It was always so nice to visit Cloudsdale once in a while.
Twilight smiled as she watched the excited look on Rainbow Dash's face as she led their hot air balloon into the clouds, which served as entry into her hometown. The last time they came here, it was for a flying competition that Rainbow Dash had been practicing for.
The unicorn sat back against the side of the balloon as she recalled how Rainbow Dash wanted her friends to be there when she entered the competition. How impossible it was for them, except Fluttershy, to stay up in the clouds as the Pegasi. Luckily, Twilight had created a spell to fix that. And unluckily, Rarity took the spell too well. She had received wings in the process and she became to prideful of them.
Twilight remembered how Rarity simply basked in the glow of her newfound wings, showing off to everyone, making Rainbow Dash feel inferior about her wings. Those childish male ponies kept taunting her, kept calling her names. Twilight nearly used a spell to zip their mouths...
Then Rarity had intervened with the flying competition, making Rainbow Dash break down with complete distrust in herself as well as her flying, believing she would be as those ponies called her: Rainbow Crash.
Twilight had never seen Rainbow Dash so scared and nervous in her life; she almost reminded her of Fluttershy. Twilight wanted to talk to Rarity about how she needed to keep her hooves on the ground. Literally. But it had been too late when Rarity rushed off to a dressing room and put on the most outrageous outfit Twilight had ever seen. Must that unicorn always dress up for simple things?
She was the last to go into the competition(Rainbow Dash felt she would fail herself and refused to go). She put on a show for everyone, and it did look lovely. Rarity had extended herself higher, high above to where the sun was.
And Twilight had become horrified when the sun's rays completely melted off Rarity's wings.
How terrified Rarity was when she began falling. How terrified the other ponies were to witness such a thing. Twilight was about to use a spell to save her, but then three special ponies came to the rescue.
They were Rainbow Dash's heroes, the Wonderbolts.
However, the rescue was ruined when Rarity, having been scared being so high in the air and completely flightless, went kicking and screaming. Twilight cringed at the memory of seeing Spitfire getting such a hoofing from the terrified unicorn.
But then...the Element of Loyalty came in.
Not the element jewel, but the element within Rainbow Dash's heart as she saw her friend, and the Wonderbolts, in trouble. Twilight had seen the sudden change in the once-scared pegasus's eyes as she flew in to make a daring rescue, not caring if she humiliated herself or not.
Her flying was incredible, faster than Twilight had seen her do back in Ponyville. The determined, confident Rainbow Dash was back as she held the four helpless ponies in her protection, loyal to keeping them safe while she was high in the air.
And then magic happened.
A Sonic Rainboom. More powerful than any rainbow made in the sky.
And Rainbow Dash had created it. Twilight knew her spirit was, indeed, powerful, and her flight was faster than any flyer in Equestria. She cheered for her friend, though not as loud as Fluttershy.
And Rainbow Dash saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts. Not only that, she won the competition.
Twilight nearly teared a bit as she remembered how happy Rainbow Dash was when she was given a congrats by Princess Celestia. And even the Wonderbolts, who were grateful to her for saving their lives!
And Rarity...she learned a valuable lesson in friendship about letting others do their thing while friends kept their hooves on the ground. Literally.
All during this, Twilight's mind told her one thing.
That Rainbow Dash was definitely the Element of Loyalty.
Despite being so afraid, despite the fear of humiliating herself, despite the taunts of the other pegasi, Rainbow Dash came to Rarity when she needed her. Rainbow Dash was always there whenever her friends needed her. She would always be loyal.
But her loyalty had been played with as well as questioned when Discord had been present...
"Twilight? Hello! Twilight!"
"Hmm?" The violet unicorn immediately drew away from her thoughts and looked up to see Rainbow Dash floating above her. "Yes?"
"We're here, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said as she motioned to the others having already exited out of the balloon. "Don't tell me you were thinking of some geeky mathematics while we were coming up here."
Twilight rolled her eyes as she got out of the balloon. "Of course not," she said simply as she trotted behind the others, "I was simply pensive."
Cloudsdale was so beautiful. More beautiful up close than from the sky. Twilight always enjoyed the view of the land before her from high above in the clouds. And the pegasi. They were so nice and very helpful. They served as Equestria's weather workers, helping create a balance of the weather from sunshine to rain. And rainbows.
"Don't even think of tasting the rainbow again, Pinkie," Twilight warned the pink pony as she trotted past her.
"How was I suppose to know I would get nauseous, feel hot, get a cold, and feel green?" Pinkie Pie retorted as she lightly bounced behind the intelligent unicorn.
There was no particular reason why they were in Cloudsdale. They simply wanted to have fun and enjoy each other's company in Rainbow Dash's hometown. Like Canterlot, they would have lunch here; Rainbow Dash mentioned how they made the best shakes that tasted as fluffy as a cloud.
Trotting through the streets-if they could even be called streets because everything was basically clouds-Twilight admired the vendors around her, selling anything that related to sky or rainbows. She enjoyed the sight of workers on their breaks before going back to helping with the weather. Twilight hoped for good sunshine today for the Earth ponies and unicorns down below.
"Home sweet home," Rainbow Dash sighed as she looked around. "So, what do you girls want to do first?"
Pinkie Pie was the first to respond as she zipped past all of them and began bouncing upon a cloud cake that stuck out from the ground. The others laughed.
"It's a jumping jamboree!" Pinkie exclaimed happily.
"Careful, Pinkie," Fluttershy said softly, "you don't want to somehow manage a hole through Cloudsdale."
"Aw, don't worry," Rainbow Dash assured her. "We're completely fine. Even if you threw a boulder here, it'd still be intact."
Twilight watched as her friends enjoyed the clouded scenery, and watching Pinkie just being Pinkie. Though Rainbow Dash loved Ponyville, she loved her hometown just as much, of course.
The thought of Rainbow Dash loving her home triggered a memory in Twilight...a memory involving Discord.
It was during that game in the labyrinth back in Canterlot. Discord had stolen the Elements of Harmony, and Twilight had assumed he hid them in the labyrinth. Though Discord had taken their wings and horns, Twilight assured them that they would all be fine, that they needed to rely on each other and meet at the center.
It was so hard doing such a task without her magic, Twilight couldn't see how Earth ponies like Applejack and Pinkie Pie could go on with it. Though magicless, Twilight needed to find her friends. She felt so scared and helpless without them, but the assurance in Rainbow Dash's words about sticking together pulled her through.
However, one by one, she had started noticing changes...
Her friends were looking gray, and they were completely opposite to the elements they symbolized. Honest Applejack lying...happy Pinkie Pie becoming serious...generous Rarity becoming greedy, claiming some rock was her precious diamond...and Fluttershy...Twilight nearly teared a bit as she remembered the hostility the changed pegasus had given her, the kindness lost and replaced with a cruel personality that made Twilight shiver.
Discord had cheated them. While Twilight still remained herself, her friends had become victim to Discord's power, each of them having become a cold, heartless pawn in his little game. Twilight wanted to fight back, stand up against Discord, even if she had to do it by herself. She had also assumed that because she hadn't bumped into Rainbow Dash yet, she thought Rainbow Dash had avoided Discord's tricks; she was a tough pony.
But when dishonest Applejack said that Rainbow Dash had deserted them, Twilight refused to believe it, insisting so strongly that the pegasus truly held her element of loyalty. But when she looked up in the sky and saw that the lying Applejack was actually being truthful for once, Twilight felt a little hope drain from her.
Disloyal Rainbow Dash...
Her heart sank when she saw her pegasus friend fly out of the labyrinth, having definitely deserted them to fight off Discord on their own. But considering that her four friends were affected, Twilight had to do it all on her own.
Discord had laughed at her, taunted her about her magic of friendship. Twilight had become even more furious and irritated with him, and he liked that. The spirit of chaos and disharmony had continued playing around with her even after she and her remaining friends had left the labyrinth, knowing the elements were back in Ponyville as Discord's ridiculous riddle had said.
Though saddened that Rainbow Dash had left them, Twilight needed to be strong. She needed to save Equestria, and her friends.
That's where Spike came in.
Twilight remembered that the baby dragon was back in Ponyville, enjoying the day off she gave him while she went out with her friends to Cloudsdale. Having been her loyal assistant since day one, Twilight didn't doubt herself when she had chosen him to be the Element of Loyalty, the substitute Rainbow Dash.
Though her assistant became nervous about doing such a responsibility, he was more nervous about what Rainbow Dash would think. Sure, Rainbow Dash was hard-headed and aggressive, but she couldn't be mad at Spike for representing her element. She was his friend. Perhaps Spike was just nervous that the Elements of Harmony would fail because of him.
But Twilight had put her faith in him. Though the element never chose him, he truly was an object of loyalty.
But even with his loyalty, they had failed to defeat Discord the first time, the power of their friendship having weakened because of his tricks.
If only Rainbow Dash had been with them, it would have been easy! Twilight felt so betrayed as one by one, each of her friends left her on her own, the affects of Discord's magic having worsened them. Where was Rainbow Dash? How could she have left them when they needed her the most?
Twilight shook her head as she tried not to think about the sad parts of those recent events. She needed to think happy; she was nearly tearing up and she didn't want to do so in front of her friends, in front of everyone in Cloudsdale.
The unicorn immediately thought of the memory of defeating Discord, the power of their friendship having turned him into stone.
Stone...
Twilight remembered her journal back at home. For hours she had spilled her grief and sadness about Discord's fate into her little notebook, how she had wished there could have been something better...
She immediately stopped thinking about the Discord statue back in the gardens of Canterlot and thought back to Rainbow Dash. It had been difficult trying to convince her where her loyalty lay, how much Twilight and her friends needed her.
But Rainbow Dash, having been as gray as them, refused, lounging on a single cloud she claimed was Cloudsdale, which she bragged she had saved from corruption.
Twilight and her friends needed to use force, and they chased Rainbow Dash through the skies using a hot air balloon. It had been complicated for Fluttershy, who was scared of using an incredible amount of speed. But Twilight, though she sounded tough, convinced her to keep going, that if they didn't catch Rainbow Dash Discord would win.
That got Fluttershy going.
With her newfound speed, they finally caught Rainbow Dash. The magic of friendship placed in her head, the affects of Discord were released from her and the loyal Rainbow Dash they knew was back, angrier than ever of what Discord had done to their home as well as Ponyville.
With that the Element of Loyalty was regained, the Elements of Harmony together, and they defeated Discord.
After he was turned to stone, Rainbow Dash had taunted him right in his stone face. She bragged about the Elements, how their friendship was far more powerful than his kiddie tricks. Though Rainbow Dash meant well, Twilight thought she was being a little harsh.
Of course, neither Rainbow Dash nor any of the other ponies had felt any remorse as Twilight had when she saw Discord become stone...
With that victory, they had embraced each other, tears of joy that their friendship had been restored. As Princess Celestia had gathered the statue of Discord to take back to Canterlot, Twilight had questioned Rainbow Dash about what Discord had done that made her become disloyal.
Though it seemed unsuitable to ask after all they had just gone through, Twilight needed to know, and Rainbow Dash had been willing to answer.
The pegasus wanted to fight Discord, angry that he had taken her precious wings. But Discord, ever so manipulative, had given her a choice. A hard one.
Rainbow Dash told her that Cloudsdale would crumble if she wasn't there. Discord had offered her her wings, giving her the choice of continuing to find the elements or save her hometown. His tricks pushed her further, and she chose the latter.
Twilight felt that she couldn't blame the pegasus for having made that decision. In a way, she had still represented her Element of Loyalty. She had become loyal to her home in the skies than to her friends on the ground.
Discord had given her such a difficult choice. Twilight would weep if she had been placed in the same situation, having to choose between her home in Canterlot or her friends. Discord had played Rainbow Dash the most, and that infuriated Twilight further.
But all was fine now and Cloudsdale was safe. The unicorn remembered what else Rainbow Dash had told her. The pegasus had told her that when she had met up with Discord in the labyrinth, he was found lounging on a cloud, completely relaxed.
Twilight had to laugh at least a bit about that. A little part of her wished she could have seen Discord like that, simply laying on a cloud wearing sunglasses. Why she wanted to see that, she would never understand.
At least he enjoyed himself before-
Twilight shook her head again. Why did she always have to remember the guilt? About how she felt it was her fault Discord was stone? She kept thinking that she didn't control her element right...
"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash said, flapping her wings as she looked down at the dazed unicorn. "Yo, Twilight!" She shouted.
"Wha-?" Twilight blinked and shook her head to get out of her thoughts and looked up to see Rainbow Dash gazing at her with confusion.
"You sure have been, what's the word, pensive lately," the pegasus observed.
Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes. "Okay, maybe I am thinking of 'geeky' mathematics or other sorts," she said. She gave a little yawn. "And I am a bit tired."
"You should relax for a bit," Rainbow Dash suggested. She pointed a hoof toward some clouds that were formed into relaxing chairs. "Go on. Lie down and enjoy the sun. You're going to get that nice, toasty feeling as you relax."
Twilight smiled at her, grateful Rainbow Dash didn't question her further as she walked over to the array of chairs. Slowly sitting at the side, pushing herself up against the top portion of the chair, her back hooves placed in front of her, Twilight laid on her chair.
Rainbow Dash was right. That warm, toasty feeling from the sun was so relaxing.
"Mmm..." The unicorn moaned with delight as she stretched a bit, making herself more comfortable. "I can see why you like these clouds so much." She patted her seat with satisfaction. "Very plush."
Suddenly, Twilight realized that that was the same thing Discord had said.
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