Chapter 5
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 5
It was summer, just before Thundercloud’s thirteenth birthday, and he played idly with a puff of cloud under the setting sun. He wanted to fly with his clockwork bird toy, but his parents had told him no playing until he had finished the book he needed to read for summer school. So he turned a cloud into a makeshift hoofball.
One thing Thundercloud knew for certain: summer school sucked.
It didn’t have to be that way. Summer school for foals his age was all about helping colts and fillies discover their special talent, and mostly focused on the kind of spellcasting and weather magic foals couldn’t learn when younger. If only he weren’t still a blank flank, he could be enjoying the summer.
The book he was supposed to read, Practical Weather Magic, bored him. Some parts of it were long and dreary. Other parts were just too easy, and he found himself skipping ahead to later lessons. But turning to practical exercises didn’t help either.
Nothing felt right.
Flying into the sky to retrieve the cloud in the first place, he was bothered by the idea that he shouldn’t have been able to reach the clouds, at least not without flying a greater distance.
Every time he felt his pegasus magic touch the cloud, it felt wrong. Or, rather, he thought he shouldn’t be able to feel it at all.
Like his hand would pass through it.
Thundercloud blinked. No, there was his hoof, and it touched the cloud, the subtle pull of his magic holding its shape.
He looked again at the book. “Lesson Two: Organizing Clouds into Weather Formations.” He reread how he was supposed to order clouds for the major weather formations: partly cloudy, overcast, windy, rain, snow, and storm. But what good would it do if he couldn’t make the clouds stick?
As Celestia’s sun set, Thundercloud shut the book in frustration. Tomorrow, he would be revealed to be the failure he was.
“No, Thundercloud, you need to anchor the cloud! Use your magic!”
The mare teaching the weather class, a pegasus named Dawn Storm, watched Thundercloud as he flew the rain cloud back into position.
He channeled his will into the cloud, just like the book said. He pulled the magic through his wings and into his hooves, just like his teacher said. And still, the cloud started to drift away from the rest of the cell.
Dawn Storm sighed and flew up to the errant cloud. She had no problem securing it. “So, now that the rain clouds are assembled into formation, they can all be activated as a group. That way, the areas receiving rain will receive a uniform amount of water.” She turned, bucked the clouds, and a light but steady rain soaked the grass.
“Our next lesson is activating clouds, just like I demonstrated,” she continued. “Lesson Three in your textbook describes the principles involved, as well as teaching you the differences between bucking a cloud to dissipate it and bucking a cloud to activate it. Now, everypony, grab a rain cloud and try to make it rain. Touch it. Speak to it.”
Thundercloud joined the crowd of foals around the pen holding small rain clouds of uniform size. He flew with his cloud to where he was practicing.
Like the book said. Like the teacher said.
Thundercloud turned, kicked his hind hooves into the cloud, and commanded it to rain.
The cloud dissipated into fine gray mist.
Thundercloud wasn’t alone in failing to make his cloud rain the first time. But in subsequent attempts, the number of pegasi joining Thundercloud in failing decreased.
After his fifth trip back from the cloud pen, Thundercloud stood on his cloud. His frustration flowed into the cloud, and it darkened under his hooves. “Stupid cloud, talk to me!” he grumbled.
The cloud did speak back, as a bolt of lightning shocked him. His heart raced, and his feathers tingled, but his natural resistance shrugged off the energy.
Dawn Storm flew over to him. “What happened, Thundercloud?”
“I made the cloud mad,” he replied.
Dawn Storm looked at the cloud. “You did this? All from one cloud?”
“Yeah? I think I read it somewhere in the textbook.”
“The textbook talks about forming a thundercloud out of four rain clouds. To make one out of a single rain cloud shows some talent.” Dawn Storm fetched another cloud. “Can you try that again? Just step back before it’s ready to loose its lightning.”
Thundercloud jumped onto the fresh cloud. He recalled his feelings, and the cloud darkened to match his mood. This time, he jumped off once it looked just like a thundercloud.
“You know, Thundercloud, that’s a very important skill for a weather team, and one not many pegasi can do well,” Dawn Storm said.
“Yeah, I’m good at that!” Thundercloud said. And then he felt a tingle on his flank, as a thundercloud appeared to match his name and special talent.
Thundercloud flew into the air. “My cutie mark!”
“Congratulations, Thundercloud, but we still have class,” Dawn Storm said.
“I have to stay in class?”
“If you want to join the weather team, Thundercloud, you will need to pass written and practical exams, showing you understand the fundamentals of weather management. And you need work with the fundamentals,” Dawn Storm said. “Fortunately, now that you know what kind of weather you work best with, it should help you learn how to work with the rest.” She flew away, coming back with a fresh rain cloud. “Now, how about giving this another try?”
Thundercloud trotted along the streets of Ponyville with his parents. He thought there was no way he could fly, especially not after eating all the treats at his combined birthday party and cuteceañera. He balanced his many gifts on his back.
His parents smiled. They hadn’t brought their gift to the party, promising to reveal it once they returned home.
They made it home. Thundercloud looked expectantly at his parents, but they just smiled. “Go and put your gifts away first, son,” his father said.
Thundercloud did as he was told, and returned to find his parents sitting at the kitchen table. He joined them.
“Now, your mother and I were talking,” his father said. “You’re thirteen now, you’ve discovered your special talent, and you’ve proven you can work.”
“What your father is saying is, we think you’re ready to take care of a pet,” his mother said.
“Really?” Thundercloud said, his wings buzzing excitedly.
“Yes, really. Just remember that a pet is an important responsibility,” his father said.
“Now, get some rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see Miss Fluttershy,” his mother said.
Thundercloud beamed as he flew with his mother. They flew above the rooftops, and zoomed closer to the ground as they passed the last buildings within the town’s borders. Ahead, the dangerous Everfree Forest loomed, but they focused on the sights and smells of the grassy fields over which they flew.
A small cottage came into view, surrounded by miniature houses where birds and other small animals lived. A butter yellow pegasus flew among them, humming happily and distributing food to the occupants. She smiled at Thundercloud and his mother as they approached.
Thundercloud flew down and looked into the animal homes. A variety of birds peered at him curiously.
“Hello. You must be Thundercloud,” the pegasus mare said quietly.
“That’s me! I’m here looking for a pet,” he replied.
“Oh! I have many animal friends who are looking for their forever home,” she said. “I have many kinds of songbirds, and an owl, and even a falcon!”
Thundercloud raised an eyebrow at that last one. “Well, uh, it can’t be a bird. Mom’s allergic to bird feathers.”
“Oh. That’s too bad. But I have many furry friends looking for a home, too. Do you know what kind of animal you’d like to care for?”
“Uh...” he started. Thundercloud looked back to his mother.
“This is your pet, Thundercloud. It’s your choice, and your responsibility,” his mother said. “I’ll leave you and Fluttershy to make this decision.”
Fluttershy introduced Thundercloud to her animal friends. She cared for cats and dogs, hamsters and gerbils, rats and rabbits, lizards and turtles, otters and beavers, chipmunks and squirrels, and even a bear. (“But I don’t think Harry wants to leave,” she noted.) Again, just like with the falcon, some of the pet choices seemed... off.
“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked.
“I don’t know. I just thought that, you know, all your animals would be domesticated.”
Fluttershy gasped. “You shouldn’t use that word.”
“Huh?” Thundercloud said, even more confused. Wasn’t that the right word?
“Our animal friends can think and feel; they just do it differently than ponies. And that means they need our care.”
Thundercloud stared at all the animals. He couldn’t help but see some of them as pets and others as wild animals. But that wasn’t how Fluttershy saw them.
“I know they know you didn’t mean anything by your bad word,” Fluttershy said. “Now, why don’t you talk to them?”
Thundercloud visited the various animals. He spoke to them; they showed limited understanding. He got their attention, offered them food, scratched them on the head with his hoof, and looked to see which showed interest in him. He found a dog, a cat, a rabbit, and a squirrel.
Fluttershy took Thundercloud and his potential pets outside. “Now, here’s where you can run and play with these nice animals. I know young pegasi like having a pet they can fly with, but with your mother’s allergy, that would be hard to do. And not every pet can be like Rainbow Dash’s loyal friend Tank. But these animals will all love you, if you love them back.”
He looked at each animal in turn, as Fluttershy introduced them, giving their names and a little about their family and personality. The rabbit didn’t seem to be interested in Thundercloud when he didn’t have any food with him. The cat was surly, but liked playing with Thundercloud’s wings, batting at the feathers. The dog was happy, like all dogs are, and eagerly chased Thundercloud. And that led to the squirrel. The little rodent scampered up Thundercloud’s leg, across his back, up his neck, and nestled himself in his mane.
“As you can see, Mr. Nutley is very energetic and affectionate. There are flying squirrels, though really they glide, but I’m not taking care of any of them right now. But while he can’t fly, he’s not afraid of heights, and I’m sure he’d be happy to fly with you. Just be careful,” Fluttershy urged.
Thundercloud flapped gently, slowly gaining altitude. The squirrel’s little claws massaged his scalp as he moved for a better view. When he was high above the cottage, Thundercloud took the squirrel in his hooves. One thought filled his mind. Wild animal.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and looked at the squirrel again. “Mr. Nutley, is it?”
The squirrel nodded.
“So you’re not a flying squirrel. Do you want to be one?”
Thundercloud grinned and threw the squirrel into the air, letting the rodent experience flying.
He heard an “Eek!” from below, louder than anything he had heard Fluttershy say. And she flew, at speeds that rivaled the Wonderbolts, to catch the squirrel.
Thundercloud had only a moment to marvel at the pegasus’ display before she flew in front of him. She stared at him, her eyes boring into his soul. The smile faded from his face, replaced by fear. Without even realizing it, he was being forced to the ground, his wings causing him to descend.
“Look here, young colt. You do NOT hurt my animal friends. You need to respect all life, even life that’s different from your own. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
Thundercloud meekly nodded.
They were on the ground now. She held out the squirrel, cradled in her forehooves. “Now apologize to Mr. Nutley.”
“I... I’m sorry,” Thundercloud said quietly. “I did a bad thing.”
Fluttershy stroked the squirrel with her wing. “There, there,” she cooed. “You go back to your home, and I’ll bring you all the nuts you want.” She set the squirrel on the ground, and he ran off, making a wide birth around Thundercloud.
“Now, as for you...” Fluttershy started.
“I’ll leave,” Thundercloud said. “I don’t deserve a pet.”
“Maybe you will, someday,” Fluttershy said. “But not today. Learning to care for a pet is like learning to care for other ponies. You can always get better at it. Today, you have a lot to learn, but there’s always tomorrow. Tomorrow is a fresh chance to be a better pony.”
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Call it a hunch, but I think that in the next chapter, somebody's gonna say, "Tomorrow's a fresh chance to be a better pony."
this world is out to make this colt a proper pony and punish him for being a kid
6480468 Just wait until the chapter where he doesn't hear it!
I'm speculating that I might kill myself if I hear that damn saying anymore. This is more like a psychological horror, I'm slowly losing my sanity as it is repeated over and over and over. Also I don't know if it's just me but I'm starting to like Thundercloud less and less. He doesn't really seem to be learning his lesson at all and initially he was just doing boyish things like dipping someone's tail in ink because he thought they were stuck up, but now he's stealing and throwing animals around from a height.
Don't get me wrong though, I still like the story, I just want a little more progression.
6480706 What you describe is progression, though, shall we say, a darker one.
I'm glad readers are finding that phrase creepy.
i think this is turning into something much worse than i thought it would be. i think i can see where this is going. and it scares me.
6480847 Speculation is encouraged! (Or send me a private message if you'd like to guess but keep your guess secret.)
6480973 well it could easily go into how they stole everything from humanity in some sort of slow takeover which ultimately killed off humanity, but i don't think thats it. No it's something just as terrifying and I'm not sure what, so I'm gonna keep reading to find out.
Hmm. A persistent case of species dysphoria... and cultural dysphoria. Thundercloud's expectations aren't just based on a human body, but also, to an extent, on a human society. And that talent for electricity may lead him in very interesting directions if properly applied.
I'm still not sure what you're leading up to, but it's clear you're going somewhere. And as you noted in an earlier comment, one only gets so many chances to be a better pony...
6480468 I'm waiting for someone to accidentally say "... a better person"
6480973 i don't know exactly what's gonna happen, but the feeling of dread remains and it's the feeling of unnaturalness that scares me.
To be honest, if I see a pony saying that phrase again I'm going to lose it. Part of me now thinks that Pony is a simulation and they're trying to make him behave and keep repeating that statement to him over and over again to try and make him behave. And when he realizes that pony is fake he'll wake up and be in the human world and find out he was some criminal being experimented on.....Anyways.
6484956 That would certainly fit in a story with the Dark tag.
As for that evil phrase, the majority of its uses are done.