“Anyways, time for me to go do something. What jobs are there to do around here?” I stated, still in a hospital bed.
Rainbow Dash was quick to offer a solution. “You could join Weather Patrol. They make sure that the weather is accurate to the schedule.”
“Sure, I’ll join. It could be a good experience for me.” I started to get out of the bed, prompting the six ponies around me to try to either stop me, or support me, but I just pushed them off and stood up. “I’m sorry but,” I took a deep breath before continuing. “I will need to stay at one of your houses until I can find and pay for a place of my own.”
Again, Rainbow Dash was the one to offer. “You can stay at my house, after all, I am the one hiring you.”
“I will pay for the trouble of housing me when I get the bits I promise. Wait, what? You lead the Weather Patrol?”
“Well duh, I am the best flyer ever. It’s only natural that I am in charge of Ponyville’s weather. And don’t worry about paying me back for the lodging, I’m more than happy to help a friend out.”
“Um sure, thanks Rainbow Dash. Wow, first a job, and now a place to stay. After this, I think I owe you a favor or something.” I said sincerely.
Rainbow Dash had the slightest of blushes, scarcely visible on her blue coat, but it was there. “Dude, seriously? Think nothing of it”
“I will think something of it. After all the trouble you are going through to help me, I feel like I have at least some obligation to help you in some way.” Rainbow Dash started to blush even harder, “Are you ok? Your face is turning red.” As I said this, I put the back of my hoof on her forehead to check for a temperature. I think this caused her to blush even more, but I don’t know.
“I-I’m fine.” Rainbow Dash said, batting away my hoof, “Anyways, we should get going, the sky isn’t going to clear itself.” She turned to walk out of the room and saw the uncomfortableness on everypony’s face. “What? Can’t a pony walk out of a hospital?” she said before making her way past them. I simply just followed, ignoring the questioning glances that I got.
Once outside, I asked, “So, what do we do?”
“Well, first we are going to go to Cloudsdale to officially get you into the Weather Patrol. Second, we get you situated at my house and get you fed. You haven’t eaten for three days after all. Third, we clear the skies tomorrow.”
“Why not get to work today?”
“Because the sky is already clear, duh.”
“Oh, well, then what will we do as we wait?” I asked?
“I usually practice my stunts, but I can also show you around the town.”
“You just keep adding stuff that I will owe you for later don’t you.”
“I do not!” Rainbow Dash said defensively.
“Sure, sure. We should probably move from the hospital to Cloudsdale to get me in the Weather Patrol,” I said, pointing out that we were still at the hospital.
“Right, sorry, this way.” Rainbow Dash took off, leaving me to follow once more.
Cloudsdale is amazing. My first thought as it came into view. The whole thing had a large splay with an innumerable amount of pillars throughout, a rainbowfall that fell into the city over a distance of 500 meters, several waterfalls and another rainbowfall at the base, and the fact that it was at 11 kilometers in the air, simply topped the whole thing off.
Rainbow Dash lead me through the giant city. We passed several pegusi who were audibly whispering as we passed. I was perfectly fine about it, as I remembered the promise that I had made, but Rainbow Dash, after about the 6th group we passed, which was a group of 3, she couldn’t ignore it. “You guys shouldn’t judge him. He’s almost as good a flyer as I am.”
“Oh, that is quite the compliment from someone who is so self-centered. You can’t even do your Sonic Rainboom that you are so proud of.” one of them retorted. I decided I don’t care what ponies say about me, but that nopony will insult a pony that is helping me out. So I cut in.
“Says a pony that probably couldn’t even keep up with me, let alone Rainbow Dash here. Anyways, we have somewhere to be,” I started to walk away. “I’ll see you jerks in the center of Ponyville after I have officially get a job. That is, if you are pony enough to show.” With this, I was out of range for them to reasonably respond, and Rainbow Dash had to catch up.
“Dude that was epic. You handled them like they were nothing.” Rainbow Dash said, a slight tone of disbelief.
We didn’t share any more conversation after that, until after I was officially accepted and trained. And even then, not until we landed within the center of the town. We found a large group of ponies and pegasi alike. Apparently the three had spread the rumor of this challenge and said that they would win easily. “Are you sure you can take them? You haven’t eaten since you got here.” Rainbow Dash said, uncertainty in her voice.
“Great, thanks for mentioning my hunger. Wasn’t feeling it until now. It’s too late to back out of it now just to eat something.” This was true, but I still felt like calling out to anypony who would listen. “Can anypony please get me something to eat? I will owe them a favor later.”
“What’s wrong?” one of the three ponies that I had challenged called back. “You so scared that you would try to postpone this race by eating?”
“No, I’m just hungry. Not eating for three plus days can do that to a pony. And don’t worry, I would be eating whatever is brought to me, if something is, while we race. I have a fairly high metabolism so I would get the energy fairly quickly.” As I said this, a couple who I later learned was Mr. and Mrs. Cake, brought me a tray with six cupcakes on it.
“Thank you, I can either pay you back when I get the bit, or I can just do you a favor whenever you need it.” I offered. They just refused, but accepted when I kept insisting.
Turning back to the three, I took a bite out of the cupcake and said through the bite, “Damn, this is a good cupcake.” I swallowed and took another bite before continuing. “So, we race from here, to the gates of the apple field south west of here, then head north to the library, then we head to Cloudsdale. Lastly, we head strait above this point, level with Cloudsdale, before landing back here.” I took another bite of the cupcake, finishing it, before starting on my second. “How does that sound?”
“Sounds good to me.” The pony who kept speaking, to which I deduced was the leader, said.
I had finished my second cupcake when we lined up at the start. I was standing strait up, eating the third cupcake, and the tray in my other hoof. The second-to-last signal put out, the three I was facing were already flapping there wings, Rainbow Dash had appeared beside them.
My head started to pound, a familiar signal to me. *‘I was within a metal contraption, something around my head. I looked beside me and there were dozens of the same contraption besides me and in front of me. We were in a parking lot, about to head into the streets. A light was ahead of us was changing colors and I prepared.’*
When the start signal rang out, I just stood there finishing my third cupcake, watching the other four take off. When finished, I crouched, taking my time, and finally took off, ignoring the ponies screaming at me to move.
I was quick to move as the familiar wind was behind me, I caught up like I had taken off with them. I started my fourth cupcake before saying to the one I was directly behind, “Mind if I tag along?” the pony I was following turned around, confused to see me flying behind him so relaxed, eating a cupcake. My head started to pound again. Have I mentioned that I am starting to loath these headaches?
*‘The light turned green, and I just waited for all the contraptions, that I now recognized as cars, to pass the start line before going myself. I drove my foot slowly down, bringing the tires to a spin. I lifted my other foot, sending me forward at incredible speeds. I caught up to last place, ramming him into a much larger car that was sharing the road. I went passed all the 'obstacles', making my way, slowly, to the front’*
I went into instinct mode, my pupils shrank, giving me tunnel vision. I corkscrewed around my first opponent, reaching the apple field as I did. I looped right when I exited my corkscrew maneuver. The wind shifted as I turned around, making it difficult for the new last place to reach the sign. I finished the fourth cupcake.
Picking up speed, I caught up to my second opponent as we reached the library, the next ‘obstacle’. This one wanted to play more rough than the last one. He shoved me as I tried to go past, and kicked dirt into my eyes. I decided to return the favor, by slamming him through a window within the library. I adjusted my angle, bringing me towards Cloudsdale.
I found an uplift, bringing me near level with the city, but I was still several kilometers away. Most of my vertical travel taken care of, I focused on the horizontal travel. I started on the fifth cupcake. As I was about three-fourths the way there, I spotted Rainbow Dash and her opponent already at the city, turning around. As I passed them, the leader shoved Rainbow Dash, causing her to lose control. I grabbed her and tossed her back at her opponent, losing my cupcake. ‘Damn’ I thought, ‘a perfectly good cupcake, wasted.’ The thought lasted for half a second before I got back on track.
The headaches are so annoying. If I could choose, I would discard my memories to leave these headaches. *‘I was directly behind the lead car. Surpassing its speed with my own, I rammed the back, forcing our cars together and match speed. I turned, causing the other’s back to turn with me. The one in the other car, adjusted to the sudden loss of control to level out. We were now side to side, bashing each other’s cars together.’*
I once again looped, the wind following me once again. I was catching up to the two in the lead. Rainbow Dash was getting beat around, so I intervened. I grabbed the leader of the trio, and pulled him back. Rainbow Dash and I were now even in the race, and I started on my last cupcake. I pulled back slightly letting Rainbow Dash get the lead. All things done, it was the final stretch. Rainbow started her dive, gaining more and more speed, I started my own dive, looping several times before to gather speed. I rushed towards Rainbow, spotting that her hooves were even. I finished the last cupcake before I put my front hooves on her back ones, and pushed, causing a large bang to resound, and a rainbow to form. I slowed down once more and landed 20 seconds after Rainbow did.
Another headache came about, a lot less painful than last time though. *‘We were facing the finish line, two miles ahead. We would be there in a minute. I took my foot off the gas ever so slightly, stopping my acceleration. The other car passed me, finishing seconds before I did. The opponent stopped the car immediately after we passed the finish line, got out of the car, and pulled off the helmet. Underneath, I could clearly make out that the driver was a girl. I knew this girl… but from where? She approached my car and started pounding on the hood, demanding to know why I slowed down, saying that I would have won.’* I recognized the woman from that memory. She was the one that had died before me, my last memory set. I started to cry.
“Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Thank you for the cupcakes, they were delicious.” I said through the tears of the past.