Chapter 3 – A Twister of Fate
Cloudy sat on the cloud, staring off into its infinite whiteness, while the sounds of the medic Pegasi in the distance, retrieving the wounded Pegasus, flooded his ears. Mixed shrieks and shouting also filled the air, coming from the facility Pegasi. He couldn’t make out who or what they were talking about, but he only assumed that they were talking about him, and his failure once again. It wasn’t until the facility guards arrived, and began to restrain him, that Cloudy snapped back to reality. “Hey! What are you doing!? Let me go!”
“Hold still!” One of the guards said to him.
The guards had attached magnetic bracelets to his legs, preventing him from moving them. “Why are you doing this? What’s going on!?” Cloudy exclaimed, trying to move his limbs. He continued to struggle, until “Dusty” Rain Gauge, and the Research Managers approached him.
Cloudy’s Research Manager, Daisy Drizzle, was the first to speak. “You’ve really done it this time Cloudy. Not only have you failed, yet again, on these ridiculous machines of yours, but now you’ve injured one of your fellow weather ponies.”
The next to speak was the Research Manager of the Weather Application Development department, Spotty Radar. “Your endeavors have done nothing, but waste the time and resources of the entire facility since you arrived. The only productive thing you’ve managed to achieve, was to show us that we made a mistake in hiring you.”
Cloudy didn’t know the name of the Research Manager in charge of the Weather Research Department, but the Pegasi only shook his head back in forth.
Finally, “Dusty” Rain Gauge spoke. “There are times, when we weather ponies forecast the weather for all the ponies in Equestria, that we are wrong in our predictions. Sometimes, it’s a simple mistake of a rain shower on a sunny day, while other times, it’s a surprise twister that wipes out a small town. Needless to say, we are not perfect in how we control the weather, nor do we know exactly what will happen from a brewing storm. You, Cloudy Airy, were the twister that we never saw coming. As such, the only option that we have left, is to dismiss you from the facility.”
Cloudy’s heart sunk. The Research Manager’s comments had dented his chest, but the words of the head of the facility were what tore a giant hole in it. “But, but sir! There must be some way for me to make up for my failures?”
“Dusty” raised a hoof to stop Cloudy from speaking, before talking again himself. “Unfortunately, that’s no longer possible. Had you just failed again in your inventions, then we might’ve considered making you part of the cleanup team here at the facility, or a more harmless desk job. However, your actions with this failure endangered, not only the entire staff, but brought harm to one of our own. Ms. Windy Thunderclap.
Cloudy’s eyes grew small, as a horrific chill shot up his spine. “Win…Windy? That…was Windy that got hurt?”
“Yes.” Replied “Dusty”. “We’re not sure of her condition just yet, but from the looks of it, she won’t be returning to the facility for some time.”
Cloudy’s eyes dropped once again to the cloud beneath him. A horrified look on his face, as he stared blankly into the cloud. “I…just don’t know…what went…wrong?”
“Dusty” brought his attention to the facility guards, whom were still holding Cloudy. “I’d say that about wraps things up here. Take him to the Cloudsdale ward. We need to get started on our report for this whole mess.” He told the guards, before they flew off with Cloudy.
Cloudy couldn’t feel anything, as he watched the cloud beneath him get smaller and smaller, until it was completely gone.
Not long after the (CWRF) was out of sight, the guards and Cloudy reached the outskirts of Cloudsdale. They flew into the city, passed all the other Pegasus ponies going about their daily lives, until they finally arrived at the Cloudsdale Mental Ward. Cloudsdale, like Equestria as a hole, didn’t have much in the way of jails or prisons, so due to Cloudy’s actions, and his current state, he was brought here to be locked up. The nurses inside the ward took Cloudy, tied his wings to his body, and pulled him on a floating table down the halls to his new room. The room had been layered several times over with soft clouds, but was sturdy enough to prevent any Pegasi from bursting through.
Cloudy just sat there in the middle of the room, after the door had been closed behind him. The nurses had confiscated his hat, vest, and watch, but left him his glasses. Had he not still been mentally out of it, Cloudy would’ve felt naked sitting there. Not because of his vest taken away, but because of his hat. Cloudy always wore and adored his hat, due to the fact that he had a bald head, save for a white spot on his forehead. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, while thoughts still made their way into his head.
“What went wrong? How did this happen? Why was Windy of all ponies hurt? Everything was going so smoothly. Why did the rocket streak off like that? I thought I built everything like those plans had portrayed? Why did I have to show off like that? What was I thinking making that? I wonder if Tanner had forged those plans? I bet he made those just to make me fail. When I get my hooves on him I’ll!”
Cloudy continued to sit there into the night, until a knocking came at the door. Cloudy was still too out of it to realize that somepony was at the door, and coming in.
One of the nurses opened the door, and tried to get Cloudy’s attention. “Mr. Airy. Mr. Cloudy Airy, hello?”
The nurse’s words still couldn’t reach him, as he still sat there, with his back turned to the door.
“Mr. Cloudy Airy, you have a very important guest. Please, make yourself somewhat presentable.” She spoke again.
Cloudy still didn’t move.
The nurse turned around, before speaking to the pony that was in the hallway. “Forgive me Princess, but he still seems unresponsive.” She then stepped to the side, to let the pony enter the room.
The pony could see that Cloudy was sitting in an almost catatonic like fashion. The pony realized that even though Cloudy wasn’t asleep, that his consciousness might still be out of it enough, for the pony to interact with him. The horn atop the pony’s head began to glow a dark blue, and soon, Cloudy’s head began to glow the same way. The thoughts in Cloudy’s head continued to talk to himself, until he heard another voice that was not his own speak to him as well. “Cloudy Airy. We wish to speak with thee.”
Cloudy’s mind focused on the one voice, and he soon found himself talking to it, in his head. “Who…who are you?”
“We are here to speak with thee, about the events that unfolded earlier today.” The voice spoke to him.
Cloudy could tell that it was a mare’s voice that was talking to him, with a regal accent. “About…what happened?” He replied.
“Yes. It has come to our attention, that due to your actions, one of our subjects was harmed. Even more disturbing, is in regards to what she was harmed with.” The voice spoke again.
“What…she was harmed with?” Cloudy replied.
“Yes. The device what she was harmed with, was one of which has never been seen since ancient times. We are here, to ask how thou came into possession of such a device.” The voice spoke.
Cloudy found himself thinking to himself yet again. Only one image came to mind when he repeated the statement. Tanner’s. “It, it was that Earth pony Tanner! Rural Tanner! He and his stupid family had the plans for it! I just wanted to use their designs to try to benefit all ponykind, but he must’ve forged them to make me fail!” He said aloud in his head.
“Rural Tanner. We know of this blind pony. How he could’ve possibly drawn said plans is beyond even our comprehension, but we shall look into it. Thank thee.” The voice replied.
Still annoyed with the thought of thinking about Tanner, Cloudy decided to question the voice talking to him. “Alright, I answered your question. Now tell me what the buck is going on!?”
The voice replied back to Cloudy angrily. “Watch thou language peasant. Thou art addressing the Princess of the Night. Princess Luna.”
“Prin…Princess Luna!” Cloudy thought to himself. He had seen Princess Luna and her sister Princess Celestia on occasion in Cloudsdale for their royal visits, but he had never heard Princess Luna talk before. “For…forgive me Princess. I wasn’t aware to whom I was speaking with, but I still wish to know what is happening. Is Windy ok? What’s to become of me?”
“We are not surprised that thou were unaware of our presence. We do not speaketh like this to many ponies, but your condition seemed to dictate it. The mare, Windy, is going to be alright.”
Cloudy was relieved to hear that Windy was okay. “Oh thank Celestia, err, rather Luna. Heh, heh.” He said.
Princess Luna began to speak again. “However, the same cannot be said of you.”
“What…what do you mean?” Cloudy responded, surprised and scared.
“The making of the very device that thou constructed, hath been outlawed since their dismissal in ancient times, after the plague of the Drachonis was silenced. While it is still unknown to us, exactly how thou was able to make the device, the very fact that it was created, inherits banishment.” Princess Luna replied.
“But…but how can that be? How could I have known that such a thing was punishable by banishment, if the plans for it had been kept away for centuries? I realize that what I did, caused Windy harm, but I never meant for it to happen. Honest!” Cloudy pleaded.
“While we could leave thou here, in this room for the rest of your life, we hath decided that it would be better to keep a closer eye on you. At least, until our sister awakens in the morning, and we can bring the subject to her.” Princess Luna told Cloudy.
“Keep…a closer eye on me?” Cloudy hesitantly questioned.
“Yes. In the dungeon beneath Canterlot, where the most heinous of ponies and creatures doth kept a watchful eye on.” Princess Luna replied.
The thought of himself being locked away in a dungeon, snapped Cloudy back into reality. He turned to face the Princess, but tripped over his restrained limbs, falling to the floor. He looked up to the Princess before speaking. “Please! The must be something I can do to make up for all this? What if I help you get…” Cloudy thought about going to turn in Tanner, but remembered that Tanner had already burned all of the designs before he left.
Princess Luna looked down at Cloudy, unsympathetic eyes joining her statement. “Forgive us, but thou art beyond help by this point. Now, we must be off to Canterlot.” Her eyes and horn began to glow a dark blue, before the two of them suddenly disappeared in a flash of magic.
They reappeared in a long stone hallway, dimly lit with torches along the walls. Two of Princess Luna’s personal guards stepped forward from their post, and bowed to the Princess to receive her order.
“Take this stallion to one of the holding cells. Our sister and I shall return in the morning to speak with him again.” Princess Luna told the guards, before disappearing using her magic again.
The guards took Cloudy, dragging him down the hallway, to an open cell.
All while being dragged, Cloudy could hear the sounds of other ponies and creatures, as they banged on the bars of their cells, and cursed at the guards as they walked by.
“Let me out of here you pathetic excuse for a guard!” Yelled a random pony.
“The time of my return shall be at hand! You all will do well to fear me!” A deep monstrous voice cried out from another cell.
The guards continued to drag Cloudy, until they reached the open cell. They then tossed him in, before slamming the door shut, and locking it. The guards then left, to return to their original post, leaving Cloudy alone in his cell.
“I just don’t know what went wrong?” Cloudy said to himself, as he laid on the cold stone floor. He thought about trying to sleep, while he was stuck there, but the thought of Princess Luna invading his mind again, kept him awake. Cloudy laid still in his cell, until he noticed movement in one of the cells adjacent to his. “Who…who’s there?” He said, a nervousness in his voice.
The shadowy figured crept slowly closer to the edge of his cell, until Cloudy could make out that it was a Unicorn.
“Well well well, look what we have here.” The Unicorn spoke to Cloudy. “Aren’t you something.”
By the voice, Cloudy could tell that it was a mare. “Who…who are you? He replied.
“Oh, us? Why, we’re just a poor misunderstood genius, living locked away in this horrible dungeon.” The Unicorn responded.
The lack of lighting from the walls made it very difficult to see the features of the Unicorn. Aside from the horn, the only other things that Cloudy could see, were her bright yellow eyes, and sharp teeth.
“So tell us, what’s a handsome looking stallion, such as yourself, doing in a place like this?” The Unicorn asked.
“I…I don’t wanna talk about it.” Cloudy replied.
“Aww, that’s too bad. We haven’t had a nice conversation with anypony for such a long time. At least tell us your name? The Unicorn replied back.
“Cl…Cloudy. Cloudy Airy.” Cloudy responded.
“Oh, what a nice name. We are called Galaga. Galaga Century, but you can just call us Gala. Nice to meet you Airy.” The Unicorn responded.
In the back of his head, Cloudy knew that he shouldn’t even be talking to this mare, especially considering where they were, but something about the way she talked to him, made Cloudy respond. “N…Nice to meet you too, Gala.”
“Oh, he he. What a nice charming voice you have. We really would like to hear more of it.” Gala replied.
This mare had to have done something horrendous to end up down here, but the way she was talking to Cloudy with such kindness, as opposed to everypony else that day, made him keep talking. “Well…what would you like to hear?”
“Why, anything at all dear. We do so enjoy talking with somepony who isn’t insane down here.” Gala responded.
“Well…I…used to work at the (CWRF), until another one of my devices failed, and hurt a friend of mine.” Cloudy said.
“Oh dear, whatever happened?” Gala replied.
Cloudy felt like he was warming up to the mare, and his nervousness seemed to slowly disappear. “I’ve been trying to find a way to control the weather of Equestria with devices that I made, but for whatever reason, they would never work. I was finally able to make a working device, based on blueprints that I had gotten from this stupid Earth pony I knew, but, in the end, it turned out to be a failure too. As a result, the rocket that I had launched, turned itself back towards the crowd of onlookers, and my friend got hurt in the explosion.”
“Oh my, that’s horrible. And we guess your peers abandoned you just like that?” Gala said back.
“Yeah.” Cloudy replied. “I was just trying to help Equestria with my devices, but instead, they all ridiculed me, and left me. And, I know that I deserved some punishment for hurting my friend, but to end up here, just because of making that device? I can’t help but feel that this is all unwarranted.”
“Hmm, this device of yours sounds very ingenious, if it was meant to be used to help all of Equestria. What exactly was it?” Gala asked.
“Well, it was based off of this ancient device, which was used around the time of the Drachonis, but I had modified it to be used for weather manipulation.” Cloudy told Gala.
“Oh my, and how ever did you come across a thing like that?” Gala inquired.
“From that Earth pony I told you about. His family had been keeping the blueprints for it for over a thousand years. I just happened upon them when I last visited him. Although, thinking back on it, I’ll probably be stuck here for the rest of my life because of what he did.” Cloudy responded.
“And what was that?” Gala asked.
“When I told him that I hadn’t been making his fireworks stands up in the clouds, he took all of the plans in his home, including those ancient device plans, and burnt them. I still don’t understand why he did it though? All those plans could’ve been used for good, and with them gone forever, now neither he, nor I, will be able to make them ever again. Well, I might.” Cloudy replied.
“And why is that?” Gala asked.
“Because, while I have a near photographic memory for designs, he’s just a stupid Earth pony, and he’s blind to boot.” Cloudy told Gala.
“A blind pony, working with designs to create devices such as yours. That is rather peculiar. How was he even able to make them himself?” Gala replied.
“I don’t know how he was able to read the plans, but it’s all because of those fireworks of his, that he’s even blind in the first place.” Cloudy said.
“Oh, do tell.” Gala inquired.
“Well, back when I had first met him. He had told me that he never used to be blind, that it was one of his fireworks that actually blinded him, permanently. However, he had just enjoyed seeing and making fireworks too much to give up on them. He said it was his dream to be able to see a fireworks show again, but just like all my devices, his dream went up in smoke too.” Cloudy explained to Gala.
“Hmm, so we’re guessing, that because this pony burned all of the plans, that there will be no evidence to clear your name. Hmm?” Gala replied.
“Yeah. The Princesses are most likely going to go to his shack tomorrow to find the plans, but with them being gone, it will look as if ‘I’ somehow found them myself, and I’ll be stuck here forever.” Cloudy said reluctantly.
“Well, perhaps not.” Gala said with a grin.
Cloudy seemed puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“If you could make it seem, as if this pony already had one of the devices himself, then you could claim that ‘he’ was the one that had made it, and you were just the unfortunate test subject. We mean, don’t you find it odd, that this, blind pony, is still able to make those fireworks of his? Perhaps he’s not as stupid as you think he is, and you could use that underestimation to your advantage. Just make another of the devices and plant it at his home before the Princesses arrive, and you can shift all the blame to him.” Gala told Cloudy, a sinister look on her face.
Cloudy was taken aback at the idea, as he considered it in his head. “That’s…that’s not a bad idea. I probably could get myself out of here at least, and I could get back at that Tanner in the process! But, how am I supposed to make another of those devices, if I’m trapped down here?”
“We’re a Unicorn dear, and we have extensive knowledge in magic. We could just teleport ourselves out of here, and back to your workshop.” Gala said, with a sly grin.
“Then why haven’t you done so already?” Cloudy asked, confused, and slightly unimpressed.
“Alas, it is due to these magic negating bracelets on our hooves, which prevents us from using our magic. If only we could find some way to get them off, then we could help you in your endeavors.” Gala replied.
“I’m guessing your limbs are restrained with these magnetic bracelets too, huh?” Cloudy asked.
“Yes, unfortunately. All residents of this unsightly abode, are shackled with them, to prevent any escape attempts.” Gala told Cloudy.
Cloudy thought for a second, trying to find some way that he might be able to get the bracelets off. He considered trying to use his mouth to bite them off somehow, but figured that probably wouldn’t work, seeing as if Gala had the same capability to do so herself, and she’d apparently been trapped down here for a while. Cloudy continued to think, turning his head around the room to see if he could find anything, until he was met with the glare of one of the torches in his glasses. He had heard from one of the Pegasi he knew, that certain gems in Equestria had the capability to negate magnetic fields, and it just so happened, that his glasses, like most others in Equestria, were made from certain gem fragments. Cloudy began to shake his head back and forth, trying to work his glasses off his face.
“Why, whatever are you doing Airy?” Gala asked.
While still shaking his head, Cloudy answered her. “I’m trying to get my glasses off. There’s a chance that mine are laced with a gem material, which may be able to negate the magnets on us.” Finally, Cloudy managed to shake his glasses off, sending them flying at the wall of his cell, braking apart. “Buck.” Cloudy wormed his way over to his broken glasses, just as Gala had to the edge of her cell, and retrieved them. He then tried testing them on his own bracelets, but couldn’t quite reach. Cloudy instead, worked his way over to Gala, as she tried putting her hooves through the bars for him.
Cloudy finally reached Gala, and placed his broken glasses on her bracelets. Amazingly, the bracelets reacted to the glasses, and fell apart. Gala then took half of the glasses from Cloudy, and placed them on the bracelets on her rear hooves. Like before, the bracelets fell apart, and Gala then proceeded to take off her magic restraints.
“Okay, now just help get mine off, and we can get out of here.” Cloudy told Gala.
Gala began to laugh at Cloudy, as she finally managed to stand up. Even with his blurred vision, Cloudy could still see how tall Gala really was. She may even have rivaled Princess Celestia in height. Gala’s horn then began to glow a bright yellow, just like her eyes, as she illuminated her cell. She was indeed tall, with a spiraled Unicorn horn, and even two small horns on both sides of her head. Her dark green coat was splotched with even darker purple areas on it, and her mane and tail were a dark black, with white tips on the end of each strand.
“What’s going on!? Get me out of these!” Cloudy demanded.
Gala stopped laughing, as she looked a Cloudy with an evil smile. “Oh, how rude of us. We never did tell you why we were locked up down here. You see, the reason we are called Galaga Century, is because we have mastered the aging spell, allowing us to live for the centuries since the Drachonis attacks. Back then, aside from our use of the spell, we may have killed, oh, about a dozen or so ponies, until the Princesses stopped us. And now that we know that one of those devices from centuries past is still around, we think we’re going to go continue having our fun.” Galaga then began to laugh maniacally, before disappearing from her cell, leaving Cloudy alone.
Cloudy could only stare off into space, as the horror of what he’d just done, began to set in. “Celestia help us. What have I done?”