3/6

There was an office for the weather control service, somewhere, but instead Celestia directed me to a cluster of ponies standing atop the castle and conversing. One pony in particular, a short mare with a very dark grey coat and an electric blue mane seemed to be handling the majority of the directions, flitting here and there and pointing dramatically. Her control was excellent, and there was a delirious glee in her eye as she looked out over the vast weatherscape that lay above us.

“Captain Stormfront,” Angel Wings née Celestia said to me, leaning over to whisper. It was particularly helpful because I was currently looking down over the parapet, the swooping walls abruptly ending and leading to a vast expanse of mountain and the unforgiving ground far below.

She gave me a gentle nudge and I started, looking back over at the cluster of ponies and heading over. I paused outside the cluster, looking at Stormfront and waiting for her as she finished up her latest assignments. Her eye caught me and she flapped a couple of times, coming to land in front of me. “Hah!” She said, reaching up to tousle my mane with her hoof. “You’re almost as short as me! I like it! What can I do for you, kid?”

I glowered. “I’m Prince Consort First Prize-”

“Phew! Bigshot, aintcha? Whatcha packin’? Care to show it off?” Celestia was my saving grace here, putting a hoof to her mouth and coughing loudly. Stormfront looked over at her like noticing her for the first time. “Maybe if you lose the thot patrol. What can I help you with, sport?”

“Uh, well, in the interest of doing something productive with my day to day, I was hoping to see if I could help out with weather patrol.”

Stormfront sauntered around me in a casual circle, and I had no doubt this was an excuse to check out the goods. As she reached my rear, I turned to face her expectantly, and there was an undisguised look of disappointment. “You have any weather-crafting experience?”

“Not, uh, really…”

“Got a cutie mark in it?”

“No…” The obvious flaws in my plan began to color through. This was essentially going to be the cliche hoity toity noble coming in and insisting they could do the job. “You’re right. Sorry for wasting your time…”

“Now now!” She said, holding up her hoof. “Don’t go doing anything I don’t tell you. I’m just establishing prior work experience. As it so happens, we’re a bit perpetually short-hoofed, even if the ones who stick around are the best of the best. What I’m sayin’ is that you’re gonna be cloudbusting for a few months before you get to do any of the cool stuff”

“Oh!” I say, perking up and ears lifting at these news. “That’s just fine! I used to be a street sweeper, same idea, right?”

She snorted. “Wait, really? I thought that was some bit dreadful crap, you actually used to be a street sweeper?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Not terribly interesting, I know. This is already a lot more exciting.”

“No kidding. And I’ve got a street you can sweep anytime…” Once again, Angel Wings raised her hoof to her mouth and coughed, this time a little bit more forcefully, and Stormfront glare at her. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

My ‘bodyguard’ gave her a sweet smile. “I’m here all day, honey.”