“Um, Boss, do you have a moment?”

Rainbow Dash looked up from her map of Ponyville and the surrounding region, her neck making an eye-widening crackle as she did so. The sky blue pegasus reached up with her hoof and rubbed her neck. Having to be responsible made her irritable and was an actual physical pain in her neck.

She looked at the pegasus speaking to her, waiting, smiling and patient. Dash found herself grinning. Gloomy August. Rain Specialist, First Class. She had a talent for turning any cloud she touched into a rain cloud. The dark grey pegasus was likeable, cheerful, and a hard worker. She made dull jobs tolerable.

“What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked. She watched as Gloomy brushed her dark, dull purple mane from her eyes. If ever there was a pony that did not fit their name or how they looked, it was Gloomy.

“I need to speak with you. It’s about a personal matter,” Gloomy said to Rainbow in a chipper sounding voice. The dreary looking pegasus smiled and blinked her olive coloured eyes. “I think I need some time off.”

“Oh.” Rainbow nodded. “I understand. You have some vacation time coming.”

“No, I don’t think a week is going to do it.” Gloomy’s smile widened and her olive green eyes twinkled. “Nope, a week just won’t do at all.”

“Two weeks?” Rainbow Dash asked, raising her eyebrow.

Gloomy, her smile never fading, looked thoughtful. Then, in a rare moment, her smile became a straight line and little wrinkles appeared in the corners of her eyes. She shook her head. “Nope.” After a moment, the corners of her mouth curled upwards again.

“What’s the deal, Gus?” Rainbow Dash reached up and rubbed her aching neck again.

“I’m tired of making it rain. I’m tired of being the source of other ponies unhappiness. I’m tired of ruining picnics, birthday parties, and cute-ceañeras. I’m tired of ponies grabbing their umbrellas when I fly overhead.” Gloomy’s ears splayed out sideways, and her smile looked a little tired.

“Gloomy, you’re a pegasus. You have a gift. You make rain clouds… we need you.” Rainbow Dash scowled and twisted her head around, trying to get her neck to pop again. “Take a vacation. You’ll feel better.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Gloomy began, and then paused for a long, drawn out silent minute. The pegasus took a deep breath. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“What are you planning on doing?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I plan to go wherever the wind takes me. I’m a pegasus. I want to ride the wind. I want to see the world. See other clouds. Look at other places besides Ponyville. I do the same thing day after day. I can’t do it anymore,” Gloomy replied.

“You know what, Gloomy? I respect that. Sometimes, a pegasus needs to go wherever it is that the wind blows them. Sometimes… sometimes I don’t think our kind was ever meant to settle down in one place. I think that’s why Cloudsdale moves.” Rainbow Dash looked down at the map, her face troubled. Gloomy was a valuable asset, but rainclouds could always be procured from the weather factories in Cloudsdale. “Go… just… go and be happy. When the wind brings you back, if it brings you back, you’ll have a job here waiting for you, if you want it.”

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.”

“Eh, what are friends for?” The sky blue pegasus grinned and looked up just in time to see Gloomy coming right at her. Dash held out a hoof, trying to keep the hug happy pegasus away. Her and Derpy both—disasters just waiting to happen.

The dark grey pegasus was not a fast pegasus, but she was a strong pegasus. Dash found herself swept up in a fierce, crushing hug. Something in her neck crackled alarmingly, and then Rainbow Dash felt pins and needles in all seven of her extremities. There was another squeeze, another loud pop, and then Dash let out a grunt of relief as the terrible aching pressure in her neck subsided. She felt herself lowered back down into her chair and she sat there, limp, and unable to move.

“You know, sleeping in Applejack’s tree is what’s destroying your neck. Try laying flat.”

Well then, the hardest part was over. Gloomy wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She was certain that Rainbow Dash was going to talk some sense into her. Gloomy hadn’t counted on Rainbow Dash telling her to go. Gloomy stood in her small cottage and looked around. It was a tiny little cottage on the edge of Ponyville. The prudent pegasus liked to live below her means. She didn’t need a lot of space. A small efficient kitchen, a cosy little sitting area, a bedroom just big enough for a bed as well as a bookshelf, and a bathroom with a wonderful shower. The hardwood floors were a little warped, but were polished and clean. The wallpaper was a little faded, but it wasn’t too bad. At least Gloomy had wallpaper. There was no sense in complaining that it was faded.

Stepping from the sitting area into the kitchen, Gloomy looked down at the newspaper on the kitchen table. She thought about the nice couple that had appeared in the paper. A nice young stallion and a very pleasant sounding mare that were out living on the road, having adventures, doing good deeds, and living as though the world was their classroom. The nice young stallion had dreams of being a botanist and the nice mare had a doctorate or two in geology. It was such a happy, feel good story. It sounded like such a wonderful plan. Just step outside of your door and have an adventure. It was that easy. The newspaper kept printing different versions of the same article, and had been doing so for quite some time.

Gloomy had never been on an adventure before, unless you counted the ones she had taken in books. She had read every Daring Do novel there was, like any good pegasus should do. Daring Do was a good role model, the epitome of charm, wit, and grace. Daring Do would just throw a dart at a map, grab her pith helmet, unfurl her wings, and then go off on an adventure. Gloomy looked down at the newspaper again. That Mister Teapot fellow in the paper was said to be wearing a pith helmet. He had lived here in Ponyville, born and raised, before he had been banished. Gloomy had faint memories of Mister Teapot. He was a bit grumpy as she recalled, but she supposed that he was just unhappy because he hadn’t gone on his adventure yet, or found his wife and dancing partner. Not having a dancing partner was an acceptable excuse to be grumpy. He had said in the interview that being banished had been the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

For a moment, Gloomy wondered what she might have to do to get banished by Twilight Sparkle, but then she pushed that thought from her mind. She needed a pith helmet first. That seemed to be an important part of adventuring. Daring Do went into danger and certain death to rescue her lucky pith helmet.

Perhaps a list was in order. Procure pith helmet, a pair of saddlebags suitable for adventuring, and then go and inquire with Twilight Sparkle about how one got banished by decree of a princess. It seemed simple enough. Gloomy’s ever present smile turned into a toothy grin. This wasn’t complicated at all.

It was time for a little retail therapy. Gloomy liked shopping.

Looking at the selection of hats, Gloomy sighed. She stood in the aisle, looking all around, wondering if she was going to have to go to Canterlot. There were some nice hats, but these were not adventuring hats. These were just… hats. And some of them looked flimsy.

“Need something miss?” A tall knobby kneed old unicorn stallion peered through his glasses, squinting one eye, and his old ears were limp against his head.

“I need a pith helmet,” Gloomy replied in a chipper voice.

“Oh my… by the sacred white alicorn, I haven’t had anypony ask for one of those since the year nine hundred and sixty or so… pert near forty years ago… there was a fad, some young colts from Liverypool started singing and came to Equestria… The Buckles. Nice colts. Had long manes. Caused a panic and a lot of fainting fillies.” The old stallion stared off into nothingness and a faint smile crossed his muzzle.

Gloomy tapped him, giving him a gentle touch to bring him back to reality. “Do you know where I can get one?”

“I have a pith helmet in storage. It’s from the nine sixties… black… a custodial helmet from the Trottingham bobbies.” The old stallion blinked and began chewing his lip.

“What’s a custodial helmet and what’s a bobby?” Gloomy asked.

“A custodial helmet is what the police wore in Trottingham. It’s a pith helmet, peaked, made of cork and covered in thick black felt on the inside, with heavy frocked and oiled black canvas on the outside. A bobby was a police officer. I used to sell a lot of goods from over there back when the Buckles invaded Equestria. Everypony wanted to be like the ponies over there.” The old stallion’s ear flapped a bit and he trotted off on trembling knees.

“Sir?” Gloomy asked.

“Hold on, Miss, I’m going upstairs. I always knew that this day would come!”

Gloomy was almost beside herself when the stallion returned, carrying with him a dusty, cobwebby box. He headed for a display table, his old knees popping and creaking. He held the box aloft in a pale golden glow that emanated from his horn.

The old unicorn set the box down on the table, smiled at Gloomy, and then, with a showpony’s flourish, he pulled the lid off. He pulled out something covered in crinkly old plastic that began to fall apart right away, flaking off and falling from a black hat.

The custodial helmet was a pith helmet alright. It looked just like Daring Do’s helmet was described in the books and the illustrations of Daring Do on the book covers. It was black, a good bit larger than Gloomy thought it would be, and had a shiny silver band around the base of the crown, where the brim protruded.

Without warning, it was placed down upon her head. The helmet swallowed her ears and almost slid down to her eyes. Just as she was getting used to the weight on her head, it was pulled off again. Gloomy watched as the old stallion adjusted some straps inside of the helmet. It appeared as though the actual helmet itself didn’t sit upon the head, but was suspended by a series of straps and headband.

“If you get hot, dunk this in water. The cork will act like a sponge. As the water evapourates, your head will stay cool,” the old stallion explained. “This is what ponies wore before there was air conditioning.”

“Neat,” Gloomy replied in a chirpy voice.

Once more, the black pith helmet was placed upon her head. This time, the fit was perfect. It covered her ears and the short brim extended over her eyes. She liked it. She liked it a lot. “I’ll take it.”

“Will this be all?” the old stallion asked.

“Do you have any saddlebags in black that will match?” Gloomy gave the old stallion a hopeful look and her best smile.

“As a matter of fact, I do… custodial bags, designed to match the helmet...”

Once more at home, Gloomy wasn’t sure what to pack. She needed a blanket, that much was obvious. How else would she stay warm? She needed some food. She had a plastic water bottle. She grabbed her journal and her pencil. She always promised to write more journal entries, but never got around to doing it. Ponies were encouraged to write journals by the princesses because journals offered a sense of history from the perspective of the ponies who lived through it. Well kept journals could offer insight and wisdom into various moments of history from the many different sets of eyes that witnessed it.

Gloomy August wasn’t very good at keeping up with her civic duty. There were always more important things to do than writing in an empty book.

Moving about her cottage, she grabbed a few final things, stuffing them into her bags. She had cleaned out the fridge of anything that might spoil, giving it all to a neighbor, she had closed all of the shutters over the windows. It was time to go. All she needed to do now was go out her front door, close it behind her, and lock it.

All that was left after that was getting banished by Twilight Sparkle.

Princess Twilight Sparkle’s Crystal Friendship Castle was not the most approachable building. The princess herself was said to be open to visitors, but a castle was intimidating. Gloomy hovered near the doors, unsure of what to do or what the proper social etiquette was for visiting a princess in her big, intimidating, unapproachable castle. Was it proper to knock? She didn’t see a doorbell. It wasn’t at all like visiting a neighbor’s home, knocking on the door, and then waiting to be invited inside.

After a few moments of worry, Gloomy thought to herself, What’s the worst thing that could happen? She put on her best ‘Hello Princess’ smile, hoped her wings looked presentable, adjusted her new pith helmet, raised her hoof, and rapped upon the large door.

Each gentle tap produced a booming, echoing knock. Gloomy cringed.

Gloomy waited, humming to herself, being a patient pegasus. She dropped down out of her hover and stood on the landing. She folded her wings against her sides and wondered if she should knock again. She didn’t want to be rude. A castle was enormous, it probably took Twilight forever and day just to answer the front door.

Just as she raised her hoof to knock again, the door opened.

“Hello?” Princess Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, looking a little winded.

“Hiya, my name is Gloomy August.” Gloomy’s reply was cheerful, chipper, and chirpy. “I was wondering if I might ask a favour.” She watched as Twilight’s expression changed to one of curiousity.

“Of course… I exist to serve the public,” Twilight said, her response warm and genuine. “What is it that I can do for you? Would you like to come inside and talk?”

“Oh, I’m certain that you are a very busy pony.” Gloomy cleared her throat and her wings twitched against her sides. “Twilight Sparkle, I need for you to banish me.”

Twilight blinked a few times as she tried to process the pegasus’ request. “What?”

“I plan to go on an adventure. Like that nice Mister Teapot fellow. But first, I would like to be banished. Would you please banish me?” Gloomy’s smile shifted to one of delicate need.

“I can’t just banish you.” Twilight snorted and then started to laugh.

“Why not?” Gloomy asked.

“Well, you haven’t done anything wrong. Look, banishment is a punishment. And Tarnished Teapot is no longer banished. That was a misunderstanding,” Twilight replied, offering a brief explanation of the situation at hoof.

“But Mister Teapot said that his banishment was the greatest thing that ever happened to him. I would like to be banished as well.” Gloomy’s voice was now pleading and she gave Twilight the best puppy dog eyes she could muster.

“You can just go… fly away. If you want to have an adventure, just… fly away.” Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “You’re like the fourth or fifth pony that has asked me to banish them. Banishment isn’t something to take lightly.”

Gloomy, always the optimist, always hopeful, had a wonderful idea. She had a brilliant, spectacular, wonderful idea. She needed to do something wrong if she wanted to be punished. Twilight had made that rather clear, in a roundabout sort of way. The dark grey pegasus held out her hoof. “Excuse me, one moment, I shall be right back if you will wait on me.”

“Sure, why not. I needed a break from my studies.” Twilight watched as the pegasus flew away. She stepped out of the doorway and had a look around Ponyville. The late afternoon was pleasant, the sun was shining, and Rarity was having a sale by the looks of things.

As Twilight was having a good look around, Gloomy was wrangling a cloud. It had already turned grey from her touch, and a little flash of static illuminated the cloud for a brief second. She gave the cloud a rough shove to make it tempermental. The cloud responded by turning darker, becoming angrier.

Gloomy shoved the cloud over Twilight’s head and gave it a swift kick. The little cloud, incensed by Gloomy’s mistreatment, let go a cloudburst over Twilight, soaking the alicorn below. A cute, teeny tiny lightning bolt reached down and zapped Twilight on her horn, causing the now soaked alicorn’s mane and tail to frazzle out in all directions, which the pouring rain quickly drenched back down.

Scowling, dripping, Twilight Sparkle looked up at the pegasus. Twilight Sparkle remembered Cadance’s lessons. It was never good to be angry. She took a deep breath, sucking water up her nose as she did so, and almost choked. She was soaked to the skin and her pelt was waterlogged. Other ponies had stopped to rubberneck. Behind her, Spike was laughing. One sopping wet ear began to twitch, and the corner of Twilight’s eye vibrated.

“Gloomy August… from this moment forward, you are banished from the city of Ponyville, until such a time that you make a public apology to me,” Twilight said. As she spoke, the cloud gave her another zap with a tiny lightning bolt, striking her horn. Twilight held on to her calm.

“Oh, thank you. When I come back, I’ll tell you how dreadfully sorry I am over tea,” Gloomy said as she swooped down to hover near Twilight. “To make it up to you, I’ll try to keep up with my journal entries.”

“Just… go.” Twilight lifted up her right front leg that had rivulets of water streaming down it. She pointed. “Get out. Good luck. Sheesh, some ponies—BZZZT!—all you had to do was go.” Twilight glanced up at the cloud that had just zapped her for the third time, shook her head, and then stepped out from beneath the cloud.

Off in the distance, there was pealing laughter and Twilight Sparkle swore to herself that a certain rainbow maned pegasus was going to get it. She watched as Gloomy waved and offered an apologetic smile.

“Goodbye Twilight Sparkle, I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Gloomy said as she took off, flapping her wings and flying away.

Author's Notes:

And so... we're off on an adventure.

Let me know what you think below.