Cloud Nine

by ThatPonyNextDoor

The First Day

The Day opened like any other. The birds were chirping and the sun was glowing over all of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was taking her daily afternoon nap on a lone cloud in the sky. Dozing off after one of her many training sessions in her pursuit to become a Wonderbolt.

Rainbow's eyes shot open from yelling on the ground. She looked off the edge of the cloud to see Pinkie Pie hopping up and down and shouting her name enthusiastically. Pinkie noticed that Rainbow finally woke up and started yelling something about a party. "RAINBOW! I'M THROWING A PARTY TODAY!" Pinkie repeated until yielding an answer from Rainbow.

"Okay okay, what time and where?" Rainbow replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry for waking you but it's tonight at the Carousel Boutique. Rarity wants to celebrate that her sales are doing well." Pinkie started. "I thought it would be a great time to throw a party" Pinkie finished before saying her goodbye and trotting into the shopping district of Ponyville.

Rainbow closed her eyes trying to fall back asleep. After a few minutes she realized it was futile and groaned while crawling out of her temporary cloud bed. Flying back to ground level and walking into the direction of town. By the time Ponyville came into view, it was a little past noon. A couple.hours before another one of Pinkie's signature parties.

Rainbow stepped inside one of her favorite coffee shops, StarBucks. She trotted up to the counter and ordering a cup before spotting Fluttershy walking into the store herself. Rainbow's instinct lead her to surprise Fluttershy with a hello. They have been long time friends after all.

"Hey Fluttershy!" Rainbow started, taking Fluttershy off guard who didn't expect to see her there.

After a slight jump and a quiet squeal Fluttershy started speaking in her quiet mellow voice. "Oh hey Rainbow Dash, i um... didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah I could kind of tell when you jumped back and squealed." Rainbow said jokingly, giving Fluttershy a friendly smile.

Fluttershy let off a slight blush and a small smile. It eventually caught both of the ponies attention that RD's drink was ready.

"I'll... see you at the party i guess." Fluttershy stumbled over her words until stepping up to the register herself. Rainbow got her drink, said her goodbyes to Fluttershy, and walked out of the shop.

The skies changed from blue to an orange tint as the sun was starting to set. Rainbow stretched her wings and considering to fly until ultimately deciding to walk. She trotted through Ponyville while taking sips of her drink. After about half an hour she changed her pace to more of a jog. Heading towards Carousel Boutique for Pinkie's party.

She was the last to arrive to the party. Rarity boasting about her recent sales in the past few weeks to Applejack and Twilight. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy playing 'Eye Spy' in the corner.

"Hey guys" RD said walking up to Pinkie and Fluttershy.

Both of them too preoccupied in their game to notice Rainbow. "The... curtains?" Fluttershy guessed. "Took you long enough hehe" Pinkie Pie giggled. Rainbow cleared her throat to catch their attention.

"Oh hey Dashie! Glad you could make it." Pinkie said in her hyperactive voice. "We were waiting for you to get here so we could start 'Pin The Tail On The Pony'" Pinkie trailed off and headed towards the far end of the room.

"Hi Rainbow." Fluttershy quietly said.

"Hey Fluttershy, you know that theirs no need for you to be so shy around me. After all we've been friends since like Jr. Speedsters Flight School!" Rainbow said.

"I know... it's just my personality." Fluttershy said with a small smile.

The party went on for a couple good hours. By the time the party ended even Pinkie was tired. Rainbow stepped into the cool midnight air. The sky was completely blacked out by then. She looked up for a couple moments until hearing a small voice behind her.

"Can you umm.... walk me home tonight?" Fluttershy stumbling over her words. A quiet second went by between the two. "Yeah of course." Rainbow said, surprised by the question.
"May i ask why?" She asked curiously.

"Well it's... it's dark and my cottage is all the way on the other side of Ponyville." Fluttershy said, not trying to sound cowardly.

A quiet thank you came out of Fluttershy's mouth and the two headed to her cottage. The streets were shrouded in darkness at that time of night except for the occasional otaku staying up to do whatever they do. All that was heard was a gust of wind everyonce in a while.

"Rainbow, can i ask you something?" Fluttershy asked to break the long silence.

"Yeah Flutters?" Rainbow said.

"Do you think the rest of our friends care about me?" Fluttershy asked.

"Course they do. Where would you get that idea? You know how protective me, Rarity, and Pinkie are of you!" Rainbow replied in a defensive manner for some reason. Her reply seemed to hush Fluttershy until an apology forced itself out of Rainbow. "Fluttershy... sorry if that sounded harsh. It wasn't supposed to be." Rainbow said with a reassuring smile.

Fluttershy returned a smile and the rest of the walk was silent. By the time they arrived to the cottage, all stars were out and gleaming over the dark landscape. "Here we are." Rainbow yawned.

"Thanks Rainbow. I guess i owe you one now." Fluttershy said jokingly.

Rainbow smiled, just then her stomach growled from all the time she's been spending on Wonderbolts training.

Fluttershy giggled. "Well umm why don't you stay for dinner? I mean if it's okay with you?" Fluttershy suggested shyly.

"You do realize what time it is right? Well if you insist then why not." Rainbow joked. "I never would pass up free food."

Fluttershy prepared the food and they sat down at the wooden table in her main room. "So what's the greatest flyer in Equestria been up too?" Fluttershy asked not trying to sound too nosy.

"Wonderbolts try outs are soon. I'm gonna try out this year!" Rainbow exclaimed with a huge smile.

"Well I'm really happy for you Rainbow... and so is the rest of our friends." Fluttershy replied.

"Thanks Fluttershy, don't worry about if i become some famous athlete, i won't forget about any of you in Ponyville." Rainbow reassured.

"Thanks" Fluttershy answered, her reply answering empty in a way.

"Promise me that all of you will at least try to come to some of my races?" Rainbow asked.

"I promise" Fluttershy answered. The reply was followed by a long silence in the room.

After a few minutes Rainbow's eyes started to drift towards Fluttershy's. An awkward second passed by until Fluttershy instinctively asked "Rainbow, what are you doing?"

Rainbow's brief second of zoning out ended with that question. Seconds passed by with Rainbow trying to think of a valid answer. She eventually realized that she didn't know the answer herself.

"Sorry I... i don't really know what got into me." Rainbow returned a small blush and an awkward laugh. "I better go before it gets even darker." She got out before making even more of a scene.

'What's with me tonight?' Rainbow thought to herself. She gave out a loud sigh while flying off for the night.

———————————————

Rainbow awoke to the sound of Pinkie Pie giving her a wake up call like usual. She yawned and flew down.

"Yeah Pinkie?" Rainbow muttered.

"Twilight needed you earlier but you were asleep so she just went with Fluttershy." Pinkie answered quickly.

"So?" Rainbow asked tiredly.

"They should have been back like an hour ago!" Pinkie replied with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Maybe Twilight had some kind of scientific stuff she wanted to try?" Rainbow suggested.

"They traveled to a ruin in the Everfree Forest! Why would she want to stay any longer than planned!?" Pinkie asked, this time showing a lot of worry in her sentence.

"Twilight seriously thought it was a good idea to go with only Fluttershy? Alright which direction?" Rainbow asked trying to hide her own worry for the two.

"Hey I'm going with you!" Pinkie demanded.

Just a few feet from the edge of the forest they saw a silhouette run towards them.

"Thank god your here!" The silhouette yelled from a distance. The shadow ran into open view which revealed to be Twilight.

"What happened! Where's Fluttershy!?" Pinkie asked panicking.

"While I was getting samples we must have tripped a wire the ancient ponies left behind!" Twilight started explaining.

Just like that, Rainbow Dash was off in a flash flying through the dense forest. Until eventually arriving at the mouth of the vegetation covered ancient ruin.

Comments

[fabianguzman18]

okay start

[DianaWinters]

I'll track i guess...

[super3rainbow1]

Interesting... go on..