The elevator dinged quietly, the irony of the gentle chime amidst the pandemonium not escaping Cloud Cover. The lift was a brilliant white cloud, the cleanliness striking the filly as incredibly odd. Chills ran down her back as the new setting reminded her of just a couple days ago when she was escorted from the run-down carriage into the shiny architecture of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. She ran a hoof down the flawless wall, hesitating above the ‘Open Door’ button.
It could be anything past that door. It could be the monsters who started this, ready with tasers and weapons. It could be a trap, a simple device set up to kill us quickly. Or hey, maybe it could be nothing.
The purple filly turned to the two ponies behind her. Absentia nodded, her face set in rigid determination. Corona pawed at the floor, smiling at Cloud Cover. “Do it,” he spoke.
Gulping, she punched the button and stood back, bracing herself for whatever lay beyond. As the solid doors slid open slowly with a sigh, she shivered.
“Ah, good, I was wondering when you’d show up. Who’re your friends?”
Corona jumped forward snorting, pressing Cloud Cover back and standing in front of the females. He pawed again, leaning now and snorting so hard that steam escaped from his nostrils.
“What’s the matter, kid? Afraid of me? Don’t be, I won’t stoop to your level. I don’t think I caught your name.” The sky blue pegasus stepped closer and Corona bit at him, holding him back.
“What do you want, Contrail? Gonna capture us and take all the glory, eh? That’s what you told me about, right, the need for glory? Well, what are you waiting for?”
“What’s his name?” He ignored the colt, looking to Cloud Cover with a raised eyebrow. “C’mon, you’re probably the smart one, you weren’t fighting. If I were to kill you right now, what possible benefit could I gain by waiting?”
“Surprise, enjoyment, perhaps pass off some perverted moral via a dramatic line delivered suddenly while we perish at the hooves of an evil stallion.”
“Okay, fair point, but you’re not getting past me until I get his name. What is it?”
“It’s Corona,” the colt spit, still ready to pounce at the pegasus before them. “Get to your point, we’ve a factory to destroy.”
Contrail walked in idly, chuckling quietly as the failures backed up against the wall. Corona shook violently but the other two only moved cautiously. Absentia refused to take her eyes off the stallion, glaring and breathing deeply, yet remaining silent. He sat down by the controls, tapping the “Door Close” button but not hitting any floor.
“This elevator is on the top level. You can move down, but only a couple floors before it’ll lock in place. If you want to waste your time checking them out, go ahead, but if you choose to trust me listen when I tell you there’s nothing even remotely useful on those floors. Some horrific things, of course, maybe a couple dorm rooms. If you want to hide and sleep before you’re captured, that’s fine. The only route which leads to progress is out those doors beyond.”
“And just why should we trust you?”
“Because little Corona over here finds it a lot easier to be violent and merciless than any of us really do. I figure perhaps a lesson in humility might keep him from becoming as much of a monster as he accuses me of being.”
Cloud Cover turned curiously. “Contrail? What’s he talking about?”
The orange pony stood still, fuming. He avoided looking into his friend’s eyes.
“Oh, come now! It’s really quite funny when you look at it. Hehehe. Hah!” He giggled rapidly for a moment before coughing, embarrassed. “Ehm... Sorry. Old habits die hard. But honest, it is! You bring something sharp into an equine’s brains and you can just see the life drain out of their eyes. Sounds awful, of course, because it is. But that’s where the humor comes in! Nature makes it so easy to murder one another and then abhors the act of doing so. Who would have thought it? Maybe we’re the ones who abhor something nature has provided the means to do. And maybe I’m being a monster.”
