Keeping Promises

Skye followed Dash closely as she pushed her way past flanks and stumbling ponies in the doorway. She looked over her shoulder to make sure her companion hadn't been lost in the ocean of stallions and mares. Skye covered his ears with his hooves and attempted to fly between the ever changing gaps of the crowd.

"We'll go upstairs!" she shouted into the air. "Less ponies, more privacy!"

Privacy?

"Y-yeah sure thing, Dash. Lead the way!" Skye yelled as a stray hoof clobbered him in the head. He ignored the rowdy ponies and stayed close to the multi-colored tail swaying in front of him.

Rainbow shoved her way through a wooden door and flew up a spiral staircase. The wooden décor presented a sharp contrast to the soft clouds and marble pillars seen throughout the rest of Cloudsdale. The noise below was slowly fading away as they continued winding up higher into the building. Skye ran his hoof along the splintered railing before finally reaching a doorway.

Both ponies came upon a large balcony overlooking the streets of Cloudsdale. Further off in the distance was a grand vista of the earth below. Suspended between the twinkling stars and the verdant ground, the pegasi had achieved a beautiful balance to enjoy all of nature's blessings. Dash flew over to the only empty table near the edge of the balcony and waved excitedly for Skye to take a seat with her.

The ambience was peaceful. The quiet murmurs of couples sharing a romantic evening filled Skye's twitching ears. Candlelight? Check. Romantic view? Check. Beautiful mare? Double check! What exactly was happening?

Skye landed across from Dash and settled into his cloud sculpted seat. Cushy. He relaxed his muscles and slouched a bit as Dash awkwardly stared at him.

"Erm, you okay over there? You look really uncomfortable." She raised an eyebrow.

"Not to sound like a whiner, but my wing has been throbbing in pain since we left the facility." He stretched his wing and winced a bit.

Rainbow looked down at the table. "You should have said something! I had us flying all over to pick a spot…"

"Wasn't the loser supposed to pick anyway?" Skye tried to lift the mood a bit.

"Oh yeah, I did say that..." Rainbow's face drooped more.

"What's with the sadness all of a sudden?" Skye's wing returned to the side of his body as he settled back into his relaxed position. "You were all fired up a few minutes ago."

"Can I tell you something?" She lifted her head to meet his face.

"Uh, sure." The stallion leaned forward and waited.

Rainbow fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth between her hooves. "Well…"

The glow of the candle against her face reminded Skye of the night they first exchanged pleasantries. A night he had grown more fondly of with each passing day. She was the closest thing to a friend he had in Cloudsdale.

"When I knocked you down in the training room… I-I was really worried something bad was going to happen to you. Something really bad…"

"I had to be ready for anything. You said so yourself. No hard feelings at all." He gave a smile.

"I guess I got caught up in the moment…" She smirked and released the tablecloth from her grasp.

"You kicked a lot harder than I thought you would."

Both ponies laughed as the somber mood lifted. Rainbow's face was starting to revert back to its carefree self. Even with everything that happened, Skye knew he couldn't blame her for anything. She was the main cause of his injury, but it wasn't like he expected to get away without any scratches.

"It was good practice! I'm going to be in great shape for the competition now that I know how hard Equestria's best flier can hit. You're a triple threat, Dash! Speed, strength, weather knowledge; you've got it all!"

She giggled. "Hey, do you want to go over to the bar and get that cider I promised?"

"You don't want to eat at the table? You're the one who picked it!" The stallion was having a hard time keeping up with Rainbow.

"I only come up here for the view. I'd rather grab a stool and have some drinks with ya! We can always come back over here later." She rested her chin on her hoof and stared out across Equestria. "I get a little restless when I'm not flying, so having a view like this really helps calm me down."

"Do you come here often?" He swallowed hard. "With… other ponies?"

"Yeah, all the time. Me and Soarin – he's the stallion from the Wonderbolts – were here last weekend. He really knows how to show a mare a good time." She winked.

Skye tried to swallow again, but choked on his saliva. He pounded his chest to breathe and looked at Rainbow with watery eyes. "Wh-what? He does?"

"Gotcha! I was only teasing! " Dash laughed. "C'mon, let's head over to the bar." She tried to conceal her grin while the jealous stallion stumbled onto his hooves.

. . . . . .

Skye slammed another mug of cider down and leaned closer to Dash's face. "I think I'm beating you." His eyes blinked out of unison. "Was that three or four?"

Rainbow grabbed her mug and chugged the cider down quickly. Large gulps of liquid forcefully pushed down her throat. When she pulled the mug away she had the frothy remnants of the apple ale around her lips. "Tie game, flyboy!" She tapped the bar with her hoof. "Two more, barkeep! Tonight's all about making memories with my new friend!"

Skye was having trouble telling if Rainbow was actually expressing genuine emotions or if maybe she just had too much cider. Regardless, she was being friendly and Skye was finally enjoying his time in Cloudsdale.

"Rainbow Dash." A smug voice stated boldly.

Rainbow's eyes lit up as she swung around on her stool. "Spitfire! Ohmigosh, what're you doing here?"

"Me and Soarin are on a… date of sorts." She rolled her eyes as the pale blue pony flew over to her side. "He's been begging me to go out to dinner for ages now. I told him he'd get one chance, but if he blew it he needs to quit askin'. Right, Soarin?"

His goggles bounced against his forehead as he nodded with a big smile. "Seems like our talented Miss Dash has the same idea!"

"Ugh… here it comes…" Skye muttered. "The put downs…"

Rainbow wrapped a hoof around Skye's shoulder and pulled him closer. "Hah! He didn't exactly beg me, but how can I not share some cider with this adorable lug?" She smooshed Skye's cheeks between her hooves and kept him in a headlock.

"Very cute, you two." Spitfire pushed her glasses down her nose and got a better look at Skye. "Can't say I've seen you around the academy."

Okay, now she's going to tear me apart.

Rainbow released Skye from the headlock and took a swig of her cider. "He's not the fastest pony around here, but he's got a lot of heart! That's why we're teamin' up for the Rumble!" She wiped her mouth and looked back at Skye. "Right, flyboy?"

He nodded slowly in astonishment and blushed a bit.

"I still beat the stuffing outta him, but he's one sturdy stallion!" Rainbow burped and nervously rubbed the back of her head.

"I hope you two go far." Spitfire smiled for the first time during the conversation. "I can see a real bond there. Just watch each other's backs. Soarin and I are going to be monitoring the Cloudsdale Rumble, but we still expect some ponies to get hurt. It's going to be rough! I don't think some entrants understand that this isn't just a flying competition. This is all about our ancestry and achieving victory through every last means necessary."

Skye spoke up. "I'll be watching her flank the entire time!" Everypony looked at him and tried not to laugh. "W-wait! I didn't mean-!"

Rainbow wriggled her butt at Skye and started laughing uncontrollably. "You're so smooth with the mares! Keep those eyes up here! Anything lower than my chin and you're askin' for it!"

Spitfire and Soarin finally took a seat at the bar. The foursome had much to discuss. For the most part Spitfire continued bombarding Skye with questions about his home, his job, and eventually his cutie mark. That topic took the night for an unexpected turn.

. . . . . .

Rainbow and Skye were leaning over the balcony railing holding their cider mugs. Behind them in the distance, Spitfire and Soarin were eating at the bar.

"You never did tell me how you got your cutie mark." Her eyes locked onto his flank.

"It's not really a day I like to remember." He said bluntly. "Honestly, I hate the fact that I couldn't have gotten it on a happier day."

"Oh…" Her voice vanished into a whisper.

Skye took a swig from his mug and looked up into the night sky.

"I was just a colt living in New Jockey at the time… Back then a pony named Fox Chase was my only friend. He lived and worked on a farm just outside our little village. He didn't have any family and pretty much kept to himself and his animals. I guess we got along well because I was a loner and he was a genuinely nice pony."

Rainbow moved closer and brushed her foreleg against his as they both looked over the balcony. Beads of condensation were running down their mugs and forming a ring of water on the marble slab in front of them.

"You don't have to say anymore if it's that painful to remember." Her eyes were glazing over from too much cider. "I never thought it would be an unhappy memory for you. I just assumed everypony's cutie mark came at a good time."

Skye continued. "There was a storm. A really, really bad storm. The winds were stronger than we've ever faced before. I remember some pegasi were just plucked right off the ground and could barely steady themselves in the air. It rained so hard that I felt like my fur was being torn off. Thunder. Lightning. I remember flashes of the sky lighting up as we struggled to get everypony to safety. Since Chase was outside of the village I went to check on him." He paused and closed his eyes.

Rainbow slowly placed a hoof around his shoulder once again, but this time didn't trap him in a headlock. "I said you could stop talking…"

"His crops were ruined. Pieces of his home were scattered all over the fields. I thought the worst had happened. Then I heard him shouting from inside the small home he had built for his troop of foxes. I didn't know it at the time, but he was using only a rope and his own strength to keep the roof on. I guess something snapped in me and out of frustration I just flew head first into the clouds above. The rain was blinding me. I just kept flying and flying. Part of me thought maybe I was going to be zapped out of the clouds at any moment. Then… I just remember spinning upwards and stretching my wings out with all my might. There was a bright light, I felt my body go limp, and then I started falling from the sky. Only, now it was clearing up. Only a few dark clouds were left by the time I crashed. I landed in a tree and got banged up pretty badly. I just remember Chase running over to me and shouting about how we both had our cutie marks." Skye took a few gulps of his drink and laughed. "That's Chase for you. One second he's staring death in the face and the next he's talking about a mark on his butt."

"And you don't think you have what it takes to join the Wonderbolts?" Spitfire had snuck up on the couple once again.

Dash quickly removed her hoof from around Skye's shoulder and tried to put on a tough face. "It was a pretty moving story, ma'am; I'll give him that much!"

"You weren't kidding about him having a lot of heart. Or about him being sturdy. You two might actually have a shot at winning this thing!" Spitfire looked back to the bar and groaned at Soarin. "I swear, if he eats one more pie…"

Rainbow cleared her throat and tried to impress Spitfire. "Heart or not, your sappiness is ruining the cider, flyboy. We'll have no more of that. And quit nursing that mug! Chug it down and get some more!" she demanded and turned away from Skye.

"Nursing, eh? We'll see about that!" Skye took a deep breath and started drinking faster until the mug was empty. He wiped his moist lips and held up his mug triumphantly.

. . . . . .

Soarin was leaning against Skye at the bar, while Dash and Spitfire conversed at the table. The moon had been up in the sky for some time now, but the night still felt young for this spirited group of ponies. Empty pie pans, stacks of dirty plates, and countless mugs were scattered around the two stallions.

With a loud belch, Soarin moved his face closer to Skye. "I'm really surprised to see Rainbow Dash having such a good time with you." He snickered.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" An irritable Skye mumbled into his mug.

"I don't think I've ever seen her get so chummy with another stallion before. I thought about trying to take her out once or twice, but, uh, I guess she scares me a bit."

"And Spitfire doesn't? Another round!" Skye knocked his hoof on the bar. "Also for the two mares over there."

The bartender nodded and proceeded filling more mugs of cider.

"Spitfire's not so bad. I guess I have a thing for strong ponies. Ya know, the real fighters. I love seeing the fire burn in their eyes. Dash is no exception. It's just… I feel like I'd only get in her way. Don't you feel like that?"

"N-no you've got it all wrong, we're just here as friends. We ran a little training maneuver earlier and decided to get some cider. No lines to read between here." Skye held the mug between his hooves and stared at his reflection.

"Oh… Could've fooled me. She's been staring at you the whole time Spitfire's been talking!"

"She's probably just keeping an eye on me so I don't do something stupid around a Wonderbolt…"

At the table, Dash moved her gaze away from Skye and back to the inquisitive Spitfire. The whole night had been full of questions. It seemed that the captain of the Wonderbolts was eager to learn more about the newest friend of her best cadet at the academy.

"He's just a weather pony? Really?" Spitfire leaned back in her seat and sighed. "With a little polish I could definitely see him in one of our uniforms. I love his build. Very solid." She placed her forelegs behind her head. "Only a few weeks left until the Rumble. You sure you can whip his wings into shape by then?"

"Of course! You've seen how good I am, ma'am!" Dash was striking a good balance of confidence and arrogance in this conversation. Strange to think there was once a time when she would melt in her horseshoes whenever a Wonderbolt walked by.

"So are you two…?"

"Nah. I mean, no. I mean…" Rainbow watched as Skye and Soarin hoofwrestled at the bar. A loud thud and several shouts later, Skye was happily clenching his forehooves together in victory. "He's a lot fun to be around…"

"Uh huh…"

"It's not a date!" Rainbow snapped back to Spitfire before lowering her tone. "He's just a really nice pony, who happens to be a lot of fun… apparently."

"Apparently? You're surprised he's fun to be around?"

N-no, I didn't mean it like that! He's just here for the free cider. Besides, now he can brag about meeting Soarin and you in person!"

"You're one of the best fliers in Equestria. You excel at everything you try when it comes to life in the sky. Do you think, maybe just maybe, Skye isn't trying to use you for fame or recognition? Perhaps he just, I dunno, enjoys your company for what it is?" Spitfire's stare was enough to turn Rainbow to stone.

Rainbow bit her lip and shook her dizzy head. "C'mon, Spitfire, we're just here as pals. Well, partners now." She sat up straight and slammed her hooves on the table. "Partners in the competition!"

Spitfire removed her sunglasses and tossed them onto the table. "Rainbow Dash, are you really this freaked out over a date?"

Rainbow lowered her head and clammed up.

"You're going to be an old grey mare before you know it. You've got quite the rep of being 'anti-stallion' around here, so I doubt any available ponies in Cloudsdale will be eager to ask you out to dinner anytime soon."

"So? Who needs 'em?! I've been fine this whole time with just me and my friends in Ponyville." She sighed and tried to focus her eyes. The cider was definitely causing a mood swing. "It's just… I would lose my freedom to do what I want. And yes, I know that sounds selfish. I don't expect you to understand how my brain works."

Spitfire laughed and leaned forward against the table. "I'm not talking you into anything. All I'm saying is that even the best of us need a special pony flying by our side. It isn't about being the best or having freedom. Eventually, you won't be the best anymore. Better to grow old and have somepony you love next to you than to share your old age with just some trophies and ribbons."

Dash nodded slowly and hopped out of her seat. She stumbled to the side and shook her head to recalibrate. It was time to find out how Skye really felt about this whole night. Her hooves shuffled across the floor slowly as she moved to the bar.

Spitfire flew over to the bar and whispered something in Soarin's ear. The blushing subordinate quickly dropped a bag of bits on the counter. He turned to Skye and gave a hearty hoofshake goodbye. The Wonderbolts were about to make their exit. Soon it would just be the newest partners for the Cloudsdale Rumble.

Then the wooden door swung open and Skye growled as a familiar face appeared.

"Well, well, well… If it isn't… Skye Shot, was it? The up-and-coming weather pony for New Jockey." Chemtrail's eyes narrowed as he trotted over to face Skye directly. Rainbow had her foreleg slung over Skye's neck for support. "And what a surprise; you're spending time with the ever-popular Rainbow Dash. Tsk tsk, I thought we already talked about this."

Rainbow pushed herself from Skye and flew into the air swinging her hooves at the air between them. "What's it to ya?" She dizzied herself and fell onto her rump.

"A perfect example of how not to carry yourself in public." Chem ignored Rainbow and kept Skye at the center of his attention.

Soarin showed his teeth and stepped forward to confront Chemtrail, but Spitfire's hoof reached out to block his progress.

"How does it feel being with an Equestrian celebrity? Are you having fun leeching off of her popularity? Your own image is sure to climb to new heights! I see you're even hobnobbing with the Wonderbolts. What a grand life you live now. " He turned back and looked at Spitfire and Soarin. "My apologies, but I'm not so easily impressed by your costumed antics."

Spitfire remained still while Chemtrail attempted to agitate her. Soarin pushed against her hoof in an effort to confront their aggressor, but the captain wouldn't budge. "We're leaving, Soarin. This doesn't concern us." Spitfire looked at Skye and pushed her glasses down. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do… flyboy." She shot him a wink accompanied by a smile before she helped Soarin down the stairwell.

"Seems like you've all had your fair share of cider. I'm not surprised Rainbow Dash is a stumbling mess." Chemtrail laughed as Dash steadied back to her feet. "Are you becoming good friends?"

"We're partners in the Cloudsdale Rumble!" Dash shouted as she propped a hoof against Skye's body.

Chemtrail laughed and hovered off the ground. The patrons of the bar were all watching as the three ponies noisily interacted with one another. Nopony was stepping forward to break up this conflict.

"What's so funny about that?" Skye aggressively flapped his wings as his hooves lifted from the ground. Rainbow's hoof slid off his body as she landed back on all fours. Skye used the pain from his wing to grind the words through his clenched teeth. "And what's with the attitude toward Soarin and Spitfire? They didn't even do anything to you!"

Chem flicked his long, white mane away from his eyes and flew over to Skye. "Forgive me for not bowing in the presence of two ponies who can fly well and make a generous living from waving to crowds. I would rather celebrate the common pegasi; the ponies who don't receive acclaim or the amount of bits they deserve for their efforts." He narrowed his eyes and continued. "I was afraid you'd turn soft after being around somepony like Rainbow Dash. How many weather patrols have you seen her run since you've been in Cloudsdale?"

Dash stomped over to Chemtrail and pushed her face against his. "Oh yeah, you countin' or something?" She wobbled in place, but spread her wings to maintain balance.

Chemtrail placed a hoof on her forehead and shoved her to the side. Dash crashed onto the floor but quickly scrambled back onto her hooves in embarrassment. Before Chem could enjoy a laugh at the expense of Rainbow's tipsy behavior, a black hoof struck him across the face.

Everypony gasped as Skye followed through with his punch. Chem's neck twisted to the side from the blow. Skye had made good on his promise and watched as Chem slid across the ground into the barstools. Skye landed and firmly placed his right foreleg on the ground. His adrenaline was pumping as he readied for an all-out brawl.

Chem was resting his back against a stool and laughing uncontrollably. "You think she needs a knight to protect her? Is that your strategy? Use her for some drinks, impress her, and then brag that your partner for the Rumble is the mare who everyone is constantly adoring?"

"I would have smacked that stupid look off your face regardless of whether Rainbow was with me or not! I don't care how big you think you are; I'll make sure you hit the ground like a rock during the Cloudsdale Rumble!" Skye looked over at Dash who was in position to pummel Chemtrail into oblivion.

"What's the big idea? Keep your grubby hooves offa me!" She turned her attention to Skye and shouted. "And you! I can win my own fights!"

The barkeep slammed a mug on the counter. "Take it outside, you three! I don't want any damage in here!"

. . . . . .

The evening had taken another strange turn. The commotion upstairs had circulated down to the first floor. Everypony was talking about the big fight. Chem had long since exited via the balcony without ordering anything. It was embarrassing for somepony of his stature from the factory to be struck down by a simple weather pony. This only intensified the animosity between Chemtrail and Skye Shot.

Rainbow was sulking with her flank placed on the clouds. She was trying to keep herself upright. "Sorry I yelled at you like that… I know you were just trying to help."

Skye continued trotting to the edge of the cloud and readied to take off. "Yeah, guess I sorta ruined the atmosphere. My bad. Well, see ya around." His wings unfurled. Clearly, he wanted to get as far away from the pub as possible.

"W-wait! You're flying home this late at night?"

"Nope, just gonna find a tree to snooze in until morning."

Dash cantered over and placed a hoof on his injured wing. "You know, you could – just putting it out there – crash at my place if you want. I have a really nice couch! The girls love sleeping on it!"

Skye smiled a bit and lowered his wings. "That does sound a lot nicer than waking up with tree bark sticking out of my back again."

They both laughed and looked out over the world below.

"I was trying really hard not to hit him, Dash. I don't want you to think I was out to impress you."

"Nah, it's cool. That guy was being a total jerk. I think one of us would have knocked some sense into him sooner or later anyway."

"Pegasi of a feather fly together, after all." Skye snickered.

"Hey, I like that! I might have to steal that from ya!" Rainbow spread out her wings. "I dunno how straight I can fly, but try to keep up best you can. My house is kinda far from here. Sure your wing can take it?"

Skye nodded. "Definitely! Lead the way."

/) To be continued (\