//------------------------------// // Meeting up // Story: Family Traditions // by randomkid //------------------------------// "Come on Fluttershy! We have to get moving." Rainbow called from outside Fluttershy's cottage. "I'll be out in a minute. I need to say good-bye to all the animals." Fluttershy called back. "Well hurry up! It's freezing out here." Rainbow replied. The cold winds whipped at Rainbow's coat and the snow beneath her hooves chilled her. "Besides, I don't want to be late again. Last year my parents thought I was eaten." The door finally swung open to Fluttershy revealing her layers upon layers of jackets and scarves. "I'm ready." Rainbow rolled her eyes. It was always like this. Fluttershy would always put on way too many layers and it would slow them down. "I tell you every year Fluttershy, it's never that cold. You act like we're beening attacked by windigoes." "It never hurts to be prepared." Fluttershy said confidently. "You never wear enough." She said pointing to Rainbow. Rainbow smiled. "Whatever. Are you sure you're ready?" Fluttershy nodded. "Ok good. Now try to keep up!" Rainbow shouted before taking off slower than usual so she doesn't leave Fluttershy miles behind. Rainbow felt good to be in the air again, she hated walking in the winter because of all the snow freezing her hooves. Sure she still loved winter but she also avoids the ground most of the time. After a few minutes Fluttershy caught back up with Rainbow, panting. "Aw, I would have thought you'd be able to keep up this year." Rainbow said jokingly. Fluttershy was too tired to speak, not to mention all the stuff she was carrying and the fact that her flying was extremely resricted due to her multiple layers. "Here, I'll take the bags. You look like you're gonna pass out." Rainbow said grabbing Fluttershy's bags. Fluttershy squeeked a "Thank you" to her as the weight was lifted from her back. "Yah know you don't need to bring this much stuff right? My parents always bring extra clothes." Rainbow told her. "That's only because you kept forgetting to bring clothes." Fluttershy said. "Besides what if they didn't bring enough?" Rainbow wrapped a hoof around her yellow friend. "You're such a worry wort Flutters. What would you ever do without me?" Rainbow asked, giving her a noogie. "Yeah what would I EVER do without you Rainbow." Fluttershy joked rolling her eyes. "Hey Rainbow Dash!" The two pegasi heard a young voice call out. The two looked to see a small orange pegasus filly on the ground. "Hey where you two goin'?" She asked. "Oh hey Scoots. Me and Fluttershy here are headed out to Cloudsdale for Hearth's warming." Rainbow told her number one fan. "Cool. I was just running to the store and thought I'd see what you two were doing." Scootaloo told them. "What happened to your friends? I would have thought you'd be with them." Fluttershy said. "Oh. Well, both Apple bloom and Sweetie Belle are away for the holidays this year." Scootaloo said frowning slightly. "But that gives me more time to spend with my dad! He comes back from gaurd duty every year to check up on me and mom." "Well I hope you have a good time with your dad." Rainbow told Scootaloo. "We, however, need to get to Cloudsdale. I'll see yah around!" Rainbow and Fluttershy started to fly away. "You two too!" Scootaloo shouted as she waved. "See you later Rainbow!" Rainbow and Fluttershy waved before they disappeared into the sky. A little while later... "Hey I can see the house right there!" Rainbow shouted pointing to the house of her childhood. "Come on Fluttershy! Everyone is waiting for us!" The two landed on the front step and Rainbow knocked on the door. "I'll get it!" A stallion's voice called out from inside. The door swung open to reveal a light purple coated stallion with a similar Rainbow mane. "Dashie! It's good to see you!" Rainbow Blaze said giving his daughter a hug. "Thanks pops. But you don't need to be so mushy." Rainbow said hugging back. "How's mom?" "She's great. She's inside right now making dinner." Blaze let go of his daughter and noticed a familiar yellow pegasus. "Ah Fluttershy it's good to see you. Always the quiet one. Well come in, come in." Blaze welcomed them in. "Thank you Mr Blaze." Fluttershy said entering the cloud house. The two were instantly greeted by a purple coated mare with a puffy pink mane and the same colored eyes as Rainbow. "Rainbow, Fluttershy, It's good to see you two again." The mare pulled the two into a hug. "How have you two been?" "Hey mom, I've been doing awesome! I got to perform with the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow told her. "Oh I'm so happy for you!" Rainbowshine said giving her daughter another hug. "And how about you Fluttershy, anything interesting?" She asked turning to Fluttershy. "Oh I'm doing lovely miss Rainbowshine." Fluttershy said smiling. "Oh but um where are my parents and brother?" "Yes them. They are meeting up with Soarin's dad and are going to be here shortly." Blaze said joining the three mares in the living room. "Wait they're usually here by now." Rainbow stated. "What's taking them so long?" "Oh Soarin's dad is bringing his famous spicy bean dip. You know how long it takes for him to get it just right." Shine told Dash. "Wait Soarin's dad is bringing the bean dip?! Yes! I love that stuff!" Rainbow shouted. "Is that the sound of an annoying little sister I hear?" A male voice called from upstairs. "You know it is!" Rainbow shouted to her older brother upstairs. Rainbow climbed the stairs to see Rainbow Blitz sitting on the bed in his old room. Blitz held his infant son in his hooves as he tried to rock the colt to sleep. "Did yah miss me?" Dash asked. "Damn it Dash. You always wake the baby when you're here." Blitz said holding his baby Rainbow Prism. "Aw he's fine with it. Little prisy loves me." Rainbow said as Prism took Rainbow's hoof and stuck it in his mouth. "And watch your mouth around the baby." Dash said lightly slapping her brother with her free hoof. Prism laughed seeing Blitz get slapped. "Great. He can't even think for himself yet and he's siding with you." Blitz complained. "See, the kid knows what's up." Rainbow laughed. "It's good to see you again Blitz." "Yeah you too." Blitz said pulling Dash into a hug. "Why is everybody so huggy today?" Rainbow asked. "So is Fluttershy here?" Blitz asked completely ignoring his sister's comment. "Oh yeah she's still down stairs. She's still talking to mom and pops." Rainbow told him. "So, when do I get to take this little one out for a test flight?" Rainbow asked grabbing Prism from Blitz's hooves and raising the colt up to look at him. Prism smiled and laughed at the silly pony holding him. "When I'm sure Prism won't end up half-way through a wall." Blitz said taking Prism back. "When you were a kid we practically had to keep you on a leash to stop you from jumping off anything remotely high." "Aw but the kid will have so much fun." Rainbow said fake pouting. "When you have your own kids then you can let them get as many concussions as you want." Blitz said jokingly. Dash was about to say something but was interrupted by Prism yawning loudly. Prism curled up to Blitz and fell asleep. "Well now that he's asleep we can-" Blitz was whispering when a voice shouted. "Dashie! I'm here!" The voice came from downstairs. Then Prism woke right back up. Needless to say he wasn't to happy and decided to express that by crying. "Soarin!" Rainbow shouted flying down the stairs and leaving Blitz in the room by himself. "Dash wait!" Blitz called out... but she was already gone. "Damn it Dash" He said trying to rock Prism back to sleep. Rainbow ran down the stairs and tackled the visitor. "Hey Soarin!" Rainbow said sitting on her favorite stallion's stomache. "Hi Soarin." Fluttershy said popping her head into his view. "Hey girls. How's it going?" Soarin asked, his breathing restricted.