“Ahoy! Down there! What town is this?”
Rainbow Dash looked up at the sound, which was odd. Not the sound – that was pretty normal. What was odd was that she had to look up. In her world, other ponies were down below, and she was on top.
She was on top in lots of ways. Physically, of course, being way up in the sky, but also just all-around awesomer than most ponies. It was hard work being the best, but she managed.
Naps helped. Naps on clouds, like the one the strange coming-from-above voice had just woken her from. She squinted up at the sky, where a huge shape blotted out the sun.
Huh.
She leapt, wings beating, and soared around the strange object. It was an airship, with a long wood gondola suspended from a gas envelope the size of a house. Sails and planes and rigging and spars protruded from it like a lionfish’s fins. Beneath them, perched on the tip of the long bowsprit, was a sandy pegasus. He waved.
Dash zoomed down to hover beside him (and above him, because she was on top). “Who are you?”
“I’m Nutmeg!” he called. “And what town was this, again?”
Rainbow Dash ignored him and flew a few lazy orbits around the airship. It had a homemade look to it, all stitched and planked together, with no two parts the same. But it was sleek, and when the wind blew it twisted effortlessly, sails and fins aligning to keep it straight.
She flew back down to the gondola. “You’re a pegasus. Why are you in an airship?”
“Why, for hunting, of course! You need an airship to hunt icebergs. Also, I really would like to know what town—”
“You can’t hunt icebergs!” Rainbow Dash said. A touch of anger infused her voice now. “Icebergs just sit in the water. Besides, you’d need a boat.”
“Ah, those are normal icebergs. I’m hunting air icebergs!” Nutmeg patted the spar beneath him with a hoof. “Need an airship for that.”
That was dumb. “That’s dumb. And you’re dumb.”
“That’s what most ponies say, before they see their first air iceberg.” He took on a dreamy look and sighed. “They’re magnificent, really. A treasure. Until you see one… hm, you know, you strike me as the adventuring type. Would you like to join me? With the two of us, we could net a big one!”
She rolled her eyes. “Look, bud, I’m busy here, alright? I’ve got stuff to do. Stuff, like, uh… stuff. So why don’t you just go hunting or whatever?” She snickered and turned to fly off, and as she zipped away she called back. “And it’s Ponyville!”
* * *
Nutmeg’s airship was back a week later. He tied up on the spire above the Carousel Boutique. Towed behind his ship was a massive iceberg, easily five-hundred feet across. It bobbed in the air over half the town, shedding cold wind and snow. Ponies gathered below it to ooh and aah in delight.
Rainbow Dash found him buying groceries in the market. She scowled and stomped her hoof. “Why are you back?”
“Ah, you again!” He grinned at her. “Ponyville happened to be on the way. Heading to Appleloosa with that beauty.”
Rainbow followed his gaze to the iceberg looming over them. It was a pretty nice iceberg. Towering and white, fading to a deep blue in the center. Almost the same color as her coat. She scowled.
“It’s dumb.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s dumb,” he said. “And I don’t think you do either, miss. In fact, with those wings of yours, I bet you could be the best iceberg wrangler of this generation. You’ve got that look, you know? I’m heading to Cloudsdale next, rumors of a big pack of bergs harassing the town. Could use some help.”
“Well, I am awesome,” Dash allowed. Then she frowned. “But icebergs are dumb and I don’t need any dumb airship. So, just take your iceberg and get outta here.”
And he did just that.
* * *
It was evening when Dash settled onto her cloud. Far to the west, Nutmeg’s iceberg was a dim retreating shape. She could still smell the ancient ice, even from miles away.
She glanced down at the town. The streets were emptying as ponies settled in for the night. Another day done. Just like yesterday. And the day before.
“Dammit, I’m dumb,” she mumbled. Her wings flared, and she took off in pursuit. "Wait!"