Chapter 9: The Gathering Storm
After a week of traveling, Dawn reached Ponyville. It was an amazing sight to behold what Spirit had actually made for herself. Dawn had crested the hill, and saw all of Ponyville laid out. The mountains were a protective wall along its side, and a river ran on its opposite side. It was perfect, and it bordered the Everfree Forest. Fertile ground was all around, and many farms, large and small, dotted the valley.
"Wow..." was all Dawn could say. She was truly speechless. She had only heard the description by Spirit herself, but it was so much better in person.
She journeyed into town, taking her time and enjoying the view and the town's architecture. After seeing a few ponies, she worked up the courage to ask one of them.
"Um, excuse me. Do you know where Spirit is?" Dawn asked, timidly.
"Why, of course! Silly foal, every pony knows where she is! I'll show you to her!" said the brown colt, happily nudging Dawn forward.
After a ten minute walk, the colt, who Dawn now knew was named Teddy, led her to a farmhouse on the outskirts of Ponyville.
"Here we are, Miss Dawn." said Teddy.
"Please, just Dawn. And thank you Teddy, you really helped me out!"
"My pleasure. Its just the natural thing to help another pony in need."
Teddy trotted back to the main center of Ponyville, and Dawn went on toward the the farmhouse. She soon found her goal.
"DAWN!" a voice cried, as the owner crushed her in a big hug.
" * urp * Can't - breathe - " Dawn squeaked out.
"Oh, sorry Dawn." she said as she released Dawn.
"It's – it's good to see you too....." Dawn said, gasping as air rushed in to her lungs.
"Yea, where you been, Dawn? I thought we were all stickin' together?"
"Yea, sorry." Dawn replied, rubbing a hoof on the back of her head. "Celestia asked me to be trained under her. She wanted to train me how to properly use my magic."
"Wow! Congratulations. But, why are you here?" Spirit asked.
"Celestia wants us all back, to speak with her personally." Dawn said seriously.
"But-"
"She said you must come, and I'm not to leave until you come with me."
Spirit stopped. She thought for a few minutes in silence.
"Well, I guess I got no choice! Let's go get Dash!"
* * * * *
"Ok, give me a minute. This spell is really complicated." Dawn said, gathering magical energy into her horn.
"You really think this will work?" Spirit said, nervously looking at the clouds in front of her.
"Of course! I've done this plenty of times back at the Academy." Dawn said, gathering even more power.
"I've never done this up on real clouds up in the real sky before, though...." Dawn mumbled to herself.
"What was that?"
"NOTHING! Just, thinking... there!" Dawn said, just as she released the magic. Both of their sets of hooves glowed ever so slightly with a faint purple glow.
The two of them cautiously stepped forward, putting more and more weight on the one hoof they were each probing the clouds in front of them with. It held firm. The spell supported them!
"See? I told you it would work!" Dawn said happily, and relieved it actually had worked. She was still slightly scared, as was Spirit, but neither pony would admit it aloud.
* * * * *
After a few minutes of treking up through a path in the clouds, and a few uncomfortable pegasus rides, they reached Dash's house. It was a strange sight to both of them, a house made of clouds, with a rainbow waterfall flowing down the left side of the house. A large rainbow arced over the house, from one cloud at the base, to the tip of the house.
The pair approached the house, and Dawn cautiously knocked.
No response came back.
Dawn knocked yet again.
Nothing. Not even so much as a, 'Go Away!'."
"Lemme' try, Dawn." Spirit said, and she bucked the door in. The cloud door evaporated away into the floor below them.
"Hello?" Dawn said, feeling quite scared to be intruding in somepony elses home.
"Dash, you get out here right now!" Spirit commanded in a booming voice.
A soft "Huh?" is heard, and a few seconds later, Dash trots out of a side room. The other two run up and hug her. Dash pushes them aside after a moment, she is still half asleep.
"Why, * yawn * ,why are you girls here?" Dash questioned through a series of yawns.
"Well... we-" Dawn began.
"Actually, the better question is, * yawn * , how are you here? How are you standing on the clouds here? I thought, * yawn * , only pegasus could do that?" she sleepily said.
"I used my magic, Dash." Dawn said, holding up a glowing hoof for Dash to see.
"Oh, that's..... wierd..... anyway, why are you here?"
"Celestia said we're to go see her!" Spirit burst out.
"Cool! Just let me..... awwww come on! You really had to break down the door?!"
"Hehe, oops?" Spirit said, rubbing a hoof to the back of her head.
Dash moaned, and went about rebuilding a quick barricade of a door, nothing fancy, just a solid door to replace the busted down one. In a matter of a few minutes, she was done.
"Wow, how did you-"
"Hey, I am made of the clouds and wind, I can make 'em how I please better than anyone around!" She put the door up, and checked it worked properly. "Now... lets go!"
* * * * *