The Factory's Remnants

Thundercloud soared over the land with the vortex, his eyes darting around the endless expanse of land. The wind rushing against his face watered his eyes.

Thundercloud found himself thousands of feet above the ground, despite his cloak creating drag. Mountains, plains, seas, and cities revealed themselves for dozens of miles around. He smiled.

With his wings spread wide thousands of feet above the ground, he soared upon the persistent thermal. “Where are you?”

Keeping his head on a constant swivel, he peered over the landscape.

A green speck appeared on a road. He lowered his wings and closed on the ground. As he neared, the canvas saddlebags confirmed who it was. Thundercloud circled and landed in front of Sunny Blaze, who stopped with wide, shocked eyes.

“You told me to go away, so I did,” Sunny Blaze said.

“Where… are… you… going?” Thundercloud wheezed.

“Just wandering.”

“But… your… wife.”

“We’ve made an agreement. I know when to be back. Just finding the next town now.”

“Yeah… that’s… Ponyville.” Thundercloud raised a front hoof to point to the road behind Sunny Blaze.
Thundercloud coughed in exhaustion.

Sunny Blaze didn’t say anything. He turned around on the road to return from where he came, with Thundercloud by his side, who managed to regain his breath as they strolled up the road. The two remained silent, the impact of their hooves in the dirt being the only sounds penetrating the air as they made their way forward.

“So, you came to find me,” Sunny Blaze remarked, “after you shouted at me to leave.”

“It’s been years since somepony treated me like I was normal.”

“You said you didn’t want my help.”

“You shouldn’t be coming to ponies and telling them you know how to heal them, and then impose yourself, and then say they’re returning to….” he trailed off. “There’s a difference.”

“So, do you want my help?”

“You can’t just go and tell somepony they’re going to do something like that without them agreeing.”

Sunny Blaze glanced at Thundercloud. “No, you’re right. That was wrong.”

Thundercloud stopped walking, looked at Sunny Blaze, and squinted. “Do I have to see it?’

“Do you still dream of it?”

“Yeah.”

“I think that facing it again is the only way to let go. But that’s my mistake. And to be honest, I don’t think I’m ready either. But that’s the point. We should be ready together.”

Thundercloud resumed walking and trotted next to Sunny Blaze. “Okay, so you’re a pegasus. Why walk?”

“So are you.” Sunny Blaze said, and then veered to sniff some flowers.

“I don’t like…” “That’s where rainbows start.” Thundercloud started.

Sunny Blaze turned from the flowers toward the road. “Yeah sometimes. Just like when you wear that goofy outfit.” He nodded toward Thundercloud.

“It’s not how I used to be. I was a weather pony. Everything is wrong. It all leads back to the place.”

“Ah. Okay.”

Thundercloud trembled and quickened his pace. “We should pick it up if we wanna get home before sunset.”

Thundercloud and Sunny Blaze entered Ponyville in the late afternoon. Ponies stared at the pair as they traversed the main street. The whispers travelled to their ears.

“He’s back!”

“He’s friends with the new guy?”

Thundercloud cowered.

“Let them talk,” Sunny Blaze dismissed, “We’ve already been here. Besides, this town has seen weirder, I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, but I think they know I worked there.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t, but it doesn’t matter. If I start hanging out in town, what do I do? Talk about the past and remove all doubt?”

“Good point.”

“You know, ponies in the hostel are probably going to ask you about me. You might not be in the best spot if you go there.”

Sunny Blaze stopped. “I didn’t think of that.”

Thundercloud walked a few paces ahead of him and turned. “Look, stay with me. At least tonight. We’ll figure something out.”

“Okay, well, I don’t know how long I plan on staying here.”

“That’s Ponyville’s problem.”

“What about the factory? Do they watch you?”

“Not as much as you think. Not as long as I don’t give them trouble. They might come for you though, just for being around me.”

“Me? The colt who was literally on the belt and escaped and was mildly famous for that? Wouldn’t look good for them. Especially if they want Equestria to think they’re gone. I’m not in trouble.”

They reached a split in the road. Sunny Blaze spoke up. “The hostel is this way,” he pointed.

Thundercloud didn’t move. “Yeah, and my cottage is that way. You know that.” he nodded his head toward the path. “I already invited you.”

Sunny Blaze turned toward the path that led to Thundercloud’s house.

They walked through the Everfree as the sun was setting, enveloped by the encroaching darkness.

“Are you okay with the dark?” Thundercloud asked.

“You think a dark forest scares me? And I assume you know the way anyway.”

They continued down the path until they reached the cottage.

“I didn’t think I’d be gone so long.” Thundercloud fumbled in the dark to light a lantern, and the cottage was filled with a soft yellow light.

“Do you do anything for fun here?” Sunny Blaze asked.

“Not really. I wake up, eat breakfast, chop wood, sit around and try to ignore the noises, drink cider before bed, and do it all again.”

“Well, that’s a sucky way to live.”

Thundercloud went to a cabinet in a corner and pulled out a small wooden chess box. “Have you ever played chess?”

“Yeah, but I’m not good at it.”

“I was a champion in high school. It was one of the things that got me into the weather factory. You have to think fast and several moves ahead for weather. Clouds don’t like being tamed.” Thundercloud opened the box and arranged the pieces.

“Uhh,” Sunny Blaze began, “I don’t even remember the moves.”

“It’s not that hard. I’ll show you.” Thundercloud spent several minutes pushing the pieces around to demonstrate the rules.

“You ready to start?” Thundercloud asked.

“I guess.”

Thundercloud pushed a pawn forward.

“Rook takes king in three moves,” Thundercloud proclaimed.

“How do you know?”

“This, this, and this.” Thundercloud motioned over the board.

“Oh. I guess.” Sunny Blaze stared puzzled at the board.

Thundercloud stood and retrieved four jugs of cider from his bags. “Have you ever had this?”

“No. I never planned to start.”

“Okay, well, the offer is open. Two for me and two for you.” With that, Thundercloud took a swig from one. “I’ve already started too late.”

“What do you mean “too late?”’ Sunny Blaze replied.

“Well, normally,” he took a drag of drink and coughed, “I’m almost done by now. Gotta catch up.” Thundercloud tossed a jug toward Sunny Blaze who caught it, jerking backward as he did. “Do or don’t. I bought extra, just in case.” Thundercloud started swigging away at the jug.

“I take it you’re only ever happy when you’re drinking?”

“I wouldn’t call it happy. More like distracted.” Thundercloud took another long swig. “I won’t be mad if you don’t, but it’s not like it’s then end of the world.”

“That’s not a good way to deal with this.”

“I know. I don’t care. But you’re also so stodgy. And too young to avoid fun. And your wife. If you’re really the miracle you say you are, at least give it a try. She isn’t telling you no anyway right now.”

Sunny Blaze picked up the jug at his hooves and popped it open. He sniffed the opening. “I guess it can’t be too bad if I had a little.” He lifted the jug and sipped. He dropped it from his mouth and started coughing. “I wasn’t expecting the burn!”

“That’s part of the fun!” Thundercloud took another long swig.

“You don’t look like you’re having much fun.”

“Now, you’re gonna tell me,” Thundercloud chugged another long swig, “You, the last kid on the line, doesn’t want to experience everything about life?”

Sunny Blaze scowled. “And you don’t want to experience anything at all with this behavior.”

“That sounds like your doc speaking.”

Sunny Blaze winced.

“You might have survived the line, but you’re still young. You can do it once. Give it a shot.” Thundercloud pressed a jug to Sunny Blaze’s face, who grabbed it and lifted it high into the air.

Early the next morning, Thundercloud stood over Sunny Blaze as he lay at the edge of the path near the cottage.

“I think I did too much to you.”

“It’s not the first time you did,” Sunny Blaze blurted, retching into the weeds. “I have those bags,” he moaned. “Can you get me one?”

Thundercloud disappeared into his cottage and returned with the two canvas bags. He dropped one at Sunny Blaze’s mouth. Sunny Blaze wrapped his lips around the bag and started sucking.

Thundercloud laid next him and placed a hoof over his over his back. “You feeling good now, champ?’

Sunny Blaze took a few deep breaths. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Thundercloud replied, his hoof still resting on Sunny Blaze’s back.

“This, even though I feel terrible. I guess there’s something to enjoy from having a little bit of the bad stuff. Maybe not this much.”

Thundercloud laid down next to him. “Sorry, I pushed you too hard.”

“Unlike the last time you pushed me.”

Thundercloud glowered. “Hey, thanks for coming out here. You know, I really am happy to see that somepony from that place managed to live a good life.”

Sunny Blaze rested his chin on the ground. “There’s actually a group of us from that day who get together and talk,” he said, keeping his eyes closed. “Not necessarily about that day, but just to… support… each other. HURGH,” he vomited into the bushes.

“You know, even though you threw me into the machine,” Sunny Blaze said with a dry and cracking voice, “I think this is the closest you’ve come to killing me.”

Thundercloud winced. “Of course you have a support group.” He rolled his eyes.

Sunny Blaze opened his eyes to a slit and looked at Thundercloud.. “It’s not a support group. That’s what ponies who are scared of, I dunno, bad reviews of their restaurant make.” He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. “We were the ones there on the last day. Creates kind of a weird bond. Ya know?”

“So, you’re like, the president or something? Since you escaped the belt?”

“Ha! No. That’s not for me. I have a regular pegasus job.” He scooted to the side and started munching on grass he hadn’t contaminated. After a few bites he continued. “I just decided to live a minimal life. After the attention I drew as the so-called “Last One,” or “The Miracle Child” I couldn’t take it anymore. It was either fame, or therapy. Guess which path I took.”

“You guys still meet then?”

“Yeah. sometimes.”

“What do you talk about?”

“Mostly what we’ve done in our lives,” he reached for more grass and chewed. “How we’ve healed. Just normal life stuff too. There’ve even been a few marriages, including my own, and some foals. Imagine how doted on the babies are,” he smiled. “There’s never talk of the factory if that’s what you’re wondering. We’re past that by now.” Sunny Blaze stood and stretched, shaking, and flexing his wings. “I feel a lot better now.”

“You barely had a half a jug,” Thundercloud complained.

“More for you, I guess,” Sunny Blaze replied.

“Well, I think I’m good with you being back in my house. You could probably use a nap by now.”

“I don’t feel tired.”

“You will.”

They retreated to Thundercloud’s cabin. Sunny Blaze dropped to his haunches and then to his side. “I guess you were right,” he exclaimed.

“I told you, the cider is a replacement for normal sleep. Only when you’ve gotten to, uh, me, is it normal. Stand up.” Thundercloud nudged Sunny blaze toward his cot. “You can use this as long as you need.”

Sunny Blaze stumbled, dropped into the cot, and was snoring in moments. Thundercloud pulled a blanket over him and left to begin his daily chore of chopping wood.

Thundercloud leaned over a small pile of wood sitting against the backside of the cottage. He sat with an axe at his front hooves, wheezing and his heart racing and he felt light-headed. “Can’t be too much longer,” he whispered to himself.

“You want any help stacking this?” Sunny Blaze said, rounding from the front and startling Thundercloud, who jumped to all four hooves.

Thundercloud coughed several times and said with wide eyes, “It’s only been… what… two hours?”

Sunny Blaze looked into the sky. “Judging from the sun, yeah, I guess. Why?”

“Do you know… how long… it takes me… to recover?” he wheezed.

“No. Are you okay?” Sunny blaze replied. He trotted to the pile of firewood, grabbed pieces with his mouth, and stacked them into a neat section. “Oh, sorry, I guess I should have asked how you wanted them.”

“That’s fine,” Thundercloud rasped as he leaned against a wall.

Sunny Blaze continued stacking wood. Thundercloud, after waiting a few minutes, assisted.

Sunny Blaze broke the silence. “What’s the rest of your day like?” He stacked a log into the pile.

“I Just sit around and read the few books I brought with me. Try to ignore the noises.” He stacked another log.

“I know you said you didn’t ask for my help, but I have some suggestions, If you want. Things that worked for me.”

Thundercloud stacked another log without responding.

Sunny Blaze continued, “It’s just simple stuff.”

Thundercloud stood still for a few moments. “Okay, fine, like what?” he relented.

“When we’re done here, I’ll show you a few things you can do on your own. Simple stuff.”

Within the hour, they finished stacking the wood and returned to the cottage.

Sunny Blaze and Thundercloud sat on the floor facing each other.

“Close your eyes,” thundercloud commanded.

Thundercloud did so.

“Focus on me tapping my hoof. It’s like a metronome. Just breathe.” Sunny Blaze’s metal shoe made a steady, hollow clop… clop… clop… on the wooden floor.

Thundercloud measured his breathing and let the sound enter his ears. Clop… Clop… Clop… He breathed in rhythm with the tapping. The only sounds were that of Sunny Blaze’s hoof and the rustle of the light breeze outside.

A hawk screeched. Thundercloud shot to his hooves and started pacing back and forth, glaring at the ground. “This is never gonna work!” he yelled.

“No, no!” Sunny Blaze exclaimed, opening his eyes to watch Thundercloud’s pacing. “It’s a process. It takes time. Just be patient.”

Thundercloud halted and gathered himself. “Can we start over?” he said through closed eyes.

“You’ll have to calm down first. We might need to wait a day.”

“Can’t we just do it again?”

“No, it doesn’t really work like that.”

Thundercloud sat on his rear hooves, snorted, and laid his ears back.

“Lay down,” Sunny Blaze commanded.

“What?” Thundercloud said while looking away/

“Just do it. And close your eyes. I’m just going to massage your back. I’ve taken some classes.”

“You’ll what?!” Thundercloud rose to his hooves and circled away.

“It’s just a massage. It’s a normal medical treatment and good for muscles.”

Thundercloud hesitated. “I don’t like this.” He dropped to the floor, placing all four limbs underneath himself, and closed his eyes. A hoof pressed between his shoulder blades and began rubbing.

Sunny Blaze explained, “The physical works better sometimes, especially when the mind is messy. Just focus on the sensation and breathe.”

Thundercloud let the stallion rub into his upper back. It wasn’t long before both hooves were pressed into it, kneading muscles. He didn’t protest. Thundercloud’s heart slowed and a warming sensation spread from his shoulder blades across his back. He measured his breathing and held his eyes closed. The sensation of having his muscles manipulated took his mind away from the whirring and grinding noises that had returned.

Sunny Blaze reached his wing joints “This is where we pegasi carry the most tension,” he explained. “Ponies don’t quite seem to understand what physical therapy can do,” he continued, his hooves digging into Thundercloud’s back, “but I saw that Ponyville has two massage parlors, so maybe Earth Ponies have it right over us pegasi. Maybe we’re too light, what with our bird bones and all.” Sunny Blaze repeated his hoof movements and the noises faded, and Thundercloud only felt the warmth of his muscles becoming supple and pliable again. Thundercloud’s consciousness waned and he slipped into a doze.

Thundercloud awoke from his nap. He looked around in a haze, confused at the time of day. Sunny Blaze sat in a corner with his eyes closed and his head hanging. Thundercloud guessed he was asleep.

Feeling pressure on his belly, Thundercloud left the cottage to relieve himself. Upon leaving the cottage, the height of the sun in the sky surprised him. “Must be about 2,” he observed. The haze in his eyes had departed in the few minutes he’d been awake.

In those minutes, no whirring, no grinding, and no screaming had occurred. All he heard were the noises of the forest. He closed his eyes and allowed the sounds of the forest to invade his senses. He relieved himself in a far off bush and returned to the cottage.

When Thundercloud entered, Sunny Blaze was flipping through a book.

“Weren’t you just asleep?” Thundercloud asked.

Sunny blaze flipped a page. “No, just meditating.”

“You knew I left?”

“It’s your house. You can do what you want.” Sunny Blaze flipped a page.

“You didn’t even notice.”

“Yes, I did.”

Thundercloud stood motionless at the threshold of his own home. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” Sunny Blaze lifted a peach to his mouth and took a bite.

“Just, like, notice things.”

Sunny Blaze closed the book and turned his head to Thundercloud. “It’s just another one of those things you learn.”
Thundercloud walked inside and sat next to Sunny Blaze. “It feels like I’ve gotten a night’s sleep today. Without cider,” Thundercloud explained.

“That’s a good start.”

“Hey, uh, maybe we can try again,” Thundercloud suggested.

“Okay, but remember, I’m not a doctor. I don’t know if I can make everything work.”

“It worked before.”

“Hmm?”

Thundercloud stood and went to look at the “First Day” picture. “Just don’t want to hear it anymore.”

He turned around to face Sunny Blaze. “I know there’s nothing I can do about the factory’s lies, or Her denial and all of that,” he paused, looking at the floor. “But if I could just have a day and a good night’s sleep without the grinding wearing on me” He stopped. “At least much as possible knowing how many kids I…” He dropped onto his haunches. “Not even that! Nothing is right!” he blurted. He hung his head and breathed hard. “It’ll never be right. I’m a monster.”

Sunny Blaze’s front hooves appeared at the floor at his own underneath the unkempt mane hanging around his eyes. “You’re not a monster,” Sunny Blaze said, placing a hoof over Thundercloud’s own. “You worked for monsters, but you aren’t one. If I thought that, I wouldn’t be here. Especially considering what you did to me.”

Thundercloud continued staring at the floor.

“Hey, look at me.” Sunny Blaze raised the same hoof he had been holding and rubbed it.

Thundercloud raised his head. Sunny Blaze’s face was inches from his own.

“Neither of us can bring them back,” Sunny Blaze said, “But you can at least start again and let what’s left of the factory, and Her, know that they won’t get away with it.”

Thundercloud peered from underneath his mane at the hoof that grasped his own. The grip was gentle.

“I can’t let them forget,” Thundercloud whispered.

They let go.

“And you can’t do that if you don’t start with the simple, by practicing a few breathing exercises. Try again,’ Sunny Blaze ordered.

Thundercloud closed his eyes and measured his breathing.

Clop…clop…clop… “Just like a metronome,” Sunny Blaze said.

Sunny Blaze and Thundercloud walked through the Ponyville market together looking at produce, baked goods, fake jewelry, and bad crafts, Thundercloud inspected a dreamcatcher with his hoof. “Are you sure you’d want to catch all your dreams?” He held the craft aloft, giving it a skeptical look.

“If… you can catch… your dreams, you can achieve…” the vendor stuttered.

Thundercloud tossed the dreamcatcher back to the table. “Yeah, well, I can tell you that you don’t want to catch all your dreams. Sometimes they’re nightmares.” The vendor’s mouth hung open in astonishment. They walked away.

“That was rude!” Sunny Blaze scowled at him.

“I know.”

They stopped at a booth headed by a pegasus. She was selling Weather Factory memorabilia, such as cloud pendants and rainbow pins. “I think we should remember them for the good,” she explained without prompting. “After all, they still control the weather.”

Thundercloud flipped his hood off his head and examined the goods. He saw the vendor’s eyes widen in shock. “These all look great,” he said, passing his eyes over the selection, “but is there any getting away from what they did?”

“I mean, I suppose not,” she replied, rubbing a front hoof nervously over the other. “But it helps with the healing. I, I I’m not… I don’t like that we, you know, we pegasi were part of that.” She looked at Sunny Blaze with concern, who shrugged and moved ahead.

Thundercloud peered at two pins, one a simple white cloud with red, blue, and yellow vertical bars superimposed on it, and the other a gray cumulonimbus that resembled his cutie mark. “Can I have these?” he asked.

“Six bits,” she said, her voice quavering, “Seven for three, if you want.”

“Then I’ll take that one,” Thundercloud pointed to another pin that resembled Sunny Blaze’s cutie mark without the stars. They wordlessly completed the sale, and he continued through the market.

Thundercloud caught up to Sunny Blaze in a park on the edge of town. The sun was setting and Sunny Blaze was sitting on the edge of town. Thundercloud handed the pin to Sunny Blaze. “Look, kid, I’m not trying to be weird or anything, but, um, thanks.”

Sunny Blaze took it in his hoof and softly smiled before placing it in a saddlebag. “Stop calling me kid. And this is a nice little town.” he said. “Maybe you should get to know the ponies in it.”

“I’d really rather not.”

“Why?”

“I already told you.”

“I know, but ponies are forgiving.”

The sun sank below the horizon.

Thundercloud took a deep breath and broke the silence, nodding toward the fading twilight, “Does it ever bother you that She does this?”

Sunny Blaze peered at the horizon. “Every day. But what is She gonna do to us now? Nothing, that’s what,” he looked at Thundercloud with a smile, “I lived, you’re alive, and She can’t take that away from us. Let’s just enjoy the damned sunset.”

They sat and watched the twilight fade into darkness
“She took a lot of it away..,”.
“I know. I know.”

They hugged.

Screaming and whirring awakened Thundercloud from his sleep. Sunny Blaze was shaking him. “Hey, you okay?” the pony asked, “you were shouting again.”

Thundercloud bolted from his bed and paced around his cabin, wheezing. “How much did I drink?!”

“Nothing,” Sunny Blaze answered.

Thundercloud stopped in the middle of his floor and dropped to his belly. “Don’t let me do that,” he grumbled.

Sunny Blaze lay next to him. “You asked me for this,” he said softly.

“I can’t block it out!” he cried, “Why do you think I drink?”

“Yeah, I know, and I won’t let you.”

Tears welled in Thundercloud’s eyes. “I can’t do this anymore!” He rolled his front legs over his face.

“I can’t either,” Sunny Blaze replied, placing a front leg over the older pony’s shoulders. “I even had a nightmare about you last night.”

“Wait, about me?” Thundercloud whimpered.

“Yeah. They still happen. I was on the line and there you were, staring at me.”

“And you’re still here?”

“I’ve gotten to know you. And I know dreams aren’t real.”

“What was it like?”

“The nightmare?”

Thundercloud nodded.

“Not any different from any others. I’m just running on the belt, and you’re staring at me. I hear the machine behind me. You’re reaching in, and…”

“Just stop!” Thundercloud whimpered; his head still buried beneath his front legs.

Sunny Blaze removed his hoof from Thundercloud’s shoulder. “Let’s go see it.”

“Huh?” Thundercloud sniffled. He removed his front legs from his head, stood up, and shook his head. “How do we do this?”

“First, we head to Cloudsdale and meet my group.”

“Your group? The last ones?” Thundercloud measured his breathing.

“Yeah.”

“They’ll hate me.”

“Sure, they will, but not all of them.”

Thundercloud breathed raggedly. “You sure?”

“Hey,” Sunny Blaze continued, “Ponies are more forgiving than you think.”

Thundercloud scowled. “You keep telling me that, and I don’t believe you.”

Sunny Blaze turned to Thundercloud’s side and wrapped his front leg over Thundercloud’s shoulder. “What did I tell you when I showed up?”

Thundercloud didn’t respond and continued his ragged breathing. He accepted Sunny’s embrace. “Well, do they know about me?”

“I may have said a few things.”

“The Factory might find out.”

“Maybe, but do you care? They pretend they don’t exist anymore anyway.” Sunny Blaze removed his leg from Thundercloud’s shoulders.

“No, no, I don’t care what they know now.” Thundercloud turned to face Sunny Blaze. “Let’s go.” Thundercloud stuffed his piles of cloth into a set of saddle bags, wrapped the saddlebags over his flanks, and lifted off.