Quivering and wide-eyed, Stylo falls off of Rainbow’s back and lands on one of the many clouds comprising Cloudsdale. Rainbow trots over to his fetal figure.
“Ta-daa! We’re here! See, that wasn’t so bad.” She bent down and offered him a hoof, which he clutched tightly with both forelegs.
“Nice mane,” she added as she pulled him up. Stylo reached up and felt his new hairdo. The intense speed had slicked it back more smoothly than any hair gel ever could.
“I need to shower more often…” he grumbled.
“Come on!” Rainbow called a few strides ahead, “Let’s get you started!”
She led Stylo on through the soft, pillowy city. The pair finally came to a clearing in which many pegasi ambled about on a large flat cloud, talking amongst themselves. The sheer magnitude of the social interaction taking place left Stylo repulsed.
Rainbow led him through the crowd by the hoof, scanning the pegasi that comprised it.
“No… no… let’s see…hmm?” She stopped abruptly. Stylo saw that a light-blue unicorn with a fancy purple cape had captured her attention.
“Trixie?” she asked the mysterious unicorn, “What are you doing here?”
“The Great and Generous Trixie has come to aid your cloud-clearing efforts!” she said with her chest puffed out and her head high.
Rainbow smiled. “Thanks, Trixie, but you didn’t have to come all this-“
“Um, question?” Stylo interrupted. The two blue ponies whirled to face him. “How are you not falling through the clouds?”
Trixie grinned. “Oh hoh hoh, it’s quite simple! I just cast a “walk-on-clouds” spell on myself while taking the balloon up here!”
“Wow. That makes us pegasi seem pretty useless, huh?” Stylo replied, chuckling.
Trixie’s eyes widened with excitement. “Of course! Unicorns can quite easily do all of the things pegasi do, but we make these flying brutes do all of the manual labor so we may concern ourselves with more important things like magic and educa-…”
Trixie trailed off as Rainbow’s icy stare cut into her.
“I-I mean… we all have our talents!” Trixie finished, grinning widely.
Rainbow frowned. “…Yeah. Trixie, since you’re so eager to help, why don’t you go clear up the thunderheads out west? They could really use your ‘talents’.”
Trixie gave a halfhearted salute. “Yes sir, Rainbow sir.”
As she trotted past Stylo, he leaned over and whispered to her.
“She’s just jealous.”
Trixie silently laughed and gave him a wink.
---
“Wild Fire!” Rainbow called out, hopping up and down. A cream-colored mare seemed to respond to this a few yards away. She dashed over in an instant and promptly saluted her captain.
“Yes sir, Rainbow sir!”
“This is Stylo,” Rainbow began, motioning to the unenthused figure next to her, “He’s one of our emergency WTPI recruits. I need you to show him the ropes. Get him going and stuff.”
A bright smile spread across Wild Fire’s face. She swept her coffee-brown mane out of her eyes and saluted again. “O-Of course!”
Rainbow gave her a playful head rub. “That’s what I like to hear! You’re doing great out there, Fiery. And Stylo?”
“Mmm?” Stylo murmured, looking up from staring at his hooves.
Rainbow breathed a sigh. “Just do your best, alright?”
“Hmph.”
“Good enough.”
Rainbow gave the two of them a wave and took off, flying away to some faraway destination.
---
“Thank you so much for coming out here, Sh…what was your name, again?”
“Stylo. And I didn’t have much of a choice,” he grumbled, absentmindedly tossing his little black notebook up and catching it.
“We’re here to play a very important part!” Wild Fire replied, snatching the notebook away from him, “If we don’t sort out this crazy weather-“
“GAH! Give it back!” Stylo cried, flailing his hooves at his adversary.
“Okay, okay! Sorry.” She handed him the notebook. Stylo held it to his nose and breathed deeply.
“My poems… are my children,” he began. His head suddenly shot up as he gave Wild Fire an emotional glare. “You just kidnapped my children!”
“I’m sorry!” She repeated, “I just-… I didn’t know. I won’t do it again.” She plodded over and hugged him.
Stylo breathed a sigh and clutched his precious book. “…Alright.”
He opened his eyes and looked down. “…Don’t hug me.”
“You know you need it.”
“Ugh. Come on, let’s go… clear out these troublesome clouds, or whatever.”
“Okay!” Wild Fire abruptly let go and took off toward the west, flying with great speed. After a few seconds, she came back down.
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked Stylo, confused.
Stylo eyed his wings nervously. “I haven’t flown in three years. I think I forgot how.”
Wild Fire let out a hearty laugh. “What? Come on, you can’t fool me!”
Stylo simply stood there helplessly. Wild Fire’s smile faltered.
“…You’re serious?”
He grinned weakly. “Could I hitch a ride?”
“Could you… ugh! Sure, whatever!”
A toothy grin spread across Stylo’s face as he skipped over to his noble steed.