//------------------------------// // A Ray of Sunshine // Story: A Change of Weather // by Brolkier //------------------------------// Chapter 5 – A Ray of Sunshine Cloudy looked up, to see the blurred outline of Princess Celestia, looking down at him from her throne. “Princess Celestia! Princess please! There’s been...” He tried to speak. “Calm yourself Cloudy Airy, I only wish to talk for now. Now, I have received some troubling news this morning, and I wish to get your side of the story, before anypony jumps to conclusions.” Princess Celestia told Cloudy. “Yes, I understand Princess, but there are bigger problems at the moment!” Cloudy replied back. “Whatever do you mean?” Princess Celestia asked. “A Unicorn from the dungeons, Galaga Century, has escaped!” Cloudy told the Princess. “What!? How?” The Princess began to sound angry. Cloudy didn’t want to admit that he had been the one to set Galaga free, but he knew that it would be a bad idea to lie to the Princess. “I…I set her free.” He admitted. “What!? Why would you do such a thing?” Princess Celestia demanded. Her guards began to prepare themselves, in case they needed to apprehend Cloudy. “I was blinded by her words, and by my petty will for revenge. She didn’t tell me who she was, until after I had already freed her from her shackles, and I never thought to ask before she tricked me. Although, she probably would have lied until I set her free anyway.” Cloudy replied distraughtly. “Cloudy Airy, your actions have released a great danger upon Equestria, and now we must try to contain it once again.” The Princess told Cloudy. She was then about to summon her sister for her help, before Luna appeared before her from using her magic. “Luna.” “Sister, we have grave news. The residence belonging to the Earth pony Tanner, hath been destroyed, and Tanner himself, badly injured.” Luna told her sister. Cloudy’s eyes widened a bit at the message of what happened to Tanner and his shack. While Cloudy had wanted to get back at Tanner for supposedly tricking him, he would never have wished this kind of catastrophe upon him. “This is all my fault.” Cloudy thought. “Oh dear, what is his condition?” Celestia asked. “He seems stable dear sister. We enlisted the help of the local ponies to look after him, while we returned here. Our guards are also protecting him, in case whatever caused the explosion comes again.” Luna spoke. “Galaga, it had to have been her!” Cloudy thought to himself. He had told her about Tanner, and she most likely went there to try to find out more about the devices. “That’s good to hear, but I’m afraid our troubles won’t end there my sister. It also appears that Galaga Century has escaped from the dungeons, and is roaming Equestria once more.” Celestia spoke. “What!? But how?” Luna exclaimed. “That, is what I still wish to truly know. Cloudy Airy.” Celestia told Luna, before looking down again at Cloudy. “Welt! Thou art to blame for catastrophes yet again!?” Luna yelled at Cloudy, using her loud Equestrian voice. Cloudy could only look back and forth between the two princesses, not sure who to answer first. He bowed his head down, shut his eyes, and shook his head back and forth. Princess Celestia spoke first. “Time is short Cloudy. Tell us how you freed her, so that we can prevent her from escaping again.” Cloudy opened his eyes, and turned to Princess Celestia. He was still fearful in her emotionless look at him, though he also dared not turn around to gaze upon the anger of Princess Luna. “My glasses. My glasses were laced with a gem that had the properties to negate the magnetic bracelets that held us. I couldn’t reach mine to undo them, so I placed them on hers instead, and they fell apart. I still don’t know exactly what kind of gem was in them, but it could be any number of types.” “Very well, now that we know how that vile cretin escaped, we can prevent her from doing so again. Guards! Return this pony to the dungeon.” Luna exclaimed. “No, wait! I’m pretty sure that she was the one who attacked Tanner, and I’ve got a feeling that I know where she’s heading next.” “And where precisely is that?” Princess Celestia asked him. “I was the one who told her about Tanner, and I also told her where I had originally made the device. I get the feeling that she’s on her way to the (CWRF) to retrieve it.” Cloudy told the Princess. “Ha! The device hath already been confiscated from said domain. It now resides here at the castle, where the vile witch shall never find it!” Luna told Cloudy, sounding sure of herself. “Then the facility is still in danger!” Cloudy exclaimed. “What nonsense do you speaketh of now?” Luna questioned. “If she doesn’t know that the device isn’t there. No, even if she did know that it wasn’t there, she would still tear the facility apart, trying to find out more about it. Not to mention, she might attack the other ponies there!” Cloudy told Princess Luna. “Then we don’t have a second to spare. Come sister, we must hurry to the facility.” Princess Celestia spoke. “Right.” Replied Luna. “Wait, Princess!” Cloudy called out as the Princesses began to take off in flight. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Please just let me help save my fellow weather ponies at least? I know the facility like the back of my hoof, and I can help get everypony out safely. I’ve been denied repeatedly the opportunity to try and make up for my mistakes. Once this is all over, I’ll gladly return to my cell, or accept banishment for the rest of my life, but I just want this one chance to help.” Cloudy desperately spoke to the Princesses. Princess Celestia turned to her sister Luna, whom still had a doubtful look on her face. Celestia then looked back at Cloudy, seeing the desperate look on his face. She thought to herself for a second, before turning to her guards, and ordering them to release Cloudy. She then cast a spell on Cloudy, to temporarily fix his eyesight. “We must hurry if we want to beat Galaga to the facility.” She said. With his bracelets off, and his vision normal again for now, Cloudy spread his wings and lifted himself off the ground. “Thank you Princess.” He spoke to Princess Celestia. The three of them then left Canterlot, flying as fast as they could towards Cloudsdale. Beyond the outskirts of Ponyville, Galaga Century made her way to the base of a very tall mountain. “If we are not to give ourselves wings to fly to the clouds, then the peak of this mountain should be a good place to start.” Galaga then began to teleport herself up the mountain, moving between each higher ledge she could find. Eventually, she could see that the mountain jetted up through a cloud, and she cast a spell on herself, to allow her to walk on clouds once she arrived. She teleported a few more times, until she was just beneath the cloud. “Now let’s see if we’ve found the right place.” She said with a sly grin, before jumping up through the cloud. Once she had cleared the cloud’s surface, she heard something else land back on the cloud, besides herself. Galaga turned to find a red Pegasus sitting on the cloud, and looking back up at her. “Hey watch where you’re going!” The Pegasus said to her. “Oh, we’re sorry, we didn’t see you there.” Galaga responded to the Pegasi. The Pegasus was about to yell at her again, until he noticed how tall and pretty she looked. “Oh uh, don’t worry. I must’ve just tripped. Say beautiful, why haven’t I seen you around here lately?” “Oh, we’ve been in a very dark place, for quite a long time darling.” Galaga replied back. “We don’t suppose you could show us around?” The Pegasi stood up and brushed himself off, before speaking again. “It would be my pleasure sweet thing. The name’s Red Rocket by the way. I’ll show you whatever you wanna see.” Galaga decided that she could use Red Rocket to find her way to the (CWRF), so she began to play along with his flirting. “Oh, how generous, that such a handsome looking stallion such as yourself, would be willing to help us. We have been ever so lonely lately, and it really would help us feel better to be with such a capable looking pony.” “Well look no further beautiful, I’m the best there is to ease a young mare’s heart. So, where are we off to?” Red Rocket replied. “He he, well, we were hoping that you could show us the way to the (CWRF). If it’s not too far away.” Galaga asked Red Rocket. “The facility? Oh, well it’s your lucky day sweet thing. I just so happen to work at the facility, and we’re not far from it. It’s just on the other side of the mountain here. What do you say I escort you over there, and maybe we can find someplace inside to help work away those lonely feelings?” Rocket told the Unicorn. “Oh, that sounds delightful dear. We do so appreciate it.” Galaga replied. The two walked over to, and around, the mountain, until the facility came into view. “And there it is.” Rocket told the Unicorn. “Ahh, so this is the Weather Facility that we’ve heard so much about.” Galaga said, before turning to Red Rocket. “We do so appreciate you showing us the way.” Her horn then began to glow yellow, as she used her magic to remove Red Rocket’s vest. “Whoa! A mare that likes to get to the point, I like that.” Rocket grinned. However, his grin quickly formed a confused look, when the Unicorn then wrapped his jacket around him, preventing him from moving his wings. “Heh heh…so I guess you’re into the whole restraining thing huh?” The Unicorn then lifted him up in the air with her magic. “And forceful too. Not really my style, but hey, whatever helps you feel better. Uhh…I still haven’t gotten your name?” “We are called Galaga. Galaga Century. We wish we could play with you further, but we have some unfinished business to attend to first. If you’re still alive after we’re done here, then maybe we’ll let you have some fun with us.” Galaga told Red Rocket, a sinister grin on her face. “Uh yeah, maybe later…wait what!? Still alive!?” Red Rocket exclaimed, before Galaga swung him with her magic, and tossed him far off the cloud. “AHHH!!!” At the same time; the Princesses and Cloudy were just arriving between Cloudsdale and the Weather Facility. With his vision slightly a little better, thanks to Princess Celestia’s magic, Cloudy could see a red object fly off of the cloud that the Weather Facility rested upon, and begin to fall to the ground. “What is that?” Upon flying and looking a little closer, Cloudy could see that it was a pony falling! “Oh no!” Cloudy exclaimed, before flying off towards the falling pony as fast as he could. The Princesses also saw the pony falling, but let Cloudy chase after, while they continued on quickly to the facility. As Cloudy got closer, he could hear the pony’s screaming, and he soon recognized that the pony was Red Rocket. He dived down faster, and eventually managed to catch up and stop Red Rocket from falling. Red Rocket continued to scream, until he realized that he had stopped falling. “Oh, oh thank Celestia! Thank you! Thank you…Cloudy!?” He looked up, and responded in complete surprise. “Let me guess. She sweet talked you into helping her, and you thought with your other head as usual the entire time?” Cloudy annoyingly said to Red Rocket. “Uh…I…uh…” Red Rocket hesitantly said. Cloudy looked around and spied a small cloud that he could put Red Rocket on. He then flew over to it, and set Rocket down. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re better off here. She’d probably bite it off after she was done laughing anyway.” Cloudy then flew back up towards the Weather Facility. Red Rocket sat there on the cloud, as he watched Cloudy fly away. He then gave a look down, and gave a fearful gulp. Cloudy finally reached the edge of the top of the cloud, and had to quickly move out of the way, as he saw a magic beam come straight at him. Having narrowly avoiding the beam, Cloudy looked over to see the Princesses already battling Galaga. Each of the three ponies firing magic beams from their horns. Cloudy quickly made his way to the entrance of the facility, busting open the doors as he came inside. “Cloudy Airy? What are you doing here?” The receptionist said to him as he entered. “Please there’s no time! We need to evacuate everypony as quickly as possible!” Cloudy exclaimed. “I don’t think so. You’re not supposed to be here, and what’s going on outside? I saw the Princesses fly up and…are you running from them?” The mare said to Cloudy. “No, I’m not running! Just listen to me!” Cloudy told the receptionist. Just then, a stray magic beam from outside struck one of the windows of the front doors, sending glass flying across the floor. The receptionist gave a quick scream, and Cloudy used the distraction to fly past her and down the halls. Cloudy flew up and down each of the halls, turning on every alarm he could find, causing all the Pegasi in the building to leave their respective offices and head for the exits. Now that he was starting to get a steady stream of ponies in the halls, Cloudy tried directing everypony to head out the exits opposite of where he figured the main fighting on the Princesses and Galaga was going on. Upon flying back a couple times to pick up stragglers, Cloudy ran into Daisy Drizzle. “Cloudy? What are you doing back here? What’s going on? Did you trip all the alarms to try and get back at the facility!?” “No, I’m trying to help the facility! Now hurry and exit out the west wing!” Cloudy exclaimed. “Oh no. You’re not telling me what to do! I was the boss of you before, and I’m still the boss of you now! Everypony! This is all a trick! Please return to your respective offices!” Daisy called out. “It’s not a trick! I’m trying to…!” Cloudy began to say, before both he and Daisy heard a small explosion come from somewhere in the building. “That sounded like it came from…” Daisy started to say. Cloudy quickly darted past Daisy, and headed down the halls to where he thought the explosion had occurred. “Please don’t be there! Please don’t be there!” He thought to himself. Cloudy flew down a hallway and into the Weather Developments Research bay where he had worked. He looked down at the other end of the warehouse, and saw that a giant hole had been blown into the bay doors. He didn’t see any other damage aside from the doors, and then made his way to the stall where he had worked. “Oh thank Celestia that none of this stuff blew up.” He said aloud to himself. Had just one of his previous failed devices exploded, it may have caused a chain reaction that would’ve proved disastrous for the building. Cloudy looked back out from his stall, at the hole in the doors, and saw the Princesses still fighting with Galaga. “Okay, think Cloudy. All of the ponies should have been evacuated by now. There must be something else I can do to help.” He said to himself. “What’s going on in here?” Daisy Drizzle called out from the hallway entrance to the warehouse. She began to make her way towards the hole in the doors at the other end of the warehouse, until she spied Cloudy in his stall. “Are you responsible for this too Cloudy Airy!? How dare you turn your aggression out on the Weather Facility! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Daisy started to yell something else at Cloudy, but was cut short by another stray magic beam from outside, hitting her in the side. “Mrs. Drizzle!” Cloudy called out, as he rushed over to her. She had been knocked unconscious, and her side and uniform were slightly charred from the beam. Cloudy pulled her back into his stall, and out of sight of the hole in the doors. He looked around for something to cover her with, and found the piece of jacket on the floor, that had been used as a makeshift blanket for him the other day. He then turned his attention back to trying to figure out what to do next. “Let’s see. There must be something I can do? Come on think!” Cloudy banged his head on his work table a few times, before picking his head up, and looking at his blueprint board. A thought than ran through his mind: “If you try to change something from what it’s supposed to be, into something else, it will never work for you.” He then looked over at his pile of failed devices, and then back at his board. Cloudy finally understood what Tanner had been trying to tell him a couple days ago. “He was right. There was never anything wrong with his plans. I was the one who was wrong.” Cloudy then wiped away his plans for the Javelin off the board, and began to draw something new instead. Meanwhile, outside the Princesses continued to fight against Galaga Century. “Ha ha! You two seem to be showing your age now. You were much faster back then.” Galaga boasted to the Princesses. “Stand still wench! So that we may blast you back to the cell from whence you came!” Princess Luna yelled back, using her Equestrian voice. “Calm yourself Luna, we need to work together if we want to stop her.” Princess Celestia told her sister. “Aww, are the sisters going to argue now, hmm? We’re surprised that you can even work with your sister again dear Luna, after she banished you to the moon for the past centuries.” Galaga spoke. “Even we had the company of so many deranged ponies and creatures, but you, you had no one.” “Silence! Your trickery shall not work on us you witch!” Princess Luna replied back. “Heh heh, we’ll see about that.” Galaga said. Galaga’s horn began to glow yellow again, as she was about to shoot another beam of magic at the Princesses, but was cut short by an explosion of colors off to her side. Two more explosions followed behind it, as they came from rockets being fired from inside the facility warehouse, through the hole in the doors that had been made earlier. The source of the rockets then appeared at the entrance, as Cloudy pushed out a portable fireworks stand from inside. He lit a few more of the rockets, as the short fuses quickly made their way into the barrels. The rockets then shot off, straight towards Galaga, before exploding into fireworks all around her. “Gah! What nonsense is this!? What are you doing here Airy!?” Galaga said, as she raised a hoof to shield her eyes from the blasts. “Something I should’ve done a long time ago!” Cloudy called back, as he lit the last of the rockets. The fuse burned through, and the rocket quickly soared towards Galaga, before exploding a couple feet in front of her. The light from the fireworks blinded Galaga long enough for the Princesses to get a clear shot in at her. Celestia struck Galaga with a beam, knocking her to the cloud, while Luna launched magic negating bracelets at her hooves, preventing her from using magic again. At the same time, the spell that Galaga had cast on herself to walk on the clouds wore off, and she immediately fell through the clouds. Luna began to fly away to retrieve Galaga, but was stopped short by her sister. “But sister, we must return her to the dungeons! She must pay for her crimes” Princess Celestia shook her head back and forth, before answering Luna. “Just as I sealed you away for a thousand years little sister, she too was trapped in the dungeons below Canterlot for just as long. She has already paid for her crimes, and another thousand years would just risk her escaping again. This is…for the best.” Princess Celestia told Luna. “Sister.” Luna replied. Princess Celestia then turned her attention to Cloudy. “Now, as for you Cloudy Airy.” “I understand Princess Celestia. I’ll accompany you and Princess Luna back to the Canterlot dungeons, or wherever you would have me go.” Cloudy replied. “Actually, that won’t be necessary.” Celestia replied. “What?” Cloudy said. “Your actions today have proven to me that you never intended to do anypony any harm. Furthermore, we were wrong to persecute you like we did, and ask for your forgiveness.” Celestia told Cloudy. “Th…thank you Princess.” Cloudy responded. “However, while the transgressions against you regarding the device you made are lifted, you will still have to be held accountable for the harm you caused your fellow pony.” Celestia replied. “I understand Princess.” Cloudy told Celestia. “I’m afraid for the time being, you’ll have to return to the Cloudsdale ward, at least until the pony harmed has made a full recovery. I will however, ask to have your things returned to you while you’re there. I know how much you like your hat.” Celestia spoke. “Yes Princess, and thank you.” Cloudy replied. “I do have one question however. What exactly is that device that you have there?” Celestia asked. “Yes, we were wondering the same thing.” Luna replied. “This? This is actually one of my previous failed devices. Originally, it had been modified to fire weather manipulation technology, but I changed it back to fire fireworks instead. Before, this, like all of my other devices, failed because they weren’t firing for the right reason. I had made something wonderful, and wanted it to be something other than what it was supposed to be, and as a result, it never worked properly. Even the Javelin that I made worked the same way. It had originally been used to cause harm, but because I wanted to use it for good, it wouldn’t work. Although, my guess is that it had its roots in so many bad deeds that, even modified, it still wanted to cause harm.” Cloudy told the Princesses. “Well that is indeed amazing, and a lesson well learned. Does this mean that you’ll give up making them then?” Princess Celestia spoke. “Yes…and no. I’ll no longer use other pony’s ideas to try and achieve something that I want to do, but instead, I’ll make them for the reason their supposed to be made, to bring joy to others. As for my own intentions, this just means I’ll have to come with ideas of my own, for making weather manipulation. It’s my dream to make the lives of the weather ponies easier, and I can’t stop yet.” Cloudy replied. “Well said.” Princess Celestia told Cloudy. “Likewise.” Stated Princess Luna. Just then, one of Luna’s guards appeared from below the clouds, and reported that Rural Tanner had regained consciousness. “That is most wondrous news. Thank thee.” “Tanner…I owe him one of the biggest apologies of all. Him, and all Earth ponies really. I abused the kindness that he had given me, and as a result, crushed his dream to ever see fireworks again. Also, for thinking that he and all the other Earth ponies were too stupid to accomplish anything. I can only hope he’ll forgive me someday.” Cloudy spoke. “We’re sure he will, if thou truly means it.” Luna told him. “I suppose we should all be returning to where we need to be then.” Celestia stated. “Princess!” “Dusty” Rain Gauge spoke aloud, as he, and all the other Pegasus ponies of the facility bowed to the Princesses. “Forgive me Princess, but what’s going on here? Why is Cloudy Airy not in the Cloudsdale ward?” Princess Celestia returned a bow to the Pegasi, before answering. “Fret not my subjects, for all is well. Cloudy Airy is actually on his way back to Cloudsdale. Although, I would like to ask something of you first ‘Dusty’.” “Anything Princess.” “Dusty” replied. “I ask that you forgive Cloudy for his actions against the facility, and allow him to continue his work, once he has been released from the ward.” Celestia asked. “As…as you wish Princess. We’ll allow Cloudy to return after his release, as long as Ms. Windy Thunderclap forgives him.” “Dusty” responded. “Very well. Take care my ponies. May the sun forever shine on your endeavors.” Celestia spoke, before she and Luna took off for Canterlot. “Dusty” turned his attention to Cloudy, who was already mid-flight away from leaving. “Cloudy Airy.” “Yes sir?” Cloudy replied. “I don’t know exactly what’s been going on, but if the Princess is fine with you continuing your research here, then so am I. Perhaps that twister of yours managed to plant the seeds of change in its wake. However, I am serious about waiting on Ms. Windy’s approval. She ‘was’ the one who was injured, and I’m leaving it to her, as to what happens to you.” “Dusty” told Cloudy. “I understand sir.” Cloudy replied back, before taking off, and heading back to the Clousdale Mental Ward. A few days passed, and Cloudy was released from the ward. He gathered his things, and made his way down the halls to the front entrance. He thought that Windy might meet him to lecture him after his release, but instead, Cloudy was met by another Pegasus instead. “Well well. Af at asn’t the stallaon A’ve heard so much about.” The Pegasi spoke to Cloudy. “Oh, uh, hello. Do I know you?” Cloudy replied. “A’m Wandy’s father, Stormy Thunderclap. A’m here an her place to release you.” Stormy replied, eyeing Cloudy. “Oh, uh, nice to meet you Mr. Thunderclap. Windy’s told me all about you and your factory,” Cloudy responded nervously. “Now A promased Wandy that A wouldn’t touch a feather on your lattle head, after everythang you’ve done to her, so you best get goang.” Stormy told Cloudy, giving him a mean look. “Yes sir!” Cloudy replied, before taking off out of the ward. Stormy turned and watched Cloudy fly off, as he put a smile on his face. “Aurora would have a faeld day wath that colt. Ha ha!” Cloudy arrived at the Weather Facility, and was about to punch his card in the “IN” box, when he noticed that Windy’s was still in the “OUT” box. He turned to the receptionist and asked if Windy had come in today. The mare replied that she hadn’t. Stating that she was apparently still in the hospital. Cloudy then put is card back in the “OUT” box, and was about to leave when he was stopped by Red Rocket calling to him. “Hey Cloudy. Umm…I just want to say thanks, for saving me the other day…and that I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you since you’ve been here. Perhaps I should’ve had my head more in the clouds like you, instead of…well you know. Thanks.” Red Rocket told him. Cloudy acknowledged the Pegasi, before taking off and heading for the Cloudsdale hospital. Upon arriving, he asked the nurse at the front desk where Windy’s room was, and she directed him down the halls. Cloudy stood outside the door for what felt like an eternity, before taking a deep breath, and opening it. Windy was sitting up in her bed and looking out the window, before she noticed that Cloudy had opened the door. The two just stared at each other in silence, before Cloudy walked up, and began to apologize. “Windy I…I don’t really know what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ just doesn’t sound like it’ll cut it. I’ve been rude to you, ignored you, yelled at you, and…almost killed you. I can’t possibly ask you to forgive me but, I just want you to know that I’m…” Cloudy’s words were cut short, as Windy wrapped her hooves around him, and hugged him with tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re alright. I thought I’d lost you forever.” Windy spoke while hugging him. “Windy I…” Cloudy started to say. Windy brought her face in front of his, tears still in her eyes. She smiled through the tears as she spoke. “You could try to blow me up a hundred times, as long as I’m with you. I…I love you Cloudy.” “Windy…I…I never knew that…you…” Cloudy just stared into her eyes, until eventually tears formed in his as well. “I guess we’ll worry about apologizes later then. I…I love you too Windy.” Cloudy spoke to Windy, as they nuzzled noses. The sun shined through the window, warming the faces of the two Pegasi, and leaving a heart shaped shadow on the wall next to them. Here was a mare that Cloudy thought he’d never get to know, and all it took, was a change of weather within himself to see it.