The Factory Psychologist

Trotting up to the train station in Manehatten was a young Pegasi scholar, dark brown mane and light green coat dressed in an unusual combination of vest, shirt and pants - unlike most ponies around who often forewent the idea in disgust of covering their cutie mark. On each side of his hips rode a brown leather saddlebag - notebooks and papers overflowing from its barely buttoned top. Full of notes and journals related to his research - a new field of healthcare, one focused on the mind instead of the body. He was off to Canterlot to catch a hot air balloon to Cloudsdale. It wasn't as if he couldn't fly - of course he could. He managed to barely pass his flight exam when he was a young foal. Hot air balloon travel was just easier and safer - especially when carrying papers and research.

As he stepped onto the train and found a seat, he found himself reminiscing on the past - his upbringing in Cloudsdale. It had been such a long time since he had seen the fluffy white streets. He had left as soon as he could to pursue his research - but he never could have expected it to lead him back home. The call came in the form of a white envelope - no differentiating markings or even a return address. Inside was a simplistic and straightforward letter with no signature or name;

"We have heard of your research and want to offer an opportunity to study a yet to be documented condition.

As a former resident of Cloudsdale - and the only Pegasus nearby in this field, we expect that we will see you at 1 p.m. outside the weather factory. An associate will be there to meet you."

The situation was strange - ominous offers like this are uncommon - and even more uncommonly are accepted. But the possibility of forwarding the scholar's research was too tempting. Anyhow, Cloudsdale was always a safe place when he was young, what could go wrong?

He was snapped out of deep thought as the carriage jolted to a stop. He heard the conductor bellowing from the front of the train car "Canterlot!" This was his stop - had he been thinking for that long?

It was a short walk from the train to the air balloon stop, and the excitement only grew for the Green Pegasi. What kind of conditions would he encounter? What kind of help could he provide? Who exactly was hiring him? It was all a blur of thoughts and questions that came and went in the flap of a Pegasus' wings - that of which was becoming more and more common as he got closer to Cloudsdale. Pegasus returning home from work or visits to other places whizzed past, enjoying their flight through the sky. It caused the researcher's wings to twitch in excitement.

He was home.

His hoofs made contact with the fluffy cloud street outside of the air balloon drop-off, sending waves of nostalgia throughout his mind - pleasant memories of childhood friends, first love and his parents followed by bitter memories of first heartbreaks and the day he left. It was bittersweet. But there was little time for reminiscing on the past, the clock on the hot air balloon drop-off said it was quarter to one. He couldn't afford to be late. The soft thumps of his hooves sped up as he accelerated towards his destination - The Weather Factory.