Rainbow Dash woke up about half an hour later. She was warmer than she usually was when she fell asleep and could feel something pressed against her and something else covering most of her body. She opened her eyes fully and looked to her right and saw Star Shine was pressed against her and one of his wings was draped over her. Her tail felt weird too and when she looked back she saw that it was intertwined with his. She really hoped that had happened while they were sleeping. It was marginally better than one of them consciously making the choice to do it. Rainbow Dash separated her tail from Star Shine’s and nudged him awake after burying her heavily flushed face into the cloud they were laid on. Star Shine woke with a start and snapped to attention, standing on the cloud and looking around for signs of danger. He looked down and saw Rainbow Dash with her head still buried in the cloud.
“Oh, it’s just you. How long were we out?” Star Shine asked. He shook his head in an attempt to wake up more. The nap helped a little and he was feeling more refreshed than before.
“I dunno.” Rainbow replied. Her voice was muffled by the cloud but her cheeks were still burning and she wasn’t about to let Star Shine see them. “Why don’t you see if there’s a clock in the school?” she asked. She felt the cloud shift as Star Shine took off from it and flew down to one of the windows in the schoolhouse. He returned a few seconds later.
“It’s only quarter to two, so we weren’t out long.” Star Shine informed Rainbow Dash as he landed on the cloud. Rainbow Dash finally picked her head up off the cloud and looked at him. She wasn’t smiling nearly as much as he hoped she would.
“Why’d you actually go down there? It’s bad enough you interrupted their lunch time but what if you interrupted a class too?!” Rainbow Dash chastised. Star Shine smiled sheepishly.
“Don’t worry about it, nopony saw me. The classroom was empty and I saw a clock on the wall.” Star Shine replied. He was wearing his smuggest of smiles.
“Anyway I really gotta get back to work. I’ll see ya later.” Rainbow Dash said, shaking herself awake and taking off into the air. “Try not to sleep with any mares while I’m gone!” Rainbow Dash called back to Star Shine.
“...Sleep with mares?” Star Shine said to himself in confusion. He had no clue what she meant until a few seconds later when memories of what he had been doing shortly before he fell asleep came flooding back to him. “Way to play it smooth.” he said quietly, his own face flushing. He laid with his back to the cloud, staring up at the sky. Even if it was the day sky, and he could see no stars, he still found himself doing what was perhaps one of his most favourite hobbies; staring up into the sky. He considered going back to the manor but by the time he arrived it would have been close to time to leave again. He watched the birds flying through the air and smiled as they gave him a good idea for something he could do with Scootaloo. He closed his eyes and fell asleep once again.
***
While Rainbow Dash and Star Shine were napping, working, and in Star Shine’s case, napping some more, Scootaloo was hard at work in school. Her hard work paid off and soon enough the bell signalling the end of the day’s classes rang. As they usually did the Crusaders left together and then split up at the entrance to the school. Big Macintosh had arrived to take Apple Bloom back to the farm this time and the pair left quietly together. Rarity took Sweetie Belle home and soon enough Scootaloo was left behind with Diamond Tiara. Rainbow Dash was running a little late and would normally be there as soon as Scootaloo left the school.
“So where’s your sister?” Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo.
“I dunno. Must be running a little late. Where’s your dad?” Scootaloo replied. She was trying to be civil but the words were spoken with a bit more of a hiss than she wanted them to be. The “sister” remark hadn’t sat well with her but she wasn’t about to be the one to start a fight.
“We don’t have to argue you know, I would like to be your-” Diamond Tiara began but before she could reveal what she wanted to be to Scootaloo, she was cut off by the sudden arrival of Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash landed on the ground and ran up to Scootaloo.
“Sorry I’m late kiddo. I got stuck in work a little longer than I wanted to. Hope I wasn’t too late.” Rainbow Dash explained.
“Nah it’s only been a few minutes.” Scootaloo replied, beaming up at Rainbow Dash. “Is Star Shine with you?” she asked, looking around Rainbow Dash for any sign of him.
“You have a flying lesson?” Diamond Tiara asked, curious as to why Star Shine, a colt she knew as Scootaloo’s flight instructor, would be with Rainbow Dash.
“Hmm? Nah it’s just he’s living with Rainbow while he’s in town. He usually comes to school with her too.” Scootaloo explained. Shortly after she finished speaking she was hit with the realisation she’d spoken to Diamond Tiara like she would a friend. It was a scary thought.
“Oh? Isn’t it a bit odd he’s staying with you guys?” Diamond Tiara asked. There was a glint in her eye that unnerved Scootaloo. Rainbow Dash was too busy surveying the skies for signs of Star Shine to notice it.
“Not really, he’s an old friend of mine.” Rainbow Dash answered. “I think I know where he is too...” she added as she spotted a familiar cloud that was right where she had left it. She smiled and took off into the air before either filly could ask her what she meant. They watched as Rainbow Dash flew to just below the cloud, turned around, and bucked the cloud back to whatever afterlife it is that clouds enjoy. The disappearance of the cloud revealed a very familiar blue figure. The shock of losing the cloud underneath him woke Star Shine up but it still took a few seconds of falling and screaming for him to remember he had wings. He spread them and balanced himself out. He glided down to the school and tried to hide his embarrassment as Rainbow Dash laughed maniacally at him.
“You okay?” Scootaloo asked him when he landed. His mane was a mess from sleeping and falling and he looked like he was still scared. Seeing him fall like that had also brought back some memories she wasn’t too fond of. Some of which she hadn’t thought about in a long time. Star Shine blinked a few times to try and pull himself deeper into reality and smiled down at Scootaloo.
“Yeah I’m doin’ fine. Don’t worry about me.” Star Shine said. Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief.
“Aren’t you mad she did that?” Diamond Tiara asked him. She was confused as to how he could just brush aside what Rainbow Dash had done. She was furious the last time somepony pranked her. Even getting her tiara back in the end hadn’t calmed her down much.
“He should be, he used to do that to me all the time.” Rainbow Dash replied for Star Shine as she landed next to him and jabbed him in the sides. Star Shine laughed at the memory of all the times Rainbow Dash had a rude awakening. She was exaggerating about how often he had done it, but he had done it enough to earn one or two of them himself.
“You really did that to eachother?” Diamond Tiara asked. She usually teased other ponies with her friends and not her friends themselves.
“Oh that’s nothing, we once woke up in eachother’s wings.” Star Shine replied, still laughing.
“WHAT?!” Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara chorused together, cutting off Rainbow Dash right before she either cursed him out or beat him to a bloody pulp.
“Yeah it was ea-” Star Shine began before Rainbow Dash tackled him to the ground and held a foreleg over his mouth.
“Shut up you idiot. Just shut up for once.” Rainbow Dash hissed into Star Shine’s ear. Star Shine nodded nervously and Rainbow Dash got off of him.
“Well anyway I have a flight lesson for Scootaloo when we’re all done laughing and threatening one another.” Star Shine said. Given everypony’s reaction it was certainly a good distraction and a smart idea to mention it.
“Really?” Scootaloo asked happily, the very image of bright eyed and bushy tailed. Star Shine nodded and was about to explain his plan when he heard a voice call out from behind him.
“Princess, I’m so sorry I’m late.” Filthy Rich called out to Diamond Tiara as he approached the school. “Something came up and I had to stay longer than I should.” he explained as he reached the small gang assembled outside the school.
“It’s okay Daddy, I’ve been talking to my new friend Scootaloo here.” Diamond Tiara replied, motioning to Scootaloo. Filthy Rich looked across to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, and Star Shine.
“You two are friends now? That’s great. Let’s get you home and you can tell me all about it.” Filthy Rich replied. Diamond Tiara smiled and the pair walked off together while the others watched. “So did you learn anything interesting at school?” Filthy Rich asked Diamond Tiara as they walked off.
“Interesting? Oh yes Daddy I learned a LOT of interesting things today.” Diamond Tiara replied. Scootaloo shivered as a chill went down her spine.
“Are you two really friends now?” Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo. She found the concept of the two of them being friends beyond bewildering. Scootaloo shrugged in response.
“No idea, but never mind that. What’s this flying lesson?” Scootaloo replied, jumping up and down at the idea of a flying lesson.
“Well I still can’t teach you how to fly just yet.” Star Shine said. Scootaloo stopped jumping and looked at Star Shine sadly. “I can teach you something that’s just as good! I can’t teach you how to fly but let’s head back to Rainbow’s place. I’m gonna teach you how to fall with style. Or, as some ponies call it; gliding.”