//------------------------------// // Chapter I // Story: New Cloudsdale // by KenSES64 //------------------------------// Chapter I Steam Valve was a white pegasus stallion with a slightly longer than usual mane that was red on the right side and aqua blue on the left. His eyes were red, and his cutie mark resembled a golden wrench that signified his talents as an engineer. Atop his head was a dark blue baseball cap with the weather factory’s logo on it, which was simply a storm cloud shooting a lightning bolt. It was basically the only thing he had to wear for a work uniform. After a days work, and after making a quick stop somewhere, he made his way home. His home was a small rental cloud house at the end of a dead end street. It wasn’t in best condition, with a constantly breaking furnace and other things that needed to be fixed by Steam on occasion, but it was home. He walked through the front door to take in the smell of fresh coffee being made. He put the tool box he was carrying in his mouth aside before trotting over to the kitchen to see his girlfriend of many years, Clementine. Clementine was different from most mares, mostly because she wasn’t technically a pony, kinda. Clementine was a Hippogriff, which is the offspring of a pony and a griffon. The front half of her body looked more like a griffon’s, with white feathers on her head and neck and orange feathers on her torso, wings, and arms, up to the eagle claws. The back half of her body resembled a pony’s, with an orange coat that matched the feathers on her front, and a white pony-like tail. Her eyes were purple and the features around them where a light blue color. Steam trots over to his girlfriend, and cuddles up to her, “Hi sweetie.” Clementine glaces at Steam and smiles, “Well you seem happy. Is something up?” there was a small undertone of suspicion in her voice. “No. Why do you ask?” Steam asked, backing off a bit. “I can’t say hi to my girl?” “Well I do know that next week is our 6th anniversary, and you tend to try to butter me up around these special occasions.” She brushes her tail against his nose, “I wonder why.” Steam rolls his eyes, “I’m sorry, if I remember correctly our relationship started because you were in heat, and you needed a nice strong male to help you out.” He then flexed one of his forelegs a little. “Yeah, but I had to settle for you.” Clementine deadpans. Steam stops flexing a glares at her, but smiles. He fully knew that she was kidding. The coffee finished, “Can you pour me a cup as I put my stuff away?” Steam asked his girlfriend. “Sure.” ______________________________________________________________________________ In their bedroom Steam takes off his hat and puts down his saddlebag. He opened them up to see a small red box placed inside of them. ‘Oh you don’t even know how I’m going to butter you up this year.’ he thinks to himself. He then closes the bags before pushing them under the bed. He walks back into the kitchen, grabs him cup of coffee and sits down on the couch with Clementine to watch T.V., which Clementine turns on to show the end of a political ad. The ad showed a grey pegasus stallion with a slicked back, lime green mane. The pony looked at the camera and spoke in a voice that sounded more like a Canterlot accent, despite the fact that most beings from around this area talk with more of a Manehattan one, “Hello I am Mushroom Cloud, as you may know my ancestor Nimbus Cloud was founder of our fine city. Now do you want your mayor to be some guy from Trottingham, or would you rather have it be a pony who has their roots right here? I think the answer is pretty obvious. I’m Mushroom Cloud and I approve this message.” As it went to the next commercial Steam rolled his eyes, “Well that said nothing about what he plans to do if elected.” “Hey, at least it’s not that generic ‘my opponent is the reason for all your problems’ bullcrap that most of these ads have.” Clementine added, “I just can’t wait for it to be over so we can stop getting stuff from them in the mail.” “Agreed” Suddenly they hear the sound of the phone ringing in the kitchen. Steam gets up to pick it up. He flew to the phone and looked at the caller I.D. to see that it was his older brother Special Tactics. Special Tactics was a light purple unicorn with a short dark purple mane and tail, light blue eyes, and had a rifle for a cutie mark. He lived all the way in Canterlot as part of The Princesses’ Lawful Offensive Team, which sounds cool until you realize that the acronym for it is PLOT. The officers that work for it hear that one all the time, but yet none of the Princesses will change it. It’s almost as if they’re in on the joke. Steam picks up the phone, “Hello.” “Hey bro,” Special Tactics answered. “Hi Special, what’s up?” “So you’re going to propose to Clem huh?” “W-What? Who told you that?” “You did in the message you left on my phone earlier.” “Oh... Sorry I forgot that I did that.” “You featherbrain.” “Yeah, yeah. So you called just to tell me that you got that message?” “And to say congratulations. I can’t believe that my little brother’s gonna get married, before me.” “Haven’t found any good mares in Canterlot?” “Nope, they’re mostly stuck up bitches here, and the females aren’t much better.” Steam chuckles a little at that and says, “Well it’s not happening yet. She has to say yes first.” “Dude, you two have been together since high school, I doubt she’ll say no. Hell, I bet you the first thing she’ll say is ‘it’s about time’.” Steam thought about that for a second, ‘Well it has been six years.’, He paused for a moment, “Yeah you’re probably right.” “Anyways, my shift starts soon so I have to go. Good luck with everything.” “Kay, bye.” Steam hung up the phone and went back to the living room. “So, who called?” Clementine asked. “My brother,” Steam answered. “Oh, okay. So what did he want to talk to you about.” Steam went silent for a second to think about something to say that won’t spoil anything, “Nothing that important.”