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// Sunny Skies Goin' Down 
// Story: Night-Freed 
// by Unbridled Dolly 
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Having been born under the colors of Her Majesty's flag and gifted with Mark of Her favor, I had been granted several advantages over the Night-Cursed and -Marked. Days to sleep in was not one of them, although I didn't really get to sleep in as Misty Fly the Not-Wonderbolt. The Primer-Sun was still rising over the horizon as I forced my tired eyes open, even on this special day.

One of the advantages I had gained was the chance to try out to be one of the twenty Wonderbolts in the area. Once I earned my position, I was granted a small amount of pegasus magic from the Queen and was expected to control the weather in my cities every day. There was little in the job that was enviable-- little free time, small wages, and direct attention from Her Majesty. But I had no friends-- there were very few ponies who would not take advantage of me, so why would I need free time? My food and shelter was provided by the Crown, so why would I need money? And I was a good, lawful pony, so why would I fear the Queen? Of course, Sprinkles had changed all that, but during most of my career, I had been content with what I had, for I had Magic. 

But today was an especially special day with my Magic. It was really all because of Sprinkles that I was doing this. Sprinkles was my friend, and I loved her more than I love my Magic, so I don't really mind. As long as they don't take my Magic, but really, they'd probably kill me first. What I was doing was forbidden-- it had been since the fall of the Moon Mistress-- but I did it anyways, for Sprinkles. She'd been hoping for it ever since I met her, although I only realized after she told me about it-- snow and rain.

While I did control the weather, I was always supposed to destroy it all before it went into action. That meant I only saw clouds and felt temperatures-- both of which I brought to "normal" before it could mar Her Majesty's beautiful sky. And that's where I met Sprinkles-- Sprinkle Medley Night-Cursed and -Marked with a blue coat and a rain cloud Mark, always hoping for something other than clear skies and warm Suns.



***



My job was never easy. I had to fly many miles and exert a lot of energy clearing the weather in my specified cities. But in this specific spot, it was always the most difficult. There was only one pony who was there, staring at the clouds with a hopeful gleam in her cerulean eyes-- the same shade as mine. But she was both Night-Cursed and -Marked, and that made it even worse. I was fortunate to be born with a coat the color of the Queen's Primer-Sun and hair and eyes the color of her Primer-Sky. My mark displayed my destiny of clearing the weather to show the Queen's lovely skies. This mare was all blue, making her Night-Cursed, and her flank displayed a small cloud with what I later assumed to be raindrops falling from it, making her Night-Marked. 

Every morning when I arrived at her seat on the sheer cliff before the rocky ocean, she was watching the heavy, darkening clouds intensely. Every morning without fail, she was there, where I payed her no mind-- except for a pitying glance and a sympathizing thought pushed to the back of my mind. Every morning, when I burst the clouds in a flurry of moisture and feathers, her eyes would shed the tears that I had later learned the clouds could not. And every morning, I would leave her there for the next group of clouds, a guilty feeling in my heart.

More than a year passed. I grew curious, for she was always there. She never seemed to do anything but stare at the clouds and mourn their destruction. So one morning, I spoke to her. "Haven't you got a job you need to get to?"

She seemed decided on whether or not to reply. On one hoof, I was destroying her clouds and that upset her. But on the other, she'd get in trouble for not speaking. It was not allowed to ignore a worker of the Crown and her punishment would not be easy, considering her colors and Mark. I guess that's why she spoke. Her voice was a curiosity, melodious and emotional when she spoke. I had never heard something like it among the monotonous city ponies. I suppose that's why I was so shocked when she said, "No. I work the Blood-Sun shift. They wouldn't take me at any other time." Noticing my shocked look and misinterpreting it, she spoke her next sentences defensively. "Yeah, I have a job. Not all Night-Marked are worthless, y'know."

I quickly righted my expression and said to her, "Oh, no, you misunderstand me. I would never underestimate a pony just because she's Night-Cursed or -Marked. My own mother was Night-Cursed, and she was a wonderful pony." Everything I said was true. Just because I live in a world full of dishonest ponies doesn't mean that I'd lie myself. I'd never understood why ponies were always terrible when trying to fix things, even if the ones they were dealing with were themselves terrible. It seemed like one could get a whole lot farther being good. But the mare didn't seem to believe me. She flapped her wings in anger-- well-kept, powerful things strong enough to create a wind even without Magic, and as large and muscled as a stallion's, as if she were trying to build enough strength to fly or something. I dismissed this theory at first, at least until she confirmed it herself sometime into our acquaintance. 

But at the moment, she was upset with me. She narrowed her eyes and hissed, "Just because you were born with the right colors and destined for the right thing doesn't mean you get to come in here and flaunt your so-called 'superiority' in front of me. So since you win at life, why don't you get on with your job?" A particularly large wave smashed against the shore at the moment, as if to punctuate her words. My face fell and my ears flattened against my skull, but she was already turning her her head and staring off at the horizon. I left, myself crestfallen, and her in tears.

The next day, I spoke to her again. I asked for her name. "Sprinkle Medley. Going to report me to the Queen?" Her voice was cold and emotionless, defeated and numb. I missed the beautiful song in her words already.

"Of course not," I replied to Sprinkle. "I just wanted to know. Why is it that you sit here everyday?"

She raised an eyebrow, but answered anyway. "Since you're already getting me in trouble, I might as well go the full mile. Rain, and perhaps snow, but rain is more likely. I read about it a long time ago, about how before the fall of the Moon Mistress the clouds were allowed to drop moisture on the heads of the ponies below. Sometimes it was liquid, and sometimes it was frozen. I know it doesn't sound pleasant, but it was actually quite beautiful." And now her voice was eager, her eyes gleaming, but not with tears, for the first time since I had seen her. She continued, "It was actually when I earned my Mark. I really shouldn't be telling you this, but who knows what'll happen to me? So there might as well be at least one pony that knows. I told myself that day that I'd do anything within my power to see the rain, and feel the snow. I know it seems foolish, but... I'm not free. You know it, I know it, everypony knows it. To see the rain dampening the sky, the snow muffling the sun... I would be free for a little bit of time." Here her voice grew quiet again, but it was filled with emotion, just like the sad smile on her face. But still, she talked on. 

"And that's why I moved here. I had read that the more water in the area, the more likely it was to rain. And if it was cold, it would snow. So every morning, before the Wonderbolts would come, I'd wait for it to rain, and maybe snow." She sighed. "It might still happen." 

I honestly had no clue what to say. What was there to say? She had just spilled her biggest dream to me, even though she thought I would turn her in, just to keep it alive. It reminded me of when I was a little filly and tried to fly. I wouldn't listen to my mother when she told me that it wasn't possible. But my dream came true, all because of luck and chance. I'd help her do it. I'd never heard of rain or snow, or how to make them-- I'd only ever been told to destroy them-- but I'd do it. And I told her so. 

And then I introduced myself.



***



And we did it. I learned how to manipulate the clouds to make them drop the moisture, how to properly pressure the clouds with my Magic so that the rain would fall. And I learned how to control the temperature in a way that would turn the drops of water into soft flecks of snow. It took weeks of stolen minutes in the restricted section of the library, pages of fables and legends, too many close calls, and a growing friendship; and we did it.

Today was the special day. I completed my rounds as usual, except for skipping Sprinkle's shoreline. The more water that evaporated into the clouds, the easier it would be to make it rain. 

I was pretty tired by the time I reached Sprinkles, but I perked up when I saw her sitting in her usual spot. She was waiting patiently, her head hanging over the edge of the cliff, staring at the waves of water smashing against the rocky shore beneath. When I got there, she looked up and smiled. "They're just beyond my reach. Can you get them?" Sprinkle nodded at the clouds drooping in the sky where they always did. I nodded back. 

I beat my wings to make a flurry of wind, forcing them to drift over Sprinkle's head. She gazed at the gray fluff with the same eagerness I'd grown to love and I smiled. We were almost there.

I reached out with my magic, probing the surface of the clouds, pressuring it to make it do what I wanted. And it did. Sprinkle and I both stared with wide-open eyes and our jaws dropped as the little drops of water fell. I flitted down to join her as it splashed onto our dampening heads. It was beautiful. The glittering silver caught the light of the sun, sending lovely little sprays of color over the ground. Rainbows. As the water soaked our fur, I remembered the next stage. Cold snow.

I concentrated once again, focusing on the atmosphere in the immediate vicinity. I pushed it closer to freezing than I'd ever been allowed or taught to do, pushed it until the water spattering our heads was freezing, but softer than I expected. It was just as beautiful as the rain. The gray clouds blocked out the light of the Primer-Sun, allowing the small flecks of white to shine with a gleam of their own. It coated the ground in a thin layer, and melted into it almost as quickly. When I looked over at Sprinkle, she had her mouth open, catching the little flakes on her tongue, and her shivering wings spread wide until the whiteness covered her natural blue.



***



Eventually, it stopped. The clouds quickly faded away, aided by my Magic. I was fluttering in the sky, my joy lending my wings an extra buzz. Sprinkle looked calm, as she almost always did, but there was a serene smile on her face that spoke great lengths about her true happiness. After all the cold and wet, the Primer-Sun seemed very warm, but I made some shade for Sprinkle to doze. I was chattering on about the perfection we had just created when I noticed something queer about my shadow. Since when were my wings that large? Since when was I that large?

And since when did I have a horn?

My eyes widened. My blabbering stopped. Sprinkle looked up at me in the sudden quiet, her eyes growing round when she saw me. I didn't want to turn around and see what had scared her. I didn't want to lose my Magic. I didn't want to lose my friend.

"Sprinkle? I suggest you--" I was interrupted by a searing heat on my back. I didn't need to turn around to see what was happening. I didn't hesitate to finish my sentence as the flames seized my limbs and burned my feathers and fur.

"Run!"

"Indeed you should, my little pony. Wouldn't want me to melt your snow-down."