Ready to Rumble
Soarin was lying on his stomach with an empty pie tin just out of reach. Skye had shown more restraint and had only eaten a few slices of the famed apple pie from Sweet Apple Acres. Regardless of how Soarin looked now, the training was going very well. In fact, Skye was beginning to add some missing pieces to his own flying style.
Soarin used most of the day to review the basics of weather patrol; topics that Skye had already mastered. Then again, brushing up on the fundamentals never hurt anypony. Soarin was thrilled to see that Skye was taking his role as a weather pony so seriously. The two biggest weapons Skye had in his arsenal were his ability to take a hit, and his naturally honed talents for controlling the weather.
Now night had fallen over Equestria. With another day completed there wasn't much else for Soarin to teach Skye aside from the proper way to place his head on a pillow. Forecast had given the Wonderbolts up to five nights for training in the weather facility. With the second night wrapped up, there were only three more nights until the Cloudsdale Rumble would begin.
Even then, would Spitfire really have her team push Skye to his limits every night?
"Let's get some shuteye now and hop back to it in the morning. I'm beat!" Soarin proclaimed, while he flexed the tips of his wings.
"Fine by me. You and Fleetfoot are working me to the bone! Not that I'm complaining," Skye yawned. He pushed the scattered pieces of garbage to the perimeter of the room.
"Alright, you finish cleaning up and I'll roll out the sleeping bags. This old back of mine is going to miss my bed. Hope you appreciate all this, Skye! We could all get in big trouble if any other ponies knew the special treatment you were getting."
"I can't possibly thank you enough for all of this! Between Fleetfoot saving my life and you showing me moves I've never seen before… I think Rainbow will be very happy when she flies with the new and improved me!"
"Hmmm… yeah! So, when are you going to go find her?" Soarin chewed on the stubborn knot binding his sleeping bag together.
"Honestly, I don't know. I want to see her before the Rumble, but I just don't know what to say now. I was thinking – if it's okay with you – that I'd take the last night or two off just to sort out this mess. We could train all day tomorrow, and then after that Spitfire could give me my final exam. Then… I'll find Rainbow and explain everything. I just need to focus on one thing at a time."
Soarin finally parted the knot and kicked his sleeping bag open. Skye flicked the lights off and eagerly dropped his head onto the pillow. This was a huge improvement from sleeping against the wall with Fleetfoot.
"She's a real tough mare to figure out. Hard to say how she'll act when she sees you. Wish I could help you prepare for meeting up with her again." Soarin chuckled and slithered down into the velvety innards of the bag.
"Like I said, one thing at a time. I'm sure I'll figure something out…" Skye blinked a few times and felt the heavy lids pushing down over his bloodshot eyes.
Despite everything he was learning, Skye couldn't help wonder how different his nights would have been if Rainbow and him were still on good terms. Would she be training him? Probably not… If she knew just how below-average his skills were she most likely would have chosen a different partner.
"Night, Soarin." Skye closed his eyes and waited for Luna to watch over his dreams.
"Sleep tight! Long day ahead of us tomorrow." Soarin tossed in place and finally found a comfortable position on his back.
. . . . . .
The moon was reflecting down over the ocean as a wave broke and reached out to touch a pair of light-blue hooves. Rainbow was sitting on the beach as the rainstorm behind her doused the city with some much needed moisture. As the tide pulled away she braced herself as to not lose her balance. She remained motionless, seated on her flank with her head lowered between her knees. The shuffling of somepony behind her wasn't even enough to cause her head to turn.
"It's magnificent, the sea. It holds so many mysteries underneath that glossy surface." Blueprint took a seat next to Dash and gave a relaxed sigh as the sand clung to her fur. "I come out here a lot too when I can't sleep."
"I was doing okay for a while, but then I just… couldn't fall back asleep. I'm exhausted, but my body just won't stay down." Rainbow brushed her mane to the side of her face. "I thought about reading out here, but I didn't want to get my book dirty."
"Is that book special?"
Rainbow looked out over the distorted image of the full moon as it moved with the shifting water. Another foamy crash against her body caused some saltwater to splash onto her muzzle. She fell back onto the warm sand and studied the moon as it dangled over her head.
It was then that the all too quiet pegasus decided to tell Blueprint everything. From the moment she first met Skye, up until the last lines of the note he had written her. Rainbow wasn't sure why she felt the need to talk to a stranger. Maybe Blueprint didn't feel like a stranger after all. In fact, she really was like an older sister; always so collected and happy to dive into any philosophy or topic just for the sake of discussion.
"He really has changed then…" Blueprint remained seated and watched the sloppy clumps of sand pull away from her hooves as the water receded once more. "I'm glad though. I was really afraid that Skye was going to be alone forever."
"Why… Why hasn't he come looking for me? I feel like I've searched under every rock in Equestria and he's just… gone. I know I hurt him, but I didn't think he'd hold a grudge this long."
Blue slowly laid back onto the sand with Rainbow. "Love is a strange thing."
Rainbow quickly sat up and choked on her breath. "Whoa! That's a strong word! We're just friends…"
"Friends can love one another." Blue covered her mouth and laughed softly. "You just said that you feel like you've searched all over the land for your partner. Seems like a strong word needs to be used for such a special bond."
Rainbow blushed and laid down. This time she turned away from Blueprint and stared down the endless length of the beach. "He's a good friend and I need him for the Rumble. That's all."
"It's okay to open up every now and then, Rainbow. I think you'll find that you can sleep much better at night when you share your problems with other ponies. Don't ever carry burdens on your own. When you love somepony, whether they are your special somepony or just a wonderful friend, you'll be amazed at the feelings you can share. But if Skye really is just somepony you're using for the competition make sure you treat him well. I won't forgive you if you break his heart."
Blueprint stood and trudged back toward the town; leaving Rainbow alone on the beach.
"Yeah, well, I can't exactly open up to him if I can't find him." She slammed a hoof onto the sand and groaned.
. . . . . .
"Rise and shine, Skye Shot! It's going to be a long day of storm simulations and throwin' punches! Instructor Soarin will be taking you under his capable wings once again!" Soarin rolled Skye from the sleeping bag.
"Eh? What time is it?" Skye rubbed his eyes with his flank sticking up in the air.
"Aim that thing somewhere else! It's time for laps! Let's go!" Soarin shouted.
Skye yawned and wobbly lifted from the ground. "Laps again? Unless the Cloudsdale Rumble involves me flying in a circle a hundred times I don't think this is going to help."
"Did you forget I said 'storm simulations?'" Soarin teased. "Here's the plan. We'll do some warm up laps to get your wings stretched out, then we'll run through some thunderstorms to make sure you can still deflect a bolt or two. Quick break for a snack. Oh, and I also wanted to show you that little trick Dash pulled on you when you two flew together in here. Glad you told me about that one."
"Ugh. The thunder cloud on my back…"
"The very same! Believe me; you're going to be like a guerilla fighter out there by the time I'm through with you." Soarin stopped talking and grew silent.
"What's the problem?" Skye abandoned his laps and flew over to face his instructor.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something Spitfire said."
"Skye is a great stallion, but judging from what I've seen so far he definitely doesn't have the skills to win. Even if we trained day and night up until the dawn of the Rumble I don't think he'd have a shot."
"You sure you're okay? You looked a little sick…" Skye ruffled his mane in confusion.
"Nope, I'm cool," Soarin stated confidently. "Let's just focus on these laps! We're going to have lots of fun after that!"
. . . . . .
Rainbow punched wildly and broke apart the grey clouds shielding the sun from New Jockey. Some of the clouds were still filled with water and soaked her body as she zoomed through. Her temper was running high. Skye wasn't in New Jockey. That was the final place she thought to look. Destroying innocent collections of water vapor wasn't going to give her the answers she needed, but it was giving her frustration a safe outlet.
It was also the fastest cloud-busting the residents below had ever seen.
"There. No more storm." Rainbow brushed her hooves together in satisfaction. The sun was beating down onto her fur. She could feel her cutie mark sizzling. "Whew. Those fresh clouds better show up soon otherwise this place is going to dry out fast! No sign of the cloud delivery ponies yet," she said with a grunt.
Typically once a storm was cleared a weather pony had two options. Leave the skies clear if the weather was cool, or place new clouds over the target area if the sun was particularly hot. New Jockey was overdue for a nice coating of moisture, so Dash's only option was to create some fresh cloud cover. The only problem was that the delivery team was running behind.
. . . . . .
The door to Blue's home swung open and Chase marched inside. "Yo, Blue-" A hoof was jammed into his face and an angry glare was his only welcome.
"Be quiet! I have a visitor," Blue snarled at the cowering stallion. "She's still sleeping."
Scootaloo stirred a bit but continued snoring. Blue grabbed Chase by his ear and dragged him into the kitchen.
"Use your inside voice," Blueprint lectured.
"Who is that? Are you running a daycare or something?" Chase tilted his head and tried to walk around the corner to get another peek at the sleeping pony.
"No! It's a long story. She's with Rainbow Dash. They both came looking for Skye."
"Ooooh boy. So Skye and Rainbow had some kinda fight or something? Last time I saw him he was leaving to buy her a book from Manehattan. Guess that plan backfired."
"I don't know exactly what is going on with him. You know how Skye gets. I tried explaining, but it's hard to make a case for him sometimes…"
"Well, you seem to have a grasp on all this confusing stuff, which is good because I'm outta here! So long, New Jockey! May your salty breeze stick to somepony else's flank." Chase flicked his mane and waited for his eyes to sparkle in the light from the window.
Blueprint facehoofed and started pushing him out the door. "Go have fun at your pet show. I have a lot of work to do around town. With Role Play gone I'm definitely minding these deadlines a lot more now. Once the weekend hits I'm going to be flooded with repair jobs."
Chase stumbled down the stairs outside of her home, while she closed the door.
"Listen, Blue, I'll go find him if you want. Role has to come back sooner or later. I know he wouldn't just leave you here."
"Absolutely not! He chose to pursue a life in Canterlot and we need to give him some space. You don't become a member of the Royal Guard overnight."
Chase grumbled something under his breath.
Blueprint took a step forward and placed a foreleg on his shoulder. "You need to leave for a while. Skye and Role have both moved on. You'll go crazy if you just wait around here forever."
Chase nodded slowly. "Right… All my bags are packed, so I guess this is goodbye for now."
Blue pulled Chase in for a hug and squeezed his neck against her own. She kissed his forehead and smiled. "I want to hear great things about you and Reynard. No matter what you do I'll always be proud."
. . . . . .
"About time you showed up!" Rainbow huffed.
Hovering before her was a stallion wearing a brown jumpsuit emblazoned with the logo for the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. A few feet behind him, a group of younger weather ponies were huffing and puffing to catch their breath. Floating just out of reach was a tightly wrapped cloud the size of a house. Rainbow flew over and snapped the wire so that a puff of the cloud broke off. She sniffed it and tossed it aside.
"Definitely fresh! Okay, so I'll sign for this and you boys can head back to…"
"Manehattan, ma'am! Some cloud-pushers from the factory flew in fresh bundles last night for Eastern Equestria. Forecast himself designated this batch to New Jockey. Heh, you must've really sweet-talked the old man! He never sends the good stuff out to the small towns." The stallion removed his hat and fanned his face for air.
"Me? No… This village isn't even under my jurisdiction. A pony named Skye Shot runs the show around here. He's… on vacation right now, so I offered to fill in. I'm probably leaving tomorrow after I toss these suckers around before the rain dries up. Celestia is not being very kind with the sun today."
"Yeah, you're telling us…" The delivery pony rolled his eyes and turned to fly back with his friends.
"Thanks again," Rainbow shouted with a big grin. Forecast really has a soft spot for Skye. There's no way he'd just abandon us. There has to be a reason for all of this. Does he hate me? Did he meet somepony else and is afraid to tell me? Nah… He's not exactly the social-
"Hey!"
Rainbow looked across the sun baked horizon for the voice.
"Down here! On the ground! That place you pegasi always forget about," the voice shouted impatiently.
Chase was standing in place with a large cart strapped behind him. The wood was freshly finished and firmly nailed together. Either this cart was a new purchase, or somepony had spent a fair amount of time preparing it for the journey ahead. His bags were neatly stacked and covered with a green tarp. Curled up on top of that tarp was a very sleepy fox.
"The legendary Rainbow Dash here among our sandy town of shacks and boards. What an honor," he sneered.
Rainbow flew down and narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, somepony needs to take care of your weather since your-" She noticed the cutie mark on his flank; a fox's face enclosed by a simple outline of a house. This was Skye's friend Chase. Her attitude returned as she shoved him and growled. "Because your weather pony decided to vanish!"
"You are quite a handful, Miss Dash. Skye hasn't been back for a while. Not sure where he is, but I wouldn't waste your energy worrying about that. In case you haven't noticed his brain works a little differently from everypony else's."
Rainbow's leaden glare softened as she landed on the ground in front of him. "He's causing a lot of extra work for me!"
Chase laughed and casually trotted away from her. Expecting more of a heartfelt explanation from Skye's dearest friend, Rainbow was instead met with apathy.
"Hey! Don't you walk away! I need some answers!"
Chase stopped and looked over his shoulder. Reynard kicked his leg and gave a toothy yawn. "You already have the answers. Skye's your friend and you're both signed up for that big event at Cloudsdale. He'll be there." He clattered away down the road. "Oh, and you might want to check on that filly of yours once you finish with the clouds!"
Rainbow growled and launched upward into the bundle of clouds.
Snap!
The cords broke away and the boxy cloud expanded into a huge sheet. "Time to bust this baby apart and get back to Scoots!" She watched the trail of dirt vanish as the wagon rolled further down the road. "Seems like everypony just wants me to wait, wait, wait for Skye to come back. I'm running out of time here," she shouted.
. . . . . .
Skye followed closely behind Soarin and adjusted to the variances in his altitude. The fans were at full blast and creating some very difficult conditions. Skye had his goggles secured firmly around his face. His heartbeat and breathing were becoming more stressed as he felt his wings buckling from the pressure against them.
"Keep going, Skye! If anything bad happens just remember to drop altitude and fix yourself!" Soarin's mane was blowing in every direction.
Skye nodded and focused on his breathing. It was much better than panicking over flashbacks of New Jockey's storm or narrowly smashing into the ground.
"The thing about wind is that it hinders everypony; not just you! If the wind picks up during the Rumble even Chem and Force are going to have to deal with it. Take it slow and don't be afraid to get defensive if you're having trouble fighting the wind to get to 'em!" Soarin sharply veered to the right and flew higher.
Both ponies burst through the ceiling of wind. Skye tumbled upward and dizzied himself. Soarin dashed over and held him upright until his trainee caught his breath.
"Told ya not to overdo it, bud."
"S-Sorry. Maybe I'm just getting tired. Even with sleep I'm still feeling a little sluggish."
Soarin released Skye from his grasp and tapped a hoof against his chin. "I'll kill the wind and we can do some defensive maneuvers."
"Defensive?"
"Yep. You're not fast, so expect to have pretty much everypony tailing you. Let's see how close they stay when you send a lightning cloud back at 'em! Zap! You'll be able to take them out without even chasing them down!"
"Huh… Interesting. I never even thought about using the weather like that."
"Look, Skye, I know it sounds harsh, but I'm trying to get you ready for the worst. If it were just you and Rainbow against normal pegasi from Cloudsdale I wouldn't be pushing you so hard. You know the second Chemtrail sees you're still alive he's going to stop at nothing to-"
"Yeah, I know," Skye smirked. "But this time I won't be going down so easily!"
"Not to mention you're going to have the most loyal partner in all of Equestria," Soarin winked.
. . . . . .
A muffled groan was absorbed by the drool-covered pillow under Scootaloo's head. She opened her eyes and stretched her forelegs.
"Feels like I've been asleep for weeks…" The yawn caused her eyes to water. "I might even need some of that black gunk all the stallions use to wake up in the morning."
She hopped off the couch and trotted from the living room into the kitchen. Her head twisted from side to side as she took a closer look at everything in the house. Up until now she'd only been on the couch. There were a lot of large sea shells and conches neatly arranged on shelves. The walls were painted in gentle blues and shades of teal. It was obvious Blueprint really loved everything about the sea.
"Good afternoon," Blueprint said. She took a sip from her cup and set it down on the table.
Scootaloo nodded happily. Her eyes shifted to the fridge. Other than the snack binge and the oatmeal, the filly had slept through the last few meals. Raiding a refrigerator was becoming more and more appealing by the second.
"Hungry, are we? Must have been a long journey from the couch," Blueprint teased.
"It's a lot longer of a walk than you'd think!" Scootaloo beamed.
"A long what?"
"Oh, sorry, guess I was mumbling. I said it was a long wa-" The filly's eyes grew larger. She panicked and snapped her head back to look at her broken hind leg.
The cast was gone.
There was no pain.
She was walking no different than before the accident.
"Oh my gosh! M-My leg! It's really fixed! You fixed it! I can walk again!" Scootaloo ran to Blue and jumped into her waist.
Blueprint hugged Scootaloo and laughed. "I guess the spell worked after all. You're feeling okay, little one?"
Scootaloo jumped back onto her hind legs and flexed her body. "Like a million bits! Ready for my next adventure! Just gotta get a new scooter first."
"S-Squirt?!"
Scootaloo turned and saw Rainbow Dash holding a brown bag in her mouth. It dropped to the ground the same time Scootaloo returned all four hooves.
"Your leg…"
"It's all better! We can actually go to the beach now!" Scootaloo skipped over happily and shook her mended leg in front of Rainbow's quivering eyes.
Rainbow's mouth was hanging open as she looked over to Blueprint. A friendly smile was sent to Dash before her lips parted and sipped the tea once again.
"I-I dunno what to say… Not even the hospital could…" Dash stammered over her words.
"This is our little secret, okay? If you told anypony what I did, well, it would be bad for me. Ponies tend to fear that which they don't understand."
Scootaloo pushed Rainbow's mouth shut and forced the brightly colored mane to nod in agreement. "We won't tell a soul! Now, how about that beach visit? You did promise me after all!" She ran out the door.
"Thank you…" Rainbow finally said.
Blueprint shook her head and stared at the ripples in her tea. "No, thank you. For taking care of Skye Shot for me. I feel much better knowing he has a friend like you in his life."
. . . . . .
Rainbow was staring out at the ocean as far as she could. The blue waves stretched on for miles. A hoof swatted her on the nose and startled her from her daydream. She dropped her milkshake and watched the container burst onto the sand below the boardwalk.
"Huh?" Rainbow blinked.
"Let's go down to the beach I said! We've been playing games on the boardwalk all night! I'm ready to feel the sand on my hooves!" Scootaloo shouted. A stuffed crab toy was hanging over her back. "You said we were leaving really early in the morning, so this is my last chance to touch the ocean before we head home!"
The walk down to the beach was highly spirited. Dash had forgotten how much energy Scootaloo had. The filly was certainly pushing her leg to the limit: jumping from rock to rock, scrambling up the dunes and then tumbling down, and even running circles around her hero. Scootaloo looked as if she had just performed her own Sonic Rainboom.
The new atmosphere was a welcomed change of pace. Each day had brought Rainbow one step closer to the competition with no sign of her partner. His closest friends didn't seem to care he was missing. At this rate it seemed like Dash wouldn't be seeing him until the morning of the Cloudsdale Rumble.
Rainbow was having a hard time processing all of her thoughts while still keeping a smile on her face. Until Scootaloo finally reached the water and splashed around like a foal in a bathtub.
"It's cold! Oh, wait it's a little warmer over her. Eek! Something is wrapped around my leg!" Scootaloo jumped out of the ocean and swatted at her hindleg. She fell back into the water and stepped on a shell. "Pointy!" A wave crashed over her and sent her sliding up the sand back toward Rainbow Dash. The filly coughed out a mouthful of water and looked down at her tongue. "It's salty…"
Rainbow laughed and pulled Scootaloo to her hooves. "Well, duh, it's called saltwater for a reason! Look at you, you're a mess!"
Scootaloo shook her fur dry and tried to rub the salt from her tongue.
"Here I thought you were going to dip a hoof in and call it a night. Never expected you'd charge manefirst into the water!" Rainbow chuckled nervously. "Then again, I probably did the same thing at your age!"
"Really?" The filly's eyes glimmered. "So, you're saying I'm pretty much exactly like how you were as a filly?"
"Eh, more or less! Keep it up, squirt!"
Dash gasped and quickly wrapped her wings around Scoots to hold her in place. A large wave crashed against their bodies and soaked Dash from the neck down. She peeked through her wings and saw a starfish sticking onto the back of Scootaloo's head.
"What?"
"You, uh, got a little something there…"
Rainbow brushed the starfish onto the sand. Both ponies laughed as the sun slowly fell into the ocean.
. . . . . .
The sky was still dark. Dash had left well before the sun was scheduled to rise. Staying in New Jockey wasn't doing much more than reminding her of what she was missing. A quick trip to the general store was her last glimpse of the town. She didn't even say goodbye to Blueprint. It was best to just let things go back to normal for everypony. No need to prolong unwanted emotions or cause a teary-eyed farewell. In a few hours Scootaloo would be back in Ponyville and Rainbow would be back at Cloudsdale filing her report on New Jockey's weather.
"Where in the name of Celestia did you disappear to, flyboy?"
. . . . . .
Skye was flat on his stomach as he gasped for air. The floor was cool against his overheated body. Looming above was a very pleased Soarin. The training had once again gone off without any problems. Skye's maneuvering was getting better, and he was showing much promise with a few newly acquired weather skills up his sleeve.
"Can't believe we trained through the entire night," Soarin exclaimed. "Fleetfoot wasn't kidding about your endurance. You're looking stronger already!"
Skye rolled onto his back. A hoof pushed his sweaty mane to the side. "Yeah… Though now I'm feeling it…"
"No worries, Skye! Rest up."
Skye lifted his gaze up to Soarin and shook his head. "We should keep going."
"No can do, pal. Spitfire said she wanted you rested up for your training with her. In fact, I'm pretty sure she was going to show up tonight."
Skye froze and momentarily forgot how to breathe.
"This way you have some time to find Dash and explain everything. I was surprised she went with the idea, but I guess it does make sense to reconcile with your wingpony, eh?"
"Tonight," Skye muttered. Training with Spitfire tonight? I'm not ready for that… Am I?
Soarin landed and pulled Skye to his feet. "Spitfire is giving me the day off, so how about you rinse up under a rain cloud or two then take a snooze. Then you'll be ready to impress the captain! I can't wait to see you in action!"
"I've learned a lot, but-"
"C'mon, Skye, you knew this was coming sooner or later. The easy part is over. It's all uphill from here." Soarin blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Ugh, I'm not very good at this sounding strict stuff."
Both ponies shared a laugh to lighten the mood. With the weather machine deactivated once again the thunderous storm clouds and puddles of water had vanished. Now, it was just two friends ready to depart from one another. The training had been nothing like Skye expected. It seemed like most of his time was spent eating or talking with Fleetfoot and Soarin. Not the heavily regimented design the Wonderbolts usually followed.
"The past few days have been great. Flying with you, teaching you some new tricks, food races; it was a lot of fun! Well, the food races did hurt my stomach a bit… Anyways, don't worry about the competition. You're going to do great. I'm keeping both of my eyes on you the whole time. I expect to see you try out everything I taught you!"
"I will!" Skye spread his wings. "I won't let any of it go to waste, Soarin."
"O-kay, that's what I like to hear! Your little Dashie is gonna be so impressed!"
"D-Don't call her that! She'd kill you!" Skye said with wide eyes.
"Heh, she always has a reason to yell at me. Ever since she became a member of the Reserve she's been a lot snippier with me. I better watch myself or Spitfire might just promote her to my rank!"
"Well… she is a better flier…" Skye grinned.
"Faster! Not better! Remember that, flyboy."
Skye facehoofed. "And don't you call me that!"
Soarin pounded his hoof against Skye's and trotted away. Next time Skye woke up he'd be facing the captain of the Wonderbolts and starting his journey to find Rainbow Dash. Neither challenge seemed very achievable at the moment.
. . . . . .
"Skye Shot." Spitfire's voice bounced from each wall and crashed against Skye's lifted ears.
The time had finally arrived for his showdown.
"Hello, Captain Spitfire. I'm ready." His voice was sterile. There was no confidence or fear. Just a statement.
"You don't sound ready, and you certainly don't look ready," Spitfire said. A span of ten feet separated her capable body from Skye's trembling legs. "Are you that scared of me?"
"N-No! I just have a lot on my mind. I can't…" Skye stopped and swallowed.
"Can't what, rookie? Let's hear it!" Spitfire slid her glasses down and smiled. She was obviously teasing him.
"I can't get my thoughts straight, ma'am! I've been busting my flank with Soarin and Fleetfoot, but no matter what I learn… I just feel like there's no point if I can't fly with my partner!" Skye gritted his teeth and choked on his emotions. He could only hold in so much before finally bursting. Even with Spitfire ready to pounce, he was still pushing himself to cope with the stress of facing of her.
"I'm not here to beat you into the floor, Skye. We both know that I have years more experience than you do. My final lesson for you will be difficult, but it won't be me you'll be facing."
Skye gave a small sigh of relief.
"Soarin confirmed that Rainbow Dash has returned from her trip to New Jockey. Seems like your little mare friend was handling your weather duties while we trained you." Spitfire reached her head into her saddlebag and pulled out a slim box. The lid read Property of the Wonderbolts. She placed the box on the ground in front of her right foreleg.
"She did all that…"
"I can't say for sure if she was doing it out of the kindness in her heart or just for some extra bits, but the fact is that she went out of her way to help you. Loyalty. That seems to be what she's all about. Not a bad trait to be branded with." Spitfire kicked the box. It slid across the floor and hit Skye's front hoof.
"What's this?" The lid was slightly ajar and a piece of black cloth was poking out.
"Fleetfoot made some modifications to our old flight suits for you and Rainbow during the Cloudsdale Rumble. No mare can resist a stallion in uniform," Spitfire winked. "Get changed and meet us outside. We're all flying to Ponyville. This is your last exercise with us. See you outside, Skye."
Spitfire unfurled her wings and hurriedly flew from the room. Skye knocked the lid off the box and stared in amazement at the contents.
"This is… awesome!" The worry faded from his mind. The competition, Rainbow Dash, the training; everything just seemed to melt into a manageable pile. Now his biggest concern was seeing if his new uniform fit.
. . . . . .
The nightly winds were blowing over the surface of the clouds as Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Spitfire waited for the guest of honor to step hoof outside. The lights of Cloudsdale could be seen shining through the chunks of cloud cover resting between the weather facility and the city. Every so often the voice of the wind would give a howl and blow across the sky. What would most likely be an eerie occurrence for most ponies was very soothing to the pegasi.
"He is coming out, right? It's been over ten minutes!" Soarin was pacing back and forth from Spitfire to Fleetfoot.
"Maybe it doesn't fit… I thought I adjusted it for his body size," Fleetfoot informed them.
"Next time you two cuddle up again you can re-measure him." Spitfire laughed at the dark red blush on Fleetfoot's cheeks.
The steel door to the facility creaked open and all of their heads turned. Skye stepped out into the moonlight wearing his new uniform. A black fabric was clinging to his body. A thick, yellow lightning bolt was sewn from under his neck and tapered out just past his stomach. The uniform covered his cheeks and stretched down to the top of each hoof. On each side of his flank was a beautifully embroidered emblem. It was a combination of Skye's and Dash's cutie marks: a rainbow lightning bolt ending in an arrowhead emerging from two storm clouds.
His silver mane and tail shined in the moonlight as he stepped toward his trainers. Skye was trying very hard to keep his excitement contained.
"Whoa-ho! Look at you!" Soarin cantered over and inspected the uniform. "You clean up well, dude! Rainbow is going to love this!"
"I… don't know what to say. I could never pay any of you back for all of the help and kindness you've shown me." Skye looked from one smiling face to the next.
"Skye Shot, friendship isn't about paying the other person back when they do something nice for you. It's about cherishing what you're given and keeping that pony close to your heart. The three of us are proud to call you our friend." Spitfire turned and spread her wings. "Now, we'll need to be quick! No telling if Dash has any other errands planned. I'd hate for her to miss our grand finale!"
Spitfire lifted from the cloud and waved her hoof. Soarin and Fleetfoot instinctively took position on each side of her. Three trails of clouds marked their departure.
Skye took one last deep breath and charged forward. He leapt from the cloud and extended his wings.
This is it. Time to set things right with Rainbow.
. . . . . .
Scootaloo was sitting on the couch lining up the seashells she had collected from the beach. The stuffed crab was cuddled up against her. Rainbow Dash was still busy cramming all the camping supplies back into the closet. There was no guarantee the door would close, but that wouldn't stop her from nearly breaking her back to push it shut!
The door clicked and Rainbow slid down. "Phew! Didn't think I was going to be able to close that sucker! I am exhausted! Go get washed up, Squirt. I'm calling it a night."
Scootaloo obediently nodded and jumped off the couch. "Thanks again. For everything. I know the past few days have been rough for you, but just remember that you've made me the happiest filly in all of Equestria!"
Scootaloo hugged Dash around the neck and trotted upstairs.
A knock at the door pulled a groan from Dash's throat as she stomped over to investigate. "Oh come on!" She yanked the door open. "Do you know what time it…is?" Her hoof fell from the doorknob. "Captain? Is everything okay?"
"Evening, Rainbow Dash. We found something you might be interested in." Spitfire chuckled and stepped to the side. "Does this old face ring any bells?"
Skye stepped forward and tried to remain calm. "Uh, hi." He blinked. "Look, I can explain everything."
"It is a pretty long story, but believe me; you'll want to hear it." Spitfire stepped closer to Rainbow. "And for the record, it was my call to keep Skye away from you. Don't go blaming him for the disappearance. If you have any problems, you can tell me at the academy."
Spitfire stepped back and unfolded her wings. Soarin and Fleetfoot nodded in unison.
"See ya at the competition, Skye." Soarin nudged him. "Remember what I showed ya!"
"We're rooting for you!" Fleetfoot punched Skye's back. "Maybe next time we fly together you'll be in the Wonderbolt Reserve, eh? Just something to think about."
"Enough chatter! Let's leave these two alone." Spitfire walked past Skye. "And you. Make sure you kick Chemtrail's flank. See you in three days, flyboy." She snickered and propelled herself into the sky.
Rainbow couldn't take her eyes off of Skye's outfit. He flew forward and shoved the box against her chest.
"Fleetfoot made one for you too…" Skye lowered his head to the box. "If you still want to be my partner that is."
. . . . . .
Both ponies were sitting outside Dash's home. Feelings of nostalgia were creeping up in each of them. It wasn't that long ago that they playfully stumbled into her home after a night of cider at the pub. With the Wonderbolts gone, all that was left now was for Dash and Skye to finally catch up.
Skye decided to go first.
Throughout the conversation Dash's face changed from furious, to heartbroken, to even a few shades of pink on her cheeks. Not many ponies would have gone through the same trials just to prove themselves. It was apparent that Skye hadn't enjoyed the last few weeks. There was no need for her to lecture him and make it any worse.
"So, yeah. I've just been training with Fleetfoot and Soarin. I'm not sure I'm any better, but I at least wanted to try and prove my worth. It's more stressful than I thought preparing myself to fly with you!" Skye kept his head lowered.
"Look, flyboy, you don't need to prove anything to me. I was actually in New Jockey these last couple of days."
"Sorry about that… " Skye's head lifted.
"Somepony had to handle the weather there!" She sighed and shrugged. "And you know, I think I learned more about you from that town than I ever could from some stupid competition. Even if you were as good of a flier as me and we won, I still wouldn't have known much about you."
Skye's smile was weaker than usual. He wasn't entirely sure where this conversation was going.
"I looked everywhere for your stupid flank. When I heard you weren't in New Jockey I thought I had actually lost you." She blushed and quickly turned her head. "It hurt me really bad… Especially because everypony in New Jockey thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced apples! It made me realize that I had something special and might have lost it forever…" She grunted and folded her forelegs. "Okay, I can't do any more mushy stuff for now…"
Skye snorted with laughter tried to cover his outburst. "Okay, okay! Fair enough! Let's just call it a night. We can finish up in the morning."
"Better hope you fall asleep before Scootaloo starts snoring. She might be small, but boy is she loud!"
"I figured I would just take the couch." Skye trotted toward the door but was blocked by the speedy Rainbow Dash obstructing his path. She was hovering in the doorway with both forelegs outstretched.
"Couch? You could do that if you wanted I guess…" She landed and grinned. "But I figured you'd rather be snuggled up with me."
She flew forward and tightly wrapped her forelegs around Skye's neck.
"R-Rainbow!" Skye gulped.
"I never got to thank you for that book, Skye. And your letter, too. Took a lot of guts to open up like that! So, without any cider clouding my mind this time…" She pulled away from the hug and stared into his eyes. "I want to show you my thanks. But only if you promise not to worry me so much ever again! No more leaving me alone like that!"
Skye laughed and nodded. "I promise. I'm sorry I was so-"
His eyes grew wide and quickly closed as Rainbow's muzzle was pressed against his. Their lips were locked together as the moonlight flickered off the tear sliding down Rainbow's cheek fur. She pulled away and nuzzled against Skye's muzzle.
Skye felt his chest pumping against his uniform. The taste of her sweet breath still lingered on his lips. His mind was racing with thoughts from the first day he met her until now. Words couldn't process fast enough to escape his mouth. He could see Rainbow was waiting for him to say something. Her ears lowered a bit.
Say something, you mule! Spit it out!
"Rainbow…"
More than just her name! Say the rest!
She sat on her flank and raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't handle a kiss from me, eh?
Just stop for a second and calm down. Remember, you almost didn't make it back and would have never had the chance to tell her how you feel. Go, go, go!
Skye took a deep breath and splayed his wings. "I love you, Dash!"
The confident smirk fell from her face. She attempted to catch her breath but was having trouble translating his words. "Wh-What did you just say?"
"I'm sorry if that isn't what you wanted to hear, but those are my feelings! If I didn't love you with every single ounce of my body I would have just ran away after that whole ordeal with Chemtrail. I-I wanted to come back and prove myself to you. Even when I thought for sure that I was going to hit the ground, you're the only thing I could think of. I love you." It was easier to say the second time around. Skye no longer felt like a jackhammer was trying to rip him apart.
Rainbow nodded and placed a hoof on her chest. "I, uh… wow…" She swallowed and cleared her throat. "Look, Skye…"
"It's fine if you don't feel the same. I just wanted you to know," he said with an innocent grin.
"I said no more mushy stuff, and then you go and say all that?" Rainbow walked closer to him.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry…" Skye blinked.
She tackled him onto the edge of the cloud and planted another kiss on his muzzle. The world below spun as the blood rushed to Skye's head. The only thing keeping him from falling off the cloud was Dash's forelegs around his body. "Whether you're a friend or my special somepony…" Rainbow pinned her ears against her head. "I love you too. Still want to sleep on the couch?"
"Uh, no thanks. I'll take my chances with the snoring filly!"
/) To be Continued (\