Early one morning one of the kittens at Fluttershy’s house walked about the front on Cipher’s house.
The front door opened and Fluttershy let the kitten in while she collected the milk.
Cipher stirred his morning tea as he waited for a spot of milk. But Fluttershy didn’t forget the kitten and poured some of the milk into a saucer first.
Cipher finished his tea and went to the door “Time to get to work. I wonder what sort of day it’ll be. Let’s see what the barometer says.” He glanced at the old wooden wall object, something which occupied the house before Cipher and Riolu moved in, what it read made Cipher frown with worry, he then checked the window in became confused “Not a cloud.” He muttered, he gave the barometer a tap and waited, no change, he glanced back to Fluttershy “That’s what I thought it said. Snow!”
“Snow?” Fluttershy looked worried and confused.
Cipher nodded at his mare-friend “You mark my words Flutters, we’ll have snow, I’ve never known this barometer to be wrong.”
Fluttershy walked up him and looked at the barometer then to the sky “Snow? I don’t see why, Cloudsdale isn’t going to be here for weeks. We’ve only just had the Running of the Leaves. And I hope it doesn’t snow, Miss Cheerilee’s talking the foals on a nature walk this afternoon.”
“I’m not going to risk it, I’ll tell her.”
“It might not happen.” Fluttershy said.
“I could though. Better safe than sorry.”
Cold didn’t begin to describe Ponyville. Even with the sun shining. Cipher warmed by Fluttershy’s love hurried to the Post Office.
As he climbed down from the cart he saw Time Turner coming down the street, already wearing his extra-long multi-coloured scarf, a sure sign of winter. The two greeted each other as Cipher entered the office. Riolu also hurried inside quite chilly.
“Morning Muffins, by Celestia it’s cold today.”
Muffins walked through the door to her house and smiled “Morning Cipher, the mail’s not so hot either.”
“I think it’s going to get colder,” and he explained about the barometer.
“Snow? Oh, dear me, not already? And so, sudden, like last year. And a nice sunny day too.”
“What happened last year?”
“I don’t exactly know but, an entire days’ worth of snowfall came down on us, walloped, like a trash car lid. Now what did Windy Miller say when he came with the eggs this morning? He’d listened to the radio weather forecast, it said it was going to be cold but dry today, not a word about snow.”
“Those weather ponies on the radio, probably in Canterlot, what do they know about the weather in Ponyville? Now the old barometer, I’ve never know it to be wrong.”
Meanwhile a ball of string fell off the counter and onto the floor, Riolu found it, and exhibiting his occasional cat-like behaviour started to play with it. Cipher and Muffins continued their conversation and became oblivious to the Jakhowl. Until Muffins started wrapping a parcel “Now that’s for the village, it’ll just tie it…” she then looked about the counter, “Oh, where’s that string? It was here a minute ago.”
Cipher looked back and took hold of something in his magic “Um, is this it?”, he presented a tangled-up mess of white, Muffins frowned and took the Gordian Knot in her hoof “Well, I think it is. But what happened to my nice neat ball of string.”
Cipher put the done letters in his saddlebag and looked back at Riolu sternly “That’s pup can sense when snow is on the way.” He went to the door and a whimpering Riolu followed.
Muffins started to untangle the string “It looks like a whirlwind’s been at it.” She muttered “Never mind snow. Him and his pup.”
Cipher and Riolu left the Post Office and headed down the High Street to do the village rounds.
He put a letter in a mailbox when he heard hoof-steps he turned and smiled “Morning Thunderlane.” He said as the Pegasus walked up “Have you got your snow-horseshoes ready?”
“Snow-horseshoes? What’re talking about Cipher? Cloudsdale’s not going to be coming over until the week of Hearth's Warming.”
“Oh, don’t be so sure. My old barometer…”
“Oh, poo to your barometer, as a weather-pony in Ponyville I’ve got the knowledge.”
“Well,” Cipher said turning away “mind how you go.”, and he went on his way. He went to the house of Nurse Redheart and Comet Tail, the nurse moved in with Comet to better look after him. She just shut the front door as Cipher turned the street corner and readied the parcel for her, the Changeling called out “You and the hospital ready for the snow? Plenty of plasters and cough mixture?”
The nurse titled her head “Snow? What’s all this about snow? It’s a lovely sunny day, and I always have a good stock of medicine at hoof, you never know when you need it.”
Cipher gave the parcel over and told her about the barometer. She chuckled and wave him off “Oh, Cipher, I’d rather go by the weather ponies, much more experienced,” she looked up “anyway look at the sky, you and your barometer.” She then looked at the parcel and its ragged edge “I don’t suppose it’s the snow that chewed the corner of this parcel.”
Cipher’s face fell “Oh, well, um, it’s when the weathers on the turn. Jakhowls you know, very sensitive. A bit of a mystery too. It’s not too badly chewed, is it?” he started walking off “Urgent letters, got to be off, cheerio.” As he walked down the street he came across Rainbow Dash and her pet tortoise, Tank, the reptile hooved on his special strap-on helicopter. Riolu ran up to give the tortoise a high five, but Tank simply yawed.
Rainbow Dash sighed “Looks like Tank’s going to go hibernating again.”
Cipher nodded “You’d better be quick to get things ready. My barometer said it’s going to snow today.”
“What a barometer? Sounds like something Twilight would use.”, Cipher explained to Rainbow, what Time Turner told him, it uses atmospheric pressure to measure the weather.
“So, you’re say this is more natural thing than the weather ponies? I’ve not really kept up with them since joining the Wonderbolts, I've only been able to help occasionally.”
“I guess so, every-pony so far has told me they trust Cloudsdale, I’m not so sure myself, the weather outside the hive could be quite drastic.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow nodded “and after seeing what almost happened to the Crystal Empire, well, Mother Nature can be ruthless at time, I mean Princess Celestia and Luna had a hard time keeping the snow storm back.”
Cipher gulped “I hope we don’t get something like that.”
“Same, I’ll tell Twilight, maybe she’ll get some sense into ponies.”
“Good luck.” Cipher called as they departed.
Cipher started the chart up and began to travel the outskirts of Ponyville.
Filthy Rich sat with his mobile shop on the side of the road. Cipher stopped and gave him the letters addressed to him. Filthy nodded “Morning Cipher, lovely day.”
“Morning Rich, have you got your stores ready? All the winter supplies in the shop?”
“What for?”
“In case we snowed in.”
“But there isn’t any snow Cipher, the Equestria Daily says it's set fine for two weeks at least.”
Cipher sighed and walked away “That’s not what my barometer said this morning.” He got to the cart and found the passenger seat empty. “Where has that pup gotten to?”
Filthy pointed “I saw something streak across that field. It’s not like Riolu to do that.”
“We usually have our lunch in that field, but in this cold?” Cipher walked into the field and called as he climbed the hill “Riolu?”
A bark sounded and Cipher looked up, Riolu sat on a high branch of a tree, “What are you doing up there?” Cipher fluttered his wings and buzzed up to the branch.
Filthy Rich called from the ground “Hasn’t Riolu been stuck up enough trees in his time? When will he learn?”
“He knows things we don’t know.” Cipher said as he picked Riolu up by his arms and gently flew down.
“Well,” Filthy said “he’s got a funny way of showing it.”, both returned to their carts and Cipher got rolling again. Next stop, Chelsea Porcelain.
The old mare sat on a bench. Cipher rolled up to the Retirement Home and climbed down. She looked up and smiled “Good morning Cipher. Lovely day for the time of year.” She took the letter from him and Cipher nodded “Unseasonal I’d say.”
“It was never like this when I was a filly. Right after the fall was down the snow would be coming down like feather. We were cut off for weeks! We couldn’t get to school you know.”
“You mark my words.” Cipher said, “We’ll have snow today.” He turned back to the cart “Mind how you go. Bye.”
“Bye Cipher.” She called as he flicked the reigns and went off.
As they continued Cipher sighed “I don’t know Riolu, no-pony seems to believe in my old barometer, I would have thought Princess Twilight would get the word around. I’m being to doubt the old thing. If it does snow they can’t say I didn’t warn them.”
He stopped at Time Turner’s and as usual found the doctor in his workshop, this time sawing the end from a length of wood. Cipher went to the stove in the corner and frowned “You’ve not let this stove go out, I was look forward for a good warm up and a cup of tea.”
Time scoffed “I’m too busy to deal with it.” Then he continued sawing the small plank “Besides it’s look a spring day today. You get warm by keeping busy.”
“I’d get the stove going now if I were you. There’s a real cold snap on the way. If you’d seen my barometer this morning, I’ve never know it to be wrong.”
“I saw that old-fashioned thing when you moved in.” Time grabbed another plank and nailed the two pieces together. “It’s best to leave that sort of thing to the experts.” He indicated to his makeshift radio behind him “Partly out of my friendship to Twin Ray, I listen to the radio.”
“I’m not so sure about the Pegasi and their assurances, as Rainbow Dash said, Mother Nature can be ruthless.” He walked back to the cart and climbed up. The Auto-Magic Cart then sped along the road, around the left and back into town.
Parcel Post passed by and they greeted each other.
Cipher turned right and went to the School House.
Cheerilee and several the foals came out, including the CMC, Muffins kids and First Base. Cipher approach the teacher and spoke “Hello Cheerilee, I hope you’re not going far, there’s snow on the way, you know.”, she smiled “Don’t worry Cipher, we’ll be as safe as the letters in your saddlebag. You know what the Scouts and the Guides say, “Be prepared”, besides,” she pulled out a newspaper “the Ponyville Express says it’s set fair to the weekend, you couldn’t ask better than that.”
Cipher sighed and explained about his barometer. Cheerilee nodded as the foals passed “Well, we’ll promise to be careful, we’ll just go up the smallest hill, no further than Buckminster Barn at the most.”
“Well mind how you go.” Cipher said returning to the cart. He looked at Riolu “It makes you wonder. I could be wrong.” He started the cart up and headed for his next call, the Reverend at the Castle of Friendship.
Reverend Farthing and Spike stood out on the Castle steps with brooms sweeping away. As Cipher stopped the cart Spike went back inside and the Reverend stopped sweeping “Morning Cipher.”
“Morning Reverend, sweeping up the leave?”
“Well, no, it’s this sand. Makes such a mess and gets everywhere.” He sighed “There was I thinking there was snow on the way, then bless us all, the wind turned and out came the sun, the Good Lord shines upon us at mysterious times.”
Cipher frowned, what happened to Rainbow Dash, did her dedication to Tank mean she didn’t get around to speaking with Twilight? He gave the Reverend his post and readied the reins “I do hope you’re right Reverend, I’d better be on my way.” And he continued along the road, up and down a few small hills and into the yard at Sweet Apple Arches.
He got out and took the parcel for Applejack and paused ‘The winds getting up.’ He turned to the Everfree Forest, a massive blanket of thick grey clouds flew over from it. He continued forward and met Applejack at the door to the house, she smiled “Howdy Cipher.”
“Afternoon Applejack.” He put the parcel on her back “Thanks Cipher,” she said, “I better not open it, I promised Apple Bloom I’d meet her on the way from…” she paused and her eyes widened as something fell in front of her eyes “Cipher, look!”
Cipher looked up and smiled, white flack fluttered down from the clouds “Snow at least! My dear old barometer was right after all. No-pony took the weather from the Everfree Forest into account.” He looked at her “We’d both better be on our way before it gets really bad.”
She nodded “I’d better ask Big Mac to look after the animals and the corps.”
Cheerilee pointed to some of the plants “And there’s the ancient oak, and the willow,” she started walking “and when the cold weather comes the little creature will begin their long winter sleep of hibernation.”
Scootaloo spoke up “I wouldn’t mind staying in bed all winter.”
One of the other foals tried to get Miss Cheerilee’s attention but she spotted something “And there’s a swift hare.” She turned around and walked to the other side of the field “Remember to put that in your Nature Diaries.”
“Miss Cheerilee?” another foal called.
“And here we see the last of the dog roses.”
“Please Miss Cheerilee, it’s started to…”, the teacher pointed to a tree stump with some interesting additions “That over there is Polypore or Bracket Fungi. Don’t touch it, most types are poisonous.”
“I’m cold,” another foal called.
A crowing caught her attention “And there are the rooks, flying from tree to tree.” She took a step forward “Swooping…” her hoof slipped on a patch of snow, she flipped and landed on one of her back hooves, then onto her back. She looked up and grimaced “My hoof! Ouch!”
Apple Bloom ran up “Are you okay Miss Cheerilee?”, Sweetie Belle walked up beside her “It’s getting a bit snowy.”, Button Mash nodded as he appeared beside her “And cold. Can we go home please?”
Cheerilee slowly got up “Ouch! Yes, that would be a good idea,” she tested her hoof and hissed “But with this hurt hoof, it’s going to take a while.”
Meanwhile Cipher made slow going as he drove into the yard of the North-Eastern Windmill. Riolu clung to his seat and wouldn’t move. Cipher not needing winter clothes thanks to his tough exoskeleton climbed down and trudged through the snow “Windy? Dotty?” He continued through the yard and spotted a show in the snow “It that you Windy?” He approached the farmer how stood at a hen house.
Cipher spoke “I’ve got a letter for you.”
“Oh, thanks Cipher. Just put it in the basket.” He pointed to the snow “Now then, look at this.”, in the snow small paw prints crisscrossed the white around the small hen house.
Cipher looked at them “Tracks.” He guessed “Well, they can’t be Riolu’s, Prince Blueblood told me ever since the Windigo Winter, Jakhowls have never like the snow.”
Windy nodded “I reckon it’s a fox. After my prize hens. I’ll have to put a mirror in the back.”
“What for?”
“When the fox looks inside, it sees it’s reflection, thinks it’s another fox and doesn’t intruded on the other’s territory.”
“Still, you’d better lock your hens up safely.” He walked back to the chart “Cheerio.”
“Bye, Cipher.”
Starting the chart again he made a three-point turn and rolled out of the yard and onto the road. The snow got deeper by the minute and the road became very slippery. Going downhill proved troublesome. The cart slipped and spun around. The rolled backwards into a field. Lucky some-pony left the gate open. All Cipher need to do was rolled forward and onto the road again.
He battled the slips and slide until finally he reached Ponyville. He stopped outside the school, in this weather he thought he should collect Muffin’s foals and Miss Cheerilee and get them home.
He and Riolu entered the classroom and Cipher frowned “Hello?”, he walked up to Applejack and Big Mac, Chrome Blade, Muffins and Dauntless Doo, North and Fortune Sentry, Rarity and Fluttershy, all look extremely worried.
“Where is every-pony?” He asked, Fluttershy looked up sadly “Oh Cipher, the foals aren’t back yet, they must be lost in the snow with Miss Cheerilee.”
The door opened and Time Turner came in with a load of firewood. He went to the fireplace and glanced at the Changeling, “You were right about the snow Cipher. Your barometer bets my radio.” He started to light a fire and Riolu quickly came to its side.
Cipher scratched the back of his head “I wish it had been wrong, and the foals were back safely.”
“Now then,” Applejack said, “they’ll be alright with Miss Cheerilee.”
“Yep.”
Time Turner looked out the window “The snow’s getting awfully deep.”
Cipher went to the door and looked out as the Moon started raising “They should be back by now.” He stepped outside at the clear night sky “Well, the snows stopped at least. Something must have happened to them.” Time Turner, Dauntless and Chrome Blade came out and Cipher spoke again “Now I remember Cheerilee said they weren’t going further than Buckminster Barn.”
Chrome narrowed his eyes “They might have taken shelter there.”
Cipher looked to the cart “I wonder if could get through with the cart.”
Time Turner shook his head “No, you’d only get stuck. Why don’t we have a go with the Lorry? It’s bigger and heavier, we’d have a chance.”
Dauntless turned to Chrome “We’d better inform the Princess and Captain Sentry. If you’re not back by midnight we’ll start a search party.”
“Okay.” Cipher said and turned to Time “Come on, no time to lose.”
Out in the night First Base stopped and Apple Bloom and Button Mash help Miss Cheerilee along the snowy field. The blue maned colt pointed into the distance at the cubed shape in the dark “There’s a barn over there Miss Cheerilee, we could go in a shelter, we’d be warmer out of the wind.”
Cheerilee smiled “That’s an excellent idea First. We’re getting slower and slower in this snow. Come on children.”, they all made their way to the barn.
An owl hooted, Scootaloo jumped, Sweetie Belle and Rumble came up to comfort her, and together they all went indoors. Inside Sweetie smiled and let her illumination spell go “Great, Button’s found a light.”
Cheerilee lowered herself onto the straw “Now children let settle down,”, as the foals sat down on the bales of hay and straw, she gave a relieved sigh as she propped her hoof up “That’s better,” she hissed again as she felt it. She then reached into her saddlebag “And now for the emergence supplies.” She pulled out a Thermos Flask and a paper bag “Hot Chocolate and cookies.”
The heat from the Lorry’s boiler helped melt some of the snow. They turned a corner Time stopped. Cipher peered out the cab window “Any idea where we are Time?”
The doctor look out from his side “Well, I’ve seen that tree before. But everything looks so different in all this snow.” He pushed the regulator open and the Lorry steamed forward, it’s large back wheels dug into the snow and they made decent going.
Then the Lorry lifted and got stuck. Time looked out. The front wheels fell into a large snow drift. Time quickly put her in reserve and struggling the Lorry slugged back.
The two got out and took snow shovels. Even with his magic Cipher found digging, what felt like a ton of snow, tough “Hot work this. I see what you meant this morning.”
After a few more minutes Time looked at the drift “I think that should do it. Let’s give her a try.”, the pair climbed back and Time pushed the regulator again. The Lorry slowly ran over the drift and back into it’s steady, slightly slippery trundle.
They followed the road to the right and then slowly around a sharp left. Cipher having come down these roads before felt the twists and turns with an instinctual assurance, he could tell they travel on the right road, even if he could tell exactly where they were.
Meanwhile in the barn Miss Cheerilee managed to get the foals into a singsong.
“Here is a song… Not very long… To cheer you up when things go wrong…” Some of the foals swayed as they sang. Some foals also huddled together. Crackle and Dinky in a sibling bond. Apple Bloom and Tender Tap, next to them Sweetie Belle and Button Mash, finally Scootaloo and Rumble.
“You might begin to think that you’re sitting on a problem… Don’t let bad thoughts get to you… Clap a rhythm, make a happy sound… And take a positive point of view…”
Cheerilee tapped in the next verse “If you think you’re lost and the weather’s getting frosty… Don’t let chill winds blow on you… Clap your hooves and make a rhythm… Then we’ll find that we’ll win through…”
The Lorry’s pistons started to splutter and the blast from the funnel resembled a cough.
“Oh no!” Cipher said, “That shows bad.”
Time Turner shut the regulator “It’s nothing but a bit of water condensed in the dome and it’s got into the piston,” he checked the water gauge glass, a small forth formed on the edge “Yes, she’s priming, although I think it’s called foaming in some cases.” He got out the cab onto the small running plate beside the water tanks “It’ll be alright once I open the drain cocks.”
Cipher got out as well “I’m sure I know this lane.” He turned to the open gate into a field “I’ll just have a look.” And he walked into the field and up a small hill.
An owl hooted. Cipher looked about unsure ‘I’m not going to see much in the dark.’ He put an illumination spell on his horn, but it didn’t do much to brighten things up.
He reached the top of the hill and looked around, he hummed unsurely ‘I’d better be getting back.’, a sound came through the night and Cipher blinked ‘What’s that?’ he leaned forward ‘It sounds like…’
The snow went from under his hooves and the Changeling slid down the hill. At the bottom his stood and shook himself, then raised a hoof to his ear and smiled in confusion ‘It sounds like, singing!’ Quickly he fluttered his wings and flew back to Time.
The doctor closed the dripping taps on the pistons as he arrived “Time! There’s some-pony over there singing! I heard them clear as crystal.”
“Singing? What are you on about? How can there be?”
“Listen!” Cipher insisted putting a hoof to his ear again, Time did the same and his eyes widened “Great Whickering Stallions! You’re right! Let’s get a move on!”, the two hurriedly got aboard the Lorry and steamed toward the singing as fast as they dared in the snow.
They came to a barn with a bright light and a lot of young voices proclaiming “Then we’ll find that we’ll win through… Then we’ll find that we’ll win through…”
They stopped and went to the doors, Cipher smiled widely “So, here you are!”
Cheerilee looked up and smiled widely herself “Why it’s Cipher and Doctor Time Turner!”, they all cheered and Cipher glanced back to the Lorry “Come on you lot. That’s enough singing, we’d better get you home.”, then they saw Cheerilee’s limping, Cipher let her lean in him “Take it easy Cheerilee.”
Time opened the passenger door to the Lorry cab “Care for a hoof Miss Cheerilee? Easy as you go.”
“Thank you, Time Turner.” She said as she climbed in. Time closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
Cipher helped the foals onto the back of the Lorry “Last one.” He said as he took hold of Dinky and straining said, “Up you go.”, he climbed onto the back himself and pulled a canvas cover over himself and the foals, he called out “Okay Time!”
Time nodded and opened the regulator. The Lorry started moving again and quickly they got back onto the road from whence they came. Using the tracks in the snow from the journey to the barn they quickly made it back to the Schoolhouse and parked in front of the Cart.
Inside a few ponies looked out anxiously. Including, Twilight and Flash, the Reverend Farthing, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane and Nurse Redheart.
The Reverend looked out the window and smiled “The Lord be praised.” He proclaimed, “Here they come.”, Nurse Redheart walked up next to him “I hope their alright.”
Families hugged each other in relief.
What a story Scootaloo told Chrome Blade and Rainbow Dash, “It was great fun.” She said, “Really it was.”
Nurse Redheart carefully inspected Cheerilee’s hoof “It’s a bad sprain. You’ll soon be fine, with a bit of rest. But I don’t think you can do much walking on your own.”, Cheerilee turned to Big Mac, the Apple Stallion smiled and nodded “Yep.”
The Reverend walked up the heroic rescuers “Well done Cipher, Doctor Turner. That was magnificent. But I know one thing.” He turned to the gathered “Next time I want to know what the weather’s going to do, I’ll ask Cipher what his barometer has to say before I do anything else.”
Cheerilee nodded “Here, here, me too.”, soon the other started agreeing also. Cipher blushed, more so when Time tapped a hoof in his shoulder “Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.”
Riolu jumped for joy.
Fluttershy came up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Cipher blushed even harder.