4/7

Gathered there was a smattering of ponies, all of whom were pegasi with particularly athletic builds. About an even mix of stallions and mares, in a semicircle and chattering energetically. One pony stood out in the middle, though it was not for any physical characteristics by far. Rather, it was more a projected energy about her, as the diminutive pony, outsized even by me, zoomed to and fro, speaking with a boisterous tone and displaying fantastic flight control as she zipped back and forth.

“Showers, you’re still on far-mountain surveillance. I know, I know, it sucks, but you’re a great flyer and our weakest buster, work on that cloud dispersal and I’ll get you back on an easier path,” she said with a smooth voice that slammed emphasis on every other word dramatically. “Sprinkle, you can- Can I help you?”

The shift of focus was so total and so rapid I had a second processing that she had started to talk to me, and I floundered for a second. “Oh, me? Yes, I needed to uh, talk with you. Assuming you’re the weather captain, that is, I-” Angel Wings gave me a gentle nudge, startling me into silence for a second before I restarted. “Um, that is to say that I’m Prince Consort First Prize and I’m here to talk with the weather captain to, uh, get acquainted with you and discuss your needs.”

The small pegasus mare, with a dark purple coat and a light blue mane, leaped up, wings fluttering a couple of times as she cleared one of the taller stallions on the flight crew and landed on his back. “You guys know what you’re doing,” she called out to the crew. “Now git.” She gave the stallion a swat on the flank and hopped off, leading the gaggle of ponies off to slowly trickle off, taking flight and soaring out over the vast drop that lay beyond the wall.

Meanwhile, she slowly approached me and offered a hoof, which I took to shake. “Weather Captain Stormfront,” she introduced herself. “I do pretty much everything beyond the walls. Care for a tour?”

I looked out over a straight drop to an intense fall that just seemed to go down forever and ever and ever. “I’m kind of a remedial flyer…” I admitted. “The thought kind of terrifies me.”

She snorted. “C’mon, pretty colt. I won’t let some big fancy noble fall down on my watch.”

I huffed. “I’m really not a noble. Fine. Let’s take a look-see around here.”

“And I’m really not a professional,” she said. “C’mon.” She jumped, wings flapping, performed a backflip in midair and dived straight down into the immeasurable gulf of air. Naturally I fell for the bait and immediately rushed over to the edge in concern. Just in time for her to come zooming up, buzzing me with inches to spare and sending me sprawling backwards with a yelp before Angel Wings caught me and gave me a gentle push forward.

It’s hard to say what her intention was. Fifty-fifty whether it was to keep me on my hooves or send me into the void along with Stormfront.