//------------------------------// // Take to the Sky // Story: No Elements, No Harmony // by Fret //------------------------------// It may not be the prettiest location, however Cloudsdale looked like heaven next to Ponyville. The clouds were still the clouds that they were in Twilight's world, just gradually drifting apart. There weren't many houses that were plausible, but they looked in better condition than the ones on the ground. Despite this, though, Twilight couldn't help but shiver at a different feature Cloudsdale owned. The few pegasi around Twilight were less than healthy, the feathers on their wings ruffled and some even hanging by their roots, and large bags had made their home under their eyes. Twilight turned to Fluttershy. The mare was staring blankly into nowhere, just going wherever her hooves were taking her. "So... Where exactly are we going?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable in the silence. "Wherever Rainbow Dash is, I suppose," Fluttershy shrugged. "Er... do you know where she is?" "No. But I do have an idea where she might be," she picked up the pace, denying any more questions. Twilight allowed her to stay a few lengths ahead, giving her a chance to study the scenery around her. Eventually, a fact caught her attention. All but the small amount of fillies roaming around the city, and a very tiny fraction of full grown ponies, were wearing a band around their hoof. Some wore orange, some wore green, some wore yellow, some wore blue... and so on. At this point, nothing was considered weird for her - especially anything to do with grouping ponies together. That was completely normal in this world. And yet it still sparked her curiosity. "Why is everypony colour coded?" Twilight raised a brow. "Those are ankle bands to mark what area of Equestria they are going to work at. I can't remember the codes for each colour... I think our village is red," she explained. "Does that mean Rainbow Dash may not be here?" her heart dropped. Fluttershy shook her head, however, "She should be here. When I was last here - back as a filly - she was training to be a lead weather pony. They usually don't go along with the parties that they're assigned to." "She leads the weather ponies?" Twilight blinked. "Why wouldn't she? She's a really good flyer," the pegasus replied. "Still have no idea why she would stand up for me... I was always going to be at the bottom of the barrel. Good thing I got out of it," she sighed, "or... that's what I've always thought. Now I'm not so sure..." Twilight's ears drooped, as she continued to follow the mare. --- The bright flash disappeared, revealing the two princesses to be standing right next to the Everfree forest. It was a relief to see that they were pretty much unharmed. Celestia let out a sigh. "Oh, that was pretty quick," a draconequus in front of them commented. He looked at a watch that had appeared on his arm, "Just under an hour I'd say." Celestia blinked, then turned back to Luna. "Luna... how did that happen? How did you get caught?" The younger alicorn looked up at her and breathed out, "Long story... I lost my temper with something and Solar Flare heard me and caught me." Discord's eyes widened. He seemed to be sipping a cup of water for some reason, but he immediately spat it out, the spray making contact with Luna's face. "Ew!" she stuck her tongue out, wiping the saliva and water mixture off of her coat with her hoof. Discord rubbed the water off of his mouth. "You're saying... Solar Flare knows about you now?" Luna's hoof drew imaginary circles on the ground. "Yeah..." she mused. "Does she know what we're trying to do?" Celestia urged. Thankfully, Luna shook her head, followed by a sigh of relief from the two of them. "However, she has the book with the spell." "WHAT?!" Celestia's jaw dropped. "It gets worse!" Luna interrupted, "She found those scribbles you two did at the back of the book. She knows Discord's up to something." With that being said, Discord planted a palm on his face. "Well I'm screwed. Thanks Lulu..." he said in a muffled voice. "She isn't going to come after us any time soon, however. And either way, she can't find us immediately," Celestia said. However, Discord gave her a smug look. "Actually, this will be the first place she'll look. Not for us, but for Fluttershy, because she's my 'owner'," his muzzle crinkled up. "Ugh... I've messed everything up!" Luna sat down and covered her face with her hooves. "Of course you didn't..." Celestia looked at her sister. "Err, she kinda did." Discord pointed out, only to get elbowed by the alicorn in reply. Luna just looked up from her hooves so she could get lost in her thoughts. "Hey... where's Twilight?" she suddenly asked with the realization. "Went to find Rainbow Dash with Fluttershy." Celestia said, "but Discord's right - it would be wise to get out of here before the queens take note that he's gone." The three started to walk away from the cottage, but then they stopped. "How will Twilight know where we're gone?" Luna pointed out. Celestia tapped her chin. "Luna, you take Discord back to the cave we were in a few... err... rests ago. I'm going to find Twilight," with that, she spread her vast wings in preparation for flight. Her sister didn't consider asking any more questions, instead watched her sister take off into the air. Once the white alicorn had reached the grey clouds, Luna turned towards the Everfree Forest and galloped towards their original shelter, not looking back to check if Discord was following her. --- "She should be around here," Fluttershy glanced around the pegasi flying around them in organized chaos. Twilight had no clue how they would find the mare they were looking for in the huge flock of ponies. "Any idea on how we're gonna find her?" Twilight murmured into Fluttershy's ear. The yellow pegasus looked at her, then turned her head ahead. "Yep. By looking forward," she tilted her head towards a familiar blue pegasus on the edge of the clouds. She stood next to a red flag, and seemed to be directing ponies to different areas of Equestria. Her hoof never pointed in the same direction, but they were around the same territory. Other ponies standing next to other coloured flags did the same - however pointed in much different directions. Some north, some east, some west. "I knew she'd be a lead weather pony," Fluttershy smiled, picking up her pace again. Twilight copied, and the two both trotted over to the edge of Cloudsdale. As they did, they began to hear Rainbow Dash's voice. "I don't care if there are two clouds or twenty clouds. They need to be all moved to Canterlot in the next hour. You got that?" She glared at a black stallion with a ice-blue mane. He sighed, then saluted at her. "Good, now scram," the blue mare ordered. The stallion obeyed her and fled. "Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy called, "Rainbow, over here!" The timid pegasus seemed out of character to be so excited to see somepony. Rainbow turned her head with her brow raised, as she glanced around for who just called her. It was hard to hear voices too clearly, there were quite a few ponies chatting and yelling in the background. Eventually, Rainbow's rose eyes fell onto Fluttershy, causing them to widen. "Err... Flutter...shy? Is that it? Is that you?" She turned her full body around to meet her. "Yep! It's me!" Fluttershy grinned. "Huh. Didn't expect to see you in Cloudsdale. I thought you moved to the ground back at flight training." She nodded. "Err... technically I fell. But either way, I preferred it down there. I felt more comfortable doing something I liked rather than something I was terrible at." The mention of that made Rainbow glance at her flank. "Oh hey! You got your cutie mark. So did I, while the race was going actually. I wanted to show you it... but you were gone when the race ended." The yellow pegasus' ears drooped. "Sorry. I should've at least said goodbye first. But it's funny, I got my cutie mark while the race was still going too." She glanced at the three butterflies on her rump. "It represents my talent of understanding animals on a different level. That's how I've lived my life ever since I left," a hint of guilt sparked in her eye just for a moment. "Well, it's nice to see you Flutters," Rainbow told her, turning back to the edge of the huge cloud they stood on. "I'd offer you to stay longer, but you should probably go back to the ground," she said flatly. Fluttershy just blinked. "Wha... but I just got here!" she protested. "It's not that I'm not happy to see an old friend, because I am. But pegasi or not, you chose your life down there-" she looked downwards. "-and you know the queens don't let pegasi on the ground back into Cloudsdale. That is... if they allowed you to stay on the ground." Fluttershy paused. She squinted, then spoke. "No. They didn't," she said, to Twilight's surprise. She trotted up to her side and leaned over to her ear. "But Fluttershy... you told me they did!" she whispered, only to have a hoof stuffed in her face. "Shh..." "Uhh... who's this?" Rainbow Dash raised a brow at Twilight. Fluttershy took her hoof out of her mouth. "Oh... this is Twilight," she explained, "she's a Princess." Twilight's eye twitched, followed by a hoof being planted on her face. "You weren't suppose to say that until later..." she groaned. "Oh.... sorry," Fluttershy murmured. A sigh escaped the alicorn as she took her hoof off of her face to look at Rainbow Dash again, who's facial expression was blank. "Wha... huh?" the pegasus turned back to her old friend for more of an explanation. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't of taken the risk in coming here... but I think I should leave the rest to her," she glanced at Twilight. The alicorn sighed again, "This is going to become a thing, isn't it?" she muttered, before beginning the story on how she was standing here. --- The cave was dark, and empty. There was no sound, not even a wind attempting to be heard in the little shelter it may have. The Princess sat in the corner, staring at her own hooves. She was giving them discipline for taking the wrong direction, and revealing everything in the most simplest task. She ignored the voice trying to catch her attention on the other side of the cave, and stayed lost in her thoughts. Everything would be better if I just wasn't here...