Rainbow Dash shoved the door open to her cloud-house, sniffling quietly as she rubbed feverishly at her eyes. She slammed the door behind her, dropping her saddlebags as she walked on in. She had no doubt that her mother would scold her about leaving her things right in the doorway, but right now she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. Rainbow stomped through her house, pouting as she crossed the kitchen to get to her room.
Sky Strike had been sitting at the kitchen table, stacking a deck of cards into a pyramid. With fifty two cards, he had but two left to stack on top. With his tongue out of his mouth and his mind concentrating, he slowly carried the two cards to the very top. With excellent precision, he was just millimeters from placing them at their correct spots. A victorious smile crossed his lips-
The door slammed, and his stack collapsed onto the cloud table. Sky Strike froze where he was, a single salty tear sliding down his eye.
"I-I don't like stacking cards anyways... " He sniffled, setting down the cards as he began to pile them back up into a deck. When Dash walked into the kitchen, his expression notably brightened, a huge grin on his lips.
"Hey, kiddo, " He greeted, "How was school?" Dash grumbled something unintelligible and stomped right by him, heading straight towards her room. Sky Strike winced at the sound of her slamming her door before getting up from his chair, sighing lightly. With a concerned frown, he slowly made his way down the hallway, stopping right in front of his daughter's door.
He took in a deep breath before lifting his hoof, knocking it to get Rainbow Dash's attention, "Dashie?" He spoke in a quiet concerned voice, "May I come in?" He heard her muffled sniffles and twisted the doorknob, opening the door and stepping in.
His daughter's room was what you expected from a young, tomboyish filly. Wonderbolts posters were pinned to the walls, banners for her favorite sports teams either beside them or under them. Stuffed animals and toys were scattered about on her floor, and her book shelf only held school yearbooks, biographies of her favorite wonderbolts, and a few photo albums. Rainbow was on her belly, her head stuffed into a pillow as she sniffled quietly.
Sky Strike stepped over the objects on the floor (making sure that there were no little legos lying about... those things HURT) before sitting on his daughter's bed, reaching his hoof over to rub at her back.
"Everything alright, Dash?" Sky Strike smiled softly, "It helps to just let things out, you know."
Rainbow Dash sniffled again before turning her head to look at her father, her eyes red and puffy. It really killed Sky Strike to see his daughter like this... it must have been something awful if it hurt his daughter this bad.
"T-Today, in class... " Her words were broken up with her small sobs, "I-I-I... " She turned her head back to the pillow, letting out a few more cries.
"Just let it all out, kiddo... " Sky Strike smiled, "It never hurts to cry, you know." Rainbow continued to sob for a few more moments, clutching her pillow to her face as Sky Strike continued to rub his daughter's back, patiently waiting for her to continue her story. It seemed like hours passed before Rainbow would be able to form her words again.
Finally, she turned her head back to her father, rubbing at her tears, "Today... *sniff* in class *sniff* I... I told everypony *sniff* about my dream... "
"Your dream to be a wonderbolt?" Sky Strike nodded, "I see... what happened next?"
Dash rubbed at her eyes again, "They... *sniff* they laughed... said it was *sniff* impossible... that I was too small... *sniff* that I'm not big or fast enough *sniff* and that I crash too much... "
Sky Strike smiled, reaching over to smooth out his daughter's mane, "You kidding me, Dash?" Sky Strike chuckled, "You shouldn't listen to them. You're one of the best fliers I've ever seen, and everypony crashes when they first start, you know."
Dash sniffled, "E-Even you?"
"Even me," Sky Strike chuckled, "In fact, the first time I flew I crashed straight into the school's principal... knocked him out cold and he had to use a wheel-chair for the rest of the week." Dash giggled a little, still a bit of a mess.
"Here," Sky Strike smiled, moving to lay down beside his daughter, "Let me tell you a few things... all the wonderbolts were just like you when they were your age."
"Really?" Dash blinked, "They were?"
"Yep, " Sky Strike nodded, "And I bet each and everyone of them had the same dream. Some were probably laughed at for being small, just like you. But as the years went by, they kept on flying and flying, and they got bigger and bigger every year until they were old enough to sign up for the Wonderbolts training camp. And because they held onto their dream since they were small, they were able to join, and become world famous."
Sky Strike rubbed a little moisture from Dash's eye with his hoof, "You'll grow, Dash. You just keep flying and flying, working on those moves until one day you're old enough to go and seek out your dream, putting all those other kids to shame. And besides, I don't think all those kids laughed at you."
"Fluttershy didn't laugh... " Dash sniffled, "S-She thought that it was cool... "
"See?" Sky Strike smiled, "It isn't all that bad. And I bet very soon you'll even get your cutie mark."
"You really think so?!" Dash exclaimed, her sour mood replaced by giddiness.
"Of course!" He smiled, "I can't wait for when you do! I'll take pictures to remember the day and I'll even take you to that great place in Ponyville for a cake! I promise!" He reached over a hoof to ruffle Rainbow's mane a little.
Rainbow suddenly frowned, "But... you're not very good at keeping promises... " She muttered.
Sky Strike was taken back, but he still gave her his best smile, "I know, Dashie... being the captain of the weather-team here in cloudsdale is a big responsibility... not only am I in charge of the weather around here, but I'm also in charge of shipping clouds, rainbows, and monitoring the weather-control in other towns and cities since Cloudsdale controls all the weather in Equestria. I also teach advanced flying lessons." He hooked out his hoof, reaching around Rainbow to drag her into a tight hug.
"But if there's one thing I can promise you, it's that I will always be here for you when you're growing up... " He smiled, "I won't miss a day of it."
Rainbow wrapped her hooves around her father as far as they could go, "You promise, daddy?" She asked, "You promise with all your heart?"
Sky Strike smiled at his daughter, "I promise, Dashie."
He never kept that promise.
"...Huh?" Rainbow Dash blinked, Scootaloo still clutched between her hooves as she stared up at Sky Strike, her eyes wide as her hooves trembled slightly. Scootaloo's eyes were wide in awe, and she broke out of Dash's grasp without her mentor even noticing.
"Wow!" She hopped, her mouth agape, "T-That was incredible, Mr. Strike! H-How did you do that?!" Sky Strike gave a light chuckle, reaching down a hoof to ruffle Scootaloo's mane, "A ton of practice, kiddo... and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears." Rainbow Dash got up by herself, her body still quivering. Was... was this a dream? Had she been knocked out by the wind?... this couldn't be real. Did she die? Is that why her father is here? Is he even her father? Couldn't be. He disappeared ten years ago. It... it wasn't possible. This couldn't be him. Could it?
"Hey, " Sky Strike blinked, glancing side to side, "This... this isn't Cloudsdale... " He reached up a hoof to scratch at his mane, "This... this is Ponyville?! What the heck am I doing here?!" Rainbow wasn't even listening to him... a mixture of emotions and the strange situation put her into an immediate shock, and she was standing like a statue. Nothing was going in or out.
"Hey!" Twilight called, running over to see the hero standing next to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, "You!" Sky Strike looked over, smiling wide as he waved a mud-caked hoof at her.
"Hey there!" He greeted, "The name's Sky Strike!" Twilight skidded to a halt in front of him, bending her head down to catch her breath. She had run after Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash when the wind had taken them, but her lack of physical stamina and strength really took a toll on her.
"Twilight Sparkle... " She panted, reaching out a hoof to shake his own, "Were... were you the one that stopped that storm?"
Sky Strike grinned, "Oh, did you see that? Pretty impressive, wasn't it?" He chuckled, "Well, it wasn't easy. Thank god I created the 'Omnidash Version Five'!"
Twilight blinked, "Erm, what?"
Sky Strike laughed, patting the violet mare heavily on the back, "I just explained out loud to myself just a few moments ago! It's a pretty tough technique to perform... I threw up the first few weeks I was practicing it, and I even burst my appendix when I completed it for the first time!"
"Um... " Twilight Sparkle blinked, her knees buckling under the weight of his back pats, "Who exactly are you?"
"Sky Strike!" He declared, "Captain of the weather-team in Cloudsdale, and the greatest flier in Equestria!" He puffed out his chest, his wings fluttering in his embarrassing striking pose.
"Erm, " Scootaloo blinked, "I'm sorry, Mr. Strike, but that title's already been taken... "
Sky Strike was frozen in his pose as his smile slowly fell. Eventually, his body relaxed and he looked at the small orange filly beside Rainbow Dash.
"W-What?!" He gasped, "No way! Who is it?! Who else has claimed the 'Greatest Flier in Equestria' title?!" Scootaloo pointed her hoof to the frozen form of Rainbow Dash, who was currently still staring ahead blankly.
"Hm... " He thought to himself, walking forward to get a good look at Rainbow, "Strange... " He reached up his hoof to scratch his neck, "You remind me of somepony... " He looked at her mane and coat, his eyes finding her cutie mark before focusing back on her face, "Wait... " He gasped, taking a few steps back, "You... you can't be... "
Rainbow snapped out of her shocked state, her eyes blinking wildly as she stared at Sky Strike, her hooves trembling in the mud.
Sky Strike pointed his hoof at her, "It's true! No mistaking it! You're.... MY BIGGEST FAN!"
Rainbow went back into shock.
"No wonder she's saying she's the greatest in Equestria... " He chuckled, "She's doing... er, that one thing that kids these days do... what's it called? Cosplay? Well, it's pretty accurate if I do say so myself... the mane is perfect, but the color of the coat is too blue... and her cutie mark is of a lightning bolt instead of a streak. Well, points for trying!"
There had been a gathering of ponies that emerged from their homes, and a small crowd was starting to build around Sky Strike, Twilight, Rainbow, and Scootaloo. Words of thanks and congratulations were given to Strike, and he welcomed them with open hooves. Twilight walked up to Rainbow, eyeing her friend curiously as she rapped her hoof on Dash's head.
"Earth to Dashie... " Twilight frowned, "You in there? Hello? Must be in shock since somepony stopped the storm that she couldn't." Twilight smirked, turning to look at the center of attention. It was then that she finally noticed the strange resemblance... the rainbow mane, the nearly identical cutie mark, the proficiency in flying... Twilight turned to gaze back at the shocked Rainbow Dash. Was something else putting her friend into shock?
"Sky Strike!?"
Twilight turned to see Mr. Cake standing in the street, his mouth agape while his eyes were wide in shock. Strike smiled, waving at the orange stallion as he broke away from the crowd.
"Carrot Cake!" Strike grinned, "Hey! It's been a few weeks! How's it going?!"
Mr. Cake blinked, "A few weeks?... A few weeks?!" Mr. Cake rubbed his eyes, unsure of what he was exactly seeing, "What do you mean, 'a few weeks'?! I haven't seen you in ten years!"
Silence.
Sky Strike laughed, "What are you saying? Quit messing around, Carrot Cake! Hey, you still dating that mare?" Mr. Cake took a wary step back as the crowd began whispering to each other, and some were beginning to recognize Sky Strike.
"No, " Carrot Cake lifted a hoof, "Sky Strike.... you aren't him! You're... you're a CHANGELING!"
The crowd gasped, murmuring much louder as they took a closer look at the pegasus that had saved them. It seemed too good to be true- a mysterious storm coming out of nowhere, and a strange pony claiming to be Sky Strike defeates it. It sounded like a perfect setup for a changeling.
Sky Strike blinked, "W-What?! No! Of course not! Okay, I-I guess I'll just find my goggles and head back to Cloudsdale if you're going to accuse me like this... "
"Changeling!" Carrot Cake screeched, "D-Don't let him get away!" The crowd of ponies soon crowded around them, pulling pitchforks, torches, and other objects for lynching out of nowhere. Sky Strike backed away nervously, giving the others a look of fear.
"OKAY! That's enough!" Twilight intervened, breaking through the crowd, "I'll determine if this guy's a changeling or not... right back at the library. Come on, Rainbow!" Dash still looked completely broken, staring straight ahead at nothing. Twilight frowned, her horn glimmering as she lifted Dash up into air as she shoved her head at the confused Sky Strike's back legs, pushing him along through the streets to her tree-home.
"U-Um, " Sky Strike blinked, being shoved into the doorway by the purple mare, "You don't have to do this, you know... I just want to get back to Cloudsdale to see my - "
"After you get some congratulations and get yourself cleaned up!" Twilight laughed nervously, hovering Rainbow Dash into the library, "I'll have my assistant make us some hot chocolate while you go up on shower... it's the least I can do!" Sky Strike smiled, feeling satisfied with her answer.
"Alright!" He nodded, "Wow, it's only been a few weeks since I've been to the library and it already looks so much different!" He gazed around a bit before turning to Twilight, "Hey, did you just start working here? I don't seem Mrs. Green Grass anywhere!"
"Just... go upstairs... " Twilight sighed, setting Rainbow down at the center table, "Um, I'll explain everything later." Sky Strike gave her a shrug before prancing up the stairs, knowing exactly where the bathroom was. Twilight let out a breath of relief before turning to the still shocked Rainbow Dash.
"Okay, Dash... " Twilight took a seat beside her friend, "You have to tell me what's going on... this guy looks just like you, he appeared out of nowhere, and some of the ponies had been accusing him of being missing for ten years. " Twilight looked up the staircase, "SPIIIIKE!" She called, "I need three cups of hot chocolate ASAP!"
"ON IT!" Spike called back, the purple dragon racing down the stairs before disappearing into the kitchen.
"...Sky Strike... " Rainbow muttered, quickly grabbing Twilight's attention, "I... I... can't... " Rainbow's hooves were shaking as she wrapped them around herself, her ears drooping, "I don't know.. how I feel... "
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, "Who's Sky Strike?"
Rainbow took a deep breath, "Sky Strike... he's my dad... "
Twilight nearly flipped out. She had been expecting that he might be Rainbow's father, but to hear it straight from Rainbow was crazy. Curiously, Dash never spoke about her family to Twilight's knowledge, and to see her react to her father in this way really made the violet mare curious.
"If he's your father, why are you acting so weird? Shouldn't you be able to say hi or anything?" Twilight asked, "It looked like you'd seen a ghost out there... "
"That's because he's been missing for the past ten years!" Rainbow snapped, standing up from her chair, "H-He disappeared out in a storm just like the one we were in! All that was left of him were THESE!" Rainbow tore off the goggles from her head and displayed them to the bewildered Twilight.
"Oh my Celestia... " Twilight breathed, "Rainbow Dash... "
"He left me and mom alone for an entire DECADE!" Rainbow screeched, "He broke his promises... he broke ALL of them! He... " Rainbow began to tremble, moisture building in her eyes, "he... he wasn't there when I got my cutie mark... he wasn't there when I graduated from flight school.... he wasn't there when I entered the wonderbolts training camp... " Dash's mixed emotions were all coming out at once, and there was no way she could control them.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called, standing up, "C-Calm down! This isn't getting you anywhere!"
Rainbow Dash groaned, hitting her hoof against her head, "You don't understand Twilight! I... I was convinced that my father has been dead for ten years, and now he suddenly comes out of nowhere and he doesn't even know who I am?!" She snapped, throwing her goggles onto the floor, "Do you even KNOW what it's like right now!?"
Twilight blinked, feeling water rise in her eyes, "Rainbow, I'm trying- "
"I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW!" Rainbow screeched, "Should I be angry?! Should I be happy?! Should I act like nothing's happened?! My heart hurts Twilight... it hurts so much... " Rainbow collapsed onto the floor, her body convulsing as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"...Rainbow Dash... " Twilight sniffled, walking over to embrace her friend, "It's okay, Rainbow... Just let it all out... "
"Just let it all out, kiddo... " Sky Strike smiled, "It never hurts to cry, you know."
"I... I don't even know if that's him... " Rainbow sobbed, "But... but it looks like him... it sounds like him... the... the smile is the same... "
"It's okay, Rainbow... " Twilight patted her head, "It's... it's okay... " Rainbow embraced her friend, crying softly into Twilight's neck, leaking her tears onto her purple coat.
Twilight gave her friend a few more moments, feeling the mix of emotions toiling in her heart. "So, " Twilight finally said, "What are you going to do?... Wait for him to come down here to tell him the truth?"
"I don't know, " Rainbow replied, "I won't know till I see him." With some help from Twilight, Rainbow managed to make it back to her seat, quickly grabbing the goggles that she had tossed earlier. Her muscles were still exhausted, so it was a bit hard for her to move around still. Spike finally came into the room, a pink apron over his body as he set down a tray of hot chocolate.
Rainbow had never been so tense before. She could hear the shower coming from upstairs, and when it turned off she jumped. That.. that could be her father up there. The father that she had been missing for ten years... the father she cried over countless nights, and the figure that shaped her life the most. She heard the bathroom door open, her ears keeping count of each step it took for him to get down the stairs.
"Wow, " Sky Strike smiled, his coat clean and his man sleek, "You guys must of had a great construction team to renovate this all so quickly!"
"Y-Yeah," Twilight laughed nervously, "Here, why don't you sit down and have some hot chocolate?"
Sky Strike grinned widely, "I'd love to!" It was then that he caught sight of a purple dragon seated at the table with the two mares. His jaw dropped, practically hitting the floor as his eyes popped out in shock.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed, trotting over to Spike with a wide smile, "A baby dragon! A REAL baby dragon! I never thought I'd see one in real life!"
"Um, " Spike blinked, "My name's Spike.... " The violet dragon slowly shied away when Sky Strike plopped down next to him, his expression gleaming.
"Wow!" Sky Strike grinned, reaching over to pat the dragon on the head, "He talks too! Fluttershy's gonna have a kick when I tell her that I saw one in Ponyville!"
"Fluttershy?" Spike blinked, "I know Flut- mmm!" Twilight laughed nervously, moving over to silence her assistant with a hoof, "This is my assistant Spike! He helps me around the library, and he even made the hot chocolate!" Twilight scooted the mug over to the stallion, "Here! Try it! I need to have a quick word with him and I'll be right back!"
"Oh, okay!" Sky Strike exclaimed, "A baby dragon that makes hot chocolate?! I wonder what else he could do." Sky Strike smiled, lifting the mug to take a short sip from the steaming mug. Rainbow Dash sat right across from him, staring at the floor with her hooves in her lap. Her heart was beating like hooves in a stampede, thoughts fighting in her head.
"Hey, " Sky Strike blinked, "You alright?" Rainbow snapped out of it, looking up at Sky Strike before nodding feverishly.
"You sure?" Sky Strike asked, cocking his head in curiosity, "You could of taken quite a hit to the head back there, you know. I don't want you to have a concussion or anything... it'd be a shame for a great flier like you." Rainbow blinked, managing to lift her head up to see her father.
"I saw you chase after that little filly, " He smiled, "You let the wind carry you, and you soared almost perfectly. Could work on your turns, though. They need to be sharpened a little bit." He chuckled, lifting up his mug to take another sip.
"T-Thanks... " Rainbow replied, "I- er, I-I... um... "
"Back!" Twilight smiled, trotting over to take her seat, "Sorry for leaving you alone for a while." She glanced over at Rainbow, who was still a bit pale in the coat. Twilight decided that this was a good time to probe for some answers...
"So, Sky Strike, " Twilight began, "You said that you were off fighting a storm in Cloudsdale?"
"Yep!" He nodded, "It looked to be a magical essence storm... I've never seen one before since they're incredibly rare. It was tearing up Cloudsdale apart... and I really should get back there soon."
"Not yet, " Twilight shook her head, "I still have some questions to ask. What was the last thing you remember when you fought that storm back on Cloudsdale?"
"Last thing?" Sky Strike lifted his hoof to tap his chin in thought, "Well... at first, I didn't know what to do with the storm. I knew that no pegasus magic would be able to affect it, but the more I hesitated the more the storm ripped up Cloudsdale. You sure I should be talking about this? I really, really should get back there to help with any - "
"Please, " Twilight stated, "Please tell us what happened. This is really, really important."
Sky Strike blinked in confusion, "Um, okay... well, it didn't happen that long ago, so I should remember it just fine."
Sky Strike could only watch in horror as the winds and rain ripped right through his weather ponies, overpowering their wing-strength. The rain battered their bodies as they fell to the streets below, and it wasn't long before Sky Strike was left hovering alone, braving the physical rage of the thunderstorm.
"Damnit... " He huffed, his body spinning and tumbling through the air, refusing to let the wind take him away. A crack of lightning zipped right by him, smashing into one of the tall houses down below. The bang of thunder attacked his mind, making him groan in pain... this storm seemed to be alive, and most definitely evil.
He remembered, back in his college days, about the legendary storm that concentrated magical essence would create. It was rare, but when it happened, it would terrorize Equestria for days, perhaps even weeks or months. Magical essence could only be manipulated by itself, and not even the magic of Princess Celestia could stop its wrath. Sky Strike spent years trying to come up with a way to defeat the storm... and after much pain, he had finally come up with a way.
"Gotta... stop it... " He panted, his powerful wings cutting through the air as he flew up, his goggles taking the full assault of the iron-like raindrops. He wasn't going to let this storm destroy his home... he wasn't going to let this storm harm his family. With a battle cry, Sky Strike began to fly in a circle, his wings flapping like machines as he accelerated faster and faster. The force of his speed, in combination with the powerful winds and heavy rain drops, knocked his goggles completely off of his head.
"FASTER!" He snarled, "GO... FASTER!" He began to feel a warmth circle over his body, his pumping muscles being encompassed by its comforting glow. Very soon, he was beginning to craft a tornado in the air, making it grow bigger and bigger with each rotation. Soon, the winds were even getting pulled in, and the cloud began to get sucked into his vortex of speed.
Sky Strike grinned, his eyes barely able to catch a visual of what was going on... but that didn't matter. He knew that he had this- he knew that he had victory very, very close in his hooves.
Suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning fired down at the tornado, crashing into Sky Strike. He let out a loud yelp, his body suddenly freezing inside of his cyclone. As he clung onto consciousness, he used the last of his strength to fire the tornado at the storm, a bright flash engulfing his vision before everything went black.
"And then, before I know it, I wake up midair in Ponyville. The storm is still high in the sky, I repeat the technique, and everything goes well." He smiled, "And there you have it. That's everything that I remember in the past... half hour or so." He nodded, glancing over at the clock on the wall.
"So... " Twilight blinked, "You're... you're saying that you charged out to meet that storm about thirty minutes ago?... "
"That's right!" Sky Strike smiled, lifting up his mug to finish off his hot chocolate, "Now, it's been all fine and dandy, but I really should get back to Cloudsdale. The city probably needs me, and my wife and kid are probably worried sick about me." Sky Strike chuckled, lightly, excusing himself from the table.
"...What would you know?... "
Sky Strike paused, looking over at the cyan pegasus across the table. Her eyes were on him like a hawk, her hooves trembling in her lap.
"Huh?" Sky Strike blinked, "What do you mean?"
"You don't know what they're thinking, or how they're feeling... " Rainbow growled, slowly standing up, "You can't know... you aren't there... you were never there... "
"That's... That's enough... " Twilight interjected, "Please, there's a few more things- "
"A few more things?!" Rainbow roared, pointed her hoof accusingly at Sky Strike, "No, there's a LOT we have to tell you !" Sky Strike blinked, taking a cautious step back.
"W-What's going on?" He asked, "D-Did I do something to offend you?"
"Do something?! DO SOMETHING?!" She snarled, "YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING! YOU WEREN'T THERE!"
"Stop!" Twilight yelled, "You don't know what you're saying! You're emotions are all out of control!"
"No, I have to say this... " Rainbow cried, tears welling up in her eyes, "It hurts, Twilight... this hurts me so much... I... I can't... "
"What's going on?!" Sky Strike choked, "Why won't anypony tell me anything?! I've been getting nothing but weird looks, and you are keeping me from going back to Cloudsdale! Why?! What's happening?!"
"You... " Rainbow Dash breathed, "That storm that you fought in Cloudsdale... that was ten years ago... YOU'VE BEEN DEAD FOR TEN YEARS!"