Scootaloo stood on the edge of the cloud; the height still worried her but she had a new confidence in her abilities that pushed that fear aside. Her knees bent and wings extended.
"Ready?" Dash asked.
"Yep!"
The two leaped from the cloud in unison. Dash's wings caught the air as did Scootaloo's. The young filly glided down towards the earth as she had practiced the day before. Her wings began to falter and she thought at first she may tumble, but she kept her composure and went on.
It was a long glide down for the filly, but one well-worth-while. Scootaloo enjoyed being able to be like Dash, it was dream of hers to be like her role model; now it was finally coming true.
"Wow! That was amazing!" Scootaloo said in awe. She still was filled with excitement every time she was in the air.
"And you are getting better kid." Dash pointed out, "Soon you'll be flying like me."
"You think so?"
"I know so." She replied with a wink.
Scootaloo smiled at the compliments. "Same time?" Scootaloo asked Dash.
"I'll be here Scoots."
"At the town square?"
Rainbow Dash was getting slightly agitated with the questions, but replied in kind. "Yes Scoots, here at noon."
"Will y-"
"Scoots I'll be right here waiting for you when I'm done with work." Dash replied with slight disdain.
"Alrighty!" Scootaloo smiled and waved goodbye as she began to hop down the road with glee.
That filly sure can be a handful, Dash thought as she took to the sky, but I love that kid...
* * * * *
The clubhouse was filled with eager chatter. The three fillies were unable to contain their excitement as usual. "You did all that Scoots?" The two fillies looked on their friend in awe awaiting a reply.
"Yes I did!" Scootaloo said as she hopped in the air.
"Gonna show us your moves?" Apple Bloom asked
"Well, I think my sis' should be here. I'm not quite sure if I should." Scootaloo replied.
The two fillies seemed saddened to hear their friends response. "Well it's for the best I suppose." Sweetie Belle added, "but be sure to show us your tricks when you become an ace like Rainbow Dash!"
"I will!"
The two friends seemed satisfied with the reply and moved on to the next point of their meeting. Apple Bloom went to the front of the room and cleared her throat. "Fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders." She began, "today I have an announcement. That is why I have gathered y'all to discuss the next venture of our attention."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle leaned their heads forward awaiting the next words.
"Next week is the Sisterhooves Social, and it is our duty--no, our honor, to help set up this established annual tradition."
"Sisterhooves Social, yeah!" The two replied
"Yes, the sisterly event is scheduled and we need to start setting up and trainin' so we can compete at our best."
"Woohoo!" Scootaloo cheered. It was the year she would get to compete for her first time. She had always wanted to do this, but she never had someone to do it with. Now that she had Dash, she was sure to get in on the action.
"I hope Rarity will come this year too." Sweetie Belle added. After the hassle with her older sister last year, she had doubts about her participation this year. Even so, she was sure she could swindle the mare into competing.
"So y'all with me?" Apple Bloom said sticking her hoof out. The other two nodded and set their hooves in the center of the group.
"We're with ya." They responded and the group tossed their hooves in the air.
* * * * *
Rainbow Dash traveled out towards the fertile lands near Ponyville; she had a weather schedule she needed to keep. She looked at the wadded up paper that had her weather patterns for the day.
Tuesday 10:30, Fields:
Type: Heavy Rainfall
Accumulation: 6"+
Temperature: 60 °F
Mass: 1 mile
As she started at the weather schedule she knew a long task was at hand. One mile of rain clouds is hard enough, but they were asking for a storm--a job that would be hard for two pegasi, let alone herself.
"Time to get crackin'." She sighed as she began to collect the clouds in her proximity. Nothin' soft as a puffy cloud.
It was true, she had yet to experience something softer. She grabbed a hold of a nearby cloud and felt the cool surface on her hooves. The droplets clung to her coat like dew in the morning.
The thought of their comfort was making her sleepy but she shook the thought loose and continued to assemble a large mass in the sky. The sooner you finish the sooner you can be done Dash. She thought to herself.
Soon the white mass was gathered above the land below. Rainbow Dash made a quick flight towards the surface and glided right above the outermost layers. She sunk her two front hooves into the cloud and began to weave.
The surface swirled and mixed behind her hooves. The churning roiled as the cloud began to gray. Rainbow Dash was startled by an unexpected crack of thunder. Her heart was in her throat as she watched the cloud pour its water on the ground below.
Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief. She was proud of her handy work; just one of many benefits for working in the weather industry. Dash did enjoy her work even though it could bore her at times. The joy of keeping the world maintained was satisfaction in its self.
Dash turned back towards the town and noted the wind was stronger than she had wanted. "That's odd." She said to herself, "it isn't supposed to be a-" She was interrupted by a white fleck speeding past her eyes, followed by another, and another--each bigger than the last.
"Oh hail no!" She said as she began to fly away from the center. Trying to avoid any large balls of ice hurtling towards the earth. A large hailstone caught the edge of her wing and she let out a grunt. Nothing she couldn't handle, but painful nonetheless.
Rainbow Dash kept her focus on the objects, dodging one after the next. She was closing in on the edge as she heard a loud crunch. She fell... and her vision now dark.