DATE: March 7th
LOCATION: Cloudsdale
[Perspective: Arrell]
“Arrell! Wake up! Arrell!”
I couldn’t tell who was speaking, but the panic in their voice was enough to get me up without any of the usual grogginess. My eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly, already blinking in the dim sunlight before my brain was even fully functioning.
“Arrell! We have to go! He’s back!” Asylum came into focus beside the bed. Judging by her messy mane, she had only been awake for a few more minutes than I had been.
Her words took about three seconds to register in my brain. Once they did, I blinked, and quickly jumped off the bed. In one smooth motion, I picked up my saddlebags, put them on, and pulled Bloodbath’s ax out. I turned to the pegasus.
“Lead the way.”
Turns out it wasn’t as early in the day as I thought. In fact, it was only a couple hours since I had fallen asleep. My watch said it was five in the morning, but I wasn’t sure if Equestria had differing time zones or not, so I just had to believe that Cloudsdale and Ponyville were in the same one if it did.
Whatever the time was, more ponies were up and about than you’d expect. Some guards were evacuating ponies from houses near where Nucleus, Pageant, and Drizzle lived; others were flying around with megaphones, directing ponies away from certain areas. Backing them up were members of the "Aerial Patrol"; I wasn't sure exactly who they were, but from what I gathered, they were the closest thing to a division of the Royal Guard that Cloudsdale had.
I found it hard to believe. This one pony, because of one article, had brought the entirety of Cloudsdale to its knees.
All to find one colt.
I saw one guard on the ground and ran to him, pulling him away from his conversation with another guard. “You. Tell me. Where is Drizzle?”
“Who?”
“The kid that this guy is trying to kill!”
He blinked before finally realizing who I meant. “He and his family are being held safely in the Cloudiseum. We’re hoping to evacuate them from the city in a couple hours.”
I grinned. “Perfect. Where in the Cloudiseum are they?”
“Ask the guards out front. They’ll show you.”
I nodded and ran back to Asylum. “You know where the Cloudiseum is?”
She nodded, not bothering to ask my intentions. She just turned and began to gallop off. I followed her, actually feeling excited for the first time in a while.
They’re already in the perfect place...now I just need some outside help.
[Perspective: Asylum]
We sat in the room with Nucleus, Pageant, Drizzle, and a dozen guards for a long time.
Arrell had figured out a plan on the way over, but he refused to tell me. Instead, he had asked a number of guards to round up as many weather pegasi from around the city as possible. He gave them all some kind of task, then went back to sitting in the room.
We were silent for a long time. I stole a glance at Arrell’s watch and saw that it was approaching noon. Drizzle and his family should have been evacuated hours ago, but Arrell said not to.
“As soon as we get them out of here, he’s going to strike. And I’m not taking the chance that somepony else will die, whether it’s them or somepony trying to protect them. We’re going to keep them here until the time is right, and then we’re going to get rid of him once and for all.”
That was all he said. It was the only thing he had said when I was in earshot since we got to the Cloudiseum.
“Arrell.”
He looked up at the guard who had walked in.
“They’re in position.”
He stood up. “Drizzle, come with me.”
Nopony questioned him. They knew not to try that anymore. The young colt slowly stood up and wobbled alongside him as he headed outside.
“This guy isn’t in his right mind. He’s not going to question why his target is walking around unguarded. He’ll just take the shot.” He grinned. “And I’ll be ready for him.”
I was starting to like this plan less and less, and I didn’t even know what it was.
The guards led myself, Nucleus, and Pageant up some stairs to what seemed to be the stands for the crowds during events. They were barren now, obviously, which gave us a good unblocked view of the area below.
The ground, which normally had a large hole in the bottom, had been completely plugged up with solid clouds. This allowed Drizzle, who had apparently been sent out while we were still going upstairs, to walk around freely.
At first, nothing happened. Several minutes passed uneventfully. Then, there was a flash of white against the blue sky - and it wasn’t a cloud.
I opened my mouth to scream, but a guard shut me up with a stern glare. I stayed silent, watching with a feel of helplessness as the hoodie-wearing pegasus descended into the arena.
“Now!”
All at once, everything changed.
Arrell ran out from behind a pillar, jumping in between Drizzle and the hoodie-wearing pony just as the latter landed barely a few feet away. A guard flew in, grabbing Drizzle and carrying him away, out of the arena. Pageant looked ready to scream, but a guard shushed her.
The hoodie-wearing pony didn’t look too pleased. He seemed like he was about to fly after the guard, when suddenly, a swarm of at least two hundred pegasi appeared, each one holding a large chunk of cloud.
At once, they pushed the clouds forward, the edges of the puffy material meeting at just the right point and merging. The sunlight that lit the arena began to grow dimmer, candles on the walls of the arena soon being the only source of light.
Within seconds, the open top of the Cloudiseum had been closed off with completely solid clouds.
“Let’s go,” one guard said quietly. He motioned to a nearby door.
My eyes widened. “We can’t just-”
“Arrell asked that everypony be evacuated. No exceptions.” He opened the door quietly. “Come along, or we’ll have to drag you out.”
I looked down at the massive arena, then to Nucleus and Pageant. I sighed and began to walk to the door, the rest of the guards following along and forcing the parents to come.
As soon as were outside, the door was shut, locked, and barricaded. Now there was no way in and no way out.
And Arrell was still inside with his greatest nightmare come to life.