Stylo slept quite soundly that night, waking up bright and early as the soft light of early sunrise began drifting in through the window (whether या not he dreamt of Cloudchaser he couldn’t remember). He sat comfortably on his bed, once again लेखन in his little black book. He wasn’t frustrated या upset at his lack of creativity, anymore – in fact, he was quite amused द्वारा Cloudchaser’s ability to leave his inner monologue speechless.

He simply wrote what came to mind, careless of its eloquence या coherence.

A grey Pegasus
Yes, that’s true
Quite familiar, actually
As the गुलाबी one would say
Beauty
She beholds in the book
In which I attempt to mold
Some hardened clay into
That fa

His stream of consciousness was once again broken द्वारा a harsh knock on his door. Once again he shuffled over to answer it, and once again it was इंद्रधनुष Dash.

Stylo gave a weak smile and a halfhearted salute. “Good morning, Cap’n.”

“You’re in trouble, Stylo,” इंद्रधनुष began, “…and I really don’t want to do this.”

Stylo’s smile faded to a frown of concern. Trouble? What could he possibly have done?

“Wild आग told me all about your work yesterday. She कहा आप spent your whole shift lazing around, trying to convince her to stop working, and लेखन in your little book. She कहा आप were unmotivated, lazy, and crazy rude.”

Stylo nodded. “Those would be accurate observations.”

“Ugh, Stylo! When I came to your house and dragged आप up here, I wasn’t messing around. We need everybody on the ball if we’re going to get this mess sorted out. “

Stylo rolled his eyes. “I don’t think one टट्टू is going to make a whole lot of difference, here.”

इंद्रधनुष leaned in and glared at him. “If everypony had THAT mindset, we might as well quit right now!”

His mouth spread into a toothy grin. “Alright! Let’s all go home, then!”

“Ugh…” she grunted, rubbing her temples, “I thought we could get along, Stylo, but I guess that’s not happening. Looks like आप need a little incentive to get आप working.”

Quick as a flash, इंद्रधनुष snatched Stylo’s notebook and pen from his hooves.

“Whaaaa-aaaa-AAAAAAHH?!” Stylo was absolutely horrified.

“You’ll get these back when I see that you’ve at least TRIED to help us.”

“M-my… my life! Rainbow, आप can’t-!”

“What’s the matter? Where’s all that sarcasm and wit आप were dishing out, earlier?” इंद्रधनुष mocked with a smirk.

“IN THERE!” Stylo cried, pointing a hoof at his precious book.

“Come on, chop-chop! Go eat some breakfast. Wild आग should be waiting for आप out west द्वारा the time you’re through.” And with that, she took off to who-knows-where with blinding speed, clutching Stylo’s most prized possessions.

Stylo stood in silence for a few moments. He was having such a good morning. Now he was watching his purpose in life fly away.

After a few मिनटों he shuffled out, heading west. He didn’t eat breakfast.

---
Stylo managed to reach his co-workers after walking like a zombie for what seemed like an eternity. The Weather Team was hard at work kicking at the mighty thunderheads – their fearsome size and bassy rumble much reduced from the दिन before. Wild आग was talking with Trixie when he arrived.

“There आप are, Stylo!” Wild आग called, standing up, “Rainbow assigned Trixie to our troop because she कहा आप two seemed to get along.”

“With the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Wild and Fiery Wild आग on your side, our cloud-clearing might will increase tenfold!” Trixie proclaimed.

“You think you-… Stylo… आप look awful…” Wild आग remarked, stepping over and examining her partner. During his west-bound walk, a crumpled up piece of paper had blown across his path. He was nervously clutching it and muttering to himself. His windswept mane had लॉस्ट much of its shape, and his eyes looked strained and unhinged.

“I… found this paper. That’s one. One down. Now… now all I need is a… pen. Ink. A substance. A runny, runny substance…”

Wild आग looked confused. “Where’s your little book?”

“She… took it.”

“Oooooh, ouch!” Wild आग teased, eyes screwed shut, “Looks like you’ll actually have to help me today, huh?”

Stylo कहा nothing.

Trixie trotted over. “Oh Stylo, I’ve been meaning to ask you, do आप think we could- AH! Are you… drooling?”

He was.

“Yes, yes!” Stylo perked up, “Drool! Of course! It’s just like ink… it has the same properties…”

Stylo held the crumpled paper below his mouth and began to drool on it. The two mares were repulsed.

“AGH! Ohhh, don-… Okay. Maybe आप should sit this one out,” Wild आग suggested.

“NO!” Stylo stopped “writing” and dashed over to a frightened Wild Fire, “IF I DO, SHE’LL NEVER LET ME HAVE THEM!”

“Okay, okay!” she cried, “Let’s… get to work…I guess!”

Stylo’s work ethic was a लॉस्ट cause. इंद्रधनुष had hoped to motivate Stylo with her book napping, but all she had done was destroy him. He feebly poked at nearby clouds while Wild आग and Trixie gave it their all. He was simply unable to function while his life’s work lay in some unknown location – dropped on the floor, या torn up, या thrown away, या set on fire… good heavens! The thought was too much to bear.

Occasionally he tried to give a nearby बादल a nudge या push, but और often than not he opted to rest his head on them या bury it in their fluffy wetness, emerging damp and even और pathetic looking.

“Stylo…” Wild आग called with a sigh as he plunged his head into another cloud, “It’s not that bad. I’m sure इंद्रधनुष will-Stylo, look out!”

Stylo had unfortunately plunged his face into a thunderhead. With a mighty rumble, a jolt of electricity found Stylo to be a wonderful conductor.

“AAAAAAAGH!” he bellowed, shaking and smoking. Wild आग hurriedly rushed over and pulled his head out to find him singed and soot-covered.

“Maybe if I do that enough… I’ll forget!” he hopelessly remarked.

Wild आग breathed a worry-filled sigh. “…Okay. Trixie?”

Trixie was attempting to shave off a chunk of a nearby thunderhead. “Oof! Agh! Clearing out these clouds while maintaining my walk-on-clouds spell is not easy. How does Twilight give Pinkie one jolt that lasts her the…whole… day?!” She managed to sever a large chunk while finishing her sentence, flying down to Wild आग and Stylo afterward.

“Did आप say something?”

“Yeah… I think Stylo’s had enough. Let’s लपेटें this up.”

“…No!” Stylo cried, still smoking, “We have to keep going!”

“Look at yourself, man!” Wild आग yelled back, “You were drooling on paper and sticking your head in storm clouds!”

“I AM A BROKEN HORSE!!!”

“Didn’t somepony break आप last night?”

Stylo and Wild आग whirled around to see Pinkie Pie.

“Remember? आप कहा somepony broke you, and I came in and was like, ‘Who broke you?’ and आप were like ‘AHH!’ because I broke into your hut, and then I asked आप about Cloudcha-“

“Cloudchaser…” Stylo whispered to himself. He reached into his कोट pocket and pulled out the hand mirror Wild आग had दिया to him. His face was a disaster. His eyes were bloodshot, his mane was blackened and charged with electricity, his hair matted, his cheeks stained with rain and tears… what if Cloudchaser saw him like this? Babbling and crying over a little book like some kind of spoiled child? No… he was better than this. He would do his time and get his book back!

Stylo wiped his face and stared intently at his reflection. Wild आग looked over his shoulder at the mirror.

“Stylo…” she said, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

He puffed out his chest and held his mirror high. “I can DO it!”

Wild आग was stunned. Stylo was motivating himself… and taking her advice, no less!

“YEAH!” she cried, pumping a hoof, “YOU CAN DO IT!”

“I CAN DO IT!” he cried back.

“YOU CAN DO IT!”

“LET’S DO IT!”

“YEAH!”

“YEAH!”

“Woah!”

Stylo and Wild आग were practically nose to nose when इंद्रधनुष Dash showed up. Stylo turned to इंद्रधनुष and saw someone standing behind her. That beautiful creature Cloudchaser had come, too.

“Stylo! आप look both terrible and amazing!” इंद्रधनुष yelled, throwing up her hooves.

“I feel alive! Then again, that may be the electricity talking!” he replied, wiping some of the soot from his mane. He was speaking to Rainbow, but couldn’t keep his gaze from Cloudchaser’s stunning presence.

“Cloudchaser came द्वारा my office – she’s been watching आप all day. She कहा आप looked miserable, so I… came to give आप your things back.” She held his book and pen in outstretched hooves.

Stylo couldn’t believe his eyes. He carefully reached out and scooped them up, holding them close to his chest and consoling them. He looked up at Cloudchaser – his hero. She had made his life whole again. He was immeasurably grateful.

“…Thank you…” he choked out, eyes tearing up.

“No problem!” इंद्रधनुष and Cloudchaser कहा simultaneously.

“Does this mean you’re not broken, anymore?!” Pinkie asked eagerly.

Stylo took a deep breath. “I think so.”

“Yay, yay, yay! Nopony is broken! That HAS to deserve a party, right?” she asked, beaming up at इंद्रधनुष and batting her eyelashes.

इंद्रधनुष grinned and scratched her head. “Well… cleanup progress was a lot better today than we thought it would be. I think we’ve got a handle on these clouds. I guess we could spare some time for a party.”

Pinkie promptly took off into the air like a rocket, leaving a bright jetstream behind her.

Stylo wasn’t so happy. He hated parties.