//------------------------------//
// ...Where Dreams And Wonders Come True... 
// Story: What Goes Up... 
// by WonderDash 
//------------------------------//

Maybe I should go look for my friends. But how? They could be anywhere. Ponyville is big enough, but Cloudsdale? How am I going to find six ponies when there is literally multiple layers of of city to go through?

Oh well, at least I have three hours.

By now entire Cloudsdale is buzzing about this afternoon. All different ponies running back and forth, hotels and inns stock full of outsiders, and the weather factory must be getting a lot of visitors. I hope they don't almost ruin winter again, because I don't want to have to deal with Miss Mayor complaining about how "every Winter Wrap-up is always late for spring" and a serious drought. Seriously, is there Celestia enforced rule that Spring must come on a certain day, no soon no later? It's ridiculous. Why do we have to interfere when nature can awake my itself?

I become furious at the mayor for just a second.

Then again, the new visitors probably won't have physical wings anyway...

"Come on, Rainbow Dash. Focus, you've got a big day ahead of you. Stop being such an introvert and go find your friends!"
I mutter under my breath.

I start walking down the fluffy sidewalk, thinking about possible locations for where they are located. I was thinking about the weather factory, so why not start there?

As I trot down the street, I notice that I'm getting many looks from other ponies. Some are smiling, some are staring, some are cheering, some are clopping their hooves. For a while, I have no idea what was going on. Then I realize that I still have my Wonderbolt uniform on. Wearing this seems to attract all the attention of every pony I pass. I even sign a little filly's Wonderbolt doll. Even though the doll is Soarin' and not me, I am happy to do it anyway. More and more ponies look out into the streets and wish me good luck this afternoon. Raising my head high and proud, I continue walking in triumph.

So this is what's like to be a Wonderbolt.

For the first few moments everything is perfect, but then things start to get a little out of hand. More and more ponies want my signature on basically anywhere they can think of. I am happy to do it, but staying in one spot for more than five minutes signing stuff isn't going to aid my search for my friends. I continue to walk faster, but soon a whole crowd starts to form around me, barely allowing me room to walk. I have to push my way through the crowd. When that isn't enough, I resort to flying to the weather factory. Thank Celestia Twilight's spell is the 'ability to stand on clouds' spell and not the 'temporary wings spell'.

As I get closer to the weather factory, I have to fly lower because I want to dodge the lightning clouds that it is making. Don't want to show up at the event all frayed and fried. Eventually I am forced to land because the sky is getting too condense with lightning. Here, there is no difference than before. 

Apparently my "fans" followed me all the way here, and were just waiting for me to come down. I gallop to the factory as fast I can. That's when I notice the large metals doors coming down from the top. They're closing the gates! No turning back now. I break out into a sprint gallop and slide under the gates just in time for the metal door to slam shut behind me. I'm glad I still had my uniform, because the guards were turning their heads to look at me. Seeing a Wonderbolt, they just resumed their posts. Employees everywhere have a look of shock and unbelief on their faces. Huffing and puffing, I turn to my astonished audience to address them. 

"Huff - - Sorry for - - the disturbance. - - First time - - on the crew."

Their faces turn to a face of understanding and resume their work. I'm surprised that no visitors are here. Maybe they are closing for the day just for the upcoming afternoon.

I start looking for my friends, or even better the manager. Stopping to catch my breath, I finally observe my surroundings. When I was filly, I have always been amazing at how the weather factory is organized. Everything so colorful and beautiful, it simply blew my little filly's mind. There is no difference in me nowadays.

The weather factory is massive on the outside, but even more so on the inside. The sky-blue ceiling is up so high and beautifully decorated with clouds that you can never tell that there is a ceiling. All different types of machines whir and crank as they create different types of clouds. The machines are all connected to a huge water supply by pipe. The supply is still rather full from my organized tornado water transfer not too long ago. In the winter chamber, pegasi are working nonstop on creating every unique snowflake hoof-made. I still have no idea how they do it by every winter. The spherical observatory at the highest point of the factory is still standing there. I remember that part was first piece of the factory to be constructed. The courtyard is where the rainbow fountain is located. As I search for my friends all but in vain, I decide to go there to look.

Sadly, they were not. However, I do manage to bump into the head manager. Here, we call him Mr. Weather, sometimes The WeatherPony when he's outside the factory.

"Whoa, a Wonderbolt! Never see you guys around here often. How can I help you?"

"I am looking for five ponies. Two unicorns, two earth ponies, and one pegasus. Have they been around here?"

"As a matter in fact, yes. They just left through the second exit just as we were closing the main entrance. If you are trying to get to them, I overheard them talking about going to the Grand Mansion."

"Ok, thanks."

"No problem. Anything for a Wonderbolt."

The moment that he turns around, I bolt for the second exit. Being on over a hundred tours of the weather factory since I was a filly, I know the entire layout of the factory. At the exit, the sky is clear of any thunderclouds, so I am free to just fly from the start. Just when I thought I know where I am going, it suddenly occurs to me that I have no idea where in Cloudsdale is the Grand Mansion. Must be a new installment or some rich pony's house. Well, if it's THE Grand Mansion, then it probably won't be hard to spot.

A distant BONG...

I realize that is already twelve. I spent a whole forty-five minutes wandering in the weather factory. Now I've only got two hours to find my friends.

Two hours...