//------------------------------// // 26. A Fresh Start // Story: Soldier of the Night // by Skyfire Storm //------------------------------// Three long hours had passed since the plane departed Cloudsdale and Storm didn't manage to get even a moment of sleep throughout the duration of the flight, despite the lights aboard the plane having been switched off for much of the time, which back home would allow him to fall asleep without a hitch. His eyes bloodshot and full of crust from the lack of sleep, Storm stared out of the window at the seemingly infinite abyss before him, too tired to do anything else. The moon was masked by sheets of thick cloud, yet it's ghostly white glow was still visible through the smoke-like cloud; the ground below, however, was not, which effectively barred Storm from seeing any fine details such as railroads, buildings, illuminated streets or any other signs of civilization. The elderly couple next to him was fast asleep, somehow not being awoken by the announcements of the captain or the brief correspondence between the two pilots and the air traffic control tower far below that could be heard at times over the aircraft's PA, which much to his chagrin prevented him from moving anywhere out of his seat, whether it was to go to the bathroom or to stretch his hooves. Opening the small bottle of water he had bought for two bits from the snack cart, he squirted a drop of it on his hooves and rubbed his eyes with it, hoping to get wash out the crust from underneath his eyelids. For a couple of seconds, it worked, and he was able to blink a couple of times without wanting to fall asleep through doing so. However, the water on his eyes soon dried up, and the crust begun to form again, thus confirming the obvious; he was tired, and that even a few hours of sleep are inevitable in the end. Letting out a sigh, Storm closed the curtain draped over his side window and shut his eyes, in the hopes that he might as well get some rest in the time he had left before the plane landed, but a gut feeling told him that there wasn't much time left at all before that happened, his suspicions being confirmed by the sudden, rapid flickering of the light above him and the radio interference sounding from the PA before the voice of the plane's captain was heard. "Mares and gentlecolts, this is your captain speaking and I would like to welcome you all to Vanhoover, which you can see right now from outside your windows. The local time right now is 10:34 PM and the temperature is a reasonable 62 degrees. Before we land I would like to ask you all to fold your tray tables in their upright positions and fasten your seatbelts until we touch down and the captain turns off the 'seat belts' sign, which will signify that we have arrived at the gate..." Turning his head towards the window, Storm pulled back the curtain that covered it, revealing that the plane was descending through the layer of cloud that had previously enshrouded the entire sky, and within seconds, more and more lights started to appear, some of which seemingly linked up to form intricate networks of railroads and of pathways and roads, which became more visible as the plane descended further towards the ground. During the next few minutes as the plane seemingly sunk through the atmosphere, more and more details could be visible on the ground, including massive shopping malls and large sprawls of tract housing sitting next to rows of towering apartment buildings home to hundreds of ponies, which loomed over smaller buildings and brightly-lit roads and highways below, some of which extending to over ten stories in height. These, along with what appeared to be stores and bars seemed to make up most of the architecture that Storm had witnessed, but he had to admit; startlingly enough, it did remind him somewhat of home, especially the northernmost suburbs of Cloudsdale, home to some of the city's tallest residential buildings which were home to some of Storm's old classmates, that is if they still lived there. As the plane tilted to the side slightly while it flew over the city's outermost suburbs, which were made up mostly of housing complexes and stores, more of Vanhoover was slowly revealed, including the downtown core of the city, a plethora of offices and skyscrapers, which despite being probably around ten miles away from where the plane flew now, were fully visible and were all taller than any other buildings which surrounded them. The city shone like glitter and illuminated the night which surrounded it, its extensive streets stretching for miles in seemingly every direction there was, but before Storm could continue marvelling at the view and take in more of his surroundings, the view was obscured by thick trees which flashed by the plane as it passed them, and soon enough, the plane touched down on the runway of the airport, letting out a loud, ear-piercing screech as it did so due to the sudden friction between the tires and the hard, rock-like surface of the runway. The aircraft buckled and jolted sharply as it made contact with the ground, before barrelling down the runway faster than that roller-coaster ride Storm went on with Mist a couple of years back. The plane soon begun to grind to a halt as quickly as it had picked up speed, much to the relief of half the ponies on board, including Storm who felt as though he could puke. If this was what he had to go through every time a plane he was in was to land, then going back home aboard one was out of the question. But yet, who was he to talk about 'going home' so early? He only had got here, and already he was considering leaving. And if he was to leave Vanhoover, where would he go? Storm knew that after what happened between him and High Wind on Friday, he probably wasn't particularly 'welcome' back home. Right now, for the time being, Vanhoover was his new home, even though he didn't exactly know where it was. However before he could continue his train of thought, the plane came to a complete stop in front of a building that had the word 'ARRIVALS' written on it in bold, green lettering. A moment or two later, and a loud 'ping' sounded through the aircraft, which was suppressed by the sound of seatbelts being unbuckled and ponies beginning to get up out of their rows, including the elderly mare and stallion who sat next to Storm throughout the duration of the flight, who were apparently helped by a much younger family member sitting in the row behind them. "Thank Celestia." he muttered, rubbing his eyes as he pulled out his suitcase from underneath the seat in front of him. Placing it in an upright position and pulling out the handle from the top, he dragged it out on one wheel from in between the seats, and once most of the ponies walking down the aisle had passed, Storm walked out of the plane through the back left door which was closest to where he was sitting. "Enjoy your stay in Vanhoover, sir!" the flight attendant greeted him with an almost artificially-friendly smile as Storm walked past her, returning the smile as he exited the aircraft and walked down the metallic staircase. Having walked down the metal steps which led to the ground, his suitcase in tow, Storm followed the other ponies through the revolving door and into the arrivals concourse, knowing that his new life in Vanhoover was now a step closer. After going through seemingly-endless security checks, Storm followed the crowd through the brightly-lit concourse of the airport, passing several duty-free stores, fast food restaurants, restrooms and clothing stores spread out over three stories, which made the concourse appear dizzyingly like a massive shopping mall, until they reached a bank of elevators, next to which stood two escalators. Not wanting to squeeze into the crowded elevator which closed immediately after the last of its fifteen-twenty occupants got in, he, along with many other ponies, stepped onto the escalator, which overlooked the massive arrivals terminal in a spectacular fashion. Storm's eyes widened in delight as he stared over the rubber railing of the escalator, looking at the hundreds of ponies strolling across the concourse, their suitcases in tow as they made their way to wherever it was they were heading, whether it was to meet old friends and family, pick up a call at the payphone next to the elevators, use the vending machines or even go for a bathroom break. Normally he hated large crowds, but he had never seen this much ponies before, not even at that rock concert he had went to back in Cloudsdale. Not to mention that by looking at the sheer number of ponies walking across the concourse, Storm could get a rough idea of just how big the airport was. After disembarking the escalator, Storm bought himself a can of pop at a nearby vending machine with some spare change from aboard the plane. Upon clicking it open and having a sip, Storm walked towards the taxi bay behind the exit, passing through large groups of ponies with relative ease and trailing out of the terminal. Inhaling the decidedly fresh, yet nippy Vanhoover air upon stepping out of the revolving door, Storm took a good look around his surroundings. The road before him seemed to curve into the shape of the airport terminal, before it disappeared into the distant industrial area of town, behind which the snow-capped peak of Mount Saddle, the region's tallest mountain at 12,650 feet, loomed over in a panoramic fashion. Taxis and buses stood in line at designated bays in front of the massive airport terminal, with ponies either disembarking them or coming aboard. Storm turned his head to the left, finding himself staring at the city towards the horizon which could be visible despite the thick firs in the distance obscuring much of the view. Although Storm knew Vanhoover, just like Canterlot, was at least half the size of Cloudsdale, he had to admit the sheer amount of skyscrapers that could be visible in downtown, combined with the expansive area of the city as seen from above did make it seem as though it was just the opposite. Unzipping his saddlebag, Storm took a brief mental note of where his phone was, initially expecting Blue to call him at any given moment but then remembering that she had a late shift at work tonight and was probably fast asleep by now. He couldn't blame her to be fair - if he was at home right now, he'd be fast asleep himself. Or was she? All of a sudden, he'd heard the buzz of his phone vibrating deep within his saddlebag, unzipping it further and rummaging through to get to it. Surely enough, it was her calling. "Hey Stormy, how was your flight?" Her voice was muffled, shaky even, but carried a sense of tenderness and warmth regardless, not only that but also a sense of longing. "Hey honey," Storm smiled, zipping the bag back up with a free hoof before slinging it over his wing. "I've just landed...I'm just waiting for my ride." "That's wonderful, honey. Is anypony coming to pick you up?" "I don't think so," Storm shook his head as he glanced to his side, a bus approaching from the distance. "I'd imagine I have to find my own way home." "Ah, did your dad give you any...addresses or anything?" She then paused to yawn. "Sorry, I've just got off from work." "It's fine, don't worry about it," Storm chuckled in response, the bus passing him by and the pony pulling it not even turning to look at the crowd waiting at the bus stop. "Guessing your shift was pretty busy tonight, huh?" "It was, we had a pretty cloudy night tonight here in Cloudsdale. I'm just glad it's over now and I can finally get some sleep...I miss you so much, Stormy." "I miss you too," a frown adorned Storm's face all of a sudden as he pondered over the conversation they'd had in the park not long before his departure. "I wish I could have stayed, but I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise you, babe." "I know, I just wish that I could have come with you." "I know you do, honey," Storm sighed, sensing the despair in her voice, that longing for him that she had. "I'm sorry for this, believe me. I'm so sorry." "It's not your fault, Stormy...what happened, happened...and the best we can do now is move on from it...I just want you back." "Yeah, I guess," his ears pinned down, as a tear formed in his eye. He loved everything about her; her nature, her wisdom, her lust for life. Everything. "And I do too. I promise you that I'll be back, Blue. I love you so much." "I love you more than anything, honey. Please stay safe out there, okay?" "I will," Storm sighed, sorrow gnawing at his core and punching his gut. Why did I leave you? "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" "Alright. Good night, honey. Sleep tight...Remember, I love you so much...and I'll be rooting for you all the way." "Thanks, babe," he cracked a small, tearful smirk, sorrow in his voice. "I love you...sleep tight." The moment he hung up, Storm was near enough overwhelmed by an inner sense of regret at the turn of events of the past couple of days. Why did I leave you, Blue? he sighed, sliding his phone back where it came from. I didn't have to listen to High...and yet, I did. Sifting through the bag, he finally took out a letter of some of the important addresses High Wind had laid down for Storm to visit in order to settle in Vanhoover without any hassle. The first one was, of course, the address to his new apartment, with some instructions that High had set out for Storm to follow in order to get to the apartment. Your new address is: 12362 Hoofshire Avenue Hoofboro VANHOOVER Equish Coltumbia Take the number 40 bus carriage and disembark at Timberwolf Avenue, a major shopping street a couple of miles east of the apartment block. If you are feeling tired, then board the number 86 bus at the intersection of Timberwolf Ave. and the Coast Highway, which will stop right next to the building. With only two bedrooms, it's not much, but maybe you'll like it. I don't know. Suddenly, a loud horn sounded, which caused Storm to drop the letter out of shock. Glancing to the side to see a large, green-colored carriage approaching, being pulled by a rather buff and muscular-looking stallion, Storm could realize right away that this was the bus he was meant to take. Picking up the letter and backing away towards the glass-paned bus stop behind him, Storm quickly put down his suitcase and unzipped it in order to take out his wallet, but before he could take out his money, the bus pulled up to the bus stop, and the doors leading aboard the vehicle slid open, allowing its passengers to spill out and new ones to board. "Where to?" asked the stallion who pulled the carriage, glancing at Storm as he pulled out a five bit bill from his wallet and zipped it back up. "Uh, Timberwolf Avenue." replied Storm. "That'll be two bits fifty." said the bus driver as Storm turned to look at a black box that had the words 'EXACT CHANGE PLEASE' written on it in permanent marker. "Shit." cussed Storm. "Unfortunately, I spent the last remaining coins I had on pop." "Tough. Either you pay me or you aren't coming on, simple." groaned the bus driver, waving his hoof towards him. "Well?" "Grr." Storm grimaced. "Would a five-bit bill do?" "Certainly." smirked the bus driver, rotating his head to the side to see Storm fold the bill and insert it into the slot on top of the box. "Welcome to Vanhoover, kid." Storm let out a gasp upon setting hoof in his new apartment, a two-bedroom abode on the penultimate floor of a fifteen-story high building close to the downtown core of Vanhoover, which seemed to be a lot more spacious than the small description High Wind gave Storm on the address sheet made it out to be. Placing his bag and suitcase in the first empty room he saw and slamming the door behind him, Storm begun to explore his new home. Despite being tired out of his mind from the seemingly endless traveling he had done today, Storm still hoped to check out the place. What he had seen of the apartment so far had been furnished prior to Storm's arrival in Vanhoover with the most basic commodities, such as a small TV, an old couch which stood beneath the windowsill in the living room, or a small refrigerator and a microwave oven in place of an actual oven in the kitchen, all of which would make do for now until Storm got on his hooves and begun earning even the most basic form of income. Having gained the keys to the apartment from High prior to takeoff from Cloudsdale, he placed them on the windowsill in the living room, before staring out of the window at the expansive skyline of Vanhoover, which stretched for at least three-four miles until it reached a large cliffside, overlooking the Western Ocean, the moonlight glimmering across its seemingly still surface. His eyes widened as he gazed at the truly massive city before him, which despite being nowhere near as big as Cloudsdale was, seemed to be absolutely huge in its own right. The skyline of the city before him, which was alit in yellow-white light, looked stunning, with the fifty story-high DiamondCorp Tower being the main highlight amidst the slightly smaller skyscrapers which surrounded it, it's pyramid-shaped roof emitting a pinkish-purple hue and lighting up the night which enshrouded the city like a massive beacon. Letting out a yawn as he turned away from the window, Storm gazed down at his digital watch, which having not been adjusted to the time zone that Storm was located in right now, still showed the time as it was in Cloudsdale, 2:46 AM. Pressing a button repeatedly on the watch's side, Storm managed to change the time zone from Central Equestrian to Western, letting out another yawn as he done so. After around half an hour of traveling across the city to his new home from the airport, making use of Vanhoover's extensive public transportation network to do so, Storm was incredibly sleepy, and rightfully so. The long flight to Vanhoover which he tried to get through by falling asleep to no avail, combined with the jet lag which had gotten to him due to traversing across multiple time-zones, had taken its toll on Storm, but he was happy to be finally here. But he knew that this was no holiday; tomorrow was when his job interview, which was required for the exchange procedure to be complete, would take place, and he was both looking forward to it in a way, and dreading it at the same time. Having lazily pulled the suitcase from the next room into the living room, Storm unzipped it upon reaching the couch, taking out a pillow and a large quilt from it, before placing them both on the couch which stood behind him. Hoping not to worry too much about his impending job interview, he also managed to dig out a framed photo of somepony who meant something very special to him, his marefriend Blue. The picture he held in his hooves was taken on her eighteenth birthday, and showed Storm and Blue enjoying a date at the local Itailian restaurant in her part of Cloudsdale, his hoof resting on her shoulders and her head leaning against his chest, while a much smaller picture on the bottom right hand corner of the frame showed a closeup of Blue's face, her deep lavender eyes sparkling in the moonlight which reflected off them. Just looking at the two pictures brought a tearful smile to his face as the memories of all the times they spent together rushed back to him in an instant. He hoped to return to Blue sooner or later, but he knew that he had to make a name for himself in the city's weather factory first before he would be able to do anything else; that is what he was here for. "Good night, Blue." Storm kissed the framed picture, before placing it next to the couch on the windowsill and looking out one last time at the illuminated skyline outside, at least a mile or two away from the apartment building before he went to sleep. "I miss you so much... I'm sorry you couldn't come with me." Letting out a pained groan, Storm closed his eyes and tried to dry his tearful eyes with some sleep. Tomorrow's job interview was right around the corner, and Storm figured some sleep would do him good. By the way, what was the worst that could happen tomorrow? "So, Stormfire..." smiled the mare at the desk, sitting right in front of him, before she glanced at the TV-like computer monitor to her side which displayed Storm's basic information, along with his performance report that was sent to Vanhoover from Cloudsdale. The weather factory was a massive warehouse on the outskirts of town that apparently belonged to a now-defunct rail company that sold the factory to the weather team several years prior, before it went bust. It was a ten-fifteen mile long flight across town that Storm managed in half an hour. As she read the information which appeared on the computer screen, Storm fiddled with his hooves nervously, watching as the minutes on the giant clock which hung on the wall next to the desk ticked away, and failing to make eye contact with the mare. This was the moment he had both been waiting for patiently and dreading at the same time, ever since arriving at Vanhoover last night. Though he still felt tired from the lack of sleep he had experienced that night, he was awake enough to respond to some basic questions that the mare gave him, but he didn't exactly feel like doing so. The nervousness slowly overwhelmed him although he decided not to let it show; either he got the job or he was sent back to Cloudsdale, where he'd most likely get a walloping by High. However, a gut feeling told him that the chances of that happening were pretty slim, considering the fact that Storm was a hard-working member of the factory in Cloudsdale, where virtually all the higher ranks respected him, but the thought of that happening remained engraved in his mind. One thing was for sure, however; he hated job interviews and this one it seemed, was no exception. "How are you feeling right now?" "Perfectly fine, ma'am," Storm fibbed, trying to ease his nerves, and so far, it worked. "That's good to hear." she smiled understandingly, not managing to see behind Storm's wall of fake emotions. "I must admit, I am impressed with your progress reports from Cloudsdale. From what I've been reading, you seem like a very able, very skilled young stallion, and the higher ranks, Tornado especially seemed to value you highly as a member of the team." "Thank you." Storm gave a faint smile as his body relaxed slightly, yet despite this, he still continued to shiver. "Although unfortunately, it's not enough for you to join," the mare replied. "We're looking for more, even from interns such as yourself." "What do you mean?" he grimaced, his heartbeat increasing as he tried to figure out what she meant by 'more'. "The transfer internship program lasts for a year at most, and during your stay here in Vanhoover, you’ll get the best possible experience of being a junior storm maker. In return for offering you this, however, we want to know that you’re indeed capable of what we have in store for you," the mare explained. "Put simply, we'd like to test you first before we take you on. Hopefully, you're physically and mentally prepared for what we have in store for you here at Vanhoover." "What do you mean by 'test'?" Storm tensed up slightly, shivering as he looked at the mare in front of him. "We have extremely high standards to maintain here in Vanhoover," she explained. "After all, we are the top producing factory in the entire country. I'm surprised the guy who exchanged you, High Wind, I think his name was, didn't tell you beforehand. How long are you interning for?" "Yeah, that's him." Storm replied. "I...don't know." "Hold on, let me see," Clear replied, turning her attention to Storm's file on the computer. "You're interning here for a year." A year?! "While most other factories across the country do on-the-job training, we do things a little differently. New weather ponies, interns and transfers included, are expected to take part in a three-week-long training course. The test is a mixture of both physical activity and mathematical problem solving, very much like something that you do in the army, but on a much smaller scale," the mare read from her computer screen as the information, written in green, digital text scrolled down the display. "Week one is physical training while week two is weather training...---" "What about week three?" "Week three is exclusive, shall I say, to Pegasi and Pegasi only," Clear replied, narrowing her gaze onto Storm. "What your third week of training is going to entail is flight. Basically, what we're going to do then is just test your flight skills, your speed, your precision, et cetera, et cetera. You'll still get paid like normal weather ponies do but at a much lower rate. If you pass, you get the job; if you fail, it's back home to Cloudsdale for you." "So, you're saying that I have to pass a test in order to become a junior storm maker here?" asked Storm. "Precisely," smiled the mare. "Can you come back here tomorrow morning for your test?" "Definitely, ma'am." "Please, call me Clear Skies, and welcome to the team, Stormfire."