The Fateless

by Finnfinn

The woes of an artist

Chapter 3: The woes of an artist

The black cloud was getting her coat soaking wet as the lavender pegasus wrapped her hooves around it and dragged it towards Ponyville. Cloud Kicker's wings were growing numb in the chilly night air. She hated flying in these dizzy heights, but one does not find clouds on ground level. And storms don't brew themselves either. Cloud Kicker sighed and threw an almost wishful glance at the soft, cotton candy-looking clouds over the Everfree Forest. If only the weather in Ponyville would handle itself, too. A twinge in her flank pulled her out of her daydreams and back into reality. She grabbed the cloud again, continuing her towing service for lost clouds as the pain subsided.

I wouldn't have work then, would I? Time to get this storm up and running.

Cloud Kicker had always loved to work for the weather team. Thunderstorms, sunshine and every possible shape of clouds were just weather to the inhabitants of Ponyville. But to her, it was art.Creating feathery clouds was a difficult act to pull off and she was proud of it. Sure, a big cumulus looked intimidating and a squall line was downright scary, but creating an almost invisible streak of mist just by tugging at the edges of a small cloud without ripping it apart - THAT was true weather making.

Another sting in her flank made her cringe. She let out an annoyed groan. "ALRIGHT, I'm on it!" She didn't even know who she was talking to, but she didn't care either.

Yes, creating all the beautiful kinds of weather was and always would be her passion. Guess nothing is fun if you are forced to do it. She raced towards the small lights on the ground who betrayed the village's location in a nosedive, no longer sure if the tears in her eyes came from the speed or the lump in her throat. She gave Thunderlane a quick nod as she stuffed her misty catch into a hole in the dark, now complete blanket of clouds. The dark grey stallion flew towards her and handed her a towel from his saddle bag.

"Sheesh" he said, looking at her with a mix of deep respect and compassion. "Caught that dark one in the mountains, eh?"

The lavender pegasus flinched and took a closer look at herself. Her fur was coated in ice crystals that were starting to melt just now, her jasmine mane stuck to her back, soaked with cold rainwater, her tail dripping as well. "You should probably stop flyin' up there and start compressing clouds to brew a storm." Compressing clouds was one way to create darker storm clouds. Cloud Kicker also deemed it the lazy way. "You're gonna catch a cold and I don't wanna see you flyin' around with a fever." The winged mare rolled her eyes.

Thunderlane glared at her and she sighed, giving him a weak smile. "C'mon, compressing clouds is not a challenge. Anypony can push some clouds together. Even Twilight Sparkle could do that, having a spell for touching clouds and all." Thunderlane raised an eyebrow. "She does? Since when...ARGH, stop changing topics!" He shouted. "I gotta start this storm, you've done your part!" He threw another stern look her way and dashed away, through the clouds that covered the sky.

Indeed. Thought Cloud Kicker as the pain in her flank did not return. I'm done for the day and there's a nice warm bed waiting for me. It didn't cheer her up. It never did.

She knew Thunderlane was right. She would have to fly, no matter how sick she was. Otherwise...she shuddered at the thought of the burning pain that had held her Cutie Mark in a smoldering grip when she resisted the strong urge for the first time. And the voice...the Order.

---

"No" Thunderlane paused in his briefing and turned to look at her with a confused expression. "Kicker, what are you doing?" A panicky whisper reached her ear. Thunderlane frowned. "Cloud Kicker, what do you mean, 'No'?" The whisper returned. "Don't! We don't know what will happen, it may kill you!" Said mare spun around to her white friend, glaring at her with fury. "Listen here, Storm Flute, I am not going to take orders from my own talent!" Cloud Kicker stomped her hoof like a stubborn filly, punching a hole into the cloud they were standing on. "We are supposed to control our talents, not the other way round!"

Now Summer Breeze piped up, an angry tone in her voice: "Don't be egoistic, Ponyville needs us! Weather team ain't some kind of kids' club, we have responsibility!" The lavender pegasus could not control herself anymore, took off and flew over to her pink-maned workmate, stopping inches away from her face and staring daggers at her. "Don't act like you are sacrificing your free time for this, Breeze!" She rose two meters and then addressed the other pegasi: "Look at us! Every other day we are brewing up a huge storm just so we have clouds to clear the sky of the next day!"

Her workmates cringed and looked down, not able to look her in the eyes. Even Thunderlane looked insecure. Cloud Kicker nodded. "Don't you get it? We're creating ergotherapy for ourselves! We used to be artists, everypony. And if I can't make weather the way I want...I don't want to do it at all." Cloud Kicker's felt the first tears emerge from her eyes, the salty liquid running down her face and neck, tears that carried memories from happier times. An age of freedom, beautiful sunny days, thunderstorms that rivalled the fireworks of the Grand Galloping Gala and calm snowfall.

As time went on the silence threatened to suffocate her. She dove through the cloud and towards Ponyville, determined to resist the orders of her very own passion. But as she punched through another cloud in frustration darkness consumed her surroundings.

Cloud Kicker looked around, not being able to orient herself. The darkness around her was perfect, beautiful and terrifying in its own way. She felt lonely and her wings and hooves grew numb as she tried to take her bearings. She perked up as a calm, but strong voice dug its way through the darkness.

"Cloud Kicker...do you not desire harmony and safety? I am here to bring perfection to your lives. You will not suffer hunger or thirst, your enemies will perish under my reign." The mare could not feel her wings anymore and panicked when they stopped flapping. Oddly enough, she seemed to float anyway. As her hooves quit their service she tried to make out the source of the voice. "Who are you?" The voice giggled.

"You may call me the Order. You are not the first one to resist me. But you, as everypony else, will use your talents for the greater good..."

The words echoed in her head, the soft whispers sending her into a trance. Perfection, safety...harmony. That sounded like a good idea. Perfection, safety...harmony. Yes...that was what she desired. But...we already have harmony. This simple though sent a wave of energy through her body, defeating the numbness and washing away the dizziness. She began flapping her wings again, rather trusting her own body than the Order.

"You, too, will not volunteer to serve perfection? Very well."

She yelped as something silky touched her cheek, exploring every single inch of her face before running down her neck, continuing its journey across her body, leaving her with an ice cold feeling where it touched her. She shivered as the chilly sensation spread out over her coat and finally stopped at her flank, feeling her Cutie Mark. Her flank began to tingle and a high-pitched whistling sound filled her ears, eliminating all thoughts. The voice returned once more:

"Serve me well."

Then, all of a sudden, the darkness was gone and Cloud Kicker found herself bursting out of the cloud she had entered what seemed like hourse ago, her Cutie Mark burning with pain as the urge to utilize her talent was stronger than ever, thwarting every attempt at thinking. She pulled out of her dive and turned around to reunite with the weather team, her tears streaming freely. She hated herself for her weakness.

---

Arriving at her dwelling above the thunderstorm that was wrathing at Ponyville without mercy Cloud Kicker lay down on her bed, her aching wings unfolded and relieved that she did not have to fly for the time being. But soon, relief was replaced with deep sadness as she was mourning the loss of her passion. She had always hoped that some day the Order would disappear, that maybe somepony would be able to resist it and put it in its place. But the wielders of the elements of harmony and even the alicorns were chained to their talents, incapable of fighting this entity with its distorted take on harmony.

But ultimately Cloud Kicker had lost all hope and optimism. Weather will never be art again...

Comments

[Morphile]

I see a madman breaking out of the Orders control.

[Finnfinn]

1248305 Who could that be? Now I'm curious.

[Morphile]

1248356, Vinyl is one possibility because of songs like this

[Finnfinn]

1248385 This song is 100% -approved.

[Morphile]

1248415, dancers and musicians are able to loop-hole out. And ones who have chaotic talents, like bio-warping and fighting, would break Orders plan on there own.
And Pinkie fits the song well.

[Finnfinn]

1248431 Well, you'll find out sooner or later.

[lamphobic]

Sorry it took so long to read. Had school and other more pressing fics (CH) to read. I really do like the idea Finn but until you start giving us some story and background (this counts as background) I can't really get into it.

[Prometheushunter2]

I'm guessing this thing is like discord but being a creature of order rather than chaos, question is, what did it do with him since he's it's antithesis