"Canterlot!"
Twilight Sparkle's ears rang. She was at Sugracube Corner with her best friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. Rarity had just exclaimed, "Canterlot!" loud enough to rattle the windows.
"This must be very exciting, Twilight," Fluttershy said with a quiet smile.
"Oh, it really is!" Twilight said. "Shining Armor and Cadence are going to be there, too! A day with my whole family! Who would want more than that?"
"Who," Owlicious, Twilight's pet owl agreed.
"That's awesome!" Rainbow Dash said. "Too bad the Wonderbolts don't have any performances in the winter. I could've totally come with you to Canterlot."
Spike bit into a cupcake. "Hey! We need to find presents for your parents, brother, and sister," Spike said.
"Oh, how could I ever forget the presents?" Twilight asked. "So sorry to leave, girls, but I would really like to find something before leaving." And definitely before the get-together, she added.
"Run along now, sugar cube," Applejack said.
"Ooh! Presents? I love presents!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I've got a present for you all for twenty-five days of love!" Pinkie rushed into her bedroom upstairs and came down with seven wrapped presents.
Twilight picked up Spike and her's. "Thanks so much, Pinkie! I'll be sure to get you something, too!" she said.
"Bye Twilight!" her friends said as Twilight and Spike left.
"So, what are you going to get for Shining Armor?" Spike asked.
"I was thinking maybe getting him a 'Stallion Wars: The Fillies Awaken' book," Twilight said. "The last time I talked to him, he ranted on and on about it!"
"I'll be getting him a hat I'll make all by myself!" Spike said.
"Let me guess: It's an excuse to spend time with Rarity," Twilight teased.
Spike blushed. "So maybe it is!" he said. "I'm also getting Cadence a necklace with a gemstone in the shape of a heart. That is if I get it to her before I manage to eat it."
Twilight giggled. "I think I'll be getting Cadence a parenting book. Ooh, my parents! I have to find the perfect books for them. Maybe one of the biography books that are about me so they'll learn about how much I've grown. Hmm, maybe not. Maybe a history book of Ponyville, so they know I'm safe."
"Uh, Twilight?"
"Or maybe a book about Equestria. They never traveled much when my mom had Shining Armor and I."
"Twilight..."
"Or even a visit to Ponyville! They can even stay in the castle! Though it would have been even better if the Golden Oak Library was still an option."
"Twilight."
"Yes, Spike?"
"Is that supposed to be normal?"
Twilight looked up. Cloudsdale was floating above Ponyville. And its clouds were gray.
"I don't think so," Twilight replied. "We need to take a look." She levitated Spike onto her back and flew up to Cloudsdale.
She landed and noticed the clouds weren't as fluffy as usual, and were feeling hardened. Twilight trotted over to Derpy, who was in the midst of confused pegasi.
"Derpy, do you know what's going on?" Twilight asked.
Derpy shook her head. "All I know is Cloudsdale's clouds are becoming darker and darker! I don't know why, but something's definitely wrong!"
"You got that right," Spike said, pointing to the weather factory.
The factory looked like it was haunted. Eerie broken glass was a gateway to the darkness inside. Pegasi were staring at it, as if it was the problem.
A stallion pegasus flew onto a tall pillar. He had a sky blue coat, pink and red shaggy mane and tail, emerald green eyes, and a set of rainbow wings as a cutie mark...as well as his actual wings.
"Pegasi of Cloudsdale!" the stallion declared. "Cloudsdale is suffering from the accident two weeks ago, when an inturder unleashed winter into Ponyville. Our best engineers and mechanics have tried repairing the damage, but the weather factory is nearly impossible to fix. The equipment needed to fix everything is very expensive! But the weather factory is causing unpredictable weather across Equestria. Right now, I'm getting reports from Canterlot of hail."
Twilight gasped along with others. Rainbow Dash was next to her. She had a worried expression on.
"How can there be hail in Canterlot if there are pegasi controlling the weather, Rainbow Feathers?" asked a pegasus.
"Pegasi have reported the clouds can't be controlled," Rainbow Feathers explained. "The clouds from the weather factory after the accident must have not been properly made, which is why the clouds can't be controlled."
"What are we supposed to do?" asked Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Feathers seemed to hesitate. "Um, we have to warn Ponyville and the rest of Equestria that the weather is unpredictable. We must make sure everypony is safe. Pesgasi, move out!"
The pegasi flew down and to other parts of Equestria.
"Are your parents gonna be OK?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight gasped. "My parents!" she said. "Oh, hopefully they are! It'd be terrible if something did happen!"
"I'm sure they're fine," Spike said. "Besides, the Royal Guards are in Equestria to protect Canterlotians."
Twilight relaxed slightly. "Yeah, I'm sure they're fine," she repeated.
"Meanwhile, we should find somepony who can help predict the weather," Rainbow said. "You know, so we can make sure everypony knows what to expect."
"But even if we can predict the weather, who can possibly make a machine like that?" Twilight asked.
"I think I can help with that," Derpy said next to them.
***
"Princess Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash!" A stallion opened the door of a cottage nearby Town Hall. He had a brown quiffed mane and tail, a light brown coat, and blue eyes. He wore a green tie with a white collar. His cutie mark was of a hourglass. "Miss Hooves. What a pleasure to see you all!"
"I presume you're Doctor Hooves?" Twilight asked.
"Correct," Doctor Hooves said, nodding.
"Derpy here said you might have a solution to our problem," Twilight explained. "We were hoping you could help us."
"Why, of course I can!" Doctor Hooves said. "Come in! It seems to be getting a bit more chilly outside."