Sisterhood of Traveling Pegasi
Skye poked his head out from the stack of clouds concealing his body. With a hoof held to his brow, he scanned the darkened horizon for any signs of enemies. Then again, there were only two pegasi he labeled as enemies. He slowly submerged himself back into the cover. Fleetfoot checked over her shoulder one last time and casually flew over to the obvious hiding spot of Skye in front of the entrance to the training facility.
"You really should have tried to blend in a bit more," Fleetfoot said with a sigh. Her hindleg tapped against Skye's flank through the cloud.
"Hey! All things considered, this is pretty good! Remember, this time yesterday I was almost a pancake." Skye spread his wings and busted the cloud into vapor. His body was still bandaged; though his face once again held the standoffish grin he was known for. "I don't know why I couldn't have just gone to the factory with Spitfire and Soarin. Forecast would definitely listen to me if I explained what happened!"
"Oh yeah? And what if Rainbow Dash was there? Or better yet, what if your 'friends' from last night were there? It's better they think you're… you know." Fleetfoot shrugged and sat next to the battered stallion. "The life of a weather pony sure is complicated here, huh?"
"You're telling me." Skye firmly planted his flank onto the cloud and looked up at the twinkling stars. "I thought my biggest problem would have been the commute from New Jockey to Cloudsdale. Never imagined I'd be on somepony's hitlist."
"Don't talk like that! I'm sure they just got carried away…" Fleetfoot's gaze followed Skye's to the lights above. "Some pegasi just lose themselves in the moment. Competition does drive us after all."
"No, Chemtrail had a look in his eyes I've never seen before. He was enjoying every minute of trying to-"
"Alright, I get it!" Fleetfoot yelled and clamped her hooves against her ears.
Both ponies remained seated and looked up into the swirling cosmos above Equestria. The constellations were always brighter when viewed from high above the land in Cloudsdale. It would have been a wonderful night to enjoy an evening on the balcony of the Old Sky Pub.
Skye broke the silence by hitting Fleetfoot in the shoulder. "Sorry for making you uncomfortable. How about we go inside and you show me some of your moves?" He forced a colt-like grin.
The Wonderbolt chuckled and pushed him over. "Stallions are impossible! I swear your brains are all over the place. Assuming you even have a brain up there."
A black hoof knocked against Skye's head as he continued smiling. "It might have fallen out last night. I didn't have time to check this morning!"
Fleetfoot rolled her eyes and stood up. "Guess it couldn't hurt to train a bit while we wait for the captain." Her feathers split apart from one another as she spread her wings and dashed away with the impressive speed of a Wonderbolt.
Ha. Chase was right after all. Humor really does work. Definitely helps ease the mood. Can't believe that fox-faced moron actually taught me something…
"Are you coming or what?" Fleetfoot shouted impatiently.
"Yeah! Just a sec!" Skye rolled onto all fours and launched toward the entrance. His body was definitely feeling better after a night of pampering at the academy. He had his new friend to thank for the speedy recovery.
. . . . . .
Scootaloo dropped a bundle of sticks into the stone fire pit at their campsite. Dash was already inside the tent setting up their sleeping bags. The duo had made impressive time across Equestria so far. Only a few more hours of flight kept them from reaching New Jockey. While Rainbow Dash could easily clear the distance in a single day, she thought it was a better idea to break the trip up into two parts and spend some quality time with her biggest fan.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash, I finished collecting the firewood!" Scootaloo proudly yelled.
Rainbow's ears shot up and she shook her head. "Wait a minute!" The flap of the tent opened and a blur of blue fur stopped in front of the filly balanced on three legs. "You aren't supposed to be walking around!"
"I-I'm sorry… I just thought maybe you'd be proud if you knew I could still help even with my leg all banged up. I don't want to be a burden during the entire trip!" Scootaloo lowered her ears and carefully sat on the ground with her hindleg outstretched. Scribbled on the white cast were Rainbow's signature and a sketch of two pegasi flying together. Written underneath were the words Don't Stop Until You Catch Me!
"You're not a burden. I just don't want you hurting yourself any more than you already have." Dash lifted Scootaloo's chin up so the two were eye-to-eye. "I think somepony would be a lot happier with some marshmallows and ghost stories! Whaddya say, squirt?"
Scootaloo's head bobbed in agreement. "O-kay!"
"I'll make sure not to talk about any headless horses this time." Rainbow laughed and ruffled the filly's mane.
"I was only a little scared last time! I've grown up a lot since that trip!"
"Eh? It wasn't even that long ago…" Rainbow tilted her head.
Scootaloo shifted her eyes to the forest when the sound of a snapping branch caught her attention. "Then again, what if we just have some s'mores and cuddle up in the sleeping bags…" She forced a yawn and laughed nervously. "I'm exhausted!"
"You better save some marshmallows for me this time! I don't want to have nothing but crumbled up graham crackers and melted bars of chocolate!" Dash folded her forelegs and stared down at Scootaloo.
"That… wasn't entirely my fault. Apple Bloom sat on the crackers…"
"And who left the chocolate bars a bit too close to the fire?"
"Umm… Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo squeed innocently.
"You aren't getting a cutie mark for lying, that's for sure." Dash facehoofed. "Wait here. I'll go find some sticks for the marshmallows.
. . . . . .
"Not bad! How are your wings?"
Skye licked his lips and flapped harder. He extended his forelegs ahead as if reaching out to grab Fleetfoot's tail. "A little sore, but I'll manage! At least they're working now! All thanks to you!"
Fleetfoot blushed and cleared her throat. "Don't try to sweet talk me! We need to keep working on your somersaults! It's the best way to get behind your target and avoid any incoming attacks. Believe me; you'll be dodging a lot of lightning bolts in a few days!"
Skye felt his stomach turn upside as he watched the floor and ceiling switch places. He exhaled heavily and tried to focus only on Fleetfoot's flight path. Take it nice and slow. She's a Wonderbolt. Don't try and outdo her…
Spitfire trotted into the room and watched as Skye struggled to keep up with Fleetfoot. She grabbed the whistle from around her neck and blew. The shrill noise caused Fleetfoot to halt to a stop and instinctively face Spitfire. Skye wasn't as graceful and crashed into the wall.
"Excellent form, Fleetfoot! You never fail to impress me." The whistle once again swayed below the captain's neck. "Skye Shot… Uh, try not to crash next time."
Skye rubbed his head and groaned. "Baby steps…"
Soarin casually trotted over with his eyes closed. A scroll was clenched between his teeth. He dropped the scroll into Spitfire's hooves and stood at attention for his next order.
Spitfire flicked the band from around the scroll. "I've outlined how we'll be proceeding with the next few days. I have my hooves full at the academy, so get ready to be spending a lot of quality time with old Soarin here."
Soarin smiled and waved a hoof.
Spitfire continued. "Right. He is one of the very best the academy has ever seen, so listen to him, Skye. Soarin might seem a little… off… but he takes his work very seriously. I wouldn't leave him here if I didn't think he could help you." Spitfire opened the scroll and scanned the words carefully. "You are not to leave the facility for any reason. Forecast is allowing us complete privacy, so nopony else gets in or out. We'll rotate bringing you meals. If you need to wash off, make some rain clouds and quit your complaining before you even start!"
Skye glanced at Soarin and swallowed his nerves. Soarin lifted his goggles from over his eyes and gave Skye a reassuring wink. At least somepony was trying to keep Skye relaxed.
"For the remainder of tonight and first half of tomorrow you'll be running some basic exercises with Fleetfoot so we can get an idea of your strengths and weaknesses. Real basic stuff. Once we know what needs improvement Soarin will take over. On your final day, I will be testing everything they both taught you." Spitfire paused and kept her eyes fixated as Skye nervously shuffled in place. "Don't think I'll go easy on you either. I like you, Skye Shot, but I'm going to be your worst nightmare." She threw the scroll to Soarin and trotted away from the empty expanse of the training room. "I leave him with you, Fleetfoot. Good luck."
A hoof scratched the worried head of Skye Shot as he looked from each Wonderbolt and tried to figure out which one was going to give him the most trouble. Definitely Spitfire. "Oh boy… I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew with these guys…"
. . . . . .
Scootaloo's head was poking out from her yellow sleeping bag. Dash was fluffing her own pillow and whistling an all too familiar theme. The filly squirmed around uneasily and tried to push some nagging thoughts from her head. Today had been great. She got to fly with her idol, enjoyed roasting marshmallows, and told stories; all things she hadn't done for some time now. Still, she couldn't help but see a look of worry wash over Rainbow's face from time to time. Something was definitely eating away at the wall Rainbow had built around her feelings.
"Um, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo whispered into the sleeping bag covering her mouth. Only her eyes and ears were visible.
"Hmmm?" Rainbow unzipped her purple sleeping bag and peeled away the top layer. The plush embrace of sleep was calling her name.
"What are you going to do when you see Skye again?" Scootaloo safely slid herself further down into the bag.
Rainbow stopped and froze in place. That was certainly not a question she expected to leave Scootaloo's mouth. Despite the entire trip being dedicated to finding the missing stallion, she hadn't contemplated how she would react when she actually found him. Her hooves smoothed the wrinkles on the covers. The crickets outside suddenly became the loudest noise for miles.
"I'm sorry!" Scootaloo blurted out. She had zipped herself up within the fold of the bag.
Dash sighed and turned to look at the trembling mass of pony within the silky cocoon. "You're sorry for what?" She slid over and unzipped Scootaloo's bag.
Scootaloo opened an eye slowly. "I wasn't sure if that was an okay question to ask or not…."
"Hey now, sisters have to ask questions like these! Besides, I'm glad you're so interested in him. You two are pretty much on the same level of flight training!" Rainbow's laughter crackled into the unamused filly's ears.
"That's real funny," Scootaloo pouted.
Rainbow wiped a tear from her eye and stopped laughing. "Whew, I needed that. When I find him? Who knows? Part of me wants to smack him upside the head for making me worry so much. But another part knows this all happened because I was too scatter-brained to remember a promise I made. I guess I can't really answer that question right now, squirt. It'll be a surprise for me too." She dimmed the lantern between them and climbed into her own sleeping bag. "We'll find out tomorrow when we get to New Jockey."
"Mmm hmm!" Scootaloo nodded and carefully rolled onto her side. Her sore leg was still hindering her from getting into a comfortable position. "When my leg gets better, do you think we can go look for a new scooter?" A yawn escaped her mouth as she shut her eyes.
"Heh, ya know you remind me a lot of myself when I was a filly. Ponies like us, we always gotta keep moving." Rainbow glanced at the Daring Do book sticking out from her saddlebag. "No matter how tough things are now… just keep moving…"
The light faded as the lantern was fully extinguished. The wind rustled through the trees above. Both ponies remained silent. Rainbow looked over to Scootaloo and watched as she drifted off into sleep.
After a few moments, Rainbow kicked a leg out from under her covers. An exaggerated huff escaped her throat as she tried to ponder the simple question: What would she do when she finally saw her lost partner?
. . . . . .
Skye moved his head to the side as a pearly blue feather from Fleetfoot twirled past his face. Her frosty white tail swayed behind her as both ponies flew laps around the room. No weather was active at the moment; just the artificial light from above and the soft glow from the enchanted walls filled the room. Not the most inspiring atmosphere, but Skye was more than willing to take it easy while his body recovered from the scuffle.
"Okay, let's stop after this lap! That should make one hundred! Good job keeping up! Love the endurance!" Fleetfoot beamed as her outstretched wings coasted her body past the imaginary finish line on the ground. She skidded to a halt on the floor and tucked her wings against her side.
Skye followed by landing and twisting his body to a full stop. He rotated his wings and heard a satisfying crack. "Ah, much better!"
Fleetfoot trotted over and smiled. "We've been at it for a few hours now. Let's take a break."
"Works for me. I'm starved!" Skye grinned and listened to his grumbling stomach. "Pegasi do have a high metabolism after all."
"Please, that's just an excuse you stallions use for eating all the time. Trust me; I've been to the Ponyville Pie Convention with Soarin. Do you know how much apple pie he can eat?!"
"Please don't tell me… I don't want to get sick before I take my first bite."
"Let's just say, it will be a long time before I am able to erase the image of all the empty pie tins stacked next to him. Ugh, his gut bulged out for days…" Fleetfoot hovered over to a small picnic basket at the edge of the room. As promised, Soarin had brought a few meals for the first shift of Skye's training.
"This is nice. I feel like I'm learning something." Skye blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "I was a little scared at first."
"Captain Spitfire will put you through the wringer. My job is just to gauge how well you naturally perform. Are you looking for a synopsis?" Fleetfoot sat on the ground next to the basket and waited for Skye to walk over.
"Don't make it sound so… official. How about instead of a 'synopsis' we just have a friendly chat? Ya know, like, what can I expect during the Rumble?"
"Oh, I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell you anything about the Cloudsdale Rumble."
"Just like you're not allowed to train me, right?" Skye snickered and grabbed a carrot from inside the basket. He held it between his hooves and took a big chomp from the tip. Crumbs fell onto his chest as he spoke in a muffled voice. "Come on, I'm sure there must be something you can tell me!"
Fleetfoot grabbed a hayburger from inside the wicker basket and slowly unwrapped it. "I can tell you that it will be a two-on-two competition. Spitfire will randomly draw the teams by name and form a bracket. A team will advance once both opponents have been knocked out of the ring or are unable to perform further." She politely took a small bite, while Skye shoved the remainder of the carrot into his muzzle and noisily chewed. "Ugh… This is like the pie convention all over again."
"Wha-?" Skye spoke and spit orange chunks onto the ground. He quickly covered his mouth and swallowed. "My bad. I'm just really hungry. Go on!"
"The arena for the competition is going to be enormous. Cloud machines will be lined up all around the perimeter to keep a constant flow of clouds for both defensive and offensive purposes. I don't know much else about the playing field other than whatever weather effects are in play will remain in play. So if Team A knocks out Team B in a huge storm, that storm will be present when Team C enters. The whole competition is about thinking on your hooves and always being ready to adjust to a new scenario. That's really all I can tell you. I've probably said too much!"
"I won't tell anypony! Your secret is safe with me!" Skye drew an imaginary zipper across his lips and motioned the tossing of a key over his shoulders.
"Wait… why would you toss away a key if your mouth is only zipped shut? I'm confused." Fleetfoot laughed.
"Hey! You know what I meant!" Skye yelled.
"That zipper must be broken because I just heard you speak!" She dropped the hayburger onto her lap and swatted at the ground in amusement.
"Very funny…" Skye said dryly.
"I can see why Rainbow likes you so much."
Skye placed his forelegs behind him and caught himself from falling backwards. He had forgotten about the upcoming reunion. "Oh… yeah." He tossed an apple into his mouth and chomped away.
"She's a tough mare, but I've seen her with her friends in Ponyville. They have so much fun together! When you're a Wonderbolt… you don't really get much time to yourself is what I'm trying to say. Being here is like a breath of fresh air. I love flying with the captain and Soarin, but sometimes I wish I could go on an adventure too." She smiled at Skye picked up the hayburger once again.
Skye wiped the apple juice from his mouth and swallowed. "I'm not some kind of heroic pony out looking for adventure and romance! I just want to help Rainbow win the Cloudsdale Rumble and then I can get back to my weather duties. Oh, and I'm going to smash Chemtrail's face into the ground." He smirked. "Can't forget about that!"
"Seems like a perfect time to bring up your review!" Fleetfoot placed the burger in her mouth. She flew to a nearby table and picked up a clipboard with her ketchup-smeared front hooves. "We ran a few exercises so I could measure your abilities. Your endurance is through the roof. You won't have any problem staying airborne throughout the duration of the Cloudsdale Rumble. Your speed is about average. I think with some practice and a little fine-tuning, we could bump you up a grade or two. Only problem is that there will be a lot of speedy pegasi entering the competition. Be careful."
"Yeah, I'm not the fastest. I know that much…" Skye lowered his ears.
"Your agility is below average. Your turns and somersaults were a little out of sync with mine and I was going easy on you. I know you're not used to quick maneuvers, but you'll need to be able to turn on a bit if you expect to stay one step ahead of everypony."
"Again, I knew that was coming." He groaned and slammed a hoof on the floor.
"I'm not going over weather control with you tonight. I figure Soarin can show you a few things in that category. How about we finish our food and then I'll demonstrate some quick tips to help you maneuver better? I'll feel pretty bad if I know that I patched you up just to watch you get zapped from the sky again." She tossed the clipboard onto the ground and stared at the sulking stallion.
Fleetfoot wrapped a foreleg around Skye's and pulled him up from the ground. Skye's nose bumped against hers and he quickly turned his head away.
"You stallions are so cute when you're embarrassed. Come on, tough guy, I think Soarin brought us a pie. Maybe you can redeem all of stallionkind by showing me how a true gentlecolt enjoys a slice."
Fleetfoot laughed and practically skipped over to the basket. It was strange seeing a Wonderbolt so carefree and happy. This was a side of them not many ponies saw. The general public admired the Wonderbolts for their discipline and unity as a team. Out of uniform, Fleetfoot was just another pegasus who genuinely wanted to help a friend.
Skye almost caught a glimpse of Rainbow Dash in Fleetfoot's face as he tried to keep up with her excited pace.
"Mares are confusing." He sighed and watched as Fleetfoot waved the pie around in her hooves.
. . . . . .
The wind blasted over Scootaloo's fur as Dash tore across the sky. A renewed sense of purpose was driving her to fly even faster to New Jockey. The question from last night was still on her mind and she was struggling to come up with an answer.
"If you go any faster I'm gonna fall off!" Scootaloo shouted. Her cheeks were rippling from the intense speed.
"I thought you wanted a cutie mark for breaking a record on our trip!" Dash slowed down a bit and shook her mane from her eyes. "It's not much further… You have your goggles, right?"
Scootaloo nodded.
"Alright. Put 'em on and hold tight for your life, squirt! Let's see if you get a cutie mark for being the first passenger on my back during a Sonic Rainboom!"
Without saying a word, Scootaloo grabbed her goggles from the saddlebag and lowered herself against Rainbow's back. Dash breathed on her own lenses and wiped them clean against her chest fur. A smile stretched across her face as she adjusted the goggles over her eyes.
"Hold on! I don't want you getting a mark for falling off!"
Rainbow flapped and continued flying across the sky. Her speed was slowly increasing as the world below seemed to move by faster and faster. Scootaloo kept her chin against the back of Rainbow's mane with her forelegs secured around the speedy pegasus's neck. Without warning, Dash jerked her body upward and furiously flapped harder. She gritted her teeth as the weight of the over-packed saddlebag and extra pony took its toll.
"You're a lot heavier than you look!" Rainbow pushed the words through her clenched jaw.
Scootaloo mumbled something, but her words were tossed to the ground by the wind around them.
"Okay, time for the newest part of the trick!" Rainbow twisted her body and kicked off the air to change course toward the ground. She scanned the horizon and shifted her flight eastward toward New Jockey. "Here we go!" She strained to flap faster and felt the sweat dripping down her forehead. A droplet slid across one of her lenses, but was dried within seconds by the rushing air.
Scootaloo's eyes were closed as she put all of her strength into not losing grip. The good news was that the duo was aerodynamic enough for Scootaloo to avoid most of the wind force by keeping her head tucked against Rainbow's neck.
A circular aura formed around Rainbow's outstretched foreleg as they both sped toward the ground at an alarming rate. She felt her body tremble as the stress started getting the better of her. Nevertheless, Dash pressed on. The aura around her hoof changed to a jagged array of colors as they both punched through cloud after cloud.
Then it happened.
An immense explosion of color rippled through the sky. Scootaloo looked over her shoulder and cheered wildly as the tidal wave of a rainbow crashed over the unsuspecting clouds. Trailing behind Dash's tail was a sparkling rainbow that could be seen for miles away.
The coastline of Eastern Equestria was within sight. With the ocean this close, New Jockey was only moments away. Dash's smile shrunk a bit as she tried to steel herself emotionally for a reunion that was long in the making.
"Next stop: New Jockey! Any cutie mark back there?"
"I'll check when we land! I think my stomach and brain switched spots when you pushed us into that nosedive!" Scootaloo buried her face into the brightly colored mane.
"Heh, you should see the other tricks I'm working into it! When I fly solo I can hit a Sonic Rainboom without breaking a sweat!" Dash's ego-trip was short lived as she spotted the small town below. She exhaled slowly and coasted down closer to the ground.
"I guess this is it…
. . . . . .
A hoof shoved against Fleetfoot's drooling muzzle. She choked on a snore as her head fell to rest against the silver mane draped on her shoulder.
"It's already past noon and they're still asleep?" Soarin scratched his head.
The clipboard with notes scribbled all over was resting against Skye's stomach. Both he and Fleetfoot were slumped against the wall in a deep sleep. A long night of training and reviewing had now set Skye behind several hours with his next partner. Soarin impatiently tapped his hoof on the ground. Both ponies were completely lost under the spell of slumber.
"He's a real charmer."
Soarin spun around and saw Spitfire standing at the entrance of the training room. He readied to give another shove to Fleetfoot.
"Leave her alone, Soarin. Just let 'em sleep for now. It's obvious they both gave everything they had last night." The clicking of hooves echoed through the room as Spitfire approached the trio. "I expected something like this would happen. When Fleetfoot briefed me on Skye's crash landing at our academy I just knew she would go all out to help him."
"Seeing him all banged up was probably scary for her," Soarin added.
"Yeah. She said he looked really bad when she got him into the infirmary. Fleetfoot did a great job fixing him up. A true Wonderbolt. Let's leave these two sleepyheads alone for now."
"Captain, permission to speak freely?"
"Granted. What is it, piehead?" Spitfire mused with a smirk.
"Why are you going so easy on him? You'd never tolerate this sort of behavior back at the academy."
"Skye likes pushing himself until he literally has nothing left to give. I'd rather him save his energy for the competition than to be constantly burnt out here. No doubt in my mind that the second he gets into the arena with Chem and Force he's going to stop at nothing to take them down. Grab the clipboard and let's have a look at the notes outside. Fleetfoot knows where to find us once she wakes up."
"Understood!" Soarin saluted.
"And let's be sure to give her some extra grief back at the academy for falling asleep with Rainbow's wingpony." A sly expression, very unlike Spitfire, crept onto her muzzle.
With only a few days until the competition, Skye continued to snore away his worries.
. . . . . .
With her wings tucked firmly against her side, Rainbow trotted down the dirt road into the town. Scootaloo had fallen asleep on Dash's back after the excitement of the Sonic Rainboom. That felt like ancient history now. The pit of Rainbow's stomach was aching with each hoof forward. Skye was here. Somewhere in this backwater coastal town; Skye Shot was waiting.
"Jeez, this place is a dump." Dash's eyes were fixated on the barn outside of town. "Nothing like Sweet Apple Acres." It was obvious the same level of care was not taken to maintain this farm. Most of the crops were dying and the amount of unfertilized land was far greater than the tilled earth being used for food. Though there was a very nice enclosure near the farm for the foxes staring at Rainbow. She had to remind herself that she was in the boondocks now. Small towns like this didn't have the budget to remodel every season.
Dash was brought back to reality when her hoof tripped over a rock on the road. Rainbow spread her wings and caught herself before almost throwing Scootaloo over her head. The filly groaned and opened her sleep-encrusted eyes with a yawn.
"R-Rainbow Dash. What's with the turbulence?" Scootaloo placed a hoof in front of her gaping mouth.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the road. Guess I should practice on my walking from time to time." Rainbow gave a chuckle to hide the crimson blush on her cheeks.
"I'm awake now, so I'll watch the road for you!" Scootaloo excitedly turned and examined her flank. Nothing. "Crud. I was hoping maybe I fell asleep because getting a cutie mark wore you out."
Dash sped up and left the farmland behind her. Both ponies stomach's rumbled in unison. They looked at one another and gave a nod.
The town of New Jockey was laid out before them. A rolling hill separated the farm from the remainder of the town. Homes and business were spread out in an unorganized fashion and looked almost identical. Save for a few business signs hanging from the roofs; it was almost impossible to differentiate a family dwelling from the local dentist office. Though the stepped landscape down to the shore did give visitors a wonderful view of the ocean.
A small boardwalk strip ran along the coast. It was here that the town's more exciting attractions could be found. Carnival fair styled foods, an arcade for the gamer colts, and even the typical Flim Flam approved games of chance. The appeal of the boardwalk was mainly for the younger ponies. Just something to do in a quiet town detached from the hustle and bustle of big city life.
Scootaloo's wings fluttered as she watched the foamy waves crash against the beach at the very bottom of the town. Dash spotted a general store a few houses away and decided to make that their very first stop.
. . . . . .
"Greetings!" The clerk bellowed from behind the counter. Her mane was greying and wrapped in a bun that sat atop her head. A tattered off-white apron was draped across her back. "Welcome to Odds and Ends. Anything I can help you with?"
"Hiya. We're from out of town and need some food," Rainbow said, trying to drown out the noises from her empty stomach.
"Fast!" Scootaloo poked her head up.
"How about you two fillies take a seat outside and I'll bring you some fresh oatmeal. I just know a little bit of my cinnamon oatmeal will perk those tired flanks right up." She raised the wooden divider attached to the counter and cantered back to the storeroom.
Rainbow shrugged and walked outside. "Huh. That's friendly of her. Though I was hoping for something a little fancier than oatmeal…"
"I don't think this town knows what fancy even means…" Scootaloo's commentary continued.
After stepping through the illuminated doorway back outside, Dash took a deep breath of the sea air and smiled. "I guess I never thought a place could be more rural than Ponyville. It's sorta neat having the ocean so close though. I wonder if Skye goes down to the beach a lot?" Rainbow slid the filly onto a chair and took a seat next to her.
"I've never even seen the ocean before today…" Scootaloo tucked her head between her shoulders in embarrassment.
"Course not! You never left home before! We'll take a stroll later and introduce your hooves to sand." Rainbow caught herself and winced. "Well, three of your hooves, anyway…"
"I hate this stupid cast! My scooter's wrecked, I can't walk around, and I'm stuck on your back all day!"
"Beats being stuck in a hospital bed." Dash nudged the filly in her shoulder.
The door creaked open and a tray with two steaming bowls of oatmeal was balanced within the older mare's mouth. "Bon appetite! These are on the house. Just promise you'll take a look at my goods before heading out."
"Can do!" Dash licked her lips and drummed her hooves excitedly on the table. "We'll definitely need to pack more food for the trip home. You eat too much, squirt!"
"I'm a growing pony!" Scootaloo beamed.
. . . . . .
The training facility was empty. Not a pony could be found as Skye stretched and rubbed his eyes. He placed a hoof against floor next to him. Cold. "Fleetfoot must have left a while ago. How long was I out?"
"All morning. It's well past noon now, so I can't exactly say 'good morning.'"
"Soarin?" Skye scrambled to his hooves. "Did I keep you waiting?"
"Eh, a bit. The captain wanted you to rest up for your time with me." Surprisingly, Soarin was out of his uniform. The pale blue fur on his body looked almost white as he stood under the bright lights of the facility. How Skye ever managed to sleep with the severe wattage burning from above was beyond anypony's wildest imagination.
"Let's get started!" Skye spread his wings and stepped forward. He wobbled a bit, as his muscles tried to keep up with his enthusiastic pace.
The dust on the ground blew away as Soarin's wings sent him high above Skye. "Glad we can finally get some air time together, Skye! You might already be a weather pony, but I think I can still teach you a few things!"
. . . . . .
Dash patted her bulging stomach and dropped the wooden bowl onto the tray. "Okay, you know what? That really hit the spot!" Her bowl looked clean enough to serve to another patron.
"Mmm hmm!" Scootaloo was busy gulping down the remaining oatmeal. As she tipped the bowl more toward her face it became apparent that it was actually bigger than her head.
"You really do eat like a stallion, kid. I dunno where you keep it all!" Rainbow poked a hoof into Scoots' tummy and laughed.
The filly let out a loud burp and blushed. "That freed up some room!"
"I'm gonna check with that mare and see if she knows anything about Skye. I doubt the ponies here want us going door to door and asking questions all day. Better if we just check some popular spots."
Rainbow nosed the second bowl onto the tray and grabbed it with her forelegs. She carefully lifted off the ground and pushed the door open with her flank. When she entered the room she noticed the shopkeeper was arranging some boxes of chocolate covered hay sticks on a shelf. She turned her head as another belch sounded from behind Dash.
"That was not me!" Dash said with wide eyes.
"It sounds like your friend really liked the oatmeal." The mare said with a smile.
"We both loved it! We sorta ran out of food on the way here because somepony decided to start snackin' in the middle of the night." Dash placed the tray on the counter and nervously tapped her hoof against the glass display case. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, dear, what is it?"
"I'm, uh, looking for a pony here. His name's Skye Shot. You see-"
"Oh! Our weather pony! Is he coming back soon? Oh my, you don't know how exciting it is to finally be recognized by Cloudsdale and have an official member of the weather team here. I'm sure I sound silly, but we were thrilled when he first came back." She smiled and started stacking boxes again.
"Yeah, he's a great pony! Um, so he isn't here then?" Dash frowned.
"Well, Skye normally keeps to himself. He… doesn't have many friends. He's a wonderful weather pony, but doesn't have the best social skills, that's for sure."
"Huh? He seemed friendly to me…"
"About the only other ponies I ever saw him with were Fox Chase and Role Play, but Chase has been getting ready for some trip and Role's been gone for months. I remember when those three were just colts… I'm sorry. Listen to me going on and on. Terribly sorry!" She bowed her head in forgiveness. "Would you like to buy something?"
Rainbow was staring at the counter and thinking about everything. Skye was a little rough around the edges, but he was a real sweetheart deep down. Even so, he didn't come off as a thug. Maybe a loner… Spitfire and Soarin seemed to enjoy his company at the pub.
"Ma'am?"
Dash's head snapped to attention. "He's a great pony," she blurted out automatically. "I don't know of anypony else in Cloudsdale you'd rather have managing your weather."
The clerk nodded and trotted over to Dash. "I watched him grow up from a colt to a stallion. No matter how he acts, we'll always love him. He saved our town, you know? At such a tender age…"
"Where does he usually hang around here?"
"Hmmm… It's embarrassing to say, but those three usually wasted their free time at the arcade. I don't know if he'd be there alone, but it's worth a try."
"Arcade, eh? Now that you mention it, he did have a pretty strange obsession with my Daring Do game…" Dash grinned and pointed a hoof to the chocolate hay sticks. "How's about you bag up two of those for now. Me and the filly have some games to play down at the arcade!"
. . . . . .
The winds blew harder and caused Skye to slide his goggles down over his eyes. The mighty Wonderbolt was still holding his ground as the large fans in the room created huge gusts that swept from one wall to the other. Skye's wings flapped harder until he finally spun out of control.
"Rebound! Rebound! Like Fleetfoot showed you! When you get knocked off course, drop altitude and worry more about gaining control than keeping your present flight path! You can always ease your way back up!" Soarin's hooves were cupped over his muzzle as he yelled.
Skye twirled his body and dove to avoid the gust. He steadied his wings and pointed a foreleg out as he cut back into the upper layer of the wind. Back before he was given any instructions on how to recover, he would always stubbornly fight the wind. Now he was finding it easier to gain control and attack the squalls one step at a time.
"Awesome, Skye! You did it! An excellent downward spiral too! I can't wait for Spitfire to see all this improvement!"
"Thanks," Skye said with a confident grin.
"Okay, hotshot, you know how to bust clouds, push clouds, combine clouds, and create storm clouds; but how much do you actually know about the weather inside of 'em?" Soarin flew over to the machine down below and decreased the strength of the wind. The roar of the fans turned to a gentle hum. "You told me that you got zapped out of the air by lightning. Guess that means you don't know how to repel a bolt, eh?"
Skye cocked his head to the side. "You mean deflect the bolt away? As in touching the lightning?!"
"Yup. It's tricky at first, but a skilled weather pegasus could fly into the worst thunderstorm and not have a single singe on his mane. Believe me, there are weather ponies in Equestria that could teach you everything there is to know about weather forecasting!"
"And how do you know so much about weather? I thought you Wonderbolts were just acrobats of the skies…?" Skye's words came out ruder than he expected; a sign that indicated he really had returned back to normal.
"Before I flew with Spitfire I dreamt of flying on a natural disaster prevention team. After all, pegasi schedule the weather town by town. Sometimes the pressure systems go berserk and before you know it a tornado is ripping through somepony's farm. I imagined being able to fly into any scenario…" Soarin shook his head and laughed. "Whew, got a little deep there! Forget all that stuff. My daydreaming isn't going to help much. C'mon, I'll show you that lightning bolt trick!"
. . . . . .
The beeps and buzzes from the arcade ahead caused Rainbow to tense up. Was Skye really going to be here? One failed attempt so far and they'd only been in New Jockey for less than an hour.
Scootaloo was busy looking through the cracks of the boardwalk to the sandy beach below. Her senses had been in overdrive since she first caught a glimpse of the endless blue water stretching out to meet the horizon in the distance. "We're still going to the ocean, right?"
Dash's head was once again pulled back to reality. "You know it! Once we pry flyboy away from his precious game the three of us can go together!" She said in an attempt to keep her optimism high.
The sign hanging from the awning read Colt Classic Arcade. It was dim inside unless you had your face plastered against one of the many game machines. Dash looked to her right and saw some unicorn fillies playing skee ball and pounding over-sized parasprites with even larger mallets. Her head shifted right and she saw lines of games both old and new. Buckin' Brawl, Legends of Discordia, Apple Colt; all filled up with younger ponies furiously mashing away.
"Is this what I'm supposed to be doing all day?" Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "I know a lot of fillies and colts in Ponyville spend all their extra bits on games. Especially Button…"
"Nah, it's a waste of time. Better to stay away from this sorta thing and focus on your scooter tricks!" Dash shoved through a crowd of dancing ponies near the Clop Clop Uprising game. "They're really into this stuff… I think this is the first time I've been inside of an arcade. It smells funny and it's way too cramped!"
The duo came upon a machine with the back casing ripped off. An aura of magic pulled a wrench from the toolbox next to Dash's leg. Rainbow twisted her head around the back of the game cabinet and saw a unicorn mare that looked several years older than her. A white lab coat was wrapped around her periwinkle-colored body. Her curly mane was an even cleaner shade of white than the fabric tied around her upper body. As she reached higher into the back of the device her cutie mark was exposed: a wrapped-up scroll poking out from a toolbox.
Rainbow cleared her throat. "Excuse me?" She waited as the mare dropped to all fours and placed the wrench on the floor. "Sorry to bother you... You look really busy."
A smile finally wrinkled across the mare's face as she looked from Rainbow to Scootaloo. "No, it's fine. If you're looking to play, it'll be a while until I get this heap up and running again. Sorry, nothing's worse than an arcade with broken games!"
"Oh, no. We're actually looking for somepony and were told he might be here."
"I know pretty much every colt and filly here." She used her magic to neatly arrange the wrench back into the box of tools.
"He's not a colt or a filly. He's actually a stallion named Skye Shot."
The mare's mouth hung open for a moment as she took a closer examination of the rainbow-maned pony. "So then, you must be Rainbow Dash. I had a hunch. Chase has been telling everypony here all sorts of wild stories about you and Skye."
"W-what?" Dash blinked and bit her lip.
"So you're looking for Skye Shot? That makes two of us. He hasn't come home since he last visited Chase's farm. I think that was a week or two ago. I'm losing track of time these days."
"And you are…?"
The mare covered her mouth and bowed apologetically. "I must also be losing track of my manners! I'm Blueprint. I guess you could say I'm a big sister/mother figure for Skye and his friends. They can be a real handful at times. Let's go back to my place and we can discuss all of this. I could use a break anyway. Not to mention your little filly friend looks hungry."
"Still?" Dash turned her head back to Scootaloo who was blushing.
"I'm a… growing pony?"
. . . . . .
A lightning bolt fired past Skye and sizzled into the magical field running through the wall. Within seconds another launched from the cloud in front of Soarin. Skye punched forward and missed. His body shook as the bolt was absorbed into his fur.
"Has to be complete contact! If you just scrape the bolt it'll still zap ya! Focus and try to line it up with the center of your hoof!" Soarin placed his own hoof into the storm cloud and sent another bolt directly for Skye.
I'm glad I can still handle a few lightning blasts to the flank, but if I eat any more of these things I'm going to cook my insides! Wings are fine, hovering is steady, and the wind isn't so bad; here it comes! One motion. Just swing and send that bolt flying! It's your best chance for keeping Rainbow safe and knocking Chemtrail off his perch!
Skye made sure to keep his body in the same position as he twisted his foreleg back and narrowed his eyes onto the searing bolt of light. Soarin was patiently waiting to see if all this practice would actually pay off.
"Now!" Skye shouted.
His hoof made perfect contact and after Skye followed through with his punch the bolt was sent directly back to the source. Soarin cheered wildly and destroyed the storm cloud. The bolt passed beneath him and crashed into the wall.
"Whew! Now that was a punch that'll win the Cloudsdale Rumble! Let's grab a bite to eat. I have an entire basket filled with apple pies from the legendary Granny Smith herself!"
Skye breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at his hoof. Nopony at the weather factory ever mentioned deflecting lightning bolts.
. . . . . .
Blueprint shut the door to her home and walked past Rainbow and Scootaloo. It was obvious she was very adept with magic. Papers on the table were sorted into a neat pile as she walked by, chairs to the kitchen table were pushed in, and a fire ignited on the stove under a tea pot; all within seconds of her entering the door. Rainbow only watched as she was reminded of her own magically inclined friend: Twilight Sparkle.
"I'm sorry Skye is giving you so much trouble. He can be a real pain in the flank." Blueprint sighed and motioned for the girls to take a seat on the couch. "What happened?"
"It's my fault… We had a bit of a falling out because I did something selfish, and then I made things worse when I didn't show up to fix things. Come to think of it, I really shouldn't be blaming him at all." Dash lowered her head in defeat.
"It doesn't help that Skye's a very independent stallion. He never opens up, he never asks for help, he always thinks the best way to go is solo. If he thought about other pony's feelings then maybe he would swallow his pride and make things right himself when he has the chance!" Blueprint seemed like a very stern mare. It also seemed like the stallion she was talking about was an outdated version of the pony Rainbow had been spending so much time with.
"Actually, he's grown a lot if that's the way you remember him…" Rainbow felt like she was trying to correct a teacher for spewing misinformation. "He opened up to me almost instantly, he asked me to be his partner for the Cloudsdale Rumble, and he did some thoughtful things just to make me happy."
"Consider yourself lucky then. If you changed him that much you shouldn't be worried about if he's coming back to you. It's just a matter of when." Blueprint smiled and focused her magic to disable the flame under the whistling tea kettle. "I'm glad to hear somepony else finally cracked into that cold heart of his."
Scootaloo fidgeted and swatted a hoof at her broken leg. Rainbow and Blueprint were staring at her. "This stupid thing is itchy! Ugh! I can't wait until I can rip it off and scratch!"
"Are you okay?" Blueprint inquired as the tea finished pouring behind her. The control of her magic was dizzying Rainbow as she watched drawers open in the kitchen and a rag slide over the droplets of tea on the counter; all while Blueprint remained engaged in conversation.
"She took a nasty tumble doing a stunt with her friends. They were on a crusade to find their cutie marks." Rainbow felt ridiculous trying to explain the concept of the cutie mark crusaders to somepony new.
"Worst of all, I wanted to walk on the beach and check out the ocean!"
"You've never seen the ocean?" Blueprint set the hovering tea cup on an end table and placed a hoof on the cast.
"Nope. This is my first time even being to the coast. I've spent all my life in Ponyville. I guess I can always walk on the beach next time though..." Scootaloo shrugged.
Blueprint closed her eyes and sighed. The sadness on her face looked as if she was the one responsible for Scootaloo's injury. "It's such a tease though to endure the sights and sounds of the waves without being able to reach out and touch them." Blueprint looked to Rainbow Dash. "Do you mind if I remove the cast? I'd like to examine her leg."
"I don't know about all that. I mean the doctors said-"
"To leave it on and then come back for a checkup? That would be the normal course of action. I suppose Skye never talked much about Role Play or myself." Blueprint slid a hoof down Scootaloo's injured leg. "I fixed those boys up more times than you could imagine. Dabbling in experimental magic can be extremely dangerous. Still, Role was determined to not only learn everything I knew but also to form his own spells. He and I seem to be cut from the same fabric deep down. I don't use my magic like this much anymore, but if you'd like… I can heal your friend's leg. She'll just need to sleep once the spell finishes. It can really take a toll on a younger pony. Especially if this is the first time she's been exposed to my kind of magic."
Scootaloo pumped her foreleg in the air and grinned. "Sounds good! Do your worst!"
"Scootaloo!" Dash shouted. "You don't even know what'll happen!"
"Easy for you to say! Your legs and wings work! Besides, you have to bring the storm in tonight. Blueprint can work her magic and then I'll sleep it off. This time tomorrow we can take a walk on the beach together!" Scootaloo's eyes were twinkling with hope as she spoke.
Rainbow hesitantly nodded and stepped back. Blueprint's horn illuminated light around Scootaloo's cast and split the plaster mold with a clean break down the middle. The filly flinched slightly expecting to feel a surge of pain, but was relieved to see her leg unharmed. Another dose of unicorn magic erupted from Blueprint as Scootaloo's body was encased in a glimmering golden dome. Dash leapt forward, but was held back by Blueprint's leg.
"She's fine. I'm creating a field to analyze her vitals; more specifically the bone in her leg. Once I know her exact condition I'll proceed with the spell."
"You're sure this is safe?" Rainbow shouted as Scootaloo tried to stop shaking. "She's terrified."
Blueprint pulled a book from the shelf and opened it in front of her face. Her ability to manipulate so many spells at once was truly impressive. "Other than the bone in her leg she's completely healthy! I'm going to mend it back together. She may feel a weird sensation, but nothing uncommon I can assure you."
Scootaloo heard nothing inside the field of magic. Other than her own breathing, it was completely silent. The outside world was lost to her. She could see Dash inching closer by the second. It was obvious this was making her very uncomfortable. Blueprint looked relaxed. No strain was shown on her face. The light from her horn never flickered once. She was in total control.
Then she felt her leg tighten.
Scootaloo threw her head back and scraped her hooves down the fabric of the couch. The tightening turned into a small burn as swirls of green light spiraled around her broken hindleg. She knew if she showed too much pain that Dash would call off the entire spell. Scootaloo did what any good sister would do; she smiled through the pain and gave an encouraging wave.
After several more minutes of her leg being manipulated, Scoots watched as the magic faded. Her eyes grew heavy and the magical field shattered into nothing. Her body was drained of all energy. It wasn't even confirmed if she could move her leg.
"Throw a blanket over her. She's going to be out for a while." Blue wiped her forehead and shoved the book back into the already packed shelf.
"I've never see a spell like that before. Is she's really okay?" Dash questioned.
"I could get in really big trouble if certain ponies realized what I just did. This is my way of thanking you, Rainbow."
"Thanking me for what?"
"For taking care of Skye Shot while he's been away." The unicorn trotted outside and held the door open for Dash. "Now, how about you whip up that storm? We can continue this conversation later I'm sure we both have a few questions for one another."
Rainbow scratched her head and nodded. "More than a few…"
. . . . . .
The rain drummed against the glass pane of the window as Rainbow curled up next to the snoring filly. Clasped tightly against her chest was the book from Skye. She yawned and felt her mind slipping away.
"Seems like there's still a lot I don't understand about you, flyboy. You better hurry up and find me because I don't think I know where to look anymore…"
A droplet of water slid from her eye and splashed onto the cover of the book.
/) To be Continued (\