//------------------------------// // 12 - The Cloudy Solution // Story: Return to Flight // by Outlaw Quadrant //------------------------------// The aroma of delicious bread, open juice bottles and food inside a red cardboard box hovered over Rainbow’s dining room table. Neither ponies sitting across from each other touched their meal. Rainbow sat intently as Swift recanted the experience that led to a rude awakening. “I was falling into this black hole,” said a somber Swift, breaking the stalemate and grabbing a biscuit. He took a nibble before laying it down on the plate. “My wings, they were, disappearing.” “Disappearing?” Rainbow parroted. “Into thin air. They were all but gone but then, well—” She reached for a juice bottle, “What was it?” Swift tousled his hair, “I think I heard you telling me to wake up.” Sweet liquid spilled all over the floor. “Really? I called out for you?” “You did,” he answered with a nod. “It felt like you were watching over me. I know, I know. Sounds bonkers but even if it was just my imagination, thanks, Rainbow.” What a dorky smile he flashed, she thought, but her cheeks approved with a warm glow. “Anyways, I stopped to see Redheart before I came here and asked her if that meant anything. She said it is possible stuff like that could happen if you spend enough time with just one pony. Then again, she also said she wasn’t a psychologist.” Rainbow took one gulp of juice. “So, um, did she say anything about you having another nightmare?” “Pretty much what I told you. It was just that one case, Rainbow.” Swift readied to bite on his bread but put it back.” She did warn us that we should sleep on the ground from now on, just in case we’re wrong.” “I, see.” The doomsday clock reached eleven o’clock; her fragile optimism escaped with every exhale. When she saw his friend’s face, however, she immediately sealed the leak. He had opened the red container and stared at his wrapped food, apparently lost in his own thoughts. Rainbow was fighting for him as much as she fought for herself, so she had to keep that fighting spirit alive. “All right, then,” she shouted, standing up and banging the table. “No time to mope around, Swift! We eat and then we train!” Swift’s wings spread wide. “Oh, I’m, um, I wasn’t moping.” He took out a sandwich wrap. “I just noticed this isn’t quite what I ordered. I wanted extra lettuce.” “Oh,” she mumbled, taking a seat once more. The stallion began munching on his main course, “But you’re right. We can’t lose any time.” He took a big gulp of juice directly from the bottle. “Ah! I should hurry and check on my special project at the Cloud Factory.” “The what, now?” she spoke through three biscuits wedged in her mouth. He wiped the crumbs off his mouth. “Remember when you asked me about the Sonic Rainbow?” “Yeah?” Swift paused a few seconds, clasping both forelegs on the table. “If the Sonic Rainboom is what we need to do, that probably means that I have to help you get close to that speed. Think about it for a sec. You realize what you’re asking of me?” At that moment, her face faded in color. “A Sonic Rainboom? It’s hard enough for me to do it, even at my peak. How in Equestria could I do it now? I don’t have the speed but… uh oh. You can’t go that fast either, can you?” “Not even close. I might be agile but raw speed, that’s your area.” From a saddlebag on the floor, he pulled out a few books. “That’s why I snuck into the Library this morning and borrowed these.” “What are those?” “Books on pegasi history. My mom always told me the answers to tomorrow are in yesterday, or some cheesy thing like that. It’s a stretch but I’ll take just about anything right now.” “Did you actually find anything useful?” His ears flopped, “Nothing yet. No worries because whatever I do find will be my – hopefully – backup plan. I’d tell you about my first idea but it’s better if I don’t.” Raising an eyebrow, “Oh, trying to keep me in suspense?” “Just trying not to raise your hopes too much. Besides, we might not need what I have at the Factory after all if you pull off the ‘you know what’ today.” “You mean the Super Loop n’ Dive.” “You’re up for it,” he asked before sipping some juice. Rainbow delivered a confident smile. “Ready when you are, Swift!” His juice flowed straight into his lungs. After much wheezing and coughing, he glared at the giggling mare. “Should’ve expected that from you.” Boing! For the twentieth time within the training chamber, Rainbow bounced off a cloud. Twenty consecutive failures of practicing for a stunt should’ve had Swift worried but her sniggering during her last few attempts told him otherwise. That and he didn’t need to hold her up anymore after try number ten. “Having fun, Rainbow?” the hovering stallion spoke, crossing his hooves as she descended to his eye level. “What? I’m just trying to loosen up before I do this for real.” “Thought so. Are you ready to do this for real, then?” “Am I?” she boasted. Then she rubbed her forearm, “Well, kinda. You see, for the real run, I kinda wanna fly close to the ground.” “You what?” he screeched. “No way, Rainbow. I can’t—” “Please?” He raised an objecting hoof. “I have to be sure about this. I know it’s risky but that’s the whole point of the trick and that’s how I did it the first time. When I pull it off, then we’ll know for sure if that’s the ticket. Let me do it. I know I can.” One look at her steely eyes broke down his resistance that impatience was getting to her. This was a bull charging straight at him and he was wise enough to get out of its way. Swift nudged his head toward the high cloud inside the chamber. “Good luck.” “I don’t need luck,” she said, giving him a wink. “But thanks anyways. Cya on the other side!” Moments later, Rainbow rose higher into her air, the destination being the small cloud that served as the starting point. Déjà vu soon trickled into her consciousness, which morphed all her surroundings into that one open field outside of Ponyville. There it was again, that spring scent of fresh-sprung daisies and young saplings, the turbulent wind trying to yank some hairs off her coat and two ponies watching from below her hooves. Then another sound made its presence known, faint but increasing in volume by the second. Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Rainbow clutched her chest for she knew the next sequence of events – the dive, the loop, a gust of wind, and that crushing splat for the painful finish. She even remembered the Wonderbolt daydream that became a mere footnote on that fateful Monday afternoon. “What’s wrong, Rainbow?” Swift’s yell melted away her fantasy. She was back inside the chamber, stopped three quarters of the way to the ceiling. “Do you need something?” A button that would erase her past failure from memory would’ve been nice. That wasn’t an option. She focused on what rode on this stunt, not just her potential recovery but his as well. “I’m okay,” she answered, waving at Swift. “Enjoy the show!” Finally, she reached the puffy cloud that would be her jump-off point. Once her hooves touched down on the cottony surface, her heart resumed its fervent trembling. Deep inhale, then exhale, rinse and repeat. Soon, her heart settled into a slower rhythm, enough to look downwards. Vertigo. She should’ve seen that coming. I don’t have time for this! C’mon! Wings in tight. Eyes shut. No pressure. Just do it, Rainbow. Just do it. Rainbow tipped over the cloud’s edge and gravity immediately took over her body. Even with sight blocked out, the smoothness of the air rushing around her was a good sign. She was traveling straight down – no need for minor adjustments – so she added a slow, constant twirl. Five seconds into the free-fall, she opened her eyes so she could spot a faraway line carved on the chamber wall. There went the first one, marking the halfway point of her dive. The next line marked when her wings would extend and switch to glide mode. Based on prior testing, it should’ve crossed her line of sight in roughly eight seconds. And…. where is it? I don’t see it! Rainbow moved her head to find a different reference point. All she found was spinning white ground with no Swift in sight. When she checked the wall again, there went the second line swooping out of view. Pull up! Her feathered appendages swung open, proving lift powerful enough that the G-forces twisted her stomach. She hissed in pain but otherwise, Rainbow refused to let that affect her. She couldn’t do the same with her lightheadedness turning her vision into a messy white and gray cocktail as she started the looping spin. With some fine body calibrations, she regained a clear picture just as she reached the loop’s apex. Déjà vu again –time stopped so she can catch a glimpse of her observer. There was only one, but that’s all she needed for that extra motivational boost. With time resuming to normal, Rainbow started closing the loop with all controls stable. No sudden gust would thwart her today but maybe that rapidly approaching cloud floor would. Everything she knew about this stunt told her this was okay. She would level off with a few feet to spare by stopping her spin at the right moment. About fifty feet off the cloud floor, Rainbow applied hard right rotation. Too much spin according to the blaring warnings in her head; her wing was going to clip the ground at this rate! She tried correcting the other direction but she only had ten feet to spare. For a moment, she was in perfect alignment with the floor — inverted too — but then Rainbow bobbled. Her mane skipped across the cloud surface twice before stabilizing her path. Big finish! Rainbow flipped upright, scrubbing off altitude and velocity in the process. No choice now, she had to land immediately. When she flared for the anticipatory touchdown, another bobble threatened to end the run in tears. Hold it! Hold it! Her hooves skipped across the cloudy surface, struggling for traction. Once they dug into the white cotton, Rainbow spread her wings wide and let aerodynamic drag do the rest. Ten days after her accident, she completed the Bolt Super Loop n’ Dive. “I did it,” she whispered. Then, she fell backwards onto the floor and raised her forelegs in the air. “I did it! I did it! I really did it! I—” That’s when it struck her. Clearly, this was a personal victory but whether the war was truly over was another question. Her opponent, that dreaded Flying Stress Syndrome, didn’t show its face once during the stunt and yet, her joy withered under the afternoon sun peeking through the makeshift window. When Swift’s face entered her sights, she had no more excitement to show him. Swift took a seat, crestfallen. “It’s just like with me.” “This wasn’t it, was it?” Seconds later, he cleared his throat. “Rainbow”— “Minor setback, that’s all.” “Rainbow— “It’s alright. I won’t lose hope.” With a huff, she sprung onto all fours. “If I can do the Super Bolt n’ Dive, I can do anything, even the Sonic Rainboom. Yeah, that’s our way out of this jam. Swift? You said you had something at the Factory that could help us?” That resilience, he couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Gotcha. I’ll fetch my little project from the Factory. Sit tight!” Rainbow waved goodbye at her friend, who quickly pierced through the chamber wall and disappeared. Alone again but this time, she knew he’d be back. She had many concerns but loneliness was far down the list. Okay. I should squeeze in a nap. Once she had made a makeshift bed, Rainbow told her mind to shut down except its machinations continued moving, pumping out reminders about the stunt she just performed. I wish you could’ve seen me do it, Fluttershy, Scoots. Ughhhh! That’s right. I can’t really tell you about it without spilling everything. Guess I’ll just have to— Rainbow yawned while closing her eyelids for good – show you later. “There won’t be a later,” said a foreign voice. Here she was again, standing on water in the dark. The faintest of light shone down on the cracked wall that had stood from the moment she first spotted it. It was here, cementing the tragic truth that the fight was far from over. Sure, its face had craters as though a wrecking ball repeatedly smashed into it and she was a few feet away from reaching the base but it was in one piece. “Why are you still here?” Rainbow stomped the murky floor. “I did the stunt! That should’ve been enough!” “But that would’ve be too easy for you,” a familiar voice answered. “I’m not finished with you yet.” She gasped. The other presence was sitting on the top of the wall, hidden by the shadows. By the silhouette, this was certainly a pony. “Who are you? Show yourself!” “Pffft! No way! You’ll have to come a little bit closer but I’ll tell you what. Just for making it this far, I’ll let you in a little secret.” “We’ll see about that!” Rainbow tried taking a step forward but the air suddenly had the resistance of bedrock. “Fine! What is it?” “One Sonic Rainboom. That’s all it will take for this to be over for you. If you’re lucky, maybe even for your friend.” Rainbow’s jaw became unhinged. Despite not knowing the figure’s identity, her instincts said this was true as the sky was blue. There was an ending to this nightmare after all. She pinched her body in vain to wake up. “Of course, I’m telling you because you’ll never be able to do it,” the unseen stranger added. “At least, not before your Ponyville friends come back and figure out what’s happened. Heh. I can’t wait for that moment so I can swipe these wings from ya. You don’t deserve them anyways, Rainbow Crash.” “Hey!” Rainbow shook a foreleg, “Come out here and say that!” “Say what?” a third voice responded. Suddenly, light, too much for her eyes to bear. After a few eye blinks, Rainbow saw all of it; the diminishing sunglow, the floating obstacle courses, thunderclouds parked on one end of the enclosure and a familiar stallion watching over her. “How long was I out, Swift,” she asked, rubbing off eye crust. He flinched before helping her up to her haunches. “Um, couldn’t been more than two hours.” “Two hours?” “While you were out, I stopped by Fluttershy’s to see if I could get back inside. That little rabbit shut the door on me, so I snuck in through an open window. He wasn’t too happy but after I told him what was going on, he was cool with it.” He scratched his head, “I think. He did stop throwing stuff at me. Guess that’s progress.” “Don’t worry about it. That’s Angel for you.” Then, Rainbow noticed all the scribbles on the permeable surface. “Oh, that.” Swift gestured across his hoof work, “I was working on the details for my plan. I, um, kept screwing up my math.” A light bulb shone above Rainbow’s head. “Shoot. My parents were right. I should’ve paid more attention to—” “It is going to work!” “Eh?” Rainbow grabbed onto him with eager eyes and matching speech cadence, “You see, I keep going into this world where it’s all dark and there’s this wall that I have to bust through and I keep trying to walk towards it but something holds me back but just now, some pony in there told me that all I gotta do is do the Sonic Rainboom and then I’ll be cured and maybe you too!” Swift’s pupils narrowed. “Eh? The you in the what, now?” Just as quickly as it arrived, her memories turned into a haze. She sounded like a loon just now – or Pinkie Pie – but she still recalled the big takeaway. “Um, okay. All you gotta know is that the Sonic Rainboom is the cure to this thing. I know it. I feel it. Do you get it?” “Do I get it,” he said slowly. “I’m not sure if—” He caught a sparkle emanating from her pupils. “I got it! Rainbow, I do! When I look at you, I see, um—” “See what?” Swift held a blink for a few seconds. “I’m sure of it now. My promise to you, Rainbow, it’s what I needed all this time. My biggest challenge since that tornado.” He glanced at that reverse bolt and cloud forever sketched on his hindquarters. “I’m seeing this thing through to the end, no matter what happens because it’s the right thing to do, Rainbow. It’s the thing I will do because that’s who I am! It’s who I want to be!” She released him, “That’s right!” He smiled wide. With a hoof pump, “You’re the one and only Swift Flying!” He hung his head low. “Wh… I’m letting that one slide.” “That’s the spirit!” She then went over the writings on the floor, rubbing her chin. “Now, what’s this plan of yours that’s gonna pull us out of this jam? I actually understand what you put here except—” She pointed at what appeared as a hastily drawn cloud – “this part.” Swift engaged his wings, “Then come outside and take a look.” Rainbow followed him in his ascent through the cloud chamber, aiming for the thin part of the ceiling and then cutting right through it. On the other side, she expected clear blue skies across the horizon but instead, the only visible geographical feature was towering mountains to the east. Ponyville remained beyond the many scattered and hazy cotton balls floating around the skies. Unless somepony came within half a mile of here, nopony would even know they were here. Secrecy wasn’t at Rainbow’s mind, though. According to Swift’s crude schematic, the starting point for a flying run was way above her head. That part of the plan made sense. Two ponies flying almost vertical plus gravity equated to extra speed. What puzzled her was the object on the projected path, a cloud that looked just like every other one in existence except for the neat massive hole right through the middle of it. Rainbow hovered right up to the white lump for a poke. The entire cloud rumbled slightly and she flinched backwards. Swift stifled a laugh. “No worries, Rainbow. It won’t bite. My pop designed this experimental cloud. He wanted to find a way to reliably control wind so it’s not so, gusty.” Yeah, I kinda know how that is. “All you gotta do is fly straight through the hole. When it does, it pushes you out the other end with a big gust of wind. If everything goes right, it’ll push us right into a Sonic Rainboom, just like that.” “Hold on, hold on. You say this was an experiment, right?” His ears flopped, “Oh, yeah. That. There’s some, um, issues. My pop couldn’t figure them out so he gave up on it.” “I–issues?” “One, the materials needed to make something like this is pretty rare. I had trouble finding the right stuff at the Factory, and I really had to stretch the mix just to make two. This is the good one. The other one won’t be ready today, that much I can tell you.” His head slumped. “The bigger problem is that the cloud itself is quite unstable. Once she’s running, it won’t last long.” The follow up question was obvious, yet a struggle to say. “How long, exactly?” Swift checked the sun’s position; three quarters down. “If we’re lucky, no longer than sunset.” Sunset? It was the same old record, hope tempered by despair, doubt and deadlines. A mere ninety minutes was all they had, if that. Otherwise, Rainbow had to wait through another fretful night and pray that another nightmare would not shatter all the work they had put in throughout these days. “Then let’s not waste any more time,” Rainbow spoke vigorously. “How far up do we go? I couldn’t make out the altitude on your diagram.” Swift directed her to a general area thousands of feet above their current location. “There.” She squinted, unable to detect anything significant within the mesh of yellow and orange colors. “What am I supposed to be loo—” Then she noticed a white dot floating by its lonesome. “You mean all the way up there?” “Gotcha. We’ll do a few mock runs first. C’mon!” Soon, it was a stallion and a mare climbing the skies at a breakneck pace, anxious for some practice. If only they had something that would carry them to their starting point as the dense air began thinning a minute into the ascent. With every upward motion, the temperature went the opposite direction, clogging up nasal passages and turning the wicks of moisture on their wings into ice crystals. Rainbow chattered her teeth, “Why must it… cold!” “Forget that.” Swift’s breathing turned more raspy and visible. “Air. Have to, save it.” They could see the start line, but covering the remaining distance took five minutes rather than five seconds. The moment they reached the soft white, both collapsed onto it for a much-needed break. Unfortunately, the elements worked in turning them into ice popsicles and had to cut it short. “You… ready, Rainbow?” Swift panted. She rubbed her hooves together, “R–ready.” He took a step right up to the cloud’s edge. “Behind me. Stay behind me all the way.” Rainbow moved into position. She wasn’t one to be following somepony but in this situation, he was better suited for the head spot. Experience should always lead, at least that what the Wonderbolt guidebook says. “Full—” Rainbow sneezed – “speed from the start?” “Gesundheit! And yeah. No—” He paused for extra air – “worries. We’ll get… our timing down. Eventually.” If he’s that sure we won’t crash into each other… “Okay! Ready to go!” “On three.” His exhale materialized past his lips as a fine mist. “One, two, three!” More than thirty thousand feet above the sea, two rocket ships launched downwards. The big shocker was that the behind pony didn’t need to lift off the throttle at all. Swift was actually pulling away from her! She could even sense his acceleration as a pulling sensation on her outer feathers but that feeling soon faded. Whatever the reason for his great start, she had no time to ponder why or how. In seconds, that gap between them evaporated. Whoa, whoa, whoa! His flapping tail punished her snout with multiple face slaps. Not only did each strike was sharp paper slicing her face, all that light blue hair proved a major distraction much like the increasing wind noise pounding her eardrums. Left and right she drifted, unable to stay within his slipstream until Rainbow distanced herself from his rear. Uh, oh! Too far! Back to full throttle, she ran right into trouble, again. Back off! Back off! She did but again, repeating the same mistake, too far away and off the centerline. By now, Rainbow sensed her speed went past three quarters her maximum as Swift inched closer to her again. Rainbow acceleration slowed down a little, then a lot. What’s going on? I still have a lotta— Flying Stress Syndrome injected its paralyzing agent but Swift’s tail proved a greater hindrance. With some serious grunting, Rainbow fought to keep her path nice and tidy as a small white object came into focus. Is that—? They flew past the special cloud in such a hurry, Rainbow didn’t even spot the hole. No wonder practice was necessary. They had no room for error if they wanted to make the entry point. “That could’ve been a little better,” she said, slowing down to a stop. Making a slow three-sixty, “A little?” He flicked his tail, “I literally felt you back there.” “Well, what about you? I thought you’d be a lot faster than that. Isn’t speed part of your talent?” Swift rubbed the sudden throbbing headache. “Like I tell my folks all the time, just because I can move fast doesn’t mean I am fast, relatively speaking. But”— He briefly sped up his wing flaps—“you do have a point. It’s not often I have to hit my top speed.” “What a shocker,” she answered, feigning shock. “If that’s the case, then more practice it is!” He preferred a short respite but she had already started a second ascent. For Rainbow’s sake, however, Swift kept his mouth shut. He wouldn’t let anything tamper her determination, even if he had to practice a third, fourth or fifth time. Six just happened to be too much for his wings. After finishing the run, he drifted down to the top of the largest cloud in the sky so he could lie on his back on the soft cushy surface. Yes, this was so much better than launching himself down the increasingly orange Equestrian skies but that cyan mare gave him a perturbed glare. He expected more dings about his mediocre endurance. Instead, she chose to relax right next to him with a nonplussed sigh. Then nothing, not even a peep, for over a minute. Rainbow broke the silence first, “So, what do you think? Are we ready for the real deal, Swift?” “Eh?” Neurons fired in his brain, causing a brief eye twitch. “Close enough. We only have an hour left of daylight left, so we can’t chill too long.” Rainbow reached out for the special cloud for an impossible grasp. “So, it comes down to that thing, huh?” “Gotcha.” “If you can’t learn anything from those books, you don’t happen to have a backup backup plan, do ya?” He answered with a despondent groan. “Then if I can’t do the Sonic Rainboom today, we’ll pretty much be done for the day. There’s nothing else we can really do.” Swift sat up, “What are you trying to say?” She followed suit but rather than answer, Rainbow stared at the skies, her chest swelling with cool spring air. She held it in until she could no longer and even then, fought for a slow and steady release. “It’s nothing. So, how about starting up the cloud?” “Ten-four.” Once they reached the experimental cloud, Swift placed his hooves on the surface as though it was a fragile artifact. “I should warn you. This boost’s pretty rough, so you gotta be ready for it. I’ll bail you out if something goes wrong.” Rainbow figured as much. Wind betrayed her once before and only now did it dawn on her that she’d have to trust it. One sweat bead trickled down Swift’s face. “All right. Here we go.” With a grunt, Swift pushed both hooves inside and then made a few deliberate twisting motions. The moment he yanked out his limbs and drifted back, the cloud sputtered as though it was trying to do something but couldn’t get going. Rainbow inched closer, “Is it broken?” “Get back!” Whoosh! Faded white wisps came from the bottom of the hole at immense speeds. Even from ten feet away, the forces emanating from this solitary cloud forced both pegasi to engage full reverse, lest it pulled them in prematurely. “It’s working,” Swift shouted over the wind’s howl. Rainbow’s heart rate ticked up, “That is insane! How does that cloud stay together like that?” “It’s not! You can’t see it now but the cloud’s breaking apart as we speak! That’s why we—” Just like that, she was gone. “Wait up!” She failed heeding his call but no matter. The less time spent in the cold and thin air, the better – if only that actually mattered. Every trip to the starting point got a little better but in the end, their bodies could only cope with so much. They’d be fortunate not to catch a cold at this rate. Rainbow landed on the high-altitude cloud first. “C’mon, slow poke,” she called down to him. “All right. Just, ugh.” He landed in front of her and patted his chest. “Okay! Follow me! If you, get a run after, the cloud, pull out! Go for the Rainboom!” She flashed a smirk. “Get ready to see, the most awesome thing in the world!” For the seventh time, Swift performed the countdown. Like clockwork, both pegasi blasted away right on three. Repetition proved that and two other things. Swift did indeed have a small advantage off the line and Rainbow closed the gap in a hurry, too much of a hurry. If I had a pair of scissors right now— No need. Rainbow escaped Swift’s slapping hair and even better, maintained a three feet gap. I should get closer. No! I can’t waste this run! Then, Swift shifted his trajectory, the first time that has happened. That hole was certainly coming, even if she couldn’t spot it around him. Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa! The cloud sucked both ponies into the hole and then shot them out the other end like cannonballs. Feathers flew off appendages, cheeks stretched to their limits and the needle on Swift’s speedometer swung past the fastest number on the dial. He wrestled to keep his path in a straight line, as everything in front of him was a shaking white and green cocktail. So much was his focus on his troubles that he didn’t immediately pick up the audible calamity unfolding behind him. “Yahhhhhhhhh!” Poor Rainbow had too much stimuli attacking at once: popping eardrums, syndrome stress, his swinging tail and her wings buffeting in the air. Then, her left appendage sputtered for an instant, enough for Rainbow to drift far right. “Off-course, off-course”, her mind pleaded! She tried a small swing left but at such high speeds, what should’ve been a subtle movement became sudden. Another hard right, hard left and a final right that sent her into a tailspin. From the corner of his eyes, Swift caught a cyan blur swirling away from his position. “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” With a minute turn, Swift escaped the wind’s influences and with it, exchanged speed for control. “Get back control,” the stallion hollered. “You can do it!” No answer; too much noise. “Hold on! Let me grab you!” When he was within reach, he stuck out his hoof but with all her spinning, he didn’t know what to grab. Rainbow made that decision for him, using both forelegs to latch onto his lifeline. “Oh, shoo—” Now he joined her in her non-stop twirling. All the stallion could do is slow down their tumbling descent with a few sudden wing flaps. “Rainbow! I can’t stop the spin! Get your wings moving again!” “But I don’t know where to go,” she blubbered. “Forwards!” That was up, down, left, or maybe right; she didn’t know where to look. With more urgency, “Don’t think about it! Just do it!” Through clenched teeth, Rainbow engaged her wings at quarter power. “Hang on!” Swift tugged on her in the opposite direction of their rotation. One pull, no good. A second try, some success. Third attempt, some semblance of control but that’s when his head alarm triggered. Collision with cloud terrain in fifteen seconds! “Rainbow! You’re, slipping from me!” Finally, she regained her sense of direction. “I’m okay! I got this!” Releasing her lifeline, she cranked up the power and pulled up on the yoke. She found a landing spot on the top of a cloud and aimed for it. Too fast, too bad. Her hooves sunk right into the cloud, carving a path until hitting a hard patch. Up and over she went, marking yet another crash landing in the books. Inevitably, Swift arrived and pulled her out of the cloud. “Sorry,” she said, rubbing her head. “I wasn’t quite ready for that but I’ll get it right next time!” Wrong. Attempt number two was a carbon copy of the first try, down to the manner in which she landed. “You don’t need to let go of me,” Swift told the flipped-over mare. “I can help you land.” Rainbow rose from the hole she made in the cloud. “It’s okay. I gotta work on flight control anyways. Third time should be the charm, right?” Wrong again. The only improvement was that she stopped with a face-plant rather than a flip. “Bleh!” Rainbow spat out cloud bits. Eventually, her tongue eventually sampled even more bitter defeat, twice in a row. When Rainbow threaded the hole for the sixth time, that awfulness only added to her fervent drive. This time, she’ll hold her flight path, no matter for many pinpricks Flying Stress Syndrome jabbed on her back. Lo and behold, speed, pure and raw speed! It was both terrifying and exciting at the same time, a new experience traveling so fast with somepony else close by! C’mon! Faster! Faster! We gotta go faster! Noticing she was again closing in on Swift, she readied for a slingshot, the most important one she would perform in her life. The moment her nose touched his tail, Rainbow pulled out of line. I’ve got this! I— She gained no more velocity and worse, neither did her companion. The cloud’s effects had dissipated to a mere downwards breeze, which did nothing except ruffle some feathers. “Ah, shoot!” Swift banged together his forelegs. “I took too long straightening up that time!” He noticed Rainbow slowing beside him. “That was my bad.” She was already shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it. We’re finally getting somewhere! We’ll get it next time!” Without skipping a beat, they ascended, launched and then threaded a needle hole for another go. Success begets success or so they thought. No amount of grit could compensate for growing fatigue, not just for the two pegasi but the cloud itself. The air it generated lacked its usual brutality, rendering Swift and Rainbow’s run the same as the last. When they turned around to check what was wrong, they discovered the cotton ball bubbling as though it was inside a boiling pot. Rainbow’s pupils retreated deeper into the white. “Wh—what’s going on? What’s happening?” Swift’s face turned pale, “It’s all but done for. We should—” The mare yanked him like a ragdoll, “We gotta go! We gotta go now!” “Cool your jets! Ow! Ow! Ow!” “But the cloud!” Her voice breaking, “Don’t you understand? We’re almost out of time!” “Rainbow! The other cloud! We still have tomorrow!” No answer. Instead, Rainbow flapped further into the dimming Equestrian skies with strained grunts, pulling away from him. He was losing her in more ways than one. Where did her confidence go, her determination, that fire in her magenta eyes fueling her passion? Then again, this was the good cloud. There was no guarantee the other one at the factory would work like this one, or at all. I can’t think like that. Gotta keep her head in the game. As the pair lined up for another run, Swift opened his mouth for calming words. “C’mon!” Her chest swelled and contracted unevenly. “Go, please!” His ears folded, the visible pain written on her face too much to face. Swift wanted his brash friend back and there was only one solution; pump her up. After a snort, “Ok! Give me—” He paused to inhale frigid air—“all you’ve got Rainbow!” “I–I’ll try,” she stammered. Immediately, Rainbow gave herself a mental slap. “I’ll try” was the worst thing she could’ve said to him. Before she could correct her mistake, Swift had started his countdown. Too late now. Rainbow would make it up on her run. Right after the launch, Rainbow kept an eye on the prize. With every passing second, her facial muscles tightened, her concentration faltering as she wondered if that white dot would still be there when they arrived. Then came the tail whacks, catching her by total surprise. Dammit! Focus! Rainbow flailed her forelegs while adding drag on her wings, far more than required. Immediately, she recognized and corrected her error except it cost her precious feet. More terror flooded her bloodstream but it was her own concoction. She pushed for maximum speed, with complete disregard to closing distance for they would arrive at the cloud in mere moments. I gotta catch up to him! I won’t have another chance! Just within sight, a minuscule white blob suddenly appeared. There it was, still running but the momentary distraction meant that her focus returned onto Swift right when they slipped through the hole. The wind grabbed onto her and sent her spinning into a gray wall, the last thing she saw before every sensory perception ceased functioning. No more wailing from the rushing air, no spring scent, not even a speck of color. Time seemed to stop or moved so fast, it was but a blur. Either way, Rainbow wasn’t aware of anything. Then, an echo, its source unknown but with a familiar tone. Somepony was calling out to her, a worried stallion and moments later, she sensed his soft touch on her face. A tingling sensation rushed to the source, triggering the first of many head throbs. When she regained control of her eyelids, she pulled them opened but what welcomed her was a disorienting and shifting picture. “Is that you, Swift?” Rainbow slurred. He nodded slowly. Rainbow pushed all her hooves against the cloud surface, believing she could get on all fours. “Hold on!” the stallion urged her. “You’re not—” She almost returned to unconsciousness, so she wrapped her hoof around his friend’s neck as support. “I’m okay. Not the first time I’ve blacked out. Ugh. What exactly did I hit, anyways?” He touched his sides, causing a wince. “Just some of my ribs.” Her head slumped. “Sorry.” He bore a small smile. “No worries. I can still move okay. I had to or you wouldn’t be here right now. My hooves actually hurt more.” Swift began chuckling but then clutched his chest. “Ow.” Rainbow repeated her apology. “Don’t be. That’s why I’m—” “It’s gone, isn’t it?” “Eh?” “The cloud. We lost it, didn’t we?” Swift chewed on his lip. Above their heads was a fading haze, the only remains of his creation. If only he had done a better job building it, he could’ve told her that they had more time, more chances, a beacon of hope he could present to her. Instead, all he could say was the message he already gave her; they had tomorrow. To him, that couldn’t even soothe his nerves. “Okay,” she whispered. “That cloud better be ready tomorrow, then.” Much to his shock, Rainbow stood up with nary a bobble and then took a few steps to the cloud’s edge. While she faced away from him, her stance was that of a resilient pony ready to face whatever came her way. “Can I ask you something?” she spoke, this time with a more normal voice. “Something important?” Swift joined her vigil of the setting sun, its rays changing the mosaic of colors from faded crimson to a softer violet. “Yeah, Rainbow?” “I wanna do some really awesome flying stuff tonight, not for training but because it’s fun. You see, if things go wrong tomorrow—” “But it—” Rainbow touched his lips, “I haven’t lost hope, all right?” He nodded once. “If I can’t use my wings anymore, then I don’t want any regrets about not using them to the fullest.” Rainbow raised her hoof triumphantly. “I’m gonna have the greatest night of flying ever!” Swift leaned back, flustered by her sudden elation. “Um, okay, then. Whatever your plans are, go nuts. I won’t get in your way.” “Huh? No, wait. You don’t quite get it.” Before he knew it, Rainbow stood inches away from him. Suddenly, what was a cool day mysteriously became a little warmer. “I want you to fly with me,” she said with tenderness. Even a simple Eh proved impossible for him to say. “I, um, what?” “Swift? I may have the flying talent but sometimes, that makes you feel a little, um, lonely.” “Lonely?” She scratched her blushing cheeks, “Yeah. I just… when you’re the best flier in the world, you can’t really fly with anypony else without holding back. Even when Gilda was my friend, we didn’t see each other much after Camp. Whle it’s nice having somepony watching you being great, like with Fluttershy, it’s not the same as enjoying the moment, together. Be my flying partner. Please?” Rainbow waited for his answer, one she doubted on a positive reply. After all, this was Swift Flying, the pony that knew nothing about pegasi pride, lacked the heart of a competitor and couldn’t brag to save his life. For all she knew, maybe he already had plans for what could be his last night of flying. Then, he answered with a smile with the warmth of the falling sun behind him. “Okay.” “You will?” she spoke with an upward inflection. “You really will?” “Yeah, I, um—” He looked slightly away –“I’d do anything for you, Rainbow.” Adrenalin rushed into her beating heart except its effects was more like a gentle caress. Then, she jabbed him on the chest, snickering. “You sure know how to make any moment cheesy.” Soon, the laughter spread to him. “My bad. I meant to say it would be wicked to hang out with you. So, what do ya have in mind?”