Table for Two

Dozens of ponies were seated and looking toward the makeshift stage at the far side of the room. Light filtered in from above, but it was obvious the sun was setting. A candle was providing a further burst of light on each table. The darkening room and dim light from the candles were providing an almost romantic atmosphere.

Skye's nerves settled a bit as he adjusted to the darkness. "Just relax. Keep it short and sweet."

Forecast pushed his way through the veil of fog that separated Skye from the packed dining room. The fog settled back in place, but Skye was able to get one last glimpse of the crowd before his view was blocked. There were a lot more ponies than he had expected

"Fillies and Gentlecolts; I welcome you to tonight's announcement of Equestria's newest weather pony. I've had some time to talk with him in the waiting room. He seems just as strong and high-spirited as all of you. We here at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory chose well. I'd like to formally introduce you to the stallion now responsible for the skies above and around New Jockey: Skye Shot!"

The sound of hooves clapping together bounced around the room. The walls could barely contain the noise. Skye was unsure if the enthusiasm was for his upcoming achievements or for the fact that everypony was one step closer to eating now. He gave one final grunt and composed himself.

The fog clung to his dark coat as he trotted casually into the dining room. The waiting room was now behind him. He was totally exposed to the judging eyes of his peers.

A few ponies even gave audible cheers when he appeared. With a fake smile plastered on his muzzle, Skye hovered into the air and waved at the onlookers. A few flashes from the back of the room indicated that some sort of Cloudsdale press team had assembled to document the evening.

"Heh. I might even be on the front page," he thought as he proudly spread his wings.

"We sometimes forget what it means to be a weather pony; to be a team. I see many of you acting out of pride or stubbornness. I see a lot of ponies declaring themselves better than others. Cloudsdale represents the best pegasi Equestria can offer. Do not belittle one another over skill, rather, help each other improve. If you see a pony fail, lend them a hoof and teach them how to succeed. Together, we can show Equestria the spirit of the pegasus!"

Applause broke through the crowd once again. Hooves slammed down onto the tables. Rainbow Dash was leaning against the wall and looking from Skye to the cake table. Skye gave two quick movements of his head to approve Rainbow's attack on the food. Dash winked and slowly crept along the wall toward the buffet tables.

"Now, let's hear from the pony of the hour." Forecast politely stepped down from the wobbly stand and Skye took his place.

"H-hello, everypony…" His voice cracked before trailing off. Skye pounded his chest to dislodge the bundle of nerves in his lungs. "I-I…" He scanned the room from one side to the other and inspected the faces watching him.

"Role… Chase… you guys would be tearing me apart right now." He muttered under his breath.

"Just speak from your heart!" Forecast said in a loud whisper.

"My heart… When I think back on everything that brought me here…" His eyes opened wide and he stomped a hoof down onto the ground.

The audience watched and waited.

"When I think back on everything that brought me here, one thing really stands out: friends. It's just as Forecast said earlier. We need to stick by one another and make sure nopony is left to fend for themselves. I grew up alone. It was awful. Then Celestia was kind enough to bless me with two friends; friends I would die for."

A few ponies covered their mouths and gasped. The atmosphere in the room had become much tenser.

"I'm telling you this because one thing that guided my wings to this wonderful city was the support of others. Teamwork. The…" Skye closed his eyes. "The sacrifices others make in order for some ponies to have a good life. If it weren't for the help of my friends, I would not be here today joining you!" Skye flew above the stage and reached out his forelegs. "I promise to do all I can to uphold the values of a weather pony and help all of you any way I can!"

Thunderous applause boomed throughout the room once more. Startled, Dash almost dropped the apple she was holding in her hooves. She juggled the shiny red orb before finally clamping it tightly. Skye's hooves gently landed back onto the stage. The cheers and whistles really made his smile grow bigger by the second.

Forecast patted Skye on the back and leaned closer to his face. "Not bad, my boy, not bad at all. I knew I saw something special in those eyes of yours." He turned to the crowd. "Now let's eat and celebrate the addition of Skye into our Cloudsdale family!"

In an instant, a line of hungry ponies were assembled between Skye and the food. Some of the chairs were still spinning around from the mad dash to the tables.

"Uh, wow… they changed their moods fast." Skye sulked and flew over to his private table.

Skye's table had six seats, but only one card with his name on it. He laughed at his bad luck and plopped onto his chair. His hindquarters were firmly planted on the seat, while his hooves fumbled through the saddlebag on the table.

"Phew, no ink spilled out." Skye spread the wrinkled scroll across the table and picked up the quill in his mouth. "I might as well make the most of my time while I wait for that line to wind down." He placed the tip of the quill onto the parchment.

"So, you're not hungry?" a muffled yet familiar voice interjected.

"Course I am, it's just-" Skye lifted his head and saw Rainbow Dash holding a plate in her mouth. In her hooves was a second plate loaded with apples and sweets. "Rainbow Dash… It's you…"

Dash blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Course I'm me. Who else would I be?"

Skye quickly shoved his belongings into his saddlebag and pushed it onto the ground. "Sorry!" He flew over and grabbed the plate from her hooves.

Dash casually opened her mouth and dropped her plate into her hooves before sitting down. "Hope you don't mind me coming over here. It's a little embarrassing sitting at the 'kid's table,' but all the good seats filled up."

"Kid's table?" Skye murmured.

"This is where new weather ponies sit. I'm the cream of the crop around these parts!" she declared while taking a bite of an apple.

"Did you come here just to ridicule me?" Skye impatiently tapped his hoof on the table.

"Sorry, guess that came out wrong. What I meant to say was… thanks for not ratting me out when I snuck over to the food. I saw you watching me. I know some of these ponies would have loved to call me out. So… thanks!" She threw the rest of the apple into her mouth.

"Y-yeah, no problem. It was a nice distraction. I hate big crowds." He grabbed an apple from the plate and inspected it.

"That's from Ponyville. Same as me." Dash declared with a proud grin.

"You're not from Cloudsdale?"

"Sorta. I moved to Ponyville from Cloudsdale. I'm the weather pony for Ponyville. Such an easy job."

"Easy, huh? Here's hoping…"

"Granted I am the best flier in Equestria, so some clouds or rain won't be enough to stop me!" Dash cocked her head to the side and grinned again. "Nopony makes cloud busting look as good as I can!"

Skye laughed and shoved the apple into his mouth. He stared at the boastful pony and wondered if there was really more to her than just the consumption of food and bragging. "You'll have to show me how the professionals do it some time." He wiped the juice from his muzzle as he chewed the whole apple.

"I'm sure I can squeeze you into my busy schedule one of these days." Rainbow frowned at her empty plate. "Rats, out of food."

Skye rolled his eyes. "Well, thanks for the comp-"

Dash zipped away in a blur with her plate, circled around the food tables, and landed back in her chair. A piece of cake was already wedged in her mouth. Skye's own mouth was hanging open at the sight.

"Whoa... You weren't kidding about being the best flier. Now I really need pointers. Earlier, I could barely fl-" he paused. "Er, I was so exhausted from the flight here that I could barely keep my wings out!"

"You flew all the way from New Jockey to Cloudsdale?" she said with an impressed face. "Not bad! I'm not really one for long flights. I prefer the short, fast flights with a nice nap afterwards."

Skye looked around at the other ponies talking to one another. "A nap does sound nice... I was getting some weird looks earlier. You could probably fit an apple or two in the bags under my eyes."

Dash laughed and darted over to Skye. She pushed her eye against his and squinted. "Just a little bloodshot." She flapped back to her chair and sat down once more.

This mare has no concept of personal space or manners. Then again she did get me a plate of food. What an oddball. His thoughts were interrupted by Dash waving a hoof in front of his face.

"Hel-lo! Are ya still with me, Skye?" she impatiently waved. "I told you not to worry about the other ponies around here."

"Oh. It's not like I'm intimidated or anything. I just want to make sure I don't stick out too much. You know, I have to prove myself among all the bigshots."

Rainbow leaned over the table. The flame of the candle flickered under her chin fur. "Just between you and me; some of these ponies are real troublemakers. Just watch yourself, okay?"

Skye's eyes darted back and forth before he also leaned across the table. "What do you mean?

"Not everypony wants to be on a team like Forecast was saying earlier. Some of the stallions here would chew you up and spit you out if you couldn't keep up with them. They really know how to abuse the weaker ponies. Not me though, I could probably keep at least half of Equestria cloud free even after dealing with those jerks!" she said with a squee.

"Love the modesty, Rainbow." Skye said while rolling his eyes again. "Let's change to another topic. Tell me about Ponyville."

"Not too much to say about the town really. It's great and all, but not like we have any big attractions. Not like Cloudsdale!" she exclaimed. "Though I do have 5 awesome friends there who I wouldn't trade for anything in the world; only problem is we're kinda split up at the moment." Her expression soured.

Skye pushed his plate to the side, and placed a hoof on his full stomach. "Ponyville definitely has some of the best apples." He burped and covered his mouth quickly.

"All thanks to Applejack! But, like I was saying, everypony has been really busy lately. That's one of the reasons I decided to come back to Cloudsdale. I figured I might as well check out the factory and catch up with everypony. Just killing time until my friends are all back in one place. I'm starting to miss them already." Dash was rolling an apple between her forehooves. "Ha. I sound almost as cheesy as you did up there!"

"Cheesy?! I was trying to make a good first impression!" Skye shouted. He was bracing himself onto the table and glaring at Dash.

"Easy, flyboy, you won't last long up here if every little thing gets your feathers in a twist." Dash threw her apple into the air and opened her mouth. With a loud chomp, juices from the apple sprayed onto Skye's face. "Guess I should be going. Enjoy your party! I'm sure I'll see you around the weather factory."

With that, Dash waved a hoof goodbye and abandoned her plate at the table. Skye wiped his face clean and sat quietly for a moment trying to make sense of the conversation.

"That was definitely stranger than I expected." He dropped the cloth napkin onto his plate and jumped from his chair. With a few cracks of his neck and shoulders, Skye stretched his achy body. "I think I need some fresh air."

. . . . . .

The factory towered behind Skye as he rested his scruffy chin atop his hooves. Leaning against the stone balcony he stared off to the world below. The flickering of lights below dotted small villages and farmlands. Despite being a pegasus he still enjoyed the life beneath the clouds. His slow blinks interrupted the view of the landscape. Soon his blinking stopped and he drifted off into sleep.

"Not enjoying the party?"

Skye quickly opened one eye and ignored the voice behind him.

"I just wanted to get out for a bit." He stated bluntly. His eye closed once again.

"It's rude to not look at somepony when they address you…" The voice's tone darkened.

Skye turned and noticed the long, white mane of a stallion reaching down to the black leather tightly wrapped around his upper body. His dark green fur barely stood out amongst the drabness of night.

Both ponies stared at one another. The sleepiness in Skye's eyes was wiped away as he continued scanning the new pony.

"That's more like it. You should show your betters some respect." A sharp smile formed on the face of the new pony.

"You seem pretty high and mighty." Skye snarled. "Wouldn't it also be rude to talk down to somepony you just met?

"I just like to have fun with you newbies." He outreached a hoof. "Name's Chemtrail, but you can call me Chem. I do sky patrol around the city and manage the cloud creation at the factory."

Skye hesitantly shook his hoof, but remained cautious. "You already know me from the big to-do in there."

"Most ponies would have been a little shaken by what I said. Usually the bullied are quick to apologize to the aggressors. Submission leads to safety after all. Not you though... I can tell you're a real cut-throat pony, Skye Shot." Chem's voice turned to a growl. "Ponies like us can go far together."

"The only place I want to go is to bed soon. So unless we're going shopping for a new pillow; buzz off."

"Don't tell me you're going to become the lazy, sleeping-beauty type like our friend Rainbow Dash." Chem flapped his wings and circled menacingly around Skye. "I saw her at your table. I would not follow her example. She has plenty of natural talent, but she lacks discipline. I would hate for you to become a 'one-trick' pony like her."

"One-trick?" Skye's eyes followed Chem closely. He could feel his muscles tighten as he readied his body for anything.

"A sonic rainboom here, a speedy victory there; Rainbow Dash has Celestia's luck when it comes to the press. Equestria loves a pretty pony with a snarky attitude. She's the darling of pegasi fillies everywhere. Our beloved mare friend is letting her achievements get to her head. At this rate, she'll just be living in the past soon. It's up to ponies like you and me – the hard workers – to keep pushing pegasi toward true glory."

Skye held a foreleg out and stopped Chem's circling. "She's not as bad as you think. A little boastful, but not the slacker you make her out to be. In fact, she was a lot friendlier than you, too. So quit circling me like some kind of white-maned shark!" His hoof dug into the cloud.

"Oh? So you're choosing the easy side of life? Want to be just like her? If I would have sat at your table first you would have chosen my point-of-view over hers…" Chem smiled and positioned his mouth at an uncomfortable distance from Skye's ear. "This is your only warning, newbie: choose your friends in Cloudsdale carefully. A wrong choice could cause… problems."

Skye jumped back and lowered his body. His wings spread out as he readied to attack. "Your big plan is to threaten me into siding with somepony like you?" His voice boomed.

Chemtrail flapped into the air and crossed his forelegs over his chest. "Listen to me, Skye Shot. If you rest on your laurels too long you'll have a reputation like Miss Rainbow Dash. I'm merely telling you to push yourself and befriend people who will help push you along when you're tired. Dash would only leave you in the dust for her own glory. One last thing; look into something called the Cloudsdale Rumble. I think you'll find you came to Cloudsdale at a wonderful time. We will talk again soon, my new friend." He zipped away from the factory and left two trails of grey clouds behind him.

"I'm afraid to see who I meet next when I go back inside the banquet hall." Skye muttered to himself, while massaging his temples. "One pony tells me to watch out for jerks, and the jerk tells me to watch out for slackers. Where are all the normal ponies?! Does everypony up here have something wrong with their brain?"

. . . . . .

The party had cleared out for the most part. The food bins were bare. Dirty plates cluttered the tables. The candle wicks were barely being held up by the remaining clumps of wax. Skye breathed a sigh of relief as he flew back to his lonely table. He noticed Forecast straightening the long sleeves of his almond blazer next to Skye's chair.

Skye landed in his seat. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to run off like that."

"I see you met Rainbow Dash." He closed his eyes and stroked his chin.

Skye nodded and huffed in irritation. "You're not going to lecture me on lazy ponies, too; are you?"

Forecast gave a jolly laugh and banged the table. "If you've been lectured, that means you've also met Chemtrail… Tell me, Skye; which of those ponies would you follow?"

"I don't follow anyone, sir. I've always done what I've thought is best for myself and those around me." He paused and looked at the empty chair where Rainbow was sitting earlier. His eyes closed a bit. "That being said… I'm more likely to work with someone like Rainbow Dash."

Forecast nodded and grabbed the glass candle jar between his hooves. "I've always envied the ponies who were able to dedicate their entire life to working and competing. Chemtrail could very well be the hardest working pony around here. Then again, I'm sure you've heard the old saying: 'the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.' Chem is flying down a destructive path. He's pushing himself too hard and becoming bitter because of it. I've seen the way he looks down on the weaker ponies around him. It's something that truly worries me."

Skye huffed again. "He made it sound like he was some kind of hero for the weaker ponies that Rainbow Dash would leave behind!"

"Ponies in Cloudsdale strive to be the best. Whether you're the best flier, best weather patrol unit, best factory worker; everypony here wants to out-perform everypony else. A lot of these ponies have strong hearts and even stronger values, but sometimes becoming the best means breaking away from helping those weaker and joining up with those who are strong." Forecast pushed the candle back to the center of the table. "Do you know why I'm telling you all of this, Skye?"

Skye scratched his mane and shook his head.

"I want Cloudsdale to remain a place where ponies are only as strong as the weakest ones among the group. I want everypony to lend a hoof and remember that Cloudsdale isn't just about being a winner; it's about a family that looks after one another." Forecast's wrinkled eyelids closed as he continued. "I'm stuck here in this factory now until my time in Equestria comes to a close. My wings are weak; I can't fly with the weather patrols. My body is tired; I can't work the late nights required in the factory's labs. I've become a mere figurehead for the weather factory."

Skye was uncomfortable. The proper words to comfort the old pegasus just wouldn't come. His lost face just hopelessly looked to Forecast for some sort of closure.

"Youth is shorter than you think, Skye Shot. I want you to be the best weather pony you can be for the sake of New Jockey. You love your home. I've read all about how you stopped the storm that almost destroyed the entire town. Wasn't that how you got your cutie mark?"

Skye's head turned to his flank; the arrow piercing through two storm clouds was stamped onto his coat. "Yeah… everything really changed that day; both for me and my friend Chase. We went from being colts to stallions in the blink of an eye."

"I know you keep a lot of your feelings wrapped up inside of you, but anypony can see that you are a ferociously determined pegasus. Any task we give you here will be completed no matter what; that is what I see when I look into your eyes."

Skye smiled a bit and looked through the open door. "So does that Chem guy see me as threat or something?"

"If I had to guess, he sees you as a potential ally. Chemtrail only flies with the best by his side, though his companions leave something to be desired when it comes to personalities. Whether you carve out a comfortable life in the factory or you lead a weather team someday; just make sure you don't give into the will of another pony. There are certainly shortcuts to success, but they will cut out most of what makes life so grand."

"I won't let you down, sir. I'll make sure I do everything I can to stay out of trouble." Skye hovered over his seat and reached a hoof out to Forecast.

Forecast pressed his cracked hoof up against Skye's and shook slowly. "I'm glad to have you here."

"Just… one last thing… Chem told me to look into something called the Cloudsdale Rumble. What exactly is that?"

"That competition… stands for everything I despise about the behavior of pegasi." Forecast narrowed his eyes.

"W-what?" Skye felt something turn in his stomach as he listened to the change in tone.

"Pegasi attacking each other and manipulating weather to zap one another out of the sky; it's an atrocity to everything I believe in. We have magic in us to control the weather for the good of Equestria. I don't think our ancestors would approve of this brutish display. Then again, if this is how today's youth wants to act, who am I to stop it?"

Forecast abruptly lifted from his chair and flew off. "I'd stay away from that contest if you value your credibility within the factory, Skye. Please don't get mixed up with that crowd."

Skye's ears lowered as he thought about the Cloudsdale Rumble. It honestly didn't sound that bad to him, but why would Forecast have such a grim view of a competition. After all, Cloudsdale was built on competing to be the best. It did sound a bit more intense than what he was used to hearing about, but Equestria was currently in a state of peace. It wasn't uncommon for the war-like breed of pegasus ponies to want to battle each other for fun.

"Guess I better forget about that for now…" Skye opened his bag and removed the quill and scroll.

Most of the tables were empty now. Mares and stallions both rushed to clean off the remaining tables. The only candle remaining lit was at Skye's table. The light flickered against his face as he dipped the pen into his ink well. His face brightened a bit as he filtered out the unpleasant thoughts and focused his attention on the letter.

Dear Role,

Chase sent me a pretty nasty letter a few days ago about how I haven't written anything to you. Really sorry about that… You know how forgetful I can be when I have more than one thing going on. I'm just happy I made it to Cloudsdale in one piece. How is Canterlot treating you? No way it looks cooler than this place. Maybe send a picture or two in your next scroll, eh?

The Cloudsdalians… Cloudsdalites? I don't know what they call themselves… Anyway, the ponies here are all crazy. First, I actually met Rainbow Dash, who went on about how great at everything she was and how I should watch out for some other ponies. Then, this jerk named Chemtrail interrupted me outside and pretty much threatened me into joining whatever cause he's behind. I really didn't like him. I have a feeling that next time I see him he's getting my hoof in his face.

Oh, and to end the "party" – if you can call it that – the foreman of the weather factory was getting all sappy on me with my future here and how Cloudsdale is apparently being torn apart by the jerks like Chemtrail and slackers like Rainbow Dash – though she seemed pretty cool to me. I don't know what to think anymore. I'm hoping a good night's rest helps me clear my head. I guess I'll start at the factory tomorrow and learn all about my weather duties.

I'm gonna find a nice tree down below to sleep in. I won't be able to make the flight back to New Jockey tonight. I think I'd fall asleep and crash into a mountain or something…

Keep in touch! I'll try to do the same.

Hoofbumps,

Skye

Skye spit the quill onto the table and blew the ink dry on the scroll. His handwriting was barely legible. He rolled the scroll up and used his teeth to slip a band around the paper. The final touch was slapping on a stamp and Role's address. The fire from the candle extinguished and Role was now alone in complete darkness. He grabbed the scroll in his mouth and headed out the door.

"Hopefully the mail ponies don't try to get me to join their gang or something." He chuckled and flapped away into the night sky back toward Cloudsdale.

/) To Be Continued (\