Scootaloo had been told several times that she would visit Cloudsdale someday, but she never really believed it. She had dreamt of visiting Rainbow Dash's old house, the weather factory, and all the places she used to frequent. All of these amazing features and more had seemed so distant for so long, yet here she was, packing for her first-ever trip to the City of Clouds.
Scootaloo only needed her one tiny set of saddlebags, since she was packing quite small things. While that helped speed things along, she was also a very excited little filly, which helped her rush the job. She didn't want to show her excitement too much, but she was finding it hard to resist.
She had always wanted to visit Cloudsdale, and for years, she has heard tales of its beauty. Apparently, seeing sunrise and sunset from the city's view was something to behold, and that was yet another prospect that had the filly ready and raring to go. Now, this little filly was never one for true sentiment or deep attachments to things like meaningful conversations about pretty sunsets. But the idea of this visit had her excited to see one. Her mother and father had overheard this excitement at one point and were surprised at their daughter's eagerness.
She was also excited to see the result of this visit. If Twilight was right, Scootaloo would get her magic replenished. But… How exactly was this supposed to work? Would she have to perform a Sonic Rainboom? Would she have to move some clouds around? Would she just sit there and absorb magic like a sponge with wings?
Twilight and Rainbow were also unsure how this process would work, but Twilight seemed certain that things would play out in the end. Twilight does have wings now, surely she has done some research, she thought to herself as she finished the last of her packing. Knowing how much Twilight liked to study, Scoots was sure she would have read a couple hundred books on pegasi by now.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by her mother's voice calling her down. Smiling ear to ear, she hoisted her bags onto her haunches and trotted down the stairs.
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Two mares and a filly stared up at a cluster of clouds above them, bustling with ponies.
"Here we are,” Rainbow Dash announced with an air of pride. “Cloudsdale, home of the best pegasi racing in all of Equestria – and, of course, yours truly!"
Scootaloo gazed up in awe from her spot on the ground. Twilight had been to Cloudsdale many times before, so she was not as phased as the young pegasus was. She agreed that Cloudsdale was a beautiful city, but Scootaloo was undoubtedly astounded by the sight.
The city was immensely large to the filly, yet surprisingly spaced out, bustling with pegasi who thrived on its floating clouds. Many small and large buildings stood in various places, towering above any grounded pony. Streams of liquid rainbow poured off clouds overhead, splashing to the ground in the ponds and lakes created by the constant flow of their streams.
Reconciling her thoughts, Scootaloo shook her head as the two mares looked down at her. "Well squirt, you ready to go?" Rainbow asked, meeting the filly's eyes with a grin.
Scootaloo took a deep breath before uttering, "I'm ready".
Twilight smiled at the two. "Remember Scootaloo, you're there to find your magic. Think like a pegasus, and you will react like one. You can't fall through the clouds".
Scootaloo nodded before thanking Twilight. Rainbow knelt down for Scoots to hop on, and with their goodbye's said, the two sped off to the city towering above them.
It was a short flight, but Scootaloo loved every second of it. Whenever Dash took Scootaloo for a flight, she always closed her eyes and flapped her wings in the wind, pretending she was flying. It felt great, until she opened her eyes and set her hooves on the ground.
But this time was different. Her hooves were set on clouds. No more than a few seconds after landing, Scootaloo was looking around rapidly, scanning every inch of her otherworldly surroundings.
"Whoa, hang on there, squirt – don't get ahead of yourself," Rainbow said, dashing in front of the orange filly who was subconsciously trotting away.
"Sorry Rainbow, it's just… so amazing," she said, her eyes wide with excitement.
Dash laughed at the sight of her 'lil' sis' as she trotted up beside her. She too looked around at the familiar setting, remembering the streets and buildings from her childhood. A warm smile formed for a moment before she shook her head, pulling Scootaloo toward her with a wing. "It's only midday, so let's go check out the heart of Cloudsdale!" Leaning down, Rainbow motioned for the filly to hop on her back once more. After clambering on, Scootaloo watched happily from her spot as Rainbow led them down the main streets of Cloudsdale.
Upon arriving in downtown, Scootaloo immediately felt odd. She couldn't tell if it was just her nervousness, excitement, or nothing at all. Her hooves were almost shaking, and she felt like she had butterflies in her belly. Rainbow Dash seemingly didn't notice her uneasiness, which was most likely a good thing. Whatever the reason, she guessed she would figure it out later – she was too concerned with taking in the sights and sounds to be bothered by anything else. They wandered around for a while, avoiding flying at most costs.
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After many hours of touring the different corners of Cloudsdale, the sun began to set. Though Scootaloo was still excited, Rainbow knew it would probably be best to head to her parent's house soon. Dash's parents had left for a vacation in Rainbow Falls some time before, leaving her with the key to their cloud home per usual.
The two sat on the outskirts of the city, admiring the sky. Scootaloo's eyes were fixated on the horizon, stained with brilliant shades of pinks, oranges, lavenders and blues. Distant clouds appeared to illuminate in the glow of the setting sun. They almost seemed reachable, as if Scootaloo could just fly out and touch them, caress them.
She had never seen anything like it. It was mesmerizing, but only for a short while. In that short while though, she thought about how her magical transformation would occur. Would it be painful? Probably not, she figured, since it's only magic. The whole concept was still a little confusing to her, but no matter the confusion, she was still determined to see her goal through. She would do her best to act like any other pegasus during her visit, doing all the things that other pegasi do.
The sky blue mare beside her switched her focus from the horizon to the filly, who was still lost in thought. Not wanting to disturb her anymore than necessary, Rainbow Dash waited until the sun slipped under the horizon before she spoke again. "Hey Scoots, I think it's time to head back to my folks' place.” Smiling warmly at the filly, she added, “You look pretty exhausted, anyway.” Scootaloo nodded tiredly toward her before Rainbow gave her a pat on the head.
As Scootaloo stood to her hooves to walk back with Rainbow, she suddenly shivered, vibrations cascading down her spine. Then, she felt like something had clicked within her, as if the sun's warmth had suddenly enveloped her and washed away her cold. Was it the beauty of the sun and the sky? That was the first idea that popped into her head, so she went with it. The experience certainly felt magical enough to her.
And so, the two pegasi, tall and small, meandered back into the City of Clouds.