Thunderclouds
By Alaborn
Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.
Chapter 3
“I have a special announcement,” Cheerilee announced to the class. “This winter, before the holidays, our class is going to put on a play. Don’t worry, it’s not the tale of Hearth’s Warming that you’ve all done before. This year, we’re doing the tale of the Three Wise Visitors—the original version.”
That was a story that always interested eleven-year-old Thundercloud. It is told that, when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna first came to the world with their message of harmony, the heavens heralded their arrival with an eclipse, sun and moon both ascendant. And three leaders journeyed from across the ocean to acknowledge the royal sisters and their domain over the heavens. But during the exile of Princess Luna, the play was changed, omitting the role of the lunar princess.
“Can I be Princess Celestia?” one filly asked.
“No, I want to be her!” another countered.
“Now, settle down class,” Cheerilee said. “Everypony will get a chance to try out, and there’s room for everypony in the play. Even if you’re not acting, there are important roles behind the scene.”
Thundercloud scoffed at the idea. He wanted to be on stage. Maybe he’d even get a cutie mark in acting!
Out on the playground, everypony was talking about the play, including the group of colts with whom Thundercloud was playing hoofball. “There are lots of roles for colts in this play,” Thundercloud observed. From the princesses to the Hearth’s Warming leaders to the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, plays normally had plenty of roles for fillies. There were only so many Star Swirls and Discords available.
“I want to be Beefington. He was super-strong!” said Green Bean, an earth pony colt, about the minotaur king from Cowstockstan.
“Not me. I can’t imagine spending an entire play on two hooves,” said Silver Shine, a unicorn. “King Sandstorm was proud and noble.”
“But he didn’t have a horn,” Green Bean said about the ancient Saddle Arabian leader.
“The hat would cover it,” he replied. “What about you, Thundercloud?”
“I wouldn’t want to wear a saddle over my wings,” he replied. “I like Diamond Soul.”
“But that costume’s even worse!” Green Bean said.
“Yeah, but it’s a dragon costume!” And with that, Thundercloud kicked the ball past Green Bean, all the while picturing himself on stage as the great dragon from Neighpon.
“The Progenitor foretold, in a prophecy inscribed on a flawless diamond, that Sun and Moon would join Earth. And when that day arrived, the greatest of the dragons would recognize Sun and Moon, and thus show wisdom,” Thundercloud spoke. He bowed; the dragon mask he was wearing threatened to slip off his muzzle. He nudged it back into place with a hoof. “Celestia, scion of the sun. Luna, scion of the moon. I bow to you, until the day my soul attains enlightenment, and I ascend into the heavens.”
“Good, good,” Cheerilee said. “Now, two things about your audition. You want to capture Diamond Soul’s great wisdom. Dragons say he was the first to attain enlightenment, and he shines the brightest among all the stars in the sky, what we ponies call the North Star. And you need to move around more, capture the grace and fluidity of the Eastern dragons. Can you do that?”
“Okay, Miss Cheerilee,” Thundercloud replied. He took a deep breath, tried to imagine how a wise dragon would speak, and repeated his audition.
Thundercloud joined the crowd of foals around the bulletin board as Miss Cheerilee posted the roles for the play. He frowned once he saw he didn’t get the role of Diamond Soul, or any of the acting roles. And then he found his name. “Props and costumes?” he moaned.
“Now, Thundercloud, I think you’ll find it interesting,” Cheerilee said. “The theater uses a lot of neat inventions to change sets and costumes quickly. And like everypony who doesn’t have a role on stage, you are an understudy. Look!”
At the bottom of the page, Thundercloud saw that he was the understudy for North Star for the role of Diamond Soul.
“So be sure to learn your lines well, in case North Star gets sick or hurt.”
Thundercloud returned to his seat and looked at North Star. The unicorn colt was quiet in class, though a good student and good with magic. But Thundercloud recalled that he really shined during his audition. And with a name like North Star, maybe it was right for him to win the role.
Thundercloud focused on Cheerilee’s lesson, though he kept looking back at North Star.
Playing hoofball in physical education class was always worse than playing it during recess. First of all, the coach was there, making sure everypony followed the rules and used proper technique. Then, he made everypony in class play, forming two teams that were larger than they should be. And not everypony was a good athlete.
“Good effort, Rose. Keep your eye on the ball, Green Bean,” the coach shouted from the sideline.
A cluster of ponies surrounded the ball. Forelegs flailed as members of each team tried to kick it to an open teammate.
The ball flew out of the scrum, headed in the rough direction of Thundercloud. He headed for it, as did his teammate North Star. The unicorn was closer to the ball, and called “I got it”; it was just as the coach had instructed. But Thundercloud wanted the ball too.
It was a close race between North Star and Green Bean, from the other team, to reach the ball. Both dived for the ball, hoping momentum would carry their hooves to the ball first. Thundercloud flapped his wings and dove as well.
North Star narrowly reached the ball first, kicking it towards another teammate. Green Bean tucked his legs and rolled, but Thundercloud didn’t. His hoof collided with North Star’s outstretched foreleg. A loud snap was heard, followed by somepony screaming in pain.
“Thundercloud, didn’t you hear North Star say he had the ball?” the coach asked.
“Yes, Coach,” Thundercloud replied. He shuffled his hooves on the tile floor of the coach’s office. The small room had the faint odor of stale sweat.
“There’s a reason I instruct everypony to call the ball. It’s to avoid injury. You really hurt North Star, and that’s because you weren’t thinking of anypony but yourself.”
“I know, Coach.”
“You will have detention for a week, and you will need to apologize to North Star when he returns to class. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Coach.”
“I’m glad you understand. Remember, Thundercloud, tomorrow is a fresh chance to be a better pony.”
Once he returned home after his detention, Thundercloud faced another lecture from his parents, where he heard pretty much the same things that the coach said. And he got grounded for a week. Nothing but school and school activities.
The next day, Thundercloud entered the classroom. His eyes fell on the empty desk of North Star. How long would he be laid up? But before the bell rang, North Star entered the class. He didn’t have a wheelchair, or a cast, or anything. He just walked with a bit of a limp.
Cheerilee walked up to Thundercloud. “The coach said you had something to say to North Star,” she said.
Thundercloud turned to North Star. “I didn’t listen to the coach, and because of that, you got hurt. I’m... I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted, Thundercloud. Accidents happen.”
“Yeah,” Thundercloud said, looking down.
“Don’t feel bad. Keep fighting for the ball; just be careful.”
“I thought I hurt you really bad!” Thundercloud said.
“The doctor says he has lots of practice setting bones,” North Star replied. “Something about one of the pegasi in town. I’ll be fully healed by tomorrow!”
“Great,” Thundercloud said quietly.
The bell rang, and Cheerilee tapped her hoof on her desk. “Good morning, class. We have a lot to cover today, so let’s get started.”
Thundercloud sat backstage. Today was the first full dress rehearsal for the play. He had already looked over the props, but the costumes were still being worked on. If they didn’t come soon, they wouldn’t be able to start the rehearsal.
As if on cue, the costumes arrived. Thundercloud first noticed the stage lights reflecting off something, casting motes of multicolored light everywhere. Then his eyes were drawn to the costumes, floating in the air in somepony’s magical aura. Thousands of gems decorated the costumes, a truly impressive display. Then he noticed the pony carrying the costumes, a white unicorn with a styled purple mane. Rarity, he recalled.
“I’m so sorry for arriving as late as I have,” Rarity said. “I simply couldn’t allow these costumes to be any less than perfectly fabulous!”
“I’ll take those,” Thundercloud said. He gasped when he got a closer look at the costumes. “That’s what the three wise men wore?”
“The three what now, dear?” Rarity asked.
“Three wise... visitors,” Thundercloud corrected himself.
“Well, there is a certain... artistic license at work,” Rarity said. “Celestia and Luna were the only ponies who know for sure, if they even remember such details from that long ago. But the three wise visitors were all esteemed leaders of their races, and so it makes sense that they would look fabulous.” She smiled. “Besides, I couldn’t help reliving my first experience designing costumes for a school play.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Miss Rarity,” Thundercloud said.
“I am more than happy to help,” she replied.
Rarity departed, and the actors swarmed Thundercloud, eager to get in costume. He marveled at the design of the costumes. They were designed for ease of donning and doffing, but sturdy enough to endure the movements of the actors. And though they looked heavy, nopony complained about the weight.
As Thundercloud watched the rehearsal, his thoughts turned to one phrase. Three Wise Men. Yes, the three wise visitors were all male, but why did it sound so right to use the word that described human males?
“Okay, everypony, this is the big day!” Cheerilee announced to her class, gathered behind stage. “This is the first performance of our play, and let’s all work together to make it the best it can be!”
The class stomped their hooves in applause.
“Now, let’s all get ready. Stagehands, set up the stage for the first scene. Lighting and sound, get in position. Makeup and costumes, please get the actors ready.”
All the actors were present and ready to go. That meant no understudies would be taking the stage today. Thundercloud frowned and headed backstage.
He checked each of the costumes in turn, readying them for the actors. As he examined the dragon costume for North Star, a thought crossed his mind. What if the costume failed? His eyes fell on a pair of scissors, sitting on the table. A few snips, and the costume would collapse, somewhere in the middle of the play.
Thundercloud acted quickly, finishing just before his classmates arrived. In turn, he helped each into his or her costume, while also helping the stagehands with the props.
“Knock ‘em dead,” Thundercloud told North Star as he slapped him on his back.
“I thought that, in the theater, you’re supposed to say ‘Break a leg’.”
Thundercloud looked away.
“Sorry,” North Star said. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Thundercloud said.
North Star trotted off, only to be interrupted by Rarity. “Hold on, darling,” she said.
Both North Star and Thundercloud looked at her.
“This costume needs some emergency fixes.” From somewhere, Rarity summoned cord, thread, and needles. They soared around North Star, making alterations to his costume. “A little here, a bit here, and everything will be fine. Now you go ahead, dear.”
“Thanks, Rarity!” North Star said before trotting off.
Thundercloud started to follow, but Rarity raised a hoof. “Thundercloud, dear?”
“Yes, Miss Rarity?”
“You can call me Rarity, dear. Now, I couldn’t help but notice those scissors over there.”
“Yes?”
“A few of the supports I built into the costume were cut. Do you know anything about that?”
“No?”
“Now, Thundercloud, I may not be the Element of Honesty, but I do have a little sister. I think I know when a foal isn’t being true to himself. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
Thundercloud remained silent, staring over Rarity’s withers.
“I know it’s hard to watch others succeed in ways you’ve always dreamed about. It’s a lesson I had to learn from my dear friend Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “You will have your own chance to shine, Thundercloud. And you should cheer when your friends have their chance to shine.”
“Okay,” Thundercloud said.
“You made some bad decisions today, Thundercloud. But always remember: Tomorrow is a fresh chance to be a better pony.”
“I understand,” Thundercloud said.
“Good. Perhaps, later, you will say that with sincerity,” Rarity said. “Now, the play’s about to start, so you need to get to work.”
Thundercloud focused on his work, making sure all the props and costumes were ready to go with each scene change. Even behind the stage, he could hear the applause of the audience. He eventually got to see the audience once the play finished, and everypony in class was called to stage. He smiled as he heard the cheers.
There was an additional cause for celebration, as North Star earned his acting cutie mark.