//------------------------------// // iii - Strike Three // Story: The Path of Absolution - Punishment // by Morningstar1337 //------------------------------// At the Cloudsdale Weather Tower, Star Song was taking a tour of the place, humming a few bars. Over Cast noticed her and decided to talk with her. “So, how do you like the tower?” Over Cast said. “It’s beautiful,” Star Song said. She landed on the cloud floor. “Cloudsdale is so different from what I’ve seen in Los Pegasus.” “What is Los Pegasus like? I haven’t really paid attention.” Over Cast blushed, her green mane contrasting with her now pink face. “Well, there’s casinos, concert halls, film studios, music halls. These halls are very beautiful, though some say the ones in Canterlot are much better.” “Well, I’m sure that they look beautiful.” Meanwhile, Cloudchaser and Flitter were in another hallway. They took a copy of the Foal Free Press. Flitter skimmed through the gossip section. “Man, sleazy journalists will write anything these days, huh?” She passed the paper to her sister. Cloudchaser read the gossip section. “Wonderbolt member seen gorging on pie?” Cloudchaser said. She read through more of the gossip section. “Mare-Do-Well resurfaces?  Local pegasus claimed to have started winter storm?” She saw her friend Thunderlane being harassed by some protesters and rolled her eyes. “We leave for Cloudsdale for a week and now the school’s become a tabloid. I can’t wait to see Ponyville when we return from this weather group thing.” “Aren’t you going to try out for the Wonderbolts?” “Yeah, Thunderlane’s coming too. Maybe the tabloids won’t harass him at the academy.” Cloudchaser handed the paper back to her sister. Meanwhile, Over Cast was continuing her conversation with Star Song. “So you like to sing?” “Of course,” Star Song said. “I just think that music is a wonderful thing.” “Well maybe when this is over, you can invite me to one of your recitals. I would like to hear you sing.” “Of course I will,” Star Song said. Several minutes passed and the pair had met up with Flitter and Cloudchaser. The four pegasi were a little anxious. “So are we really going to research the storm up close?” Flitter said. “‘Fraid so,” Over Cast said. “We need to find out why the ponies in Unicorn Range froze and get them out of there.” “Did anypony find out how a storm like this was able to freeze the ponies this fast?” Flitter asked. “Not yet, but Gale Force asked for an elementalist to help us withstand the cold there.” “Um, I think I should stay out and research it from here.” Flitter shivered. Cloudchaser noticed the fear in her sister’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that we can make it out of the storm out okay.” She tried to comfort her. Star Song said, “besides, the storm seems to be heading to Ponyville. It would have to pass through Cloudsdale to get there.” She started to feel a little bit scared as well. “Though I think we should keep a safe distance, just in case.” “We’ll wait until Gale comes back with the elementalist, then we’ll decide how to approach the storm. Okay?” Over Cast said. Flitter and Star Song were a little relieved but Cloudchaser was a little saddened. The group flew to the central room to wait for Gale Force. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were trotting near Sugarcube Corner. “So do you think that they are gonna accept our apology this time?” Scootaloo said.          “I don’t know,” Sweetie Belle said. “But we can’t just give up.” In her saddle bag was a piece of paper. “But how are we gonna get it printed now?” Apple Bloom said. “Diamond Tiara will be extra careful not to let us anywhere without--” She noticed a group nearby. The mob had been knocking on the gingerbread-like building. Pinkie answered the door. “Yes?” The mob seemed to be made of various ponies. Several of them had torches, while others were holding pitchforks and signs that read, “Celestia hates Gabby Gums” and “Gossipy Hens go to Tartarus." One of the ponies took out a picture of the three Crusaders. “Have you seen these fillies?” “Nope,” Pinkie said. “Why are you looking for them anyway?” “We think that these brats need to be taught a lesson.” The Crusaders overheard and hid behind one of the corners. “Well I haven’t seen them all day,” Pinkie said. “Have you checked Carousel Boutique?” The leader of the mob took a careful look and the group went down the road behind them. The Crusaders saw them heading their way and ran around the building as the angry mob passed them. They took a look around to find them gone. They breathed a sigh of relief. “There they are!” One of the mob ponies had noticed the Crusaders. The fillies gulped and ran as far away as they could from the mob. Pinkie looked outside again and noticed the mob were chasing the fillies. “Ooh, are you teaching them a lesson in tag? Can I go play?” But the chase was too far away for them to hear her. She bounced after the group blissfully unaware that they were trying to exile the Crusaders. The chase went on for a few minutes, passing Sweet Apple Acres along the way. Applejack saw her sister and her friends running from the mob. She was baffled by this turn of events. Applejack was about to go after the mob when Pinkie Pie bounced by. She said, “hey Applejack, do you want to play tag?” “Tag?” Applejack was confused. “Pinkie, I don’t have time for this right now.” “But you’re gonna miss the lesson.” “Lesson? What lesson?” By the time Applejack asked that question, the mob and the Crusaders were already far from the farm. “Those ponies said that they want to teach the Cutie Mark Crusaders a lesson in tag.” Applejack was baffled by Pinkie’s response, until she remembered what the ponies were holding. “Oh no. My sister’s in trouble. Pinkie go find the others.” She then went after the angry mob. “Okie dokie lokie.” Pinkie then bounced to Carousel Boutique. Gale Force had returned to Cloudsdale. Behind him was a unicorn on a hot air balloon. “Alright, Element Shield. These are the ponies coming with me to investigate the snow storm.” Element Shield took a look at the pegasi. His windswept blue and yellow mane stood out from his red coat. “So these ponies are going to brave the storm huh?” He noticed that Flitter and Star Song were scared and said, “Don’t worry, these spells are harmless.” He began his spell. Green light began emanating from his horn as a light green wind began to envelope the pegasi. Flitter and Gale Force were floating as the winds blew around them. When the spell was finished, each pegasi was in a bubble of wind. “Now then, some of you will benefit more from these spells than others,” Elemental Shield said. He began another spell, and this time the light was both yellow and purple. A small thunderstorm appeared from the cloud ceiling. Most of the pegasi cringed as the lightning bolts hit them but Cloudchaser took the blast head on. When the spell ended, lightning flashed around the wind barriers. “Kinda tickles,” Cloudchaser joked. The electricity buzzing around her barrier was purple. The other bolts were yellow. “Was that really necessary?” Flitter said. “You could have hurt us!” “No,” Elemental Shield said. “These spells only give an illusion of that. An illusion that those attuned to a particular element can see through. Watch and learn.” His horn began to glow an icy blue. The water below the clouds began to freeze below the pegasi. Gale, Star Song, Flitter, and Cloudchaser tried to escape the ice, but Over Cast remained in the same spot. Eventually the ponies were frozen by the spell, but the ice quickly melted until only rings were left around the ponies. Star Song had the most elegant one. Element Shield finished the spell. “The subconscious is a tricky thing. It defines who we are. Our hopes, our dreams, and our emotions. Yet those three things can and will be changed by reactions to the environment and to what we say and do. This spell is different from the last three. It requires you to think of your friendships and bonds or it can and will fail. This is not a spell that creates elemental barriers from nothing, but rather one that makes your bonds manifest as power. “I’m sure you are familiar with this type of magic. The Elements of Harmony are the most potent and famous example. But there are other forms of magic that are fueled by your bonds, like the Fires of Friendship, or the long lost Crystal Heart.” “And why are you telling us this?” Over Cast said. “Let alone trying to cast it on us?” “Because this magic came by special request.” Elemental Shield looked at Gale Force. “Quantity of friendships does not matter with this spell, but quality does. If your bonds are tarnished then the spell will collapse and your heart will freeze from the inside. Are you ready?” The pegasi nodded. Elemental Shield began his spell. The light on his horn glowed a fiery orange and red, and infernos blazed around the pegasi, covering their barriers in fire and flames. Flitter and Cloudchaser thought about each other, and the stallion named Thunderlane. They also thought about his little brother. Star Song began thinking about a pink earth pony with pastel colors in her mane and tail, well as a cheerful green pony with a pink mane and a thing for socks. Over Cast and Gale Force thought of their familes. The flames began to extinguish themselves, leaving only a single wisp above each of the barriers. Elemental Shield said, “Now remember, the flames, the ice, the lightning and the wind are illusions. Indicators of how much you can take of a certain element, and only you can see them. Also note that the spell will recharge over time, but if you take too much damage then they will break and you will take the strom’s full strength.” “Got it,” Gale said. “Good. Now I must go. Princess Celestia wants me to supplement Shining Armor’s spell for his upcoming wedding.” Elemental Shield then took his leave. The pegasi had noticed that his cutie mark was a bunch of triangles. After Elemental Shield left, Gale approached the other pegasi. “Alright. We are going to Unicorn Range now. It should take a few days to fly there.” Star Song looked at his cutie mark: his green flank had a small twister on it. She wondered about his special talent. “We must be vigilant. Under normal circumstances an elementalist’s skill would be unnecessary but if we’re facing what I think we’re facing, we’ll need all the help we can get.” Over Cast was suspicious. Flitter and Star Song were scared. Cloudchaser, on the other hoof, was pumped up for this. “Our goal is to go to Unicorn Range and help the other teams divert the storm back to the North. I asked someone to cover for us here at base until we return alright?” The other ponies agreed, and together, they headed for the Unicorn Range.