//------------------------------// // First Impressions // Story: Lost Pegasus // by Dreadnought //------------------------------// Chapter 2: First Impressions Air Heart stood in front of a mirror, looking at the mare staring back. This was the first time she had seen what she looked like. She could definitely see the family resemblance to Rainbow Dash. Her magenta eyes shone with the same fiery determination as Dash’s. But it was her rainbow colored mane and tail that most certainly stood out, making it obvious to anypony that the two were related. But whereas Rainbow possessed a fine cyan colored coat, Air Heart’s was bright orange. She unfolded her wings, stretching them out to their maximum wingspan. She couldn’t really look at them while lying in bed. Beautiful orange feathers covered her wings, matching the color of her coat. Spreading them out somehow felt…strange. She refolded her wings, pressing them tightly against her body. Her eyes wandered further. She noticed her lean body, like most pegasi, but she also possessed more muscle mass than a typical pegasus mare. Something didn’t look right though. She turned slightly to get a better view and a heavy frown spread across her face. She had a blank flank. No cutie mark. She was a mare who had yet to have her life-altering revelation. Knock knock. A voice called from the other side of the door. “Miss Heart? Are you ready?” “Yes.” She stopped looking in the mirror and turned to the door. It was time to leave the hospital…. *** Air Heart received her final paperwork before being discharged. It was rather scant given her concussion, but she took it with her anyways. She walked into the lobby to see Rainbow Dash sitting there waiting for her. “Good morning Air.” “Good morning Rainbow Dash.” “Ready to head to the Ponyville Weather Station?” “Yeah, I don’t want to miss any more work.” “Cool.” Rainbow Dash stood up and handed Air some saddle bags. “Here, take these for your stuff.” “Thank you.” “So let’s go!” The two stepped outside the hospital and began trotting down the paved walkway that led to the center of town. The sun shone brightly above as it climbed higher into the morning sky. A gentle breeze blew about the two mares. It truly was a beautiful day, easing Air’s apprehension, but just a little. Air Heart walked along silently, taking in all of Ponyville. Not remembering the town, if indeed she had ever visited, she wanted to take mental notes of everything about her new home. Most of the houses were plain timber-framed structures, with simple thatch roofs. Other buildings, mostly businesses, featured elaborate decoration and façades. Everywhere ponies of every type stood talking to friends or went about their business. After they passed through the center of town, Air turned to Rainbow Dash. “So – um, Rainbow?” “Yeah?” “Before we get there, I need to ask you a few things.” “What do you want to know?” “Well, first, do I have any other family? Any brothers or sisters?” “You were an only foal.” “So, no other family?” “No.” “Oh.” Air’s heart sank. “Rainbow?” “Yeah?” “I, um, was looking at myself in the mirror –” “Yeah?” more interest pervading Rainbow’s voice. “Well, I noticed that I don’t have a cutie mark.” “And?” “Shouldn’t I have my cutie mark by now?” “Well, you didn’t have one before you got here. Maybe you’ll get it here.” “Is that why I came to Ponyville?” “Oh, sure.” “Okay. So how far is it to the weather station?” “Not much farther.” After another minute of walking they reached a low two story building. Rainbow Dash trotted up to the front door and stepped inside. Hesitantly Air Heart followed her into the weather office. In the lobby there was plenty of open space. A large counter bisected the room, behind which a gray pegasus with a white mane busied himself with paperwork. As Rainbow reached the counter he looked up, “Hello Rainbow Dash. Back from the Wonderbolts? D’you pull another crazy stunt and get yourself kicked off the team?” “Ha-ha, very funny Tailspin. No, I’m here helping my cousin Air Heart. She’s gonna be working here.” She pointed to her right, only to realize that Air wasn’t standing next to her. She looked around behind her and motioned Air to come to the counter. “New weather pegasus eh? I don’t remember hearing about a new employee.” “Well, the paperwork is still getting processed.” “Well hello Miss –” He stopped as he saw Air Heart and her rainbow colored mane. “Your cousin? How could anypony tell?” he said with a slight laugh. “Well, I wanted to introduce Air Heart to the boss.” “Yeah, boss is here. Should be in her office.” “We’ll just show ourselves back.” “Sure you won’t get lost? You’ve been gone being a Wonderbolt a long time.” “Ha-ha,” she said in a mocking tone. “Only a few weeks.” Rainbow lifted the gate and the two mares disappeared into the back. They reached the office of the chief and Rainbow Dash knocked on the door. “Come in,” came a voice. Rainbow opened the door and the two mares stepped inside. The commander lowered the report she had been reading and looked at the two of them. “Hello Storm Front,” said Rainbow Dash. “That’s Chief Storm Front to you. You think I’ll cut you slack for being a Wonderbolt?” she said, failing to strangle the smile on her face. “Yes Ma’am!” Rainbow stood at an overstated attention and gave an exaggerated salute. “Oh relax Dash. So is this our new weather pegasus?” “Yeah, this is my cousin Air Heart.” “Hello Chief Storm Front,” said Air Heart. The Chief stood up at her desk to examine Air. “Rookies call me Chief Front,” she said, fighting to strangle her smile. “Yes Chief Front.” “Well, how much experience do you have with working the weather?” “Actually, she hasn’t done weather duties before,” interjected Dash. “Hmm…no weather experience. What did you do before?” “I – ” “She did, you know, this and that.” Chief examined the new pony to the station. “Ponyville is an easy first assignment. We have local pegasi working here along with some transfers. Even some from Cloudsdale who come here looking for plenty of time off to train for the Wonderbolts.” She shot a glance at Rainbow. “Still, we’ll have to spin you up. Come with me.” Chief Storm Front led the two mares upstairs to a door. She opened it, revealing a small tunnel. “I’d like you to go strap yourself in so we can measure you.” “Okay….Chief Front, what is this room?” “You’ve never been tested in a wind tunnel before?” “Well, I don’t know.” “You don’t know?” “Ah Chief, she kinda hit her head on the way to Ponyville and lost her memories,” explained Rainbow Dash. “Eh? You cousin’s not another Derpy is she?” “Derpy?” asked Air. “Local pegasus who causes all sorts of destruction,” stated Chief Front matter-of-factly. “No she isn’t. Just got hit by a gust of wind down in Ghastly Gorge.” “Ghastly Gorge? I noticed right away that you two look like you’re related; now I know that you two are related. Only somepony related to Dash would be crazy enough to fly through there.” She laughed for a moment. “Miss Heart, if you would,” said Chief Front as she motioned for Air to enter the wind tunnel. Air stepped inside and looked around. A fan capped one end of the tunnel while the other end widened before twisting upwards. She looked down and saw for leg straps attached to the floor. Carefully she slipped one onto her leg. “Miss Heart, the other way.” Air turned towards the fan and slipped the straps on and tightened each. Chief Front seemed satisfied and closed the door. Then a voice came from a speaker, “When you are ready.” She began flapping her wings, creating a gentle breeze in the tunnel. Grudgingly the fan began to spin at a slow rate. She flapped her wings with a little more force, causing the fan to turn slightly faster. “Miss Heart, we need maximum effort,” came a voice across the speaker. Air beat her wings harder. A powerful gust swept through the tunnel, spinning the fan even more rapidly and blowing her mane back. Feeling the sting of the wind in her eyes, she closed them to focus on her motions. Up down, up down. Something deep down told her this was unnatural, that she shouldn’t be doing this. Overriding those feelings with a wave of determination, she began to find her rhythm. She thrust her wings down, hitting maximum force midway through, then easing up just a little towards the end, finally pulling her wings upward with as little resistance as possible in preparation for the next downward stroke. She strained to create as high a wind speed as possible. “Faster! I know how fast – Dash give me that mic!” She pressed herself. She poured more force into each flap, pounding the air as hard as she could. The fan spun at a high rate. Still she pushed herself! She beat her wings faster and faster until she thought they would break off. She threw everything she had into each flap. The straps became incredibly taut as she drove herself to the very limit of her strength and endurance. Chief’s voice came loudly over the speaker. “That’s enough.” Air Heart slowed down. The wind slowly started to subside. The taut leg straps found slack. After a few moments she could stand without the draft blowing her over. The fan came to a slow rotation. Air slipped the straps off her legs, glad to rid of the shackles. The Chief opened the door and Air stepped out. “So, uh, how was I?” “You had fifteen wing power,” stated the Chief. “Is that good?” “Well, your cousin over there has a sixteen point five.” She smiled. “But with some practice you could probably beat her.” Rainbow Dash jumped in, “Hey, nopony is better than me!” “Relax Dash,” said the Chief. “Yeah,” said Dash calming down. “So now what?” asked Air. “Well, we have briefings for the next day at four. Today’s duties have already been assigned, so there’s not much to do until then. Come with me though.” Chief Front led the two mares downstairs to a small room. She rummaged through it until she produced five books. “Here. Read these to get started learning the basics of weather operations.” Air Heart took the books. “Thank you.” “So, I’ll be seeing you at four?” “Count on it,” said Rainbow Dash. “Well, I’ll see you then,” said Chief Front. Rainbow Dash led Air Heart back towards the front. “See you later, Rainbow Crash,” prodded Tailspin. “Yeah, that’s my official Wonderbolts call sign,” retorted Rainbow. The two mares found themselves standing in front of the weather office. “So, where are we going?” asked Air. Rainbow looked off into the distance at the clock tower. “Well, it’s late morning. How about an early lunch?” “Sounds good to me.” The two ponies trotted off to the center of town. Having traveled through Ponyville once, Air had a vague idea of where she was going. As the two mares passed through the market, they came across a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. “Hello Rainbow Dash,” she said. “Oh, hi Fluttershy,” responded Rainbow Dash. “Who is this?” asked Fluttershy. “Ah, this is my cousin Air Heart.” “I’m very pleased to meet you Air Heart.” “Nice to meet you Fluttershy.” “Are you visiting Dash?” “Actually, I’ll be taking Dash’s job at the Ponyville Weather Station.” “Oh Rainbow Dash, you didn’t tell me your cousin was coming to town.” “It was kinda a short notice.” Rainbow Dash awkwardly ran her hoof through her mane. “Have you met many ponies since coming here?” “Well, I met Chief Front and Tailspin at the weather office.” She hesitated. “And I met the staff of the Ponyville Hospital.” “The Hospital?” “Yeah, I kinda got hurt on my way here.” “Oh my. Are you alright?” “Yeah, I’m fine. Except I lost my memories.” “You lost your memories? Poor dear. Is there anything I can do to help you?” “Well I don’t think so. Doctor said my memories may not come back.” “That’s terrible! Well, perhaps you would like to come to my house for tea? I’m meeting Discord today but I don’t think he’d mind.” “Who’s Discord?” Fluttershy gave her a surprised look. “You don’t remember Discord?” Perhaps she can be a new friend who won’t have any preconceived notions thought Fluttershy. “Oh he’s really funny and nice. He’s just a big sweetheart.” Rainbow Dash snorted audibly. “Actually we were going to get lunch.” Fluttershy looked at Dash. “Oh, okay. Perhaps another time. It was nice to meet you Air Heart.” “Nice to meet you too Fluttershy.” “See you around later,” said Dash, waving to her friend. As they walked away, Air turned to Dash. “So, is Discord another pegasus?” “Trust me, you don’t want to know….” *** The two mares shared a booth at the Hay Burger. As they enjoyed their lunch of burgers and fries, Air Heart listened attentively as Rainbow Dash explained weather duties in great detail. Rainbow talked about the different types of clouds and how to identify them. She explained what each cloud was used for and the best techniques for employment. She moved on to the weather station, thoroughly covering the workings of the shop and all the positions. Then Dash discussed additional duties, such as guiding the birds back to Ponyville during Winter Wrap-Up. Finally, she eagerly shared a story or two from her time with the Wonderbolts. All the while Air had a strange feeling. She couldn’t remember anything, but it all seemed familiar. Her memories were down there somewhere, she just needed to find some way to access them. Before leaving the restaurant, Rainbow Dash made sure Air took the medication Dr. Horse prescribed. Air swallowed two red pills with water to alleviate the pain from her concussion. She also consumed two special supplements. The first, a large orange pill, was to help build up her flying muscles. The second, a blue pill, was to help increase her endurance while flying. Dash noted that Air’s less-than-successful flight through Ghastly Gorge proved that she needed supplements to help her become a better and stronger flyer. After lunch Rainbow Dash decided to show Air around town. First she showed her the other nearby restaurants and cafés in the area, letting her know they were all pretty good, but to stay away from The Upper Crust as it was extremely expensive. Rainbow also led Air to her favorite coffee shop, one that she would often frequent to get her morning caffeine kick. They turned the corner and came across the bowling alley, where several interesting stallions walked out. One, sporting a beard, wore a green shirt and possessed a briefcase for a cutie mark. Accompanying him was a light-brown-and-gold-maned pony with a goatee and, strangely, a rug for a cutie mark. The two mares walked on, with Rainbow pointing out the town’s theater. Suddenly Air noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she caught a glimpse of a pony with pink bow entering a building across the street. An orange colt with a purple mane followed closely behind. “What is that building?” she asked. “Oh, that’s the dance studio run by Hoofer Steps. She teaches foals but also adults.” “Oh, okay.” The two continued onward until they reached Ponyville’s business district. Passing by the hardware store, Air noticed inside stood a large red stallion with a horse collar. He remained silent as the pony behind the counter rambled on about something. Gosh, he is handsome. I’ve always liked red. And he looks so strong. I should introduce myself to him after I get settled.... After they passed the blacksmith shop, the two mares came upon a small Optometry clinic. As they entered, Air was surprised at the range of products the store stocked. On one wall there were, of course, glasses. These ranged from those with large lenses to small fashionable pairs to plain reading glasses. Some possessed small metal frames while others were large plastic BCGs. Dozens of sunglasses of every style filled another wall. On a third wall hung flying goggles and other protective eyewear. “You’ll need some goggles before starting tomorrow,” said Rainbow Dash. Air trotted over to the wall and examined her choices. She tried on several pairs but none seemed to fit quite right. “Here, try these,” said Rainbow Dash, holding out a pair of brown goggles. Night took the pair and slipped them on. They didn’t quite fit her, but they were better than the other pairs. “These seem to work.” “Yeah, it’s the same kind I used when I trained for the Wonderbolts.” Rainbow led Air to the cash register. “Rainbow, I, uh, don’t have any bits.” “That’s alright. I’ll buy you this pair.” “You don’t have to do that.” “You need a pair for tomorrow. Just, ah, think of it as a late birthday present.” “Oh, okay.” So I just had my birthday. It must have been – hey, Dash didn’t get me anything!? The cashier came up to check them out. “Will this be all?” Air looked around. “Uh, if you don’t mind Dash, I’d like to get a pair of sunglasses.” “Oh sure.” Air walked over to the wall, examining the different pairs. She found a solid black plastic pair and slipped them on. She didn’t know why, but they felt right. She removed them and walked over to the checkout. The salespony rang up the order and Dash handed over the bits. The transaction complete, Dash and Air stepped outside. Rainbow and Air continued down the street. Soon Air caught the sweet smell of fresh flowers. They walked by a small shop overflowing with flowers of every kind and color. Half a block down the scent of fresh bread wafted from the bakery. Turning a corner, Air noticed a rather peculiar store. “What’s that?” “That’s the quills and sofas store.” “What do they sell?” “Quills and sofas – duh.” “What else?” “Nothing else.” “Just those two things?” “Yeah.” "That’s kinda weird.” “Believe me, you’re not the only pony to say that.” They walked a little further and came upon a what looked like a real-life gingerbread house. The first floor, shaded a light tan, featured dark wood inlays while two pink-and-white striped columns supported the portico over the front door. A large brown roof, trimmed with what appeared to be white frosting, dominated the second floor. A series of purple chimneys protruded from the left-most gable. In the center of the building, a tower rose four stories, capped by a pink-frosted cupcake with three lit candles. “Dash, what is that?” “Oh, that? That’s Sugarcube Corner. They’ve got really great stuff. I’ll take you by –” “Omygosh!Omygosh!Omygosh!Anewponyintown!RainbowDashwhydidn’tyoutellmesomeponywasmovingtotown!?Howlonghaveyoubeenhere?IwillhavetothrowyouaWelcometoPonyvilleparty!” “Pinkie Pie, calm down!” Air was happy for a pause. She was still on “…someponywasmovingtotown!?” Seriously, when did this pony breathe? And she just met me. How can she be so excited to see me that’s she’s hopping up and down? “Oh, yeah, I’m Pinkie Pie, Ponyville’s number one party planner! I will have to start working on your party right away!” “My party?” “Your Welcome to Ponyville Party silly! I throw one for everypony who moves to town. Ooo – what’s your favorite kind of cake? Yellow with chocolate frosting? Chocolate –” “Pinkie.” “– with white frosting? White –” “Pinkie.” “– with chocolate frosting? What about –” “Pinkie!” “Yes Dashie?” “I don’t think you should have the party right away.” “Why not?” She seemed a little taken aback at the request. “She just got here and hasn’t even settled into her house.” “Ohhhhhhhh.” She smiled and gave a wink at Rainbow Dash. “No Pinkie, you’re not going to throw her a surprise housewarming party.” “Ohh,” whined Pinkie, obviously disappointed. There was an awkward silence for a moment. “My name is Air Heart.” She reached her hoof forward. Pinkie took it and was rewarded with a vigorous hoof shake. Even after Air let go Pinkie’s foreleg continued going up and down. “Ni-ni-nice to meet you Air Heart.” She forcefully stopped her foreleg from shaking. She stared at the orange mare, making Air feel uncomfortable. “Hmm. Pegasus. Rainbow-colored mane.” The wheels turned. “Are you two related?” “Yeah. She’s my cousin.” “Ooo. That’s great! I know what it’s like to have a cousin in town. Applejack is my cousin!” “Applejack?” queried Air. “You haven’t met Applejack yet!?” “No. I’ve been showing her around town and the weather station. Air here is going to be taking my old job.” “Wow that’s great!” Pinkie paused and her eyes narrowed. “Ohhhhhhhh.” “No Pinkie, you’re not going to throw her a surprise new-job party.” “Ohh,” wined Pinkie again. “I’m not sure I’m ready for you to throw me a party. I mean, I can’t even tell you what my favorite kind of cake is.” “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!?” “No?” “Air hit her head and lost her memories.” “That’s awful!” “Doctor Horse thinks my memories could come back after a while.” “Well, when they do, I’ll throw you a getting-your-memory-back party!” “Count on it.” “We’d better get going. I want to finish showing Air around town before the daily weather briefing.” “Okay, but bring her by Sugarcube Corner. I’ve been baking again!” “As long as it’s Grandma Pie’s triple-chocolate marjolaine and not your strawberry cinnamon cilantro cupcakes.” Pinkie giggled. “I only made those cupcakes once.” “We’ll see you later Pinkie.” “It was nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you Air.” Pinkie waved as the two mares continued their tour of Ponyville. When they were out of earshot, Air turned to Dash. “So, is Pinkie always so…?” “Hyper? Yeah. I think it’s all the sweets she eats.” “And is she always so…obsessed...” “With parties? Yeah, that’s kinda her thing. Nothing she loves more than to throw a party. That is how she got her cutie mark you know.” A look of sadness spread across Air’s face. “Hey, don’t worry. You’ll get your cutie mark.” The two continued walking on in silence. They came upon the town’s post office, and Dash got an idea. “Hey, let’s set up your mail.” “Okay.” The two entered the small building. Dozens of post office boxes lined the left wall, with a dark red earth pony checking her mail. She bore a cutie mark of smiling flowers. Mounted on the opposite wall was a shelf filled with various forms and paperwork. A long counter ran from the left to right walls, separating the lobby from the mail room in the back. Behind it stood a yellow-maned gray pegasus. Her brownish-golden eyes contained traces of green and were, strangely, crossed. “Hey Rainbow Dash.” “Oh, uh, hello Derpy. I thought you would be out delivering the mail.” “We don’t have a lot of mail today.” Is she looking at me? Or Dash? It’s so hard to tell. This is Air Heart. We came by to set up her mail.” “Oh hi Air. Are you two related?” “Hello. Rainbow is my cousin.” “You two look a lot alike. You want the green form on the shelf,” said Derpy, motioning to the right. Rainbow and Air went over to the shelf and picked out a green form. Air took a pen in her mouth and began filling out the paperwork: New Resident Form Start Mail: _X_ Immediately ___ On Date __________ This Is For: _X_ Individual ___ Business Business Name: ______________ Name: Air Heart______ Address: ______________ ______________ “Uh, Dash, what is my address?” “Oh, it’s one-one-two Skyway.” Address: 112 Skyway____ Ponyville______ “What is the Zip Code?” “Four fifteen seventy-one.” Address: 112 Skyway____ Ponyville, 41571 Number of Individuals at Address: _____ “Dash, do I have…uh…” “You’re single.” Air’s heart sank a little. Number of Individuals at Address: __1__ Is This a Temporary Address? ___ YES _X_ NO Address Until: __________ Permanent Address: ______________ ______________ Please fill out this form and turn it into your local Post Office. Air put the pen down and gave it to Derpy. After looking it over, she said, “We’ll start your mail tomorrow.” “Okay. It was nice to meet you Derpy.” “Nice to meet you. Bye Dash.” She waved her foreleg. “Bye Derpy.” The two mares left the Post Office and continued walking down the street. After a moment of silence, Air asked, “So, that was Derpy?” “Yeah.” “She doesn’t seem so bad.” “She’s okay sitting behind a desk. But when she’s out flying around, she crashes into all sorts of things. We had to rebuild our Town Hall because of her.” “Oh. And her –” “Eyes? Yeah, they’re always like that.” They turned a corner and started walking down another street. Air saw a richly decorated two-story building. Its paint scheme consisted of blues, pinks, and purples, with gold trim. Yellow and gold striped awnings shaded the first story windows. A sign with a carousel pony hung above the main entrance. “That’s Carousel Boutique. Rarity owns it and lives there.” “You said she’s helping somepony with my new house.” “Twilight. Don’t worry, Rarity is great at decorating.” After a while the two finally reached the Town Square. In the center stood the Town Hall, recently rebuilt after a certain gray pegasus accidentally demolished it. It featured a wrap-around portico and a large second-story balcony. A third floor with a small balcony overhung the second, while a cupola topped the structure. The two mares continued walking around the square. They walked by a happy pair of ponies conversing. One, an aquamarine unicorn with a harp for a cutie mark talked and laughed. Meanwhile her companion, a beige pony with a pink streak down the center of her mane and tail, laughed as well, but also gave Dash and Air an awkward glance. On their right Rainbow and Air went by a fountain with a Pony sculpture in the center. Air spotted a building that looked similar to tents. “Dash, what’s that?” “Oh, that’s the spa.” “Do you go there?” “Yeah. I go there for a deep tissue sports massage. I don’t get any of those froufrou spa treatments.” “Oh, okay.” Somehow Air expressed doubts about Dash’s conviction. Dash looked towards the clock tower. “It’s almost four. We better head back to the weather station for the daily briefing.” The two mares walked back to the weather station. They passed numerous ponies, some of whom waved at Rainbow Dash. Finally, Air turned to Rainbow Dash. “So Dash?” “Yeah?” “How many pegasi work at the weather station?” “Uh, let me think. There’s thirty, but not everypony shows up. There’s always somepony on leave or out sick or doing training. Also, we have a number of standbys we can call upon for large ops.” The two reached the station. Air hesitated when she saw a sign hanging on the door that read “CLOSED”. “It’s okay. They close every afternoon for the weather briefing,” explained Dash. They entered the building and, to Air’s relief, Tailspin was nowhere to be found. Rainbow led Air to the back and up the staircase. They walked past the wind tunnel and into a large briefing room. “It’s about time you two showed up,” reprimanded Chief Front as the two entered. “What’s a Wonderbolt doing here?” “That’s right Tailspin, a Wonderbolt is here!” Turning to the Chief, Rainbow Dash apologized, “Sorry we’re late. I was showing Air around Ponyville.” “Everypony, this is Miss Air Heart, our new weather pegasus. She’s Rainbow Dash’s cousin. She’s new to weather duties, but we’ll get her spun up. If she’s like Rainbow, she’ll be a great addition to the office.” She shot a glance towards Dash. “So long as she doesn’t pick up her cousin’s habit of arriving late to meetings.” “I’ll be on time Chief Front,” assured Air. The two walked to a bench in the back of the room and sat down. Chief Front started addressing the staff, “Now that everypony is here, we can begin. Tomorrow is relatively straightforward. Ponyville’s going to have clear skies all day. Wind Gust, your section will be responsible for clearing the clouds first thing in the morning. Tailspin, you’ll be in charge of stopping any systems coming out of the Everfree Forest. Rose submitted a special request. Seems she’s getting ready for the Canterlot Flower Show and wants rain for her flower beds. Thunderlane, I want you to run that at 10. Finally, the Apples need a heavy afternoon downpour to water their trees. Thunderlane, I want you to start assembling the storm at 11. And Prandtl, you’re running the office tomorrow.” A groan emanated from a black pegasus with a white main. “Prandtl, I want you in the office tomorrow. No late show or an early lunch. As for our new recruit, tomorrow’s time for some on-the-job training. I want you to help Wind Gust tomorrow morning and then work with Thunderlane over at Sweet Apple Acres. In the afternoon you can come here and get into the books. For our section chiefs, I want you to get Air spun up as fast as possible. Teach her the basics and make sure she gets plenty of practice. Any questions?” When nopony responded, she declared, “Dismissed!” A dozen pegasi came over to greet Air. They welcomed her and noted how much she looked like her cousin. They peppered her with questions about her past, forcing her to explain about her loss of memories. In the meantime, Rainbow Dash headed to the front to talk to Chief Front. *** After spending some time meeting her new coworkers, the weather station emptied as everypony departed for the day. Air and Rainbow stepped outside, leaving Chief Front to finish some paperwork in her office. Celestia’s sun, though still shining brightly, slowly descended towards the far horizon. Local shops were closing up, with customers and owners alike leaving to go home for the evening. “Now what?” asked Air. “I’ll take you by your house. Twilight and Rarity should have it all set up for you by now. Follow me.” Rainbow took off into the sky. Air pursued Rainbow Dash into the air. She felt awkward, uneasy. She tried to think back to all the times she had flown before, but couldn’t. Actually, this was the first time she remembered flying. Well, unless one counted her time in the wind tunnel, but she was only a few inches off the floor and was tethered in place. This was her first time soaring high into the sky, like all pegasi should. The wind flowed through her coat and around her feathers. She could feel tiny vortices coming off the tips of her wings, spiraling behind her like tiny, horizontal cyclones. Her forelegs naturally reached far in front of her, while her back legs splayed next to her tail whipping in the wind. Air struggled to catch up with Rainbow Dash, who seemed to forget how fast she really was. After a short flight Air saw something in the distance. Perched upon a small cloud stood a one-story cottage. Windows flanked the front door while twin Tuscan columns supported the front portico. A cloud yard floated to the right, with a small stream of rainbow colored water flowing off into a beautiful prismatic waterfall. A pinkish-purplish hot-air balloon was tied up on the left. Air spotted Rainbow flying from around back, landing near the front door. Dash looked out and waved to the orange mare. Air pressed forward and in a moment stood next to Dash. “Ready to see your new home?” “Ready as ever.” Rainbow opened the door and Air stepped inside. She stood in a living room, populated with three chairs and a black coffee table in front of a red couch. A painting of Ponyville hung on the wall. Air heard rustling in the back and a purple alicorn walked in. “Rarity?” asked Air. “Yes darling?” came a voice from the other direction and Air saw a white unicorn with a perfectly coiffed purple mane enter. “You must be Air. I’m Twilight Sparkle.” “Good afternoon Twilight.” “And I’m Rarity. How do you do Miss Heart?” “Hello Rarity, nice to meet you.” “The place looks great,” said Rainbow Dash, trotting up next to Air. “Well, let us show you around dear,” said Rarity. “This is the sitting room. Rainbow said you like striking colors, so I decorated it in red and black. As you don’t have a guest room, we selected a pull-out sofa. It’s both beautiful and practical. I do hope you like the drapes, they accent the furniture wonderfully.” Air looked at the drapes. “Very nice.” “Back here is the kitchen,” said Rarity, motioning for the Air to follow her from the direction Twilight came. Air stepped through a doorway and into a small kitchen. In the center stood a sink, flanked on the right with a stove and oven, and on the left by a dishwasher installed underneath a small countertop. To her immediate right sat a refrigerator/freezer combination. Beyond that lay a table and two chairs. “I selected a set of fine china for your dishware. And Twilight purchased a complete set of cookware for your use.” Rarity stepped back through the doorway. “And this way is your bedroom.” The group followed her back through a short hallway. “Twilight found this nice bedroom suite on sale, and I knew it would be perfect for you. I added some touches, such as the lamps and drapes. Ooo- and the quilt is vintage. Back over there is your bathroom.” “You did all this for me?” “Of course dear.” “And you haven’t seen the back yard,” added Twilight. She led the group back to the sitting room/foyer, and opened a door directly across from the main entrance, revealing a small cloud back yard, with a few flowers growing. “So, what do you think about your new home?” asked Rainbow. There was a long pause as Air looked away. “Miss Heart?” prodded Rarity. “Air?” queried a concerned Twilight. Air turned back to the three of them, her eyes a little moist. “I just don’t know what to say. You did all this for me and you don’t even know me.” “Think nothing of it dear. It was our pleasure.” “When Rainbow told us what happened, we wanted to do everything we could to help make your move to Ponyville as easy as possible,” said Twilight. “Thank you. All of you.” Air felt herself choking up. “How about we celebrate with some grub?” asked Rainbow. “That sounds like a great idea,” noted Twilight. “I agree,” concurred Rarity. “Yes,” said Air. “I am a little hungry.” *** The four mares sat at a table in the local café. Waiting for their orders, they found time to talk with Air about her day. “So Air,” asked Rarity, “what are your impressions of Ponyville?” “It’s uh, very nice.” “Oh?” pressed Rarity, raising her eyebrow. “Well, I, don’t remember anyplace else, so this is all I know.” “It’s a shame about your memories. I simply cannot imagine going through life without being able to remember my past.” “Doctor Horse thinks my memories could come back after a while.” “He also said they may not come back at all,” corrected Dash. “Rainbow Dash, that’s a terrible thing to say,” admonished Rarity. “We all hope Air will get her memories back soon, isn’t that right Twilight?” “Yes.” “Well, there is an upside to not remembering,” said an unemotional Air. “What is that dear?” “Well, I, uh –” Air paused for a moment. “Dash told me what happened to my parents, and that is something I’d rather not remember.” “She did?” asked a surprised Twilight. “No I didn’t. I mean, I just confirmed that her parents had died.” Twilight gave Rainbow a glare. The mares sat in a tense silence for a moment. “Well, I understand,” started Rarity. “But you should be able to remember the happy memories you had with your parents.” “Yeah. But if I don’t remember how they died, that would be okay with me.” Again, silence. “So I showed Air around today,” began Dash. “I pointed out all the sights – the weather station, Town Hall, the Hay Burger, my favorite coffee shop, the spa – ” “The spa?” asked Rarity, giving Rainbow a smirk. “Uh, yeah. Air is like me, a great athlete. She’ll go there for deep tissue sports massages.” “And none of those froufrou spa treatments?” pressed Rarity. “You were saying you showed Air around town?” asked Twilight, trying to redirect the conversation back to topic. “Yeah. Sugarcube Corner, the Post Office, the theater. You know, all the important places.” “Hmph. You didn’t show her Carousel Boutique?” “We walked by there,” said Air to Rarity. “What about the town library?” asked Twilight. “Well, I think she can find a giant crystal castle on her own,” said Rainbow sarcastically. “Did you meet any interesting ponies today?” asked Rarity. “Yeah. I met the staff of the weather office. Fluttershy, who said I need to meet this Discord – ” “Kaou –” Twilight choked on some of her water. “And Pinkie Pie, who said I should meet her cousin Applejack. Oh, and Derpy.” “I bet Pinkie wanted to throw you a Welcome to Ponyville party?” asked Twilight. Yeah, but I convinced her that Air needed some time.” “Miss Pie does love to throw parties,” added Rarity. “But you should have one so you can meet all the ponies in town.” “Well, that will be hard with her cloud house,” noted Dash. Rarity thought for a moment. “Perhaps we could hold it at Sugarcube Corner?” “You’ll have to talk with Pinkie about that,” observed Twilight. “I’m sure she will me more than happy to host it,” replied Rarity. “Well, when Pinkie found out about my new job, she wanted to throw her a party for that,” added Air. “I’m not surprised,” said Twilight. Rarity turned to Air. “When do you start?” “I will be helping clear the clouds with, uh, who was it again Rainbow?” “Wind Gust.” “Oh, right. Then I will be helping Thunderlane set up for a downpour at Sweet Apple Acres.” Twilight jumped in. “You’ll be working at Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow? Isn’t that, uh, a difficult job for a new member?” “That’s what I told Chief Front,” said Dash. “Said you should spend your time in the books.” Air was surprised. “You did?” Twilight gave a similar expression of surprise. “Well, it is a bit advanced for a somepony who has never done weather duties before.” “Chief thinks that on-the-job training is best.” “Well, Chief doesn’t know everything.” Just then, the waiter arrived with the mares’ dinner. He placed a plate down before each of them. Air looked down at her plate. On Twilight’s recommendation, she ordered a daffodil and daisy sandwich with a side of hay fries. Though she didn’t have many memories, she remembered fondly her fries from lunch. The four of them began eating and made small talk in between bites…. Air dipped the last of her hay fries in sweet red ketchup. She bit down on the crispy, greasy, salty treat. Swallowing, she sat back satisfied. She glanced around at the other three, who also seemed satisfied. They sat there in silence. Finally, Air began, “Twilight? Rarity? I need to thank you all again for setting up my home. I don’t know what I would have done coming into an empty house. I wish there is some way I can repay you.” “What are friends for?” asked Twilight. “Think nothing of it dear. I am just glad you like it. It’s just sad we couldn’t add a few of your personal momentos to make it feel more like home. Maybe Rainbow Dash will find them at the bottom of Ghastly Gorge.” “I looked around there a lot and couldn’t find her missing saddlebags. They may be gone forever.” The waiter arrived with the check. “Ladies, the bill,” he said. Four hoofs reached for the check. “I’ll get this,” said Rarity. “No, it was my idea,” responded Dash. “Well, I’m a princess so I should pick it up.” “You all have been so nice to me. I need to take it.” Dash turned to Air. “Uh, you don’t have any bits.” “Oh, right.” Air removed her hoof. She watched as the three argued over the bill, noticing how lucky she was to know the three special ponies. *** Air lay in bed. Her bed. In her home. Her new home. In Ponyville, her new hometown. She stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the day. She needed to get to sleep, for she faced an early start with the weather team in the morning. But before that, she was going over to Dash’s for breakfast as Air had no food in her kitchen. But she couldn’t stop thinking: It was nice of Dash to show me around town today. I never could have found my way around without her. Ponyville is such a nice little town. Unlike, well, unlike whatever towns and cities it’s not like. But it’s nice here. The ponies seem friendly, if odd. Pinkie Pie, obsessed with parties. Barely even knows me and she wants to throw me a party. A welcome party. Or a housewarming party. Or a new job party. And what was with the jumping? She’s hyper. I think Dash is right. If she works at Sugarcube Corner then she has access to all sorts of sweets. She must eat them all day. No wonder she’s practically bouncing off the walls. She’ll probably develop diabetes one of these days. That’s terrible! But if she eats sweets all day, then what can you expect? And then there’s Derpy. She seems odd as well. Maybe it’s just those eyes. But everypony seems to think she’s a walking disaster zone. Apparently she destroyed the Town Hall. But she seems harmless to me. And then there’s this “Discord” Fluttershy mentioned. Don’t know who he is, but Dash dislikes him. And apparently Twilight.... Air let out a small laugh. ....She practically choked when I mentioned his name. But at least Twilight and Rarity seem normal. Oh, and Fluttershy too. Another pegasus besides Dash and my co workers. I’ll have to get to know her. Maybe invite her over to my house. My house. I owe Twilight and Rarity a lot for organizing my house. They did a great job. My living room and kitchen and bedroom are all set up. No unpacking or organizing or anything, everything is perfect. I should do something for them. But what? I don’t have any bits. Well, I’ll just have to earn some bits from my job. My job. Tomorrow I start weather duties. First I’ll help clear the clouds around town, then I’ll help Thunderlane set up a rainstorm over Sweet Apple Acres. Clearing clouds sounds easy. But what about the the rainstorm? Dash thinks it is too advanced for me. Maybe she’s right. I’ve never done weather duties before. And she knows me better than I know myself. Ugh, why did I have to fly through Ghastly Gorge? I could have gotten here safely without losing my memories. And my possessions. I lost them all in the gorge. I don’t even have a photo of my family to hang on the wall. I wonder what they looked like. Were they both pegasuses, or was one an earth pony or a unicorn? And where did we live? And what happened to them? Well, I don’t really want to know what happened to them. They’re gone. I have to move on. Maybe that’s why I came here. To get away from my past. But I don’t remember. Today and yesterday are all I remember. Maybe I should worry less about the remembering the past and make new memories. The doctor said my memories may never come back. But I have these feelings. Feelings that I can’t explain. They’re my memories. Somewhere down there are my memories, I know it. They’ll come back. I just have to wait. Just work my job, and make new friends, and wait for my memories to come back. Ugh, it’s late. I have an early start tomorrow. I’m meeting Dash for breakfast and then my first day of weather duties.... Air rolled over and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind and focused on her breathing. Slowly she drifted off to sleep….