//------------------------------// // A Trip to Cloudsdale // Story: Living in Equestria // by Blazewing //------------------------------// The next morning’s wake-up call was expected, if no less annoying to my sleeping habits. The aches from the previous day had mostly subsided, but they seemed to return with a vengeance when Bon Bon came by to collect me for the morning run. At the very least, I was glad of a few things: Lyra was still in good spirits, my essay was done, and tonight was bowling night, provided I wasn’t too sore to walk to the alley. On the other hand, right after this, I had a hot air balloon to look forward to. It was one of those foreboding thoughts that left a sour ache in my stomach, but I still didn’t want to seem distant, so I listened to what my friends were saying. Apparently, along with candies she’d made from the liquid rainbow I’d gotten her for Hearth’s Warming, Bon Bon had already developed several treats that were low in sugar, or completely sugar-free, or were made with healthier substitutions. I could hear her talking about carrot-flavored chews, celery suckers, and alfalfa cakes. Lyra made some sarcastic remarks about having vegetables for dessert, but Bon Bon paid her no mind. I didn’t blame Lyra, however. I wasn’t the biggest fan of vegetables, and no one in their right mind would want veggie-flavored sweets after dinner, so I probably wouldn’t try many of these anytime soon. Still, if Lyra was willing to endure them for the sake of her job, that was all right. *** Once the walk was over with, I grabbed breakfast at home, then started getting ready for my balloon ride to Cloudsdale, after applying about half of another coat to the sign beforehand. Excitement for finally seeing the pegasus city, and dread of going up in the air were still battling it out in my brain. However, Twilight’s words of reassurance were equally strong. Both she and Rainbow Dash would be there with me. Nothing bad was going to happen. It was almost time for me to go when somepony came knocking at my door. Opening up, I saw Pinkie beaming up at me. She instantly launched herself at me, pinning my arms to my sides as she hugged me. “Hi, Davie!” “Hey, Pinkie!” I gasped out, caught off guard by her pouncing hug. “I haven’t seen you since New Year’s. How’ve you been?” “Pretty good!” she said, looking up at me. “Dashie told me you’re going up to see Cloudsdale today! That’s awesome!” “Yeah. I am looking forward to it, but I’m also kinda nervous. I’ve got this thing about heights.” “Aww, you’ll be ok,” said Pinkie. “Flying in a hot air balloon is fun! You get to be right up above the clouds, higher and higher and higher, until the world’s teeny-tiny below you. You just don’t want to look down, because then you might freak out, or drop your glasses, or lose your balance and topple right out of the basket and fall out of the sky like you did when you first got here!” She accompanied this with a big, silly grin, but I was severely rattled by how casually she talked about going higher and higher and the risks of being up so high. Was she just messing around with me, or did she even realize what she was saying? You could never tell with this crazy pony. “Er, thanks, Pinkie,” I said. “My week should be free after today, so if you want to do something together, just the two of us, I’d be more than happy to.” “Ooh, that sounds fun!” said Pinkie, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I’ll start thinking about it and let you know when I come up with something!” “Sounds good,” I said, giving her mane a ruffle. “I need to get going if I want to meet Twilight at 9, so I’ll see you around, ok?” “Okey-dokey-lokey!” said Pinkie. “Have a great day, Davie!” With that, Pinkie bounced off through the snow, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds. I locked up, steeled myself for what I was about to, then set a course for the library. *** Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash were waiting for me outside the library, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Well, as bushy-tailed as you can be in Twilight’s case, when her tail was always so immaculate. Rainbow’s mane and tail, on the other hand, seemed to be even frizzier than ever, as if her excitement was supercharging her hair with static. “Morning, Dave!” she said. “You ready?” “As I’ll ever be,” I said. “All right, well, first thing’s first,” said Twilight. “The Cloud-Walking Spell. Stand perfectly still, Dave.” I went rigid, dreading what would happen if this spell failed while I was in up in the clouds, and Twilight closed her eyes, her horn emitting first its usual purple glow, then a much softer light, something like a mix between sky-blue and pure-white. The next thing I knew, it felt like a wave was passing over me, sending an odd tingling sensation all over my body. For a second or two, I felt as light as air, as a feather, and then in the next instant, the feeling slowly faded away. Twilight opened her eyes again. “There we go,” she said. “That’ll hold for 24 hours, guaranteed. Anypony imbued in the spell can walk on clouds without fear of falling through them. It’s foolproof.” “If you say so,” I said, with a shiver. “Now, to the balloon. Cherry Berry’s agreed to loan it to us for the day, as long as we bring it back safely.” “Honestly,” said Rainbow, as we started off, “I’m surprised she’s so lenient with lending that balloon, considering all the accidents it’s been in.” “A-Accidents?” I spluttered. “Rainbow!” chided Twilight. “Don’t be so tactless!” “Sheesh, sorry,” muttered Rainbow. “Not like anything bad’s gonna happen, Twi. Ya gotta stop treating everything like a jinx.” “I do not treat everything like a jinx!” snapped Twilight. “It’s just not right to talk about accidents in front of someone who’s riding a hot air balloon for the first time!” “Oh, pbth!” scoffed Rainbow, blowing a raspberry. “He knows he’s in good hooves, right, dude?” She gave me an encouraging nudge on the shoulder. “Er, yeah, right,” I said, weakly. “See?” asked Rainbow, smugly. Twilight had no response but an irritated sigh. From the library, we walked on until we were near town square. There, anchored by ropes, was a hot air balloon, purple and covered with swirl designs. Just looking up at it was enough to give me a nervous jolt in my stomach, making me feel like I was about to fall backwards. Standing by was Cherry Berry, a pink Earth pony with a blond mane and a cherry for a cutie mark. She was wearing a brown aviation helmet atop her mane, and a sign beside her read ‘Hot Air Balloon Rides: 3 bits per customer’. Twilight levitated 6 bits into her hoof, seeing as Rainbow didn’t need to use the balloon herself. “You’re sure this thing is safe for someone my size?” I asked Cherry. “Absolutely,” she assured me. “Hop aboard, Mr. Dave.” Well, I wasn’t about to ‘hop’ in, but, with a sigh, I clambered into the basket, Twilight hopping in beside me. Rainbow fluttered next to the basket, hovering level to my head. “Have a good one!” said Cherry Berry, and she released the rope anchoring the balloon to the ground. With a jolt, the balloon started lifting upwards. The shaking of the basket startled me badly, and I stumbled backwards with a yelp, nearly tumbling off. Rainbow zipped right behind me, however, and set me right. My heart was beating a million times per minute, and my stomach felt like it was knotting itself. “I changed my mind!” I whimpered. “Let me off! I can’t do this!” “We’ve hardly even started, dude,” said Rainbow. “Just relax. Pretend it’s a roller coaster that keeps going up, no drops or loops or anything.” (But I hate roller coasters!) The balloon was rising higher and higher, so there was no chance of me going back down now. All I could do was crouch in the basket, Rainbow hovering nearby, chatting with Twilight, who was directing the hot air apparatus. Even staring at the bottom of the basket wasn’t helping me. My knees felt like jelly, and I felt an obsessively paranoid fear that the bottom of the balloon would break, dropping Twilight and me thousands of feet to the ground below. My hands were gripping the basket so tightly that they might have crushed impressions into the weaving. “HIIIII, DAVIE!” Oh no. That was Pinkie calling. “ISN’T IT GREAT UP THERE? HAVE FUN IN CLOUDSDALE!” It was against my better judgment, but I dared a glance over the side, down at the ground. A tiny pink dot was waving up at me wildly. Another jolt went through my innards at the sight of the shrinking world below me. I let out a groaning whimper and sank back into a sitting position in the basket, hugging my knees to my chest. I felt Twilight put a comforting hoof on my shoulder, but it made little difference. I must have looked so pathetic, and half-expected Rainbow to start laughing at how weak I was, but when I heard her speak, her voice was oddly gentle. “Wow, Dave. You really don’t like heights, do you?” “No,” I mumbled. “So go ahead and laugh.” There was a soft clatter of hooves. Rainbow had landed in the basket, sitting right beside me. She fixed me with her rose-colored gaze. “Hey, come on, don’t be like that,” she said. “Fluttershy doesn’t do well with heights, either, and she’s a pegasus. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop being her friend.” Fluttershy was scared of heights too? I never knew that… “If you want to turn back, Dave,” said Twilight, “that’s all right. We don’t want to force you to do this if you don’t want to.” “No,” I said, firmly. “I do want to see Cloudsdale, honest. I just wish you didn’t have to see me like this…” Something warm and soft draped itself across my back. I gave a start, but I saw, looking down, that it was Rainbow’s wing. I looked into her face. There was no mockery or arrogance to be found, just understanding. “Then I’ll sit right by your side until we get there,” she said. “Thanks, Rainbow,” I muttered, gratefully. “Just don’t tell anypony else about this,” she added, in a more serious tone, “or I’ll deny it and carry it to my grave.” “Deal,” I said, unable to keep from grinning. Twilight, who had been watching it all, merely smiled and continued piloting the balloon. *** From there, the trip was easier. I was still nervous, but having both Rainbow and Twilight by my side made a huge difference. Even from where I was sitting, I could see the clouds passing by, and could make out ones that were of odd or interesting shapes. Once I thought I saw one that looked like a rearing horse without a head, to which Rainbow joked that it was the ‘Headless Horse’, hiding in plain sight until the black of night. That not only made me laugh, but Twilight as well. It was kinda funny: both of them were my travel companions to all of my trips to Canterlot, except for my meeting with the rest of the Foreign Relations council, and now both were accompanying me to Cloudsdale. Was it just a coincidence? Probably, but it didn’t matter. Just having them alongside me was enough. “There it is!” Twilight called suddenly. “Come on, Dave, stand up,” encouraged Rainbow. “You’ve gotta see this.” Nervously, my legs still feeling a bit wobbly, I managed to stand up with Rainbow’s assistance. Once I was fully upright, I looked out...and felt my jaw fall open. Looming in front of us was an enormous cloud...but was it a cloud? No, it was a mass of clouds grouped together. No, not even that. It was a city made from clouds! It was all one big, gigantic mass of fluffy white, crafted intricately into a structured, detailed civilization, which seemed to consist primarily of column-supported structures, akin to Greek buildings. All around its base, rainbow waterfalls were raining down. Dozens, maybe even hundreds, of pegasi were flying about. “Wow…” I breathed. “Unbelievable! This is where you were born, Rainbow?” “Yep,” said Rainbow, proudly. “Home sweet home. Some of the best moments of my life happened here, as a filly and as a mare.” “Wow,” was all I could say. Twilight beamed as she directed the balloon in closer for a landing on an empty stretch of cloud. The basket settled in gently, sending a tiny puff of vapor into the air. “All right, Dave, we’ve landed,” she said. “We can disembark now.” I looked at the white mass ahead of me, trepidation setting in again. “You’re sure this cloud-walking spell works?” I asked. “Without fail,” said Twilight. “It’s all right. Just take it one step at a time.” “But be quick,” said Rainbow, “or I’ll give ya a nudge to get you going.” “Rainbow!” chided Twilight. “Just kidding, Twi.” Slowly, steadily, I began inching my leg over the edge of the basket, heart hammering like mad again, eyes shut tight, sweat beading my forehead. (Please don’t fall, please don’t fall, please don’t fall, please don’t fall!) My foot settled into the cloud...and didn’t sink through. I opened one eye a fraction. The substance below was soft and cushy, and yet solid underneath. My foot wasn’t going through at all. Opening the other eye, I eased myself fully out of the basket, until both feet were planted in the cloudy surface. I...was standing on a cloud. I was standing on a cloud! “...No way,” I murmured, taking a few steps forward to further test. “I’m walking on a cloud! I can’t believe it!” “See, Dave?” asked Twilight. “What did I tell you?” “Nothing to it, big guy!” said Rainbow. “Man, the people at home would never believe me if I told them about this!” I said, now filled with a kind of wild euphoria. “I’m walking on a cloud! An honest-to-goodness cloud! Even better, a cloud city!” It was as if another person was alive inside me! I gripped the ropes connecting the balloon to the basket and looked out. Before me was a sea of clouds in all shapes and sizes, stretching out like a flotilla of ships on the water. With the clouds beneath my feet feeling like solid ground, I felt much safer than before. That said, I wasn’t about to jump up and down or stomp my feet too hard. Taking in a deep breath, I crowed at the top of my lungs, “I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD!!” My voice echoed, loud and proud, through the sky. Rainbow started laughing at my behavior, but Twilight’s brow furrowed. I had the feeling she didn’t quite like my choice of words, as if it was a disparagement towards Princess Celestia’s rule. However, her annoyance was brief, and she relaxed again. “Well, come on, then,” she said, and she leaped lightly out of the basket onto the cloud beside me. “One grand tour of Cloudsdale, coming up!” said Rainbow. Just as soon as she said this, there was a *boom* like cannon-fire, but it sounded like it came from the sky. Rainbow’s eyes lit up with glee, and Twilight and I craned our necks to see what she was looking at. Three winged shapes were streaking across the sky, leaving cloudy trails behind them. As they zoomed past, I caught a glimpse of them, clad in blue and yellow bodysuits and goggles. I also saw the colors of their manes flash by: fiery-orange, dark-blue, and silver-white. Several pegasi nearby cheered wildly as they went, and then, the three pulled an about-face and flew back again, each one raising a forehoof in a salute to the crowd below. I could now see properly that there were two mares and a stallion. It was the Wonderbolts! I watched them until they were out of sight again, and then Rainbow Dash let out a loud whoop of excitement. “Now that’s how you kickstart a grand tour!” she said. “Perfect timing!” “Those were the Wonderbolts?” I asked, stunned. “Yep! Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot,” said Rainbow. “Fleetfoot?” I asked. “I know that name. Spitfire mentioned her in Flying With the ‘Bolts.” “She’s a natural when it comes to fast-paced flying,” said Rainbow. “She’s small, but she’s speedy.” “Man,” I said, “what I wouldn’t give to see their tricks in action, not that that flyby wasn’t brilliant.” “They hold air shows all the time,” said Rainbow, obviously pleased by my enthusiasm. “I’ll let you know when I get a hold of tickets to one. But now,” she added, in a mock-pompous voice, “without further ado, let the grand tour of Cloudsdale begin!” With that, she took the lead, and we started off toward the towering mass of clouds that was Cloudsdale. *** As we went along, I took a more detailed note of the architecture of Cloudsdale. As I had observed from the balloon, the buildings seemed to mostly consist of structures supported by columns, like those based in Greek architecture. I supposed, in a way, that that was clever in a way, since Pegasus was a figure in Greek mythology, and here was a city teeming with pegasi. I wondered if there ever was an original ‘Pegasus’ in Equestria’s far past, like the ‘father of the race’ or something like that. I might have to look back in my history book for that. Rainbow took the time to point various buildings and structures as we went, completely absorbed in her role as a tour guide. One of the most prominent landmarks was an airborne colosseum, where the Best Young Flyers Competition had been held a year or so ago. It was there that Rainbow had rescued Rarity and three Wonderbolts, performing her second Sonic Rainboom at the same time. Further on was what turned out to be a museum, filled with statues, portraits, displays of aeronautical artifacts, and testimonials of famous pegasi. There was even a spot dedicated to Snowdrop, a name I only recalled because of my first essay session with Twilight. She’d said something about her taming the winter snows by crafting the first snow stars. Twilight was eager to elaborate on whatever my eyes seemed to linger on, but Rainbow was more of a ‘get-you-in-look-around-ok-done’ kind of guide, something my unicorn friend didn’t seem to take too kindly. “You’re showing Dave your birthplace, Rainbow,” she said, tersely. “Show a bit more pride in your presentation.” “Hey, I know where to take him,” said Rainbow, defensively. “I’ve got you to dish out the egghead stuff for him. That way, we both contribute, see?” Twilight didn’t even dignify that with a response. *** There was another museum-esque building after that, but this one was dedicated to the history of the Wonderbolts, showing members and uniforms past and present. Twilight was very eager to give me historical tidbits, which I was glad for. I’d never have imagined that General Firefly had such an extensive collection of socks, or that Commander Easy Glider was an expert cloud sculptor as well as an aerial choreographer. I knew Twilight was clever, but her knack for trivia was pretty amazing. The way Rainbow seemed to tune out Twilight’s lecture and just amble off to look around on her own made me wonder if she already knew all this. I wouldn’t have been surprised: if she wanted to be a Wonderbolt someday, she’d bone up on everything there was to know about them. Twilight, however, gave her a rather stern look, as if she figured Rainbow’s reason for not paying attention was the exact opposite of my theory. The piece de resistance of Rainbow’s Cloudsdale tour was the weather factory, which sat at the highest point in all of Cloudsdale. It was an enormous facility, at the top of which was a funnel-like apparatus that seemed to be churning out clouds. At the entrance, we all had to put on labcoats, hard hats, and safety goggles, as it was standard protocol when walking around the factory. From there, Rainbow took me on a tour of the different compartments specialized for specific weather. There was a room for clouds, regular and storm, categorizing them by type, intensity of rain or lightning, and so forth. There was even a chart detailing who was to take what cloud where in Equestria. “Efficient,” was all I had to say. There was another room that made rainbows, in liquid form, like Bon Bon’s Hearth’s Warming present. It flowed down in a never-ending stream into a pool of multicolored liquid. A sign nearby read ‘Do NOT taste the Rainbow’. “Guess they’ve had too many ponies gutsy enough to taste it,” I said. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” said Rainbow. Then there was a room set aside for crafting snowflakes. It looked like a very intricate, precise process, especially since they had to work with hooves and wings. How long did it take them to craft just one? I had never imagined that so many departments needed to be set aside for so many weather aspects. It was like walking through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, only without the promise of delicious candy or Oompa-Loompas singing about horrible kids. At least, until we visited the cafeteria, minus the Oompa-Loompas, and the singing. The candy was good, though. They treated employees well here. “Working 9 to 5 making weather,” I said, as we headed back toward the entrance. “What a way to make a living. I’ll bet it pays really well.” “Well, I don’t like to brag,” said Rainbow, smugly. “Yes, you do,” interrupted Twilight, dryly. “Shut up,” grumbled Rainbow. “It pays the bills. Speaking of, now that you’ve gotten comfortable with cloud-walking, Dave, you’d better be on the lookout, cuz I just might drop you an invite to my house one of these days. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Casa de Dash!” “Please tell me you did not just say ‘Casa de Dash’,” said Twilight, wearily. *** As we exited the weather factory and started milling about some more, I caught sight of two ponies off in the distance. They were walking side-by-side and speaking animatedly to each other, heads bent close, as if they wanted to keep their voices down. It was only when we got close that I realized who they were, but I was even more baffled at the sight. One of them was Eagle Eye, the Cloudsdale representative of the Round Table, but the other was...Minister Ironmane! How had he gotten up here?! Did he know a Cloud-Walking Spell too? Twilight had spotted them too, and her eyes widened with surprise and delight. “Minister Ironmane!” she called. “Eagle Eye!” The two looked up sharply, surprised at the interruption, but their features relaxed when they saw it was us. “Ah, greetings, Twilight Sparkle,” said Ironmane, civilly. “And, I believe, Rainbow Dash, is it?” “Yep!” said Rainbow. “That’s me!” “And you too, David?” Ironmane went on. “Fancy seeing you up here. I wasn’t under the impression that humans could walk on clouds.” “Cloud-Walking Spell,” I said. “Same for you?” “Indeed. It was necessary, as I had to discuss some matters with Eagle Eye.” “How you doing, new guy?” she asked, in a friendly tone. “Not too bad,” I said. “I still can’t believe I’m up here, though, in a city of clouds. We’ve got nothing like it back home. They’ll never believe this when I tell them.” “Did you see the Wonderbolts flying by earlier?” asked Eagle Eye. “Sure did!” I said. “It was the first time I’ve ever seen them in person. Don’t you captain a squad of fliers too, Eagle Eye?” “Yeah, the Stormwings,” said Rainbow, idley. “They’re pretty good.” “Only pretty good?” asked Eagle Eye, raising an eyebrow. Uh oh. This didn’t bode well. “Uh, what she meant was-” Twilight began, nervously. “Well, no offense,” Rainbow went on, as if she hadn’t heard, “but compared to the Wonderbolts...Well, let’s just say the flight choreography could use some work. Kinda sloppy.” “Rainbow!” Twilight snapped, outraged, before turning to Eagle Eye. “Please excuse her, Eagle Eye. She didn’t mean-” “Don’t worry about it,” said Eagle Eye, amiably. “I’m on good terms with Spitfire, but that doesn’t mean our squads don’t butt heads every now and then.” She frowned slightly. “Without me supervising them, there’s no telling what those lunks of mine’ll get up to, trying to mess with the ‘Bolts. It’s like babysitting a college fraternity.” “Sounds rough,” I said. “Yeah, but it’s all worth it,” said Eagle Eye, with a small smile. “Well, I really hate to cut this short, Dave, but the minister and I still have some stuff to go over.” “Yes,” said Ironmane. “It’s imperative that this matter be settled as soon as possible, so I hope you understand, David.” There was a slight note of agitation in his voice, and I didn’t find it right to butt in about what his business was with Eagle Eye. “O-Of course!” I said. “I understand. I’ll see you two later, then.” “Good day, David,” said Ironmane, and as he and Eagle Eye strode past, they started up their conversation again, but I couldn’t catch a word of it. However, as he strode off, I could have sworn I saw the flag of a pennant waving beneath his cloak, bearing an ‘S’ and ‘W’ superimposed before crossed bolts of lightning. Did that stand for the Stormwings? “Fancy seeing Minister Ironmane up here,” said Twilight. “Bet you didn’t expect that, did you, Dave?” “Nope,” I said. Then, all of a sudden, I realized something, and smacked my forehead with my palm. “What is it?” Rainbow asked. “Nuts,” I muttered. “If I’d known Ironmane was going to be here, I’d have given him my report!” “Oh, don’t worry about it,” said Twilight, calmly. “You couldn’t have known. You’ll see him on Sunday, like always, and then you’ll be able to give it to him.” “Yeah, I spose you’re right,” I said. “Come on, guys,” said Rainbow. “Let’s go grab some lunch. I know the perfect spot, too: the Cloud 9 Cafe! ‘Food light as air, and light on your bits’!” “Catchy,” I said, as we went along. “Wonder what Moonlight would think of that.” *** I had to admit, despite my earlier freak-out, I was glad I’d come along on this trip. There was only one thing that bothered me, however. There were plenty of pegasi who stopped to stare as we went by, no doubt mystified at seeing a human who could walk on clouds. Some were pleasant enough when we said hi, but there were several who didn’t seem too keen on my being there. Their dirty looks were vividly imprinted in my brain even after they’d already gone. I wondered if they’d taken my yell of being the ‘king of the world’ seriously... “Just ignore them, dude,” said Rainbow, as we were making our way back to the balloon. “Remember when we first met? I told ya we'd never even seen a human before you, and we’d accepted what we heard about them in the past. They just need some time to get to know you better.” “If you say so,” I said, unconvinced, “though I doubt they’re interested in ‘getting to know’ me.” “Well, here he is now,” came a sudden, deep male voice. “The ‘King of the World’ himself.” Turning around, we found ourselves face to face with a stallion. He was a middle-aged, chestnut pegasus with a full, well-groomed mustache, black with graying tips. His mane and tail showed the same level of meticulous grooming and care, as well as grayness at the ends. He had an open book for a cutie mark. “Can we help you, Professor High Brow?” Rainbow asked. “Actually, Miss Dash,” said the stallion, “you can help me by telling me what on Earth you were thinking.” “Huh?” “A mare your age, born and raised in Cloudsdale, should have more sense than this: bringing one of his kind up here. They weren’t meant to walk on clouds, unless he possesses some devilish magic they didn’t care to put in the textbooks. Wouldn’t surprise me.” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. On the one hand, being accused of possessing dark magic was insulting. On the other, it was kind of amusing that a magical flying pony was accusing me of being a magical mythical being. “He’s nothing like that, Professor,” retorted Rainbow, in a calm tone, but with an edge nonetheless. “I’ve known him for over 4 months now, and he’s nothing like you and the rest of Cloudsdale’s teachers have been making humans out to be.” “4 months? Ha!” scoffed High Brow. “A mere second compared to the companionship they shared with the princesses, and judging by the fact that they no longer walk these lands, you can see how well that turned out.” W-What? “What do you mean by that?” I asked. “Don’t tell me you don’t know,” said High Brow, casting me a contemptuous look. “You don’t know why humans have long become a myth to Equestria, why long-established ties between them and Princess Celestia were severed, and they retreated back across the sea where they belonged?” Across the sea? … Wait a minute… Did that mean…? “Come on, Dave, Twi,” said Rainbow, her tail flicking. “We’re going.” “Right,” said Twilight. “Er, right,” I said. We climbed back into the balloon, Twilight operating the mechanism. I sat myself back down on the bottom of the basket, Rainbow right beside me. Professor High Brow’s eyes never left me as we shifted off and began to drift away, but eventually, he turned around and flew away. Rainbow snorted steam through her nostrils. “Stubborn old coot,” she grumbled. “Dave could teach him and everypony else a thing or two.” “Just let it go, Rainbow,” said Twilight. “They’ll come to understand in time.” “But it’s not fair,” Rainbow went on. “Just because the humans of the past are all gone, the second that a new one comes along, they judge him like the rest!” “I understand, Rainbow,” said Twilight, patiently, “but you can’t just…” As they argued and debated, I was lost in my own thoughts. That Professor High Brow said that the humans that had made contact with Equestria years and years ago lived ‘across the sea’. My history book from the princesses described the orthros as being one of the first tamed Equestrian creatures to be exported as pets to countries ‘across the sea’. Was it a coincidence? Or was there a connection? “Dave?” “Uh? What?” I gave my head a shake to regain my focus, then looked over at Rainbow. “You say something, Rainbow?” “I was just asking if you had a good time in Cloudsdale.” “Oh! Yeah, definitely! Thanks a bunch for bringing me, Rainbow. I really appreciate it.” “No sweat, dude,” she said, smiling and putting a hoof across my shoulders. “Glad I could show you around. Don’t let what High Brow said bug you, though. We’ll show them what humans are really like one of these days, kick those old stories to the curb.” “If you say so,” I said. “So we’ll just drop you off back at home, in time for a bite before bowling,” said Rainbow. “Bring ‘er down smoothly, Twi.” “Aye-aye, Captain Dash,” said Twilight, sarcastically, as the balloon began to descend back toward Ponyville. Now that I was back inside, the old anxiety of being in the air unsupported beyond this balloon came rushing back, and I stayed huddled up until we were safely back on blessed terra firma. *** “Cloudsdale?!” “Like I said, Cloud-Walking Spell and everything. It was pretty cool.” I was bringing my teammates up to speed on what I’d been up to that day. As none of them were pegasi, they were naturally amazed and envious. For my part, I was temporarily taken up in how smoothly my new ball was working out. The finger holes were making the game so much easier. “Shoot, what Ah wouldnt give to go up there maself one of these days,” said Big Mac. “Tell me about it,” said Magnum. “It’d be great, takin’ a ride up there with the girls when the weather warms up. Sounds like you had a swell time there, though, Dave.” “Definitely,” I said. “Hey, Caramel?” “Mm?” “I’ve been meaning to ask: how are things going between you and...Sassaflash, was it?” “Oh!” said Caramel, a big smile spreading on his face. “Funny you should ask that, Dave. I hadn’t had the chance to tell you guys yet, but…” Everyone turned to look at him, seeming to catch the meaning behind what he was saying, or rather not saying. Even the girls looked over. “Wait,” said Big Mac, “do ya mean-?” “I do!” said Caramel. “I finally got up the courage to ask her. I popped the question on New Year’s Day!” “And?” Magnum prompted, eagerly. “And she said yes!” I wasn’t normally a cheering person, but even I couldn’t help joining in the celebratory yelling. “Congratulations, Caramel!” boomed Big Mac. “Knew ya could do it!” said Magnum. “That’s great news!” I said. “Thanks, guys,” said Caramel. “We’ve still got yet to fix a definite date, but Sassa and I are officially engaged.” “Oh, how romantic!” said Bon Bon. “I love weddings!” “Aw, don’t get sappy on me, Bonnie,” grumbled Lyra. “It’s like you’re trying to drench the world’s biggest pancake.” “You would find a way to kill the mood, Lyra,” retorted Bon Bon. “It’s just that the last time I was a bridesmaid, I didn’t even get to go to the wedding.” From there, most of the conversation was monopolized by talk about the engagement, plans for the wedding, etc. It wasn’t really my thing, so I didn’t offer any input and stuck to bowling. Screwball seemed to have a similar mindset, but I wasn’t too sure, since she never said anything anyway. What I did note, however, was the frequency with which Cheerilee would steal a glance at Big Mac when they were talking about wedding plans. I don’t know if he caught on to them, but then again, I wondered if I was even reading those signs right. It was a fun night, just like the previous two, and this time, when I got home, there was no Vinyl freezing on the doorstep. As I got ready for bed, I couldn’t help remembering what that Professor High Brow had been talking about. He said the humans of the past had had strong ties with Princess Celestia, but something had obviously made them go sour, as they went back home ‘across the sea’, as he put it. What was it that ended their companionship, if my hypothesis even was correct to begin with? There was only one way to find out. *** “You’re going to what?” I had decided to go to Twilight with my decision the next day, since she was the princess’s protege, after all. After surviving yet another morning walk with Bon Bon and Lyra, I made my way to the library, where Twilight and Spike were once again reading by the fire. “I’m going to ask Princess Celestia about her relationship to the humans of the past,” I said. “I feel like I have a right to know.” “You’re making it sound like she’s deliberately keeping it a secret from you.” “She said the first time I asked wasn’t the right time. After reading what I found in the history book and hearing what that High Brow guy had to say, I feel like I deserve to hear it from the horse- er, pony’s mouth.” “Mm, I don’t know, Dave,” said Twilight, uncertainly. “If Princess Celestia didn’t want to answer you the first time, I don’t see what difference asking her now will do. She might not have meant for you to ask again.” “That just sounds ridiculous,” I said. “Eh, Twilight’s just worried that if you pester her about it, she might bash you with the sun or something,” said Spike, casually. “That is not true!” snapped Twilight. “Says the pony who made a checklist of how not to be burned to a crisp if the sun were to land on her head,” quipped Spike. “That was different!” growled Twilight. Spike started to laugh, but all of a sudden, his cheeks bulged, and he clapped a claw over his mouth. I only just realized what it meant, since it’d been a while since I’d seen it, when he let out an almighty belch, followed by a tongue of his green flames. However, instead of one scroll, there were two floating in mid-air. “Two at once?” Twilight asked. “I don’t think that’s ever happened before.” “Must be something urgent,” I said, “if it’s two at once.” She plucked the scrolls out of the air, opened one, scanned its contents, and let out an ‘Oh!” of surprise. “What is it?” Spike asked. “This one’s for you, Dave,” said Twilight, handing it to me. “For me?” I asked, puzzled. Looking down at the parchment, I read, “David, Your presence is required at the Foreign Relations council room. Make haste, for time is of the essence. You will be informed of the situation when you arrive. Sincerely, Minister Ironmane” “Minister Ironmane wants me in Canterlot immediately,” I said. “Sorry, guys, but I need to get going. Who knows what this is about?” Twilight didn’t answer. Her eyes were glued to her own scroll, a look of dread on her face. “Twi?” I asked. “Are you ok?” Still no answer. “Twilight?” questioned Spike. “What’s the matter?” “...A test…” Twilight murmured. “Pardon?” I asked. “A test...Princess Celestia...a test...me…” “Uh oh,” muttered Spike, as if he knew where this was going. “Dave, you should probably get going. Like, right now.” “Er, right,” I said, bemused, “but-” “It’ll be fine, just hurry,” said Spike. “Uh, got it.” Taking my message with me, I hurried out of the library, but not fast enough to outrun the sound of a panicked squeal from Twilight. Whatever this ‘test’ was, I couldn’t help but feel like it had something to do with what Ironmane was summoning me for. If it was something that couldn’t be put to writing, and needed to be said when I got there, then this was something huge indeed. I just hoped I was up to it.