//------------------------------//
// Rendezvous in the Cloudosseum 
// Story: Disappear 
// by ShimmeringStallion 
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Rendezvous in the Cloudosseum





Twilight chose to lead the way back to Cloudsdale, but let Pinkie Pie go on ahead to prepare. In the time it took for the lavender unicorn to cast spells on Rarity, Applejack, and herself, the pink Earth pony was already under the Cloudosseum, seemingly undetected despite having placed a large hot air balloon underneath it. The lack of light that the night delivered provided a good cover to work under without being seen, but the shadows that were cast by the clouds above in the light of the moon, were even better for her. Twilight and her friends approached the balloon, which Pinkie Pie was piloting. “Hey, girls! And, erm… guy!” Pinkie noticed Soarin’ with them and thought to correct herself, producing a giggle in the process. “Going up?”

“Thanks Pinkie, but we’ll take it from here. I couldn’t cast a spell on you while you were gone, after all.” Pinkie Pie hopped out of the balloon, boosting the non-flying ponies up by having them use her back as a makeshift step as she bounced them into the basket. “Okey-Dokey-Loki! I’ll take the weights off and head back to Spike and Derpy. Have fun, you guys!” Using her mouth, Pinkie Pie undid the knot in the rope that tied the sandbag to the basket, freeing the balloon and allowing it to rise to its destination. Fluttershy, Soarin’, and Spitfire all helped to guide the balloon by grabbing dangling ropes with their mouths and pulling, knowing that the balloon could only fit three to four ponies at best. Applejack and Rarity were peering into the darkness, hoping for a glimpse of Rainbow Dash or Scootaloo, who must have arrived here much earlier.

Twilight controlled the burner, causing the balloon to rise at a steady but quick rate of ascension. It was while she was doing this that she noticed some massive changes to the Cloudosseum: First, there was a cloud path leading to it from Cloudsdale, almost like a cloud-made road. They had used the balloon to get up to it last time, doing so by floating from Cloudsdale to the Cloudosseum in order to see the Best Young Flyer competition, so they’d recognize the path, had it been there before; it would have made getting to the competition much easier.

Secondly, the bottom section of the Cloudosseum, rather than being clear of obstruction, had been mostly covered up with clouds, aside from four clouds that seemed to form bridges to the center in a ring outside the platform, allowing a pony to still fall through the cracks where clouds were not placed in order to bridge the gap. It seemed akin to a castle with a moat that could only be crossed on each side by a bridge. Rarity noticed this before the others, since looking at it began to bring back memories of when she had been plummeting towards the ground, before being saved by Rainbow Dash.

But the biggest and most prominent difference was that there seemed to be spotlights coming from around the massive floating stadium, illuminating the inside of it. This piqued Twilight's curiosity. "Those lights... have they always been there? And why are they on?" They had breached the clouds below the exterior of the Cloudosseum rather quickly, thanks to the efforts of the Pegasi that were guiding the balloon. They anchored the balloon close to the edge in order to avoid giving away their location; if Vanish was here, they knew he could strike at any time, especially considering how they had three Pegasus ponies with them.

Twilight and the others hopped out of the balloon basket, before running into the Cloudosseum through the backstage area, where there were once several young and hopeful Pegasi hoping to impress the Wonderbolts, as well as Princess Celestia, with their marvelous aerial maneuvers. It was dark, and Twilight's concern for her friend didn’t help her to remember an illumination spell whatsoever. However, a curtain ahead of them was open just enough that artificial light from the arena could seep in. The curtain was still closed for the most part, but once they looked through what visible crack in the curtain there was, the ponies still had trouble believing that which stood in front of them, even after letting their eyes adjust to the light.

There was a massive, cloud-made structure in the middle of the Cloudosseum, kept afloat by what appeared to be storm clouds. Twilight barely recognized the structure; it seemed like a cloud variation of a prison cell with bars all around it like a cube, from the Canterlot Dungeon. In her time spent in Canterlot, she never saw anypony placed in those cells, but this one was much different: It had vertical bars all around it, with the top and bottom of the cell composed of large, solid storm clouds. The cell was entirely made of clouds, including the bars, and there were no visible ‘doors’ or walls on it. Just outside the cell, stood a medium-sized, turquoise pony, with a short cerulean mane. The pony appeared to be speaking to Vanish, who was seemingly trapped in the cage, wearing the hat Rarity had ‘fixed’ and sporting a set of unknown, yet familiar wings, as well as a new color of coat. Twilight was about to head in before Applejack stopped her, pointing out that they weren’t spotted yet with a hoof to her muzzle, signalling the necessity to keep quiet.

They listened to the voice of the stallion outside the cage, who seemed to have a checklist with them. “Silverspeed?” Vanish used the second horn’s magic to change the color of his coat, and to produce the wings of Silverspeed. “Show me Blossomforth.” Vanish’s coat and wings changed from those of Silverspeed, to those of Blossomforth. “Good, good. Fluttershy.” Vanish was clearly struggling to speak. “N… Not A-Acquired.” The pony looked up from his checklist. “Need I remind you that if you don’t get the wings of all the Pegasi, it won’t look good for your end of our bargain?” Vanish was tired, but looked up at the stallion that stood before him. “I’ll get them, just keep going.”

Twilight closed the curtain slightly, turning to the other ponies around her. “I think they’re doing a roll call of the ponies whose wings they’ve got.” She turned back around and opened the curtain slightly to see what was going on, as the stallion called out another familiar name from the list. “Rainbow Dash?” Vanish used the horn’s magic to change his coat and wings once more, this time to those of Rainbow Dash. “… Hmph. I didn’t think you’d get those so quickly… You’re sure worth what I’m payin’ ‘ya. Heh.” Vanish stood on the storm clouds, walking to the edge of the cage and lying next to it. “I did my part… you do yours.” The stallion put the checklist down on the cloud he was standing on. “I’ll return with the stuff. It’s by the bridge to Cloudsdale that you made for me. Don’t go anywhere… Heh heh…”

The pony walked away to a second curtain, used for opposing Pegasus pony teams during sporting events. Vanish used his second horn once more in order to turn back into his familiarly dark, dark blue self, his smoke-gray mane wilted to the side of his head as he laid on his hooves upon the storm clouds. He seemed exhausted, but also seemed like he was trying to stay awake, given how his eyes seemed to be more focused on his makeshift ‘floor’ than the ponies who had now started galloping to the cage. Twilight whispered to her friend. “Rarity, go stand guard by that curtain and signal to us if that guy starts approaching again.” Rarity knew what to do, and went straight to the curtain that the other stallion had walked off to.

Twilight took the time to examine the cage, finding that it was being held together by what it had looked like from backstage: Nothing more than clouds. Vanish could easily get out, yet he chose to remain inside, even as he opened his mouth to speak. “… Leave… Now…” Vanish noticed the others, though they were pretty hard to miss with all the spotlights pointed at the cage from various cloud perches. He could speak well, but paused often to breathe and regain his minimal focus. “The mistake you’ve made by coming here… is immeasurable. If he sees you, he’ll show you no mercy. This goes especially for Pegasi and Unicorns… and even further for threats, such as yourselves: The Elements of Harmony.” Vanish struggled to his hooves as he stood up, correcting his statement upon seeing the other two ponies that were hovering above his original field of vision. “And… The Wonderbolts, correct?”

Twilight's gaze showed that she had no time to waste. “This isn’t the time for games and warnings, Vanish. Come with us at once. You need to return the wings you’ve taken, and-!” Vanish pounded the storm cloud with his hoof, causing a bolt of lightning to emanate from it in the process, as his focus was regained upon feeling ignored. “No! If you cared even a little about the ponies you claim to ‘protect’ as the Elements of Harmony, you’d be preparing for what’s to come, my dear. Canterlot is next, and with it, your mentor, and your brother, will fall shortly.” Twilight was left stunned by his words. “Is he making a statement? Was that a threat? Or is this… a warning?” Applejack saw her friend’s stunned expression and opted to speak in her stead, rather than wait for the unicorn to regain her focus.

“It’s over, Van. Give the wings back n’ I’m sure the Pegasi will be willin’ t’ forgive ‘ya for this whole mess!” The stallion chuckled to himself. “Even now, as you see me in this pitiful state, do you understand nothing? Had I not made it clear, that such an option was not my choice to make? I have an obligation my dear, and I always see my obligations through to the end,” Vanish threw an icy stare towards Applejack. “…regardless of how bitter the deed, or consequence, may be.”

Spitfire didn’t want to have anything to do with the overdramatic showing that this double-horned unicorn was displaying. “By the order of Princess Celestia of Equestria, you are hereby given your first, and last, warning. Surrender to the Royal Guard, or else you-” Spitfire was cut off from a source coming from somewhere in front of her. “’Or else’, what!? Such order doesn’t apply, ignorant worm.” They looked through the cage, seeing that Rarity had been caught by surprise and taken hostage by the stallion that had left, now carrying two saddlebags on his back. Having mounted Rarity, pushing her head down onto the cloud surface with his front hoof, they displayed a look of triumphant dominance over the mare, who seemed quite pained and terrified of the situation she had gotten herself into.