//------------------------------// // The Twister // Story: Land of Equines // by Daddy Joe //------------------------------// The Twister April 5th, 2013 5:53 PM Today I didn't really have to do anything real important to check up on. By important, i'm pertaining towards the Timberwolf activity. Ever since that first real confrontation on Monday morning, the amount of Timberwolf activity seemed to go relatively scarce, but that doesn't mean they're all gone. I mean, I still got that stumpy Timberwolf still out there. So, just to be sure, I decided to check up on the mannequins. When I opened the front door, a somewhat strong gust of wind blew into my face and the neatly stack of papers on the wooden table behind me flew all over the place. "Geez, I didn't think the winds would reach out this far into Ponyville." I said. Since one of Twilight's personality traits is high organization and not having big messes, I decided to stack up the papers once again. At the time, she was doing some sort of mandatory experiment for Cloudsdale. The most info I could get out of it was in this short 1950ish styled informational cartoon that me and Spike played for all the pegasi who were participating in it. Apparently, if a certain large amount of pegasi fly at high speeds in a perfect circular motion, a tornado can generate. Now you're probably wondering how a tornado, which is made up of cloud, can form out of nowhere without the right weather conditions. Honestly, I have no idea how that works. Never really bothered to ask Twilight at first, but now i'm pretty curious how that works. Once the supposed tornado is formed over a water source, the tornado sucks the water up and shoots it up into the sky towards Cloudsdale. Cloudsdale needs this water in order to produce clouds for the sky. So, every cloud that floats above Ponyville is basically artificial. But anyways, after I stacked the papers in a different area where the wind can't reach and combed my thick brown hair again, I walked outside and got into the Defender. I noticed a yellow figure in the corner of my left eye as I started up the Defender, and sure enough, it was Fluttershy with her animal friends following close behind. I was puzzled why she wasn't reporting for tornado duty, so I went to honk the horn, but hey, there is no horn for the Defender. I then slid the window open. "Hey Flutters!" I yelled out the window. Fluttershy slightly jumped to my yell and looked over towards my direction. "Hi, Caleb." she replied as she flew over towards me. "Did I scare you? You kinda jumped there." I said. "Oh, it's alright. It was just a little startle to me. Is there something you want?" Fluttershy replied. "Yeah, how come you're not at tornado duty?" I asked. "Actually, I was just on my there right now." Fluttershy said. "Oh, then you and your animal friends can hop in and i'll drive you all over there. It'll be a lot quicker and save you the energy of flying." I offered. "Okay. Thank you very much." Fluttershy thanked. Fluttershy landed on the ground and used her wings to open the door for the passenger seat. Once she sat in the seat, I started up the engine and headed towards the open fields northwest to Ponyville. I felt Fluttershy's hoof tap on my right arm and I turned my head to her. She was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear her soft-spoken voice over the loud engine. "What? It's hard to hear you!" I said, over the engine. "Is this any better?" she asked with a more pronounced and raised tone. "Better." I replied. "Did you and Spike ever fix the film tape for the informational video?" Fluttershy asked. "No, we never did. But Rainbow Dash took it back up to Cloudsdale to get it repaired." I replied. "That's good." Fluttershy said. "So, how come you aren't at tornado duty? I'm pretty sure they started not long ago, or are about to start." I said. "Well, I was planning on not going, but I decided to at least drop by and give Rainbow Dash some moral support." Fluttershy replied. "Aw, you're not going to participate in the tornado?" I asked. Fluttershy slightly looked down with an expression of uncertainty. "I don't know. It's just that everypony has a much higher wingpower than me. I mean, 2.3 wing power is not much compared to 12.6 wingpower. My wing power probably wouldn't be much help at all." Fluttershy said, apathetically. Of course, I couldn't let Fluttershy just sit by like that, so I decided to give her some moral support as well, in hopes to get her to join in the tornado. "C'mon, Fluttershy, don't be so hard on yourself," I kindly said. "My parents once told when I was little that every little thing counts, and I know for sure that your wing power can do some amount of good. Amount doesn't matter because either way, it'll add on to the required amount of wing power. Plus, Twilight told me the other night that there should be enough pegasi in order to get the water up to Cloudsdale. So, why not just join in and help out?" I said. "I don't know, Caleb. I'll have to think about it." Fluttershy said. Fluttershy then turned her head towards the window and stared out as she thought about her decision. With that, we continued onwards towards the twister site. A short time later, we must've been getting close because the wind was starting to pick up, becoming more stronger, and a few small branches hit up against the side of the Defender. "We have to be close." I mumbled. "You should take a left up ahead. The wind is blowing outwards." Fluttershy said, showing me the leaves rustling in the trees. "Hmm, that's odd. Usually a tornado sucks inwards, but okay." I said. I then took a left near an opening and entered a fairly wide open space. "There it is." Fluttershy alerted me. I looked to right and there was a towering dark blue, cylinder-like tornado spinning at incredible speeds and blowing debris away from it. "Oh my god, that thing is huge!" I exclaimed, "And you're sure the tornado has very poor suction power on the outer edge of the tornado, only inside?" I asked. "I am one hundred percent positive." Fluttershy assured. "Alright then, let's go." I said as I pressed on the gas pedal. As we advanced much more closer to the tornado, I could feel the force of the wind push up against the body of the Defender, causing it to slightly wobble to the right a little. To prevent the possibility of the vehicle tipping over on the side, I drove head-on towards the twister. Even though the winds are still going under and over, it's a much better angle. Fluttershy exited the vehicle once I pulled up next to a giant anemometer that Twilight and Spike were overseeing. There was also this pegasus who was wearing goggles and some blue body suit. I didn't know who that was, but I know i've seen her before on a poster. "Okay, you guys, stay in here. It's far too windy outside." I said to Fluttershy's animal friends, which they all quickly nodded in agreement. As I stepped out, the winds hit me like a freight train, causing me to stumble backwards and fall over. Besides the winds, there was a nice mist that also blew into my face because of the body of water that the tornado was hovering over. I then pulled myself up by gripping onto the door handle and began to slowly advance myself over to Twilight alongside with Fluttershy. "Fluttershy?! Caleb?! What are you both doing here?!" Twilight yelled through the howling wind. "I drove Fluttershy down here! Said she wanted to give Rainbow Dash some moral support!" I explained "It's the least I can do!" Fluttershy added as she grabbed onto the anemometer. "She could sure use some moral support, considering that eight pegasi are sick with the feather flu!" Twilight informed. "Oh-no! That's terrible news!" Fluttershy said. "Will they still have enough--" I said before a patch of mud splattered on my face, "to reach the required amount of wing power?!" I asked, wiping the mud off my face. "At this rate, things are not looking too good! The needle is just on the margin to eight hundred wing power!" Twilight said as she showed me the needle that was just above seven hundred and ninety-five wing power. "They're so close!" I said. I then glared at the pegasus in the blue and yellow body suit. "What are you standing around for?! Why aren't you up there helping?!" I asked the pegasus. "I wish I could, but I was designated to be an observer, and i'm not a resident of Ponyville!" the pegasus replied. "She's telling the truth!" Twilight backed up the pegasus. "Okay, okay. Sorry." I nodded in understandment. I looked back at the tornado, and it seemed to become more and more unstable. "The tornado is looking a little wibbly-wobbly!" Spike alerted. "They're losing form!" Twilight said. The tornado violently wobbled to the left and right before it bent at an unnatural angle and broke apart, dropping a column of water and flinging about seventy pegasi out of the vortex and onto the ground. Of course, one of those pegasi was Rainbow Dash. I jumped backwards as she plummeted to the ground like a bullet. "Aaaa- oof!" Rainbow hit the ground and ricocheted head-first into a tree. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked Rainbow Dash. "I-- I'm fine." Rainbow replied, her voice muffled since her head was lodged in the tree. "You were so close to the eight hundred minimum." Twilight said, "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash then pulled herself out of the tree, revealing a few scrapes on her head, but shook it off. "No! We've got to try again!" Rainbow insisted as she flew back up. "But you've pushed your crew to your limit already!" Twilight grabbed Rainbow with her magic and yanked her down, "If you break apart again, somepony could get hurt! You should quit, it's not safe!" I couldn't help but to agree as well. "Yeah, I don't think you should do this again, Rainbow Dash. Everypony looks pretty winded and you've got a few scrapes on your forehead." I said. Rainbow felt her forehead and a tiny splotch of blood stained her hoof. "No! One more time! I've got to know we gave it our all! If i'm going down, i'm going down flying!" Rainbow boldly stated. Me, Twilight, Spike and Fluttershy looked at each other in worry. "C'mon, ponies, let's make this happen!" Rainbow declared. Every pegasi in the crowd picked themselves off the ground and cheered to Rainbow's words of encouragement. "YEAHHH!" a severely muscular pegasus yelled from behind me, making me jump like a girl. Alright, Spike, blow the horn." Twilight instructed. Spike did as told and blew deeply into the wooden horn, causing it blare loudly. This signalled the pegasi to once again form another tornado. The wind began to howl and pick also, causing the windmill on the anemometer to gradually spin faster. "How are we looking?" I asked as I stared up at the towering vortex. "So far we're at one hundred wing power. Two hundred wing power. Now it's five hundred wing power!" Twilight exclaimed. "This is so nerve-racking!" Fluttershy said as she brought both of her hooves up to her mouth. "Okay, we're at seven hundred. Now seven hundred and fifty!" Twilight said. "Gah! This is when they fell apart!" Spike reminded. "Yeah, but the tornado is still looking pretty structurally sound!" I said. I crouched down and could see a column of water begin to rise into the funnel of the tornado. "Hey, they're doing it! Are we at eight hundred?!" I asked. "No! The wing power is at seven hundred and ninety-five!" Twilight replied. "Oh, come on!" I said. Me and Twilight began to look at Fluttershy and look back at each other since we seemed to both have the same idea. "Fluttershy, they need your help up there!" Twilight said. "This is your chance to help out!" I said. "Why?! I won't even make a difference!" Fluttershy said. "You can make a difference!" Twilight said. "But my measly 2.3 wing power won't make a difference!" Fluttershy said. "Won't make a difference?!" I asked, crouching down to Fluttershy's height, "Look at how far that water has risen! I bet if you get in there and help out with your wing power, the water will be able to push through the top!" I encouraged before the wind was too much and blew me backwards, landing on my back. "You can do it, Fluttershy! Do it for Equestria! Do it for Rainbow Dash! Do it for yourself!" Twilight said. Fluttershy's eyes darted all over the place as she thought of what she should do. To help out with that decision, Twilight levitated a pair of circular goggles to Fluttershy. Fluttershy eyed the goggles for a moment before she gulped. With that, she took the goggles, strapped them on her face and walked up to the tornado. I could visibly see her gulp again before she sheepishly moved her foreleg at the tornado before she was sucked into the twister within the blink of an eye. "Okay, she's in!" I said. "Now we just wait until her wing power is added onto the total amount!" Twilight said. I grabbed on the top on the anemometer and pulled myself over towards Twilight and Spike to view the total amount of wing power. I would look back at the tornado and the reading over and over again and still got no new reading. "C'mon, Fluttershy." I mumbled. "Caleb! Look!" Twilight exclaimed. I looked at the reading and it had risen to seven hundred and ninety-eight wing power. "Just two more wing power to go!" I said. When the wing power landed on seven ninety-five, the needle on the anemometer seemed to stop, almost as if that was the limit once again. But when it seemed like the tornado was going to be an utter failure again, the anemometer began to beep, signifying that the wing power had finally reached the required eight hundred. "Ah-ha-ha-ha! She did it!" I exclaimed. The tornado then began to emit a high-pitched sound as the pond below it began to slowly drain, and without warning, the water shot out the top of the funnel and into the sky, all the ways to Cloudsdale. As I stared up at the water, I couldn't help but smile, know that Fluttershy broke out of her shell and did what was right. "They did it! She did it! They all did it!" Twilight exclaimed while her and Spike jumped around in joy. I looked over at the pegasus mare in the bodysuit and she was just amazed at what just happened, causing me to chuckle to her expression. The stream of water that shot up to Cloudsdale lasted about ten or so seconds before the entire pond was drained. Once drained, the pegasi broke formation and the tornado dissipated into thin air, revealing all of the pegasi responsible for the swirling vortex. Once every pegasus landed back on solid ground they began to cheer and stomp their hooves on the ground; their form a clapping I guess. "Now all of that water is going to be used for clouds?" I asked. "That's correct. The first cloud should be out pretty soon." Twilight said. Rainbow Dash then landed on the ground with a thud. Twilight ran over with a gauze pad and placed it on her scrapes. "Thanks, Twilight." Rainbow thanked. "Ahem." I pointed up at Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash looked up and saw that Fluttershy was oblivious to the fact that the tornado was over with, still flying in circles with her eyes tightly closed. Rainbow grinned and flew up into the sky to grab a patch of cloud. She used this cloud to catch and halt Fluttershy from her continuous circular flight. "Whoa, girl, take it easy!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Wha- What? Did we do it?" Fluttershy asked as she recollected herself. "Yeah, we did it! You did it!" Rainbow hugged Fluttershy and gave each other a high-five with their wings. "Well, that went pretty well." I said to Twilight, "What do we do now? "Everypony is heading back to Ponyville for now." Twilight replied, "Would you mind getting the tornado horn?" "No problem." I said. When I went to get the horn, everypony started cheering once again. Curious to why, I looked over and saw that everypony was praising Fluttershy for her brave and courageous act. "Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can really fly!" they chanted as they tossed her up and down. The crowd then began to leave on a path that led back to Ponyville. While I grabbed the horn, I heard a tapping sound come from behind me, only to find the Fluttershy's animal friends still inside the Defender. "Oh shit." I said, opening the passenger door, "Sorry about that, little guys." The animals leaped out and ran after Fluttershy. I then opened up the back door and barely managed to fit the tornado horn in the back. Once everything was situated, I started up the engine and drove off the catch up with the crowd. While driving past the crowd on the side of the path, I was looking for that one pegasus in the body suit. When I found her alongside Rainbow Dash, I slowed the vehicle down to their walking speed. "Excuse me, ma'am." I said from the window. "Me?" the orange haired pegasus asked? "Yeah. Hey, what's up with the bodysuit?" I asked. Rainbow Dash's head snapped towards my direction and her mouth dropped in disbelief. She then flew in front of the vehicle. "Woah, woah, woah, hold up there, Caleb!" Rainbow Dash halted. "What? Was there something I said?" I asked, confused on why she was acting sort of defensive. Rainbow then flew over to my window. "Caleb. How long have you been living in Equestria?" Rainbow asked. "I've been here since November of last year, so that would be six months." I answered. Rainbow's eyes went wide open. "Six months and you never heard of the Wonderbolts?! Have you been living under a rock your whole time here?" she asked, frantically. "Actually, i've been living in a tree. And now that I think about it, I think you did mention the Wonderbolts on the first day we met. Guess I just forgot about them." I said. "How could you forg--." Rainbow began before she was cut off. "Go easy on him, Rainbow Dash. Not everypony needs to be a big fan of the Wonderbolts." the pegasus said as she approached the window. Rainbow backed away slightly. "You're right. Sorry about that, Caleb, my wonderbolt fanism got the best of me." Rainbow apologized with a sheepish smile. "No worries, Dash." I accepted, "So, who are you, miss?" I asked the pegasus. "The name's Spitfire; Captain and Drill Instructor of the Wonderbolts. Put 'em here" Spitfire introduced, extending her right foreleg to me and removing her goggles. "Caleb Lee Barlow. Such an honor and surprise to meet a Wonderbolt for the first time." I said while shaking her hoof, "So, do you have to come down and observe, or do you have some time off?" "Eh, the Cloudsdale Weather Center always wants me to come down and observe in order to make sure everything goes alright." Spitfire replied. "Like when the first time everypony crashed out of the tornado?" I asked. "Oh, no, believe me when I say that there has been way worse in the past." Spitfire said, "Speaking of which, how's your head, Rainbow Dash?" "It's alright. A little bit sore, but I think the wound has clotted up by now." Rainbow replied, removing her gauze pad. "So, how's life in Ponyville?" Spitfire asked. "Pretty good, actually. Beautiful place, got some friends, and a lot of wacky stuff going on to keep me busy. Why? Do you live up in Cloudsdale?" I asked. "Yep. You ever been there?" Spitfire asked. "No." I replied. Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrows to my answer. "Y'know," Rainbow began, "I remember when I first met you and I said that we should hang out sometime." "Oh, that's right, you did." I remembered, "Wanna hang out later?" I offered. "Actually, why don't we hang out tomorrow? Me and you could go up to Cloudsdale and hang out with each other for a few hours or so! I could show you around and that kind of stuff!" Rainbow said, anticipating an answer "Sure! That sounds great!" I accepted, happily, "But wait, how am I going to be able to walk on the clouds? Only pegasus ponies can do that." "Not unless if you can get Twilight Sparkle to cast the spell that allows non-pegasi to walk on the clouds." Spitfire brought up, "Remember when Twilight and the others came up to Cloudsdale for the Best Young Flyer competition?" "Riiiight. Look, just ask Twilight about the spell tonight, i'm pretty sure she still has it." Rainbow said. "Okay, I will. So, i'll see you tomorrow at what time, Rainbow?" I asked. "We'll head up to Cloudsdale at noon. I like to sleep in late on Saturdays." Rainbow said. "Yeah, try saying that to Twilight." I joked. "I know what you mean." Rainbow chuckled. "Alright, see ya tomorrow." I said, clenching a fist towards her. Rainbow complied and brought her hoof up, bumping it into mine. "And nice to finally have a chance to meet you, Captain Spitfire." I said, starting up the Defender's engine. "Same with you, Caleb Barlow. Hey, maybe i'll see you around town tomorrow." she replied. "We'll see." I said. I looked ahead and noticed that the crowd of ponies were now about a quarter of a mile ahead. I put the vehicle into first gear and floored the gas pedal, leaving Rainbow Dash and Spitfire in the dust. "Oh, so it's gonna be like that?!" I heard Rainbow Dash faintly yell in a challenging and playful manner. Within one second, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire caught up with me, and I was cruising along at ninety kilometers an hour. "Whoa!" I exclaimed to how quick they were. "Pffft, you think that's fast?" Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Watch this." Spitfire said. Both mares nodded at each other and Spitfire put her goggles back on. I'm not sure how quick it was, most likely two seconds, but it took that long for them reach the crowd of ponies up ahead, and I still had about quarter of a mile to go before I reached them. "Yep." I said to myself, "The pegasi are gonna freak when they see my strolling through town tomorrow."