With his meal eaten Cloud sat in the field wondering what had went wrong. He ran through his entire involvement in the invasion…
In his identity as “Cloud Breaker” Drone 9417 was trying to pass himself off as weather pony from the Neighagra Falls area taking a two-month break to travel Equestria and settling into Ponyville a bit because of “all the action” that had popped up there of late usually caused by Twilight Sparkle and her friends. His arrival into Ponyville rather well-timed, just a week before he showed up there was a “calling all pegasi” weather formation event to bring water to Cloudsdale that the changelings knew nothing about. As a changeling with no viable weather training he may have easily been discovered but since he came later he lucked out.
When it came to weather stories he did have enough research under his belt to fake it a bit when the conversation undoubtedly turned there and it did somewhat often living with two weatherponies. He had limitations but he could at least try to get around them, dare say he really came to like his hosts somewhat.
“Personally I think I prefer storm positioning in the summer to snow positioning in the winter,” Serenity said. “There’s nothing like a fine afternoon drizzle to make the grass and flowers grow properly. And usually you don’t end up with a coat full of ice crystals afterward. What do you think Cloud dude?”
“Well I, ah, prefer a nice snowstorm,” ‘Cloud’ replied. “Snow creates such a peaceful and serene scene. Perfect for a nice low-lever flyby… as long as there’s no microbursts. We did one once trying to rush the snowfall and I ended up front hooves deep in the powder afterward.”
Serenity looked at him funny at that line.
“That was pretty foolish,” Serenity said. “A microburst in winter is an unusually dangerous and out of season approach for snowfall. You’re lucky you didn’t end up like those freaks in Hoofington who tried a ‘Snownado’ for cleaning at Winter Wrap-up a few years back.”
“Um yeah,” ‘Cloud’ said, trying to bail out from a clear mistake. “My boss got knocked down to cloud kicking in Appaloosa for that one.”
“He’s lucky he’s not ridding a low-level desk in Cloudsdale,” Serenity noted.
“Happens in any business,” ‘Cloud’ said, trying to change the subject. “Someone gets promoted too high up the ladder. What’ll help make you a great cloud buster in Ponyville doesn’t transfer over much to overseeing the snowflake production in the Cloudsdale factory.”
“I suppose,” Serenity replied.
“You boys trying to mix business with pleasure again?” asked Sunny as she walked in.
“Is there any way not to when you work with weather,” Serenity noted. “This business rocks. It’s like being a Princess with none of that royality manure. We get to decide where the rain and sun go.”
“Technically I decide where the sun and the rain go with my patterns, you just position them,” Sunny said with a smirk.
“True, true,” Serenity noted. “You know best in that area.”
There was clear winner in this discussion. ‘Cloud’ just smiled. Ah, to be young and in love. Tasty, tasty love.
“Got to know when you’re beat right, Cloud?” asked Serenity.
“Yeah, always follow orders from your superiors,” ‘Cloud’ replied. “Especially when you’re dating one.”
“Have you ever dated anyone Cloud?” asked Sunny. “Give me a chance to talk to Dolphin Dream and I’m sure she can hook you up with a nice mare for your trip to the royal wedding in Canterlot. It’d be the least I could do after the favors you’ve been doing for us of late.”
“Oh I’m good, I want to wait until I find my special somepony on my own,” ‘Cloud’ replied, like several of the other spies he would be using a fake wedding invitation to explain his final departure. “Besides, I’ve only got one spot in the festivities.”
“You are so lucky to have landed an invitation to that,” Serenity noted. “It’s not my thing but Sunny would have loved to chance to meet Princess Cadence.”
“I’m sure Cadence would love to meet her too if the chance arose,” ‘Cloud said, knowing full well the Queen would be impersonating her by now. “But I’m sure she’s too busy to see anyone with the final preparations going on now though.”
“How’d you get an invite anyway?,” Sunny asked.
“I know some of the entertainment for this year’s shindig,” ‘Cloud’ said, a slight hint of smirk on his face. “Talking to them they say nopony will ever forget this wedding day. But as for payback just save me a spot at your wedding and we’ll call it even.”
“Deal,” said Serenity. “Just no drunken speeches at the reception. We’ll get enough of that from Berry Punch, Sassaflash and Caramel.”
“I’ll try,” ‘Cloud’ responded.
The three weeks he spent living with the “dynamic duo” were some of the best of his life. With the rarity of usable love in the homeland it was refreshing to day after day have all the ‘food’ he could eat. He’d be in some most nourished shape of his life for the invasion. To be honest, he’d miss them. But such is the life of a changeling, “love’em and leave’em” was practically their motto.
When his room lease ended ‘Cloud Breaker’ departed on the day before the wedding with a hug from Sunny, a hoof bump from Serenity, and a promise to write often to stay in touch that he sadly knew he’d never be able to keep. He really thought about warning them to take a trip to the Griffin Empire for a few days but he knew they wouldn’t on such short notice and he didn’t bother. He threw his bits in a saddlebag he purchased in Ponyville and flew off in the direction of Canterlot…until he was out of sight from Ponyville then he turned north. With his last report filed it was time to take his place in the swarm for the attack.
The swarm would meet up in the mountains the day before then storm in the day of the wedding. They planned to take the capital then gradually expand out to swallow up the rest of Equestria. ‘Cloud’ wondered how long Sunny and Serenity would be okay, being outside Canterlot they’d have warning and he was sure they could get away if they tried… he still kind of wished he warned them.
The news leading into the attack was not good. The swarm had been locked out of Canterlot for a week because while the exact nature of what was happening was unknown somehow the ponies had been tipped off something would be, ‘Cloud’ figured it was probably a changeling who lost faith in the queen or maybe one of the other spies got discovered and talked. However it happened Shining Armor and his royal guards put a shield around the city they’d never get through. It was up to Queen Chrysalis now to pave the way for the attack. They knew were ready for the Elements of Harmony, conquest was at hand.
But before he arrived at the rendezvous ‘Cloud’ still continued to think of Sunny and Serenity. Even after he left he could still feel a bit of their love but it was almost time to get down to business. Somehow he couldn’t just walk out, he should but he wanted them to have closure. Looking down he noticed a set of train tracks and a small town. Well, maybe there was one last act ‘Cloud’ the pegasus should take.
‘Cloud’ landed in the little town of Jerkwater and walked over to the train station. Jerkwater was tiny, perhaps 50 ponies lived here at most, and it existed only for the rail line. It was here that Friendship Express trains heading north into the mountains would pick up a helper engine or top off with water. At the station he walked into a room labeled as an office of the Equestrian Royal Postal Service. He purchased a small box and just enough materials to write a letter. With a few strokes of the quill he wrote a final epitaph for ‘Cloud’…
“Dear Ms. Sunny Rays and Mr. Serenity,
My name is Final Goodbye and I run the Flowery Meadows funeral home in Canterlot. It is with deepest regret that I must inform you that the pegasus Cloud Breaker has been killed in the Changeling invasion of Canterlot. He died from injuries suffered trying to fight back with others against the invasion. With his last breath he gave us directions to mail this saddlebag full of bits back to you, he had no family and requested cremation so there will be no funeral. We are so sorry for your loss. May Celestia’s sun and Luna’s moon shine on you to help you through this troubled time.”
He threw his saddlebag and all his remaining bits in the box and mailed it, they’d probably get it a few days later after the attack. Cloud’s mind was starting to turn elsewhere when the older blue earth pony at the mail counter tried to start a conversation.
“You’re just in time, sonny,” the older mail pony said.
“Ah yeah, sure,” ‘Cloud’ said as he turned to leave, his mind elsewhere.
“You a weather pony?” the older pony said.
“Huh, um, yeah,” ‘Cloud’ said. “But it’s my day off, I can’t move any weather in without permission.”
“Oh that’s fine,” the older pony said. “I just wanted to know if you knew when we’d be getting our new workhorse.”
“I don’t know,” ‘Cloud’ said. “I’d love to chat I gotta go.”
“Have a good day,” the older pony said as ‘Cloud’ walked out the door.
With a train arriving at the station he took to the skies and left Jerkwater to join up with the swarm. He didn’t notice his package was already being loaded on board for shipment.
He had almost forgotten how good a transformation felt until in a flash of green ‘Cloud’ vanished for good, or so he thought, and Drone 9417 was back ready for battle. For the next 12 hours the swarm rested and plotted. As he slept on the ground Drone 9417 actually sort of missed his couch in Ponyville. As dawn broke the changelings took off and slowly began to surround Canterlot, when the time of the wedding arrived the shield was still up leaving them to pound away uselessly at it in a futile attempt to be ready. Suddenly the pink shield crumbled from the inside, Chrysalis’ plan had worked and the attack was on as they all dive-bombed the city.