//------------------------------// // Who you gonna call? Cloud-busters! // Story: Sky's Changing Secret // by Sky Sprinter //------------------------------// Near Rainbow Dash’s House, The next day aka now “This would work so much better if the Princess allowed me use of my shape-shifting abilities,” Sky said to himself as he tried to catch up to Rainbow Dash. “Sure I get nice looks at her flank but is it worth this amount of activity?” “I win! I knew that any bug-pony would never be able to beat me,” Rainbow Dash said as she crossed the home-made finish line. “10 seconds flat, right Twilight?” “10 seconds indeed, Rainbow,” Twilight said rolling her eyes before she looked back at the lagging changeling who was only a tenth of the way through the course. A course that was really just two clouds, one was the start right next to Rainbow Dash’s home, and the other was the end, a good 100 meters away, where Rainbow Dash was. As Sky continued flying to the other side he thought about the day so far. After waking up, he had breakfast and then Twilight told him what the plan was today. The Crystal Castle, That morning “Today, we are going to see how your natural flight abilities are against Rainbow Dash,” Twilight had said before biting into a pancake. “Ra-Rainbow Dash? Wh-Why?” Sky asked both excited and terrified. “As I’ve already told you, we need to see what kind of jobs you can do, and besides it’s a terrific way to clock Rainbow Dash’s speed against that of an average changeling,” Twilight replied. Sky had drifted off for a second to think about Rainbow Dash but he snapped out of it and focused on Twilight’s words, “I guess that’s a good reason. Still doesn’t explain the whole job part of it though.” “Well first we’re going to see your athletic abilities against her and then we’re going see your cloud busting skills. Not only will this surely get us closer to finding a job for you-“ Twilight said. “I’m pretty sure the Rarity job is it,” Sky interrupted. “Still, best to get all the data we could get before coming up with a decision, yes?” Twilight rebutted. “Fair enough,” Sky reluctantly agreed. “Anyways, not only will today get us closer to finding a job for you but it will also get us invaluable insight on the flight capabilities of a Changeling drone, as academia has begun calling all non-Queen changelings, versus that of the self-proclaimed ‘best flyer of Equestria,’” Twilight then said. Near Rainbow Dash’s House, Now Sky finally made it to the finish line where Rainbow Dash and Twilight stood, “You know, Twilight, I’m thinking this whole, jobby thingy is kinda, a wild-goose chase. You know?” Sky said a bit out of breath before taking in a big breath and saying, “It seems awfully a lot like what my sister has been doing with her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, it just seems like I already know what job I want and any more seems a bit… indulgent, now I can get the scientific parts of all this. I mean, who wouldn’t want to try their wings against Rainbow Dash, the most awesome pony and absolute best flyer in Equestria? It just seems like we’re stalling for some unknown thing or some other.” “I guess it might be a bit much, but I think my point still stands on that this plan might be the best way to acclimate Ponyville to you,” Twilight rebutted. “Doesn’t really work when everypony hides in their homes, does it?” Sky said hoping that Twilight would at least reconsider the current state of things. “Alright, alright. How about we follow the plan for the rest of the day and I’ll see what I can come up with tomorrow? Rainbow Dash, I’m sure you can keep watch on him while I go to Fluttershy and Pinkie’s homes to inform them of the change in plans?” “Don’t worry about this bug-pony, Twilight, he won’t go anywhere with me here,” Rainbow Dash said landing next to Sky with a smirk. “Please don’t let your prejudice get a hold of you, Rainbow, he really is a good pony at heart,” Twilight said as she flew off. Sky looked sheepishly at Rainbow Dash after Twilight left, “Um… so what’s next, Rainbow Dash?” His first time alone with Rainbow Dash was likely not going to be all hay and flowers as he wished. “Well, Mr. Bug-Pony we’re going to see how good your cloud busting is,” Rainbow Dash said with a mischievous smile as she hovered next to Sky. “How long are you going to call me that?” Sky asked. “Either until I trust you or I’m tired of using it, and I’m sure neither will happen, Buggy” Rainbow Dash replied. “I thought so,” Sky sighed. “Alright, Twilight and I have been able to create a competition between me and you with three stops. First, single-cloud busting over Carousel Boutique, followed by group-cloud busting over Sugercube Corner, and finally, what I like to call, the Lightning Round over the lake,” Rainbow Dash said sounding pretty proud of herself, “The single-cloud busting involves a wide-open expanse of sky where each competitor tries to bust five single clouds as fast as they can before moving onto the next part. Group-cloud busting has us in a tight, confined space of clouds in which we’ll burst every cloud in the vicinity. Finally, the Lightning Round, for the hardcore ponies, in which we’ll be in a combination of the previous two challenges coupled with the added difficulty of these clouds being thunder clouds.” “Doesn’t that sound at least a little bit dangerous?” Sky said a bit intimidated by the whole competition. “Dangerous? Pff… Please. I’ve done plenty worse. And I’m sure you’d remember the whole Hurricane Fluttershy thing if you were truly here for as long as say you were,” Rainbow Dash said crossing her arms smugly. “This is way different from that time, I mean, every eligible Pegasus, and me, the one changeling, got together to help out with that. This is one changeling versus however many lightning clouds you guys have out there at the lake, and I’m no you,” Sky said not as confident. “Come on Mr. big, bad, bug-pony, it’s one little course, and besides, this is for, um, what did Twilight say? Oh yeah! This is for science” Rainbow Dash said wanting to get on with the competition. “Of course she would tell you the one thing she knows will get me to do something like this,” Sky said as he readied himself for the flight by getting into take-off position on the cloud he stood on. “Alright, count down, Buggy. From 5,” Rainbow Dash said getting into take-off position next to Sky. “Um, alright… On go, ok? Um, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go,” Sky said as on “Go” they both took off towards Carousel Boutique. Rainbow took off quite a bit faster than Sky and so she made it to Carousel Boutique before Sky by about half-a-minute and so by the time Sky made there she had already left. “Of course,” Sky complained when he made it there and Rainbow was already gone. He got to busting the clouds as fast as he could and soon he was on his way to Sugarcube Corner. As he got to Sugarcube, he noticed Twilight leaving Sugarcube and he also began to notice the not-so-happy faces of the various townsponies. “I guess they got past the hiding stage. I hope Twilight has a plan for all of this,” he said as he got to cloud busting. He saw that Rainbow was also there still busting, “This is going to take quite a while.” A minute later and Rainbow was finished with her clouds however, she seemed to be going slower on them, almost as if she was watching him. He smiled sheepishly as he busted the last of his clouds and he took off towards the lake, however before he left he saw Twilight waving at both him and Rainbow Dash and so he waved back. At the lake, Rainbow Dash was already busting the thunderclouds and so Sky went to work immediately, only to be singed by the cloud. “Ow! Curse these darned clouds,” Sky said. “Come on Buggy! It’s not too bad,” Rainbow said smirking. “It kinda is,” Sky complained as he busted the next two clouds. As the two of them busted the clouds, the amount already halved by the two, but Rainbow had a clear lead. Sky was still surprised by the ease of cloud busting, except the occasional lightning touch which hurt like Tartarus. By the time Rainbow had almost finished her clouds, she began to slow down, at least that’s how it seemed to Sky. In between his kicking and flying he saw Rainbow watching him with that untrusting expression; he felt the wave of emotions with its combinations of confusion, anger, and hostility. “And finished!” Rainbow said as she kicked the final cloud on her side before kicking a few clouds on Sky’s side. Half a minute later and Sky had also finished. Sky collapsed on the ground as he tried to regain his breath, “Phew! That was a workout,” he tiredly said. “Color me impressed, Buggy, I expected you to take quite a bit longer than this to finish the course,” Rainbow said. “Thank you,” Sky said breathlessly. “Don’t think I trust ya though,” Rainbow warned, “It’ll take more than flying quickly and busting clouds to get my trust, especially for a bug-pony.” “I didn’t expect any less,” Sky sighed, it hurt a bit that she still didn’t trust him but he couldn’t really expect her to trust him even now. “I see you two had fun,” Twilight said as she entered the scene. “It was top fun,” Sky said semi-sarcastically. “Good. So Rainbow, what do you think of him now?” Twilight then asked Rainbow. “He seems like a hard worker, but I still don’t trust him, Twilight. For all we know this could still all be a changeling plot, everypony thought that Princess Cadence was herself, and not Chrysalis in disguise,” Rainbow answered. “I was able to discern that she was Chrysalis though, Rainbow,” Twilight rebutted. “But you knew Cadence since you were a filly, Twilight. You didn’t even know Buggy here until after he was in the dungeon,” Rainbow said stubbornly, “How could you know whether or not he’s just Chrysalis’s spy?” “First of all, his eyes and shell, I’m thinking of just calling it a upper caraspace now, are a different color from those of Chrysalis’s hive,” Twilight replied. “Changeling trick, they have to be able to change their colors. They can turn into ponies for Celestia’s sake,” Rainbow said. “Second of all, he acts nothing at all like the changelings that we fought,” Twilight continued. “You said it yourself, egghead. We don’t know a lot about them, he could be a different type of changeling from the ones that we fought,” Rainbow rebutted. Sky stood by as the two friend’s argument grew in volume, he didn’t like that they were having such a bitter argument over him, and not just because the emotions that were being released were very bitter in taste. “Um, girls?” Sky asked trying to get their attention but utterly failing. “-your just going to have to trust me, Rainbow!” Twilight finally said loundly. “Fine, but I’m still keeping an eye on him!” Rainbow Dash yelled before flying off. Twilight sighed in defeat, “Why does she have to be so stubborn and hard headed?” she asked herself. “She’s never gonna trust me is she?” Sky said sadly. “She’ll turn around, she’ll see you for the good changeling that you are, one day,” Twilight said. “Yeah right,” Sky said walking towards town sadly. “I need to find a way to cheer him up,” Twilight said to herself as both she and Sky walked back to the castle. It took her only a few seconds to think up a way to possibly cheer him up, if he was happy enough when his sisters visited, and she could tell he loved playing around with his little sister, then he’d love another family member visiting and she knew exactly the family member, or two, who’d both, hopefully, cheer him up and give her some answers.