, and their windows shut to the outside world. The once happy town had turned dark and somber. Little foals no longer ran and played. Their parents did not populate the marketplace. The businesses there all shut down almost simultaneously. In short, life had ground to a screeching halt, peppered only by the howls of the tormented werepony from The Everfree Forest.

Then…suddenly…a great crash was heard. The sergeant, his partner, and the rest of Twilight’s friends dashed towards the noise. They were joined along the way by the returning Pegasi. Much to Fluttershy’s horror, she found herself running full tilt towards her cottage. She screamed and ran ahead of the group, surprising them all with her sudden speed. Her hooves nearly left flame marks on the ground as she galloped along. Then, she popped from around a corner and let loose a shriek that made everypony’s blood go cold. For there, laying in complete ruins, was her cottage. But that wasn’t what made her vocal chords emanate so. It was the ring of animal carcasses that lay around it.