Chapter Seven, Part Two. (Written by RK_Striker_JK_5)
Consciousness slowly returned to Rainbow Dash. Her ears pricked as the sound of voices penetrated the haze left by the nerve strike…
“I don’t know, Kicker. We haven’t seen either of these two around here, and every pegasi around these parts is accounted for. And what’s with those necklaces they’re wearing?”
“Some good questions, Lightning Dust. This entire thing is off. Would you care to discuss this over dinner, and maybe the next morning?”
“No, and no and I think she’s waking up.”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes fluttered open and she looked around. She found herself, Lightning Dust, and Cloud Kicker, inside a room on the cloud ship. She wasn’t bound, but the other two pegasi had weapons strapped to their forelegs.
Cloud Kicker cantered around to face Rainbow Dash. “Well, hello, sleepyhead,” she said, grinning. “Nice to see you awake, even if you looked good enough to eat while sleeping.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Just like back in my Equestria. “Sorry, you’re not my type.”
Lightning Dust snorted. “Yeah, like that stops the flirting.”
Cloud Kicker ignored her. “I’m sorry about the nerve strike back there, but you didn’t leave me much choice. There’s a few too many questions concerning you and the other one.”
Rainbow Dash shot to her hooves. “Ditzy? How is she? Where is she?”
Cloud Kicker’s wings flared out for a moment, but she quickly tucked them back in and raised the spear strapped to her left foreleg. “She’s in the hold, and to be honest, that’s where you’d normally be, too.”
Lightning Dust grunted. “Still not sure about this,” she muttered softly.
Cloud Kicker ignored her. “However, you did pull off some fancy flying back there and saved my flank. That counts for something in my book. And you’re a pegasus, too. So I’d like to offer you a position on my crew.”
Dash stared at her for a moment. “Lemme guess. It’s either that, or getting tossed in the hold with Ditzy?”
Cloud Kicker met her stare. “I don’t make the rules, Dash. I enforce them. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll make sure your friend is assigned as a servant with my family. It’s a pretty cushy gig, all things considered.”
Rainbow Dash stewed for a moment before finally nodding. “Fine, then. I accept your offer.”
Cloud Kicker smiled. “I knew you’d make the right choice.” She looked to Lightning Dust. “Take stock of what we got in the raid while I give the newbie a tour and rundown of Cloudsdale.”
Lightning Dust opened her mouth, but Cloud Kicker and Rainbow Dash left the room before she could say anything. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Kicker, that’s one big mistake you’re making, there.”
As soon as she left the hold and was out on the cloud ship’s deck, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and hopped into the air. A shout from Cloud Kicker and several armed pegasi flying over her head kept her ‘only’ a few feet in the air. “Okay, okay! I’ll keep it level.”
Cloud Kicker shook her head. “You got some spunk, Dashie, but rein it in while we’re up here, okay?”
Rainbow Dash grunted. “Okay, okay.” She looked around at the crew members, all running about. “So… Cloudsdale.”
Cloud Kicker glanced back at her. “Oh, right. Well, the plunder vines, except for some pollen or vines on the wind, can’t reach the best city in Equestria. However, we can’t really grow our own food. So we… borrow some from other places groundside.” She held up a wing and waved Rainbow Dash off. “And do not get all high-and-mighty on me. It’s the only way to feed ourselves. Our raids aren’t usually that… destructive.”
Rainbow Dash bit her lip. “Keep it cool for now, Dash. You can’t help Ditzy or anyone else without more information. Ugh, how would Celestia handle this? She’s usually good at teasing information out of others. “I won’t judge anypony for anything.” At the moment. “So who’s in charge?”
Cloud Kicker grinned. “We lucked out. The top stallion’s the one and only Wind Rider himself. If it wasn’t for him, Cloudsdale would’ve starved a long time ago. He even managed to make sure my parents got top-level positions in the government.”
That would be… Nimbus Gust and Tornado Kicker, if this version of Cloud Kicker’s the same as back in my Equestria. Then again, considering what I saw in Dream Valley, best not to take any chances on that. “So, your parents…”
“Oh sorry. Nimbus Gust and Tornado Kicker. Mom’s Wind Rider’s bodyguard, and Dad’s high up in the ranks, too.” She turned and looked to Rainbow Dash. “I promise you, Ditzy will be in good hooves with them. It’s the least I can do for her.”
Rainbow Dash let out a snort. “If you say so.”
Lightning Dust flew over and landed between Rainbow Dash and Cloud Kicker. “Captain, we’ll be arriving at Cloudsdale in a few minutes.”
Cloud Kicker rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Dusty.” She trotted around Lightning Dust, extended a wing and guided Rainbow Dash towards the bow. “Make sure we’re ready to unload and resupply,” she said over her shoulder.
Lightning Dust’s eyes narrowed. “And you parade around with the unknown pegasus that we’ve got no information on and could be a plant. Yeah, not on my watch.” She turned her head. “Dumbbell, Hoops, get below and get the loot ready!”
Cloud Kicker led Rainbow Dash all the way to the bow and sidled up to her as the ship approached Cloudsdale. “What a sight!” She glanced down and back. “Although that’s a pretty good view, too.”
Rainbow Dash blushed, and her wings folded back over her haunches. Any embarrassment was put on hold as Cloudsdale itself came into view. “Holy Celestia!”
The general shape of Cloudsdale was quite familiar to Rainbow Dash, but this reality’s version was nowhere near as open or airy. Large lightning cannons and solidified clouds dominated the perimeter. Other ships could be seen along docks, some taking off, some moored and being unloaded. Rainbow Dash’s feathers bristled as she made out some pegasi being led off, their mouths muzzled and wings bound to their sides. Every single free pegasi she saw, mare or stallion, had several weapons strapped to their backs, wings, or slung over their shoulders.
The CS Banging slowed down as several pegasi flew in from Cloudsdale proper and guided them into a dock. The ship slid up to a relatively-thin stretch of clouds and lowered a gangplank.
Cloud Kicker and Rainbow Dash flew back amidships and onto the dock itself. They stopped before a pair of rather overly-muscled stallions. “CS Banging reporting back,” Cloud Kicker said, her demeanor much more serious than before as she raised a wing and motioned to Rainbow Dash. “Got her and another in the raid. Miss Dash here is willing to join up, and the other’s being sent to my family as a servant.”
The stallion nodded, even as Lightning Dust started leading off a stream of booty from the hold.
Rainbow Dash turned and craned her neck around. “Where’s Ditzy?” Her head turned back and she glared at Cloud Kicker. “She being brought off now, or later?”
Cloud Kicker met her glare. “She’ll be along, Dash.”
As if on cue, Ditzy, flanked by four guards, was led off the Banging. Her wings were bound to her flanks, but her legs were free. Her eyes darted all about, one, then the other, settling on Rainbow Dash and Cloud Kicker.
Cloud Kicker let out a whinny, but eventually started walking over to Ditzy. Rainbow Dash, however, was by Ditzy’s side in an instant. She leaned in close. “Ditzy, I am so sorry about this. I swear, I will get you out of this, I swear on… on Princess Luna!”
Cloud Kicker walked up. “Ditzy Doo, normally you’d be sent to the slave pens. However, due to your actions back at the farm, and as a favor to Rainbow Dash, you’ll be remanded to my family as a servant.”
Ditzy kept her eyes on Rainbow Dash. “You promise?”
Cloud Kicker’s brow furrowed. “Well… yeah. I promise.”
Dash, meanwhile, mouthed, “I swear,” to Ditzy.
Ditzy slowly lowered her head. Cloud Kicker extended a wing and the guards led Ditzy away towards a fairly squat building down the road.
Cloud Kicker extended a wing around Rainbow Dash and pulled her in. “Hey, don’t worry. My family will take great care of her. She’ll be part of the family in no time!”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes slid over by a few fractions. “Yeah, right.”
Cloud Kicker paid her no mind as she led her off. “Come on. I’ll personally help you get settled in and give you a tour of Cloudsdale.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Don’t get too personal, okay?”
Cloud Kicker sighed. “Fine.” She hopped into the air and flew off. “Come on!”
There was a bit of hesitation as Rainbow Dash looked to Ditzy as she disappeared inside the cloud building. I’ll get you free. I Pinkie-swear it! With that, she followed Cloud Kicker, leaving the CS Banging behind.
Lightning Dust watched the two disappear from the Banging’s berth. She snorted and dug her hoof across the cloud, sending wisps into the air. She barely reacted as Hoops and Dumbbell swooped down and landed next to her.
Hoops looked her over. “Dusty, you all right? Anything wrong?”
Dusty kept her eyes up at the sky. Her scowl slowly changed to a sneer. “Oh, I’m just fine, Hoops. Although I think Cloud Kicker just made her greatest and final mistake.”
Hoops scratched the side of his head, the bangs obscuring his eyes rustling. “Okay…”
Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. “Okay, just… never mind.” She waved a wing at them. “Come on, you two. I think it’s time for me to finally step out of Cloud Kicker’s shadow and show the ones in charge what I can really do.”
As Rainbow Dash flew through Cloudsdale, little things leapt out at her. The city overall was familiar, almost comforting, until she spotted a group of foals doing military exercises in armor and with weapons. Guards were everywhere, either flying in formation, standing in front of buildings, or marching down the streets. She even spotted pictures of the famous Wind Rider on lampposts, or banners being towed by chariots. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Yeesh. Who the hay are you planning on invading?”
Cloud Kicker glanced at her as they slowly turned. “We gotta keep Cloudsdale protected. Not only from the vines, but from anypony who would threaten us. We gotta protect our own. Who else is gonna help us?”
Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment. “Well… maybe those farmer ponies would help you out? I mean, if you weren’t raiding their villages?”
Cloud Kicker rolled her eyes. “Oh, please! It’s a nice sentiment, but in these times, Cloudsdale can only take care of Cloudsdale.” She pointed ahead. “I gotta make a report to the Council. After, I can help you find someplace to stay.” Her eyes narrowed and she smirked. “Maybe my house?”
Rainbow Dash stared down her muzzle at Cloud Kicker. “Do you ever give up?”
Cloud Kicker shrugged. “Should I?”
The pair approached a rather large building. Columns lined the front staircase leading inside, with armed guards positioned between each column. The two landed at the foot of the stairs and walked up. One of the guards spoke up. “Captain Kicker, good to see you.” His gaze drifted to Rainbow Dash, and he paused speaking.
Cloud Kicker followed his gaze and chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. She’s with me. In more ways than one.”
Rainbow Dash glanced at the guard. “She like this all the time?”
The guard shrugged. “It’s not that bad.”
The two mares went inside. Cloud Kicker led Rainbow Dash down several halls, up two flights of stairs and to a rather large, wooden door with guards at attention flanking it. They saluted as Cloud Kicker walked in, Rainbow Dash trailing behind.
Inside was a rather expansive conference room. Over a dozen pegasi could be seen sitting at an oval table, most of them instantly recognizable to Rainbow Dash. Spitfire, Soarin and Fleetfoot of the Wonderbolts sat on Rainbow Dash’s right. On the left sat Nimbus Gust and Tornado Kicker-Cloud Kicker’s parents. There were a few others, but they faded into the background as Rainbow Dash focused on the older stallion sitting in the middle. “Wind Rider?” she breathed.
Wind Rider, former captain of the Wonderbolts in Rainbow Dash’s reality, looked up at her, his gaze and easy smile almost causing her to blush. Oddly enough, he wore a laurel wreath around his ears, and a toga. “Nice to see my reputation still precedes me.” The smile fell away as he looked to Cloud Kicker. “Report, Captain.”
Cloud Kicker straightened up, all traces of her joviality gone. “A successful raid, sir. There were… complications, but we managed to get away with some sizeable amounts of cargo.” She stepped to her side and waved a wing at Rainbow Dash. “As well as a new recruit.”
Rainbow Dash straightened up as she felt all eyes on her. She held her wing up in a salute. “Ah… Cadet Dash reporting for duty?”
Cloud Kicker forced a laugh. “She helped me out while I escaped from the Hooffield’s and McColt’s. She’s good in a fight.”
Wind Rider slowly nodded. “That’s good.” He focused fully on Rainbow Dash. “Miss Dash, Captain Kicker vouches for you. That means quite a bit. However, Cloudsdale can’t take a chance on ‘quite a bit’. We’ve managed to stay secure and mostly vine-free by putting Cloudsdale first, by making sure we take care of each other. Can you fall in line and put Cloudsdale first?”
Rainbow Dash lowered her head. She stared at the floor and brought a hoof up to her Element of Loyalty. “Cloud Rider, I swear to you. I’ll do everything in my power to protect Cloudsdale from all its enemies.” That may or may not include you.
Wind Rider nodded, his posture relaxing slightly. “That’s good to hear. Captain, I’m going to put Miss Dash on your crew. Show her the ropes.”
Cloud Kicker saluted. “Thank you, sir. Shall I finish my report?” At his nod, Cloud Kicker launched into a rather detailed report of the raid on the Hoofield and McColt farms, punctuated by the occasional lapse into ribald jokes and metaphors. Several of the council members laughed, then very quickly blushed.
Wind Rider dismissed the pair, and Cloud Kicker led Rainbow Dash out of the building. “Okay, back to the Banging, we’ll get you into the routine, then off apartment hunting. Mostly professional…” She sidled up to Rainbow Dash. “Some personal?”
Rainbow Dash glared at her. “Let’s just fly, Kicker…
Wind Rider stood on a balcony on the top floor of the capitol building. It allowed him a view of Cloudsdale almost unparalleled. He smiled as he saw armored and armed pegasi flying by. They saluted him, and he returned it. This will be my legacy, one of security, and a new golden age for Cloudsdale. He adjusted his laurel wreath, frowning as it slipped a bit. Thoughts of the meeting with Cloud Kicker returned, threatening to destroy his calm. That Rainbow Dash… an outside element. Disruptive to his plans, perhaps?
His reverie was interrupted by a guardspony entering. “Apologies for the interruption, sir, but there’s a petitioner here to see you. She says it’s of vital importance to Cloudsdale.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Lightning Dust walked out onto the balcony proper. She straightened to attention and saluted. “Councilor Wind Rider, my name is Lightning Dust. I apologize for the intrusion, but there’s a problem on my ship, and with my captain.”
Wind Rider walked up to her. He took a chance. “Would you be talking about Captain Cloud Kicker, Lightning Dust? And would that problem involve a pegasus named Rainbow Dash?”
Lightning Dust’s expression of surprise forced him to tamp down his emotions. “Y-yes! How’d you know?”
Wind Rider smothered a smile. “I just had a meeting with the two. I do share your concerns, Miss Dust.” He gestured to the interior of the building with a wing. “Perhaps we should talk somewhere more in private?
Ditzy’s breath came in short hitches as the wagon carrying her flew along in the sky. Her wings were bound, but otherwise she was unencumbered. Any thought of a chance to escape was squashed by the burly stallion sitting across from her. She slowly rose a foreleg at him, but lowered it as he glared at her.
Her wings tingled as the wagon descended. It slowed, eventually coming to a stop. The stallion motioned to the back. Ditzy smiled weakly at him before standing up, walking over and hopping out the back.
She landed on a cloud and looked around. Ditzy gasped as she beheld one of the largest cloud-mansions she’d ever seen. It shot into the air, several stories high. Actual stone columns lined the front, with cloud-sculptures dotting the airspace.
A grunt from the stallion guarding her sent her out of her reverie. “Follow me,” he grunted, turning and walking towards the front gate.
Ditzy followed, grateful he wasn’t flying. They walked through the gate and up a rather long flight of stairs, into the mansion proper. Ditzy but back a gasp at the sheer enormity of the room she found herself in. Maids and butlers busied themselves, going to and fro. Ditzy quickly noted most of them having bound wings, but not all..
One elderly stallion clad in a spotless butler’s uniform swooped down towards the pair. He looked Ditzy over, then turned to the stallion, “Papers?”
Ditzy’s escort fished a scroll out of a saddlebag and winged it over. The stallion took it with his own wing and looked it over. “Ah, a new addition to the staff. Thank you. That will be all.” He looked Ditzy over. “My name is Majordomo. I am head of the staff here at the mansion. I can assure you you’ll be treated and fed well, as long as you work well.”
Ditzy bit back any snide comment she could have made to Majordomo. Instead, she straightened up. “I’ll do my best, sir.”
Majordomo nodded. “Excellent, Miss Doo.” He clapped his wings together and two maids trotted forward. “I understand you will almost certainly need training in your duties, as well as a uniform. These mares will show you the ropes today and tomorrow.” With that, he turned and flew off.
Ditzy let out a groan as she trudged down a flight of stairs. With the exception of a break for lunch, she had been in training for this Luna-darned ‘job’ all morning and afternoon. Without use of her wings, she had been forced to trudge up and down stairs, down hallways, and use ladders and hoof-stools to reach things she’d normally glide up. “Feathering wing-binders…” She glanced back at her still-bound wings. “I never realized how much I took you two for granted.”
Movement from just inside her peripheral vision caught her attention. Her head moved up as a filly walked in, very familiar-looking, even though she was wearing light armor and a helmet. “Alula?” she half-whispered.
Alula looked up at Ditzy. “Yes? Hello, do I know you?” She cocked her head to the side. “You don’t look familiar. Are you a new hire?”
Ditzy paused at Alula’s question. “A-a new… hire?” She waggled her body, emphasizing her bound wings.
Alula simply nodded. “Are you?”
Any response Ditzy might have had was cut off as a group of ponies walked in. Two pegasi, a mare and stallion, entered the front door, guardsponies in armor surrounding them. Ditzy quickly pulled a feather-duster out from the saddlebags strapped to her flanks, trotted down the stairs, and went to a mural and began jabbing at it with the feather-duster. She kept her head slightly turned, so one eye could focus on the group.
The two ponies broke from their escorts and walked over to Alula. “And how’s our little guardspony today?” the mare asked, reaching out and gently ruffling Alula’s mane.
The stallion chuckled. “Now, now, Nimbus. No need to be embarrassing her.”
The mare rolled her eyes. “Oh come off it, Tornado. We’re home, and all that’s around is the staff.” She waved a wing about. “See?”
Ditzy’s eye snapped forward. She winced slightly, but kept her head as steady as possible. Nimbus… Gust. And Tornado Kicker! She internally slapped herself. Of course. Her parents. Then again, considering some of the other relationship tangles we’ve seen in this Equestria…
Alula held up a hoof. “I had a good day at training. Tiring, but fulfilling. May I go and change out of my armor?”
Tornado and Nimbus let her go off and up the stairs. Tornado waited for the guardsponies to disperse before glancing at his wife. “I still think Wind Rider’s going a bit too far,” he muttered.
Nimbus opened her mouth, but nothing came out for a moment. She finally bowed her head. “His new security measures are quite worrying, yes. They seem less about helping Cloudsdale and more about helping him. I mean, does he really need a personal guard?”
Tornado’s wings ruffled. “I’d say no. He’s made a lot of good decisions, but I think the power’s starting to go to his head a bit.”
Nimbus pursed her lips. “Well… I think if we bring up our concerns to him now, instead of waiting, we should be able to help him see our side. Wind Rider’s a reasonable stallion.”
Tornado slowly nodded. “I suppose so. We’ll talk to him tomorrow. In private, though. I don’t think we want any of this getting to him before we’re ready.” He glanced around. “No one around, good.” He walked off, Nimbus by his side.
Ditzy stayed close to the stairwell, one eye following the pair. She waited for them to exit the foyer before trotting off, duster in mouth and a plan percolating in her head.
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Nice! I was worried we were going to leave ditzy behind so great to see shes getting a role too!
Cloudsdale! For being my favorite tribe of ponies I haven’t done nearly enough writing for pegasi. Plenty of writing about them, though, I have this whole diatribe I could give on why they make sense as being the preeminent warriors of the pony race.