//------------------------------// // The Breaking Clouds // Story: Fire & Rain // by Ruirik //------------------------------// “Must we really do this?” a mare’s voice asked, keeping a wary lookout for any passing pony that might stumble across them. “This is an exceptional circumstance,” another mare answered, her eyes scanning through a patient folder with the the name “Fleetfoot” written on the label. The smaller mare sighed, a hoof rubbing the back of her neck. She was an average sized unicorn with a periwinkle blue mane and a deep sapphire coat. Her cutie mark was hidden under a plain white doctor’s jacket that her... companion had ‘borrowed’ from the doctor’s lounge. Her eyes, a rich cyan color, cautiously scanned the hallway for any sign that they had been noticed. She didn’t expect anypony would notice them, the illusion spell that emanated from her horn would only be disrupted if somepony was within a few inches of them. Though given that they were currently reading through the files of everypony injured during the weather incident, being discovered was the last thing the sapphire mare wanted. Her companion was tall for a mare, standing a few inches over a fair number of stallions. Her alabaster coat and flowing pink mane had, as per usual, been groomed to perfection, though the white jacket hid most of it from view. “We...I feel so,” the first mare’s voice faltered as she considered the correct parlance, “I feel so diminished like this.” “I know, and I am sorry,” the second mare apologized, her attention never leaving the folder held in the golden aura of her horn. “But this is for the best, trust me.” “I dislike hiding like this.” “If it weren’t for the transformation spell, then we would attract far too much attention, Luna. The last thing anypony needs to see right now is us trotting about and causing a fuss.” “It could be argued, Tia, that this discretion will not make our task any simpler.” Luna said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the centuries, Luna, it’s that ponies are much more likely to exaggerate or outright lie to us if they think it will hide a mistake or failing on their part. They want so badly to impress us that they become blind to our desire for honesty first. We may have to take things a little less directly in these illusions, but the end result will gain us more accurate information.” Celestia explained, closing the folder and slipping it back into the file cabinet she found it in. “Besides, isn’t this more fun than being cooped up in the palace all day?” “I will admit it is not an... undesirable change of pace.” Luna agreed, looking over her shoulder at a passing nurse who wandered almost too close to her spell. “Have you found what you were looking for?” “I believe I have a good lead,” Celestia answered. “Come, Luna, we have work to do.” “Where are we going?” “Upstairs,” Celestia said, adjusting the lapels on her white jacket. Luna nodded, focusing her spell so that the illusion slowly enclosed on them until they were again visible to the common ponies wandering the halls. With enough concentration, nopony even noticed that the two previously unseen mares were now walking amongst them. Sometimes, Luna pitied the simple ponies of Equestria. Then again, they had far less to worry about than her or Celestia did, so perhaps there was something to be envied about the simple life. “I wonder if the other elements have arrived yet, surely the news of Miss Dash’s injuries has reached Ponyville by now,” Luna mused, keeping her voice hushed enough so only Celestia could hear her comments. “I should think not, actually.” “What do you mean, Tia?” Luna asked, her brows furrowing together in confusion. “Miss Dash is a dear friend, is she not?” “Most certainly, however I spoke with the Postmaster General and Secretary Foresight—the Stalliongradian, you remember?—right after we got the news and had them ensure that certain pieces of information would be delayed. It seems that the train that carries the mail to Ponyville was in dire need of maintenance. That buys us another day or two at most before Ponyville even learns about the accident, and another two or three days before they could arrive here by train.” Luna’s jaw dropped for a moment before she recovered her sense of decorum enough to close it. After a quick glance to confirm nopony was staring at them, Luna pulled Celestia into an empty room. “What in the world are you doing, Tia?” she demanded. “Thou can’t forestall her friends from learning of her fate!” “Luna, calm down,” Celestia said, resting a hoof on the smaller mare’s shoulder. “I am quite calm!” Luna insisted, pushing the offending hoof away. “I simply need to know why thoust—” “Language, Luna.” Luna groaned. “Why you are taking such unprecedented measures to keep the other Elements away?” Celestia took a deep breath, a faint sadness passing over her face. “As silly as this might sound, Luna, I just don’t want to see them unhappy. And I certainly don’t want them to learn about something like this from a newspaper. No, when the time comes, I will personally tell them the news.” “You shall? Even if the worst were to happen?” “Especially then,” Celestia said with a grim resolve. Luna sighed, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. “I shall accompany you then.” Celestia allowed herself a small smile, leaning over to lightly hug her sister. “There’s nopony I would rather have by my side, Luna.” Arcus allowed himself a single relieved sigh as he settled into one of the more comfortable armchairs he could find. Of the many sitting spaces the hospital provided, few were as comfortable, or secluded, as the chairs in the spinal care clinic. Arcus briefly noted the irony of that fact, but was too tired from his excruciating press conference to find any amusement in it. The press had been nothing less than a nightmare since he had gotten the news of Spitfire and Rainbow’s injuries. He had found out about the accident only when his grandchildren woke him up wondering why a horde of press ponies was loitering on his front porch several days earlier. Never, in all Arcus’ years of managing the Wonderbolts, had he been forced to issue a blanket ‘we have no comment at this time,’ statement to the press. It was nothing less than humiliating for the greying stallion. Worse still to the proud stallion was that he had been forced to get most of his information from the same papers that were hounding him. Adding to his ever expanding stack of problems was Fleetfoot. Specifically, the distinct lack of Fleetfoot since her... altercation with Spitfire. He hoped that his concerns were unfounded; that Fleetfoot had merely taken a long flight to Neighagara Falls to calm down. Or maybe she was visiting friends in Baltimare and simply forgot to leave a note. Arcus scoffed in irritation. He struggled to recall the last time he had hoped for something so naive. Precious few things ever worked out that nicely when Wonderbolts were involved. All Arcus could do was hope Fleetfoot turned up on her own, and that she wouldn’t be added to his current ‘problems’ file. “Somedays I wonder why I didn’t retire,” he mumbled to the ceiling tiles. Exhaling a deep breath, Arcus closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment of relaxation. He would figure out the next step after a short rest. He let his mind drift, free of all his thoughts and concerns, and for a moment, he felt the warm embrace of sleep call to him. Then a hoof knocked on the door frame. Arcus bit back a frustrated groan as he sat up, a hoof rubbing his eyes. Looking to the door, he spotted the pony responsible for the interruption. Staring at him with bright blue eyes and an obnoxiously happy smile was a peach coated earth pony mare with a vivid red mane. Sitting on top of her head was a white nurses cap with a red cross emblazoned on the front. “Can I help you, Ma’am?” he asked “You’re Arcus, right?” “Yes, and you are...” “I’m Nurse Joy,” she answered, her smile never faltering. “Do you know a mare named Fleetfoot, by chance?” His eyes widened for a moment before he regained his composure. “I do, have you found her?” “Yes, she was brought in a few days ago—” “Well how is—” He blinked, head tilting sideways as his eyebrows narrowed. “... Wait... wait, you’re shitting me, aren’t you?” he snorted and shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Good one.” Joy’s smile disappeared to an angry frown, not unlike the kind used by a strict grandmother. It sent a shiver through Arcus. “I do not appreciate that tone or that language in here, sir.” “Er... I-I’m sorry,” Arcus uttered, doing his best not to wilt under the mare’s gaze. Her smile returned almost instantly. “Apology accepted!” Arcus took a moment to swallow the knot in his throat before hopping out of the armchair. “How is she?” “Physically, her biggest problem is a few broken ribs. There’s also signs of shock trauma like we saw in some of the weather team, but that’s not why I’m here.” Joy explained, biting her lip anxiously. “What’s wrong?” he asked, careful to keep his tone soft. “She’s... well, maybe it’s best if you just come with me. She’s been asking for you anyway.” Arcus nodded, pulling his saddlebag onto his back and shaking his wings out. Several loose feathers fell from his wings and drifted to the floor. Arcus didn’t even notice them, though Joy very much did. “You know we really prefer pegasi clean up their own feathers,” Nurse Joy said, frowning at Arcus like a disappointed parent. Arcus felt his brain temporarily stall out, his eyes staring at the young mare in front of him. Slowly he turned to look at the smattering of feathers that he had so casually discarded. He let out a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. “Sorry, I, uh, just back from Cloudsdale, we never really notice them there.” Joy sighed, shaking her head slowly. “If you would please clean those up first, then I’ll take you downstairs. “Of course, and I apologize.” Arcus said, giving the mare a polite bow. Quickly plucking the few feathers off the floor, he tossed them in the wastebin that sat beside the armchair. Joy nodded in satisfaction, motioning for Arcus to follow her. “You should be careful where you leave your feathers,” she said as they entered the hallway, “some places will charge you five to ten bits for doing that.” Arcus bit his tongue and forced a curt nod. Sometimes, just sometimes, he really hated terrestrial ponies. “Which room are we looking for, Tia?” “Three-fourteen, and remember, it’s ‘Sunny’ when we are like this.” Luna mumbled quietly, her eyes reading the numbers on the room doors. She stopped when she noticed a familiar looking stallion being escorted by a younger mare. “T... Sunny,” Luna began, struggling to restrain her eyes from rolling too much, “that stallion o’er there, does he not look familiar?” Celestia turned from the door she had been looking at, her eyes scanning the hall until she spotted him as well. “Ah yes, that’s the stallion who runs the Wonderbolts... Oh, bother, what was his name?” “Arceus?” Luna suggested. “No, no, that was a character from that foals game that you were reading about,” Celestia scratched her chin for a moment before the realization clicked. “Aha! Arcus, that was it!” “It seems he’s heading for the same room we are,” Luna noted. Celestia hummed softly. “I think we can work with that.” Luna furrowed her brows, curious what the elder alicorn had in mind. Without another word, Celestia trotted down the hall at a brisk pace, Luna in tow. Once they had gotten close enough for both Arcus and the nurse to notice them, Celestia spoke. “Excuse me,” she began, directing a warm smile to the old stallion. “You are Arcus, correct?” “Yes ma’am, can I help you?” Arcus replied on instinct. “My name is Sunny Days,” she introduced herself with a warm smile before motioning a hoof to the smaller unicorn behind her. “This is my assistant, Aurora.” “Pleasure to meet you both,” Arcus said, giving both mares a polite bow of his head. “Is there something I can help you with?” “Yes, actually, would I be correct in assuming you are here to speak with a mare named Fleetfoot?” Sunny asked. “I might, why do you ask?” “My assistant and I would like to join you for this conversation,” Sunny said, motioning to the smaller unicorn with a hoof. “I apologize ma’am, but this is a confidential matter,” the old stallion answered. “Is there some medical concern with Fleetfoot that I should be aware of?” Sunny’s smile faltered for a moment. “No, no I don’t believe so.” Aurora subtly rolled her eyes, seemingly annoyed by the whole conversation. The minute gesture didn’t escape the sharp eyes of a pegasus like Arcus. “Are either of you doctors here?” “No, but—” “Do you recognize either of these mares?” Arcus asked Joy. “No, no I don’t,” she answered, an equally wary look on her face. “You’re with the press, aren’t you?” Arcus said, his tone making it clear that it was more of an accusation than a question. Sunny’s pleasant smile turned to a sour frown from the insinuation. Arcus scowled. “You should both be ashamed of yourselves, sneaking into hospitals for a headline or a perverse picture.” “We did no such—” “Who hired you? Red Top? Some other bottom-feeding muckraker looking to make a quick bit,” Arcus practically hissed, his feathers puffing out as his wings unfurled slightly. “You should both be ashamed of yourselves.” Sunny’s eye twitched. “That is quite enough.” Leaning down so her lips were level with his left ear, ‘Sunny’ began to whisper. From her position, leaning against the wall, Aurora observed the scene with muted interest. She tried not to chuckle when the slow dawn of horror spread over the old stallion’s face. “I... I’m...” he stuttered, his face noticeably paler than it had been moments earlier. “Hush now, my little pony. You didn’t know.” Celestia said, her kind smile once again gracing her face. Arcus managed a nod, clearing his throat he look to Nurse Joy. “Thank you, miss, for showing me down here. If you don’t mind, we need a few minutes in private.” Joy nodded slowly, still keeping a wary eye on the two unicorns. “I’ll be just outside the door.” Still trembling, Arcus motioned for Sunny and Aurora to enter first. Sunny gave the door a gentle knock before she pushed it open and trotted inside, Aurora following close behind. Arcus hesitated before following, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. Sometimes he really regretted not retiring. Fleetfoot’s room was textbook standard by any definition. The standard bed was placed in the standard corner and dressed with the standard white sheets. The walls, window dressings, and even the armchair beside the bed fared no better in comparison. Celestia, Luna, and Arcus found themselves wondering how more ponies didn’t go insane trapped in such a room. Fleetfoot herself had been listening to the radio news when they entered. Though the distant look in her eyes and the tear streaks down her face were more than enough to make a pony question how much Fleetfoot was actually aware of her own surroundings. It took a moment for her to notice the three new ponies in the room and snap back to reality. “A-Arcus,” she whispered, her ears folding back. “Hello, Fleetfoot,” he greeted her warmly, “we’ve been looking for you for a few days now. You had us all worried.” Fleetfoot nodded a little. “Sorry.” Arcus cleared his throat and motioned to the two unicorns in the room. “Fleetfoot, this is Sunny and Aurora, they’re from Canterlot.” “Hello, my little pony,” Sunny began, a motherly smile on her lips and a soothing tone to her voice. Her sense of calm was tangible, and Fleetfoot felt her mind relax from the mere presence of the tall mare. “How are you feeling?” “Better, I guess,” Fleetfoot answered, her eyes drifting from Arcus to the two unicorns . “Are... are you with the Guard?” Sunny gave a gentle chuckle and slow shake of her head. “No dear, we’re just here to ask you some questions.” “You should get the guard,” Fleetfoot whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. “Why’s that, dear?” Sunny asked, moving closer to the bedridden pegasus. Fleetfoot nodded, sniffling and wiping her eyes with a hoof. “I... I think I killed Rainbow Dash.” Arcus felt his heart skip a beat and his blood pressure skyrocket. A quick glare from Sunny was all it took to keep him quiet though. “Miss Dash is quite alive, at least for the time being,” Aurora spoke up. “S-she is?” Fleetfoot asked, tears dripping down her cheeks. Arcus could see the faintest glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Yes, she is,” Sunny confirmed with a nod, her horn flaring to life in a golden glow. She pulled several tissues from a box beside the bed and, holding them in her magic aura, she gently wiped the tears from Fleetfoot’s eyes and dabbed her nose. “She is very grievously injured, though, and we need to know how that happened.” “We have interviewed the entire weather team already,” Aurora said, pacing closer to Fleetfoot and subtly pushing Arcus out of the way. “None of them could explain how Miss Dash acquired her injuries. We hoped you could shed further light on the issue.” “It...it’s my fault,” Fleetfoot whispered, a fresh wave of tears leaking down her cheeks. “What happened, Fleetfoot?” Arcus asked. Fleetfoot sucked a sharp breath into her mouth, pressing her hooves over her eyes. “Fleetfoot, nopony’s mad at you,” Arcus lied, “we just need to know what happened. Please, talk to us.” Fleetfoot managed a nod, swallowing another breath and doing her best to calm down. “I... I was really worked up about some things, and... and I went for a morning flight. My apartment isn’t too far from the weather area, so I usually pass through on my route. Well... t-that morning I saw Rainbow Dash and stopped to talk to her.” “What was she doing? Were there any other ponies around?” Sunny asked, her attention fully focused on Fleetfoot. “She was sitting on a small cloud, I landed on the other end and we talked for a bit.” “What about?” Aurora asked, making notes in a small pad of paper, a pencil held in her magic. “I wanted to ask her about the Rainboom,” Fleetfoot answered. Sunny shot Arcus a stern glare. “I asked her why she wouldn’t teach us the rainboom, and we argued for a bit. Then... then I jumped off the cloud and there was this loud bang.” Fleetfoot shuddered, her hooves rubbing at her face. “I don’t know what happened. Everything hurt, and... and Rainbow wasn’t moving. I went to get help! I swear I tried! But... but I don’t remember anything until I woke up here!” “Fleetfoot, what kind of cloud was it?” Arcus asked, his anxious tone making both Sunny and Aurora focus their attentions on him. “What did it look like?” Fleetfoot’s eyebrows scrunched together as she struggled to find the details in her mind. “Grey I think... I dunno. There were lots of grey clouds.” “Thunderheads,” Arcus whispered, taking a step back. “That’s gotta be what did it.” “Fleetfoot,” Sunny began, offering the weeping mare some fresh tissues. “when Rainbow Dash wakes up, we will listen to her version of events as well. Is there anything you aren’t telling us?” Fleetfoot slowly shook her head, her ears folded and her eyes downcast. Celestia could scarcely recall the last time she had beheld such a broken looking mare. It pained her to see any of her little ponies so distraught. Still, the truth had to be found, no matter how painful it might be. Celestia could only hope things would work out for the best. Despite what the citizens of Equestria liked to believe, there was no such thing as miracles. “We shall speak again soon,” Sunny promised, reassuringly patting Fleetfoot’s shoulder. “Until then rest and heal.” Fleetfoot nodded. As the three began to leave, she thought of one last thing to say. “Hey, Arcus?” “Yes?” “Can I get some paper? I... I wanna have my resignation ready before I hurt the team any worse.” Arcus sighed sadly before nodding. “I’ll get it for you, Fleetfoot.” “So why aren’t you plugged back into the baggy?” Rapid asked, using his dexterous primaries to pull a card from the deck sitting between him and Spitfire. “They said as long I can keep down liquids and light food, and I don’t overstress myself, then I don’t have to be on it. They are gonna leave the IV in until I’m discharged though.” Spitfire answered, her eyes focused on the cards held in her good wing. “How’s it feel?” “...Itchy.” Rapid scoffed and nodded. “Are you gonna go back downstairs and see Rainbow again?” “Yeah, I just needed to rest for a bit and get another dose of morphine.” Spitfire grimaced. “She awake yet?” Spitfire’s posture deflated, her face pulling into a sad frown. “No. I’m worried about her.” “She’s a tough girl, she’ll be fine.” Rapid assured her. “Got any kings?” “Go fish.” A soft knock on the pulled both Spitfire and Rapid’s attentions to the door. To their surprise they saw a beleaguered looking Soarin’ leaning over the threshold, a grim look on his face, his eyes fixated on the cold tile floor. The twins exchanged a nervous glance. “Hey, Mallow,” Rapid said. “What’s wrong?” Spitfire asked at the same time. Soarin’ kept his eyes on the floor. “Well, I went to ask Bifrost if he needed anything and to ask how Rainbow was doing,” “What. Happened.” Spitfire growled, trying her best to sit up inspite of the pain. Silence filled the room, tension filling the air like the weight of the ocean. “She’s, um...” He paused, taking a deep breath. Spitfire bit her lip, her unwavering attention fixated on Soarin’. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until her lungs started to burn. “She’s awake!” he exclaimed with a bright grin. “W-what?” Spitfire whispered, as the revelation hit her like a freight train. “Yep, I was there when she opened her eyes.” Soarin’ boasted, allowing himself a small puff of pride. “Well... I mean...” Spitfire huffed, folding her forelegs across her chest. “That’s just not fair. I wanted to be there when she woke up.” “I have that effect on mares,” Soarin’ preened, casually polishing his hoof on his chest. “Did she say anything?” Spitfire asked, hope sparkling in her eyes. Soarin’ hummed for a moment, his hoof rubbing his chin. “There was some stuff to her dad, compliments on my stunning good looks, and oh yeah, she asked for you.” Spitfire grunted as she pushed herself into a fully upright position, the sudden motion earning her a sharp burst of pain. She gritted her teeth and ignored it, instead focusing on getting off the bed. Rainbow was calling for her, and not even Celestia herself would stop Spitfire from seeing her again. “Easy, Spits,” Rapid said, helping her off the bed so she wouldn’t jar her wing too badly. “Thanks,” she grunted. Once her hooves were back on solid ground, Spitfire stood still for a few moments to catch her breath and wait for the pain to ease. When it was at a manageable level she marched for the door, and Soarin’ stepped aside to give her enough space to get through without bumping the heavy cast. She stopped alongside him and gave the large stallion a hug. “Thanks for telling me.” Soarin’ shrugged, careful to not touch her wing as he returned the hug. “You’d better get going. Bifrost is trying to figure out if he can sneak her back to Cloudsdale without anypony noticing she’s gone.” Spitfire snickered and nodded. “You guys coming?” “Nah, we’ll let you be,” Soarin’ answered, an evil smirk creeping onto his lips. “Besides, poor little Rapid here would just faint like a filly if he sets a hoof in that room.” “Oh, screw you!” Rapid shouted, making an obscene gesture at Soarin’. Spitfire’s snort of laughter quickly turned to a cringe of pain. “Ow, don’t make me laugh.” “It’s okay, honey, you’ll be a big colt someday,” Soarin’ chided Rapid with a wink. “Uhhg, too much male bonding in here,” Spitfire groaned, giving them a playful roll of her eyes. “Need help getting down there?” “Nah, I got it.” Spitfire smiled with excitement. “You boys have fun, don’t make a mess of my bed.” There was a loud smack as Soarin’s hoof met his forehead. Rapidfire trotted up beside Soarin’, who slipped into the room once Spitfire had passed. “You suck,” he grumbled. “You swallow,” Soarin’ shot back with a giggle. His eye twitching, Rapid waited until his sister was out of sight before pushing the door shut. Without further warning, he spun around and swung his hoof at Soarin’s face. Soarin’ managed a curse as he ducked the blow, his wings flaring out for balance. “What the hay, Rapid?!” “Shut up and hold still, I’m gonna kick your stupid flank!” Rapid growled, striking out with his left foreleg. Folding his left wing, Soarin’ rolled to the side, springing up just out of Rapid’s range. “It’s not my fault you’re squeamish!” “Shut up!” Ducking another blow, Soarin’ spun low, his left foreleg sweeping under Rapid and knocking him off his hooves. Before he could regain his footing, Soarin’ threw himself onto Rapid’s back, using his weight to hold the smaller stallion in place. “Get offa’ me!” “Sure, when you’re not gonna take a swing at me again!” Arcus trotted up to Spitfire’s room, his mind reeling from the conversation with Celestia and Luna. Before he spoke with Rainbow Dash, he had a few things he needed to clear up with Spitfire. Lifting a hoof to knock on the door, he froze when he heard voices shouting from inside. “Hey-OW! NO BITING!” “You started it!” “Like hell I did!” “Get off me!” “Dammit, hold still and calm down!” Without thinking, Arcus pushed the door open. “Spitfire? Is ev—” Arcus’ words died on his tongue when he got a good look at the two stallions on the floor. Rapidfire was on his stomach, pinned down by Soarin’. The sky-blue stallion was straddling Rapid’s backside while his front hooves held Rapid’s against the floor. Both stallions stared at him like a pair of stunned deer. A particularly pregnant pause filled the room until Rapidfire broke the silence. “This is exactly what it looks like.” “WHAT?!” Soarin’ shouted. Arcus slammed the door shut and walked away. He needed a drink.