The Weather Outside is Frightful
The weatherponies were predicting the worst winter storm in ages… possibly even since the first Hearth’s Warming Eve. Of course, nopony was blaming the windigos this time. Actually, most ponies were enjoying the prospect of hunkering down in their homes and keeping warm, letting the storm expend its energy as they all eventually did.
For fillies and colts, of course, this meant the anticipation of one of the greatest possible things: a snow day.
Cotton Cloudy woke up early that morning, much to her mother’s amusement. The white Pegasus filly was notorious for oversleeping in on school days. Weekends, holidays, and snow days were different, of course. On those days, she didn’t want to waste a single second of the day lying in bed.
“Good morning, dear,” her mother said with a smug smile. “One of these days, you’re going to wake up like this and find out that they didn’t cancel school, and then what are you going to do? You’ll end up being early. Oh, the horror.”
“Aw, mommmm,” the filly replied, with a roll of her eyes and a toss of her sky blue mane. “I always make it to school before the second bell.” Her mother shot her a knowing look, still smirking. “Well, except that once. And that other time… so two times out of the whole year. Wait. Three times. Three times being a teensy bit late but the rest of the time I always beat the bell, sometimes with time to spare. Oh wait, there was a fourth time, but that was Dinky Doo’s fault so it doesn’t count…”
Her mother just chuckled. “You know Cheerilee tells me every time you’re late, Cotton Cloudy.” Her face grew serious. “I just don’t want you getting a reputation for tardiness. It’s something that can follow you around even after school. You want to be part of the weather team someday, don’t you?”
“But mom, you say that Rainbow Dash is...” -she searched for the word- “habitually late, and she’s awesome.”
“Well, when you can do a Sonic Rainboom and clear clouds in ten seconds flat, then maybe ponies won’t care as much about your punctuality.”
“Hmmph.” the filly looked around. “Hey, where’s dad?”
“They called his team in early today. Actually, they called me in as well.”
“Why didn’t you go in then?”
“They haven’t cancelled school yet.”
“They will. Sometimes anticipating the cancellation is my favorite part. Hay, wait a second. Didn’t you trust me to go to school on my own?”
“I told them that I’d work my regular shift,” her mother said, avoiding the question. She turned on the radio to listen to the cancellations.
“…and that was the number one song in the land, Equestria Girls! You’re listening to DJ PON3 on Ponyville’s one and only hit music station. I’ve got the latest list of cancellations coming up next, and then more of your favorite tunes. But first, a word from our sponsors.”
An advertisement for Sugarcube Corner came on, featuring Pinkie Pie, who sounded more like a used carriage salespony than a baker.
“Mom, is it OK if I go over to Archer’s while you’re at work?”
“As long as one of her parents is home.”
“Aw, mommmm, we’ll be ok.”
“I’ll feel better knowing that an adult is keeping an eye on you. The cancellations are on.”
“…Canterlot High School: classes cancelled… Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns: classes cancelled…”
“She’s only in the C’s,” Cotton Cloudy grumbled. DJ PON3 rattled off name after name on the list, but when she got to the P’s, Ponyville Elementary was skipped.
“Sorry, kiddo, they haven’t cancelled it yet.”
“They’ve cancelled every other school but mine, mom. Cheerilee must not have called it in yet, but she will. She has to. Look at it out there.”
The weather outside certainly supported the young Pegasus’ theory. There had to be at least four inches of the puffy precipitation on the ground already. The only ponies even outside looked like ones on the weather team. Cotton looked to see if she could catch a glimpse of her dad through the squall, but to no avail. She did recognize Raindrops and Cloud Kicker, friends of her parents, among the assembled teams, gathered across the street at Sugarcube Corner.
The phone rang.
“Hello? This is she. Yes, I understand, but I’m not leaving my daughter here by herself. You will? Well… I guess that would be ok, but like I told Thunderlane earlier, I’m only working a partial shift. Fine, give me fifteen minutes.”
Cotton Cloudy looked at her mother expectantly as she hung up the phone.
“They want you to go in now?”
“Yes. Blossomforth is on her way to watch you. When she gets here, I have to go.”
“Not Blossomforth… I thought you were letting me go to Archer’s.”
“They haven’t cancelled school yet.”
“…Ponyville Elementary: cancelled…” announced the radio. Cotton Cloudy grinned from ear to ear.
“See? They have now. Look, I’ll tell Blossomforth that I’m going to Archer’s when she gets here. She lives next door anyway, so it’s not like she’s going out of her way.”
“Fine. But don’t leave until she gets here. And call Archer to make sure someone’s going to be home.”
“I will. Trust me.” The filly batted her lavender eyes at her mother, who just shook her head and ventured out into the blizzard. “If Archer’s parents aren’t home, you’re not allowed to go!” she called out.
“Yeah, I know,” Cotton Cloudy mumbled, picking up the phone and calling her friend.
“Hullo?” a sleepy voice came over the line.
“Hey, Archer. Isn’t it great? SNOW DAY!”
“Do you know what time it is?” asked the drowsy filly. “What do you have against sleep on days like this?”
“Bah, sleep is for the weak,” Cotton boasted.
“Unless it’s a school day,” Archer pointed out.
“So what are we doing today, Arch?” the Pegasus asked, ignoring the jab. “My mom said I can go over to your place, as long as it’s OK with yours.”
“Yeah…” the blue filly sounded perplexed. “About that…”
“Is there a problem?”
“Mom’s at work.”
“You’re kidding.” Cloudy facehoofed.
“Nope. All essential employees had to report. She said the she doesn’t want the company thinking she’s ‘non-essential,’ so she went in for a couple of hours.”
“My mom went in, too. Aw, man, that means I have to stay here with Blossomforth.”
“…Canterlot Express: services cancelled for today…” Archer heard DJ PON3 in the background over the phone.
“Do you still have your radio on?” she asked Cotton Cloudy.
“Yeah, I’m hoping that they’ll send my mom home early. Some of the businesses have been closed already.” There was a beep on the line. “Hang on, I’ve got another call.”
Cotton Cloudy was subjected to some of the worst “hold” music imaginable. It sounded like the Ponyville Elementary Band mangling Octavia’s Pathetic Sonata. After a grueling minute, Archer returned.
“It was Dinky Doo. I patched her in,” she explained.
“Hi Cotton!”
“Hi Dinks! What’s up?”
“Can you believe they’re making our moms work today?”
“ At least we don’t have to go to school. Is your mom on weather patrol too?”
“She just got off the early shift to go deliver the mail. You know the motto of the post office…”
“Neither rain nor snow nor dark of night will yadda yadda something round,” said Archer. “So who’s there with you?”
“My sister, Sparkler,” the lavender unicorn said. “She said there was no way she was going in to work today.”
“…Carousel Boutique: cancelled…” announced the radio.
“Maybe me and Archer should go over to your place. Your sister’s an adult,” Cotton Cloudy suggested.
“Archer and I,” Dinky corrected.
“Yes, all of us at your place,” the white filly said, oblivious to the unicorn’s attempt. “We’ll make the biggest snow fort ever… maybe we can challenge Scootaloo and them to a snowball fight.”
“That sounds fun,” Archer said, her voice perking up.
“…Bon Bon’s Sweetie Drops Shop: cancelled...Weather Patrol 5: cancelled…”
“I wonder what’s keeping Blossomforth,” Cotton Cloudy wondered out loud. “She should have been here by now.”
“Weren’t you just going to tell her to go home?” Archer asked.
“Yeah, but I promised my mom I’d let her know where I was going. Plus the plans have changed now that we’re going to Dinky’s.”
“I’m not sure Sparkler’s going to be ok with this,” Dinky said.
“…Ponyville Marketplace: cancelled…”
“They’re announcing that?” Archer asked. “The Marketplace is never open during the winter.”
“Your sister’s cool, Dinky. She’ll be OK with us coming over. We won’t be any trouble,” insisted Cloudy.
“Hang on, I’ll ask her,” Dinky mumbled, not convinced.
“…Sparkler’s Jewelry: cancelled… Sweet Apple Acres: cancelled…”
“Hey, Cloudy… are you listening to this?” Archer asked. Cotton Cloudy noticed a touch of concern in her friend’s voice.
“What, the cancellations?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t sound like DJ PON3’s doing them anymore. I think it’s a stallion now.”
“So what?” the white Pegasus replied. “Her shift probably ended.”
“Maybe. But they’re announcing some weird ones.”
“…Mr. Breezy’s Fan Shop: cancelled…”
“They’re closing down Ponyville. I don’t blame them one bit. It’ll help the weather patrols do their jobs easier without a bunch of ponies in the streets.”
“Hey guys?” Dinky was back on the line. “I can’t find Sparkler.”
“Aw, come on…” Cotton Cloudy whined. “Can’t we catch a break? I don’t want to be cooped up here all day, but I promised my mom I’d have adult supervision.”
“I thought you said your sister didn’t go to work,” Archer said to Dinky.
“She didn’t,” confirmed the unicorn.
“…Quills and Sofas: cancelled… Ponyville Bowling Lanes: cancelled…”
“Would she have gone out without telling you?” Archer asked.
“It isn’t like her,” Dinky insisted. “I was just talking to her before I called you. I’m going to try her cell number. I’ll call you back, OK?”
“Yeah, sure…” Archer said dazedly. “Cotton, has Blossomforth shown up yet?”
“Not yet. She probably went home.”
“Can you check?”
“Yeah, I can see her apartment from here. Her lights aren’t on, though.”
“…Golden Oaks Library: cancelled… Donut Joe’s: cancelled…”
“You should call your mom to tell her,” Archer whispered in a panic.
“Calm down, Archer,” Cloudy assured her. "She'll be here. she's just running late."
“Cloudy, I’ll call you back.” *click*
“…Stirrup Street: cancelled…”
Cotton Cloudy listened to the radio, and had to admit to herself that there was something creepy about the voice of the stallion that had replaced DJ PON3 on the radio, and besides... Stirrup Street wasn’t exactly something anypony would normally cancel. She picked up the phone again and called the number for the weather patrol office.
“…Sugarcube Corner: cancelled…”
“You’ve reached the offices of the Ponyville Weather Patrol. All of our lines are currently busy at the moment, but please hold and you will be assisted by the first available operator…”
“Luna’s buttery nipple,” the filly cursed and hung up. The phone rang seconds later, Dinky Doo’s number registering on the caller ID.
“…Ponyville Retirement Village: cancelled…”
“Hi Dinky,” Cotton Cloudy greeted her friend.
“Cloudy, I tried calling Sparkler, and it kept ringing…” the unicorn hiccupped.
“She didn’t answer.” Cotton said. It wasn’t a question, rather a restating of the obvious.
“Her phone was sitting on the couch.” Dinky cried, her voice rising in pitch with every word.
“Maybe she’s pranking you…?” there was a tremor of uncertainty in the white filly’s voice.
“…Ponyville Clock Tower: cancelled…”
“Sparkler wouldn’t do something like this. It’s not funny at all,” Dinky sniffed. “Hang on, I got a beep.” There was a moment’s pause.
“…Lotus Blossom’s Day Spa: cancelled…”
“I’m back. I patched Applebloom through as well,” said Dinky.
“Y’all need to look outside your window and tell me what you see,” instructed the pale yellow filly.
“And hello to you, too, Applebloom,” Cotton Cloudy greeted her, crossly.
“Cloudy, I’m serious. I need to know if you’re seein’ what I’m seein’.”
“Fine.” She looked out of the window, and saw snow. Lots of snow. “We’re in the middle of a blizzard. I see snow.”
“Do you see Sugarcube Corner?” asked Applebloom urgently.
“I can barely see the apartments next door,” Cotton Cloudy replied, frustrated by the odd question. The problem was, she should have been able to see Sugarcube Corner from her window. She recalled seeing it clearly earlier when she was trying to catch a glimpse of her dad.
“I didn’t think so,” Applebloom said. “Something’s terribly wrong. I’m in my clubhouse with Scootaloo right now, and Sweet Apple Acres isn’t there anymore. I’ve been tryin’ to call my sister, my brother, Granny Smith, but nopony’s answerin’.”
Cotton Cloudy and Dinky could hear Scootaloo saying something in the background.
“Scootaloo says that there’s been no answer from Sweetie Belle, either.”
“Maybe the phone lines are down?” Cotton Cloudy suggested.
“They’re working fine for us,” Dinky pointed out. Scootaloo said something else that only Applebloom could understand.
“I can’t put it on speakerphone when we’re doing a three-way call,” Applebloom argued with the orange Pegasus.
“What’s she saying?” Dinky asked.
“…Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse: cancelled…”
“She says that she was talking to Sweetie Belle when—“
Dinky and Cotton Cloudy waited to hear what had transpired between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, but Applebloom did not finish her thought.
“Applebloom?” Dinky’s voice trembled.
“Her call must have been dropped. I’ll try to get her back,” Cotton Cloudy said frantically. Her phone beeped. It was Archer.
“Guys, where’s Sugarcube Corner?” the blue filly shrieked in terror.
“II don’t know! Something weird is going on!”
“Oh, you think? Half of Ponyville has disappeared!”
“That’s not possible! Ponies and Buildings don’t just vanish!”
“...Ponyville Train Station: cancelled…”
“You’re still listening to the radio? Turn him off!” shouted Archer.
“I don’t think that would help…” Dinky lamented.
“We need to do something!” Archer cried. We need to get a message to Princess Celestia!”
“…Canterlot Castle: cancelled…”
“Smooth move, Archer,” Cotton Cloudy deadpanned.
“You can’t blame me for that!” the blue earth pony cried indignantly. “Maybe we can organize the Elements of Harmony?”
“The bearers have already been… whatever it is that’s happening to everything," Dinky Doo observed hopelessly.
“There must be something we can do,” Cotton Cloudy said.
“…Ponyville Post Office: cancelled…”
“NO!” shrieked Dinky. “Help! Not me, please! Not me! I don't wanna g--"
Archer and Cotton Cloudy sat in stunned silence. Finally the white Pegasus spoke.
“You still there?”
“Yeah.”
“What do we do?”
“I can come to your place. At least we won’t be alone?”
“No, stay on the phone. If…” she couldn’t finish the thought.
“Yeah. If…” Archer said.
“…Town Square Apartments: cancelled…”
“Archer? Archer!” Cotton Cloudy cried. She bolted to her room and hid under her covers, clinging to the last vestiges of hope that this was all just a bad dream, and maybe, just maybe, she would wake up.
“I thought you fillies and colts wanted a snow day,” the radio burbled happily. “A young pony’s favorite day after their birthday and Hearth’s Warming Eve is a Snow Day, where everything is cancelled, cancelled, cancelled. DJ PON3: cancelled… The Elements of Harmony: cancelled… Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence: cancelled… I don’t know about you, but sometimes anticipating the cancellation is my favorite part…”
The radio began playing "Winter Wrap Up." It was distorted, as if somepony were piping it through the speakers of a deranged ice cream vendor's vehicle.
Cotton Cloudy mustered up the nerve to look out her window. She couldn't see anything but snow, whipping through the air. Not a building, not a tree. She shivered and ducked back beneath her blankets as she waited. For what, she did not know. She only knew that it was coming for her. She had to be next. She was the only pony left...
