A World Without a Rainboom

by Mocha Star

Rainbow Returns Home

"Now, Rainbow Dash, you remember Cloudsdale, right?" Fluttershy asked me. Like I ever forgot it. It was my home before...

"Yeah, I remember it. Is it any different or as lame as when I left?" I asked but I knew the answer. Some places don't change and others always do. The trees and the glass are always there, but the clouds grow smaller if the weather ponies don't take care of them.

"It's the same, nothing has changed. Except in the market place, they open and close shops every few weeks and it's position in Equestria. There's a great ice cream shop that's been in the market for four years now. The flavors are great! They have 31 flavors from across Equestria and I've tried them all." Fluttershy was so happy as we left the cottage. She had a feed bag full of seeds that she'd reach into and throw at bushes and the bottom of trees for the birds.

"Fluttershy, if you throw it in the glass, how are the birds gonna find and eat all those seeds?"

"They'll manage, they always do." She opened her wings and took in a really big breath and breathed out and then flapped and was in the air. I like how she smiles when she flies like I used to. With her next to me in the sky I know I can fly anywhere, but now it's time to go to my old home and meet my new sister, Stream.

We flew up really high and really fast, I saw Cloudy and Ditzy and Scope and they all were super happy to see us flying higher than them. They waved hi and yelled our names. It was really fun to see them, then they were gone and we were out of Ponyville air space. The clouds were every here and there and didn't move so if we got tired we could take a break on one. Fluttershy got tired a lot, she said it was because she has never really flied before. But, it's okay because I was a new flier too and I learned real fast, so she will too.

"C'mon Fluttershy, you can do it! We're almost half way there and it's almost lunch time! I got food in my saddlebags but I don't wanna eat yet, please can we just go?" I was so excited I almost fell off the cloud but it was okay because I can fly better than anypony in Ponyville and now so can Fluttershy so our dream won't ever happen. When it almost did I catched 'Shy and made a rainbow! It was so cool, I want to do it again but I don't wanna fly that fast, it was kinda scary to almost die for real.

"Okay, Rainbow Dash. I'm rested and ready. Let's go as far as we can and then eat the next time we rest, okay?"

"Like you gotta ask! I wanna see my mommy and daddy for real and not in a dream like before you helped me and show 'em how awesome I am now that I'm a mare." I jumped into the air and it felt so nice, my mane and tail pulled a little cuz I was going so fast then I heard Fluttershy tell me to slow down so I did and she was breathing heavy like 'huff-puff' and I asked if she was okay and she said she can't fly that fast yet.

"Sorry Fluttershy. I'm not used to flying with you this far, so I'll let you lead." I'm so nice to her, and she's nice to me. It's like we're sisters, but we're not. We're just the bestest friends ever.

We finally got to Cloudsdale and Fluttershy landed and closed her wings and laid on the cloud and started to breath a lot. I think she went all out for me, she's so cool sometimes. I helped her stand again and we went to a water cloud and I went on it and jumped like she taught me to and it made a stream of water like a waterfall, but only smaller. Fluttershy drank and smiled big then opened her wings and told me to stop the water.

"But I don't know how, Fluttershy. Can you do it for me?"

"Oh, certainly. See, you just kick it on the side, like this. And there you go! Top is on, side is off. Easy, right?"

"Oh, that's so cool! We can't do that with trees! Only leaves fall and those taste like yucky and sometimes make my mouth itchy."

"I remember that, those were poison ivy leaves you ate from a bush, not a tree."

"A butch is like a tree, only smaller. It's when trees make sex with glass and they grow in the middle!" I motioned with my hooves.

I heard a couple Pegasus like me laugh. I like making other ponies happy so I smiled and waved hi and bye as they went on. Fluttershy was turning kinda peach color in her cheeks and it's cute but I don't know why. Then she flew to that way and I followed her. Everything is made of clouds! The streets, houses, buildings. If the food is I think I'll laugh, but if it's a tasty cloud I'll be happy.

"Heya, Fluttershy? How long until we get the cloud ice cream?"

"Oh, you want that first? I don't see why not, after we get it we can go to the flight training grounds and you can see the race track. Then, I'll take you home to see your family. If that's okay with you, of course."

I nodded and was so ready to taste that iced cream. I want all of them at once. "Hey, Fluttershy, what's that?"

"Oh that? That's the Rainbow Factory, it's where they make clouds, different weather particulates and rainbows."

"Where do the rainbow come from?"

"Rainbow Dash, I just told you they come from the factory. Silly filly."

"But, where do rainbows come from?" Fluttershy slowed down and was thinking for a while.

"I don't know, actually. It's never come up, maybe there's some magic at the top that makes them from recycled clouds."

I guess that makes sense, but I don't remember clouds having rainbows in them, only water and sometimes lightning. Whatever, rainbows are pretty and that's all that matters. We flew over a bunch of houses and they were all really pretty and there were foals playing and flying all around the place. I remember doing that when I was little, it was fun but I can't remember my best friends' names.

Fluttershy led me to a market and we landed outside a shop and it had the numbers 3 and 1. "Three dee one? I don't get it, Fluttershy."

"Oh yes. You're still learning to read, it says thirty one. For each flavor, let's go in and get one." Now Fluttershy is being silly. I want all of them, not one. I imagined a giant cloud on a cone and me taking a bite and it being super awesome and great flavored. What I got was a little ball of frozen soy milk that was pink.

"Fluttershy, is this it? I wanted all of 'em," I told her sadly. She smiled and licked hers and I licked mine.

"Rainbow, your eyes are going to pop out," she giggled. I took another lick and the flavor was super awesome, I never tasted anything so good in my life. I took a big bite and chewed it and Fluttershy yelped and told me no, but she's not the boss of my mouth.

"It's so gooooo- Owowowowow! My head hurts Fluttershy, really bad," I dropped my ice cream and held my head as a headache came out of no where and I couldn't stop it as I heard ponies around me laughing. I didn't know headaches were funny but I don't care, I am NOT going to do this again, ever. I don't even know how I made it happen but it's not awesome. "I just want it to go away and eat more ice cream."

"Here, Rainbow. Drink this warm water, it'll help and I'll buy you another ice cream." I drank the water then my headache went away. I never knew warm water cured headaches, it must be a secret. I won't tell anypony but next time I get a headache I'm drinking three cups of warm water. Headaches aren't funny.

I grabbed up my floor ice cream and licked it and Fluttershy and a few other ponies laughed then I had to throw it away and I almost cried. It was so delicious and tasty, nothing could ever be so good again. Then I got one that was green, it was the best thing I ever tasted and it had chocolate in it! I took a big bite again and another headache came on-.

---

"Rainbow Dash, up ahead is the race track. Are you ready to see it?" I was really nervous and kinda scared to see the race track.

"The last time I was there, Fluttershy," I couldn't find the words to talk, it was so hard to remember the race because every time I did the memory of finding Fluttershy right below the city goes into my mind.

"Don't worry, Rainbow Dash. Not only can I fly now, but I know you'll save me with a sonic rainboom."

She was right, if she fell I'd do two to catch her and that made me smile. We cleared the clouds and I saw the race track. It was totally different. It was still awesome and a pair of colts were racing and going kinda slow, but they were little and there was clouds under the whole thing.

"Remember how Cloudsdale can move? Right now we're more north than we were that day, if I flew down I'd be in a totally different place. That's why it took me so long to find you last year."

"Oh yeah, it's been almost a year. I'm still kinda messed up but I'm way more awesome than I was. Scootaloo is teaching me new words to talk with that are pretty cool. And you're teaching me letters, numbers and characters that we use for writing, counting and, um..."

"Characters are used for magic related abilities and technology."

"That's right! Like how we can fly and move clouds, and unicorns use magic and earth ponies... Stand a lot?"

I love when Fluttershy giggles. "No, silly. Earth pony magic is still kind of a mystery, since they live on the ground they are tougher and more sturdy and have better endurance than us, but no pony has really taken time to learn their abilities outside those."

"Hey, this isn't school time. I wanna see my family, can we go now. This place is lame and makes me kinda sad."

"Oh, I'm sorry Rainbow. Let's go and head to the residences. You parents are ready to see you, remember their jobs?"

"Daddy is a teacher and mommy is a cloudster."

"Cloud buster, but you're right."

"And Stream is in school like me, only with a school, not at home."

"That's right Rainbow Dash. Good job." I like when she tells me I did a good job, it makes me feel happy and special. I know I am a mare now but, I dunno, sometimes I feel like I don't know as much as I should for a pony my age. At least I have my friends and everything.

I saw the house and I remembered it, it was the same except there was a slide outside and a training ring in the front. I don't really know why most of the city doesn't have glass windows, just open holes. What if it rains or snows? I remember freezing cold and sleeping long times when I was in the tree, what do they do here? I guess they make fire to keep them warm.

"Fluttershy, do clouds burn?"

"What? Rainbow Dash, no they don't. Do you feel like you want to burn your house or somepony?" She sounded worried, like when I'd cry sometimes.

"No, silly. I was wondering how they made fires here to stay warm in winder. How do they?"

"Oh, that's a relief. We don't get snow here, the sun warms us and the night cools us. One of the magic abilities Pegasi have is that we're weather resistant. We don't freeze or burn as easily like the other races. Rainbow, I know we're almost there, but can we do something I've always wanted to try first?"

"Of course. What do you wanna do?"

She flapped her wings really hard and flew up fast. I caught up to her and we kept flying up, higher and higher. It got kinda boring after a while but then I started feeling cold like, winder cold. I was looking at Fluttershy above me for so long I forgot we were flying up for a while and was thinking of other stuff. I looked down and screamed and flew up and grabbed Fluttershy's back legs. We were so high I could see almost all of Equestria!

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, it's okay, if you're, scared, we can, go back, down." She was talking slow and breathing a lot. I took in a breath and it took a while, not like at the ground. "The air, is thin, because, there, isn't much, up here. We're almost, as high, as we, can go. Do you, feel, dizzy?"

I heard her but I was really dizzy and we kept flying up, finally she stopped when I started to wibble and wobble. It was hard to move and my head was getting sleepy, like I was really dizzy. She told me glide down with her after a dive and I closed my wings and we fell together. It was actually nice and calm. The wind felt so nice and it was fast. The whoosh sound was making my heart race and we had so long to go. I looked at Fluttershy and she said 'do it.'

I opened my wings and flew faster and faster and pretended I was catching her again, but it was only pretend. I remember the wind stinging my face and pulling my mane so much it hurt, but I wanted to go faster, it felt so good. I looked back and a rainbow was following me I heard the air going quiet again and I went faster and then it happened again! I felt myself go super fast and the rainbow was going in a circle again, there was a super rainbow coming from me and I turned around and went back to Fluttershy who was still diving and screaming happy at me.

"You did it! I can't believe you can do it so easy, Rainbow Dash. Look at it, it's beautiful." She smiled and we both watched as it circled out. The sound got to us and it was a big 'boom' and made me really happy inside. We finally got close to Cloudsdale and almost everypony was in the air and looking up at the rainbow I made and shouted when they saw me and Fluttershy really loud and it made me feel really special again.

"Rainbow Dash, you're so awesome!" "You're the coolest!" I heard them saying. Fluttershy took the lead and we slowed down and glided to my parents house and the cheers quieted.

*Knock Knock Knock Knockknockknockknock*

"I'm coming! Hold yer tornadoes!" Mommy called. She opened the door kinda mad then screamed and hugged me super tight and I hugged her back, I felt my heart getting a weird feeling I only had when I saw Fluttershy the first time almost a year ago.

"Fluff! Come here, she's home!"

"DADDY!" He hugged me super tight too and we all started to cry.

Fluttershy just sat behind us and cried too, it was a really weird few minutes. "Rainbow, come in. Fluttershy, you too! Please, we're so happy to see you both again."

The house was really cool. It was made from clouds but it had pictures and a clock and stuff. Even a TV! I wanted to watch it but I knew Fluttershy would say no. "Where's Stream, mommy?" She smiled really big when I said her name.

"She's at preflight school. You remember that, right?"

"I remember it, mommy. I was the best flier and," I remembered something I forgot, "I had a friend named Rainbow Blaze, he taught me to be awesome."

Everypony smiled and then we started talking about everything they'd been through over the past few years and then we talked about that day up to when she found me.

"I already told you about me going to school, Rainbow. But, did you know the pony that gave me the recommendation was your father? He used a few friends to get me into the advanced schools, usually reserved for the nobility and wealthy. The education I got was top notch and since it was on the earth I didn't have to have help getting around. Other ponies knew I was from Cloudsdale but I told them my father's job and they didn't bother me."

"Fluttershy, what does your parents do?"

"'What do your parents do,' Rainbow. And my father works in Cloudsdale treasury, as an accountant," she chuckled and sat up more, "I never told my school mates that part. I let them think he was in charge or a senior member. Those types make it up as they go along. Well, after I graduated I did my internship in a suburb of Manehatten at an asylum named after Doctor Hue Broadhoof, it was a great experience and I learned a lot about helping ponies like you, Rainbow Dash."

"Fluttershy has kept up up to date on your progress, you're doing so well, sweetie. How is your alphabet coming?"

"A-B-D-C-F, um, it's hard. Do I have to?"

"Of course not, baby. We're just happy you're here, finally."

"Like me and Fluttershy! She's right here now." Everypony laughed and so did I. "I'm feeling really good and lately I've been wanting to fly and race again, like when I was a filly. Fluttershy says it's good and I'm okay with that, cuz flying fast is fun. I could totally beat you both with a wing tied down."

"Well, someone sounds brash, don't they?" Daddy said proudly. Then everypony laughed at what I said next.

"No I don't, trees have brashes."

---

Stream came home and she didn't know me, but she wasn't as big or as smart as me. I went to her room and won our race there, she's really fast and I might teach her to do the sonic rainboom someday. We played dolls, house and catch. Then we played tag and hide and seek outside, Stream is like my new best friend, I want her to meet Scootaloo, they're almost the same age. 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 11, 7. Stream is three and Scootaloo is nine, so they're really close.

Soon I had to leave when the sun was kinda low and I wanted to eat with them but 'Shy wanted to go. I wanted to stay but 'Shy had to take care of our critters.

"Fluttershy, that was the best day I've had in Cloudsdale in a long time. I wanna go back again sometimes."

"That's a great idea, Rainbow Dash. I like your attitude very much and everypony will be happy to see you again. You conducted yourself the best you could and that was very pleasing to everypony."

"Thanks, 'Shy. Wanna race home?" I started flying as fast as I could and the wind in my mane, the whoosh in my ears, my tail whipping behind me and Fluttershy behind me telling me to slow down. I feel so free, I don't know if I ever wanna stop flying this fast. The future is in front of me and I can do anything now, with my friends and family.

Comments

[IMNOTHERE889]

Day 3: aww, Dashie! You're so adorable and innocent.
Wow. Did I seriously say that? Wow.

[CoffeeBean]

As I type this, I feel... strange. Your story... was incredible. I don't have words to describe my feelings.

Bravo.