//------------------------------//
// 3 - Clouds 
// Story: Sweet as Cakes 
// by SweetieTheBot 
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Pound Cake was awoken by a knock on his door.  It was 11:45 the next day, and he was surprised his mother let him sleep in so late.  

“Come in.”  He said, still hazey from his deep sleep.  When Scootaloo entered the room, he was instantly awake.  He quickly smoothed back his sleep-ruffled mane in a desperate attempt to look less messy.  

“Hiya sport.  So do you still want to train with Rainbow and me?”  Scootaloo asked, and Pound nodded frantically.  “Good.  Because we can’t do Thursday anymore.” Scootaloo said, and pointed to Pound’s calendar.  

“Why can’t we do Thursday?”  Pound asked, and Scootaloo gestured toward the calendar again.  When Pound failed to understand, Scootaloo rolled her eyes.  

“Thursday is the fourteenth.  Rainbow told me she couldn’t train on that day because it’s Tank’s birthday.”  Scootaloo said, and Pound nodded.  Rainbow Dash’s pet turtle was well known through the group of friends, it was the oldest of all the pets, and frankly, the last one alive.  Opalescence, Winona, Angel, all the pets except Tank lived long good lives, but nothing lives as long as a turtle.  Pound guessed that as why Rainbow wouldn’t train on his birthday.  

“Okay, when do we train then?” Pound asked.  

“Today.” Scootaloo said, and lifted Pound out of his bed.  “Up and at’em, Pound Cake!  We’ll be training all day to make up for not training tomorrow.”  Scootaloo said.  She opened Pound’s window and flew out.  “Come on, sport!  We’ve got to get to the park if we’re going to get you ready for the Ponyville Prized Pegasus competition on time!”

***

It was late afternoon, and Pound felt as if his wings would fall off any second.  They had met Rainbow Dash at the park, and ever since then it had been hour after hour of stretching, hovering, flipping, cloudbusting, wing-ups, and laps around Ponyville.  He kept asking for a break, and until now the two older pegasi had denied his request.  But now they had finally broke, and they were all sitting on a cloud enjoying some lemonade.  He was happy to be sharing this moment with his two idols, blissful, actually.  He was blissful until he looked down to see none other than Autumn Spice, sitting in the gazebo, with a picnic spread out before her.  Pound pulled a tuft of cloud over him, in an attempt to hide.  

“What’s the matter, sport?”  Rainbow asked, and Pound cringed.  

“Nothing.  I was just, ahm, cold.  Yep, it’s really chilly up here.” Pound said, and faked shivering.  Scootaloo looked at the lemonade pitcher, which was now watered down due to the ice-cubes melting so quickly.  

“Chilly?  Whatever you say.” Scootaloo said, and Rainbow looked at Pound.  

“You know, even if it was chilly, pulling cloud over you wouldn’t help, you see, clouds are actually water, that has been-” Rainbow said, but Pound wasn’t listening.  He was staring through a hole in the cloud at Autumn, who looked miserable all alone under the gazebo.  

Maybe it’s not too late, maybe I could go down there. Pound thought, and then put his head back up.

“-and that’s how clouds form.  But I still don’t understand how we pegasi can walk on them if they’re just-” Rainbow said, but was then interrupted by Pound. 

“What time is it?” He said, and Rainbow squinted her eyes and looked at the sun.  

“Judging by the sun’s position, it looks about, uh, four-thirty-ish?  Maybe five.” Rainbow said.  “But anyway, about the clouds-” but Pound didn’t stay to hear what Rainbow had to say.  

How could I have forgotten? I’m so inconsiderate. Pound thought, and flew off the cloud in a dive down to the gazebo.  

He landed by the gazebo, and as soon as he landed, Autumn got up and walked to him.  

“Pound Cake!  Where were you?  I was so worried you wouldn’t come.” Autumn said, and hugged him.  

“Well, uh, you see I was.” Pound began, but then stopped when he heard Scootaloo’s voice.  

“That was one wicked dive, sport!” She yelled from the cloud.  

“Where did you learn to do that?” Rainbow yelled, and Pound cringed.  

Autumn let go of Pound.  “Y-you were with Scootaloo?” Autumn asked shakily.  

“Well, I was preparing for-” Pound began, but was cut off again.  

“No.  You b-blew me off to hang out with somepony t-twice your age!” Autumn yelled.  

“I’m so sorry, Autumn.  I needed to train for the Ponyville Prized Pegasus competition.” Pound said, but that seemed not to comfort Autumn. 

Autumn looked up at Pound, teary eyed.  “Y-you’d rather fly with Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash than spend time with me?” She said sadly.  

Pound sighed.  “It’s only for now.  We can see each other at the competition, and I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Pound said.  

“Yeah, sure.  You broke a promise, Pound Cake.” Autumn said, and flew away, before she began to cry even more.  Now Pound felt like crying.  

My only chance with the pony I love.  I blew it.  I’m so stupid.