> Vanishing Act
>  by Axel IV
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The rage from the thunder quaked Rainbow Dash's house violently. The house seemed to shake from its terror and relentless force, throwing portraits off their walls and dropping books from their shelves. Her bedroom window rattled from its voice, and the sound of its trembling was being overpowered by rain outside that dropped like iron. Rainbow slowly trotted towards the thin sheet of glass, freezing as a bolt of lightning cracked the sky. The temperature had dropped considerably since the storm attacked the city of Cloudsdale, leaving Rainbow shivering because of the cold... and her suppressed fear. 

"C-Come on, Dash... " the filly's voice cracked, "Y-you a-aren't scared... you a-aren't F-Fluttershy... " The little blue pony crawled over to her window, her shaky hooves resting on the window sill as she gazed outside.

The rain nearly looked like a single wall of water as it fired down onto the streets of cloudsdale. The powerful winds angled the rain, bending street-signs and causing some of the thinner cloud houses to bend to its will. She gazed up higher into the sky, picking out a few colorful dots of the weather team, struggling to silence the dominating storm with their vast numbers to no avail. This mysterious storm had come out of nowhere, hitting the city as soon as Rainbow made it back from school.

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up, suddenly hearing the sounds of voices coming from the hallway. Blinking, she made her way to the door and opened it, peeking out her little head. She spotted her father and mother standing near the doorway, her father wearing his trademark weather-team goggles on his forehead. Her mother looked distraught, obviously heated up at her husband. Her bright pink coat was ruffed up from her anger, her blue mane dangling over her face. 

"You are NOT going out there!" Her mother hissed, stomping her front hoof onto the cloud-floor, "It's way too dangerous! Did you see the wind out there?! It was knocking around grown ponies like toys! You could get hurt! Wait for it to blow over!" Her father gave her mother a smile in response, making her mother grit her teeth in frustration. Most of the time, her father listened carefully and did what her mother told him to do... but in rare times, he would flash her the same smile when there was something he needed to do that she was against.

"Dear, " he began, "You know that a storm like this isn't going to blow over very quickly. If this storm lingers for any longer, homes can be destroyed and more ponies could be hurt. I'm also captain of the weather team here in Cloudsdale, so I kind of have to be out there... it's part of the job description, honey." He reached his fore-hoof forward, placing it onto his wife's shoulder.

"NO!" Her mother shook her head, shoving his hoof off of her,  "If you go out there, I'm never going to forgive you!" Her mother stood strong, lifting up a hoof to block her husband from going, "Sky Strike, once you walk out this door... the storm's going to take you away!"

Sky Strike shook his head with a smile, "Don't worry, dear. A storm can't stop me... " He reached forward and nuzzled her mother's neck, "You know I always come back." Dash's mom froze before turning around, hiding her face from him as she rubbed at the pools of moisture gathering around her eyes. Her mom was never too keen on showing that kind of emotion.

"Daddy?... " Rainbow Dash blinked, suddenly walking out from her room, "What's going on?... "  Sky Strike immediately turned to look at his daughter, being taken by surprise. Regardless, he couldn't help but smile when he saw his little Dashie.

"Dash!" Her mother sniffed, still rubbing at her eyes, "G-Go back to your room! It's dangerous!" Her eyes were turning red, looking away so that her daughter couldn't see her in such a state. 

"Daddy?" Dash asked, walking up to her father, "A-Are you going out there?" Sky Strike smiled, bending down lightly to ruffle Dash's mane with his hoof. 

"Yep, " He nodded, "It's my job, squirt. Don't worry, I'll be back in a flash." He gave her a kiss on her forehead, standing up straight and spinning to face the doorway. He walked over to his wife, who still had her back turned and was sniffling. With a light sigh, he wrapped a hoof around her shoulders, turning her to face him before shoving his lips onto hers, giving her a deep and passionate kiss. It took her mother a few seconds to lift her hooves, embracing her father around the neck.

After what seemed like forever, Sky Strike finally pulled away, a wide smile on his face, "I'll be back, honey. I love you two too much to just leave, you know." He looked back at his daughter, giving her a wink before sliding the goggles down over his eyes. Dash gave her father a smile of her own, proud of how brave and strong he was. Glancing over at her mother, she believed that she did as well.

When his hoof touched the doorknob he glanced back with another toothy grin, "Oh, and remember, Dash... " He gave her a salute, "I'm the greatest flier in Equestria. There isn't a storm that I can't conquer!" He gave her a nod before opening the door, giving Dash the view of her father's broad back as he entered the horrifying storm awaiting him. The lightning thrashed the ground as thunder boomed through the sky, the rain pelting the ground like rocks. Her father looked like a hero from a comic, facing danger alone to save the ones he loved. 

It was the last time she ever saw him.












Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes, the sunlight hitting her eyes like a wave. Cursing to herself she turned her head, moving up a hoof to block the painful rays of Celestia's new day. Sometimes she wondered if Celestia was doing that on purpose. With a sigh, she sat up, her bed-mane making her look like some sort of street punk . She slowly turned her head, feeling a satisfying crack echo from her neck.

Grumbling, she slowly got off her bed, not making any effort to remake it. It was just going to get messy at night anyways, right? Yawning, Rainbow caught sight of a small, dusty picture sitting on her nightstand. She drowsily moved over to look at it, wiping down the glass surface with her hoof so that she could get a better look at it.

It was taken around ten years ago... it was of her, her mother, and her father standing in front of the wonderbolts stadium. Her mother had that stoic look like she always did, and Rainbow looked extremely excited. Her father had this incredibly soft smile on his face... feeling unwanted emotions boiling inside of her, Dash set the picture down lightly and made her way into the kitchen.

She quickly shoved over a small stack of Daring Doo books on her kitchen table before trotting over to the fridge, propping it open to take a quick look inside. Frowning, she grabbed a carton of milk and a box of cereal from a nearby cabinet and plopped down onto her seat.

She heard the sound of knocking at her door, to which Rainbow Dash grumbled a loud "Come in!" for a response. The door opened very lightly, and she heard it close just as softly. She knew who it was as soon as the door entered... she didn't have many pegasi friends that visited her, and the gentle hoof-steps and humming voice was a dead giveaway.

"Oh, um, " The quiet voice of Fluttershy spoke quietly, "I-I hope I'm not intruding or anything... " She entered the kitchen, finding Rainbow Dash looking like a morning mess at her table.

"Nah, I just woke up." Dash answered, "And having breakfast. Want any?" Dash offered the box of cereal to her yellow friend. 

Fluttershy shook her head, "Oh, no thank you! I had breakfast with Angel and the rest of the animals this morning." She trotted over happily, taking a seat at the other end of the table.

"I see." Rainbow Dash nodded, taking a bite of her cereal, "So, What's up?"

"Oh, nothing~!" Fluttershy replied in a sing-song voice, "Just wondering how you were doing. Today is... well... you know... " She looked away, "I... I mean I don't want to... well - " 

"It's alright, Fluttershy, " Rainbow Dash replied to her friend, swallowing her food, "It's the anniversary of my old man's disappearance. It's kinda hard for me to forget, you know." She took another bite of cereal, "It's been ten years, Fluttershy... but I think I'm passed it." 

"Oh...  okay." Fluttershy nodded, looking back over to her friend, "I was just a little worried that you'd be sad."

Rainbow Dash smiled, happy that her friend cared as much as she did, "It's okay. So, just being curious, what do you remember about him?" She was eating rather quickly, trying to finish up early to start her practice routine.

Fluttershy couldn't help but smile widely, "The nicest stallion I ever met!" She giggled, "Well, he was the only stallion I really talked to back when I was even more shy. He helped me open up, and always made time to play with us. He was like a second father to me." Fluttershy looked at Rainbow, "You really do remind me of him."

"Hm , " Rainbow shook her head, pushing away her now-empty bowl of cereal, "I'm not that much like him," Rainbow frowned, "He was way too nice, and he didn't think things through very well, and mom pushed him around all the time. Besides, I'm a much better flier than he ever was!"

Fluttershy chuckled, "Well, you do have the same colored mane... and didn't he used to say that he was the greatest flier in Equestria too?" Rainbow grew a bit red before sliding off of her seat.

"W-Well, he definitely isn't anymore." Rainbow shook her head, "Anyways, I'm off to practice my moves, and then I need to check the schedule for the up coming rainstorms with the weather-team."

"Ah!" Fluttershy lifted a hoof in protest, "Oh, um... I was just going to ask how your mother is doing... " Rainbow gritted her teeth, opening the door to leave her cloud-house. Fluttershy stiffened, anticipating the response.

"The usual, " She snarled lightly, "Absorbed in her work as always... I still only get one of her letters once a month. Anyways, see you later." She walked towards the door, preparing to jump before something suddenly crossed her mind.

"Oh, " She reached a blue hoof to a coat hangar, grabbing a pair of old, beat up goggles and placing them onto her head, "Almost forgot, " She chuckled. 

Rainbow then hopped out of her doorway, dropping straight down towards the air, feeling the rush shove  her mane back. With a grin, her wings popped open and she glided safely into the sky. Fluttershy walked out of the house, closing the door softly behind her. She watched her friend dance through the air, moving as if she was a work of art.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash... " Fluttershy looked away, the image of Sky Strike in her mind, "I wish that he could see you now, too... I know he'd be so proud... " 





"Hmmm, " Twilight Sparkle hummed, glancing back and forth between a collection of strange, magical glowing devices that sat on the balcony of the library. With a purple glow around her horn, she was currently holding up six different clipboards, a single quill darting around each and and scribbling down notes as she observed her strange small machines. 

"Thats odd... " She blinked, gazing at one of the machines that was growing brighter by the second, "This shouldn't be happening... " 

"What shouldn't be happening?" Spike grumbled, rubbing his belly with his hand as he gazed at her with droopy eyes. He had been woken up by the sounds of "That's odd," or "This shouldn't be happening," for the past ten minutes. The violet dragon glanced over at the strange machines, cocking his head in confusion.

"What the heck are you doing?" He frowned, crouching to take a look at a strange mechanism that had been made from a cake beater, a small lamp, a strange magical stone, and a small toy train, "And what are you doing with my things?... " 

"Sorry spike!" Twilight exclaimed, "I needed an assortment of machines to measure the correct amount of magical essence in the air... you see, nearly everything has magical essence in it: trees, rocks, dirt, and the air! These small devices, combined with magical sensing stones, measure the magical essence that's flowing through the air, rising in the wind, and gather in the skies! You see, magical essence is arguably the product of a small, undiscovered particle called a "medichlorian" that is said to be a small microorganism that exist in all living things that allows - "

"Twilight, " Spike groaned, hitting his forehead with the palm of his claw, "What are you doing with my things?" He frowned, "You know what? Never mind... You lost me at magical essence... I don't think I've gone through enough magical theory books to know what that is, yet." 

"Oh, " Twilight giggled, "Sorry, I got a head of myself... basically, I'm noticing a strange increase of magic in Ponyville. It's traveling up through the air and through the wind from the west... " She pointed out from the balcony, "Something's coming here, and its intriguing me."

"Okay, " Spike frowned, following the direction that Twilight pointed. He saw nothing but Ponyville and blue skies, making him once again question the sanity of his mother-figure.

"I... don't see anything." He scratched the back of his scales.

"I know!" Twilight squeaked in excitement, "And that's what's interesting! Usually, when magical essence builds up, there is a powerful reaction caused from it! It's very, very rare, and it acts in unpredictable ways! Sometimes it can make mountains, or even create new creatures! It's a big mystery, and I want to learn all about it!" 

"Huh, " Spike blinked, suddenly very nervous "Um, then isn't it dangerous if it's going to form right over Ponyville?... I mean, if a mountain suddenly appeared, wouldn't that destroy everything?.. " 

"That's another weird thing... " Twilight rambled, continuing to take rapid notes, "I'm taking a close observation of the magical essence that's in the air... every single turn, and every single pause. It's actually forming a shape... " She glanced up at the sky, with no clouds in sight, "But... why is it forming here and now? And why is it so high up in the sky?"

"I don't know... " Spike shrugged, "Maybe it's some sort of storm?"

"Hm... " Twilight tapped her hoof on her chin, "But there aren't any clouds forming, so I don't think there's any danger. The magical essence needs to physically manifest somehow... if they are going to form a mountain, they need the magical essence of a mountain... but if its so high up in the sky I don't think we have to worry about any mountains forming. Besides, the chances of a natural magical essence reaction is about two percent, so we have no worries!" 

Spike frowned, "I hope you know that I barely understand anything you say when you go straight into sciencey-magical talk. You may be teaching me the ways of the egghead, but that doesn't mean I have become one. Besides... I'm hungry, and you're using one of my cooking pans as some sort of wheel." He crossed his arms, frowning at the strange machines.

"It's measuring, Spike!" Twilight pouted, "You see, when the handle risings ever so slightly it means that the internal fission that's binding the molecules and magical essence is- "

"Alright, I got it!" Spike held up his claws in defeat, "Anyways, I'll go scrounge around some hayfries or something. You hungry at all?" 

Twilight felt her stomach growl, and it made her laugh, "Sure thing! Let's both see what we can find. I think that there's also a few left-overs from last night. If not, we could always eat out at Sugarcube Corner."

"Okay, " Spike nodded, glancing back at the sky, "You sure that there's gonna be no danger today?... " He felt a strange, uncomfortable feeling in his gut that was worrying him, "You're usually... well, a bit wary about these things."

"Me? I'm not worried! I'm excited! And you don't have to worry, Spike, " Twilight smiled, following her dragon assistant, "unless the weather-team suddenly reschedules for an afternoon rainstorm, there's no issue!"





"It's been decided that we have to reschedule for an afternoon rainstorm, " Rainbow Dash stated, a group of weather pegasi gathering around her, "Mayor Mare's having an event tomorrow, and she doesn't want to have it spoiled. So we're going to have the rain a little early. Any questions?" The weather was currently gathered in the park, equipped with their goggles and looking ready for action. There was a only little more than a dozen of them, with a few that were coming back from Cloudsdale with the clouds.

"Yeah, " a hoof raised in the small crowd, "Um, what kind of storm are we looking at?"

"Good question, " Rainbow Dash nodded, "Just a light storm. No thunder or lightning of any kind." 

"How long will it be for?" Another pony asked.

"Just around half an hour, " Dash answered, "Remember, its going to be light rain. We don't want to flood Sweet Apple Acres like last time... right, Thunderlane?" Each pegasus gave a light laugh, making the black stallion grow a little red in embarrassment.

"Alright, " Rainbow smirked, "Everypony has their orders. You can all sit tight for now, but we should have our clouds here soon." The small group nodded to each other and quietly disbanded. Some sat on a bench, staring up at the skies as they waited for their coworkers to return. Others laid in the grass, talking and laughing among themselves. Rainbow Dash found a small stump, sitting down onto it as she took off her goggles. She out a burst of hot air from her lungs to fog up the lens before rubbing it away with her hoof, checking to make sure that they were crystal clear.

"Hey, Dash?" A bright blue maned pegasus mare asked, walking up to her boss, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, " Dash nodded, focused on cleaning her goggles, "Shoot."

The mare gazed at what Dash was fondling so affectionately, "Those... those were your dad's right?"

Rainbow paused.

"Yeah... " Dash replied, "They were. It's all we could find of him."

The mare's ears drooped, "I-I'm sorry... I-I know that it was ten years ago when it happened... you see, my parents were in the weather-team in Cloudsdale when your father was captain. They had nothing but good things to say about it. I-I just wanted to let you know that they thought very highly of him, and only wish you the best."

"Nothing but good things?" Dash rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right! Wanna know something bad to say about it?" Rainbow double checked her goggles, making sure that they were squeaky clean before placing them back onto her head, "He never kept his promises."

"O-Oh," The mare backed away, "I-I didn't mean... " 

Rainbow turned away, "It's fine." She answered, "He disappeared ten years ago, you know. I'm not shaken up by it anymore. Anyways, keep an eye on the skies... the clouds could be here any- " 

*BOOM*

The ground shook violently from the mysterious angry burst of sound, making each pony stumble around as if they were dizzy. Ditzy fell over onto her side unsurprisingly, but Rainbow stood still, her hooves keeping her still. But that sound... that impact... she knew that from somewhere very familiar... 

"HEY!" She called out to the sky, "What gives - " Her jaw dropped.

A huge, dark cloud had suddenly sprang over the skies of the small town, blocking the warming rays of the sun. The dark cloud released another powerful, echoing growl that shook the bones of every single pony in Ponyville. The winds soon picked up, crying through the trees and the houses as leaves and sticks were launched through the air as projectiles. A few fillies and colts found themselves being shoved aside by the wind before being picked up by their mothers. She was about their age when she felt this thunder.

"Weather-ponies!" Rainbow Dash growled, sliding her goggles over her eyes, "On me! We gotta take this sucker down!" Her wings sprung into action as she leaped into the air, bolting straight up towards the dark, menacing cloud with her team behind her. The wind was getting stronger and stronger as she climbed higher and higher, aiming for the center of the tremendous storm. It was then that she caught sight of the weather-ponies that had been in charge of bringing the clouds to Ponyville.

"Hey! What gives?!" She asked, "We needed light rainstorm clouds! Not a massive, thunderous, loud one!"  She had to shout as the wind picked up, the low rumblings of the cloud overpowering.

"W-We did!" One of the ponies yelled back as they tried desperately to shove the cloud away with their hooves, "B-But as soon as we brought them, they turned into THIS!" 

	*BOOM*

Dash screamed in protest, cupping her hooves up to her ears as the cloud bellowed its roar, a powerful bolt of lightning firing from its dark body. 

And that was when the rain started.

It came down all at once, shooting down at the ponies like bullets as the cloud continued to grow. They fell like heavy rocks, each drop almost as painful as a bee-sting. A number of the weather-team ponies were knocked to the ground, the wind weakening them as the rain finished them off, sending them straight towards the earth.

"S-STOP!" Rainbow Dash screamed at the cloud, her wings beating rapidly as she climbed altitude, the water blocking her vision through her goggles. As she grew closer, she reared her hind legs back for a powerful kick, firing her legs like a sling when she was at the right distance.

The cloud felt like a sheet of iron, making Rainbow cringe at the sudden pain. The cloud seemed to grow angry, and a giant bolt of lightning fired down upon Ponyville, striking a tall tree in the park and setting it aflame. But almost as soon as it lit on fire, the rain blew it out. And that was when the winds really starting picking up.

It hit Rainbow like a freight train, knocking her through the air clumsily. Gritting her teeth, her wings powered on, keeping her in the air with the constant barrage of water bullets and the powerful punches of the wind. The thunder assaulted her ears, putting Rainbow Dash's overall toughness to the test. She shot back up to the cloud, her front hooves pushing against the cloud as she desperately tried to push it away.

"MOOOOOOOVE!" She screamed, her wings burning up from exhaustion. The cloud still felt like a solid wall, and Rainbow Dash's attempt to move its massive form were proving useless. The cloud fired another bolt of lightning at Ponyville, and its thunder shook Rainbow Dash violently. Her wings immediately froze up, the rain beating at her as the wind slung her straight towards the ground.

"NO!" She screeched, her wings refusing to carrying back up through the air. Decided that she wasn't going to avoid the inevitable, Rainbow Dash braced herself for impact with closed eyes.

But it never came.

Instead, a purple aura surrounded the pegasus, immediately stopping her fall just a few meters above the ground. Rainbow Dash blinked her eyes open, and then smiled when she realized who was doing it.

"Twilight!" Rainbow yelled at her friend, "Thanks!" A giant purple sphere surrounded the violet mare, protecting her against the heavy raindrops from the massive cloud from above. Twilight rushed up to Rainbow, making sure her sphere absorbed the cyan pegasus to protect her from the painful precipitation.

"Rainbow Dash, I thought the rain was scheduled for tomorrow!" Twilight stated, glancing up at the terrifying black cloud, "But I guess there's no helping it now, is there?!... " 

"What the heck is that thing?!" Rainbow wheezed, "This isn't the first time I've seen something like this... why is this here?!"

"It's a thunderstorm created by a gathering of magical essence, " Twilight replied, "It's highly resistant to other forms of magic that isn't its own, so there shouldn't be anything we can do about it - wait, a second, what you do MEAN you've seen this before?" Twilight blinked, looking over at Rainbow Dash, "That shouldn't be possible!"

"It doesn't matter!" Rainbow shook her head, "W-What can we do to stop it?!"

"I've already contacted the princess, but it will be a while until she can do anything... " Twilight trembled, "I tried to raise a barrier spell over Ponyville, but this as far as I can get with the magical essence interfering... it would take at least one of the princesses to form a barrier around the town in this state!"

"Darnit!" Rainbow growled, "So are we going to have to wait?! Somepony can get hurt out here!" 

As if on cue, a scream of a young filly managed to overpower the sound of the obnoxious storm.

Rainbow Dash gasped, "T-That sounded like Scootaloo!" Dash's wings prepped themselves for action.

"W-Wait!" Twilight protested, "Let me get to her! If you go out there, you could get caught up in those winds! And they aren't normal!" 

"No time!" Rainbow persisted, "She's too far away! She'll be hurt if I don't get there soon! And I'm not letting this storm take away another loved one away from me!" Scootaloo screamed again, and Rainbow Dash immediately jumped to the rescue, with Twilight struggling to keep pace far behind.

When she left Twilight's barrier, the rain nearly beat her into the flooded streets, her hooves smashing into the mud. She growled, her wings kicking the air as she sprinted, her strength at her limits as she charged towards the direction of the screams.

"SCOOTALOO!" Rainbow screeched, "YOU HERE?!"

"Rainbow Dash! " Scootaloo cried, the orange filly clutching onto a tree, "R-Rainbow! I'm so scared!" Dash bit her lip, her muscles aching as she trudged forward, the rain feeling as if it was starting to bruise her. While putting up with the pain, Rainbow marched over to Scootaloo, growing closer and closer with each shaky step.

"... Don't worry, kid.... " She seethed, "I've... got you  - " Lightning crackled above them, and in complete and utter terror... Scootaloo let go of the tree. Because of her hollow bones and light weight, the wind carried her like a leaf with its odd and impossible strength. 

"DAAAAAAASH!" Scootaloo screamed, her small body being thrown through the wind, "HEEEEEEELP!"

"SCOOTALOO!" Rainbow Dash yelled, "I-I'M COMING!" Rainbow stopped her wings and let the wind toss her after the little pony, the rain on her goggles nearly blocking her vision. Through the iron rain and the relentless wind, Rainbow followed after the orange filly, determined to save her little friend.

The wind suddenly tossed the small filly into the town, throwing her down an alley. Rainbow growled, her wings flaring out as she followed every single turn and curve. The storm seemed to play with her, throwing the orange filly into thin alleys. But after much trial and much exhaustion, Rainbow Dash was finally getting closer and closer to Scootaloo.

But they were heading straight for Town Hall.

"DASH!" Scootaloo cried, tumbling through the air.

"HANG ON KID!" Rainbow Dash screeched, her single hoof reaching for her friend, "ALMOST!... GOT!... YOU!... " Her hoof was getting closer and closer... and was now only inches away.

But it was far too late. They were heading straight for a collision course for town hall. Dash managed to grab the small filly, bringing her into her chest and clutching her as the wind propelled them like a cannon ball... Dash closed her eyes and shielded the small filly into her chest. 

Her life suddenly flashed before her eyes. Breakfast with Fluttershy, getting Daring Doo books from Twilight at the library, hoof-wrestling with Applejack at her farm, regrettably going to the spa with Rarity, pranking with Pinkie Pie, teaching little Scootaloo the ropes, being scolded by her mother... seeing her father's smile as he read bedtime stories to her, hearing her father laugh at her ridiculous bed-mane, feeling her father kiss her before she went off to school, and watching her father turn away as he left the house to face the oncoming danger. 

"...Daddy... " Rainbow whispered in the final moments, "Help me... " 

*BAM*































































Rainbow Dash was shoved abruptly into the mud, clutching Scootaloo in her hooves as she rolled messily through the street. She immediately coughed, spitting out the taste of the nasty mud that got into her mouth. Shaking her head, obviously confused, she looked up. The mud from her goggles blocked the view of what had happened, but the rain easily beat it down. 

She saw a rainbow blur take off.

The blur rocketed through the air, blowing past each powerful gust of wind and taking every single rain drop along the way. Rainbow watched the strange flying object centered in the middle of town, spinning as quickly as it could in a circle, fighting off the powerful gusts of wind and the bullet rain. Lightning cackled, but somehow it missed the flying creature as it flew around and around, in a tight circle. After a few moments, the blur made a small tornado of its own, and the cyclone continued to grow taller and wider as it spun in that strange circle. 

The tornado, somehow caused by that one blur alone, rose straight towards the thick cloud. Rainbow watched, her jaw practically hitting the street as the dark cloud absorbed into the tornado, making it pitch black. At first, it seemed that the tornado was too small to take in the entire cloud and that it was inevitable... but the tornado continued to grow, absorbing the cloud little by little... and very soon, the rain that plowed over Ponyville began to thin out until the small glimmer of sunlight peered out from the edges of the massive thunder-cloud.

Ponies were walking out of their houses, glancing up at the sky to see the giant air-tornado take in more and more of the cloud until it finally had it completely engulfed. The whirlwind was completely massive, but it was all up in the air, not once touching the ground. And in an incredible display of power, the tornado blasted itself up into the atmosphere, making the dark cloud all but disappear as it rose higher and higher into the sky.

"Wait... " Rainbow blinked, "I... I know that weather technique... that tight circle... that air cyclone... "

The blur suddenly blasted down from the sky, and suddenly its form came into view. It wasn't a strange, magical air creature... it was a stallion pegasus. Rainbow lifted her goggles and rubbed her eyes as she stared at the strange pony descending down into the street.

The stallion's coat was a darker blue, basically a light violet. On his flank was a cutie mark of a rainbow streak coming from a cloud... but that wasn't the distinct part of the stallion.

His mane was rainbow colored.

"Whew, " He breathed, his hooves landing in the street, "Should have figured that was the case... thunderstorms caused by magical essence are almost legendary, " He panted, talking to himself.

She knew that voice.

"No other magic can affect it other than its own... that's why you gotta take the air around it that was infused with the same magical essence and use it against the cloud. Thank Celestia that I came up with the 'Omnidash version five'!" 

It couldn't be.

"Named it after my daughter." He smiled, glancing around at the ponies around him, "Oh... talking to myself again, aren't I?... " He reached a hoof back, scratching his neck, "I have to stop embarrassing myself..." He laughed. 

No way it was.

His eyes found Dash's and he smiled, walking right up to her.

This couldn't be happening.

"Hey!" He greeted, a soft smile on his lips, "I saw you save that filly. It's very brave of you!"

That smile... nononononono...

"Anyways, I should probably introduce myself." He offered a hoof to help her up.

This... this wasn't possible...

"I'm Sky Strike!"

	
> Kind Welcome
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

      	Rainbow Dash shoved the door open to her cloud-house, sniffling quietly as she rubbed feverishly at her eyes. She slammed the door behind her, dropping her saddlebags as she walked on in. She had no doubt that her mother would scold her about leaving her things right in the doorway, but right now she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. Rainbow stomped through her house, pouting as she crossed the kitchen to get to her room.

Sky Strike had been sitting at the kitchen table, stacking a deck of cards into a pyramid. With fifty two cards, he had but two left to stack on top. With his tongue out of his mouth and his mind concentrating, he slowly carried the two cards to the very top. With excellent precision, he was just millimeters from placing them at their correct spots. A victorious smile crossed his lips-

The door slammed, and his stack collapsed onto the cloud table. Sky Strike froze where he was, a single salty tear sliding down his eye.

"I-I don't like stacking cards anyways... " He sniffled, setting down the cards as he began to pile them back up into a deck. When Dash walked into the kitchen, his expression notably brightened, a huge grin on his lips.

"Hey, kiddo, " He greeted, "How was school?" Dash grumbled something unintelligible and stomped right by him, heading straight towards her room. Sky Strike winced at the sound of her slamming her door before getting up from his chair, sighing lightly. With a concerned frown, he slowly made his way down the hallway, stopping right in front of his daughter's door.

He took in a deep breath before lifting his hoof, knocking it to get Rainbow Dash's attention, "Dashie?" He spoke in a quiet concerned voice, "May I come in?" He heard her muffled sniffles and twisted the doorknob, opening the door and stepping in.

His daughter's room was what you expected from a young, tomboyish filly. Wonderbolts posters were pinned to the walls, banners for her favorite sports teams either beside them or under them. Stuffed animals and toys were scattered about on her floor, and her book shelf only held school yearbooks, biographies of her favorite wonderbolts, and a few photo albums. Rainbow was on her belly, her head stuffed into a pillow as she sniffled quietly.

Sky Strike stepped over the objects on the floor (making sure that there were no little legos lying about... those things HURT) before sitting on his daughter's bed, reaching his hoof over to rub at her back.

"Everything alright, Dash?" Sky Strike smiled softly, "It helps to just let things out, you know."

Rainbow Dash sniffled again before turning her head to look at her father, her eyes red and puffy. It really killed Sky Strike to see his daughter like this... it must have been something awful if it hurt his daughter this bad.

"T-Today, in class... " Her words were broken up with her small sobs, "I-I-I... " She turned her head back to the pillow, letting out a few more cries. 

"Just let it all out, kiddo... " Sky Strike smiled, "It never hurts to cry, you know." Rainbow continued to sob for a few more moments, clutching her pillow to her face as Sky Strike continued to rub his daughter's back, patiently waiting for her to continue her story. It seemed like hours passed before Rainbow would be able to form her words again.

Finally, she turned her head back to her father, rubbing at her tears, "Today... *sniff* in class *sniff* I... I told everypony *sniff* about my dream... " 

"Your dream to be a wonderbolt?" Sky Strike nodded, "I see... what  happened next?"

Dash rubbed at her eyes again, "They... *sniff* they laughed... said it was *sniff* impossible... that I was too small... *sniff* that I'm not big or fast enough *sniff* and that I crash too much... " 

Sky Strike smiled, reaching over to smooth out his daughter's mane, "You kidding me, Dash?" Sky Strike chuckled, "You shouldn't listen to them. You're one of the best fliers I've ever seen, and everypony crashes when they first start, you know."

Dash sniffled, "E-Even you?"

"Even me," Sky Strike chuckled, "In fact, the first time I flew I crashed straight into the school's principal... knocked him out cold and he had to use a wheel-chair for the rest of the week." Dash giggled a little, still a bit of a mess.

"Here," Sky Strike smiled, moving to lay down beside his daughter, "Let me tell you a few things... all the wonderbolts were just like you when they were your age."

"Really?" Dash blinked, "They were?"

"Yep, " Sky Strike nodded, "And I bet each and everyone of them had the same dream. Some were probably laughed at for being small, just like you. But as the years went by, they kept on flying and flying, and they got bigger and bigger every year until they were old enough to sign up for the Wonderbolts training camp. And because they held onto their dream since they were small, they were able to join, and become world famous." 

Sky Strike rubbed a little moisture from Dash's eye with his hoof, "You'll grow, Dash. You just keep flying and flying, working on those moves until one day you're old enough to go and seek out your dream, putting all those other kids to shame. And besides, I don't think all those kids laughed at you."

"Fluttershy didn't laugh... " Dash sniffled, "S-She thought that it was cool... " 

"See?" Sky Strike smiled, "It isn't all that bad. And I bet very soon you'll even get your cutie mark."

"You really think so?!" Dash exclaimed, her sour mood replaced by giddiness.

"Of course!" He smiled, "I can't wait for when you do! I'll take pictures to remember the day and I'll even take you to that great place in Ponyville for a cake! I promise!" He reached over a hoof to ruffle Rainbow's mane a little.

Rainbow suddenly frowned, "But... you're not very good at keeping promises... " She muttered.

Sky Strike was taken back, but he still gave her his best smile, "I know, Dashie... being the captain of the weather-team here in cloudsdale is a big responsibility... not only am I in charge of the weather around here, but I'm also in charge of shipping clouds, rainbows, and monitoring the weather-control in other towns and cities since Cloudsdale controls all the weather in Equestria. I also teach advanced flying lessons." He hooked out his hoof, reaching around Rainbow to drag her into a tight hug.

"But if there's one thing I can promise you, it's that I will always be here for you when you're growing up... " He smiled, "I won't miss a day of it."

Rainbow wrapped her hooves around her father as far as they could go, "You promise, daddy?" She asked, "You promise with all your heart?"

Sky Strike smiled at his daughter, "I promise, Dashie."

He never kept that promise.


"...Huh?" Rainbow Dash blinked, Scootaloo still clutched between her hooves as she stared up at Sky Strike, her eyes wide as her hooves trembled slightly. Scootaloo's eyes were wide in awe, and she broke out of Dash's grasp without her mentor even noticing.

"Wow!" She hopped, her mouth agape, "T-That was incredible, Mr. Strike! H-How did you do that?!" Sky Strike gave a light chuckle, reaching down a hoof to ruffle Scootaloo's mane, "A ton of practice, kiddo... and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears." Rainbow Dash got up by herself, her body still quivering. Was... was this a dream? Had she been knocked out by the wind?... this couldn't be real. Did she die? Is that why her father is here? Is he even her father? Couldn't be. He disappeared ten years ago. It... it wasn't possible. This couldn't be him. Could it?

"Hey, " Sky Strike blinked, glancing side to side, "This... this isn't Cloudsdale... " He reached up a hoof to scratch at his mane, "This... this is Ponyville?! What the heck am I doing here?!" Rainbow wasn't even listening to him... a mixture of emotions and the strange situation put her into an immediate shock, and she was standing like a statue. Nothing was going in or out.

"Hey!" Twilight called, running over to see the hero standing next to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, "You!" Sky Strike looked over, smiling wide as he waved a mud-caked hoof at her.

"Hey there!" He greeted, "The name's Sky Strike!" Twilight skidded to a halt in front of him, bending her head down to catch her breath. She had run after Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash when the wind had taken them, but her lack of physical stamina and strength really took a toll on her.

"Twilight Sparkle... " She panted, reaching out a hoof to shake his own, "Were... were you the one that stopped that storm?"

Sky Strike grinned, "Oh, did you see that? Pretty impressive, wasn't it?" He chuckled, "Well, it wasn't easy. Thank god I created the 'Omnidash Version Five'!"

Twilight blinked, "Erm, what?" 

Sky Strike laughed, patting the violet mare heavily on the back, "I just explained out loud to myself just a few moments ago! It's a pretty tough technique to perform... I threw up the first few weeks I was practicing it, and I even burst my appendix when I completed it for the first time!"

"Um... " Twilight Sparkle blinked, her knees buckling under the weight of his back pats, "Who exactly are you?"

"Sky Strike!" He declared, "Captain of the weather-team in Cloudsdale, and the greatest flier in Equestria!" He puffed out his chest, his wings fluttering in his embarrassing striking pose.

"Erm, " Scootaloo blinked, "I'm sorry, Mr. Strike, but that title's already been taken... " 

Sky Strike was frozen in his pose as his smile slowly fell. Eventually, his body relaxed and he looked at the small orange filly beside Rainbow Dash.

"W-What?!" He gasped, "No way! Who is it?! Who else has claimed the 'Greatest Flier in Equestria' title?!" Scootaloo pointed her hoof to the frozen form of Rainbow Dash, who was currently still staring ahead blankly.

"Hm... " He thought to himself, walking forward to get a good look at Rainbow, "Strange... " He reached up his hoof to scratch his neck, "You remind me of somepony... " He looked at her mane and coat, his eyes finding her cutie mark before focusing back on her face, "Wait... " He gasped, taking a few steps back, "You... you can't be... " 

Rainbow snapped out of her shocked state, her eyes blinking wildly as she stared at Sky Strike, her hooves trembling in the mud.

Sky Strike pointed his hoof at her, "It's true! No mistaking it! You're.... MY BIGGEST FAN!"

Rainbow went back into shock.

"No wonder she's saying she's the greatest in Equestria... " He chuckled, "She's doing... er, that one thing that kids these days do... what's it called? Cosplay? Well, it's pretty accurate if I do say so myself... the mane is perfect, but the color of the coat is too blue... and her cutie mark is of a lightning bolt instead of a streak. Well, points for trying!" 

There had been a gathering of ponies that emerged from their homes, and a small crowd was starting to build around Sky Strike, Twilight, Rainbow, and Scootaloo. Words of thanks and congratulations were given to Strike, and he welcomed them with open hooves. Twilight walked up to Rainbow, eyeing her friend curiously as she rapped her hoof on Dash's head.

"Earth to Dashie... " Twilight frowned, "You in there? Hello? Must be in shock since somepony stopped the storm that she couldn't." Twilight smirked, turning to look at the center of attention. It was then that she finally noticed the strange resemblance... the rainbow mane, the nearly identical cutie mark, the proficiency in flying... Twilight turned to gaze back at the shocked Rainbow Dash. Was something else putting her friend into shock?

"Sky Strike!?"

Twilight turned to see Mr. Cake standing in the street, his mouth agape while his eyes were wide in shock. Strike smiled, waving at the orange stallion as he broke away from the crowd.

"Carrot Cake!" Strike grinned, "Hey! It's been a few weeks! How's it going?!"

Mr. Cake blinked, "A few weeks?... A few weeks?!" Mr. Cake rubbed his eyes, unsure of what he was exactly seeing, "What do you mean, 'a few weeks'?! I haven't seen you in ten years!" 

Silence.

Sky Strike laughed, "What are you saying? Quit messing around, Carrot Cake! Hey, you still dating that mare?" Mr. Cake took a wary step back as the crowd began whispering to each other, and some were beginning to recognize Sky Strike.

"No, " Carrot Cake lifted a hoof, "Sky Strike.... you aren't him! You're... you're a CHANGELING!" 

The crowd gasped, murmuring much louder as they took a closer look at the pegasus that had saved them. It seemed too good to be true- a mysterious storm coming out of nowhere, and a strange pony claiming to be Sky Strike defeates it. It sounded like a perfect setup for a changeling.

Sky Strike blinked, "W-What?! No! Of course not! Okay, I-I guess I'll just find my goggles and head back to Cloudsdale if you're going to accuse me like this... " 

"Changeling!" Carrot Cake screeched, "D-Don't let him get away!" The crowd of ponies soon crowded around them, pulling pitchforks, torches, and other objects for lynching out of nowhere. Sky Strike backed away nervously, giving the others a look of fear.

"OKAY! That's enough!" Twilight intervened, breaking through the crowd, "I'll determine if this guy's a changeling or not... right back at the library. Come on, Rainbow!" Dash still looked completely broken, staring straight ahead at nothing. Twilight frowned, her horn glimmering as she lifted Dash up into air as she shoved her head at the confused Sky Strike's back legs, pushing him along through the streets to her tree-home.





"U-Um, " Sky Strike blinked, being shoved into the doorway by the purple mare, "You don't have to do this, you know... I  just want to get back to Cloudsdale to see my - " 

"After you get some congratulations and get yourself cleaned up!" Twilight laughed nervously, hovering Rainbow Dash into the library, "I'll have my assistant make us some hot chocolate while you go up on shower... it's the least I can do!" Sky Strike smiled, feeling satisfied with her answer.

"Alright!" He nodded, "Wow, it's only been a few weeks since I've been to the library and it already looks so much different!" He gazed around a bit before turning to Twilight, "Hey, did you just start working here? I don't seem Mrs. Green Grass anywhere!"

"Just... go upstairs... " Twilight sighed, setting Rainbow down at the center table, "Um, I'll explain everything later." Sky Strike gave her a shrug before prancing up the stairs, knowing exactly where the bathroom was. Twilight let out a breath of relief before turning to the still shocked Rainbow Dash.

"Okay, Dash... " Twilight took a seat beside her friend, "You have to tell me what's going on... this guy looks just like you, he appeared out of nowhere, and some of the ponies had been accusing him of being missing for ten years. " Twilight looked up the staircase, "SPIIIIKE!" She called, "I need three cups of hot chocolate ASAP!"

"ON IT!" Spike called back, the purple dragon racing down the stairs before disappearing into the kitchen.

"...Sky Strike... " Rainbow muttered, quickly grabbing Twilight's attention, "I... I... can't... " Rainbow's hooves were shaking as she wrapped them around herself, her ears drooping, "I don't know.. how I feel... " 

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, "Who's Sky Strike?"

Rainbow took a deep breath, "Sky Strike... he's my dad... " 

Twilight nearly flipped out. She had been expecting that he might be Rainbow's father, but to hear it straight from Rainbow was crazy. Curiously, Dash never spoke about her family to Twilight's knowledge, and to see her react to her father in this way really made the violet mare curious.

"If he's your father, why are you acting so weird? Shouldn't you be able to say hi or anything?" Twilight asked, "It looked like you'd seen a ghost out there... " 

"That's because he's been missing for the past ten years!" Rainbow snapped, standing up from her chair, "H-He disappeared out in a storm just like the one we were in! All that was left of him were THESE!" Rainbow tore off the goggles from her head and displayed them to the bewildered Twilight.

"Oh my Celestia... " Twilight breathed, "Rainbow Dash... " 

"He left me and mom alone for an entire DECADE!" Rainbow screeched, "He broke his promises... he broke ALL of them! He... " Rainbow began to tremble, moisture building in her eyes, "he... he wasn't there when I got my cutie mark... he wasn't there when I graduated from flight school.... he wasn't there when I entered the wonderbolts training camp... " Dash's mixed emotions were all coming out at once, and there was no way she could control them.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called, standing up, "C-Calm down! This isn't getting you anywhere!"

Rainbow Dash groaned, hitting her hoof against her head, "You don't understand Twilight! I... I was convinced that my father has been dead for ten years, and now he suddenly comes out of nowhere and he doesn't even know who I am?!" She snapped, throwing her goggles onto the floor, "Do you even KNOW what it's like right now!?"

Twilight blinked, feeling water rise in her eyes, "Rainbow, I'm trying- " 

"I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW!" Rainbow screeched, "Should I be angry?! Should I be happy?! Should I act like nothing's happened?! My heart hurts Twilight... it hurts so much... " Rainbow collapsed onto the floor, her body convulsing as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"...Rainbow Dash... " Twilight sniffled, walking over to embrace her friend, "It's okay, Rainbow... Just let it all out... " 

	"Just let it all out, kiddo... " Sky Strike smiled, "It never hurts to cry, you know."

"I... I don't even know if that's him... " Rainbow sobbed, "But... but it looks like him... it sounds like him... the... the smile is the same... " 

"It's okay, Rainbow... " Twilight patted her head, "It's... it's okay... " Rainbow embraced her friend, crying softly into Twilight's neck, leaking her tears onto her purple coat.

Twilight gave her friend a few more moments, feeling the mix of emotions toiling in her heart. "So, " Twilight finally said, "What are you going to do?... Wait for him to come down here to tell him the truth?"

"I don't know, " Rainbow replied, "I won't know till I see him." With some help from Twilight, Rainbow managed to make it back to her seat, quickly grabbing the goggles that she had tossed earlier. Her muscles were still exhausted, so it was a bit hard for her to move around still. Spike finally came into the room, a pink apron over his body as he set down a tray of hot chocolate. 

Rainbow had never been so tense before. She could hear the shower coming from upstairs, and when it turned off she jumped. That.. that could be her father up there. The father that she had been missing for ten years... the father she cried over countless nights, and the figure that shaped her life the most. She heard the bathroom door open, her ears keeping count of each step it took for him to get down the stairs.

"Wow, " Sky Strike smiled, his coat clean and his man sleek, "You guys must of had a great construction team to renovate this all so quickly!"  

"Y-Yeah," Twilight laughed nervously, "Here, why don't you sit down and have some hot chocolate?"

Sky Strike grinned widely, "I'd love to!" It was then that he caught sight of a purple dragon seated at the table with the two mares. His jaw dropped, practically hitting the floor as his eyes popped out in shock.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed, trotting over to Spike with a wide smile, "A baby dragon! A REAL baby dragon! I never thought I'd see one in real life!"

"Um, " Spike blinked, "My name's Spike.... " The violet dragon slowly shied away when Sky Strike plopped down next to him, his expression gleaming.

"Wow!" Sky Strike grinned, reaching over to pat the dragon on the head, "He talks too! Fluttershy's gonna have a kick when I tell her that I saw one in Ponyville!" 

"Fluttershy?" Spike blinked, "I know Flut- mmm!" Twilight laughed nervously, moving over to silence her assistant with a hoof, "This is my assistant Spike! He helps me around the library, and he even made the hot chocolate!" Twilight scooted the mug over to the stallion, "Here! Try it! I need to have a quick word with him and I'll be right back!" 

"Oh, okay!" Sky Strike exclaimed, "A baby dragon that makes hot chocolate?! I wonder what else he could do." Sky Strike smiled, lifting the mug to take a short sip from the steaming mug. Rainbow Dash sat right across from him, staring at the floor with her hooves in her lap. Her heart was beating like hooves in a stampede, thoughts fighting in her head.

"Hey, " Sky Strike blinked, "You alright?" Rainbow snapped out of it, looking up at Sky Strike before nodding feverishly.

"You sure?" Sky Strike asked, cocking his head in curiosity, "You could of taken quite a hit to the head back there, you know. I don't want you to have a concussion or anything... it'd be a shame for a great flier like you." Rainbow blinked, managing to lift her head up to see her father.

"I saw you chase after that little filly, " He smiled, "You let the wind carry you, and you soared almost perfectly. Could work on your turns, though. They need to be sharpened a little bit." He chuckled, lifting up his mug to take another sip.

"T-Thanks... " Rainbow replied, "I- er, I-I... um... " 

"Back!" Twilight smiled, trotting over to take her seat, "Sorry for leaving you alone for a while." She glanced over at Rainbow, who was still a bit pale in the coat. Twilight decided that this was a good time to probe for some answers...

"So, Sky Strike, " Twilight began, "You said that you were off fighting a storm in Cloudsdale?"

"Yep!" He nodded, "It looked to be a magical essence storm... I've never seen one before since they're incredibly rare. It was tearing up Cloudsdale apart... and I really should get back there soon."

"Not yet, " Twilight shook her head, "I still have some questions to ask. What was the last thing you remember when you fought that storm back on Cloudsdale?"

"Last thing?" Sky Strike lifted his hoof to tap his chin in thought, "Well... at first, I didn't know what to do with the storm. I knew that no pegasus magic would be able to affect it, but the more I hesitated the more the storm ripped up Cloudsdale. You sure I should be talking about this? I really, really should get back there to help with any - "

"Please, " Twilight stated, "Please tell us what happened. This is really, really important." 

Sky Strike blinked in confusion, "Um, okay... well, it didn't happen that long ago, so I should remember it just fine."





Sky Strike could only watch in horror as the winds and rain ripped right through his weather ponies, overpowering their wing-strength. The rain battered their bodies as they fell to the streets below, and it wasn't long before Sky Strike was left hovering alone, braving the physical rage of the thunderstorm.

"Damnit... " He huffed, his body spinning and tumbling through the air, refusing to let the wind take him away. A crack of lightning zipped right by him, smashing into one of the tall houses down below. The bang of thunder attacked his mind, making him groan in pain... this storm seemed to be alive, and most definitely evil. 

He remembered, back in his college days, about the legendary storm that concentrated magical essence would create. It was rare, but when it happened, it would terrorize Equestria for days, perhaps even weeks or months. Magical essence could only be manipulated by itself, and not even the magic of Princess Celestia could stop its wrath. Sky Strike spent years trying to come up with a way to defeat the storm... and after much pain, he had finally come up with a way.

"Gotta... stop it... " He panted, his powerful wings cutting through the air as he flew up, his goggles taking the full assault of the iron-like raindrops. He wasn't going to let this storm destroy his home... he wasn't going to let this storm harm his family. With a battle cry, Sky Strike began to fly in a circle, his wings flapping like machines as he accelerated faster and faster. The force of his speed, in combination with the powerful winds and heavy rain drops, knocked his goggles completely off of his head.

"FASTER!" He snarled, "GO... FASTER!" He began to feel a warmth circle over his body, his pumping muscles being encompassed by its comforting glow. Very soon, he was beginning to craft a tornado in the air, making it grow bigger and bigger with each rotation. Soon, the winds were even getting pulled in, and the cloud began to get sucked into his vortex of speed.

Sky Strike grinned, his eyes barely able to catch a visual of what was going on... but that didn't matter. He knew that he had this- he knew that he had victory very, very close in his hooves.

Suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning fired down at the tornado, crashing into Sky Strike. He let out a loud yelp, his body suddenly freezing inside of his cyclone. As he clung onto consciousness, he used the last of his strength to fire the tornado at the storm, a bright flash engulfing his vision before everything went black.





"And then, before I know it, I wake up midair in Ponyville. The storm is still high in the sky, I repeat the technique, and everything goes well." He smiled, "And there you have it. That's everything that I remember in the past... half hour or so." He nodded, glancing over at the clock on the wall.

"So... " Twilight blinked, "You're... you're saying that you charged out to meet that storm about thirty minutes ago?... " 

"That's right!" Sky Strike smiled, lifting up his mug to finish off his hot chocolate, "Now, it's been all fine and dandy, but I really should get back to Cloudsdale. The city probably needs me, and my wife and kid are probably worried sick about me." Sky Strike chuckled, lightly, excusing himself from the table.

"...What would you know?... " 

Sky Strike paused, looking over at the cyan pegasus across the table. Her eyes were on him like a hawk, her hooves trembling in her lap. 

"Huh?" Sky Strike blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You don't know what they're thinking, or how they're feeling... " Rainbow growled, slowly standing up, "You can't know... you aren't there... you were never there... " 

"That's... That's enough... " Twilight interjected, "Please, there's a few more things- " 

"A few more things?!" Rainbow roared, pointed her hoof accusingly at Sky Strike, "No, there's a LOT we have to tell you !" Sky Strike blinked, taking a cautious step back.

"W-What's going on?" He asked, "D-Did I do something to offend you?"

"Do something?! DO SOMETHING?!" She snarled, "YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING! YOU WEREN'T THERE!" 

"Stop!" Twilight yelled, "You don't know what you're saying! You're emotions are all out of control!"

"No, I have to say this... " Rainbow cried, tears welling up in her eyes, "It hurts, Twilight... this hurts me so much... I... I can't... " 

"What's going on?!" Sky Strike choked, "Why won't anypony tell me anything?! I've been getting nothing but weird looks, and you are keeping me from going back to Cloudsdale! Why?! What's happening?!"

"You... " Rainbow Dash breathed, "That storm that you fought in Cloudsdale... that was ten years ago... YOU'VE BEEN DEAD FOR TEN YEARS!"
> Yearning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

		Rainbow's eyes snapped open to the familiar sound of raised voices. They were echoing down the hallway, and were loud enough for Dash to hear from her bed. She sat up to listen, noticing that a majority of the yelling was from her mother. That wasn't uncommon since she had never ever heard her father being angry before. She pushed down her blankets and slid off the bed, tip-toeing over to her door as slow as possible. She looked back, double-checking to see if they would be able to see any light through the crack in the doorway. Satisfied, Dash slowly opened her door to peek at her parents. 

From her room's position, she could see through the hallway and into the dining room. There was no sunlight coming in from the windows, and a single candle was lit at the kitchen table. Even in the dim lighting, she could easily make out the bodies of her two parents as they quarreled. Her father was sitting down, frowning at his wife who had been standing, waving her hooves through the air with her heated words.

"I can't believe you did that, " Her mother argued, "You signed her up for Flight School. What in Celestia's name were you thinking?! We can't possibly afford that! And it's too dangerous to put our daughter through! Even I thought you had a little common sense!" Sky Strike watched her intently, a smallest trace of a grin on his lips.

"Honey, " Sky Strike started, "Money shouldn't be a problem. I'm captain of the weather team, and I teach advanced flight lessons. I know you're studying to be a college professor, but that should be fine. We just got our tax returns from Princess Celestia, and we have quite a few bits in the bank. I think we'll be okay."

"Sky Strike!" His wife growled, stomping her front hooves onto the kitchen floor, "Flight School is expensive! We're already paying for Dash's schooling, my classes, and we're still paying for the house! There's no way we can afford this in the long run! There's just no way!" She scowled, looking away from her husband.

"Sometimes I wondered why I married you... " She sighed, reaching up a hoof to rub her temple, "You given me nothing but stress... " Dash gasped quietly, pulling up her hoof to cover her mouth as her ears drooped. Sky Strike stood up from his chair, a smile still plastered on his lips.

"You married me because you love me, " Sky Strike chuckled, "I faintly remember you telling me that you couldn't picture your life without me. Listen, I know I goof off and mess up, but when it comes to our daughter you know that I do nothing but make the right choices." He walked up to her, placing his hoof on her shoulder.

"Tell me, " He smiled, "What makes you happiest?"

His wife said nothing, her eyes dropping to the floor. 

"Seeing your daughter happy, " He answered, "And what makes me happy is seeing both of you happy. I work hard for the both of you, and what gets me through the day is me knowing that I get to come back to a loving wife and a beautiful daughter. Yes, I know that I can be very undependable at times, but I always come back to save the day. "

"I'm... " His wife shook her head, "I... I'm just worried about our daughter. I don't want to ruin her life just because her family made choices that she had no control of. Rainbow Dash means the world to me and I don't want her to be at the bottom of this society, you know?"

Sky Strike smiled, wrapping his hoof around his wife's shoulders. She leaned into him, her head resting against his neck.

"You know, " Sky Strike pointed out, "If you told her that more often, she'd be happy a lot more."

"I know... " His wife frowned, "But you know I'm not very good about showing my feelings. Sometimes I wonder how you ever came to fall in love with me." Sky Strike couldn't help but chuckle, his wife giving him a playful punch in the side. Their backs were turned, hiding their expressions from their daughter.

"Easy, " He nodded, "You were smart, nice... pretty hot, too. What ever happened to that last part?" His wife snarled, and he broke off of her with a loud laugh. Dash smiled again, hearing her mother giggle ever-so quietly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. " Her mother stated, "You're the better parent. Not the better spouse, but the better parent. Every time I speak to Dash it's either an order or a complaint."

Sky Strike smiled humbly, scratching his nose with his hoof, "Well, you grew up differently. We aren't living in a big house in Canterlot with those snobby ponies. We're living in Cloudsdale, the home of the pegasi. You just have to remember how much you care about Dash every time you see her. Sure, there will be times that we need to scold her, but you have to remember that there are times when we need to love her. " 

"You're right." His wife agreed, nuzzling her husband's cheek, "But she's not the only one who needs scolding... "

Sky Strike grinned, "Come on, honey. Let's save that for the bedroom." Rainbow watched her parents walk out of the dining room, staring into each other's eyes as they approached the hallway.

Dash smiled, closing her door with a soft giggle. As long as her family was always together, everything would be okay.

Nothing could ever break them apart.

...Right?





Sky Strike burst into a small fit of laughter, breaking the tense atmosphere Rainbow Dash had just created. When he was done he brought up a hoof to wipe at his eye, a smirk upon his lips.

"Good one, " He snickered, "Almost got me there. It's almost believable since everything looks different, but you can't fool me!" Rainbow Dash blinked, her jaw nearly hitting the floor as Twilight fidgeted in her seat, pressing her fore-hooves together. Spike peeked his head out from the safety of the kitchen, watching the scene unfold.

"It's not a lie!" Rainbow Dash persisted, stomping her hooves onto the wooden floor, "It's the truth! You disappeared ten years in that storm, and for some reason you came out of nowhere when a storm just like it attacked Ponyville!" 

"Um, " Sky Strike murmured and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah... it was funny the first time, but now it's over-kill. Are we done here? I'd like to get back home to make sure my family is okay. I don't want to worry them... especially my little Dashie." Rainbow froze were she stood, her lower lip beginning to quiver as she looked towards the ground to hide her expression.

"Hey, " Sky Strike blinked, "Um, you okay? Are you upset about the joke or something? What are you - "

"IT WASN'T A JOKE!" Rainbow screamed, tears bursting from her eyes. She wiped at them frantically and broke into a gallop, sprinting through the library aiming for the door. She slammed her body into it, breaking it open and launched wooden splinters into the air. She quickly disappeared, running out of Sky Strike and Twilight's sight.

"Did... did I do something?" Sky Strike asked, looking back at the purple mare, "I didn't say anything to insult her, did I?" Twilight bit her lip, meeting Sky Strike's confused gaze. Rainbow Dash's emotions were out of control, and it was easy to see why. But she also completely understood Sky Strike's situation... in a blink of an eye, everything around him changed. It was just like walking through a door into a different world. There had to be a way to convince Sky Strike.

"Um, Sky Strike, " Twilight bit her lip, "There's things I have to show you. I know that you want to go back to Cloudsdale as soon as you can, but please hear me out. " Sky Strike frowned, but she could tell that he was listening.

"I know it's hard to believe, " Twilight gulped, "And I have a hard time believing it too... but if you would please trust me, I'd like to help you. But the only way I can convince you otherwise is if I show you... " Twilight stood up from her chair, her tail swishing nervously behind her.

"Please, " Twilight requested,  her eyes tearing up, "would you... take a walk with me?" Sky Strike was taken back by the odd question. He had been expecting a request with a little more impact. But as much as he wanted to fly back to Cloudsdale as quickly as possible... her watery eyes and her sad face was making it really difficult to say no. Damn, his weakness to cute things was pretty bad. He sighed, giving the purple mare a gentle smile.

"What the hay, " He chuckled, "Sure, why not? I think making my family worry for a bit longer couldn't hurt, could it?" 

"Thank you, " Twilight smiled, her expression slightly brightening, "But before we start, I'd like to ask you one question. " 

"Okay, " Sky Strike blinked, "Ask away, librarian!" Twilight cleared her throat, her hoof tapping her chin while she was deep in thought. In order to make Sky Strike see that he was ten years into the future, he would need to see things that would have significantly changed. Twilight quickly found the answer.

"Could you please tell me the names of all your friends in Ponyville?" Twilight inquired. Sky Striked hummed, thinking of a list of his closest friends in the town.

"Well, " Sky Strike thought, "There's Carrot Cake, the pony who runs Sugar Cube corner, and there's Apple Marston... "

"Apple Marston?" Twilight blinked, "Wait... I think I heard his name before... " 

Sky Strike nodded with a smile, "He runs Sweet Apple Acres with his mother, Mrs. Smith, and his wife and two kids. The youngest, Applejack, who's around Dashie's age, and the eldest, Big Macintosh." Sky Strike gave a little chuckle, " Although Big Macintosh is a bit small for a teenaged colt. I'm not sure why they call him 'big'." 

"Well, " Twilight muttered underneath her breath, "I guess that'll be the first stop then." She nodded at Sky Strike and made her way towards the broken door. She stopped in front of it, peering at the Rainbow Dash sized dent on its surface. 

"Hey Spike!" She called, looking over at the kitchen, "Would you mind fixing the door for me while we're out?" Spike poked his head out again, wielding a wooden spoon.

"Um, " Spike blinked, "I'm not one for repairs, you know. I'll try my best, but I won't guarantee anything." 

"That's fine, " Twilight smiled, "Sky Strike and I are off to visit Sweet Apple Acres."

"Oh, okay!" Spike answered, turning to leave the kitchen to go search for some tools, "Tell Applebloom that I'll meet up with her and the CMC when I'm done!" Spike disappeared again, leaving Twilight with an even more confused Sky Strike.

"Applebloom?" Sky Strike asked, "Who's that?"

"You'll find out." Twilight replied, stepping out into the muddy streets, "Let's go, shall we?"





The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was strange. It wasn't too far away from the library, but they were going at a rather slow pace. Twilight had expected Sky Strike to reflect his daughter's impatience and "need for speed", but he seemed rather content with a slow trot. Perhaps because he was so deep in thought?

Some of the older ponies were giving Sky Strike the same expression as Carrot Cake did. They whispered among themselves, looking quite wary of the suspicious stallion. Twilight guessed that it eased their minds that she was with him, but it was still quite a shock. To Twilight, Sky Strike didn't look like he noticed, but it was hard to tell. He kept his eyes forward, a stern expression cast over his face. She was positive that Rainbow's words had left an impact in his mind, and she could see him glancing over at particular structures or landmarks. He never said a word.

While observing Sky Strike, Twilight couldn't help but see the similarities with him and Rainbow Dash. Not just physically, but also with their mindset. They were both boastful, but Rainbow Dash was much more extreme. They were both very loyal, with Sky Strike's loyalty to his family and Rainbow Dash to her friends. They were both strong fliers, and their physique was very similar... except in Sky Strike's case, being a male, made him much more masculine and big... Twilight blushed, feeling embarrassed looking at Rainbow's father in such a way.

She couldn't pick out his age very well, but he looked young. Obviously older than her and her friends, but younger than Carrot Cake. Maybe around Big Mac and Cheerilee's age? Well, she wouldn't really know for sure since he had been sent ten years to the future.

But had he really been sent ahead ten years? Or was there something else to it? Magical essence was a great mystery of the world, and it was very unpredictable. She was currently developing a theory, but she'd have to have some time for herself at the library later. Which quickly reminded her that she should send a letter to the princesses regarding this strange phenomenon. It was odd that she didn't think of that first.

Twilight felt a wave of relief when Sweet Apple Acres came into view. She looked over at Sky Strike, who immediately brightened up when he saw it. Perhaps it was one of the few things that hadn't changed in the past ten years... even if the barn is constantly being eradicated during strange events.

"Apples are growing in nicely like always, " Sky Strike broke the silence, "I can never picture this place ever going out of business. Of course, there's always some weird thing going on here." Twilight couldn't help but chuckle in response, thinking of all the odd situations that Sweet Apple Acres had been through since she had been in Ponyville.

"Still as I remember it, " Sky Strike chuckled, "Dirty, filled with apples, and smelling of sweat and hard-work. I wouldn't have this place any other way." His words sounded forced, making Twilight believe that he was just trying to convince himself. She knew that this was going to be tough... but it was going to get a whole lot harder.

They heard banging from the old barn, followed by an exchange of southern drawls. Sky Strike's ears twitched, not quite recognizing the voices he was hearing.

"Alright already!" A feminine, southern accent cackled in amusement, "Ah' acknowledge that yer fancy math-a-matics is mighty helpful... an' that's why ah' don't handle the finances 'round here."

"Eeyup." A low baritone voice replied. The two ponies emerged from the barn, with a particularly big red stallion hooked onto a wagon filled with fresh apples. Applejack trotted beside her brother engaging him in a rather one-sided conversation.

"Applejack! Big Mac!" Twilight greeted hesitantly, waving her hoof, "There's somepony I want you to meet." Sky Strike blinked, swinging his head to give Twilight a disbelieving look.

Applejack smiled, "Oh, ah' didn't know that you were stoppin' by Twi! If ah' did, ah' would of - " 

When the two sibling saw Sky Strike they froze on the spot. 

Applejack didn't recognize him right away. She squinted her eyes, thinking it was Rainbow Dash at first. It wasn't until she noticed his more violet coat and his cutie mark that it came to her. When it did, her jaw practically unhinged.

Whenever Twilight saw Big Macintosh, he always kept up that same lazy expression with those kind eyes and a gentle smile. Even when she had seen him surprised, his eyes only slightly widened, and he quickly gained his composure.

But in this case, Big Mac's eyes were as big as dinner plates, and the sprig of wheat that had been safely secured in his mouth tumbled into the mud below. It was just like he had seen a ghost.

Sky Strike stared back, and his expression was once again unreadable. Twilight wasn't quite sure what was going through his mind, but she had a pretty good guess.

"Um, " Twilight hesitated, "Big Mac, Applejack... I think you already know Sky Strike. And he's not a changeling." She stated lastly, afraid that her friend would throw out more accusations like Carrot Cake.

"Twilight, " Applejack coughed, "Yer sayin' that pony over there, " She jabbed her hoof in Sky Strike's direction, "is the same pony that died ten years ago? Back on Cloudsdale?"

"Yep." Twilight smiled nervously, "Well, it's a bit complicated, and I haven't figured everything out yet, but that is Sky Strike in the flesh."

"Sky Strike?" Applejack blinked again, "That's... Sky Strike. The captain of the weather team back on Cloudsdale? Good friends with mah' pa?"

"Nope, " Big Mac shook his head, "Nope!" Sky Strike stared blankly at the larger stallion with no visible emotion on his features. His liveliness from earlier was nowhere to be found. 

"Twilight, " Applejack looked over at her friend, "it's... this is really hard ta' believe... ah almost want to agree with Big Macintosh. Ah only met the pegasus a few times, but- " 

"Where's Apple Marston?" Sky Strike asked firmly, "I want to talk to him." Applejack frowned, looking up at her brother who mirrored her expression. Twilight fidgeted nervously, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof while watching the scene unfold.

"You wanna meet Pa, huh?" Applejack sighed, "Ah guess that's alright. Big Macintosh, why don't you take those apples into town? That storm really did a number on the roads, but ah bet you'll do fine." Macintosh nodded, watching Sky Strike warily before trotting past him, pulling the huge wagon of apples with ease.

"It's this way." Applejack called, nudging her head the direction, "It's not too far, so don't fret." Sky Strike blinked, glancing back at the house in confusion. If they were going to meet Apple Marston, why were they going away from the house? Twilight followed closely behind, her ears drooping down from her head.

They entered the orchard, the tall apple trees shading them from Celestia's sun. The fruit smelled delicious, and there were buckets placed underneath each tree in an organized fashion. A small smile crossed Sky Strike's lips as he recalled his younger days of playing with Applejack's father. He had just turned into a teenaged colt when he met his good friend, and he always made sure to visit Apple Marston whenever he had spare time, which was sadly rare.

"Is he out working?" Sky Strike frowned, "There's a lot of buckets... but I don't see him anywhere."

"Don't fret none, " Applejack replied, "We're almost there." He scanned his surroundings, immediately recognizing where they were. Since he and Apple Marston played in the orchard quite often, he could navigate around it like the back of his hoof. They were just about to come up to a special clearing with the tallest apple tree in the center of it all. It was Sky Strike's favorite part of the orchard, and he was positive it was Apple Marston's too. The grass was damp, a light mist surrounding the tree like a thin blanket.

But as they approached it, there was no sign of his friend. The tree was still standing tall and proud, dwarfing the likes of the others, but there was no sign of Apple Marston. Puzzled, Sky Strike trotted ahead, his head turning left and right to find any sign of the bulky stallion.

"Where is he?" Sky Strike blinked, "I thought you said he'd be here." 

Applejack reached up at her hat, pulling it off with her hooves, "Sugarcube, " She sighed, "you're standing right in front of 'em."

Sky Strike faced forwards, obviously confused. But then he noticed something looking worn and grey at the base of the tree... it looked like a stone. No, there were two stones. There were words carved into them...

Sky Strike froze.

"Happened back when ah was still a filly, " Applejack stated, "He was out tendin' to the cows when they were startled by a snake. The stampede happened so fast that he didn't have time to get away. At the same time, ma was in labor... but it didn't turn out too well. She only had a few minutes to gaze into little Applebloom's eyes before she was gone. Pa never met his last daughter. " 

Sky Strike refused to move.

"They both were gone at the same time, " Applejack brought her hat back to her head, "It was shortly after you supposedly died. Anyways, ah gotta get back to work." She spun around, heading back to the orchard. She suddenly paused, glancing back at the pegasus.

"If you are Sky Strike, I jus' wanna let you know that mah father always thought you were out there. He never gave up on thinkin' you were alive. He never stopped lookin' for you... " Sky Strike's knees grew weak and he collapsed onto the ground, his hooves trembling uncontrollably. Applejack looked away and turned back, disappearing into the sea of apple trees.

"Sky Strike... " Twilight's voice was shaking, "I'm sorry... you had to see this for yourself." The purple mare couldn't see Sky Strike's face with his back facing her. They sat in a long silence, the wind creating a soft melody with the leaves and the grass, its invisible fingers lifting their manes in its gentle wake. 

"Twilight... " Sky Strike said, finally breaking the silence, "I'm dead, aren't I?"

The violet mare blinked, "What are you saying?" She sat down onto her haunches, ignoring the wet grass underneath her.

"I'm dead." He replied, "My life is over. It ended ten years ago when I flew into that storm. I lost my family... I lost my friends... I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." His voice was delicate, coming close to the likes of Fluttershy's.

"Sky Strike... " Twilight wiped at her eyes, her voice barely a whisper.

"Of course it's hard to believe... " He continued, "One minute I was in Cloudsdale... and now I'm here. Everypony I know thinks I'm gone, and they've all moved on. In a blink of an eye, I was taken away, and now I've been thrown back. But everything... it's all wrong... " His shoulders shook as he took shallow breaths, his hoof reaching to dab at the oncoming tears.

"Damnit, Marston!" He quivered, "You couldn't be here for ten more years? If you never gave up, why aren't you here?! Were you expecting to see me up at the pearly gates waiting for you?! You... you asshole... asshole!" Sky Strike lifted his hoof,  punching the ground, "Asshole! You stupid asshole!"

"Sky Strike!" Twilight protested, "Please, don't- "

"But it's my fault, isn't it?... " Sky Strike sobbed, his body convulsing, "So much for being there for you whenever you needed me... so much for being your best friend... " 

"That's not true!" Twilight yelled, "It wasn't your fault, Sky Strike! You did nothing wrong! You were just trying to save your city!" Sky Strike turned his head sharply, glaring back at the violet mare with his red puffy eyes.

"What would you know?" Sky Strike questioned, "If... If I wasn't so cocky... If I didn't try to do things by myself... maybe I could have made a difference... I should be the one buried six feet under... not him!" Twilight gasped, shaking her head and standing up.

"That's ridiculous!" Twilight stomped, "You shouldn't think like that! I'm sorry for what happened, but you shouldn't be going over the 'what ifs' or the 'maybes'. You life ten years ago may have ended, but you still have so much to live for!"

"Yeah, right... " Sky Strike muttered, looking back at the graves, "My family probably has forgotten all about me... the lame father who left his wife and daughter behind as he tried to play hero. Dashie probably hates me forever now... "

"That's not true!" Twilight responded, gritting her teeth, "I bet she thinks about you all the time! Are you just going to let her forget about you?!" Sky Strike hissed, standing up and turning to face the unicorn, tears freely streaming down his cheeks.

"Maybe she should!" Sky Strike shouted back, "Ten years have passed, Twilight!  Why would she need a father now if she lost hers?! She probably thinks I'm a joke!" The two ponies glared daggers at each other, both with puffy eyes from the crying. Their chests rose and fell with each short breath they took, taking in the cold misty air surrounding them. 

"U-Um... are you two okay?" 

Sky Strike blinked, turning his head to see a small yellow filly shielding her body with the tree. Her head poked out from behind it, a bright pink ribbon tied onto her red mane. She wore a worried expression, looking back and forth between Twilight and Sky Strike. 

Twilight immediately straightened up, taking in a deep breath to calm herself, "Sorry Applebloom... " Twilight smiled weakly, "We didn't mean to disturb you." Sky Strike loosened up considerably, his furious expression being replaced by mild shock.

"Oh, it's okay!" Applebloom smiled, "Ah was just helpin' Applejack place the buckets beneath the trees when ah heard you two." Applebloom lightened up, glancing to see Sky Strike watching her.

"Hello, mister!" She chirped, "Mah name's Applebloom, and come to think of it, ah've never seen you before! Ah thought you were Rainbow Dash for a sec!" Sky Strike's face softened again, looking over at Twilight before meeting Applebloom's eyes.

"Applebloom... " He straightened, "So... you're Apple Marston's daughter." 

Applebloom smiled, looking over at the gravestones, "Uh huh! You knew mah pa? Ah never did, but Applejack always says he was awful nice." The small filly approached the two graves, reaching her hoof to brush off a few specks of dirt on the names.

Sky Strike, after a moment of hesitation, turned around and walked up beside Applebloom, looking at the name of his friend carved into the stone. Applebloom glanced up at him with a sad smile tugging on her lips, her tail swishing gently behind her.

"How often do you think about your parents?" Sky Strike asked, reaching his hoof to help wipe off some of the dust. Twilight stood in the back, refusing to let herself interfere with the ongoing conversation.

"Well, " Applebloom thought aloud, "Whenever ah see mah friends with their families, or whenever ah'm lookin' through an old photo book. Granny Smith tells me 'bout them every once in ah while, and sometimes at night ah try to think about what they were like. Big Macintosh, Applejack, and my Granny really take care of me, but... " She brought her hoof to her chest, her eyes looking down.

"What's wrong?" Sky Strike asked, cocking his head, "You feeling okay?"

Applebloom nodded, "Y-yeah, it's just that whenever ah really start to think about what my pa really sounded like when he talked, or how beautiful my ma's voice was when she sang... well,  my chest hurts a little... " Twilight looked away, her ears slightly drooping. She had certainly been going through a roller coaster of emotions lately...

Sky Strike stiffened, but a small smile broke onto his lips, "Your dad's voice was thick but kind, and he was a gentleman if I ever saw one. If you got on his bad side, you were surely gonna get it, but he was always fair and tried to do the right thing... even if he had a big ugly mug and was easy to irritate." Applebloom couldn't help but give a little giggle.

"Your mother, " Sky Strike continued, "She was very beautiful... sometimes I wonder how your father even got a mare like her. She came from a high class family, but she wasn't even the least bit snobbish. She was one of the smartest ponies I knew, and she really knew how to make you feel silly. Her voice was like velvet, and she had quite a fan-base back here on Ponyville."

Applebloom smiled at the stallion, "Wow, really?! Ah wish ah could of heard her... " Applebloom looked down at her mother's grave. She pawed at the ground nervously, a faint blush on her cheeks,  "Mister... do you think they loved me? Even before they knew me?"

Sky Strike reached down a hoof to ruffle Applebloom's mane, "You kidding me? Whenever I saw your pa he would do nothing but talk about how great his next daughter would be. He kept saying that you would grow up strong and proud like he was, and your mother wouldn't stop talking about how beautiful you would be when you got older. They were ecstatic about you, Applebloom... and I'm sure that even now they're happy to see you from above." Applebloom sniffled a little, slowly turning to hug Sky Strike's front leg. He blinked, but then gave a light chuckle and slung a hoof over the small filly.

"Thank you, " She smiled, "But ah don't think ah got your name."

"Sky Strike, " He stated, letting go of the hug, "Sorry, but I have to cut this meeting short. I'll catch you later, Applebloom!" Applebloom paused, giving Sky Strike a look of confusion. She had heard that name before, but then decided that she'd figure it out after her chores. She gave him a happy smile and turned away, her small legs leading her back into the orchard. Sky Strike let out a happy sigh before turning to speak to Twilight.

"Hey, " He scratched the back of his head, "I want to say that I'm sorry... I shouldn't have broken down like that. It's just, well, hard... " Twilight nodded, lifting her hoof and placing it on his shoulder.

"No worries, " She smiled, "Not everypony goes through what you did... actually, I'm not sure anypony ever has." Sky Strike nodded, trying to form the right words to ask the question bouncing around in his head. 

"So, " Sky Strike trailed off, "That pony, back at the library... the pegasus mare. Was... was that... " He tensed up, looking at Twilight while awaiting for the response.

"Yes, " Twilight nodded, "That was Rainbow Dash. " Sky Strike, even though he was expecting the answer, took a step back. His daughter was fully grown... and even though he didn't get a good look at her, he could tell that she was a strong flier. When he first saw her, he knew that she was familiar... he may not have been able to see it, but he felt it. There was a strange  ease when he had been with her, and it was the same ease that he had with his little Dashie ten years ago.

"I see... " He nodded, "Do... do you have any clue where she could be?" Twilight thought to herself, pawing at the ground absentmindedly. Dash could be at her house, but there was no way to know for sure.

"We could check her home, but I'm not positive that she'll be there." Twilight frowned, "There could be quite a number of places... I know its basically been ten years and she's all grown up now, but would you have any idea where she could possibly be?"

"Maybe, " He figured, "I think I might know where she could be... might take a bit of looking to find it, though." Sky Strike gazed up at the skies, Celestia's sun still beaming its proud elegance. Twilight curiously noted the smile curling on his lips... he was definitely different from what he was five minutes.

"What changed you?" Twilight asked eagerly, "You seemed... pretty wrecked back there. Something to do with Applebloom?"

"You could say that, " Sky Strike agreed, "A filly who never got to meet her fantastic parents... maybe its kind of like a filly losing her fantastic dad." He chuckled quietly, "Anyways, it helped me understand something... if this is some dream, illusion, or a different world of any kind, it doesn't matter. Because there's one thing I know for sure: Dash needs her father." 

Twilight gave him a sincere smile, "I'm glad that you recovered... I can imagine that it's a pretty tough thing to do." Twilight watched the stallion approach the tree once more, his knees bending to lay on the wet grass in front of the graves.

"I just came to a few realizations, that's all." He nodded, "You can head back now... I don't think I'll be returning to Cloudsdale yet. There's a few things I've got to do first, and I'd like some time alone with Marston here." Twilight paused, but gave him a nod. Although it appeared he recovered quickly, there was no doubt that his friend's death still had quite an impact on him. It was definitely best for him to have some alone time.

"Okay, " She smiled, "I'll be waiting at the library for you and Dash. I'll have Spike cook up some hay fries when you guys get back, alright?" 

"Thank you, " Sky Strike smiled, "Wow... you're responsible, kind-hearted, and have a great head on your shoulders. I'm sure you'll make a great mother someday." Twilight flushed red, not expecting that kind of a compliment. Sky Strike gave out a laugh at her expression, and Twilight couldn't help but giggle with him.

"Well, thanks... " She smirked, her tail swishing, "I'll see you later." She gave one quick look back at Sky Strike before walking off into the sea of apple trees. Sky Strike was now alone at the tree, staring at two grey tombstones at its base. His ears drooped from his hanging head, his body quivering in the light mist.

And he cried.






Rainbow watched with minuscule interest as the small stone tumbled down the rocky cliff. It bounced down the steep terrain and grew smaller and smaller until she could no longer seen it. She sighed, the cold high altitude wind whipping her mane around like a toy.

She had no idea how long she had been there. Celestia's sun was now teetering on the horizon and burning a lazy orange while a few specks of Luna's stars twinkled into existence. From the mountain, she could see Ponyville in its entirety. Sweet Apple Acres wasn't too far in the distance since she could spot the thousands among thousands of apple trees. There was a small dot near the Everfree Forest that she speculated was Fluttershy's home. She spotted two extremely colorful buildings in town, but she couldn't differentiate Sugarcube Corner from the Carousel Boutique. Twilight's library, however, was easy to find since it was built inside of the largest tree in Ponyville. 

Rainbow Dash stuck out one of her hooves, tapping it onto surface of the dirty rock until she found a stone of satisfying size. She prodded it with her hoof and watched it roll closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. When it was just a hair's breath away from falling, she gave it a hard shove, launching the small stone into the air, once again watching it tumble down the mountain's steep side. When it disappeared, Rainbow repeated the process, sticking her hoof out to feel for any rock standing out.

Instead, her hoof touched something leathery with glass.

She paused, hesitantly pulling the goggles into view. Despite its age, the goggles were in pretty decent shape. Well, not when you looked at it... the leather was worn around the lens, and every once in a while it would get too loose. The glass was in excellent condition, and the lenses had never broken. It was the pair she had worn in the Wonderbolts camp, and it was the pair she used for the weather team. Her father's pair. The last thing her father left her before leaving all those years ago.

She had found them herself lying in the middle of the street, completely undamaged but with no Sky Strike in sight. Everypony in Cloudsdale went looking for him... the weather team, friends, and just citizens in general. 

When nopony could find him, he was declared a hero. Even Celestia herself came down to honor his sacrifice. But that didn't make it any better.. Dash was still without a father and an important friend. 

"Those are my goggles, aren't they?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes flared wide and she gritted her teeth. She ignored him, her hoof looking for another rock to shove off the high cliff.

"I had a feeling you would've come up here. Whenever I would would need some time to think to myself, I would find the highest point nearby and stay there. Sometimes for hours." Rainbow Dash tried to block out his words, her hoof still tapping the earth to find a new victim. 

"Come on, kiddo. Is that how you treat your dear ole' dad after so long?" 

That tone of voice... it was completely different from earlier at the library. It was the same voice that she had heard in her dreams. It took her offguard at first, but she managed to stand up. She wanted to go. She wanted to stay. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to hug him. Emotions fought her on all sides, and it was a battle that could never be won. 

"So you finally recognized me?" She snapped, turning around to face her father. He looked... horrible. Enough to make her gasp lightly. His coat was ruffled and his mane was ragged-looking... his eyes were red, and she could tell that there had been tears racing down his cheeks.

"I always knew it was you, Dashie." He smiled, "I just needed to be convinced. I'm sorry it took so long, sport."

"Don't call me those names!" She hissed, her wings flaring in anger, "I'm not little anymore, dad. I'm a grown mare, and I- I didn't care if you recognized me or not! I don't even care if you're sorry!" Those were lies. And her father could see right through them.

"Dashie, " Sky Strike took a slow step towards his daughter, "Please... just talk to me."

"Forget it!" She shook her head, "What is there to say?! You left me for ten years and you broke all of your stupid promises!" She snarled, pointing her hoof at her father, "You... you weren't there when I got into flight school... you weren't there when I got my cutie mark... you weren't there when I graduated... y-you weren't there when I got into the wonderbolts training camp... you weren't there at the young fliers competition... they were important to me, and you weren't there for any of it!"

"I know... " Sky Strike pressed, "Dashie, I'm so sorry - "

"Shut up!"  Rainbow Dash screeched, water forming in her eyes, "Just shut up! It doesn't matter anymore! When you left, everything changed! M-Mom is barely talking to me, she got her stupid professor's job, and... and she's remarried!" Rainbow Dash cringed as the words left her lips, staring wide-eyed at her father.

Sky Strike had been through a lot in the past few hours. Reality stabbed him right in the heart, and now his daughter's words dealt the killing blow. It felt like somepony shot the thickest arrow they had into his heart, making his knees go weak. He had lost his daughter, he had lost his best friend, and now he discovered that he had lost the love of his life. His knees gave way, his legs losing all their strength. Was there anything left in this world worth living for?...

...No...there was... He had not lost Dash.

He stomped his hooves into the cliff, resisting the blow that rattled his brain. He couldn't falter, not now. Dash was right in front of him... he needed to make things right.

"Dashie, " He called, taking one shaky step after another, "You told me your dreams... do you know what mine were?" Rainbow took a step back, her ears droopy as the tears began to trickle like streams down her blue coat.

"My dream... " He continued, his quivering hooves struggling to keep him upright, "My dream... was to watch you grow. I wanted to see you change into the wonderful pony I knew you'd become. I wanted to hold you when you cried, scold you when you were wrong, and love you when you needed me to... and I wanted to grow old with your mother while you went on to achieve great things... " 

Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her throat was dry, her body frozen in place.

"I know everything changed when I left... and I wish I never did, " He breathed, "I know that I wasn't there for you... I know I hurt you. But do you know how much it hurts knowing that I will never be able to achieve my dreams?" He grew closer and closer to his daughter, fighting the sadness filling his heart.

"D-Daddy... " Rainbow Dash choked, "I... I... " 

"Dashie, " He panted, stopping just a few inches in front of his daughter, "You still need me... I know you do... but you have to realize that I need you even more. Will you please forgive this sorry excuse for a father, Dash?" 

Dash stared into her father's eyes. She could see the pain that was jabbing into his heart and she could feel the remorse and sadness that engulfed his thoughts. The father that she had looked up to was now a mess, and he looked like he could collapse. The super-stallion that she had called father... was putting himself on a limb for her. 

And she still needed him.

"Stupid!" She cried, her sobs coming in full force as she rushed him, her hooves beating into his chest, "Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!"  Dash's blows were severely weakened, her father taking them hit by hit as he stared at her, a gentle smile on his face as the rivers flowed down her cheeks. 

"I hate you!" She cried, "I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you!" She collapsed into his open hooves, her face nuzzling into his neck as she bawled, throwing her own hooves around him to squeeze him tight, not wanting to let him go ever again. Sky Strike smiled, his hoof smoothing down her wild rainbow mane as he gazed at the sun disappearing into the horizon.

"It's okay, Dash." He whispered, "It's okay. I'm back for good now. I'll never leave you again. In fact, I'm going to be with you for long, long time. But this time, you can make sure of it, alright?" Rainbow Dash sobbed something unintelligible, but he could guess what she meant. 

He still hurt... but now there was a small light at the end of the tunnel.





Twilight paced nervously, trotting back and forth in front of the door. Celestia's sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and Luna's moon was now high in the sky. The purple mare could smell the cooking hayfries in the kitchen and could hear Spike's humming a nameless tune. She heard a few clanking sounds in the kitchen signifying that the hayfries were done cooking.

After a few moments Spike walked into the room gripping a plate covered with hayfries. He gave Twilight an unamused look, setting the plate down onto the center table.

"Twilight, you shouldn't worry too much." He shrugged, taking a seat, "I'm sure they'll be fine. Why don't you sit down and have a few hayfries? Come to think of it, I haven't seen you eat anything all day." Twilight felt her stomach grumble in protest but she ignored it.

"It's nighttime, Spike." Twilight frowned, looking back at her assistant, "I'm worried that Sky Strike couldn't find Rainbow Dash... and do you know what Sky Strike has been through all day? Instead of experiencing those ten years like we all did, he had it all dropped onto him in one day. He's definitely not in good shape after that. I'm just concerned that he'll hurt himself." 

"Yeah, " Spike frowned, swallowing one of the hayfries, "We can help him with it, but it's something that only Rainbow can really do. Anyways, I'm going to change the subject to something less depressing. Weren't you going to write a letter to Celestia about this?"

Twilight pursed her lips, taking a seat across from Spike, "Well, I think it's better to show her. Besides, I'd feel a bit ridiculous sending her a letter telling her about a pony that disappeared ten years ago suddenly reappeared without aging a day."

"True," Spike nodded, "Oh, and one more thing. The Grand Galloping Gala's coming up soon, and I'm sure that Celestia's going to ask you to come along again this year. Any thoughts on it?" 

Twilight crinkled her nose, the bad memories from last time still crystal clear in her mind, "I'll talk to the others about it... but I'm sure as long as we're all together it'll be fine." She smiled, reaching over to finally grab one of the delicious hay fries.

There was a knocking at the door.

Despite her physical limitations, Spike was completely surprised by how fast Twilight got up and bolted at the door, perhaps even rivaling the speed of a wonder bolt! Twilight immediately grasped the doorknob with her hooves and tore open the recently fixed door (Spike couldn't fix it on his own, so he caught Big Macintosh when he was in town to help him out).

Two pegasi with rainbow mane's greeted her, both looking quite ragged and terrible. Sky Strike was the worst, looking like he'd just been put through the war between Celestia and Nightmare moon one thousand years ago. They were both wearing tired smiles, but a strange happiness was glinting in their eyes.

"So... " Rainbow Dash smirked, "I heard something about Hayfries?" Twilight blinked, stepping inside to let the two ponies walk rather slowly into the library, their tails swishing behind them.

Spike spotted them and waved a hayfire in his claw, "Hey! Is everything all worked out?" He asked, cocking his head. 

Sky Strike gave a little chuckle, reaching over to ruffle Rainbow Dash's mane, "She's still a bit sore at me, but I'll make it up to her. I believe I owe you quite a few cakes at Sugarcube Corner, don't I?" Rainbow gave him a look, but she had a wide smirk gracing her lips.

"Yeah you do!" She chuckled, taking a seat next to the purple dragon, "But that can definitely wait till tomorrow... I'm pooped." 

"Yeah... " Sky Strike groaned, sitting across from his daughter, "Not to mention famished... I'm so emotionally drained right now that I could probably see a bunny get eaten and not feel anything." He grumbled, grabbing a hayfry and stuffing it into his mouth. Spike gasped at Sky Strike while Rainbow gave out a loud laugh, slapping her hoof onto the dragon's back and telling him it was a joke.

Twilight took her seat between the two ponies, glancing back and forth. There was so much that she wanted to ask, but it would definitely have to wait for later. Rainbow and her father looked like they could collapse any second, but were still fighting over the hayfries regardless. She giggled softly, happy that the grueling day was finally coming to an end.

Sky Strike snatched the last fry on the plate, smirking at his daughter as he eagerly munched onto it, "A little slow, Dash." He grinned, "I hope you're faster in the air than you are on your hooves." Spike made a 'ooooh!' sound, feeling a competitive atmosphere.

Rainbow cocked her eye, crossing her forehooves, "Oh yeah, old man? Just you wait... if I wasn't so exhausted, I would've left you in the dust on our way over here." 

Sky Strike chuckled in response, "You remind me of those kids I teach- I mean taught flight lessons to. Almost the same attitude and everything... until I lapped them three times in a race around Cloudsdale." He smirked, "You merely adopted the name 'Greatest Flier in Equestria', but I invented it. You still got a long ways to go, kiddo." Spike made another 'ooooh' and Rainbow effortlessly shoved him off the table and onto the floor. 

"Flight lessons, huh?" Twilight glanced at Sky Strike, "Ten years ago... I wonder what they're doing now." Spike groaned, rubbing his head when he got back up onto his seat.

"Same, " Rainbow Dash nodded, "You know, you never really told me who you were teaching." Sky Strike saw that all eyes were on him and gave a little shrug.

"Well, " He thought for a moment, "There were quite a lot, and they were all talented, but there were really only two that really stuck out. I'm sure they're doing well for themselves." It seemed like yesterday that he had last seen them... well, for him, it actually was yesterday.

"Oh really?" Spike asked, "Who?" Sky Stirke smiled, a clear image of his students still fresh in his head. Images of an athletic teenaged blue colt alongside an orange fire-colored mare of similar age. 

"Their names were Soarin and Spitfire." He smiled.

Dash nearly flipped the table.
> Start of a New Life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Just hours earlier...

The wonderbolts were like machines. With the choreographed loops, barrel rolls, dives, spins, and other aerobatic maneuvers were chiseled into their brains and muscles, they truly became the magnificence that brought ponies from all over Equestria. Their reflexes were perfect, their elegance was unmatched, and their skill was incomprehensible. The ponies 'oohed' and 'awed', stomping their hooves in pure appreciation for the incredible sight that flew above them. 

The wonderbolts performed their shows weekly, sometimes completely mirroring their previous routine or occasionally throwing in a minor change or a huge crowd pleaser. Today's performance was nothing new, but like always it was exciting. The crowd roared their approval, their cheers overwhelming the stadium. The show had run its course, and was rising up to the incredible finale featuring the favorites: Wonderbolt Captain Spitfire, and Vice Captain Soarin. For the other wonderbolts, this was a typical show day, still with its fair share of nervousness and excitement. 

But for Spitfire and Soarin it was different.

The finale began as the two wonderbolts flew straight down into the opposite sides of the stadium, leaving thick trails of the thunder clouds behind them. They spun before sharply turning to one another, charging at a ridiculous speed. The crowd gasped, anticipating what was going to happened next. If the two wonderbolts hit, the impact would be horrific.

But the wonderbolts were too incredible for such a small flaw to happen.

Except Soarin and Spitfire couldn't help but be a little off today.

From the crowd's point of view, the move was flawless. The two pegasi suddenly turned up before hitting each other, spinning around one another like a timeless dance climbing into the sky. Fireworks exploded around them, the other wonderbolts raising up with them in a pyramid shape, with Soarin and Spitfire at the very top. The crowd was ecstatic, stomping and screaming their approval. After the incredible performance, Soarin and Spitfire immediately dove down, heading straight for the doors to go back to the locker rooms.

Soarin and Spitfire landed as quickly as they could, quickly shoving open the heavy steel doors to disappear inside. The doors were connected to a long, concrete hallway that lead to their locker rooms. The air was musty, and the humidity was nearly unbearable. For a multi-million bit stunt team, their stadium could use a bit of an upgrade.

"Ow... " Soarin seethed, nursing the left side of his forehead with his blue hoof. "I think I'm bleeding... " He pulled his hoof away, frowning at the smears of the thick red liquid on his suit.

"Yeah?" Spitfire grumbled, dropping her goggles to the floor. "Well, you clocked me right in the eye. Anyways, we should sit tight. I'm pretty sure the paramedics saw and are on their way."  True to her word, a band of ponies in white outfits were scrambling down the hallway with large red crosses on their saddlebags. The doors to the stadium opened up behind them, and they could hear the hoofsteps of the other wonderbolts cram into the hallway to see what was up.

"Oh my gosh!" A white maned female wonderbolt gasped, lifting her goggles from her eyes. "Soarin, you're bleeding pretty bad!"

"Don't worry Fleetfoot, " Spitfire rubbed her eye, "He'll live." The paramedics were now on the scene, immediately taking a look at the two wonderbolt leaders.

"Let's get you two to the locker room, " One of the paramedics grimaced. "Walk slowly. You guys took quite a hit back there. I'm going to ask you a series of questions to make sure you don't have a concussion, alright?" Soarin and Spitfire groaned in response, the concerned group of wonderbolts following closely behind. 

The wonderbolts locker room was in much better shape than the hallway leading to the stadium. The room had a fuzzy blue carpet floor with the insignia of the wonderbolts symbol at its center, along with the occasional lightning bolt sewed into it.  The lockers, painted white, had a great deal of space that was often too much, but nopony complained. Soarin and Spitfire were carefully lead in by the paramedics.

After their uniforms were carefully removed from their bodies, Spitfire and Soarin were seated on a long bench that sat a few feet from the lockers. Their manes, usually slicked back for the shows, were now draping over their faces and eyes from the sweat, leaving the paramedics to pull away the bangs to get a good look at the injuries. 

"How did you two get hit?" One of the paramedics asked, taking a white cloth to dab at Soarin's leaking head wound.

"We slammed into each other mid air during the finale, " Soarin stated, wincing at the pain, "Luckily, we managed to not make the contact obvious... I think. Am I going to need stiches?" 

"You're going to be fine, Soarin." The paramedic chuckled, "Head wounds tend to bleed quite a bit, but your injury is small. I'll just slap a little patch on it and you'll be right as rain!"

"Of course that's what you ask first." Misty Fly, a wonderbolt with a dual-toned blue mane smirked. "I don't think it's that bad, Soarin. Who knows, maybe if you're lucky it'll scar... and mares love scars." She winked, gripping her suit with her teeth to take it off.

Soarin rolled his eyes and looked over at Spitfire. Her right eyelid was swelling, and when she turned to meet his gaze he couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.

"Please tell me that you're getting an eyepatch... " He smirked, "Maybe I'll finally start calling you captain!" 

"Whatever, Soarin." Spitfire grumbled, turning to find her locker, "And no, we are not having going to dress like pirates for a show if I do." Soarin let out a little yelp when the paramedic literally slapped the patch right onto his head. He trotted over to his own locker, which was conveniently located right next to Spitfire's.

"Hey, " Fleetfoot turned, packing her uniform into her locker, "what exactly happened out there? You guys, like, never mess up that routine. Did a bug get into your eye or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Soarin waved, snatching a water bottle with his hoof.  "Just... " he looked over at Spitfire, "well... never mind." Spitfire was fussing with her locker before finally getting it open.

"C'mon, guys. " Misty Fly frowned, grabbing a towel. "Every year you're like this. You fly flawlessly, and then on this particular day you guys screw something up. Luckily, the crowd barely notices, but for us its as clear as day. What the heck is going on?"

"Yeah, " Rapidfire, a sleek red wonderbolt nodded, just emerging from the showers, "I've been with you guys for three years now, and you still haven't said anything." Soarin opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp glare from Spitfire immediately shut him up.

"It's just something personal." Spitfire frowned, "We'll be alright tomorrow. Nopony was hurt seriously today, so let's drop it." When Spitfire shoved her locker shut, a small object fluttered away. It appeared to be a small sheet of paper, and it landed directly in front of a curious Fleetfoot.

"Hm?" The wonderbolt blinked, "What's this?" Fleetfoot reached down a hoof, grabbing the small paper. It was actually a small picture, its worn edges showing its age. The picture was faded slightly, but it was pretty easy to make out the three ponies that were in it. A noticeably younger Spitfire and Soarin were smiling and standing on both sides of a taller pegasus stallion with a rainbow mane. His hooves draped over their shoulders with a grin, and it appeared that the picture had been taken somewhere in Cloudsdale. Their manes were stylized differently, with Spitfire looking much more feminine with her fiery bangs.

"Aw!" Fleetfoot smiled, "Was this when you two were teens?! You guys were so cute!... wait, who's this guy?" She squinted, "He looks... sorta familiar?" Spitfire immediately snatched the picture away with her mouth, depositing it into her locker before slamming it shut. An angry look from the captain sent cold shivers up their spines.

Soarin waited until all the other wonderbolts besides himself and Spitfire left for the showers. Sighing, he grabbed a towel from his locker to throw it over his captain's head.

"You know, " He frowned, "It's been ten years already. You can let it go." Spitfire grumbled, yanking the towel off with her hoof.

"You're not the one living with this regret, Soarin." She muttered, "I was a terrible pony back then... and I never got the chance to apologize."

Soarin rolled his eyes, "It's Sky Strike we're talking about, . I'm sure wherever he is, he's definitely not angry. You need to let him go, Spit."

"Oh, and you have?" Spitfire shot back, "Today you were off just as much as I was, Soarin." Soarin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before stumbling past his captain, his towel draped over his back.

"Maybe so, " He shook his head, "But I try not to let it weigh me down. Your only flaws, captain, is that you shoulder too much responsibility and that you let the past hold you back. And I remember Sky Strike saying something like that to you too." Spitfire watched Soarin slowly disappear into the steam of the shower room. 

"Come on, Spit." Sky Strike smirked, ruffling the fiery mare's mane, "You take too much onto your plate. If you wanna be a wonderbolt, you've gotta learn to let things go and to trust your teammates more. And once you do that, you'll be a better flyer than I ever was."

"Yeah, right." Spitfire grumbled, "Easier said than done."





Rainbow groaned, her muscles burning in protest of sitting up from the bed. She had definitely overdone it, and her wings felt like they were made from solid lead. Bending her neck until hearing a crack, she stumbled off the mattress and onto her hooves. Grunting, she shoved her bedroom door open to make her way to the kitchen.

She shrieked at the sight.

Sky Strike stood in the center of the living room, chugging a carton of milk, his wings at an embarrassing full mast. Hearing the shrill cry, Sky Strike turned to smile at his daughter, waving a hoof to greet her.

"Mornin', Dashi!" He smirked, "Have a good night's sleep? I'm energized and ready to roll!" Rainbow reached up her hooves to cover her eyes, looking away while flushing a blazing red.

"D-Dad!" She whimpered, "Y-Your wings! Do something about them!"

"Wings?" He glanced back with a smile, "Why? It's just reminding me that I'm a healthy, full grown stallion! Besides, we're family!" Despite his words, he brought his hoof back to pull them down softly until they stayed dormant at his sides. Rainbow gave out a sigh in relief, smacking her hoof against her forehead. She still couldn't figure out his trick on how to get rid of those so quickly.

"I forgot that you just walk out with those... " She mumbled to herself, "I was too young to know what that was... and mom never complained about it." Sky Strike didn't hear her and instead walked back into the kitchen, tossing the now empty milk carton into a trash can.

"Dash, " He started, opening up her fridge, "I can understand that you're still after your dream of being a wonderbolt, but... " He looked through its contents, a frown hung on his lips. Rainbow blinked, moving over behind her father to see what he was talking about.

"What do you saying?" She asked, cocking an eye, "It has something to do with my fridge?"

"Dash, " He gave out a chuckle, "Your fridge is filled with nothing but cupcakes, muffins, a few daisies, apples, and cider." He closed the door and rose to his full height, "Work out all you want, but if you aren't eating properly, there's not going to be much of a difference. We're going to have to go into town and get you some real food." He smirked at her, "Which includes vegetables."

Rainbow Dash grimaced, "But Dad- " 

"No buts, kiddo!" He laughed, slapping Rainbow on the back, "You're an extraordinary flier Dash, but when I'm done with you you're gonna be the new definition of a wonderbolt." His daughter rolled her eyes with a pleasant smile gracing her lips. 

"Anyways, I'm gonna hit the bathroom." He stated, "My stomach is reminding me that I should of checked the date on that milk... " His face turned a little green and he sprinted away, much to Dash's amusement and cackling laughter. It's been ten years since she had to act like a daughter, or be scolded lightly by her father. It was definitely something she would never expect to have at this point in her life.

And she loved it.

A series of knocking brought her attention to the door. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash pushed past her groaning muscles to reach the doorknob. When she finally managed to pull it open, a smiling Fluttershy greeted her at the doorstep.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy looked concerned, "Are you doing okay? That storm yesterday sure was brutal, and I was worried that you had gotten hurt... " Rainbow Dash gave her friend a smile, opening her mouth to speak.

"BLEARUGH!"  Sky Strike's voice echoed throughout the house, causing poor little Fluttershy to give a little jump.

"O-Oh my!" Fluttershy gasped, "I-Is there somepony else here? Are they doing alright?" Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered that her father was in her home. She couldn't help but give a little giggle, opening the door wider for her friend to come in.

"Yeah, he'll be fine... " Rainbow smirked, "Actually, you should come inside to meet him!" Fluttershy blinked, embarrassment flaming her cheeks from within.

"O-Oh, b-but I wouldn't want to intrude or anything... " Fluttershy stammered, "I-I didn't know you were seeing a stallion, Rainbow Dash... " Rainbow Dash shook her head, opening her mouth to reply.

"BLEAUGHAGH! SWEET CELESTIA - BLERAAUGAH!"

"No, its not like that!" Rainbow Dash laughed, "He's somepony from my family. You've actually met him before. He drank some expired milk, so he's feeling a little... green? It'll be fine, Fluttershy!" The yellow pegasus had turned to leave, but Rainbow Dash gripped her tail with her teeth, pulling the panicking mare into her home while ignoring the cries of her sore muscles. Rainbow tossed the poor mare into one of her cloud chairs, turning when she heard Sky Strike emerge from the bathroom.

"Um, Rainbow... " Fluttershy blinked, "Why are you looking at me like that? J-Just asking... " 

"I just wanna see your face." Rainbow smiled creepily, "Don't mind me!" Fluttershy heard hoofsteps coming from the hallway and she nervously turned to see who it was. She heard mumbling, and for some reason she could faintly remember that voice... and then the stallion came into view.

Fluttershy's eyes shrunk like pinpricks and she pushed herself back into the chair. Her jaw dropped as low as it could, her body trembling from the overwhelming shock. Sky Strike was rubbing his belly, his face grimacing from what he just tossed into the bathroom just moments earlier. 

"Ugh, " He grumbled, "That spoiled milk... is surely going to spoil my day!" He laughed, his horrible pun causing Rainbow Dash to smack her hoof onto her forehead.

"Dad, " She mumbled, pointing at the still-in-shock pegasus mare, "Meet older Fluttershy. Older Fluttershy, this is my dad from exactly ten years ago." Sky Strike finally noticed her, gasping in surprise before rushing to tackle the petrified pegasus.

"Fluttershy!" He exclaimed, scooping her up in his hooves to give her a crippling hug, "Wow! You were so small the last time I saw you! And that was less than a week ago!" Fluttershy squirmed against his chest, trying to desperately push away the bigger pony. He finally held her at hoof's length, looking her up and down.

"Wow!" He smiled, "You're beautiful! Rainbow, you see how pretty she is?!" Fluttershy, despite her state of shock, still managed to have a blush grace her cheeks.

"Yeah, dad... " Rainbow rolled her eyes, "I see it... " 

"Wow!" Sky Strike smiled, spinning the scared pegasus around in a circle, "You were so cute before, but now you're gorgeous! I wish I could say the same thing about Dashie!" Rainbow growled, chomping down onto Sky Strike's tail and yanking him off of her friend. Fluttershy landed with her face on the ground, her limbs giving out an occasional twitch.

"Give her some space, dad... " Rainbow tossed Sky Strike onto his haunches, "You could be a zombie for all she knows." Fluttershy stumbled back onto her hooves, watching Sky Strike with a nervously wary expression.

"Oops... " Sky Strike laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "I should of thought of that first... which reminds me that I need to see Twilight." He glanced around, moving into the kitchen. Rainbow blinked, following her father and leaving Fluttershy back in the living room.

"Why do you need to see her?" Rainbow asked, watching her father check her cabinents, "Is it about that weird storm yesterday?"

"Something like that." He replied, snatching a pencil and a piece of paper in his mouth. After he dropped the paper onto the kitchen table, he took a few moments to scribble a few words onto it. Rainbow cringed, recognizing it as a shopping list.

"There we are." He smiled, turning back to his daughter, "Twilight wanted to go through a few tests on me. You know, to try and find out exactly why I'm here." He gripped the paper in his mouth, and trotting back over to the living room. Fluttershy still shrunk away at seeing him, but it was noticeably less than before.

"Here, " He held out the sheet with his mouth to Fluttershy. The yellow mare blinked, her cheeks lighting up like two suns. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reached forward to pull the paper from his teeth, avoiding eye contact.

"How about you and Fluttershy go into town and get everything on the list?" He smiled, not feeling embarrassed from that awkward situation, "In the meantime, I'll head over to Twilight's for a little bit." He turned around to see his daughter giving him a disbelieving look.

"What?" He asked, cocking his head. 

"You're just going over to Twilight's so that she can run tests." Rainbow frowned, sitting up to cross her hooves, "You're not thinking of doing anything funny, are you?" Sky Strike paused for a few moments before bursting into laughter.

"Nah, " He shook his head, "I just found out yesterday that the love of my life is no longer married to me. I don't think I'm going to try anything like that for a long while." 

Rainbow Dash's ears drooped, her eyes casting down to the floor, "Oh... " She muttered, "I'm... sorry... " Sky Strike sighed with a smile, reaching his hoof to ruffle Rainbow's mane.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo." He chuckled, "It hurts, but I can't let it get in the way of my time with you. When you guys are done, meet me back at Twilight's. There's a lot I'm going to have to catch up on." He gave Fluttershy another smile before making his way over to the door. Opening it, he looked back at his daughter and gave her a gentle smile and a wink before leaping off of the cloud, his long wings spreading to catch the chilly morning air.

"Leaving with a wink and forgetting to shut the door... " Fluttershy whispered, a grin crossing her lips, "I don't know if its really him, but its convincing."

"Yeah, " Rainbow nodded, "I had a hard time believing it too. But I've got a gut feeling that it's really my dad."







The excitement from the previous day still had Twilight completely exhausted. Waking up had been difficult, but she was happy to smell the breakfast that Spike was cooking from the kitchen. Sighing to herself, the purple mare shoved her blankets off her body. She swung her legs to the edge of the bed, clumsily dropping off to land on her hooves. She shook her sleepiness from her head and turned to approach her mirror.

Her mane was a messy clump. Sighing, she lifted her brush using her magical telekinesis and worked on brushing them out. With her mane straight and proper, Twilight set off for her daily tasks. She spotted a small mess of books on the floor while she climbed down the stares, letting out a little bit of a chuckle. She would normally scold Spike for not cleaning, but she could let him off the hook this once. The excitement from last night had certainly left a powerful memory.

"Soarin and Spitfire?!" Rainbow freaked, her hooves waving wildly through the air, "You taught the Soarin and Spitfire?!"

"Um, " Sky Strike blinked, "Yeah... is... is that big?"

"Big? Big?!" Rainbow Dash screeched, jabbing a hoof at her father, "Dad, they're wonderbolts! Not only that, but they lead the wonderbolts!" 

"They're wonderbolts now?!" Sky Strike gasped, nearly falling off of his stool, "Little Soarin and Spitfire... they're the captains of the wonderbolts... " He quivered slightly, with visible moisture building from his eyes. 

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash nodded, "And... and you taught them?! I... I can't believe my father taught the wonderbolts!"

"They're wonderbolts!" Sky Strike exclaimed, "They've made it... They've made it! By Celestia's sweet fretlocks, they did it!"

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash hollered, "My... my dad taught the wonderbolts!" She started laughing hysterically, her wings flapping in absolute glee. Rainbow turned to Twilight, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her friend like mad.

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash panted, "My dad... he taught Soarin and Spitfire! He taught them! Did you hear?! He taught them!"

"I heard!" Twilight screamed, her mane flopping about on her shoulders, "Now stop!"

"Dragon!" Sky Strike foamed, shaking the dragon from his shoulders, "Soarin and Spitfire are wonderbolts! They made it! Did you hear?! They made it! They're captains!"

"Spike!" The dragon yelled back through the constant shaking, "My name's Spike!" 

Twilight frowned. She would rather forget that memory. 

Finally making it to the ground floor, Twilight hurried to clean up the mess before Sky Strike arrived. She had been up late the rest of the night preparing the tests to run. She didn't want to use up too much of Sky Strike's time since there was much to spend with his daughter, but she also knew this was very important. There were a lot of questions but very few answers.

After placing the books back onto their rightful shelves, Spike walked in with a tray of toast and orange juice. The dragon set it onto the middle table, watching Twilight go about her business.

"Sky Strike should be on his way by now." Spike guessed, taking a look at a scroll in his claws, "And there's not much else on your checklist besides his visit. You sure we should do this so soon? I mean, the guy went through a lot yesterday. I don't want him to break down or anything."

"Relax, Spike." Twilight replied, lifting toast from the tray with her magic, "It's all under control. And I don't plan on catching him up on current events until the tests are all done. Rainbow said she'd be here for that, and I'm sure she'll help him out."

"That's true..." Spike shrugged, "But I have one more concern." 

"Hm?" Twilight asked, a mouthful of toast muting her words.

"I'm going over to Rarity's today, which means it'll just be you and Sky Strike." Spike raised an eye, "And you're going to be alone... with a stallion."

Twilight spit out her toast, "Spike!" She wiped at her hoof with her mouth and turned to her assistant, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you worried that something's going to happen?! He's Rainbow's Dad for Celestia's sake!"

"That's not what I'm worried about." Spike shook his head, "Remember that last time you were all alone with a stallion who wasn't your brother or your dad?" 

"Of course I do!" Twilight snapped, "I was with... um... I was with... " 

"Exactly." Spike nodded, "You never were. And the last few times with Sky Strike doesn't count since I was back in the kitchen. Face it Twilight, you've never been alone with a male pony."

"What are you trying to say, Spike?" She frowned, "I don't understand."

"Look, Twilight... " Spike scratched the back of his head, "How did she put it?... Oh, right!" He cleared his throat to begin, "Twilight is a blossoming flower, " He said in his mock Rarity voice, "Spike, I worry for her sometimes. I rarely see her talk to stallions, and if any of them show interest she blushes and backs away. Now, if I can imagine her being alone with a strong, healthy stallion, I worry that her inexperience will give her much discomfort and embarrassment. And if a stallion manages to swoon our little gem, well I hope she won't go into one of her little 'crazed states' about him."

"Wow... " Twilight stepped back, "You remembered everything Rarity said?"

Spike laughed, "Oh, Twilight... I remember everything she says."

"Well, " Twilight rolled her eyes, "You don't have to worry about me. Now that I think about it, I've been with Sky Strike alone before in Sweet Apple Acres."

"Yeah, " He shrugged, "But I heard Applejack and Applebloom had been there for a good while too. Plus the mood was different since he was practically breaking down." He squinted his eyes at Twilight, making the purple unicorn awkwardly shift her hooves.

"W-What?" She asked, "Something wrong?"

"I faintly remember you coming back looking extremely happy, " Spike scratched his chin, "What was the reason for that, huh? Did he say anything to you in particular?"

"Wow... you're responsible, kind-hearted, and have a great head on your shoulders. I'm sure you'll make a great mother someday."

"N-No!" Twilight shook her head, her cheeks flushing a light red, "N-Nothing! Nothing at all! I-I was just glad that he was going to see Rainbow Dash! That's all!"

"Hm, " Spike inspected, "You sure? He didn't make some sort of heartwarming comment that you've never had a stallion say to you before?"

"S-Spike!" Twilight huffed, "J-Just go to Rarity's! I'll be fine, I swear!"

"If you say so." He smirked, "I was just teasing you to be honest. Just try not to look so flustered around stallions... they think it's cute." There was a soft knocking at the door, and Spike flashed Twilight a devilish smile. Twilight shook her head and took in a deep breath.

"Come on in!" She hollered. The door opened, and in walked Sky Strike. He looked completely energized, a gentle smile on his face.

"Hey, dragon!" He chuckled, reaching over to pat Spike's head, "Going somewhere, buddy?"

"It's Spike." He frowned, "And I am! I'm going to hang out with the most beautiful mare in Ponyville!" He glanced back at Twilight with a smirk, "So I'll be leaving you two all alone... " Twilight glared harshly at Spike, watching him stifle a laugh before running out the door. 

"Fun kid." Sky Strike laughed, waving his hoof over at Twilight, "So, here I am! Have those tests all set up and ready?"

Twilight smiled and nodded, "Yep! I have a few stations set up in the basement below. Let me grab a few things before meeting you down there, okay?" Sky Strike nodded, prancing over to the steps that led to the lab.

"Pft, what was Spike talking about?" Twilight said to herself, "I don't feel funny around Sky Strike at all!" She trotted on over to her shelves, selecting a few books to take down with her. She glanced through, taking out anything that had a topic on magical essence.

"Let's see here... " She thought aloud, "Clover the Clever's Theory on Magic, Magical Essence and Equestria by Starswirl the Bearded, Magic in a Nutshell by Stephony Hawkling, How to Take a Stallion Home and Make Him Feel - " Twilight pulled back, a red blush glowing from her cheeks. She shook her head, desperate to get Spike's words out of her mind.

"Nothing will go wrong... " She gulped, "Right?"






"Please, Fluttershy... " Rainbow sweated with her quivering hooves, "Don't do this... "

"I-I'm really sorry, Rainbow... " Fluttershy whispered, "B-But I have to do this. It might be unpleasant at first, but I bet you'll get used to it in the long run."

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow whined, "N-No way! You can't!"

"I'm sorry, " Fluttershy shook her head, "There's no other way around this... " Fluttershy reached into her saddle bags and neatly set numerous bits onto the shop counter.

"A dozen brussels sprouts, please." Fluttershy nodded to the shopkeeper, "A-And if it's not trouble, could you bag them for us?"

"Nooooo!" Rainbow yelled, stomping her hooves in protest, "Fluttershy! I can't believe you just did that!" 

The yellow pegasus politely thanked the shopkeeper and quietly slipped the vegetables into her filling saddle-bag. Fluttershy turned back to her friend to give her a sad, yet brightening smile.

"Oh, don't worry Rainbow Dash, " She comforted, "I'm sure that you won't even be able to taste them since your father's going to be cooking." Rainbow Dash reluctantly followed Fluttershy down the busy marketplace and grumbled angrily in response.

"He's not that great of a cook, " Rainbow muttered, "Just the master at making the most healthy, disgusting foods known  in Equestria. If there's one thing I don't miss about him, it's that."

"Well I'm just happy to see him again, " Fluttershy giggled, "It's still quite a shock. I can't imagine how my own father will react when he hears the news!"

"Oh yeah, " Rainbow blinked, "How's your dad doing? I barely saw him when I was a filly, and I rarely hear about him from you."

"Oh... " She shrugged, "Well, he's doing alright. He's been working at home like usual. You know he doesn't like to go out."

"Yeah, " Rainbow rolled her eyes, "I remember the last time he did was when my dad disappeared. It was only for a little while, but it really did mean a lot to me." Rainbow smiled, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Um, Rainbow... " Fluttershy looked over at her friend with concerned eyes. "I know your mother remarried and started another family on her own. Did you tell him about that?"

"Yeah... " Rainbow sighed, hanging her head. "It hit him pretty hard when I did, but he bounced right back. I'm sure he's still feeling it, though. I know I would."

"Oh, I hope everything turns out alright." Fluttershy sighed hopefully, "It's just heartbreaking for Sky Strike to find out that your mother had moved on from him. It's going to be terrifying when she finds out he's back... " 

"It's definitely going to be weird, " Rainbow frowned, "You saw how she was when he was gone. I've never seen her laugh or smile since. She didn't even look happy in her weddings pictures!"

"Do you think she'll be mad?" Fluttershy inquired, "I've seen her angry once, and it was horrifying... " 

"No kiddin' " Rainbow Dash snorted, "Imagine being at the end of that inferno! Only pony that could settle her down was my dad... and the only pony who could set him straight was her." Rainbow sighed, "Man, I don't wanna think about this right now."

"Neither do I." Fluttershy responded, "A-Anyways, I think we've covered everything on the list. Should we go see Twilight and your father at the library?"

"Yeah, why not?" Rainbow shrugged, "Besides, we're going to have to catch up my dad on everything that's happened. You know, like Princess Luna's return and us being the Elements of Harmony and stuff. There's a lot that's happened, so it's going to take a while."

"Oh yes, " Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "You also need to tell him about the sonic rainboom. I'm sure he'll be so proud of you!"

"Um, " Rainbow frowned, scratching her head, "I'm not so sure about that... " 

"Oh?" Fluttershy looked shocked. "W-Why not?"

"It's... complicated." Rainbow Dash sighed, "I'll tell you later. First things first, I wanna meet up with my dad and Twilight soon. My dad's a big flirt, and I don't wanna know what'll happen. If she lights on fire when she's angry, I'm scared to see what she'll look like embarrassed."




Rarity's description of her workroom as an "Organized Chaos" fit Twilight's lab perfectly. Massive clumps of papers and books littered her desk along with quills and empty ink bottles. Her alchemy table was covered in strange herbs and liquid vials of varying colors. The book shelves in the corners of the lab were filled with journals of Twilight's research, each labeled accordingly and in alphabetical order. 

"Whoa... " Sky Strike blinked, reaching the bottom of the staircase, "This is a surprise... the library is all neat and tidy, but this place is like Dashie's old room. Actually, I think it's worse." He gave a light chuckle and made his way over to one of the bookshelves.

"Gee, " He smirked, "This seems all too familiar." 

"What is?" Twilight asked, coming down the stairs with a stack of books in the air. Sky Strike turned to smile at her, pointing his hoof at her mass of journals.

"You like your research, huh?" He asked, "How much time do you spend just analyzing or observing things?" He looked back at her journals and took a closer look at the titles, "You filled up three books of research notes on modern equestrian society?! Wow! That's dedication!"

"Oh, heh... " Twilight brushed a few papers off of her desk to open a space for the books. She plopped them down onto the empty space and laughed nervously.

"I'm... well, to put it in your daughter's words, a bit of an Egghead." She blushed, rubbing at the back of her head, "I know it sounds a bit dorky and all, but... " 

"Not at all!" Sky Strike laughed, "I knew you were smart, but I didn't know you were this smart! I bet if I was half the intellectual you are, I could easily get into Canterlot University!"

"O-Oh!" Twilight stammered, "I-I um... t-thank you, b-but I... um... w-well I... " 

"I'm not joking!" Sky Strike smiled, "And I don't think it's dorky at all since my wife - " He stopped himself. The warm mood that hung in the air instantly turned cold, and Twilight's blush quickly faded. 

"I'm sorry... " Twilight hung her head, "I didn't mean to- "

"Nah, you did nothing wrong." Sky Strike sighed, a sad smile crossing his lips, "I was just going to say you remind me a lot of Dash's mom. She was studying to be a professor when I knew her, but Dash told me she finished her schooling and now teaches in Canterlot."

"Really?" Twilight blinked, "I didn't know that... Rainbow Dash doesn't really talk about her mother."

"Figures, " Sky Strike shrugged, "They were so alike, but they never got along. They both have a bit of a hard time showing their true feelings but in different ways. They both have tough exteriors, but even those have a breaking point. I know Dash has changed over these ten years, but I'm sure their relationship didn't get better. Especially since I left." He sighed, pawing at the ground softly in thought.

"But anyways, " He smiled, "I wasn't here to talk about that. Let's run these tests, shall we?" 

"R-Right." Twilight frowned, "Could you stand in the middle of the room, please?" Sky Strike did as requested and placed himself directly in the middle of the lab. Twilight flipped through a few pages of Starswirl's book on magic essence before turning around to face the stallion.

"Okay, " She started, "this is probably going to feel a bit weird at first. I'm just going to do a quick scan of your body to see if everything's okay. You never know with magical essence."

"Right, " Sky Strike nodded, "Scan away!" Twilight's horn glowed faintly and a light purple aura encased Sky Strike's body. Twilight quickly turned back to her desk, using her magic to write on a parchment with a quill.

"Wow, " Sky Strike blinked, "Scanning me and writing a quill with magic at the same time? That's awesome!"

"It's not too difficult " Twilight responded. "What the quill is writing correlates to what my magic is picking up from you, so it's basically the same spell." Twilight closely observed what the quill was writing on the paper, her expression growing more and more confused as time went on. Eventually, she called the spell off and the quill fell harmlessly to the desk.

"So?" Sky Strike inquired, "Does everything check in, doctor?" He joked.

Twilight scratched the back of her head, "Well, for the most part." She took a closer look at the writings. "There's no internal problems that I can find, and your balance of pegasi magic is perfect. No abnormalities physically, and your brain is 100% intact. I didn't know you before, but it's safe to say that you're exactly the same as you were ten years ago."

Sky Strike cocked his head with a frown. "You said for the most part, though. Is something else wrong?"

"I wouldn't say wrong." Twilight responded, glancing back at Sky Strike. "But your body is emitting an enormous amount of magical essence. You can't see it or feel it, but it's there."

"Do you think some of it rubbed off on me when I dealt with the storm?" He questioned. "And is this a problem?"

Twilight walked up to Sky Strike, tapping her chin in thought. "I don't know. It's almost as if you're creating it... I've never heard of a case like this before, and there's nothing about it in the record books. This is indeed an interesting case!" Her expression brightened. "There's so many tests I can't wait to try! Maybe I can even unravel the secrets of magical essence!"

Sky Strike blinked, "Um, Twilight?"

"This is so exciting!" Twilight squeaked, bouncing up and down on her hooves. "So many experiments to try! So many answers to find! So many mysteries to unfold!"

"Twilight?" Sky Strike cleared his throat. "Um - "

"I can see it now!" She exclaimed, gazing up to form a clear image in her head. "Celestia will be so proud of my findings, and I'll have a section of the library just like Star Swirl! I'll be the author of dozens of books, I'll be the keeper of knowledge, and I'll forever be Celestia's most prized pupil!"

"Twilight... um, you're touching my flank."

When the purple mare went off on her little mind trip, she had subconsciously laid her hoof on Sky Strike's cutie mark. It wouldn't of been as bad if she realized that she had been practically caressing it. With a pitiful shriek, Twilight yanked her  hoof off of Sky Strike's bottom.

Embarrassment level 20%

"O-o-o-o-h I-I-I-I- " Twilight stammered, her face's color now similar to a tomato. "I d-d-d-didn't - "

"That's alright, Twilight!" Sky Strike laughed. "I can understand. It just looked so firm, didn't? You don't know how often I got that back in college. You know, you could of just asked!"

Embarrassment level 45%

Twilight took a few shaky steps away from Sky Strike. "N-n-n-n-o... " She shook her head, a small glimmer of electricity running over her horn, "I-I-I j-j-just- "

"Got lost in the moment, did you?" Sky Strike smirked. "That's fine. You know, you look incredibly cute when you're flustered!"

Embarrassment level 68%

"W-What?!" Twilight gasped, reaching up a hoof to cradle her burning cheeks, "I-I-I-I-"

"You gave it a pretty good rub, too!" He teased, "Sorta like wax on, wax off! Polishing my muscled flank?" 

Embarrassment level 87% Reaching Critical Failure

Twilight's mouth gaped open, her heart pumping while her cheeks blazed hotter than fireworks. Hundreds of thoughts went through her mind but she couldn't speak. Her horn sparked considerably, but this was unnoticed by the two ponies.

Sky Strike took a step towards her. "You alright, Twilight?" He asked, his eyes showing concern. "You're burning up! Don't tell me that was your first time sensually rubbing a stallion's toned butt muscle!" 

Embarrassment level 98% Meltdown Imminent

"Twilight?" Sky Strike blinked, cocking his head. "Um... sorry, I didn't mean to tease you! I just have a problem being alone with cute mares!"

Embarrassment level 100% ABORT! ABORT!

And then Twilight's magic blew up.
> The Question
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Hmmm...” Professor Tesla Coil blinked, taking a closer look at the strange contraption sitting on his desk. “Now this is odd.” The small mechanical object, assembled from a hamster wheel, a blowhorn, a typewriter, and other numerous household items, was spinning rather rapidly, producing a white parchment with eerie writings of ink. Tesla Coil grabbed the printing paper with his hooves and brought it up to his sapphire eyes. 

“What?...” he breathed, “this cannot be... oh dear oh dear oh dear...” Tesla Coil immediately shoved his chair back and tore the paper emerging from his contraption. He turned and tried to quickly  navigate out of his dimmed laboratory. Because of his young age and inexperience the professor hadn't been given a proper lab like the other more renowned scientists, but he appreciated it. He rather enjoyed the small space and the solitude.

He shoved open the door to his lab and entered the hallway outside. The sudden brightness made him shrink back and he cover his eyes with a grunt. The sunlight revealed his dirtied lab coat and his messy brown mane. He blinked repeatedly, waiting for his eyes to adjust before taking off down the hallway.

College students and a few professors watched in amusement as Tesla Coil dashed past them with heavy breaths. In his rush he tripped on his own hooves a few times and incited laughter from watching ponies. Ignoring them, the professor pressed on urgently, scampering up staircases and through corridors with the paper clutched in his mouth.

After a few minutes of running and stumbling, the professor finally made it to the base of Canterlot’s tallest tower. He took a minute to rest, leaning his side against one of the walls and wiping the sweat from his brow. 

“Come on, Tesla,” he panted, “just up these stairs... you can do this...” He slowly began to climb the winding stone staircase, the paper still held tightly between his teeth. His leg muscles ached and his chest burned, but the importance of the document drove him on.

After what felt like hours of walking, Tesla Coil reached the last step. Two guards clad in their shining golden stood still at their posts beside the door to the chamber. Tesla wiped his brow again before straightening, taking the paper from his mouth to shove it into his coat pocket.

“Is Princess Celestia available?” he asked, “I’m aware that she retires to her private room at this time.” 

“The Princess will not be seeing visitors,” one of the guards answered, slamming the end of his spear into the floor.

“B-But this is important!” Tesla Coil protested, “what I have in my pocket could determine the fate of all of Equestria! Maybe the world!”

“Really, Tesla?” the other guard frowned. “This is the third time you've said that this month! The first time it was something about ‘Platypus Bears’ and the second time it was about the increase of squirrel violence. What is it this time?”

“Look, this time it’s really important!” Tesla Coil whimpered. “T-Those last few times were flukes, but this time is real! I’m serious!” 

The two guards glanced at each other before sighing. “Well,” one of the scratched their heads, “Celestia always said to let you in whenever you made some sort of ‘discovery’. Just be quick.” The guards stepped aside, and Tesla Coil quickly marched into Celestia’s chamber.

“Hey.” one of the guards said to the other. “She only lets him in because she finds his research hilarious, right?”

“Who knows.” the other one shrugged. “But I know I would.”

Tesla Coil was always breathless when he entered Princess Celestia’s chambers. The sun seemed to shine stronger, and the scent of icing and flowers were prevalent in the air. Regal carpets sat on a polished white marble floor, and incredible paintings were hung from the walls. Her bed was huge with dozens of exotic pillows and large soft blankets of almost every color. 

But Princess Celestia was always what made him freeze. 

She stood on her balcony, looking through her telescope at Canterlot below. Her coat was as beautiful as always, her mane wondrous and magical. He didn’t want to get her attention at first due to his nervousness, but the sound of the door closing alerted her to his presence.

“Tesla?” She blinked, looking back at the stallion. “Ah! Hello, dear friend!” She smiled, leaving her balcony to approach him. 

“G-Greetings, Princess...” Tesla Coil bowed. “I-I have s-something of the utmost importance you should see!”

“Oh Tesla,” Celestia giggled, “you don’t have to bow your head.” Tesla slowly pulled his head up, feeling small in the presence of such a magnificent pony.

“Tesla, you should take better care of yourself,” She smiled, “have you been locked up in that dark lab of yours? I bet you could really use a bath.”

“Y-Yes of course,” Tesla Coil stammered, “b-but there’s s-something important that I have discovered that you must see immediately!”

Despite his serious tone, Celestia giggled at his outburst. “Of course, Tesla,” She nodded, “what have you brought for me today? I’m sure that it’s definitely as interesting as your research paper on squirrel violence.” Tesla Coil blinked, not sure if Celestia was being serious or sarcastic. She always had a way of talking that would outright confuse him.

“Here.” He stated, grabbing the small piece of paper from his pocket. “I was in my lab doing research on magical essence when I found something startling...”

“Magical essence, hm?” Celestia inquired, “yes, I know that my prized pupil was studying that as well. She has sent me a few notes regarding this... perhaps you would like to read them later?”

“N-Not now, Princess!” Tesla Coild protested, “perhaps later, but this is very important!” Celestia used her magic to grab the small paper from his hoof, raising it up to her face to look at it.

“Tesla,” Celestia blinked, “I’m sorry, but I’m no scholar. These strange patterns and waves... I don’t understand what they mean.”

“That’s just it.” Tesla Coil responded, “whenever magical essence is studied with these detectors, it usually is either a slightly wavy line or straight. But this paper is showing fluctuating bumps and strange swirls! I have never seen such readings even in Starswirl’s notes!”

“Hm...” Celestia scratched her chin, “well, what do you think it means?”

“I have several ideas, but one seems to be the most plausible.” Tesla Coil answered, pacing back and forth nervously. “I’m thinking... I’m thinking that the balance of magical essence has been completely disrupted.”

“Completely disrupted?” Celestia asked, taking her eyes off the paper to look at Tesla Coil. “What are you saying?”

“Okay.” Tesla Coil stopped his pacing. “It’s a hard concept to understand at first, and we don’t know that much about magical essence. But what we do know is that it plays a huge role in the planet. Imagine that magical essence is sorta like a perfect tower and that every brick and stone in that tower helps it stay up. What would happen if you took out even one stone?”

“The tower would come crashing down...” Celestia answered, growing concerned. “How do you know that something like this would happen?...”

“It’s just a theory of mine,” Tesla Coil shrugged, “I know no evidence to really base if off of, so we’re stuck in the dark right now. I would like to hold a meeting with Equestria’s greatest minds to discuss this... I mean, if its okay.”

Celestia furrowed her brow. “I understand, Tesla... but you know that it will take much convincing for the old scientists to accept your theory. You have no evidence, and many of my best magical theorists are too stubborn to accept something so... crazy sounding.”

“Yes, I know.” Tesla Coil sighed, giving a sad nod. “I’m prepared for any ridicule and arguments against me. I’m just going to have to dive farther in my research to hopefully find something of use for the meeting.”

Celestia gave him a strong smile. “Of course, Tesla. I’ll try to arrange a meeting but it’s going to take a while. These sort of requests take time, and the scientists and magical theorists are never in a hurry.”

“Right!” Tesla Coil bowed, “t-thank you, Princess! I-I didn’t think you were going to give me a chance!”

“Oh, Tesla!” Celestia laughed, setting her white hoof on his shoulder. “I know can you be quite eccentric and reckless at times, but you mean well. This can be your chance to shine, you know.”

“I-I just want Equestria to be safe.” he stammered, “I-I don’t need any sort of recognition. I just hope that when we hold the meeting... it won’t already be too late.”






It was a fact: Sonic Rainbooms are loud. They’re louder than cannons, fireworks, and the shrill screams of annoying fillies. When one is performed they often create a powerful shockwave that can crack stone and tremble structures that are even miles away. Sonic Rainbooms are as loud as they are legendary.

But the explosion in Twilight’s lab reached just as high or higher than that of a Sonic Rainboom.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were within a few feet of the library when Twilight’s magic went off in a bright purple flash. The tree quaked, its branches thrashing as if they were in a powerful hurricane and throwing its leaves in the air. The door immediately kicked open, breaking off its hinges and hitting the ground right in front of Rainbow’s hooves. The glass windows all shattered, violet flames bursting out from the inside. The tree had been enchanted to resist flames, but there would no doubt be scorch marks.

Rainbow Dash reacted by lifting her hooves to cover her eyes, yelping in shock. Fluttershy reacted by jumping up four feet in the air, her pupils shrinking down to the size of pin pricks. She let out a scream that would be horrendous if it wasn’t in a whispering volume.

“Omigosh, what was that?!” Rainbow screeched, her eyes widening. “Oh no, dad and Twilight’s in there! Come on, Fluttershy!” Fluttershy showed no signs of moving, and her friend had to grip her mane and tug her into the house.

It was a mess, but thankfully the magic kept the books from being damaged. The center table had immediately been turned into ashes along with whatever food had been placed onto it. Twilight’s rugs and carpets were now burnt to crisps along with a few paintings and pictures that had not been enchanted with protection magic.

“They’re downstairs!” Rainbow yelped, “there’s still smoke coming from the basement! Hurry, Fluttershy!” The fear of losing her friends outweighed her own fear and Fluttershy quickly dashed down the basement directly behind Rainbow.

The lab had obviously taken the most damage. The walls were completely scorched along with the floor and the ceiling. Twilight’s research, though undamaged due to magic, were thrown off their shelves and littered the floor. Her desk and alchemy table were gone along with any notes she had taken from Sky Strike.

Twilight stood in the center of the room as still as a statue. Purple static cracked up and down her body. Her pupils were pure white and she was panting, steam rising off of her horn. Sky Strike was face down on the floor facing Twilight, an imprint of his body on the wall behind him.

“D-Dad!” Rainbow shrieked, charging over to her father’s side. She quickly grabbed him and flipped him over onto his back and put her ear to his chest. His coat was scorch black, but there didn’t seem to be any burns or significant injuries.

“He’s still breathing...” Rainbow sighed in relief. She then glanced over at Twilight who still stood frozen, her eyes still completely white as smalls parks of magic danced over her violet body.

“U-Um,” Fluttershy stammered, “I-I think she’s broken...” 

“No kidding.” Rainbow grunted, lifting her father from the floor. “Come on, big guy. Fluttershy, help me out here would you?” Fluttershy hesitated, but trotted over to lift up Sky Strike with Rainbow Dash. The two mares heaved him across the room, straining to get him up the stairs.

“Why’s he so heavy?” Rainbow groaned through clenched teeth, moving up one slow step at a time.

“He is your father...” Fluttershy grunted, pushing him up from her side. “You both are very strong... and he is a stallion after all."

After a few more struggling moments the two elements of harmony successfully transported Sky Strike into the main room of the library. After a bit of searching for a seat, Rainbow gave up and carefully laid her father onto the floor.

“There we go...” She breathed, looking over at Fluttershy. “So... what do we do about Twilight?”

“I-I don’t think we should touch her.” Fluttershy shook her head. “She’s... sort of scary right now...”

The door to the library suddenly kicked open and a familiar purple-scaled dragon rushed in. Spike was panting, his eyes wide as he glanced around the room in a rush. “W-Where’s Twilight?! What happened?!” He asked alarmingly. “It sounded like some sort of mega explosion!”

“In the basement,” Rainbow Dash replied, “I think she had a little magical overload.” 

“I knew this would happen...” Spike smacked his hand against his forehead. “Being alone with a stallion like Sky Strike was probably a little too much for her.”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow inquired, “did my dad do anything?”

“Well, not intentionally,” Spike shrugged, “you know how unicorn magic can be linked to their emotions, right? Well, in Twilight’s case, she’s like a bomb just waiting to go off. Sky Strike probably made some sort of teasing advances that pushed her over the edge.” Spike glanced around before snatching a book off of a table. 

“I-Is she going to be alright?” Fluttershy asked, following Spike as he ventured to the basement.

“She’ll be fine.” Spike replied, looking glum. “But this means I’m going to have to clean out the entire library... again.” He walked in front of Twilight, holding the book in front of her face.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow Dash blinked, cocking her head in curiosity. 

“Just watch,” Spike smirked, “hey Twilight! Look at what I’m doing!” He let go of the book and it tumbled onto the floor.

Twilight’s magic disappeared instantly, her pupils almost immediately re-appearing in her eyes. “S-Spike!” She gasped, lifting the book from the floor with her magic. “What did I tell you about messing with books like they were toys?!”

“And she awakens.” Spike sighed, rubbing his temples. “Hey Twilight... you blew up again.”

Twilight blinked, “What are you talking about?” She glanced up, gasping at the scorched remains of her laboratory. “W-What happened here?! D-Did I do this?!”

“Duh.” Spike rolled his eyes, “I think you know what happened better than anypony.” Twilight instantly grew red.

“W-Where’s Sky Strike?!” she panicked, “I-Is he okay?!”

“He’s upstairs out cold,” Rainbow Dash nodded, “I think he’ll be fine. So what the heck happened here?!” Twilight turned and marched upstairs, her friends and dragon assistant in tow.

“W-Well...” Twilight stammered, “a-a few things were said... um, I got a little embarrassed and well... I guess I couldn't control my emotions too well...” Sky Strike was now stirring and was sitting up and rubbing his temples.

“Hey! He’s already up!” Spike exclaimed, “usually it takes a couple days for Twilight’s victims to wake up!” Twilight abruptly shushed Spike before dashing over to Sky Strike.

“Oh my gosh, Sky Strike... I’m so sorry.” She apologized, pawing at the ground. “I-I shouldn’t of went out of control like that.”

Sky Strike groaned, opening his eyes to look at the purple mare. “What? Sorry, I didn’t catch that... my ears are kinda ringing.” He blinked, looking around the library. “So, um... what was I just doing?”

“You don’t remember what happened?” Twilight asked, “anything at all?”

“Um...” He scratched his head, “I came over for tests, right? That’s as far as I remember...” He spotted Spike looking at him with his arms crossed. “Oh hey, Shenron!”

“Spike...” The dragon grumbled, “My. Name. Is. Spike.”

Sky Strike laughed, patting the dragon on the head, “Whatever you say, sport!” He coughed lightly, looking down at his blackened fur. “Did... did something explode on me?”

"Well..." Twilight looked away with flushed cheeks. "Um..."

"Twilight sorta blasted you." Rainbow Dash shrugged, much to the shock of the purple mare. "It's no biggie, and you don't look that banged up."

"Did she?" Sky Strike blinked, "wow... I must have done something terrible for you to do that to me!" He laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Twilight! For whatever I did to you back there, I mean."

"O-Oh, no..." Twilight laughed nervously. "I-It wasn't your fault... I, um, well I should share the the blame with you." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with a playful smile before walking up and nudging her father. Sky Strike, who just climbed up onto his hooves, wobbled a little with that light push.

"Watch it squirt," He laughed, "I'm still a bit dizzy here. Nothing too serious but my fur's a bit... well, scorched." He hobbled back onto his hooves and attempted to brush off some of the black on his coat to no avail.

"Yeah," Fluttershy frowned, "it's stained pretty bad..." 

"It's definitely going to more than a few showers to get that out," Twilight added, tapping her hoof onto her chin in thought. "I'm a bit afraid to cast a spell to get rid of it, though... you're still radiating magical essence so that could prove to be a bad thing..."

"Take him to Rarity's," Spike stated, tapping his foot impatiently. "If there's a pony who knows how to clean up, its her. I haven't finished my work over there so I can take you to her place!"

"Sorry, Spike," Twilight smirked, tapping her assistant on the nose with her tail. "The library needs a serious cleaning, and you know I can't do it without you!" Spike groaned in protest, throwing his claws up in the air before stomping away to find a broom and a dustpan. Sky Strike and the others couldn't help but laugh at the young dragon's misfortune.

"Is this Rarity a friend of yours, kiddo?" Sky Strike asked, looking over at his daughter. 

"Yep!" Rainbow nodded, nudging her father over to the door. "She's a bit girly and delicate, unlike me, but she's good friend! I'm sure you'll like her!"





Just like writing and painting, being a fashion designer takes creativity and dedication. There will be times when ideas  flow like streams, and beautiful works of art are created with just simple thoughts and ambition. There will be days when one can draw inspiration from the smallest source, and days when one's creative mind soars higher than a cloud in the sky.

Rarity was not having one of those days. 

Once again she found herself in a heated battle against strict deadlines and with a strong wall in her mind that was blocking creativity. With such important events like the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, the fashionista found herself too busy for anything but work. Thankfully, she managed to clean herself up a bit when Spike came to visit, but it had been a few minutes out of her precious time. She had dozens of ponies lined up for suits and dresses, and she needed to get each order on time.

"No no no! This will not do!" She groaned, her magic tossing cloths and threads through the air. "That dress is utterly dreadful! And that suit... it's just beyond horrid! I can even think of any words to describe it!" Her pony mannequins were now draped in so many cloths and materials that you couldn't even see their shapes anymore.  Rarity sighed, removing her red glasses from her face and setting them onto her table.

"I just can't think of anything..." She sighed, rubbing her temples with her hooves. "This is much too stressful... perhaps I should take a trip to the spa for some relaxation? No! I can't! I'd spend too much time resting my body and my work wouldn't get done... but maybe a ten minute session couldn't hurt? Oh, Rarity... you are a most pitiful sight to behold!"

A knock at her door interrupted her brief argument with herself. Rarity sighed, clearing her throat before approaching her mirror. She made a few touches to her mane and makeup before heading down the stairs, putting on her best face for whomever showed up on her doorstep. Taking a deep breath, she opened her door.

"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where everything is chic, unique, and manufi- oh, it's just you, Rainbow Dash?"

"Hey Rarity." Rainbow Dash smiled, "Do you think you could do me a-"

"Oh my!" Rarity shrieked, "h-how horrendous!" It took Rarity a millisecond to spot the scorched form of the stallion beside her friend. 

"Darling, you're fur... it's absolutely atrocious!" She yelped, stepping aside for her friends to enter. "Do come in! We are definitely going to have to fix you right up!" Rainbow Dash,  Fluttershy, and Sky Strike walked in casually. Rarity disappeared in a fuss, muttering to herself as she walked out of the room.

"Wow!" Sky Strike exclaimed, looking around the room as if it were a museum. "This place is amazing!"

"Really?" Rainbow Dash blinked, spotting piles of clothes and materials splattered over the floors. "Seems like it could be cleaned up a little bit. Anyways, Rarity, I'd like you to meet-"

"Here you are, darling!" Rarity exclaimed, numerous bottles floating above her head. "Use this bottle to clear out the nasty black scorches all over you, and use this one to get your fur all soft again. Then use this one to give it a radiant shine and then finish it with this one that will give your fur a glow for at least a week! Now, the bathroom is upstairs first door on the left. After you apply each bottle to your fur, rinse for a good five minutes! Now off with you!" Rarity nudged him up the stairs, making Sky Strike blink in confusion.

"Um," He glanced back. "Does it matter which order I use them in?"

"Order is everything, dear!" She replied, "remember- that bottle, then that bottle, then that bottle, then that bottle!" She pointed with a milky white hoof.

"Erm," Sky Strike blinked, "so, the blue one, then the red one, then the lighter blue one, and then the periwinkle one?"

"Correct!" She pushed him up the stairs and gave him a shove into the bathroom. Before Sky Strike could let out a word of protest Rarity slammed the door in front of him.

"Whew!" She wiped her brow, making her way back down the stairs. "Rarity has saved the day once more!" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy shared a look.

"So, you just marched a stallion who you don't know into your house and into your shower?" Rainbow asked with a frown. 

"Of course I did, dear!" Rarity replied proudly, "I could never leave a fashion disaster like that untouched! By the way, who was that gentlecolt?"

"Um, that was Rainbow's father." Fluttershy replied, pawing at the ground lightly.

"What?!" Rarity gasped, "Rainbow Dash's father?! Well, I should have guessed from his rainbow mane and great athletic build. I'm surprised that he looks so young."

"Athletic build?" Rainbow inquired, "did you just check out my dad?!"

Rarity laughed at her friend's reaction. " Rainbow Dash, I wasn't 'checking him out'. I was simply making a appreciating observation! I am a fashion designer of course, so its natural for me to take in his body type and physical attributes."

"Well, whatever." Rainbow huffed, sitting down on a chair in Rarity's living room. "So what's with the mess? Another fashion show or something?" 

"Hardly." Rarity sighed, patting her mane with her hoof. "There are a few special events scheduled in Canterlot, and there have been a dozen orders for new dresses and suits. I'm having quite a hard time coming out with the designs they horribly specified." They could hear the shower kick on from upstairs.

"Dresses, huh? Sorry, I don't think I could help you there." Rainbow shrugged, leaning back into the chair with a yawn. "Can't you just make some dresses that you've already made?"

"Hmph!" Rarity crossed her hooves, frowning at her pegasus friend. "Of course not, Rainbow Dash! One does not simply recreate their masterpieces! It would be a taboo of the fashion world!"

"Suit yourself, Rares," Rainbow shrugged, "I was just trying to help."

Rarity sighed and decided to change up the subject a little. "So about your father... why did he suddenly show up on my doorstep looking like he's been through a blazing inferno?"

"Well, Twilight sorta blew him up." Rainbow replied, much to the shock of her unicorn pal. "Anyways, let me explain the whole situation..." Rainbow started from the beginning, telling Rarity about how her father had disappeared all those years ago and had suddenly reappeared in her life. When her little informational speech finished, the shower from upstairs cut off.

"O-Oh my," Rarity reached up a cloth to dab at her eyes. "How tragic... a father suddenly being taken from his family just to be thrust back into the world that moved on without him. How is he taking it?"

"It looks like he's taking it well," Rainbow frowned, "but he's probably just trying to ignore it. I can tell that it's really hurting him inside..."

"Stallions like to look strong, Rainbow Dash," Rarity stated, "but that doesn't mean they don't hurt. I'm sure that he's been crying. A mare can just tell sometimes."

"I'm really worried about him." Fluttershy added, twiddling with her hooves. "All of his friends moved on and think he's still gone... when he goes back to visit Rainbow's mother, what's he going to do?..."

"That's what's been eating me." Rainbow responded, a frown pulling on her lips. "That old mare is definitely not gonna take him back. That's just the way mom is... besides, she's already in another family. As soon as he left she basically left me too." Rainbow grumbled the last few words, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Aren't you angry at your father, Rainbow?" Rarity inquired, cocking her head. "The way you said that... you sounded very upset at him."

"I'm still ticked off." Rainbow replied, "but I just can't be mad at him when I see him... because I know he's in a lot more pain than I am."

The door to the bathroom finally opened, and they could hear Sky Strike make his way to the stairs. "Everypony stay clear!" he commanded, "I smell like lilacs!" Sky Strike's coat practically glimmered. The scorches on his fur were gone, and his dark blue color was shining. Rainbow could smell his shampoo even from where she was sitting.

"Oh, my!" Rarity smiled, "Rainbow, you didn't tell me he was this handsome! I could hardly see the poor thing when he came in, but now he's like star!"

"Thanks!" He laughed, marching over to the three mares. "I feel loads better! I'm still a bit wobbly though." He joked, looking around the boutique. "So Rainbow tells me you're a fashion designer?"

"Indeed I am!" Rarity perked up, her eyes twinkling at Sky Strike. "And Rainbow tells me you taught the two top wonderbolts?"

"Oh, well that was a surprise to me!" he chuckled, "I had always thought that Soarin and Spitfire would make it, but it was still awesome to hear!"

"Okay, you two," Rainbow frowned and stood up. "We have to head back to Twilight's to catch dad up on everything that's happened since he's been gone."

"Oh, then how about I join you?" smiled Rarity, "the more the merrier, correct?"

Rainbow looked at her irritatingly before sighing. "Whatever," she shrugged, "c'mon. Let's hope Twilight's got the library all cleaned up."





Twilight did not have the library all cleaned up. Even with the combined efforts of Twilight's powerful magical abilities and Spike's ruthless cleaning techniques, they could only manage to do so much in such a short time. When Rainbow Dash's group arrived the library was barely cleaned up enough for them to sit around comfortably. The chairs and table were all incinerated so they found themselves gathered in a circle of lawn chairs. Scorch marks were still covering the walls, and the smell of smoke was still prominent in the air.

"Wow," Twilight blinked, seeing Sky Strike's fur. "Rarity really did do wonders... it hardly looks burnt at all!"

"Oh, I didn't do anything," smiled Rarity, "I just gave him directions and lent him my special shampoos and conditioners."

"But I swear his fur should be burnt," Twilight inspected, "well, I guess it doesn't matter now. So I guess now we should catch Sky Strike up on everything he's missed. Where should we start?"

"How about back when you first came to Ponyville?" proposed Rarity, "I think that's when the real changes really started."

"Oh right!" Rainbow Dash nodded, smiling proudly. "And when we became the elements of harmony!"

"Elements of what now?" Sky Strike blinked, looking over at the four mares.

"Well," Twilight took a brief moment to think of how to explain this. "Well, you know the story of the mare on the moon?"

"Of course I do." Sky Strike nodded with a smile. "It's an old pony's tale told to young children, right?"

"Not exactly." Rainbow Dash answered, "she's real. And she sort of came down and threatened to make an eternal night over all of Equestria." Sky Strike stared at his daughter, his blank expression unreadable. 

He remained silent for a few moments. "You're joking." He finally replied.

"No, she's telling the truth." Twilight replied, smiling weakly. "And we were the ones that stopped her." Sky Strike finally shifted his gaze over to Twilight, his mouth gaping slightly.

He remained silent for a few more moments. "You're being serious?" he inquired again.

"Of course! We wouldn't dare joke about that!" Rarity tossed her mane. "Now we're the six elements of harmony, and we've saved Equestria numerous times! From changelings, to Discord, and we saved the Crystal Empire from the likes of King Sombra."

"Wait," Sky Strike rubbed at his temples with his hooves. "You guys are saying that you all defeated Nightmare Moon, changelings, the spirit of chaos, and saved a kingdom that has been missing for a thousand years?"

"Correct!" Twilight nodded with a smile. "I can imagine that it's quite a lot to take in."

"So that means," Sky Strike looked over at his daughter, "that my little Dashie has been in life-threatening danger too many times to count?"

"Um," Rainbow Dash blinked, "yes?"

Sky Strike immediately began to take deep breaths, his eyes wide in complete shock. "Okay..." He breathed, his eye twitching a little. "Okay..."

"Um, are you alright?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Oh yeah..." Sky Strike panted, wiping his brow. "Y-Yeah, I just found out that my precious daughter has made an enormous mark in history and could have been killed, eaten, or worse. But I have to say..." He looked up and smiled at his daughter. "That I've never felt so proud in my life, Dashie."

Rainbow Dash's face lit up, and for once she looked rather bashful. "Heheh..." She scratched the back of her head with her hoof. "It was nothin'! And I couldn't do it without the help of my friends here!" The four mares all smiled knowingly, and Sky Strike wiped away some liquid pride from his eyes.

"Anyways," He began, "I know you said there were six of you, so where's the other two?"

"Well, you've already met Applejack." Twilight stated, "but... hey, where's Pinkie Pie been all this time?"

"Yeah, that's weird." Rainbow Dash glanced around the library nervously. "Usually she'd be somewhere ready to throw a party... I wonder what's holding her up?"

"She'll turn up sooner or later." Twilight shrugged, "so anything else you'd like to know, Sky Strike? I'm having a hard time thinking of anything."

"There are a few things." Sky Strike nodded, looking over at his daughter. "So Dash... how'd you get your cutie mark?" He smiled sadly.

Rainbow looked strangely nervous. "Oh, t-this thing?" She stuttered, looking back at her flank. "Well, um... I got it after winning a race!"

"A race?" Twilight blinked, "what do you mean? I thought you earned it after performing a sonic-"

"A race!" Rainbow insisted, giving Twilight a hard look. "I won it in a race!" Rarity and Fluttershy gave each other confused glances.

"A race, huh?" Sky Strike smiled, "well that's good! A little odd though since everypony in our family typically gets them in a really flashy way."

"Really?" Twilight inquired, glancing at Sky Strike's cutie mark. "Then how'd you get yours?"

Sky Strike smiled brightly. "It was so awesome! I was the first in my class to get one. It happened back in elementary in Cloudsdale when I..."

"Pssst!" Rarity whispered over to Rainbow, leaning her head to speak in Dash's ear. "Why didn't you tell him?"

"Tell him what?" Rainbow whispered back, trying not to look suspicious.

"About the sonic rainboom!"

"I... its a secret!"

"A secret? Why?"

"B-because... because that's a secret!"

Rarity frowned, giving Rainbow a slight glare. "You know he's going to find out eventually... you are the only pony who can perform one you know. Wouldn't it be better for him to hear it from you rather than somepony else?"

Rainbow Dash pursed her lips. "Well... I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"...I broke my leg, two of my ribs, fractured my pelvis, and went into a coma for three weeks. But when I woke up I had my cutie mark!" Sky Strike declared happily. Twilight and Fluttershy could only answer him with a mixed expression of shock, admiration, and confusion.

"So dad, anything else?" Rainbow asked, trying to ignore Rarity's pouting beside her.

"There's quite a lot." He nodded, sighing deeply. "But one has been on my mind for a while, and I've been afraid of asking this." He took a deep breath and caught Rainbow Dash's eyes with his own.

"Dashie," He started, "I want you to tell me everything that happened between you and your mother."
	

	

	

> Resolution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ten years after Sky Strike's disappearance and the day of his return...

When Celestia's sun peaked out from the bedroom window, the pegasus mare woke up in a familiar cold bed. She shifted in her blankets, grumbling in annoyance as tried to pull the sheets tighter around herself.  When the temperature refused to rise she sat up and glanced over at the other side of the bed that held her husband. He was currently snoring away in his own dream world and warmth. 

Like always, Starlight had waken up in a cold bed. And she hated waking up in a cold bed.

"Mm..." her husband stirred, his eyes slowly opening to look at her. "Is it morning already, dear?"

"Yes, honey," Starlight replied, reaching up her hooves to rub at her tired eyes. She gave out a yawn and a slight shiver when she pulled away the sheets. She slowly slipped off the bed and planted her hooves onto the expensive red carpet floor.

Their bedroom was very clean and tidy, and everything was organized perfectly. Her husband's things were on his side of the room, and her things were on her side of the room. This way made it easier to get dressed and ready in the mornings and she didn't have to worry about her clothes accidentally mixing with his. On her wall was a decent sized window  overlooking the streets of the rich district of Canterlot, and she could see the large houses and manors of her neighbors. 

The mare let out a quiet sigh before making her way to the door. Her husband had already gone back to sleep, so she made sure to close the door quietly. She gave a silent groan, making her way down the needlessly long 2nd floor hallway before finally making it to the stairs. Rowdy voices coming from one of the rooms let her know that her kids were awake.

Craving coffee, she made her way down the steps slowly and carefully. The dining was also a ridiculous ways away, and she had to cross a few rooms just to reach it. She had lived in the manor for a number of years and she still had a hard time making her way through it.

"Ah, madam Starlight," a familiar voice called to her, "good morning. I'll have your coffee and breakfast ready in a moment." The butler had greeting her as soon as she stepped into the dining room.

"Thank you, Penny Worth." Starlight yawned before finding her seat at the end of the table. The dining table was long with enough space for more than a dozen seats. Celestia's sun shone its light onto the delicate wood from the large window behind her, and it felt like it was attempting to warm her up. 

Starlight was still cold.

After a few moments two young pony twins, a colt and a filly, walked in. "Morning mother," they greeted in unison before taking their seats beside the mare. Their coats were a dark pink and mirrored their mother's, while their black manes were similar to their father's.

"Morning you two." Starlight replied, almost grumbling. Penny Worth walked in with a tray of toast, coffee, and tea for the kids. He set down the tray and delivered the coffee and one of the plates of toast to the adult mare.

"Penny Worth, what's my schedule for the day?" she asked, savoring her precious coffee.

"After your classes have concluded at Canterlot University, you are attending your husband's piano recital at Canterlot Castle." Penny Worth replied, setting down the meals for the two children.

"Oh, right. Another recital." Starlight sighed, taking a light sip from her mug.

"Do you not find them entertaining, madam?" Penny Worth inquired, raising an eye at his employer. "Your husband has the skills to attract the ears of the princesses."

"Yes he does," Starlight responded, "but that doesn't mean that I can't find his music... bland at rare times." Penny Worth gave a light chuckle in response, shooting her a knowing wink. He turned to walk away but stopped when he remembered something.

"Ah, one more thing." Penny Worth trotted back over to her and reached inside his suit. He pulled out a faded white envelope with his hoof and set it down next to her plate.

"From your daughter," he smiled pleasantly, "Rainbow Dash." Starlight's two children immediately ceased what they were doing and gave the the letter looks of disgust and displeasure. She gave the two ponies a sharp glare before gently opening the envelope. She took out the small piece of paper with badly written hoofwriting.

"I hope young Dash is doing well," Penny Worth smiled, "I saw her perform a sonic rainboom at the royal wedding. She's incredible!" Ignoring her butler, Starlight went right into reading the short letter.

Dear Mom,

Like always, you don't have to ask me how I'm doing. I guess I should thank you for paying for my entrance into the Wonderbolts training camp, so thanks. Hope you're having a good time living in that huge house with all that money. I bet you're really happy now. 

Sincerely, your other kid.

P.S. Today's the day. Just thought I should tell you since you've probably forgotten.

"Madam?" Pennyworth blinked, "are you feeling well?" 

Starlight grumbled, tossing the small letter over to her butler. "Just fine," she answered, pushing her chair out from the table. She didn't feel like eating anymore.

"I'm heading up to take a shower," she stated, "Penny Worth, could you please dispose of that letter?"

Penny Worth sighed, "Of course, madam. Right away."





Canterlot University was the greatest university in all of Equestria. Not only was in located in the capital, but it had the largest budget, largest campus, largest classroom buildings, and was also regularly visited by the princesses. Princess Luna herself also took night classes in order to familiarize herself with the modern world, preferring mathematics and new findings in science.

The main building of the campus had a long staircase leading up to it with a statue of Starswirl the Bearded placed at the very top. The classroom buildings were located behind it and to the side and were named after famous scientists, writers, and even poets. Rainbow's mother finally made it to the top of the stairs, her wings dropping her softly onto the ground.

"Ah, Professor Starlight!" a rather chipper voice called out happily. "Good morning!" Rainbow's mother turned to see one of her students prance over to her. The student, an earth pony mare, had a bright golden coat with a red mane tied into a pony tail. She had bulging saddle bags on her hips hiding her cutie mark. 

"Good morning, Day Blossom." Starlight greeted her, giving her a slight nod and turning away. Day Blossom adjusted her bags quickly before dashing up to her professor's side.

"Good news, professor!" Day Blossom smiled, "I'm engaged!" She moved her mane aside, showing off a brand new golden earring. 

"Oh," Starlight gave it a quick glance. "Congratulations."

"Thank you!" Day Blossom thanked, prancing to keep up with her teacher. "My fiance' proposed to me just last night! We had a magnificent dinner, saw a show, and he got on his knees in the middle of the street in front of everypony! My, it was just magical!"

"Sounds wonderful." Starlight grumbled in response, "I hope it'll be a happy marriage."

"Me too!" Day Blossom smiled, "so, how did your husband propose to you?"

"It's... complicated." Starlight shrugged, "I don't feel very comfortable talking about it."

"Oh, I understand." Day Blossom nodded, "so... what about your first marriage?"

Starlight opened the door to one of the classroom buildings, not bother to keep it open for her student. "That's not important." She replied, making her way to the stairs for her first class. Day Blossom shoved open the door without a struggle and climbed the stairs after her.

"Oh, come on!" Day Blossom persisted eagerly, "was it really romantic? Embarrassing? Wonderful?"

"I'm not saying." Starlight frowned, desperate to get away from her student. "It's none of your business, Day Blossom." Her student was right on her tail, her earth pony stamina not letting her teacher go.

"Oh, come on!" Day Blossom pouted, "Tell me! I just wanna know!" Starlight quickened her walking pace, navigating carefully through the sea of college students. The location of her classroom was etched into her mind, and unfortunately it was the same case with Day Blossom.

"No, Day Blossom." Starlight shook her head, silently counting down the classroom buildings as she passed them. It wasn't the first time her student had pestered her about her personal life... Starlight thought herself as a decent teacher, but her students often criticized her on her bad connection with her students. Starlight found it absurd, believing that she should spend more time teaching then talking about herself since that's what the students paid for.

"Oh, come on!" Day Blossom protested, "but you barely tell us anything!" 

Starlight sighed before glancing back with an irritated expression. "Day Blossom- " The second she glanced back, she made a hard collision  with a rather clumsy, inattentive stallion. Both ponies toppled over onto the ground due to lack of attention, sending white paper soaring into the air like butterflies. Starlight collapsed onto her side, but her book-filled saddlebag acted as a cushion on the tiled floor. The stallion, however, landed flat on his back, his eyes rolling in his head from the impact. 

"Ugh..." Starlight groaned, reaching a hoof up to rub her head. "Let me guess... Professor Tesla Coil?" The stallion, clad in dirtied white lab coat with a messy brown mane and ruffled sandy coat responded with a groan. With a grunt, he managed to sit up, rubbing his pained temple.

"Professor Starlight?" he blinked, "o-oh, I'm terribly sorry!" He suddenly gasped at the mess of papers that were now scattered over the floor and he desperately shot over to gather them up.

"It's fine." Starlight frowned, brushing herself off and standing up. "Professor Coil, I highly recommend paying attention to what's directly in front of you when you're walking around the campus. I'm not the first university professor you've driven into the ground." 

"I-I'm sorry," Tesla Coil stuttered, stuffing all of the papers into his worn saddlebag. "I-I just have a hard time focusing on what I'm doing when I'm so deep in thought, you know?" He laughed nervously, staggering to his feet. Tesla Coil, being a young professor as he was, was often looked down upon by the much older and more experienced scholars of the university. Although he had a brilliant mind he was quite naive and clumsy, and his youthful ideals were heavily frowned upon.

"I understand that you're busy with work, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention to your surroundings." Starlight sighed in response, readjusting her saddle bags. "If you aren't careful, the university will toss you out without a second thought."

"I-I'm sorry!" he apologized again, nodding his head repeatedly. "I-I'll be careful next time!" He started to walk past her but a thought suddenly sprung in his mind and he turned to face Starlight again.

"E-Erm..." he stuttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "H-Hey... um..."

"What is it?" Starlight asked, lifting her hoof to glance at her watch. "My class starts shortly. I don't have time for a measly conversation."

"W-Well..." he began, "I, um... I heard from the other professors that today... well, its the anniversary of... um..." Starlight, aware of where he was going, immediately turned away from the young professor.

"There's no need." she replied, "I know what you're going to say. It's been ten years since that happened and I've completely moved on." Day Blossom, who had managed to stay quiet in the confusion, silently followed her teacher with a curious expression.

"O-Oh," Tesla Coil frowned, "I see... I just wanted to let you know that I really respected what your husband did. It's never easy making a sacrifice like- "

"Quiet." Starlight snarled back, shooting Tesla Coil a deadly glare. "Not another word. You understand me?" Day Blossom blinked and then hurried past her teacher, an uncomfortable feeling poking at her gut.

Tesla Coil gulped and roughly shook his head. Starlight furrowed her brow before turning away, marching straight to her classroom. He watched her disappear behind her door before sighing and making his way back down the busy hallway.





"Why are you asking me that?" Dash inquired defensively, crossing her forehooves in front of her chest. 

"Why do you think?" Sky Strike frowned, "Dash, I know you and her never had the best relationship, but we're family and I need to- "

"She's not my family!" Rainbow growled back, "after you left, she practically abandoned me! She married some stupid hot-shot piano player from Canterlot and dumped out two new kids!"

"Piano player?" Sky Strike blinked, "wait... Rainbow, what's his name?"

"I don't know!" Rainbow snorted, "it was something really weird for a pony... was it wolf-something?"

"Wolfgang..." Sky Strike sighed, closing his eyes. He rubbed at his temples with his hooves as if the mere mention of the name gave him a headache.

"Wolfgang?!" Rarity gasped, looking over at Rainbow with a dropped jaw. "Rainbow, your mother is married to one of the most famous pianists of all time! I saw him play at Canterlot a few years ago. He's incredible!"

"Incredibly boring." Rainbow grunted, "my mom invited me to one of his stupid shows. I fell asleep five minutes in."

"Boring?" Twilight frowned, "Rainbow, he has monthly recitals at Canterlot Castle by the request of Princess Celestia herself. He was all the mares could talk about back when I was privately tutored."

"Yeah? Well they need to have their brains checked." Rainbow grumbled in response, glancing over at her father. Sky Strike was deep in thought, gazing out of a window as if there was something important far off into the distance. 

"Dad?" Rainbow frowned, "what's with you? Did you know the guy?"

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "it's sort of a long story... you see, before I married your mother, she was already engaged to Wolfgang."

All the mares, Spike included, let out surprise-filled gasps. 

"W-What?!" Rainbow blinked, leaning forward in her chair. "W-What do you mean?! Are you saying you stole mom away from that loser?!"

Sky Strike blinked, "Well, I wouldn't say it was as harsh as-"

"You took Rainbow's mother from one of the most prestigious musicians in all of Equestria?!" Rarity aggressively asked.

"I wouldn't say I took her!" Sky Strike defended, "it was more like-"

"You managed to rip a mare from the grip of an upper class snobby canterlot pony?" Spike smirked before flashing Sky Strike two thumbs up. "Nice!" Twilight swatted him lightly on the head with her tail.

"It wasn't like that at all!" Sky Strike protested, "it's... it's a long story!" The mares all stared at him expectantly, and Sky Strike rolled his eyes with a small sigh.

"It's a bit personal too," he added, "but let's just say that she found that she loved me more than she loved him. We didn't fool around behind his back or anything and it was perfectly understandable. He wasn't a bad lover by any means, so I don't want it to seem like I stole her from him."

"But looks like he got her back in the end..." Rainbow grumbled, "I've only met the guy a few times and he already makes me sick!"

Sky Strike frowned, "Rainbow, he's not that bad of a guy. I admit I felt the same way at first, but looking back he probably was a much better lover than I was."

"Rainbow, you really didn't answer your dad's question," Twilight frowned, "tell us exactly what happened between you and your mother. Starting when Sky Strike disappeared."

Rainbow took a deep breath, "Sure, whatever. Anyways, as soon as you left, things got really hard. We had some money because of your life insurance, but we knew it wouldn't last forever. Mom stopped talking and smiling, and we were starting to run out of bits. Eventually, the Wolfgang guy showed up, and told mom that he would take care of us..." Rainbow hung her head, a scowl on her face. "He paid for mom's college dues and for me up through high school, and after a few years he married her. As soon as I graduated I left, and they moved down to Canterlot. Mom finally got her teaching job at the stupid Canterlot University, and they bought a huge house and had two kids."  

Sky Strike smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "Looks like he really did help you guys out..."  Sky Strike sighed, "I don't know if I would be able to pay for all that... and two kids, huh?"

"T-That doesn't matter!" Rainbow jumped up from her chair, "I wasn't happy! Mom wasn't happy! She barely smiled at their wedding! What's the point of having everything you ever wanted if you're not happy?" Rainbow shook her head, "I'm going outside to get some fresh air." Sky Strike and the others watched her stomp off, opening and slamming the door behind her.

Outside, Rainbow took in a breath of fresh air. Even with her father back, things weren't better. She knew she shouldn't blame him, but she couldn't help the anger she still had towards him... just remembering that Wolfgang guy made her nauseous.  

With a sigh, Rainbow took flight into the air, climbing into the skies until she could see all of Ponyville below. The destruction from the day before was nearly all repaired. Shattered windows had been replaced, broken doors were being fixed, and the stands at the market place were almost all remade. Everypony in Ponyville had pitched in to help.

Rainbow soared over the town, waving back to friendly ponies in the streets. She spotted an ecstatic Scootaloo with the cutie mark crusaders and gave her a brightening smile. 

"Rainbow Dash!" a bright and peppy voice called from below, "down here!" Rainbow looked down to see a familiar pink pony jumping up and down in front of Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow took a nosedive, spinning through the air before breaking suddenly, landing calmly in front of her wind blasted friend.

"Wow, Rainbow!" Pinkie exclaimed, "that was awesome like always!"

"Heh, really? I wasn't serious that time." Rainbow Dash grinned, brushing some of her mane from her face. "So what's up, Pinkie?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Cake are out of town so I have to babysit Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake!" Pinkie giggled, "it's been real fun! Want to help?"

"Er, no thanks," Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, "I'm a bit busy. There's been a lot of stuff going on."

"Oh, like your dad suddenly appearing after disappearing for ten years ago?" Pinkie asked.

"Yeah- wait, how do you know that?!" Rainbow blinked, "Wait, forget I asked... I don't think I want to know... but what I do want to know is why you haven't shown up to throw a party yet!"

"Oh!" Pinkie laughed, "that's easy! You see, I'm sure your dad would love to have a pinkie party and make new friends, but he'd probably be super upset if his older friends don't come since they don't know he's back, and I figure that I'll throw it when he meets up with his old friends to let them know that he's back so then it could be a super-awesome fun Pinkie Party where he could make new friends with old friends at the same time!"

Rainbow twitched, "You know, I only caught about twenty percent of that..."

Pinkie giggled again, "I'd tell you again, but I have to go back and check on the twins to make sure they're behaving! See you later, Dash!" Pinkie Pie disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Rainbow could hear the door of Sugarcube Corner being closed a second later.

"You certainly have interesting friends, kiddo." Sky Strike chuckled behind her. Rainbow jumped a foot in the air in surprise, her tail accidentally flicking her father in the eye.

"D-Dad!" she exclaimed, spinning around. "D-Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Yeah..." he smirked, rubbing his eye, "I don't think I'll do that again either. So I'm sorry about what happened in the library.. I shouldn't of pried like that."

Rainbow sighed, kicking the dirt with her hoof. "It's fine," she answered, "I'm just... still overwhelmed by everything that's happened, you know?"

Sky Strike nodded, "Yeah, I know the feeling. Our emotions have been running wild since yesterday, huh?" Rainbow nodded in agreement, her eyes still on the dirt street.

Sky Strike suddenly smiled, "But you know what can help make everything better? Flying! And I'm pretty sure that I promised to help you be well on your way to the wonderbolts, right?" Rainbow Dash perked up, a huge grin forming on her lips.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, "can we start now? Please? Please?!"

"Of course, kiddo," he smiled, ruffling his daughter's hair, "but we should get out of town. Our father-daughter combination might be too awesome for the other ponies to handle." Rainbow laughed at his remark and immediately took off into the air, her father right behind her. 

"Alright!" she smirked, "then I'll race you to the park!"

"I hope you didn't say race," Sky Strike smiled, "because that would give me an automatic win!" 





Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash were lying on their backs in the grass, sweat dropping off their bodies. They panted like dogs, their muscles aching from their long, long practice. The sun was high in the sky when they started, but now it was dipping into the horizon, the moon starting to emerge from its own side of the globe.

"Wow, Dash..." Sky Strike breathed, looking over at his daughter. "You're... a lot better than I thought you'd be."

"Same to you, dad..." Rainbow replied, panting with a wide grin. "You're the first pony I actually had to try to keep up with..." Rainbow sat up, her mane framing her face from the sweat. Her father was glistening as well, his hooves folded behind his head as he gazed up at the scattered clouds above.

"It's what I do, Rainbow." He smiled, "I like to set the bars higher for those I teach, you know? I believe that everypony has unlimited potential- you just have to make them realize it." Rainbow crawled over and laid down beside him, the tops of their heads touching as they watched the orange skies.

"Is that how Spitfire and Soarin became wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash asked with a gleam in her eye. "I would really like to hear about that since I'm their biggest fan."

"I haven't forgotten," Sky Strike chuckled, "I'm glad your dream never changed. To be honest, I wouldn't say Soarin and Spitfire were my best students."

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Really?" she asked with a frown, "I didn't see that coming at all..."

Sky Strike chuckled, "no, they weren't my best students. They were my favorite students. What they didn't have in skill they made up in willpower and determination... although I have to admit they were pretty good when I first started teaching. I was sure that they would surpass me in a few years, and look at  them now."

"Dad," Rainbow Dash looked up at her father, "I'm remember that I asked you a lot time ago but I just want to make sure. You... You used to be a runner-up for the wonderbolts, right?"

Sky Strike chuckled, "I guess that's a way to put it. Yeah, I was at the top of my class at the wonderbolts academy, and when I was old enough I was requested to attend their official tryout based in Canterlot. And that was when I met your mother at the University of Canterlot."

"How'd you meet her at college?" Rainbow blinked, "do you have to study to be a wonderbolt or something?"

"It was a backup plan." Sky Strike shrugged, "if I didn't make the wonderbolts, I would have gone after a career in aerodynamics. Oh, but there is a written wonderbolts test that you should probably study for!"

Rainbow decided to ignore his last remark for now. "So what made you stop?" she frowned, "you could have easily made the wonderbolts or have gotten that degree! What happened?"

Sky Strike gave her a sheepish grin, "Well, I fell in love with your mother and decided to start a family."

Rainbow blinked, pushing her body to sit up. "Wait..." she gazed over at his relaxed form, "are you saying... you gave up your dream of being a wonderbolt and a possible career choice... just because you fell in love with that old hag?..."

"Yep!" Sky Strike nodded, "and I've never regretted it!"

"W-What?!" Rainbow inquired, her shock projecting her voice throughout the park. "How could you just abandon the wonderbolts like that?! You could have been famous, you could have been rich!"

"And let Wolfgang take away your mother, the love of my life, away from me?" Sky Strike chuckled, "no dice, kiddo! If I didn't make that choice you might have never been born."

Rainbow continued to gaze at her father in disbelief. Eventually she shook her head, muttering to herself. "Can't believe it," she grumbled, "I would never give up that chance for anything..."

"That's what I always told myself," Sky Strike stated, "but I ended up giving in. Maybe one day you'll understand, Dashie."

"Hopefully that day never comes," Rainbow Dash said playfully, kicking her father lightly in the head. "Well, I'm ready to head back home. I'm so hungry that even your nasty, healthy vegetable stuff sounds good."

"One more thing before we go," Sky Strike climbed to his hooves, "I... just need to get this off my chest now." He straightened, taking in a deep breath before stretching out his wings.

"Okay..." Rainbow blinked mirroring his movements, "what is it?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Sky Strike stated, "and I think I need to revisit my old friends. Let them know that I'm still alive and well."

"That's cool," Rainbow nodded, copying her father's stretching positions, "where at?"

"Mostly Cloudsdale," Sky Strike grunted, "but I... I also need to visit your mother. And I want you to come with me."

Rainbow Dash fell over onto her face, her teeth chomping down onto a random patch of grass. She immediately pushed herself back up, desperately spitting out the taste of park grass.

"N-No!" she shook her head, "no way! I haven't seen her in years, and I plan on keeping it that way!"

Sky Strike couldn't help but smile, "I knew you'd say something like that. So that's why I prepared a little back up plan."

"No!" Rainbow growled, glaring viciously at her father. "Nothing is going to convince me to go with you to see that devil-mare!"

"Oh?" Sky Strike grinned, "even if the wonderbolts are having their anniversary show on the same day I plan on visiting?"

Rainbow Dash blinked, taking a step back. "You.... you wouldn't...."

"Frankly my dear," Sky Strike smirked devilishly, "I just did."
> Illusion of the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
The votes have been cast, and the winner... Is the Soarin Spitfire flashback! For those of you waiting on the Sky Strike and Starlight flashback, it will also be coming. Think of it like this: The best is being saved for last. Thank you all for your participation!


Spitfire sat in her office, a fresh new stack of papers sitting at the corner of her desk. Her small container of ink was fresh out, and her quill pen sat idly in her desk drawer. She wore her military wonderbolt uniform decked out with shimmering metals and gleaming badges, a pair of sunglasses over her fiery eyes. Her mane was slicked back like it was for her shows.

"Stupid paperwork," she scoffed, "being captain of the wonderbolts isn't worth it sometimes." Spitfire could hear the wind rush by her windows behind her, and she turned to watch the trainees in flight practice. Being a wonderbolt was something she would never take back, but sometimes she felt that she should be out there flying with the cadets instead of being stuck inside doing paperwork. But the sooner she finished signing the documents the sooner she could get outside.

"Soarin!" she hollered from her room, "where's my ink?! I want to get this stuff over with now!"

A few moments passed before Soarin opened up the door, a small container of ink in his hoof. "Gee," he frowned, "you could have asked nicely!" Spitfire rolled her eyes with a smile, digging into her drawer to yank out her quill. Soarin set the ink onto her desk before looking outside, watching the young flyers with a gleam in his eye.

"Isn't it funny?" he chuckled, "we used to be the ones out there working our flanks off in Celestia's hot sun. I remember our first day of the tryouts."

"Yeah," Spitfire smirked, "you woke up with a hangover and you barely managed to make it the first day. I, on the other hoof, got a perfect score in teamwork and technique."

"Which is why you're the captain," Soarin smiled, "it's incredible how far we went in order to get here. We started as some punks off the street with nowhere to go in life. I guess we have Sky Strike to thank for that, huh?"

"Nah, he said it himself," Spitfire replied, taking out a fresh sheet of paper. "It's your determination that will push you. I'm just here to do my best to guide you to the stars." she quoted. "But he really did get us onto our hooves, didn't he?"

"I'm surprised that he put up with us," Soarin chuckled, "well, more like put up with you. Man, Spit, you're crazy, but back then you were really crazy."

Spitfire twitched, "You're one to talk," she glared, "well, you weren't as crazy as you were stupid." Soarin chuckled at the remark, reaching his hoof back to scratch the back of his mane. 

"Yeah," Soarin gave her a nostalgic smile, "I just wish we could have said goodbye." Spitfire said nothing, but she stopped moving her quill.

"Anyways, I gotta get back to work." He waved, turning to head out of her door. "Make sure that paperwork doesn't kill you... the wonderbolts anniversary show is coming up, and we need our captain!" Spitfire watched him leave, setting her sunglasses down onto her desk.

"I just wish we could have said goodbye," she repeated, closing her eyes. "No. I just wish... I could say that I was sorry." Her mind began to wander back to the old days, her childhood with Soarin in Clousdale... and when they had their first meeting with Sky Strike.

It was something that she would never forget.





Eleven years ago...

Spitfire knew Cloudsdale's streets like the back of her hoof. She knew where all the stands were in the marketplace, the factories far away in the industrial district, the large manors towering over one another in the upper districts, the homes and schools in the suburban districts, and every monument and every government building downtown. The Cloudsdale Stadium, the biggest attraction of the city, had its own large cloud island off to the side. She often spent her nights gazing at its wonders, day dreaming of performing there.

She had a perfect view of it from her room in the orphanage.

Like most cities, Cloudsdale had its darker side. The lower district sat on a large, dark cloud, with cheaply constructed cloud buildings and streets. The poor and the homeless made the district their home, scraping by with just the skin of their teeth. The orphanage was smack dab in the middle of it all, surrounded by lowly thieves and criminals. Crime, a rare activity in Equestria, was what ponies resorted to when they had nothing in the poor districts of Clousdale and Manehattan. Spitfire was no exception.

The teen mare shivered, clutching her worn brown jacket and shredded white scarf to her fiery colored body. Her mane hung loose and unkempt over her face, and she had to repeatedly blow on her bangs to keep them out of her eyes. Sitting on the corner of the eroded street, Spitfire sat alone.

A few loud voices echoed from the house behind her and she shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I told you it wouldn't go well," she said, hearing the door open behind her. A teen stallion stumbled out of the door, his coat the color of the sky and his hair a dark blue. He wore a bulky black pleather jacket, a red scarf tied around his neck. He groaned, rubbing his cheek with his hoof.

"Well, I thought maybe this time it'd be different, Spit." Soarin replied, smirking at his best friend. "I thought that maybe this time my marefriend's- I mean, ex-marefriend's parents would accept an orphan as her coltfriend. This is the fourth time I've been wrong."

"Yeah?" Spitfire snorted, "well, for good reason. Parents can't be trusted, you know. We of all ponies should know that."

Soarin frowned, "Well, not really. I really didn't know my parents, Spit. I wasn't abandoned like you- OW!" Spitfire had whipped around, clocking Soarin in the other cheek with her hoof.

"You aren't making it better, Soarin!" Spitfire growled, crossing her hooves over her chest. "I hate adults... in the end, they only want you to succeed so that they can brag about how they 'made' you that way... and they expect you to take care of them when they get old. If you don't reach their expectations they'll just drop you off somewhere."

"I don't know, Spit..." Soarin frowned, rubbing his other cheek now. "I mean, I've seen a lot of happy kids with their parents... I'm sure if we ever get adopted, we could see- OW!" Spitfire swung around, slapping Soaring right in the muzzle.

"Foster parents are worse!" Spitfire glared, "since you aren't their kid, they'll do whatever they want to... they'll- they'll touch you, they'll hurt you... they just want somepony to clean up after them. It's not like they really want you."

"Spit, are you really looking at the big picture? I mean-" Spitfire raised her hoof, making Soarin flinch- "I mean, um, you're right." 

"Good, I'm glad you see it my way." Spitfire smiled, patting Soarin lightly on the head. "Anyways, come one. The applestand is about to close, and I heard they have a few more baskets left from Sweet Apple Acres." Spitfire took off into a walk with a wide grinned Soarin strolling up beside her.

"Do you think they'll have enough to make an apple pie?" Soarin asked excitedly, salivating at the thought of the delicious meal. 

"It depends on how many we can take back with us," Spitfire chuckled, "but if we get enough, I'm sure Miss Goldenbloom will make one right up!" 

"I can't wait!" Soarin exclaimed, "so, where's this applestand?"

"Well, it's in the downtown marketplace..."

Soarin's pupils shrunk to pinpricks. "T-The downtown marketplace?!" he stuttered, "um, Spit, we aren't exactly, well, welcomed there..."

"It'll be fine!" Spitfire chuckled, "we'll be like ninjas. Come on, I'll race you there!" Her wings sprung out from her sides and she crouched, gathering the strength in her legs to propel her up into the sky. Her feathers immediately caught the wind and she soared upwards, ignoring the sharp, chilly air cutting into her face.

Spitfire loved flying. Up in the skies and the clouds she felt free, like she felt she could do anything. All pegasi could fly, but when she did it she felt so liberated. Like there was no earth to tie her down and no gravity to work against her. She knew Soarin felt the same, and if they weren't planning their cheap schemes or hanging out at the coliseum they were in the air. 

Soarin darted up next to her, a wide smile displayed on his lips. "No fair, Spit!" he laughed, "you know you're fast than me! No way I can beat you!"

"You never know unless you try, Soarin!" Spitfire laughed, spinning through the air, "come on, Soarin! Lighten up! Do a barrel roll!"

Soarin rolled his eyes but laughed with her, following her as they glided elegantly through the wind. They turned heads with their forms, catching the eye of a few laughing fillies and colts as they tried desperately to follow them, scampering on the ground while their wings fluttered at their sides. Soarin gave them a nod and a wink, flying right behind Spitfire as she finally descended into the heart of Clousdale.

Downtown Clousdale was much cleaner, brighter, and happier than the lower district. It's buildings were tall, its ponies friendly to one another.  Easy chatter rang out on the streets and in the air as pegasi flew throughout the city, almost crowding the airspace and making it a tad difficult for Spitfire and Soarin to land. 

"Look at all these ponies," Spitfire frowned, "they don't look like they ever had a worry in their lives... I bet they don't even know what it's like to go hungry for days without any money."

"I don't know, Spit," Soarin shrugged, "you're just kinda assuming that because of what they look like. Miss Goldenbloom always-"

"Whatever, Soarin." Spitfire rolled her eyes, landing softly onto her yellow hooves. "Let's not talk about that now... we have some apples to eat." She licked her lips, merging into the crowd and blending into the citizens. Soarin followed suit, glancing around nervously for any pony officers out and about. 

"You sure this is safe, Spit?" Soarin whispered, moving his scarf up to cover his mouth. "I mean, we are familiar faces..."

"Just lay low, Soarin," Spitfire frowned, "geez, you're such a baby." Spitfire carefully navigated through the crowd, her eyes on the lookout for the shiny red treasures. She spotted a ridiculous long line in the distance and grabbed Soarin's scarf in her mouth, dragging him over.

"Ack!" Soarin choked, trying to grip his scarf, "S-Spit... I can't..."

"Sh!" Spitfire grunted, smiling when she finally released his scarf. "Target... acquired!" 

Everypony in Cloudsdale knew that the apples products from Sweet Apple Acres were the best. Soarin and Spitfire only had them a few times, but it was easy for them to say that they were the best fruits they have ever tasted. The stand brought lines and lines of ponies from all over Cloudsdale, and many of the pegasi had to go home without them. Spitfire was going to make sure she wasn't one of them.

"There!" Spitfire pointed her hoof, "jackpot!" A happy stallion trotted away from the stand, a bucket of fresh red apples hanging from his mouth. His mane was colored like a rainbow, his coat a dark blue. 

"Um, Spit?" Soarin blinked, "he, um... he looks pretty intimidating..." Despite the happy look the stallion was giving out, Spitfire could see his rippling muscle tone underneath his coat. This stallion was definitely an athlete of some kind... and she had to admit that he was easy on the eyes.

"It's no problem," Spitfire smiled, "I have yet to meet a pony that could match us in speed! Here's what we'll do..." 

Sky Strike was having a rather grand day. For once he got to take his daughter to school, his work got off early, and he even got a raise! Now he had the whole day to himself, and what better way to celebrate it then to have a nice meal with the special apples from Sweet Apple Acres? He had to admit that his best friend, Apple Marston, certainly outdid himself with this batch! 

I'm going to have to remind Apple Marston to give me a discount, Sky Strike thought with a smile. I'm the one that helped him establish a little stand here in the first place!

He suddenly felt something bump into his chest and tumble onto the ground in front of him. Blinking, Sky Strike gazed down to see a young pegasus mare writhing on the cloudy pavement, curling up into a ball and writhing in pain.

"Ow..." she groaned, her eyes closed shut, "help..." she gasped out, "it hurts..."

"Moh mo!" Sky Strike gasped, the basket distorting the words in his mouth "Erm rum rom might?!" (Are you alright?!)

"Um..." the young mare looked up at the stallion, "what?..."

"Erm rum rom might?! Erm mew mreed Memimal amemin?!" (Are you alright?! Do you need medical attention?!)

"Uh," the mare blinked, looking around nervously, "say... say that again?"

"Emru rom remmy ret? Em mew mreed memimal merumale marmimamala!" (??????????)

The mare groaned, hitting her forehead with her hoof. "Just put down the basket!" Sky Strike blinked, leaning his head down to set the basket onto the cloudy streets.

Suddenly out of nowhere a blue streak zipped by, snatching away his fresh batch of apples before lifting up and disappearing into the sky. The mare laughed, "Sucker!" she snickered before leaping into the air, taking flight after the thieving stallion. Sky Strike stood on the street, watching them with a gaping mouth.

Spitfire laughed, spinning in circles beside Soarin, who had the basket clutched in his jaws. "That was a cinch!" she grinned, "no way anypony could catch up to us now!"

"One does not simply escape Sky Strike," a cool, familiar voice spoke from above her. "Especially when one has taken his apples..." Spitfire blinked, looking up to see the rainbow maned stallion with his forehooves crossed in front of his chest, a disappointed frown on his lips. 

"Soarin! Step on it and follow me!" Spitfire shrieked. Soarin nodded, his speed steadily increasing with the strong beat of his wings. Spitfire took a nosedive, aiming for a narrow alley crowded with unsuspecting pegasi. Soarin and Spitfire had done this countless times, dodging incoming ponies left and right with the smallest movement possible while retaining their speed. This is where they often escaped the authorities, and they've never ran into a pony or any structure with every attempt.

The ponies around them gasped, jumping out of the way as the two teen pegasi shot past them, their bodies twisting and turning to avoid the obstacles in their way. Soarin kept a close hold on his apples, refusing to let one even drop from the basket. He was running on the thought of a delicious apple pie, and nopony was going to take that away from him.

Spitfire and Soarin emerged from the crowded alley, victorious grins on their faces. They smashed their hooves together, laughing from their win.

"Was that supposed to be impressive?" the blue stallion cooed behind them. "Because I'm still waiting..."

Soarin and Spitfire turned their heads, looking absolutely horrified. The stallion didn't look like he even broke a sweat, his hooves stilled crossed with his wings beating softly into the air. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he pointed a hoof directly in front of them.

"Look out!" He called, pulling the breaks. Soarin and Spitfire glanced at each other before turning to see the giant cloud wall in front of them.

Everything went black.





Before Spitfire could open her eyes, a wonderful smell invaded her nostrils. An unwelcome pain burned on her forehead and she groaned in response, finally cracking open her eyelids. The bright light in the room gave her a headache, but she gritted her teeth and pushed past it. Sitting up, she took a quick moment to observe her surroundings.

She was in what appeared to be some other pony's room. The walls, because they were made from clouds, were pure white, and held up numerous pictures. There were two dressers side by side, near the doorway with a desk in the corner. A slightly cracked open window sat on the wall directly towards her left, overlooking the suburban streets. She glanced down, realizing that she had been laying in a very soft bed.

And it was very warm.

She heard snoring, and Spitfire looked to her right to see Soarin lying peacefully beside her, a bandage wrapped around his head. Frowning, she slowly brought up her hoof to touch the similar material on her own head.

"What?" she blinked, "where the hell am I?" She heard a voice coming from the door and she slowly slid off the bed, creeping as quietly as she could. She pressed her ear against the cloud door, listening for anything suspicious coming through.

♪ I've been really tryin', baby! Trying to hold back these feelings for so long! ♪

Spitfire nearly threw up in her mouth. Whoever was singing... was terrible. She slowly opened the door and took a quick look around.

There was a room at the end of the hallway that was slightly open. She could spot wonderbolt posters on the walls, along with brightly colored sheets with action figures lying on the floor. 

"A parent, huh?" she frowned, her voice full of disgust.

♪ And if you feel, like I do baby! Come on, oh come on! ♪

She sighed, shaking her head. "What the hell's going on?" she grumbled, turning the opposite way of the child's room. The wonderful smell grew more powerful until she entered the kitchen, its deliciousness overwhelming. Her eyes widened as she spotted the stallion they had attempted to steal the apples from... wearing an apron?

♪ Let's get it on... ♪ He sang before spinning in a rather flamboyant circle, his eyes widening when he spotted a gaping teenage mare in his kitchen. "Aaaaaah!" He yelped, nearly tripping over his own hooves. He finally regained his footing and looked up at her, a serious expression on his face.

"It's not what it looks like," he gulped, "I was just... um... I'm actually very manly." He stuck out his chest, the apron suddenly becoming undone and flopping onto the floor. He glanced at it nervously before smiling at the teen, scratching the back of his mane sheepishly.

"What the hell's going on?" Spitfire glared, "who are you?"

"My name's Sky Strike," the stallion smiled, "and, well, you and your friend back there flew head straight into a highly compacted cloud wall. Knocked you two right out, so I brought you guys back here." He turned, looking down at his oven with a grin, "And the pie's almost done!"

"Pie?" Spitfire blinked, peeking in the oven and keeping her distance. "Why... why are you baking a pie?"

"Well, when I was carrying you and your friend, the only that came out of his mouth was pie." Sky Strike shrugged, closing the oven. "I had enough apples, so what the hay! I like pies. Pies are good."

Spitfire's eye twitched, her feathers ruffling. "Yeah, right," she growled, "you're just kidnapping us, aren't you? I bet there's some sort of date rape drug in that pie you're cooking."

Sky Strike blinked, looking over at his oven. "That wouldn't be fun... I'm going to eat the pie too... does this mean we're all getting raped?"

"I'm being serious here!" Spitfire shouted, "I... I should call the police on you!"

"And are you going to tell them about how you and your friend should be arrested for attempted robbery?" Sky Strike smirked, "I'm pretty sure that I have several friends as witnesses, and you wouldn't want that now would you?" Spitfire's jaw snapped shut, and she found herself locked in a staring contest with the silly stallion.

"I don't believe for one second that you're innocent here," Spitfire frowned, "you probably... did things to us when you brought us back."

"Why would I do that?" Sky Strike shook his head, "I'm married, and I'm not interested in colts." he glanced at her and smirked, "or underdeveloped mares."

Spitfire flushed a bright red, her ears twitching in irritation. "W-What did you just say?!" Spitfire growled, "I'll have you know that other ponies think I'm mature and attractive for my age!"

Sky Strike chuckled, "Whatever you say, kid. By the way, what's your name? I don't think I caught it."

"Spitfire," she answered, "and you better remember it... because I'm going to be famous one day!"

"Oh?" Sky Strike cocked his head, "enlighten me. What makes you think that?"

"Well... I..." her voice drifted, and her gaze dropped to the floor. Sky Strike watched her silently, a small smile slowly creeping onto his lips.

"You know, you're a very talented flier," he stated, "you had me surprised when you and your friend flew flawlessly through that crowd of ponies in the alley. That takes tight turns and excellent control... you only see that in advanced fliers, and they're years older than you."

Spitfire looked up at him and blinked, not expecting such a compliment. "You're saying... I'm a good flier?"

"Well," he shrugged, "you've certainly have what it takes. But you guys are a mess out there, and your skills need severe polishing. 

"Hmph," Spitfire grumbled, "it's not like we could hire a teacher or go to flight camp or anything."

"Oh?" Sky Strike blinked, "why do you say that? I'm sure your parents would be more than happy to help you two out."

"What parents?" Spitfire inquired, glaring hard at the stallion. "Soarin and I are orphans. We live back in the lower district, and the orphanage barely makes enough money to keep everypony there. And I hate you adults," she growled, "always looking down on us kids... I've seen parents toss us out into the streets because we can't live up to your 'expectations' or... or you can't afford us anymore." Spitfire turned away so that he couldn't see her face. "I hate parents more than anything." 

She couldn't see him, but Sky Strike stared at her, his expression full of empathy. He didn't know exactly what she was going through, but he knew that it was tough. Both her and her friend had so much skill and talent... and he didn't want to see that go to waste either. A thought came into mind and he smiled.

"Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at four in the afternoon in front of the coliseum." Sky Strike stated suddenly.

Spitfire looked up and blinked, "What?"

"Advanced flight lessons," he smiled, "I teach it, and first time's free. Why don't you and your friend show up?"

Spitfire blinked, looking at Sky Strike like he was insane. "You're... offering to teach us?" Spitfire blinked, "why? We tried to steal your apples..."

"Like I said, first time's free." Sky Strike smiled, hearing the ding of the oven. "Why don't you come by and check it out? And if you want to stay, I'm sure that we could work out some kind of deal." He put on cooking mitts on his hooves and carefully pulled the pie out, setting it onto the kitchen table. 

Spitfire frowned, "You bring us to your house, bake us a pie, and now you're saying that you're willing to teach us how to fly? No thanks." She shook her head, "I don't accept charity."

"But yet you steal," Sky Strike shrugged, "why don't you give this a chance? Come for just one day. And if you don't like it, you don't have to ever come back or see me again. It's a win-win situation for you."

"I smell pie..." Soarin called, making his way into the kitchen, "and it smells... delicious..."

Spitfire growled, biting Soarin's tail. "No thanks," she growled, her voice muffled by Soarin's tale. "You're creeping me out. Come on, Soarin. Let's get out of here."

"B-But the pie!" Soarin whimpered, his hooves dragging on the floor from Spitfire's tugging, "the piiiiiiiiiiie!" Sky Strike watched them leave, the door slamming shut behind him. He sighed, turning to look at the pie before noticing a pile of clothes on top of one of his chairs.

"Huh, they left their things..." He blinked, his voice trailing off before his lips curled into a devilish grin.





"So let me get this straight," Soarin frowned, "the guy offered us one free flying lesson, a totally delicious smelling apple pie, and you were so overwhelmed that you dragged me out of there and forgot our only jackets and only scarfs?"

"I wasn't overwhelmed!" Spitfire bit back, crossing her forehooves. "He... he was creeping me out!"

"He's married, has a kid, and he bandaged us up after our accident. He didn't even call the police or anything and you were creeped out? No offense, Spit, but I think you're a little off your rocker."

Spitfire grumbled, turning in her bed so that her back faced Soarin. The two had shared a room ever since they first met, having a bond similar to brother and sister. The cloud walls around them were just like the city; they were dark, grey, and were very cold to the touch. Just like the entire lower district, the orphanage was in desperate need of renovations.

Soarin sighed, shaking his head on the pillow. "Look... tomorrow's Monday. I'm sure he's expecting us to come by and try to get our clothes back, so why not accept his free flight lesson too?"

"I don't need somepony like him to teach me," Spitfire pouted, "he's gonna touch me and stuff! He won't be able to keep his hooves off of me!"

"Spitfire, I don't think anypony wants to get their hooves on you." Soarin grinned. Spitfire answered him by throwing her pillow directly at his face, nearly knocking him off of the bed.

"Look, I don't want to see that guy ever again!" Spitfire humphed, "he's... he's just weird!"

Soarin gave her a look. "Are you only acting this way because it's weird that a complete and total stranger who's an adult is being this nice to you? Excluding Miss Goldenbloom, I'm pretty sure he'd be the first parent to not look at you in disgust."

"Whatever..." Spitfire grumbled, clutching her blankets into a bundle. "I don't need you to tell me what my life is like..."

Soarin sighed, reaching up and combing back his mane. "Mares," he rolled his eyes, "I'm never going to figure out how to handle you guys... anyways, I'm going to go see him tomorrow to grab my things. If you want to tag along too that's completely fine. I won't stop you and I won't force you."

"Fine!" Spitfire threw her hooves into the air. "Go! Do it! See if I care!" Soarin rolled his eyes and tossed her back her pillow before sinking into his own. 

"Alright," he smiled, "goodnight, Spit." Spitfire didn't answer, and instead wrapped her raggedy blankets around her body like a cocoon. She waited a few moments, hearing Soarin's familiar snoring soon filling the room. She sighed, shivering in her tattered blankets.

Was her bed always this cold?





The next day, Soarin emerged from the orphanage doorway, stretching out his wings and taking in a fresh breath of the chilly afternoon air. Celestia's sun hovered over the horizon, not quite touching its fine line. The business of the streets were soon dying down, the clopping of hooves growing quieter by minute. He looked up at the old clocktower in the center of town, checking the current time.

"Three thirty," he smiled, "I should get to the coliseum in about ten minutes." He heard the door behind him opening, the shuffling of hooves approaching him. He grinned, turning his head to see Spitfire staring at the ground, a snarled expression on her face.

"Look who decided to show up," Soarin chuckled, "you ready to fly on over?"

Spitfire looked up, glaring at her friend. "I'm only going to get my clothes back... nothing else. I don't want to spend any more time near that guy than I have to."

Soarin rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say, Spit. Let's roll!"

The teen pony duo took to the skies, catching the cold afternoon wind on their way to the coliseum. Spitfire shivered, grabbing at her absent scarf that should be wrapped around her neck. "Stupid pony," she grumbled, "he's totally planning this out..."

They spotted the giant coliseum looking as brilliant and enormous as ever. The coliseum was used for flight shows, mainly for the wonderbolts. It was ancient, and legends say it was a place for fighting and slaughters during the time of Commander Hurricane's rule. Time had definitely treated the old structure well, and few repairs were needed to keep it going. 

"Why do you think we're meeting directly in front of it?" Soarin asked, spotting a group of gathering pegasi near its entrance. He spotted the athletic stallion from the day before, a pair of worn goggles resting around his head. 

"Who knows," Spitfire shrugged, "I just want to get my things and go." Spitfire and Soarin took a dive, landing softly on the coliseum cloud. 

Spitfire and Soarin were rather intimidated by group of ponies surrounding Sky Strike. They were expecting ponies their age, but what they got were stallions and mares looking to be either in their late teens or early adults. They were all fit, some rippling with tight muscles and imposing physiques.

"Um," Soarin glanced around, "Spitfire, I'm a little scared... mares with jagged muscles make me queasy..."

"Oh! There you two are! I was wondering when you were going to show up." Sky Strike chuckled, the crowd moving apart so he could get through. 

"I want my jacket and scarf back," Spitfire glared, "that's all." The pegasi gave the two teens an overwhelming stare, causing the two young fliers to take a small step back.

"Hm," Sky Strike tapped his hoof on his chin, "I somewhat recall something like that... maybe a quick flight practice would jog my memory?" 

"You're joking," Spitfire blinked, "are you doing what I think you're doing?"

Soarin nudged her, a small smile playing on his lips. "C'mon Spit! Let's just give it a shot!" Despite his energy and words, Soarin looked uneasy in the presence of the athletic pegasi.

Spitfire glared hard at Sky Strike, her hooves twitching in anger. She had enough of this stallion... if the only way she could beat him would be at his own little game, so be it. "Fine," she growled, "we'll join you in your little lesson today. But afterwards I'm taking my stuff and leaving... and I don't plan on seeing you ever again!"

Sky Strike grinned, "Sounds good to me! Everypony ready to start?" The pegasi all nodded, smiles played on their faces as they shifted their goggles over their eyes.

"Oh!" Sky Strike blinked, "almost forgot about that!" he reached back into his saddle bags and tossed Soarin and Spitfire two pairs of goggles. Spitfire lifted her hoof, the goggles looping around her appendage.

"You might need these," he smiled, "keeps the sweat out of your eyes along with the crazy wind. Alright, first we all have to get a little warmed up!" Spitfire and Soarin looked at each other and shrugged, slapping the goggles onto their faces. They both slightly crouched, their wings springing from their sides, ready to catch the wind and soar into the-

"We're running two laps around the coliseum!" Sky Strike stated, "let's go, ponies!" 

Spitfire and Soarin almost fell over.

"W-What?!" Spitfire blinked, watching the ponies take off in a dash. "W-What does running have to do with flying?! I thought these were flight lessons!"

"Cardiovascular endurance among other things," Sky Strike smirked, "besides, you guys need to be a bit more 'chiseled'. It slows you down when you have some extra flap going on."

Spitfire's face grew red from anger, grinding her teeth. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she growled, "fine... you're on! Come on, Soarin!" Spitfire took off into a sprint, with Soarin hesitantly keeping up behind her. Sky Strike chuckled, pulling his goggles over his eyes before he trotted after them.

For Soarin and Spitfire, the first lap came easy. Their second lap came like a nightmare.  

In her eagerness, Spitfire sprinted ahead of all the other ponies, leaving every single one in the dust with Soarin right behind her. When she finished her first lap, she was panting like a dog, sweat drenching her mane. She was barely running for the second lap, the other pegasi passing them with chuckles and smirks. 

Sky Strike finally made it up to her, trotting at her side without a visible drop of sweat on his body. "Lesson number one: pace yourself." he chuckled, taking off ahead of her.

When the two teens finally finished their second lap, the others were completely refreshed and ready for some more. Spitfire nearly collapsed onto the cloud, leaning her side against coliseum wall. Her heart beat like a drum, a cramp clenching at her side, her lungs desperately trying to pull in some air. She glanced back, seeing Soarin flopped onto his back in exhaustion.

"Okay, ponies!" Sky Strike grinned, "drop down and give me twenty wingups!" The pegasi all dropped down to the ground, their wings pumping their bodies up and down." Spitfire groaned, dropping to the ground. Her wings pushed hard against the cloud, her body working against gravity. Soaring rolled over, his own wings heaving to get himself up.

"Come on, you two!" Sky Strike encouraged, "I've seen you two fly! This should be nothing!" Spitfire would've shouted back in anger if she could. For some reason her wings were already tired, her body feeling as heavy as lead. 

When the two teens finished their exercise they dropped to the ground, groaning at the burning sensation in their wings. Sky Strike chuckled, walking up and nudging Spitfire with his hoof.

"See? You can do it if you try." he nodded, "now we can finally get on to the flying part. You two ready?"

"Of... course..." Spitfire grunted, climbing onto her hooves, "I'll... show you what I can do!" Soarin got up as well, gritting his teeth to get on all fours. Sky Strike smiled, reaching his hoof forward to ruffle Spitfire's sweaty mane.

"That's the spirit, kiddo."





Soarin and Spitfire lay on their backs, the stars slowly twinkling into existence from the skies above. Their bodies were completely drained, their muscles tense and groaning at the slightest movement. The other pegasi were chatting with each other after practice, with most of them already gone. They were moving around like the practice was nothing, flying away almost as if it didn't faze them.

The flight lesson consisted of drills, aerial stunts, and polishing techniques. Sky Strike had them perform move after move, watching them closely and giving them the best advice he could offer them. The other pegasi never teased them, and they often encouraged them or gave them tips whenever they had a chance. The two teens were completely overwhelmed by how friendly the others were, and that tension that was present earlier had completely disappeared.

Spitfire was confused. Her muscles ached and quivered, but she somehow felt... refreshed. With Sky Strike's advice, she found her moves to be sharper, and she was in much better control of her stunts and tricks. Her wings had felt satisfied cutting through the air, and she even felt faster than before. 

Sky Strike waved goodbye to the last of his students before trotting over to the two exhausted teens. He turned, fumbling into his saddlebag before dropping their jackets and scarfs into a pile beside them.

"You guys did great," Sky Strike smiled, "I don't think anypony has ever gotten through the full practice on their first time."

Spitfire groaned, "You really are a demon..." Sky Strike chuckled, sitting onto his haunches between the teens.

"How do you know so much about flying?" Soarin asked, wincing to turn his head. 

"Well," he smiled, "I was actually a runner-up for the wonderbolts."

"You're joking..." Spitfire blinked, her mouth gaping.

"Nope!" Sky Strike smirked, "I actually have a few pictures with Sonic Speed himself!"

"Sonic Speed... the captain of the wonderbolts?!" Soarin gasped, "no way!"

"Yep!" Sky Strike chuckled, "he came to me personally to ask me to join."

"Wait," Spitfire cocked her head, "did you say no?"

"I sure did!" Sky Strike nodded rather happily, "turned him right down!"

"What?!" Spitfire and Soarin gasped simultaneously, their eyes wide. "Why?..."

"I wanted to start a family," Sky Strike answered, "I wanted to marry the mare of my dreams... and now I have the cutest, greatest filly in the world as my daughter. I don't think I could ever ask for more." 

"You didn't want to be one of the most famous flyers in the world... because you wanted to start a family?" Spitfire asked, her voice coming in as a whisper. 

"Yep," Sky Strike confirmed, "a lot of other ponies think I'm crazy for that. But you can't have everything... and my daughter wouldn't be here if I made the other choice... and I can't bear the thought."

Soarin and Spitfire laid silently on the cloud, with the latter contemplating Sky Strike's words. With her energy depleted, she somehow was able to think much more clearly than before. She turned to look at Sky Strike, his back to her face. The air was cold, the sharp wind feeling like ice on her sweat. But somehow... being next to him...

She felt warm.

"You said we could make a deal," she started, "if we decided to stay... right?"

"I did," Sky Strike smiled, "I'm in charge of the weather team here in Cloudsdale... and it just so happens that two positions opened."

Soarin looked over at Spitfire, his eyes filled with confusion. 

"Really?" she inquired, "would they be enough to pay for flight lessons?"

"Enough to have a little extra for yourselves," Sky Strike looked back at her, his lips curled into a grin. "Are you saying that you're interested?"

Spitfire glanced at Soarin who nodded his approval with his own smile. 

"I have to warn you that it's tough like this all the time," Sky Strike stated, "but if you stick with me and believe that you can make it... one day, you'll find yourselves where you always dreamed of being."

Spitfire grinned, a gleam in her eyes that Sky Strike rarely saw. It was a gleam he hadn't seen since his old days training with the wonderbolts. It was the same gleam that he had seen in the eyes of Sonic Speed, the captain of the wonderbolts.

"Count us in."
> Kept for the Future
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Honey..." Starlight called, wiping her mouth cleanly with a napkin. "There's... something I'd like to ask you." Sky Strike and his family were sitting at the dinner table, their plates covered in steamy remnants of very delicious salad, apple pie, and hayfries. Sky Strike currently was in a very animated conversation with his daughter, waving his hooves around and adding in ridiculous sound effects to his stories.

"Whoosh!" he exclaimed, his hooves imitating a pegasus flying through the air. "When we saw Sonic Speed head straight towards that cliff wall, we all thought he was going to be one big pega-pancake. But because of his godly speed and the luck of the wind, he managed to pull up in time and catch the filly right in mid-air!"

"Wow!" Rainbow Dash gasped, leaning on the edge of her seat. "H-How did he do that?!"

"Lots and lots of wing strength!" Sky Strike stated, "A lot of ponies think Sonic Speed is just gifted for being that fast... but in truth he works his flank off for every ounce of his skill. So if you want to be a fantastic flier like him, you've always got to practice!"

"But I don't wanna be a flier like him," Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I wanna be a flier like you, Daddy!"

"Aw," Sky Strike smiled, ruffling his daughter's mane. "Good luck, kiddo! Sonic Speed may be good, but I'm the greatest flier in Equestria! You're gonna have to bring it if you really want to be as good as me!" Starlight couldn't help but smile, reaching over to softly pat her husband's hoof.

"Hm?" Sky Strike blinked, looking over at Starlight with a smile. "Oh! Sorry, Honey! I was a little caught up with Dashie, here." 

"It's fine," Starlight smiled. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"Oh?" Sky Strike cocked his head. "What is it, Star?" Rainbow Dash went right back into her dinner, digging her face into her plate before her mother noticed her "uncouthness".

"It's... about those two orphans you're teaching," Starlight stated, a small frown tugging at her lips. "I... can't remember their names..."

"Oh!" Sky Strike's expression lit up immediately at the mention of their names. "Yeah! My favorite fliers! It's almost been a year since I've picked them up, and they're already top-class. If they keep up this pace, they'll definitely make the Wonderbolts training camp in a few years!"

"Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash lifted her face from her plate, pie covering her muzzle. "Oh! Those two students you keep talking about. How come we haven't met them yet?" Starlight sighed, reaching a napkin over to dab at her young filly's face.

"Well, the first time I met them you were in school and your mother was at college," Sky Strike chuckled, watching Rainbow Dash try to avoid her mother's napkin. "They work with me on the weather team now, so I don't think you'll see them anytime soon. But when you do, I bet you'll love 'em!"

"Which is what I'm slightly afraid of..." Starlight whispered, her voice too quiet for Sky Strike or Rainbow to hear. "Honey, when you're done, do you think we could talk... in private?" 

Sky Strike blinked, pushing his seat away from the table and standing up. "Sure," he shrugged, a smile on his face. "Lead the way, Starlight. Hey Rainbow, when you're done remember to put your dish in the sink!" Rainbow nodded, making sure her parents were completely gone before shoving her face back into the plate.

Starlight led Sky Strike into their room, shutting it quietly behind them. She took a deep sigh, "Sky Strike... how do you feel about those two... orphans?"

"Spitfire and Soarin?" Sky Strike grinned, "They're great! It's like we're one big family. If you met them, I bet you'd feel the same way."

"About that," Starlight frowned, "you... you aren't thinking about... adopting them, are you?"

Sky Strike immediately frowned, his ears slightly drooping. "What do you mean, Star? Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I'm worried," Starlight stated, biting her lip. "Sky Strike... you're a great pony. You're nice, sweet, a great father, and a wonderful husband. I know you always have good intentions... but because of that, you don't really make the best decisions. Because of the things you do... sometimes, other ponies get hurt." 

Sky Strike sighed, running his hoof over his mane. "Yeah," he sighed. "I know that, Star. But that's why I have you." He smiled, reaching over and cupping his wife's cheek.

Her cheeks flushed red, and she placed her own hoof over Sky Strike's. "I know..." she sighed, "I know..."

"I have to admit; I have thought about it a few times." Sky Strike said quietly, "I... I just don't want to leave them alone, you know? They've gone through a lot... and I feel like they need a father-figure to help lead them in the right direction."

"I figured you would think that," Starlight frowned. "But you know that there's no way we could... we have our hooves full with Rainbow Dash, and adding two more to the family may end up just hurting us in the long run. You're working overtime, Sky Strike... one of these days you're going to wear out... and I don't ever want to see that happen."

Sky Strike smiled weakly, "Aw, come on, Star. I'm Sky Strike! I never wear out." He reached out his hooves, embracing his wife in a tight hug.

"Just promise me you won't make one of those "Sky Strike Decisions" anytime soon..." Starlight whispered in his ear. "Because I have a feeling that one day... it will kill you."





Soarin gasped, his "Special Soarin Cloud-Kick" missing its target by a wide margin. He quickly snapped open his wings, catching himself in the air. He panted, turning his wide gaze to a very unimpressed Spitfire.

"What did you say?" He blinked, rubbing his ears with his hoof. "I... don't think I caught that..."

"I said," Spitfire sighed, "Do you think Sky Strike would adopt us?"

Soarin blinked, whipping and shaking his head around in a circle. "Excuse me, what?"

"Do I have to repeat myself again, Soarin?" Spitfire huffed, crossing her hooves in front of her chest. "You heard me loud and clear!"

"Um, who are you and what have you done to Spitfire?" Soarin inquired, flying up to his friend with a raised eye. "This isn't like you, Spit. What made you think of that? I thought you hated the thought of ever being adopted."

Spitfire looked away, her mane flowing in the chilly afternoon breeze. "Well... Sky Strike... he's different," she stated. "I don't think I've ever met an adult like him. And it's not like you've never had that thought before, either!"

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "it's almost been a year now, and it's true that Sky Strike is what I think a father should be. He's always been with us, encouraging us to do better, and picking us up when we make mistakes. But being adopted by him... I don't know, Spit. That'd be a lot more responsibility than maybe even he can handle."

"Maybe you're right..." Spitfire sighed, sliding her goggles down over her eyes. "It was just a thought, really... Anyways, I think we should head on back. Sky Strike told us to clear every cloud in this sector, so take that thing out and let's go!" Soarin sighed, flying up and giving the cloud a strong kick. As soon as it dissipated Soarin and Spitfire took off towards the weather station.

As a city made up of clouds with no plants to grow, one may think that the weather team in Clousdale is laid back; but because Cloudsdale manufactures and transports clouds throughout Equestria, the weather team has quite a bit of responsibility. Each member has to make sure that the correct clouds are transported to the correct cities and sectors, and they have to make sure that rain clouds produce the correct amount of precipitation.

Spitfire and Soarin expertly weaved through the traffic, dodging pegasi coming in and out with clouds. They landed softly outside of the weather team offices, wiping off their damp hooves before heading inside the automatic double doors.

"Hey, kids," a mare at the front desk smiled, waving her hoof. "If you're looking for Sky Strike, he's back in his office.

"Pft, we're not kids!" Spitfire frowned, trudging down the hallway with Soarin in tow. Soarin gave the mare an apologetic gesture before frowning, trotting beside his friend.

"That wasn't very nice, Spit." He frowned, "She's a very nice lady!"

"You're just saying that because you think she's hot," Spitfire smirked, nudging Soarin. They found the office marked with Sky Strike’s name and quietly opened the door.

Sky Strike had his head lying on his desk, stacks of papers crowded around him. The two teens heard his snoring as soon as they walked in, rolling their eyes and chuckling at their boss's current state. 

"Gee, he's always like this, isn't he?" Soarin smiled, walking beside Sky Strike and prodding him softly in the side. "We could prank him so hard...."

"Give him a few more minutes," Spitfire giggled, playing with his wing. "Well, it's not like it's easy to wake him up. This guy sleeps like a rock!"

"I don't think so," Soarin grinned. "Practice starts in a few moments. We can't have him skipping that, now can we?" 

"Guess not," Spitfire smiled. "Sorry, Sky Strike!" she nudged one of the stacks of paper with her hooves and watched it completely collapse onto the stallion's head. Sky Strike shrieked, sending dozens of sheets of paper flying around in the air.

"Huh?!" he blinked, rubbing his eyes with his hoof. "This... wait, this isn't the moon!" He sat up, his eyes adjusting to see Soarin and Spitfire snickering beside him.

"I fell asleep again, didn't I?" He grumbled, "I really need to stop doing that... How long was I out for?"

"Long enough," Spitfire smiled. "Practice starts in only a few minutes! We gotta go!"

"Right..." Sky Strike yawned, picking himself up from the desk. "I'll meet you guys there... I have a bit of a mess to clean up." He stated, motioning his hooves to the countless scraps of paper that were now littering his office floor.

"No problem, Boss!" Spitfire laughed, turning to leave with Soarin. "You better make it on time!"

"Of course!" He nodded with a smile, "See you guys there!" He watched as they left, his wife's voice echoing at the back of his mind.

”Just promise me you won't make one of those "Sky Strike Decisions" anytime soon...”

"I promise, Star..." he frowned. "I promise..." He took a few moments to gather the papers, pacing around his office and picking them up. When they were once again placed in neat stacks on his desk, Sky Strike grabbed his goggles, shut off the lights, and walked out of his office.

"Ah! Heading on out, Sky Strike?" a stallion smiled, waving his hoof at his friend. "I saw your two lackeys leave just a bit ago."

"Yep!" Sky Strike nodded, "Off to flight lessons. They're always a little eager."

The stallion smirked, "Yeah, I hear ya. By the way they act, I almost thought they were your kids."

"Oh..." Sky Strike frowned, "o-of course. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved a quick goodbye to his friend, trotting down the hallway. 

”You aren't thinking about... adopting them, are you?”

Sky Strike sighed, slipping his goggles over his eyes. There was no way he could... They wouldn't have enough money; there’s not enough room in their house; and the small amount of time that he spent with his daughter would grow even smaller. Nowadays, he found himself beside Soarin and Spitfire rather than Rainbow Dash herself. 

He walked out of the office building, Celestia's sun warming his face. 

"What do I do?" he frowned, asking nopony in particular. "What's... the right thing to do?" Answered only by the wind's breeze, Sky Strike's took flight to the sky.






"...And that's all for today, guys. Nice work tonight!" Sky Strike dismissed, panting slightly underneath his breath. His students nodded, chatting among each other and saying their goodbyes. Sky Strike took in a deep breath and exhaled, grabbing a white towel. He wiped it over his face, his head still in the clouds (no pun intended).

He had been out of it for the entire practice, and there were a few drills that he almost messed up. With his wife's words still pounding in his head, he was finding it awkward to be around Spitfire and Soarin. That was difficult, because throughout the lesson they never left his side once. They performed techniques together, practiced aerial stunts as a group, and hung on his every word. The more he spent time with them, the more that he was feeling like... like...

Their father.

"Hey Sky Strike!" Spitfire grinned, trotting up beside him. "We still on for tonight?"

"Uh, what?" Sky Strike blinked, looking back at the fiery colored teen. "W-We're doing something?"

"Yeah!" Spitfire playfully pouted, bumping her flank into his. "You promised that you'd take both me and Soarin out for dinner!"

"I did?" Sky Strike scratched his head, "I think... I remember saying something about that... something about pie?"

"Piiiiiiiiiiiie!" Soarin called from some unknown location.

"Yep! Someplace downtown," Spitfire smiled. "It's supposed to be some sort of anniversary gift to us."

"Oh!" Sky Strike blinked, "I remember now! Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "You guys still want to go? We ran practice pretty hard... not to mention that we smell like sweat..."

"Let's meet up then," Spitfire smiled. "Soarin and I'll head back and clean ourselves up. What's the name of the place we're going to?"

"Erm," Sky Strike blinked, "uh, it's the little restaurant across the street from the bakery... I-I don't remember its name..."

"Oh! I know which one you're talking about," Spitfire chuckled, punching Sky Strike in the shoulder. "Meet us there in forty five minutes! And not one second later!" Spitfire trotted away, and Sky Strike watched her with a small smile gracing his lips.

"She's definitely changed," He thought. "When we first started these lessons, I could barely make her smile, but she's definitely opened up now." She said a few words to Soarin who nodded with a wide grin. They waved casual goodbyes off to Sky Strike before leaping into the air, their wings carrying them quickly into the distance. 

"Okay," Sky Strike said to himself. "I can do this... I don't have to worry about any of that adopting stuff right now... just gonna have a nice dinner with my two students." He turned, jumping off the cloud of the coliseum. He dived down, his wings folded neatly at his sides. It wasn't until he saw the green of the forests that he finally pulled up, his wings sprouting out from his sides. A nice flight really cleared his brain, and that's exactly what he needed to do.

It wasn't a long flight back to his house. The suburban cloud districts weren't too far from the downtown area, so for the average pegasus it would take around ten minutes. Sky Strike smiled. He wasn't the average pegasus.

He shot through the air, his wings beating like a hummingbird's. His body flew high above the cloud city, looking like some sort of shooting star above the clouds. 

"Faster," Sky Strike thought. "Faster!"  His muscles, still weak and tired from the practice, were burning and begging him to slow down and stop... but if there was one thing Sky Strike was good at, it was pushing his limits. His wings felt like lead, feeling heavier and heavier with every passing second. Sky Strike grinned, his eyes watering and his vision caving as he went faster and faster. He felt alive; his blood pumping and the wind smashing into his face... he could do it. He could do it.

No. 

Stop.

Stop it. 

He suddenly grit his teeth, closing his eyes as he tried to flatten out his wings, pulling the brakes in midair. His muscles burned in immediate protest, loose feathers getting blown away. It wasn't long before he spiraled out of control, spinning down towards the streets of the suburban district. 

He grunted, his wings fighting to regain control and force himself to brake. He spotted two familiar fillies stepping towards his house, one with a mane like his own and the other a delicate pink. And he was heading straight towards them.

"Ooooaaahhhh!" Sky Strike yelled, turning himself aside at the last minute. He had no time to brace himself for impact and he slammed into his yard, rolling incredibly fast into his door. The impact completely destroyed his cloud door and his body tumbled inside, slamming into his couch and knocking it over. His momentum finally ended when his face was planted into his wall, leaving a Sky Strike impression on its cloudy surface. His eyes rolling in his head, he tumbled onto his back.

"D-Daddy!" Rainbow screeched, sprinting into the room with Fluttershy in tow. She ran over to his body, hooking her hoof behind his head and lifting it up.

"Oh no..." Fluttershy gasped, brushing his mane from his forehead. "A-Are you okay?..."

"Daddy!" Rainbow sniffled, "s-speak to me!" 

"Ugh..." Sky Strike groaned, his eyes fluttering open. "Rainbow... Dash?"

"Yes!" Rainbow wiped her eyes, "D-Daddy, are you hurt?"

"Nah," Sky Strike winced, sitting up. "I'm sturdier than I look!" He laughed, ruffling his daughter's mane. "Where do you think you got your toughness from?"

"You were going really fast," Fluttershy spoke in a whisper. "W-why?"

Sky Strike stood up, brushing himself off with his hooves. "No reason," he stated simply, reaching down to set his couch back up. "I was just being a bit reckless."

"Oh..." Fluttershy smiled innocently. "I almost thought you were trying a sonic-" Rainbow Dash shoved her hoof into Fluttershy's mouth, quickly silencing her friend.

"I'm going to go take a shower," Sky Strike stated, completely disregarding what Fluttershy was trying to say. "Where's your mother, Dashie?"

"Out buying groceries," Rainbow replied. "Why?"

"Tell her that I won't be back for dinner. I've got a little get together with my students." Sky Strike answered, heading down the hallway to the bathroom.

"Oh... okay..." Rainbow Dash frowned, "Um... When will you be home?"

"Late." Sky Strike answered, shutting the door behind him.





"Um, Spit?" Soarin blinked, scratching the back of his head. The two teens were standing outside of the restaurant, waiting patiently for the arrival of their flight teacher.

"What is it?" Spitfire asked, looking up at her friend with a frown. "What's with that look you're giving me?"

"We're just meeting with Sky Strike, you know..." Soarin trailed, looking at Spitfire up and down. "And you're dressed like... you're going to some date." Spitfire's mane was stylish, framing her face with her fiery bangs. She had traces of makeup around her eyes and on her lips, her coat shimmering in the setting sun.

"Of course not!" Spitfire rolled her eyes, "Can't I just be a mare and make myself look good every once in a while?"

"But you never wear makeup," Soarin frowned. "Even on those blind dates that you always make those stallions cry on..."

"Because you keep setting them up without asking me!" Spitfire glared,  "I'm just looking like this because I want to, alright?!"

"Whatever you say, Spit..." Soarin chuckled.

"Where is he?" Spitfire glanced around, "He's a little late, isn't he?"

"Spit, we were twenty minutes early," Soarin frowned. "He's not going to be late..." Soarin sighed, running his hoof through his mane. "Look, I'm really looking forward to having some pie, but you're being really pushy!" A sudden wind brushed against their faces and they looked to the skies, seeing a familiar pegasus softly land next to them.

"Hey guys," Sky Strike smiled, "looks like we're all a bit early, huh?" Soarin gave Spitfire a look and was answered back with a death glare.

Sky Strike opened the door to the restaurant, smiling at his two students. "After you!" Sky Strike smiled, ushering Spitfire and Soarin inside.

The restaurant wasn't big and famous, but it was well-loved by the locals and had many regulars. Sky Strike was one of them, and they even gave him a discount on the best tables. The three pegasi were seated in a booth by a window, overlooking the ponies trotting across the streets. Celestia's sun was disappearing underneath the horizon, the stars poking out of the dark night sky.

Sky Strike was feeling as awkward as before. He hid his face in the menu, trying to shake those thoughts. Even with Spitfire and Soarin chatting happily among themselves, he couldn't stop thinking about what Starlight had said. He was glad she said something about it.... but at the same time, it was torturing him.

He glanced up from his menu, peeking at the two teens. They were orphans. When he picked them up, they were stealing whatever they could to survive. But now, they were working hard, making a little extra money, and helping put food on the table for the orphanage. Their skills were drastically improving, and their motivation to improve was astonishing. He had never seen such talent and hard work. In a few years, they could be two of the best fliers Equestria as ever seen. He was so proud of them.

Proud of them... like a father?

"What are you getting, Sky Strike?" Soarin asked, looking up from his menu. "Of course, I'm getting the apple pie deluxe!"

"Of course," Spitfire rolled her eyes. "I'm getting the special pasta with a side of daisies."

"I-I like the pasta," Sky Strike smiled. "I'll get that too." The minutes passed by awkwardly for Sky Strike, who managed to speak normally back to Spitfire and Soarin despite his odd thoughts. 

"So," Spitfire smiled, "notice anything different about me, Sky Strike?"

"Huh?" Sky Strike blinked, glancing up. Now that he was taking a closer look at her, there was definitely something different. Her mane was well groomed, her coat glimmering in the light. He could see the makeup on her face really accented her already good looks, and he was completely taken back by her appearance. Spitfire was really pretty if she tried.

"Wow," Sky Strike chuckled. "You almost look like a mare now!" Spitfire twitched, her face forming an angry pout. Soarin chuckled, but was soon silenced by a sharp hoof to the gut, courtesy of his best friend.

The dinner went by rather smoothly. After a few moments, Sky Strike was finally able to push passed his awkwardness and chat with his students as he normally would. They would laugh, argue, or talk about petty things like usual, and for once Soarin actually got his apple pie. 

Time ticked by faster than the three realized, and before long they were lingering close to the restaurant's closing hours. Sky Strike paid the bill without problems, leaving a rather generous tip to the waitress. Soarin and Spitfire left quietly, leaving Sky Strike in a friendly conversation with the restaurant owner inside.

"Man, this was a good day!" Soarin yawned, stretching out his wings. "Had a good day at work, a great practice, and I had a delicious pie!"

Spitfire rolled her eyes, playfully shoving her friend to the side. "Enough about pies," she snickered. "What's with you and pies anyway?"

"Well, I remember that my mom used to always make them," Soarin shrugged. "That's really the only thing I remember about her, though. Not even her face or her voice."

"Yeah?" Spitfire frowned, "Sometimes I wish it was like that for me. No lingering feelings or anything like that."

"I know," Soarin sighed. "I never met your old man, and I don't think I ever want to."

"Tell me about it," Spitfire growled. "Just thinking about him makes me- "

"...Spitfire?"

The teenage mare's pupils shrunk to pinpricks, her feathers ruffling on her wings. Her wings flattened and she slowly turned her head to look around, her hooves trembling quietly on the sidewalk. A middle-aged orange pegasus stood behind her, a battered brown jacket covering his body. His blonde mane was dirty and was poorly slicked back, a crooked smile playing upon his lips. Spitfire could never forget that face.

"You..." Spitfire snarled, taking a few steps back. "Get away..." Despite her strong words, Soarin could see her hind legs quivering.

"What?" the stallion asked, cocking his head. "Is... is that how you're going to treat your father?" He took a step towards Spitfire, causing the teenage mare to take one back in defense.

"...What?..." Soarin blinked, looking back between Spitfire and the stallion. His heart sank when he saw the resemblance between the two, and his hooves nearly froze on the spot. A bad, bad situation was rising... he knew he needed to do something, but a tight feeling in his chest kept his body from moving.

"You aren't my father..." Spitfire hissed, "s-stay back!" She shook her head, gritting her teeth from anger.

"What are you saying?" the stallion glared, "I saw you when you were a filly.... I raised you, I fed you, I gave you a home-"

"No! You abandoned me!" Spitfire yelled, her wings tensing in fury. "You... you did things... horrible things..." Soarin blinked, his teeth grinding together. Spitfire never really told him what her father did to her... but her reaction was telling him everything.

"Don't be like that, Spitfire..." her father growled, his bloodshot eyes glaring at his daughter. He crept closer, his body swaying with every single step. 

"S-Stop!" Spitfire shook her head, "D-don't come any closer!" The stallion did not heed her words and made his way over to her, his eyes looking over every inch of her body.

"You're looking... a lot like your mother..." he said, reaching out a hoof to touch Spitfire. Soarin could smell the cider off of him and nearly vomited in disgust.

"D-Don't touch me!" Spitfire stammered, slapping her father's hoof away. "J-Just go away!"

The stallion looked hurt at first, rearing his hoof back in shock. But then anger washed over his face, a scowl forming on his face. "You dare hit me?" he snarled, "you are in no position to do that!"

"G-Get away from her!" Soarin commanded, stepping up beside his best friend. "J-Just leave her alone!" Up close, the stallion looked much bigger and more intimidating than the still-growing Soarin. The blue pegasus felt his own legs trembling.

"And who do you think you are, Hotshot?" Spitfire's father gritted his teeth, "Some punk off the streets? Stay away from my kid!"

"I'm not your kid!" Spitfire shook her head, "Just go away! Y-You monster!"

"Monster?!" her father growled, "you call your own father a monster?! Looks like you need more discipline than I thought!" He stomped over to his daughter, but was interrupted when Soarin stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"Get out of my way." Spitfire's father grumbled, his back hoof scraping against the ground, preparing to charge. 

Soarin gulped, shaking his head. His throat tightened, and he could no longer say a thing. Spitfire's father snarled, lowering his head. He suddenly kicked off without warning, dashing straight ahead. His shoulder bashed against Soarin, knocking the teenage colt right off of his hooves. Soarin landed roughly onto his side, rolling over the cloud sidewalk.

"Soarin!" Spitfire panicked, her eyes wide and watering. Her father reared back his hoof, launching it forward and striking Spitfire right in the cheek. The blow took her by surprise, knocking her down into the street. 

"That should teach you," her father grunted. "You're nothing like your mother at all... I should have never left you back at that stupid orphanage. I should have just dropped you right out of Cloudsdale when you were born." Spitfire sniffed, hot tears running down her red and swollen cheek. Soarin groaned, trying to climb back up onto his hooves with an aching head.

"Get away from them."

Spitfire's father blinked, turning his head back towards the restaurant. Sky Strike stood tall on its step, his wings tense with anger and his eyes glaring daggers at the older stallion. 

"And who are you?" Spitfire's father spat, turning his body to face the new opponent. 

"Their mentor," Sky Strike answered. "And who are you?"

"Her father," the stallion replied. "I'm just putting her in her place."

"Oh?" Sky Strike cocked his head. "Some kind of father. You reek of disappointment and booze, old man."

"What'd you just say?" Spitfire's father inquired, stomping over to the blue pegasus. "Did you just call me a disappointment?"

"I could keep going," Sky Strike glared. "Scum, dirt bag, failure, loser, creep, etc. You look like a garbage dump." 

The older stallion stood uncomfortably close to Sky Strike, towering over the athletic flier. "Say that to my face..." he growled.

"How about instead of talking, you do something about it." Sky Strike glared, not standing down. The older stallion snarled, rearing back his hoof for the first attack.

Sky Strike hated fighting, and he certainly was no Batcolt. He had gotten into a few scuffles in the past, but they had all been small bar fights. This stallion was big, and he could definitely pack a punch if given a chance... but Sky Strike had something the older pony would never have.

Speed.

Sky Strike turned his head, dodging the sluggish punch with ease. It wasn't hard since Spitfire's father was drunk and predictable. The older stallion snarled, hooking his other hoof around to clock Sky Strike in the temple. Sky Strike weaved past it, darting around Spitfire's father until he was behind him.

"Get back here!" the drunk growled, spinning around towards his target. "Are you a wuss?! Fight like a stallion!"

"Why?" Sky Strike cocked his head, dodging the next punch with a back step. "Fighting is for schoolkids, drunks, and idiots who don't have a brain. I don't know if you've noticed, but you're the stupid looking one here." The drunk growled, throwing punch after punch just to have every single one of his attacks dodged. It wasn't long before he was running out of steam, his breaths turning into pants and his mane matting with his sweat. Sky Strike was still in good shape, and it was getting easier and easier to avoid the bigger stallion's shots.

Finally, Spitfire's father grew desperate. His wings kicked him off of the ground and he launched himself at Sky Strike, determined to make this into a wrestling match. Sky Strike rolled his eyes, simply sidestepping. The stallion landed flat onto the street, smashing his face into the highly-compacted cloud road. He groaned, laying still from his exhaustion. Not one second later, a small squad of armored pegasi dropped in, landing around Spitfire's father.

"Is this the drunk that's been giving you trouble?" the guard asked, giving Spitfire's father a disgusted look. One of the stallions took a pair of iron cuffs, locking the drunk's forehooves behind his back. 

"About time you guys showed up," Sky Strike smiled, "I was wondering how long it would take that restaurant owner to call you. I'm just happy things didn't get too ugly." Soarin and Spitfire finally stood up, rubbing their tender wounds. Sky Strike rushed over, his heart filled with worry.

"You two okay?" he asked, moving Spitfire's hoof to take a look at her cheek. He grimaced at its swollen state, "I should have come out sooner..." he sighed, "If I did, none of this would of-"

Spitfire embraced him hard, tears streaming down her cheeks like water falls. She sobbed into the fur of his neck, her body hiccuping with every desperate breath she made. Sky Strike smiled, comforting her by rubbing her back. 

"It's alright now," he stated. "Everything's going to be fine..." 







One week later...

"Weird..." Sky Strike blinked, sniffing the outside air. "Why does it smell like... it's going to rain?" The blue pegasus stood on a single cloud, overlooking the city of Cloudsdale from high above. His shift had ended hours ago, and because there were no lessons he had some free time to himself. He decided to go ahead and practice some of his special moves, and picking a far distance from Cloudsdale would help prevent any damages caused by his awesomeness.

Sky Strike peered down, a frown on his face. Since it was basically made up of clouds, Cloudsdale never got heavy storms. The weather team really only gave it light sprinkling for a variety in the weather, and they would never manufacture a giant storm. In Equestria, storms never occurred naturally... but Sky Strike was getting a very, very eerie feeling in his gut.

"I should tell somepony... but I doubt it'll have much impact if I said it was intuition..." Sky Strike grumbled to himself, his ears twitching in annoyance.

"What intuition?"

Sky Strike blinked, turning around to see a familiar fiery-colored teenage mare. Spitfire was standing on a cloud of her own, a small smile on her lips. She occasionally glanced away, her eyes awkwardly meeting Sky Strike's. Something was on her mind.

"Er, nothing." Sky Strike chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Just sensing something fishy, that's all. So what's up? We don't have any lessons today or anything."

"O-Oh, I know..." Spitfire stuttered, "I, um... I just wanted to, well, talk to you a bit. Privately and stuff."

"What's going on?" Sky Strike blinked, "is your father bothering you again?!"

"No! No." Spitfire shook her head, laughing a little. "It's nothing like that... I just wanted to thank you. For everything."

Sky Strike smiled, "Oh, don't worry about it. I did whatever a good-natured pony would do. I'm sure that you've thanked me enough, Spitfire."

"No! I haven't!" she blurted, "I'm thanking you for everything! Everything!  You pulled me and Soarin off the streets, cleaned us up, and you gave us a reason to work hard for our future! You took us under your wing, you treated us like ponies, not like the scum off the streets... you... you made us feel like family."

Oh no.

"I know I have a father..." Spitfire shook her head, "but... but he was horrible. Sky Strike... he did things that a father isn't supposed to do... when mom died he hit me... He... He touched me..." Spitfire shivered, moisture building up in her eyes. 
"The things he did... made me want to stop living. But you... you did the opposite. You were more than a father than he ever was."

Please don't.

"You gave me a purpose again!" Spitfire wiped her eyes, "You told me that I can be a great flier. You stuck with me, even when I mistreated you; You believed in me when I never believed in myself..."

Stop it.

"Sky Strike... you are my father. And... I want to know how you feel when you look at me... do I look like... a  daughter?"

Yes.

"Do you think.... do you think of me and Soarin as your family?"

Of course.

"Do you... do you love us?"

I always have.

"If you do..." Spitfire gulped, "have you... have you ever thought of... taking us in?"

Everyday.

"Making us... an official part of your family?"

I'd do it in a heartbeat.

"What do you say, Sky Strike?" Spitfire whispered, "Would you... would you adopt us?"

Sky Strike took a step back. his eyes wide and his mouth slightly opened. Everything that Spitfire said to him hit him directly in the heart... as far as he was concerned, Soarin and Spitfire were already his children. He wouldn't let anything take them away from him. 

But... what about Dashie? What about Starlight? 

His wife's words fought him, hurting his brain like splinters. Everything in his heart was screaming yes at Spitfire, and he wanted to do nothing more than nod and embrace her like the daughter she always was. 

"Because of the things you do... sometimes, other ponies get hurt." 

Sky Strike gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Just promise me you won't make one of those "Sky Strike Decisions" anytime soon..."

"Um, Sky Strike?" Spitfire blinked, "are... are you alright?"

"Because I have a feeling that one day... it will kill you."

"Spitfire..." Sky Strike whispered, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Spitfire blinked, "What are you... saying?"

Of course I want to adopt you, Spitfire. I've wanted to for a long time now. "I... I can't..."

Spitfire's eyes went wide, her lips quivering.

There's no way in the world I would ever say no. "I'm sorry... I can't... there's... there's no way it would work out..."

Spitfire's ears drooped, and her gaze dropped down.

I would love to have you as part of my family. "Spitfire... please understand... my family can barely live comfortably as they are now... I... I don't think it would be the best idea..." Sky Strike couldn't say anything right. His mind was in turmoil as is, and he wasn't in full control of what he had been saying. He couldn't even move from his cloud.

"You're... you're lying..." Spitfire said quietly, "I-I heard it in your voice... you want to take us in, right? Right, Sky Strike?" Spitfire looked up, the tears welling up in her eyes like pools.

Sky Strike looked away, grinding his teeth. 

"S-Sky Strike?..." Spitfire choked.

Sky Strike shut his eyes tight, his heart ready to explode in his chest. If he spoke now... there would be no going back.

"Say something!" Spitfire sobbed, "Please! Anything!"

Sky Strike stayed silent, his ears flattening. He didn't notice the wind keeping up, their manes and tails becoming wild from its breath.

"...I see, now..."

Sky Strike slowly opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Spitfire.

"You... you're no different..."

"Spitfire?" Sky Strike blinked.

"You're gonna abandon me too..." Spitfire wiped at her eyes. "You're just going to leave me... you're just going to leave me lost and hurt like my father did..."

"Spitfire," Sky Strike gaped, "I-I wasn't..."

"Shuttup!" Spitfire shrieked, "I don't want to hear it!" She glared at him, her eyes burning red from her crying.

"Spitfire..." Sky Strike took a step forward. "Please, I-"

"Don't come near me," she snarled. "Don't you even come close! You'll just hurt me again... you'll just leave me like everypony else!" Spitfire's wings sprung from her back and she jumped into the air.

"S-Spitfire!" Sky Strike called, "just let me-"

"No!" Spitfire screamed, "Go away! Just go away and... and die!" She yelled, beating her wings and taking a nosedive straight down to Cloudsdale. Sky Strike's mouth opened but no more words came out. He froze in his place, terrified of what he had just done. 

"Was that really necessary?..." he asked himself. "Could there have been a better way?..." He sighed, shaking his head. He would fix this... it was entirely his fault. 

Suddenly, he felt something small and wet land on his back. 

"Huh?" he blinked, "Rain?" Sky Strike glanced up, seeing nothing but a bright blue sky. Sighing, he took flight, heading down to Cloudsdale completely unaware of the dark clouds that were suddenly forming above him.





Spitfire lay in bed, her body quivering with her pillow wrapped up tightly in her hooves. It's surface around her face was damp, softening her sobs and quick breaths. Her ears were completely flat, her eyes shut tightly. Suddenly the door opened, and a blue teenage colt peeked his head in.

"Spit?..." Soarin called. 

"G-Get out..." Spitfire sniffled, hugging her pillow tighter. Soarin sighed, running his hoof over his mane. He made his way over to her, sitting on top of her bed.

"Either you found out your favorite wonderbolt died, or you asked Sky Strike to adopt us." Soarin frowned, "I'm guessing it's the latter." Spitfire let out a particular loud sob, making Soarin sigh again. 

"Look, I told you that it was a bad idea," he groaned. "Mares... They never think logically, do they? Spitfire, you know that he already thinks of us like his kids. Even when he doesn't adopt us, there's no way that he doesn't think of us like his daughter and son. Nothing can take that away, Spit."

"Go away..." Spitfire grumbled into her pillow, "I-I just wanna be alone..." 

"You really shouldn't have done that," Soarin shook his head. "Geez, Spit. Listen, I know you want to just drown yourself in your sorrow, but have you looked outside recently? There's something pretty bad going on..." Thunder boomed off in the distance, rattling their room with its fury. Spitfire blinked, turning her head to glance out the window. Rain was pounding against the glass like bullets, and just now she finally heard it.

"Rain?..." She blinked, "Why is it... raining?"

"It shouldn't be..." Soarin replied, walking over to the window. Lightning flashed, with thunder following not even a second later, making Soarin jump in his place. "And the storm is really, really close! Spit, I know you're all depressed and stuff, but we really need to get out there and stop it. The others are already out there!"

Spitfire sniffed, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. "Okay..." she takes a deep breath, putting everything that happened with Sky Strike behind her for the moment. She was needed elsewhere. She slipped off the bed, landing softly onto her hooves. Soarin was already leaving, and she scurried behind him.

"Miss Goldenbloom!" Soarin called out, "We're going out!" His hoof gripped the door and he opened it to the outside.

"Whoa!" Soarin blinked, the power of the wind nearly throwing him down the street. The rain felt like needles in his coat, and he had to use all the strength he had just to stand still. His wings sprouted at his sides, his muscles bulging to get him into the air. Spitfire fared no better, her mane and tail being whipped around from the storm's tenacity.

The two fliers fired up into the air, faced with the darkness and lightning of the intimidating storm. Their fellow weather ponies were being thrown about left and right, their bodies crashing into the streets or being thrown down to the earth. The faster the two teenagers flew the harder the rain hit them, almost getting to the point where it almost left bruises.

"...C'mon!" Spitfire growled, speeding past Soarin. "We gotta take this thing out!" When she was close enough, Spitfire shot out her hoof to kick the giant cloud. Her hoof quivered at the contact, pain shooting through her limb. It felt like a brick wall.

With all her strength put into that attack, Spitfire had none to keep her up. The wind immediately blew her back, knocking her straight into Soarin. The two teenagers were sent back down to the city, their wings desperately trying to regain control. They did at last minute, sailing over the streets and grunting in pain.

"What is this storm?!" Spitfire asked, trying to shield her eyes from the rain. "We should have brought our goggles!"

"How come we can't touch it?!" Soarin yelled, the lightning striking the tall buildings surrounding them. "What can we do?!" A blue streak suddenly sped through the air in the distance, cutting through the wind and rain with intense effort.

"Sky Strike?!" Soarin blinked, "W-what's he doing?" The streak suddenly spun in a tight, powerful circle, forming a blue tornado that rose higher and higher into the sky. To their surprise and awe, the cloud was actually being sucked into it. 

"Celestia's sweet fetlocks..." Soarin gasped, "He's... he's doing it!" The storm growled and flashed with protest, but it couldn't stop itself from getting absorbed into Sky Strike's powerful tornado. Before long, the rain became weaker, the wind losing its fierce bite. Sunlight peeked over the edges of the cloud, creating a misty haze in the streets.

When the cloud was completely absorbed, the tornado fired upwards into the sky, shooting up like a rocket. And in single, bright blue flash of lightning, it was gone. The thunderstorm was gone, replaced by Celestia's warm, soothing sun. Around them, the ponies cheered, lifting their soaked hooves into the sky.

"He did it..." Soarin smiled, landing softly onto the street. "He really did it!" Spitfire landed beside him, a small smile on her face. Their manes were soaked, sticking to their heads and framing their faces.

"He really did..." she added quietly, shuffling her hooves on the street. Ponies chatted happily around each other, looking up at the bright clear sky. 

And then she heard it.

Spitfire blinked, looking left and right. 

"Spit?" Soarin stopped, "um, you alright?" The fiery colored mare turned, heading towards a dark alley. She swore that she heard something this way. Soarin blinked, following his friend close behind. After a few feet she stopped suddenly, gazing at something on the ground.

"Spit, what's wrong?" Soarin asked, stretching his head to see what she was looking at, "What are you-" 

His eyes widened.

Sitting before them, in the middle of the alley, was pair of goggles. They were steaming, one of the lenses cracked and blackened. They looked like just an ordinary pair of goggles; but to Spitfire and Soarin, who had seen the pair numerous times, knew they were anything but. 

They were Sky Strike's.

"No..." Spitfire quivered, "no..." Soarin and Spitfire stood silently staring at the steaming object while the ponies around them continued to cheer and laugh, going about their day as if the storm never happened. Spitfire ducked out of the alley, the tears streaming down her face with Soarin in tow. They left the goggles staring limply up into the sky.

Soarin and Spitfire never had a chance to say goodbye.






"Um, Spit?" Soarin asked, "You... awake?"

"Huh?" Spitfire blinked, opening her eyes. She was still sitting at her desk, stacks and stacks of paperwork still waiting to be signed by the captain of the wonderbolts.

"You fell asleep for a bit," Soarin chuckled, "it's been about an hour. You looked so peaceful that I had a hard time waking you!"

"Well, thanks..." she yawned, rubbing at her eyes. "I really should have finished this paperwork, though... it's overwhelming...."

"Yeah, I know." Soarin sighed, running a hoof through his mane. "I'm happy that the second in command gets less than half the documents you do. So what were you dreaming about? Something good?"

"...You could say that." Spitfire replied, "It was nice, but I hope I don't want to have it again for a long time." She grabbed her quill, dabbing it into her fresh bottle of ink. "Anyways, I'll finish this as soon as I can. Anything you need to do?"

"I'm gonna head out to help some of the new recruits," Soarin answered. "Their velocities keep fluctuating, and they need a little help stabilizing. You should hurry out when you can... I'm not very good at instructing." 

"Gotcha," Spitfire nodded. "Just give me a bit. I'll breeze my way through these."

"No problem." Soarin smiled, "I'll see you out there, Captain!" Soarin trotted off, closing the door quietly behind him.

Spitfire's room was soon filled with noises of her quill on paper.







The first week with Sky Strike went by in a flash to Rainbow. He told her he would do what he could to make up for lost time, and he was doing a great job of it. For seven days straight they flew, practiced, and hung out together. Rainbow was glued to his side for almost every second; whether it was a small trip to the town or just for a fly around the park. She told him the stories of her adventures with her friends and he listened with awe, glowing with pride from his daughter's heroic tales.

"And that's how we saved the Crystal Empire." Rainbow Dash smiled, leaning back in her kitchen chair. They had just finished eating a bowl of oats for breakfast and were just chatting among themselves.

"Wow," he breathed, "I don't think I had that much guts when I was your age." Sky Strike chuckled, "Because I'm pretty certain I had more!"

"Oh really?" Rainbow Dash cocked an eye with a cocky grin. "I've saved the world, dad! What have you done that could rival my courage?"

"I stayed right beside your mother when she was giving birth to you." Sky Strike smirked, "if you think she's nasty and cold, at that moment it was one thousand times worse."

"Oh, touche'..." Rainbow muttered, "Remind me to never ask what she was like at 'that time of the month'."

"Don't worry, I've blacked those out." Sky Strike chuckled, finishing his glass of milk. "Instead, how about I tell you about the times she was in heat?"

"What- ew!" Rainbow made a disgusted face, "Please, don't!"

Sky Strike chuckled, pushing out his chair, "I was just kidding, kiddo. Anyways, are you all packed and ready to go?" Rainbow hesitated, her bright and cheerful self being replaced by doubt.

"I really, really don't want to do this..." Rainbow muttered, "When I see her... I won't know what to say."

"Me too," Sky Strike smiled sadly. "I mean, she thinks I'm dead, Dashie. When she sees me again, she's either going to think I'm a changeling or that I completely abandoned you and her. And in a way... I did." He turned away from her, hiding his expression from his daughter. 

"I'll... go get my things." Rainbow stated, jumping off of her chair, "we're going to Cloudsdale first, right?"

"Yep," he nodded, still facing away from her. "You don't have to worry about facing your mother yet... I still have to let my old friends know I'm still alive and kicking." Rainbow sighed, grabbing her saddlebags off of her couch. She made sure that they were a snug fit on her flanks.

"So who all do you need to visit?" Rainbow asked, cocking her head in curiosity. "I barely remember any of your old friends

"Well," Sky Strike turned back to her, a wide grin on his lips. "I have a few former co-workers I'd like to see again. And most importantly, I need to go see my best friend!" 

"Best friend?" Rainbow Dash inquired, watching her father head to the door. "Do you mean..."

"Yep!" Sky Strike smiled, "Fluttershy's father! I bet he's been missing me for a long time, so it's time to give him the good news!"

"Um," Rainbow tried to recall, "I don't ever remember seeing him before... is he shy too?"

"If you can believe it, he's worse than Fluttershy in some ways," Sky Strike chuckled. "I have to say that it's understandable. You'll know why when you see him." Rainbow shrugged, walking up beside her father.

Sky Strike threw open the door, closing his eyes and smiling when he felt the sunlight on his face. He took a deep breath of the chilly morning air, flexing his wings and prepping them for the journey ahead. "This is a good day to fly!" He stated, "The wind is good, so the flight to Cloudsdale shouldn't take very long."

"It never does, for me," Rainbow chuckled. "Should we have a race?"

Sky Strike grinned, "Now you're just asking to lose." The father and daughter flew off, arguing happily among themselves.

The day was young, and perfect for a flight. 


Edited by Vynn the Ocarinist

> Entering Cloudsdale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Major Ironhide was a mighty pony; he was a stallion among stallions, a veteran who had seen countless encounters, and a seemingly immovable, intimidating mountain of muscle. Not only that, but he had graduated with the highest marks in his class during his years of East Point Academy. He was a sharpened, all-rounded officer with a jet black mane and a rough, red coat. He had blazing yellow eyes that could send shivers down a manticore's spine, with a fearsome scar that ran down the left side of his face. His blue uniform was decked with shimmering medals commended by Princess Celestia herself.

He strutted proudly through the Cloudsdale Military Base, receiving looks of awe and appreciation from the younger, outranked guards and officers. They saluted him proudly when he passed, standing up straight with their hooves held at their foreheads. 

"Morning, sir!" One of the guards greeted nervously, standing at attention. 

"Good morning." Major Ironhide responded, his eyes staying forward. His icy voice froze the backbone of the guard, his cold breath making the others tremble with just two words. 

Just. Two. Words.

The Major made his way down the hallway, his head held high upon his shoulders. His large hoofs were like thunder on the cloud floor, quaking its surface with his powerful stride. His intimidating muscles quivered with every step, his sculpted body fishing in the eyes of the female troops he passed. 

Sorry, ladies... he's married. 

"M-Major!" A weak, hesitant voice leaked into his ears from behind. The major's ears twitched, filtering the voice's pathetic tone so that he could actually notice it.

He calls it... auto-tuning.

"Yes?" The Major asked, his hooves stopping in their place. His posture could have been right out of a portrait.

But only if the painting was done by him personally. He was also a well-known painter that was said to be past his time. Truly, a master of the arts.

"Are you on your way to meet the colonel?" The guard asked, stopping within four feet of the Major. Any closer, and the Major's masculine aura would crush his bones. 

It wouldn't be the first time.

"Yes." The Major answered. The word itself was enough to make the mares all weak in the knees, their hearts petrifying in their chests. The stallions themselves turned to stone, their bodies refusing to move at the simple sound coming from his lips.

"Is this... the first time you're going to meet the colonel?" The guard asked nervously, a worried frown pulling at his weak, insignificant lips. The Major glanced back, but didn't make eye contact.

He didn't want to boil the young lad's eyes with his striking gaze.

"Is there a problem?" The Major asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

Just from that, an Ursa Major fell unconscious in the Everfree Forest.

"Um, well..." The guard pawed at the ground uncomfortably. "...Good luck!" He saluted his superior and spun around, steadily making his way back down the hallway. 

The Major frowned, turning his gaze back to the proper path and resuming his thunder-stomps. He had heard rumors of the Colonel in the Cloudsdale Military Base... and some tales firsthand from those who had personally seen him. The Colonel almost never left his office, and when he did he was clad completely in armor. His voice was described as a blazing inferno that could shatter morale and defeat his opponents with a single breath. 

But he was always told to be wary of the Colonel's eyes.

The Major stopped before the doorway, lightening his gaze so that he didn't burn a whole through its surface. The stares of the lesser troops and guards had evaporated, having stopped as soon as he took his place in front of the Colonel's office door. It was odd indeed... but the Major was ready to face any challenge.

"Colonel, this is Major Ironhide." The Major stated proudly, knocking onto the door with his mighty hoof. "I request an audience immediately." His voice rumbled through the door, disrupting any possible peaceful airwaves that lay within. 

The Major was answered with silence. 

...

...Nopony answers the Major with silence.

"Colonel." The Major said again, the anger burning fumes into his stern voice. "This is Major Ironhide. I said, I would like to request an- "

"Enter."

The Major's eyes widened, albeit very slightly. If he had been a much, much, much, much, much lesser pony, just a murmur from that tone would drive a very, very, very tiny sliver of fear into his heart. Whoever it was that owned the voice, was in the the same league as the Major.

And the Major was in a league of his own.

The Major laid his powerful, giant hoof against the surface of the door and gave it a puny shove. The force was hard enough for the door to swing open, but soft enough so that it didn't dent the wall at the end of its short journey.

The Major had the perfect touch. He often used it in hoofball, and he never lost a game.

The Major stomped proudly into the office and took in the surroundings. It was fairly big, as it was expected to be. The corners of the room were smothered by shelves backed with books, with paintings of battles with mighty beasts and monsters hung up on the walls like trophies. Black curtains were drawn over the large, single window in the back of the room, causing everything to appear dim and isolated. 

A large desk lay before the black curtains. Just from one glance, the Major could tell what material it was made from.

The wood of Timberwolves.

When his blazing yellow eyes adjusted to the dark in a mere half-second, two figures behind the desk appeared to him as clear as day. In the center he spotted a large, mystical black chair with its back turned in his direction. To its right stood a mare officer, her blue uniform also decked with numerous medals and commendations. Her coat was golden, her crimson mane tied up in standard military fashion. Her stern, iron gaze was locked onto the Major's, her green eyes not fearing his deadly stare.

"Good morning, Major Ironhide." The mare saluted, her pose showing not even the slightest signs of faltering. "We apologize for the delay, as the Colonel was not expecting you."

"What's your name and rank?" The Major inquired, feeling rather impressed at the stoic beauty.

"Lieutenant Stormwings, sir. I'm the Colonel's right-hoof pony."

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant." The Major nodded, turning his gaze to the back of the chair. 

"We received a letter informing us of your arrival just a few hours ago." Stormwings stated, "but it didn't state your purpose of the visit. May we ask what your reasons may be?"

The Major straightened, "I'm on a personal errand from Princess Celestia. I'm afraid I cannot share such information."

The lieutenant's ears twitched in mild annoyance. "I understand, Major." She nodded. She then leaned over to the Colonel, whispering quietly into his unseen ear. The Major was left staring blankly at the back of the Colonel's chair.

...It annoyed him.

"Colonel, I request that I see your face." The Major spoke, not afraid to yank on the chain of command. "It is not polite to hide one's face... especially from that of a veteran officer who has served Celestia for decades." Though his pride was immense, it was caught in a strange stalemate with the uneasiness leaking from the Colonel's unseen form.

Lieutenant Stormwings furrowed her eyes. "The Colonel prefers to avoid eye contact."

Major Ironhide inwardly grinned. The Colonel refuses to meet his eyes? He must be even less of a stallion than he thought. "There is no worry," Ironhide stated, "I'll be sure to keep my gaze soft."

"You don't understand, Major..." The Lieutenant shook her head. "It's not for the Colonel... it's for your protection."

The Major blinked. "Wat."

"Please understand." The Lieutenant insisted. 

The Major let his anger take slight control, his eyes burrowing holes into the back of the chair. "Nonesense! I have stared deep into the eyes of a wyvern, gazed down into the abyss pits of Tartarus, and shared a glare with a deadly cockatrice! What could a simple glance from the Colonel do to me?"

Stormwings opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a gentle, armored clad hoof touching her shoulder. 

"Colonel... are you sure?" She asked, her face as stiff as stone.

A smile of victory tugged at the lips of the Major. 

The chair turned slowly, swiveling silently in the dark room to face Ironhide. 

"Hello, Major."

And thus screaming ensued.







"Did you hear something?" Sky Strike stopped, his wings flaring wide in the chill morning air. His body quickly decelerated, the rush of the flight stopping right in its tracks. Rainbow Dash did the same, coming up to his side wearing a frown. They had flown for no longer than five seconds, and it was driving her nuts.

"Nope." Rainbow Dash aimed a glare at her father. "So let's go!"

"Rainbow Dash... Sky Strike..." 

"Ah," Sky Strike smiled, reaching his hoof forward to ruffle Dash's mane. "Then you still have a lot to learn, young lady!" He glance to the left and to the right, his ears twitching lightly. His hearing wasn't that incredible, but Sky Strike had a good awareness of his surroundings in flight. It was a unspoken, necessary skill that wonderbolts obtained through their extensive training. 

"H-Hey!" Dash protested, "w-what's that supposed to mean?!" She pouted, swatting his hoof away. 

"Rainbow Dash... Sky Strike..."  The whisper in the wind repeated.

Sky Strike finally scanned the small town of Ponyville below and spotted a familiar pink maned pegasus staring up at them. She looked like an ant, her wings hardly keeping her in the air. She wasn't that far up in the sky, and it was clear that she had no desire to ascend to their elevation.

"It's Fluttershy!" Sky Strike exclaimed, his body gliding into a face-down position.  In a single beat of his wings, Sky Strike was launched downwards, the sudden rush whipping his mane back. Rainbow Dash wasn't too far behind, her body spiraling down right behind her father.

Fluttershy couldn't help but gaze up at the duo in wonder, her jaw slightly dropping. While pegasi were the ponies of the air, it didn't mean that their flying abilities were astounding. Having wings meant that they were able to fly, not perform incredible acrobatic twirls and loops in midair.

But for Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash, it was obvious that they were the best compared to the others. Rainbow Dash was a little rough around the edges in her style, but her speed and maneuverability made up for it. Sky Strike, on the other hoof, made his moves and tricks look easy, and his experience and training allowed him to flow between maneuvers with ease like water. Rainbow Dash was an aggressive flyer, while Sky Strike was more graceful and elegant. 

Fluttershy dropped slowly onto the streets of the small town, waiting for her friends. Sky Strike made a smooth landing, his hooves tapping lightly onto the earth with his near-perfect deceleration. Rainbow Dash's landing was heavier, but had more impact, her hooves striking the ground and kicking up a thin layer of dust. 

"Morning, Fluttershy!" Sky Strike greeted with a wide smile, "what are you doing up so early?"

"Oh, I was just on my way to buy Angel some fresh carrots." Fluttershy happily answered, "he gets so cranky when we run out."

"Do you need us for anything?" Rainbow Dash asked, her irritation seeping quietly into her words. Today was her first long flight with her father, and so far they were off to a slow start.

Fluttershy didn't appear to notice Rainbow Dash's masked aggressiveness. "Oh, not really. I was just wondering what you two were up to."

"Oh, I thought we told you." Sky Strike chuckled, "I was planning on heading over to Cloudsdale and visiting your dad!"

The color drained from Fluttershy's face.

"U-Um," she stuttered, "I-I don't think t-that would be a good idea..." Her ears drooped, her eyes suddenly finding the dirt street very interesting.

Sky Strike blinked, his smile slowly deteriorating. "What? What's wrong? Is your father doing okay?" His voice dripped with concern, his ears flickering nervously in the chilly morning air. Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth, her wings trembling lightly from anticipation of their planned flight. 

Fluttershy's eyes scanned over the empty streets. It was still rather early, and the cakes haven't even opened Sugarcube Corner yet. A few morning workers passed by now and then, but they were too busy in their own world to pay attention to the trio of pegasi in the center of the town.

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Well," she started, her voice coming in as a whisper. "H-He hasn't been the same since..." Her voice trailed off, her blues eyes gazing up innocently at Sky Strike. Sky Strike frowned, turning his head to look away. Her hoof pawed at the ground, digging up loose dirt that dissipated quickly back down to the earth.

"Oh... I see." Sky Strike grew quiet, the mixed emotions weighing down his heart. "I'm sorry... I didn't even think about how one of my best friends would have felt when I left."

"It's okay," Fluttershy tried to smile. "I-It's not your fault."

"How did he change?" Rainbow Dash butted in, suddenly growing rather concerned herself. 

"W-Well..." Fluttershy stammered, "he..." She stared back down at the ground, her wings flat against her head. Sky Strike took in a deep breath, lifting his hoof to pat Fluttershy's head softly.

"It's okay." Sky Strike said, a sad smile hanging from his lips. "You don't have to say anymore. I think I know what's going on."

Fluttershy blinked, her eyes widening in confusion. "You do?" She whispered.

"Yeah," he chuckled, setting his hoof back onto the ground. "He's my oldest friend. I know what goes on in that shy little skull of his." Sky Strike tapped his head at the notion, a wide smile gracing his face. "I'm sure it's something that both you and Rainbow Dash will understand someday. Well, if you don't yet already." Sky Strike's wings lifted from his sides, swooping into the air to lift him up gently from the ground. 

"Y-You sure?" Fluttershy whispered, "I... I haven't even heard him laugh since..." Sky Strike only answered her with a smile, turning his focus to the morning sky. In a blink of an eye he shot upwards, his wings climbing through the chilly morning air with ease. 

"Don't worry, Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash grinned, her wings prepping for take off. "If someone can fix this... it's my dad!" She took off, launching a gust of wind that tackled the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy barely had time to brace herself, the burst of air blasting her mane wildly to the side. 

When she finally collected herself, the two blue pegasi were nothing more but dots Celestia's golden sun. Fluttershy sighed, combing her mane back down with her hoof.

"I sure hope so..." She said to herself quietly.





"Professor Starlight?" Tesla Coil called, rapping lightly onto her office door. "Professor Starlight? Are you in there? I need to talk to you!"

Starlight cringed, setting down her hot coffee mug onto her desk. It was the middle of the afternoon, a gentle breeze filling her well-sized office from a nearby cracked open window. She sighed, closing the book she was reading and placing it gently beside her mug. She slowly got off of her chair and walked towards the door, glaring at it like it was her worst enemy.

"Please!" Tesla Coil's voice rang from the outside. "It's really, really important!" Starlight gripped the doorknob with her hooves, twisting it and yanking the door open.

"What?" Starlight asked, an annoyed edge to her voice. Tesla looked as messy and overworked as always, and was clutching a dozen papers in his hoof.

Tesla was startled, backing away a few steps. He took a breath to collect himself. "C-Can I come in? It's really, really urgent..." 

"Is it, now?" Starlight inquired, "you have a habit of researching pointless subjects thinking that they could somehow cause a world-wide catastrophe."

"Please, Starlight! It will only take a few minutes! I just want to ask you some questions!" Tesla whined, his lower lip quivering. Starlight grumbled, opening the door to give him room enough to come in. Tesla gave her a happy nod and trotted inside.

All of the professor's offices (except Tesla Coil's) were spacious. Starlight's in particular was clean and organized. She had large file cabinets on one side of the room, and her desk and workplace in the other. The windows were unblocked and open, sounds of idle chat among the college students occasionally coming in.

"What is it that you want?" Starlight asked, sitting back down at her desk. "There are tests I have to grade, and essays I have to read. Make it quick."

"U-Um, right..." Tesla nodded, looking around for a seat. Finding none, he stood awkwardly in the middle of the room and pulled out one of the sheets of paper that he clutched to his chest.

"I've been currently studying magical essence, and recently there has been a giant shift in its stability. In other words, magical essence is completely off balance and has been fluctuating to alarming rates. Erm, you do know what magical essence is, right?"

"Just get on with it," Starlight grumbled, "and of course I do. Everypony with a degree should know what it is."

"Good," Tesla Coil nodded, "then it should be easier to understand. So, I managed to find the exact date that the magical essence in this world really started to change... and I also found the location. It was in Ponyville."

Starlight glanced at Tesla. "Ponyville... that's where my daughter lives..."

Tesla Coil nodded again. "Yes... I find it odd that the magical essence had gathered to the place where all six elements of harmony live. Is it a coincidence? I don't know for sure.... but there is something that was really taking my interest. Do you know what a magical essence storm is?"

"Yeah," Starlight nodded, "a storm created by gathered magical essence."

"That's a brief understanding, but yes." Tesla Coil answered. "A magical essence storm is created when the essence is able to physically manifest itself into the weather. The storms are violent and rather powerful, and they've been known to shape the landscape beneath them."

"Wait," Starlight raised her voice, "are you saying that one of those storms... formed over Ponyville?..."

"Correct," Tesla frowned, "and ten years ago before then... one of those storms formed over Cloudsdale. I believe you were present for that."

Starlight looked away, her pupils slightly dilating. She brought her hoof to her chest, a familiar pain throbbing in her heart. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down.

"I'm thinking that there's something that connects the two..." Tesla thought aloud, pacing around the room. "But it's very unclear... it was exactly ten years ago, but the storm was in an entirely different spot. But what was really different was that after the storm over Cloudsdale, magical essence returned to normal. But after the storm in Ponyville, magical essence went out of whack."

"...Why are you telling me this?" Starlight asked, facing her desk. "There isn't a reason for you to."

"I just thought you'd like to know..." Tesla shrugged. "Your daughter was involved with the storm in Ponyville." Starlight blinked, quickly turning to face Tesla.

"I-Is she alright?!" Starlight asked, standing up from her chair. 

"Erm, yeah..." Tesla blinked, taken back by her sudden reaction. "In fact, I heard that it was a rainbow-maned pegasus that took care of that storm. No need to worry, Professor Starlight.”

"I see..." Starlight nodded, "okay... good..." She turned back around, sitting back at her desk. "Anything else, then?"

"Just one little theory I have," Tesla answered, tucking the paper back into his hoof. "Whatever these storms are... I think they're directly tied to the disappearance of your former husband. I have a hunch, and if this is true, then-"

"Leave" Starlight stated harshly, opening her book. "I don’t want to hear anything about it. You’ve said what you had to say, and I want you to leave.”

"But-"

"Leave."

"...Okay..." Tesla sighed, turning towards the door. Starlight heard him twist the knob and open the door, the sound of his hooves leaving the room. When she heard the door close, she reached over to one of the drawers on her desk and pulled it open. 

The drawer was completely empty, with the exception of a worn photo in its center. Starlight reached down and slowly brought to to her eyes.

"Damnit..." she grinded her teeth, "why do you still haunt me?..."






"Fluttershy looked kinda scared back there." Rainbow Dash stated, flying shoulder-to shoulder with her father. "Didn't you say that her dad was ever shyer than she was? It almost looks like she was afraid to just talk about him." Sky Strike frowned, mixed emotions boil behind his eyes.

"Well," Sky Strike started, "believe it or not, Fluttershy's family has had a long military history that even dates back to the time of Commander Hurricane. The males in the family were all strong, stubborn, and frightening... not only that, but there's a secret power that travels only through their bloodlines..."

"Is it the stare?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

"Huh? You knew about that?" Sky Strike blinked, his jaw dropping slightly from his surprise. "So that means that Fluttershy has it as well? Wow... I never expected that."

"Really? But you just said that it travels through their bloodlines." Rainbow Dash was confused.

"Yeah, but it's still pretty rare. And for a father and daughter to have the same special ability is actually unheard of. Well, according to Fluttershy's family at least."

"So much for a secret." Rainbow Dash giggled, rolling her eyes. 

"Well, it's supposed to be, but things changed and the stare was appearing less and less. So now there are two ponies who have that ability." Sky Strike tapped his hoof onto his chin. "Anyways, getting back to what I was saying, the males in the family are pretty ferocious... with the exception of Fluttershy's dad."

"Really? Why?" Rainbow Dash frowned, "what makes him so special?"

"Um, well... it's kinda weird to describe..." Sky Strike scratched the back of his head, "so you're just going to have to see it to believe it." A strange gurgling sound echoed in Sky Strike's stomach, grabbing Rainbow's attention and tugging a smirk on the corner of her lips.  

"Anyways, I'm starving!" He laughed, patting his belly softly with his hoof. "Come on, Cloudsdale isn't too far away!" Rainbow turned her gaze to the front, spotting the cloud city growing closer and closer by the second. She suddenly smirked, giving her father a cocky smile.

"Alright, then. Race you there!" In a single, powerful swoop of her wings, Rainbow Dash launched forward like a rocket. The rush of air from her quick acceleration blasted at Sky Strike, plowing into his side and shooting him side ways. Sky Strike smiled, easily overcoming the shock with his flying experience. 

"You're quick, but I'm faster!" Sky Strike grinned, his larger wings propelling him straight after his daughter. Their identical rainbow manes whipped back from the stream of air, their bodies whizzing through the sky. Pegasi that were on their way to the city were nearly blown away by the two blue bullets, nearly knocking a few fillies and colts right out of the air.

"Sorry!" Sky Strike called back, a wide smile on his face. His daughter was unbelievable! When he was her age, he could barely fly a third of her speed! But even with his heart heavy with pride, his competitiveness wouldn't let her win so easily. 

It wasn't long before they were nearly directly above Cloudsdale, but they were so high up that it looked like the size of a pancake. Sky Strike grinned, his wings slicing the wind with his sudden adjustment in speed. He popped up beside his daughter, breaking the cocky grin that had locked her lips.

"It's time for the real flying to start! Try to keep up, kiddo, 'cause I'm a leaf in the wind!" Sky Strike took a sudden nosedive, his body rapidly spinning on his descent. Rainbow Dash, not wanting to be beaten, took after him immediately. The G-forces ripped across her face, her eyes watering with the intense speed. If they increased their velocity even by a little, it would be possible to shift into a sonic rainboom. She could already feel its magical warmth spread over her wings, the excitement building in her heart...

...but she couldn’t do it. Not with Sky Strike present.

It was barely a second before they had to start dodging the other ponies left and right, ignoring the gasps or scattering papers in their wake. Although Rainbow dash was faster than her father in terms of speed, she had yet to match his finesse and technique. Sky Strike elegantly swerved and twisted, moving just enough to avoid the obstacles. He truly was a leaf in the wind.

But now came the hardest part. Landing. 

With their bodies closing in on the streets, it was time to decelerate. Sky Strike extended his wings, his muscles rippling from the force. He swooped upwards, pulling his body so that it was level with the cloudy streets while still avoiding the shocked and rather agitated pegasi. He decelerated cleanly, his hooves plopping softly onto the cloud. 

"Yep," he smirked, "I still got it!"

A blue blur shot down beside him, rippling the cloudy streets beneath his hooves. It was a heavy impact, but thankfully it was a cloud that his daughter head-butted. Sky Strike burst out in a maniacal laughter, his daughter's head completely submerged under the surface.

"Gah!" Rainbow groaned, tugging her soaking head right out from the ground. "You did that on purpose! You know that my landings still need work!" She punched her laughing father roughly in the arm, making him wince with a smile. She shook her head, her wet mane sending droplets of water everywhere. 

"Hey, I didn't give you permission to beat me yet." He grinned, ruffling her mane with his hoof. Pulling away his hoof, he stopped and took a quick look around. 

After ten years that passed him as fast as a blink of an eye, things didn't look too different. The streets were busy and loud as always, along with the cheerful ponies that filled them. The stands were all set up nice and neat, selling apples, watermelons, and other fruits and vegetables. The sky was filled with rushing pegasi on their way to work, and he spotted the weather team transporting and receiving clouds high above the buildings. 

"It's still the happy city that I remember." Sky Strike chuckled, glancing down at his hooves. "Everypony here has moved on with their lives..." He felt a nudge on his side, his daughter putting her wing over his shoulders. 

"Come on, dad..." She frowned sadly, reaching in to nuzzle his cheek. "Let's go get something to eat, okay?"

Sky Strike let out a sigh before smiling, nuzzling his daughter back. "Right. I think I know just the place." The two pegasi took off side by side, wandering down the streets of the city.







"So why are we back in Cloudsdale again?" Soarin inquired, gently spreading the shutters in their hotel window. "The anniversary show is in a few days, isn't it? Shouldn't we be out practicing with the team?" Spitfire laid on her back on one of the twin beds, a blue wonderbolts magazine clutched in her hooves. It would be strange to see the two most famous wonderbolts in such a cheap hotel room, but the duo preferred it. They were used to smaller rooms, and they felt uncomfortable in the larger, much more regal suites.

"Because we need rest," Spitfire responded, flipping through the pages. "If we keep practicing day after day for the show, chances are that we'll be burnt out when we perform." 

Soarin sighed, "I hear you. But why Cloudsdale of all places? Can't we just sit around at our apartment in Canterlot?"

"If you didn't want to come, you should have said something." Spitfire shrugged, turning the magazine sideways. The centerfold pages opened up, causing Spitfire to grimace slightly. "Ugh, I swear that my pictures are just getting uglier and uglier..." 

Soarin chuckled, giving one last look out the window. "Yeah, you're definitely been getting a little more gaunt lately." He winced when the blue magazine collided with the back of his head, sending his face straight into the shutters.

"And you've been getting a little more annoying lately." Spitfire glared, throwing her hooves off the side of the bed. "Anyways, I'm hungry. Why don't we stop at that bakery?" She made her way over to the door, reaching her hoof towards the knob.

"Hey!" Soarin protested, instantly putting his body between Spitfire and the door. "What are you thinking going out looking like that? One glimpse of us and we'll be chased all across the city again!"

"Oh," Spitfire blinked, "yeah, I forgot about that." She laughed, scratching the back of her mane. "Don't want an incident like last time... man, being famous is such a bother at times." She spun around, trotting over to her suitcase. 

When they finally left their room, Spitfire and Soarin were completely disguised. They both wore black sunglasses, their manes combed forward instead of their usual hairstyle. Soarin had on his worn, black pleather jacket while Spitfire had her blue scarf hanging loosely from her neck. They made their way out of the hotel without a fuss, the other ponies not even batting an eyelash.

"Too easy," Soarin chuckled, "dress up all spiffy and act like you have nothing to hide!"

"I'm pretty sure it looks like we have something to hide, Soarin." Spitfire nudged, "so let's hurry. Today's their special apple pie special, and we don't want to miss it!"

"Pie!" Soarin roared, breaking out into a sudden gallop.

"Hey!" Spitfire blinked, her legs pumping after her childhood friend. "Wait up!" 

The two wonderbolts didn’t notice the two rainbow-maned pegasi far behind them, heading in the exact same direction.
	

> In the City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"It's been too long since I've been here," Rainbow Dash stated, taking a seat across from her father in the booth. "I think the last time I ate here was after I graduated from Flight School with Fluttershy." Sky Strike grabbed one of the menus placed on the table and lifted it to his eyes, his gaze scanning over the pages. The restaurant was much more successful than it was ten years ago. The menu had tripled in size, and the building was much bigger with two floors instead of one,  and it was much cleaner. Posters of Spitfire and Soarin were posted over numerous walls, including a giant one signed by both wonderbolts that was nailed above the entrance.

"This place has definitely been getting a lot more money lately." Sky Strike stated, taking in the foreign surroundings. His eyes drifted over to one of the posters that were placed on the wall next to the both. 

"So this is Soarin and Spitfire, now..." He said quietly, a gentle smile graces his lips. "They aren't the little squirts that I used to know. Soarin looks like a heartthrob and Spitfire looks like a model... but they're still the little flight geeks I remember." He chuckled, flashes of memories and sadness sinking over his eyes. 

"If you sound this proud now, wait till I make it!" Rainbow Dash grinned cheerfully, waving her hoofs excitedly in the air. "I'll blow past those two the moment I take off!" Sky Strike cocked an eye and grinned, folding his hooves over the table.

"Oh?" he chuckled, "then you must be pretty confident in acing the written exam!"

Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest, "Of course, I'm ready to- wait, what?" 

Sky Strike feigned a gasp, huddling back in his booth with his hooves. "You mean you didn't know?!" The written exam that covers aerodynamics, physics, health, and wonderbolt formations and techniques?!" Rainbow Dash's jaw practically hit the floor, her hooves dropping down by her sides.

"Y-You're joking, right?" Dash laughed nervously, sweat beading down her forehead. "G-Good one, dad!"

"Rainbow Dash," Sky Strike cleared his throat, his voice oddly stern and serious. "There's few things I take seriously that exist. There's a reason why all the wonderbolts are the best of the best. Wonderbolts need to be incredibly athletic, but they have to also understand a bit of aerodynamics and physics. They need to understand biology to a degree so that they can heal and prevent injury if they are ever dispatched, and the wonderbolt formations and techniques covers both stunt flying and military flying strategies."  Sky Strike leaned in, his eyes staring into the souls of Dash's irises.

"But don't worry, sport. With your old man here, and a good friend who can help your studies, I'm sure that you'll have so much information crammed into your head that you'll just explode!" Sky Strike leaned back and laughed wholeheartedly, grabbing his stomach with his hooves. 

"D-Dad! That isn't funny!" Rainbow huffed, her cheeks burning crimson ."Don't do that to me!"

"You should have seen your face..." Sky Strike wiped a tear from his eye while he continued to giggle. "As soon as I mention studying, you get all white!"

"S-Shut up..." Rainbow frowned, crossing her hooves in front of her chest. "But were you being serious?... I've never heard anything about a written test!"

"Of course there's one." Sky Strike smiled, closing his menu and setting it down lightly on the table. "Wonderbolts have to be physically and mentally fit. The reason I went to college in the first place was to take classes to prepare for the exam"

Rainbow groaned, dropping her head like a rock onto the wooden surface of the table. "My dream just got a little farther away..."

"Oh, come on! Where's that confidence that you're always beaming with?" Sky Strike grinned, ruffling the mane of his daughter. "I didn't say you were in it alone! You have me, who passed the test, and you have Twilight who probably knows ten times the amount of information that's on it! I'm sure that when the time comes, you'll be ready!" When he removed his hoof, Rainbow lifted her head and gave him a small smile.

"You're right... I'll definitely pass it on my first try!" Rainbow nodded, bumping hoofs with her father.

"I'm sure you will! You just won't do as well as I did..." Sky Strike chuckled, giving his daughter a sly smile.

"You kidding me? I'll blast past your score a whole ten minutes faster than you did!" Rainbow grinned back, her wings fluttering in the face of a new challenge. "Just wait and see!" 

"Tough luck, kiddo." Sky Strike smirked, glancing left and right. "You know, we've been here for a while and the waiter hasn't come up yet. I don't remember it being this slow before..."

"They were all crowding around these two ponies that just came in," Dash shrugged, "I didn't see who they were. Some rich big shots, I guess?"

"Hm," Sky Strike hummed, spotting the small herd of ponies that his daughter pointed out. The crowd was moving rather slow, and whoever the ponies were freaking out about were completely blocked by their colorful bodies. "And here I was hoping to be noticed by people who recognize me." 

"Well, you've kinda been dead for the past ten years, and ponies tend to just forget about those kinds of things," Rainbow Dash stated as a matter-of-factly.

"True," Sky Strike shrugged, "I guess everypony just moved on." He frowned, a lonely feeling creeping over his shoulders. He had thought he had gotten over it, but maybe it was just impossible. Rainbow Dash gave him a concerned expression, and he answered her with a warming smile.

"Time to get a waiter," Sky Strike stepped out from the booth. "I'm too hungry to wait any longer!"

Two blurs, one blue and one orange, suddenly shot through the restaurant, speeding right by Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash before scattering up the stairs, dashing right up into the VIP section. Sky Strike blinked, his rainbow mane now a rainbow-fro. He glanced back at Rainbow before he snickered, his daughter's hairstyle mimicking his own.

"Hey! Why are you laughing?" Rainbow Dash growled, "you look just like me!"

"Oh, sweetie..." Sky Strike wiped some gathering moisture underneath his eyes. "On the contrary... I look fabulous!"






Soarin and Spitfire took a relieving, fresh gulp of air. Even though they tried so hard to stay hidden, it was to no avail. They were recognized as soon as they stepped into the building, no doubt with help from their incredible fame and routine lunch-visits from their practice. Thankfully, the VIP section was mostly reserved for either the rich, famous, or high-ranking political ponies. It was completely off-limits to the normal ponies, and the burly pegasus-guards were going to be a big help with the growing crowd trying to make the upstairs journey.

"We should have figured this was useless..." Soarin shook his head. "We always think we'll trick them the next time." He looked over at Spitfire, who was strangely peering down the stairs.

"Uh, Spit?" Soarin frowned. "What's up?"

Spitfire shook her head, beating around senseless thoughts in her brain. "It's nothing. I just thought I saw something is all. Anyways, usual table?" Soarin nodded, and the two pegasi made their way over to their favorite spot in the restaurant.

The place they had officially claimed was a nice little two-seated table that sat in front of a large window in the corner of the room. At the right time of day they could overlook the beautiful city of Cloudsdale in a golden, glorious cloak of sunshine that cascaded down from Celestia's sun. Watching the everyday ponies go about their lives gave them a strange sense of peace, and it was one of few places where the renowned wonderbolts could relax.

"Man, it's a really nice day out." Soarin smiled, glancing through the placed menu on the table. "I'm glad we have today off. It seems that we've had practices on great weather, but the weather team always schedules rain on our off-days."

"No kiddin'." Spitfire huffed, flipping through her own menu. "Actually, speaking of news, did you hear about the strange storm over Ponyville?"

"Strange storm?" Soarin asked absentmindedly, his eyes thoroughly scanning the names of apple-pie. "What, did the weather team lose control or something? Hard to belief since Rainbow Dash is in charge there. With skills like those, I'm surprised that she hasn't tried to join up with us yet."

"She would definitely make a great asset to the team," Spitfire said, plopping down the menu onto the table. "But that's besides the point. I heard it was a sudden, spontaneous thunderstorm... sort of like a magical essence storm." She looked hard into Soarin's widening eyes. "Sort of like what happened ten years ago."

Soarin sighed, setting the small booklet onto the table. "Spitfire, I know how you feel, but you've got to let this go. We all have regrets, and I keep saying this over and over, but you're letting it really drag you down."

Spitfire glared, her ears twitching in irritation. "And I keep telling you, Soarin, that there's good reason for that. But you know how unpredictable these magical essence things are- we took that same class together. They're unpredictable, and anything could happen. Like what if he's still out there, somewhere? What if he's trapped, screaming for help? What if he's-"

"Been dead for ten years?" Soarin frowned, quickly shutting up his childhood friend. "Look, Spit... I'd like to believe it as much as you, but the reality is that he's gone. We've gone ten years without him, and we've been just fine. I don't know what's gotten into you recently, but you have done nothing but bring him up any chance you could for the past few weeks. Ten years, Spitfire. Ten. Years." 

"Yeah, yeah..." Spitfire waved it off, her eyes casting down onto the table. "I'm sorry, Soarin. You're right... it's just that I've been getting this really strange feeling recently, and it's been bugging the heck out of me. It's probably nothing, but I'm having just a hard time shaking it." She sighed, laying her head down onto the cold surface of the table. "Maybe I've just been tired, lately..."

"Maybe." Soarin added, his eyes looking to the streets of Cloudsdale. His eye caught a small family of ponies laughing and playing on the streets, and a small smile crept up onto his lips.

"Hey..." He started, "do you... do you think I'd make a good father?"

"Hm?" Spitfire blinked, looking up from the table. "Where did that come from?"

"Nothing in particular." He replied, leaning over to the window to watch the family disappear on the corner of the street. "It's just a thought, you know? We've never really had good parents, so how would I know how to start? Well, Sky Strike was definitely the closest thing I had to a father."

"And you complain that I bring him up too often." A playful smile graced Spitfire's lips. "But anyway, I think you'd make a good father. Well, you'll probably panic the first time you try and change diapers, but I think you can definitely do it."

Heavy hoofsteps and sharp clanking metal noises quickly interrupted their conversation. A group of armored pegasi were making their way by the two wonderbolts, their eyes casting stern gazes in front without even looking over at the two celebrity flyers. 

"Well, it looks like the Colonel made some time to stop by during work." Soarin whispered to Spitfire, his eyes spotting a distinctive pony lost in the sea of soldiers. The pony's body was completely encased in shimmering crimson armor, an intimidating helmet hiding its face within. Everypony knew it was the Colonel. There was nopony but him who would wear such armor, and he would always travel with a small platoon of troops.

"Man, talk about wearing protection." Spitfire whispered back, snickering. Soarin couldn't help but grin at his friend's joke, watching the small parade of soldiers stomp their way downstairs. There were a few yells from the crowd that had been building at the base of the steps, but they were probably being easily shoved away by the guards.

"Geez... it's been almost a decade since he took that position, and I've never seen him out in the open by himself." Soarin frowned, glancing over at Spitfire. "What about you?"

"Same." Spitfire shrugged, casting her eyes out towards the window. "I only hear scary things about him. Like, he completely froze a company of soldiers with just a glance."

"That's pretty scary." Soarin nodded, grimacing at the things he had also heard. "I wonder what his problem is."

There was a loud shout that echoed from the first floor along with banging that lightly shook in the floor beneath the two wonderbolts. Before they could even blink, they heard the sound of breaking wood, and multiple blurs fired past the large window that they were seated right next to, causing the two wonderbolts to jump in immediate shock.

"Um..." Spitfire blinked, the menu flopping onto the floor from her jerk of surprise. "What just..."

"I don't know," Soarin shrugged, quickly recovering and sitting up in his seat."But what I do know, is that I've been here for around ten minutes, and I still haven't gotten my pie."







"So I was saying," Sky Strike started, taking a small nibble at his piece of pie. "That when somepony says to fly with your heart and to forget about the technicalities, that makes no sense. Technicality and passion go hoof in hoof. If you're able to pull of more moves with more finesse and finer ability, you're able to express even more of your emotions and soul when in the air. You listening to me, Dashie? This is very important stuff." He licked his lips clean, raising an eye at his daughter. 

Rainbow Dash groaned, rubbing her head while taking a small sip out of a straw. "Flying is easier when you're actually doing it when talking about it..." She grumbled, looking down at her half-finished pie meal. "I love flying just as much as you, dad, but when you're not doing it you're talking about it all the time!"

"I'm surprised you don't! From what I hear, it's either napping or some popular book series that I've heard you've read multiple times over." Sky Strike smirked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "You're my daughter! Flying is in your blood, bones, wings, mane, spleen, everything! You should be preaching it to everypony and all ponies who dare cross your path!"

"Whatever..." She rolled her eyes. A small commotion suddenly caught their attention, scattering a few of the ponies that were pushing to get up the stairs. A small group of armored ponies practically blasted through, knocking fans and paparazzi aside. Rainbow Dash frowned, chewing slowly on her pie.

"Well, that wasn't very nice." She swallowed, wiping her lips with her hoof. "Last time I checked, guards were paid to help people, not shove them to the side!"

"Not all of them are like that... but why are they here?" Sky Strike frowned, "is this some sort of special military routine or something?" Suddenly, the flash of crimson armor caught his eye, and he felt something lift in his chest.

"Dad?" Rainbow Dash blinked, seeing her father's eyes widen like dinner plates. His wings readied themselves at his sides, his ears flickering excitedly.

"That's him..." He stated, standing up from his seat. "That's the Colonel! That's Fluttershy's father!"

"What?" Rainbow Dash blinked, her own eyes widening. "Seriously?" He pointed his hoof and she followed it, spotting the crimson-armored stallion directly in the middle of the mob of guards. 

"Hey... didn't you say he wasn't ferocious?" Dash inquired, looking at the Colonel with doubt in her eyes. "It's kind of hard to look kind and cuddly when you're completely decked out in three inch iron plates."

"That's him, alright..." Sky Strike smirked. "I'd recognize that shyness anywhere!" Before Dash could protest, he charged out of his seat, his wings launching him at the mob of heavily-armed soldiers.

"Wulfwind!" Sky Strike screeched, "It's me! Sky Strike!"

It happened all so fast that even Rainbow Dash had a hard time catching it.

The Colonel glanced over, hearing Sky Strike's shouts. It appeared that he was quickly shocked, and he barked out a quick order to the guards surrounding him. The troops quickly went into action, rushing to form a single line with their shields acting as a thick, impenetrable wall while the Colonel dashed out from the building. However, they weren't expecting Sky Strike's sudden burst of speed, and he quickly knocked them each aside before they could get into position. The Colonel was out of the door by then, but so was Sky Strike who was hot on his tail.

Rainbow Dash growled, slamming a few bits onto the table. "It's on me!" She yelled in anger, her wings sprouting to take flight. In a split second she was out, pulling up close behind the two speeding pegasi.

The two blue blurs chased the crimson streak over the streets, weaving and dodging all incoming pegasi traffic. They crossed over the streets, dashed through crowds, and through almost impossibly small alleyways. The Colonel, although clad in his bulky, clunky armor, was able to maneuver himself surprisingly well. But Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash were still more than enough, keeping up with him every step of the way.

"Wulfwind!" Sky Strike called out loudly, his mane whipping back from the rush of air. "It's me, Sky Strike! Your best friend, remember?!"

"Silence, you fiendish spirit!"  The Colonel answered back, his voice deep and menacing like his armor. "You shall not fool me, you shape-changing demon!"

"For Celestia's sake, man!" Sky Strike growled, "we haven't played ponies and castles in forever! This is no time for roleplay!" Taking in a deep breath, Sky Strike quickly accelerated, slamming his body into the armored soldier's shell. The Colonel quickly spun out of control, his body slamming into the cloud streets below. He bounced from the impact, spinning into an alleyway and in to a pair of trash cans.

Sky Strike landed perfectly on his hooves, his body a little wobbly from the impact. "Ouch..." He rubbed his side, wincing at the jumps of pain that flickered over his skin. "Maybe tackling wasn't the best idea...." The alley way was sealed off from the other end, leaving the Colonel trapped. Rainbow landed behind her father a second later, watching the armored guard cautiously.

The Colonel was sitting back on his haunches, his head still spinning from the rough landing. He eventually shook it out and stood up defiantly, his chest puffing out for intimidation.

"Nice try, evil spawn..." The Colonel growled. "But it is no use. You will be defeated here today, but I will stand victorious over your smoldering corpse!" His voice rumbled with anger, the power in his voice sending a slithering chill over Rainbow Dash's spine.

"U-Um, dad?" Rainbow Dash blinked. "Are you sure this is a good idea?..."

'It's worse than I thought." Sky Strike murmured, taking a small step back. "He's completely lost it. He either thinks I'm some sort of demonic ghost or a changeling... "

"Dad?" Dash asked in a whisper, watching the Colonel's wings spread out in fury, his breathing sounding vicious and beastly. 

"It's been a long time, Wulfwind." Sky Strike smiled. "Sorry that it's been a while. Something happened, so I've kinda been gone for a long time..."

"Silence!" The Colonel growled, digging his hoof into the cloud pavement. "Your words mean nothing!"

Sky Strike gave the Colonel a sad smile and took a single step forward. "I hurt a lot of people by disappearing, Wulfwind. My wife... my daughter... Apple Marston, too. But you took the worst of it, didn't you? After all, we have been best friends since the first day of school, remember?"

The Colonel remained silent but stayed on edge, his body rising with each breath he thrust into his lungs.

"We were inseparable, huh?" Sky Strike smiled, taking another small step. "Even when we got married we got together as much as we could. Well, it was always at your house. You were always terrified of the outside world, weren't you? But that's what I was there for, right? I was your shield, Wulfwind. I was your shield... and you the one that held all my secrets. You were the one I could always talk to."

The Colonel took a single step back.

"I'd talk to you about lots of things, huh?" Sky Strike smiled sadly. "Like how I was worried about Dash's future, or about how if I made the right choice to become a father. But you were the one that always broke my doubts, Wulfwind. You always told me I made the best choice... you were the one that kept me going. Remember when we were younger, when the other ponies would always tease you? They'd always say you would be nothing without me, but that wasn't true. Without you, I would have crumbled a long time ago, Wulfwind. Without you, I couldn't be me." 

"...Sky Strike..." The Colonel's words came out like a gentle whisper, catching the reins of the gentle breeze coursing through the alley.

"And then I left you, didn't I?" Sky Strike said, the volume of his voice dropping drastically. "I left you alone for ten years. Your shield was gone, so you needed to put on armor. You needed comfort to face the world around you... and I'm the one that made you face all of that. Lot's of things have changed over the past ten years... you became Colonel, my family moved on... and one of my closest friends had left, and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye." 

"Apple Marston..." The Colonel said softly, his body now far from tense.

"So please, Wulfwind...." Sky Strike took in a deep breath. "Please... right now, I need you more than ever. Please, Wulfwind... it's really me."

With a loud clank, the crimson helmet fell to the ground.

Rainbow Dash's jaw practically hit the ground.

A beautiful, silver mane caught the gentle whisper of the wind, flowing brilliantly in the rays of the gorgeous sun. The pony's coat was a white that was even more polished than Rarity's, and it glimmered wondrously even in the small shadows of the alleyway. However, it wasn't the beauty of the stallion's mane or coat that had caused Dash so much shock...

"Uh, Dad..." She blinked. "If... if you ignore the colors, then..."

"Yup." Sky Strike nodded. "He looks exactly like Fluttershy."

"Sky Strike..." Wulfwind's eyes flowed freely with tears as he broke into a gallop, his forehooves stretching out preparing to give Sky Strike a tight, loving embrace.

"Yup." Sky Strike nodded again. "My best friend totally looks like a hot mare."






"I-I'm so sorry, Sky Strike..." Wulfwind murmured, twiddling his hooves above his desk. "E-Ever since ten years ago, I-I've had to create a whole new personality just to survive out there..." Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash were sitting in comfy padded chairs in Wulfwind's office, seated directly in front of the Colonel's desk.

"Yeah, I understand." Sky Strike nodded, giving his friend a big smile. "To be honest, I sort of expected something like this. You were always good at putting on different roles for yourself... I should have expected it would be the 'Crimson Knight' back from our days of playing Ponies and Castles. Though I have no idea how you made that armor."

Rainbow Dash repeatedly looked back and forth between Sky Strike and Wulfwind, still completely lost. "Wait," she started, "so the big bad Colonel was a role completely created by Wulfwind, and in truth he's actually a shy pansy with the body and face of his daughter who, at one point, was a model?..."

"Y-Yes, it's true." Wulfwind nodded nervously, his words coming out in true Fluttershy fashion. "I-I'm afraid of going out and m-meeting new ponies... t-the big scary stallions w-will sometimes hit on me, thinking I'm a m-mare..."

"Huh..." Rainbow Dash clicked her tongue. "Wow. You actually are worse than Fluttershy."

"Tell me about it." Sky Strike playfully rolled his eyes with a smile. "When his daughter was born, I had to force him into the same room to see her. He was so shy about meeting her for the first time that he passed out half a dozen times."

"I-It was a full dozen, actually..." Wulfwind cleared his throat, "s-so, anyways, let me get this straight. Ten years ago, in that strange storm, you were either transported here through time, or you were somehow kept away for all that time and was just finally released?"

"Something like that." Sky Strike nodded. "I don't really know for sure, and I'll probably never know. But what happened happened, and now I'm just trying to fix up everything. I've managed to help patch things up with Dashie here, and I came by to see you right away. I want to let everybody know who was close to me that I'm back. And back for good."

"And I'm guessing this includes Starlight, correct?" Wulfwind asked. Rainbow Dash grumbled, turning her head away in frustration. Sky Strike sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.

"Yeah... and I've heard the whole thing from Dash." Sky Strike winced at the thought. "So she's living in a comfortable mansion in Canterlot with ole' Wolfgang, huh?"

"I'm sorry..." Wulfwind said softly. "I can't imagine how that feels..."

Sky Strike smiled sadly. "Well, it definitely hurts. One minute, she was my entire world, and the next, she's somebody else's. Not only that, but she has her own kids, and has gotten her dream job. I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't even see her, you know? All I'd do is bring back the past... and in her case, that's best left forgotten." The room went silent, with each pony staring quietly at the floor. 

Dash glanced up at her father, the sad glimmer in his eyes wrenching her heart. She didn't want to be anywhere near her mother. But for her father, that was obviously a different story. Truth be told, she didn't even know what to do. She wanted to be away from her mother, but... she wanted him to be happy. Dash silently groaned in frustration, rubbing her forehead with her hoof. Why was life so complicated?

Wulfwind was the first to break the silence. "No." He shook his head. "You're here now. Even if she has a new life, you still need to go see her. If you still truly love her, that's the right thing to do. If you don't, you'll just regret it later."

"But... what about her new family?" Sky Strike asked. "Wouldn't I be intruding?..."

"As far as I'm concerned, you and Rainbow Dash were there first." Wulfwind smiled softly. "All in all, you're still family. Besides, I can tell that every fiber in your being wants to go see her."

Sky Strike's mood lifted, and he gave his friend a knowing smile. "Like always, you're right." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm glad I came to see you first. How is it that you always know what to say to make me jump right back in?"

"Because I know you, Sky Strike." Wulfwind smiled. "It's been a long time since I've been able to talk with somepony like this... ever since you left and Apple Marston passed away, I've been having a hard time." He sighed, running his hooves through his beautiful silver mane. "I was starting to forget who I was... the strong, imposing Crimson Knight, or the shy, terrified Wulfwind. But seeing you again made me remember that I'm both those things. We're both responsible for making each other the way we are, really." Sky Strike and Wulfwind chuckled at one another, a warm aura seeping into the atmosphere.

"Geez, why don't you two just kiss already." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Sky Strike playfully punched her, giving out a little laugh.

"So why don't you two stay the night at my place?" Wulfwind asked. "You plan on making it to the Wonderbolt Anniversary in Canterlot, right? That's not until tomorrow, and if you two fly at a fast pace, you'll make it there rather quickly. You're probably a little eager to meet Spitifre and Soarin, huh?"

"A little?" Sky Strike smirked. "I can't wait to see their show. Last time I saw them, they were just getting good at synchronized flying. Now that they're captain and vice-captain of the most esteemed flying team in Equestria, I imagine that their skills are probably through the roof. I'm sure that they surpassed me by far, now."

"They're definitely some of the best." Wulfwind smiled, looking over at Rainbow Dash. "W-Well, at least for now. When your daughter takes the stage, I'm sure that she'll be the next biggest flyer for generations. I heard at the best young fliers competition, she even performed the s-"

Rainbow Dash coughed loudly, quickly interrupting Wulfwind. "A-Anyways, you said something about staying at your place? Man, I could use a nice long nap right now!"

Sky Strike and Wulfwind looked at each other and shrugged, giving one another a small grin. "Sure thing, kiddo." Sky Strike chuckled, reaching over and ruffling his daughter's mane. "The little princess needs her beauty sleep, huh?"

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash puffed, eliciting a loud laugh from the two stallions.








"That was so good!" Soarin burped, sitting back in his seat. He padded his stomach, happily groaning at how full he was. "This place never ceases to amaze me!"

Spitfire, on the other hoof, was deep in thought, staring mindlessly outside the window. "Yeah, seriously." She said without thinking, her brain elsewhere.

Soarin frowned. "Hey," he started, "your mind better be on the show tomorrow. It's one of the most important shows we're ever going to fly, you know. Both the princesses will be there along with half of the city! I heard that diplomats from Saddle Arabia are also attending, so we gotta show them what's what!"

"Yeah, great." Spitfire added. "Saddle Arabia. Whoo."

"Um, Spit? You feeling okay?" Soarin asked, his voice dripping with concern.

"Yeah..." She said quietly. "But that feeling I told you about? That really strange one? Well, it's really acting up right now, and I'm a little worried."

"Well I don't think you should worry too much about anything. Everything seems to be fine right now. The big show is tomorrow, it'll be back in Canterlot, and our team is in top shape. What could possibly go wrong, Spit?"

"...I don't know." She shook her head. "I... I guess I am freaking out a little too much here. You're probably right.. everything is going to be okay."

Soarin smiled, but he couldn't stop the small nagging feeling in the back of his head. 

Something was definitely going to happen.

	
> Surprising Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Wonderbolts! Wonderbolts! Wonderbolts!"

Spitfire had done it hundreds of times... may be even thousands of times. And it had always been like this. The roaring of the crowd, their beating hooves that sent powerful tremors rippling throughout the stadium, and the long tunnel that lead to the heart of the show. It was always dark, and the muffled screams of the crowd echoed rambunctiously in its hollowed body. Like Soarin, she had experienced it more times than anypony else on the team. They were the veterans, the leaders, and the best flyers on the whole time. 

And just like the last time and the time before that, her heart pounded in her chest, and her spine constantly tingled with chills of excitement and anxiety. The blue uniform that snugly fit over her athletic body covered her nervous sweat, but her eyes remained focused and determined. She took in a deep breath, feeling the building anticipation coursing through her veins. For her, this feeling was what it was like to be a wonderbolt... the only kind of excitement one could get from being seen by thousands of eyes and the princesses themselves.

She briefly glanced over to her right. Soarin stood firm and still, his eyes forward. Physically, he seemed fine, but he was going through the exact same thing. She took a moment to look around at the others. Misty was looking a little nervous, and was quietly pepping herself up. Fleetfoot and Rapidfire paced back and forth, staring silently at the floor. The rookies of the team were letting out slow and easy breaths, and the other wonderbolts were shuffling around anxiously, their wings twitching. The only two with their eyes focused on the light at the end of the tunnel was her and Soarin. The thought made her chuckle, and she ran a hoof over her spiked up mane. 

"You nervous at all, Soarin?" she asked him, watching a smirk curve the stallion's lips.

"Are you?" Soarin asked back, watching her mimic his exact grin. 

The feeling was mutual. They didn't even have to ask.

"And now, ladies and gentlecolts, the moment you have all been waiting for!"

"Here it comes!" Spitfire shouted, going into full captain mode. Her eyes sparked with a blazing passion, her muscles tensing in the moment. All the wonderbolts got into their positions, moving into two lines in front of Soarin and Spitfire. The noises and rumblings from the crowd had grown to staggering amounts, their hooves beating into the stadium floor in sync and causing gentle tremors to ripple the ground.

"Just like we all practiced, wonderbolts!" Spitfire shouted, aiming her words to fellow fliers. "You all know the drill! Stick with the plan, and we'll leave both the princesses asking for our autographs!"

"Yes captain!" They all barked back at her. The two captains shared a knowing smile and nodded at one another, their wings spreading out to their sides. Loud, energetic music had started playing, but it was no match for the incredible cheering and yelling.

"Everypony give it up for... Misty and Fleetfoot!" The two wonderbolts in front shared a hoofbump before launching down the hallway like two rockets, disappearing into the brilliance of the sunlight at the end of the tunnel.

The announcer continued to list off the wonderbolts two by two, launching the wonderbolts out with his every sentence. Spitfire and Soarin watched them calmly, the anticipation building more and more as each moment passed. Soon, it was just them standing side by side.

"Like always, it's just us two." Spitfire smiled, hearing the awe and amazement of the crowd already. No doubt that the other wonderbolts were still busy doing their improvised flying introductions. Soarin smirked, his eyes completely focused at the end of the tunnel.

"Just us two?" he asked with a grin. "What do you mean?"

"And now, introducing the captain and vice-captain of the team..."

Spitfire blinked in confusion, glancing around the tunnel. "Well, I don't see anypony else in here. Are you so nervous you forgot?" The smile remained on her face, expecting a comedic rebuke of some kind.

"The two wonderbolts who have led the team even farther than we could have ever imagined..."

Soarin chuckled, sliding the goggles down to cover his eyes. "No, Spit. Have you forgotten?" It took her a moment, but then she chuckled, shaking her head. 

"Right." She smirked, straightening her pose. 

"Mares and gentlecolts... I am proud to bring you the two greatest fliers in all of Equestria..." Their

"There's always been three." They both said together in unison.

"Spitfire... and Soarin!"

With mirroring smiles, the two wonderbolts fired down the dark hallway, the rippling air kicking back their manes and tails. The light at the end of the tunnel only grew bigger and brighter, and the cheering only got louder and louder. When the reached the end of the hallway, the burst of line and sound instantly hit them. But the two veteran wonderbolts only shrugged it off, firing off at a staggering speed towards the bright blue sky, corkscrewing around each other like they had done so many times before. 

Yes... Spitfire smiled, closing her eyes. 

This is what it's like to be a wonderbolt!

The rest of the wonderbolts suddenly came from around them, circling the two captains as they soared higher and higher towards the sun. They then shot off in all directions, magical fireworks exploding in the sky at the exact moment they dispersed. The crowd went insane, their cheering the loudest it's ever been. Both Spitfire and Soarin basked in the noise and sunshine, their life absorbing everything to its fullest.

They both looked at one another.

And took it on from there.







Hours before the show...

Rainbow Dash yawned, staggering out of the room in Wulfwind's home. After the small chase in the city yesterday, Wulfind took both her and her father back to his home. Which happened to be a multi-floored mansion that had been owned by his family for generations and generations. She rubbed at her eyes and started down the long, long hallway with the morning sunshine peering out from the windows. Her stomach growled, and a sudden craving for daisy sandwiches filled up her brain.

She passed numerous giant paintings and uncountable antique decorations before coming up to the ridiculously large dining room door. She heard a few voices and suddenly paused, her hoof just an inch away from the door knob. She recognized both Sky Strike and Wulfwind talking.

"Still?" She frowned to herself. She had stayed up with the two for a long time, and both friends would just not stop talking for the entire night. Either they slept for a short while, or they had stayed up for the entire time.

"...you sure that will be okay?" Sky Strike asked nervously. "The more I keep thinking about this, the more it unnerves me..."

"Sky Strike, you've been saying that all night. I know you're nervous, and you're going to continue to be until you see her. Earlier you told me that you were going to see her no matter what." Wulfwind answered him back quite sternly.

"...You're right..." Sky Strike sighed. "But how should I do it? Should I just knock on the door of her mansion? Catch her when she's done with her after her job?"

"It probably shouldn't be in public." Wulfwind responded. "And make sure that it isn't... you have a strange way of making flashy entrances when there doesn't need to be."

They both laughed, with Rainbow Dash lightly chuckling. "Now that's true." She said quietly to herself, reaching to grab the doorknob.

"But first, you're seeing the Wonderbolts, right?" Wulfwind asked cheerfully. Rainbow Dash stopped her hoof once again.

"That's the plan," Sky Strike answered, "I'm sure that'll be incredible! I just can't believe how famous they are! Sonic Speed is a household name, but those two are in almost every magazine I've seen!"

"Oh, you should have seen them when they started! They took the entire team by storm when they were just rookies, and they quickly became the highlights of every show. They flew with Sonic Speed in his retiring year, and even he said that they were setting the bar for the next generation wonderbolts."

"I can't wait to see them," Sky Strike laughed. "Setting the bar, huh? Well, just wait untill Rainbow Dash gets in. As soon as she does, she'll be breaking all the records."

"Your daughter really is incredible. Not only as a flier, but as an element of harmony who saved Equestria. Many times over, I might add."

"Your daughter and my daughter both, Wulfwind." Sky Strike replied with a light laugh. Smiling, Rainbow Dash grabbed the door knob and opened the door. Sky Strike and Wulfwind were seated at a small table in the middle of the large dining room. Rainbow quickly caught their attention when she entered and waved her over.

"Morning, kiddo." Sky Strike smiled, ruffling her mane when she sat down. "Sleep well?"

"As well as I could with you two talking all night." She yawned, rubbing her tired eyes with her hoof. "Have you two been up all night?..."

"Nah, we slept for a few hours. We're used to operating on a few hours of sleep per day." Sky Strike smirked.

"You're used to it." Wulfwind huffed. "I'm ten years out of practice." He reached over and took a sip of coffee from his mug, setting it back down lightly onto the table. 

"Well you've loosened up a little," Rainbow Dash smiled, "I'll take the calm, gentle Wulfwind over the assertive, grouchy Colonel anyday!"

"The Colonel is really just an act." Wulfwind explained, clearing his throat. "If I'm normally not stern, stubborn, and aggressive, I have to fake it. For a while I was forgetting who I was, and Fluttershy stopped coming to visit because of it." He sighed, running his hoof over his soft, perfect mane. "Even today, I curse these looks of mine... if I take one step outside, the next stallion that sees me quickly assumes that I'm some sort of mare model. So I have to be a terrifying, nasty military officer just to give myself a breather."

"You know, there's still better ways to go about it." Sky Strike shook his head. "I'd hate to leave just for you to revert back to that."

"Believe it or not, the Equestrian military is filled with ambitious political figures." Wulfwind began, taking another sip from his mug. "If I show a sign of weakness, they'll surely go on the attack. But those are my problems, Sky Strike. In my eyes, yours are definitely more important."

"Right..." Sky Strike grumbled, running a hoof through his mane. "Patching things up with Starlight isn't going to be easy..." 

"We've only been over that a thousand times, Sky Strike." Wulfwind said quietly, staring down at the coffee in his hoof. "But you should be fine. You always deal with problems head on and find someway to fix them."

"Well, I can't fix this one. I'm just going to learn to live with it." Sky Strike sighed, casting his eyes over at his daughter. Rainbow Dash yawned, her bed-mane splitting off into multiple directions. He cracked a small smile and reached a hoof over to ruffle it. 

"Anyways, the two of us are gonna have to head off soon. I'd like to be a little early to the wonderbolts show." Sky Strike grinned, his heart already thumping with anticipation. 

"...Can we have breakfast first?" Rainbow Dash, her gurgling stomach becoming unbearable. "I don't think I can wait another minute." 

Wulfind and Sky Strike laughed, standing up from the table. "Sure, kiddo." Sky Strike chuckled. "Time to see what's been cookin'!"







"Hmmm..." Tesla Coil hummed quietly to himself. "It's still moving..." The stallion, bent over his desk, was observing a strange magical thermometer. The illuminating blue liquid didn't appear to be moving, but it's slow movement wouldn't escape the stallion's keen eyes. He frowned, pulling his face away and readjusting his glasses. He scratched his brown mane in confusion before jotting down a few more notes onto his journal. 

"Day 18, 9 am." He said outloud. "The magical essence concentration continues to fluctuate, but gradually rises in its instability. There has been no notable magical storm since day one, but the confusing nature of this strange phenomenon leaves me unable to predict the next occurrence." Tesla sighed, setting down his quill to rub his temples.

"What does this all mean?..." He breathed quietly, glancing over at the numerous magical devices spinning about on his desk. "It's obvious that magical essence is being thrown out of whack, but I have no idea why! I can measure it all I want, but if I don't know the source how am I suppose to find out how to fix it?" He groaned, letting his head drop down onto the table.

"Equestria could be rocked by the storm of the century by tomorrow... and we'll all be doomed because I'm too incompetent to figure out why..." He muttered quietly. "I'm the worst scientist ever..."

"Only if you keep that attitude." A slightly amused familiar voice called out from behind.

His eyes widened. "C-Celestia?!" He spun around in his chair, meeting face to face with the glorious princess herself. His surprise caused him to slam his knee into the table, knocking over all of his delicate magical devices onto the dirtied, cemented floor below. 

"Uh..." He stammered, quickly scampering to the floor to scoop up all the pieces. "Y-Your highness! You should have s-sent word that you would be here... I-I would have p-prepared for-"

"That's alright, Tesla." She smiled, her gleaming grin showering him with a ray of comfort. "I didn't mean to startle you." She peaked around, looking over his dim, dusty room. It was barely big enough for two ponies, not to mention an alicorn of her size. The room had only one small window, a desk, a single chair, and an old dusty clock. The cement floor was cracked in numerous places, and the air was stale and dry.

"Was this really the only room they had for you?" She frowned, tapping her hoof to the floor to watch a small cloud of dust appear and dissipate. 

"I-It's understandable..." Tesla Coil nodded, dropping a hoof-full of his broken devices onto the desk. "I-I really haven't done much for pony society... all I've done is lock myself in here to work on my failing experiments."

Celestia smiled once more and shook her head. "Tesla, you're doing more than those rich old coots ever did. You're actually trying to help Equestria. All they did is sit around in comfy chairs, sip tea, and talk about how to do it. You're taking action, and you have my eternal gratitude." Tesla's cheeks igniting into a burning read and he coughed, adjusting awkwardly in his chair.

"T-Thank you, Princess..." He said quietly, averting his eyes. "A-Anyways, why have you come down to see me? Has it something to do with the scientific conference?"	

"That's exactly why." Celestia replied, giving him a slight nod. "It took a bit of effort, but I managed to make them schedule a conference in exactly one week."

"O-One week?!" Tesla's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. "D-Don't they know how seriously this could be?! Equestria could be rattled with something horrible by the time a week as gone by!... Wait..." A sudden thought crossed his mind, making his eyes widen even more. "One week may not be enough time... I haven't even find out why the magical essence is suddenly unstable... how am I supposed to find the source within one week?! There's no way I can convince them! But... but maybe by then Equestria will be ruined! T-There could be some sort of powerful earthquake that knocks Canterlot off of the mountain... but even by then, I wouldn't be able to figure out what's happening and-"

"Tesla." Princess stating firmly, instantly quieting the scientist. "Please calm down. Panicking will not help the situation at all."

"Y-You're right..." Tesla nodded, looking down at his hooves. "Thanks..." He took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Do you think we could convince them to look into it? I don't think I could do it by myself."

"I'm one step ahead of you." Celestia gave him a smile, lightly setting her hoof onto his shoulder. "I sent a letter to my brilliant, prized pupil, Twilight Sparkle to help you with this. I'm sure that you two can come up with something in time."

"Twilight Sparkle?" Tesla Coil glanced up. "Is she as intelligent as you say she is?"

"You almost couldn't measure it." Celestia chuckled, "she loves science and theories just as much as you do. And just to add some comfort, both Luna and I will be present at the conference. My sister understands this grave occurrence as she too can detect it's subtleties."

"Thanks, Celestia." He gave her a small nod and a smile. "And... well, if you don't mind me asking, why are you putting so much faith in me? For all we know, I could be dead wrong and Equestria could be safe."

Celestia smiled, turning her gaze out of the small window in his lab. Although it was small, it had a beautiful view of the University's garden's that just glimmered in the morning sun. Students were either studying with their backs to the trees, laughing with their friends, or snuggling up to their loved ones. "You have a great mind, but also a big heart, Tesla. I've seen many ponies just like you throughout the years... chasing their firm beliefs but ultimately failing because they were either "too young" or "too naive". You believe with every fiber of your being that Equestria is in danger, and you want to do whatever you can to save it. And if you want to save it that much, why would I ever stop you?" 

She gave him another warm smile. "If you're wrong, I wouldn't think differently of you, Tesla. All I would see is a beautiful, caring stallion that would give it his all to save this country."

Tesla rubbed the back of his neck, bowing his head humbly. "T-Then I guess we should both hope desperately that I'm wrong, huh?"






With the sun still rising high in the sky, Rainbow Dash and Sky Strike were in flight. They shot through the air like two bullets, darting through the clouds with the wind on their backs. Not too long ago they had said their goodbyes to Wulfwind, leaving Cloudsdale to head for the Wonderbolt Anniversary Show in Canterlot. They took off quickly into the air, flying at an almost unfathomable speed. Now they were closing in on the city that sat on the mountainside fast.

"Wonderbolts formation A!" Sky Strike barked out, his mane whipping against his face. "Twin sonic cyclones maneuver!" 

"Easy!" Dash grinned, following the lead of her father without missing a beat. On their way to Canterlot, the two decided to pass the travel time by engaging in special wonderbolt maneuvers. It gave them some exercise, entertainment, and some practice for their flight stunts. Rainbow Dash and Sky Strike quickly sped in two circles, spinning about each other while performing acrobatic rolls and dives wing-to-wing. Dash never fell behind or sped ahead of her father, and she always reacted on time and followed up with identical moves.

"Wow, Dash!" Sky Strike exclaimed with a big smile having just finished a massive stunt with his daughter. "We're pretty good wing-ponies, huh?"

"Are you kidding? We're the best!" Rainbow Dash grinned widely, spinning around her father. "We haven't been flying together that long, and already we can pull off some high-class stuff! There are only a hoof-full of pegasi that can keep up with me!"

Sky Strike couldn't help but smirk in response. "I don't think you're quite right... there are only a hoof-full of pegasi that can keep up with me." Sky Strike suddenly cut in front of Rainbow Dash, giving her face a playful whip of his tail. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with a grin and quickly caught up to her father with ease, once again flying side by side with him.

"We're getting close!" He exclaimed. "I can smell boring politics and sophisticated tea parties from here! And also, I can kinda see it!" The mountain that Canterlot was built upon was coming up fast in the distance, and both pegasi could easily pick out the castle's grand, regal towers. 

With destination in sight, Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash quickly descended, speeding away to the great city.








"... Wow..." Sky Strike gaped in awe, his head turning left and right. Mobs and mobs of ponies were on their way to the stadium, both in the air and on the ground. It was still more than an hour before the show started and already the masses were on the move! 

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eye. Both father and daughter were hovering gently through the air, forcing themselves to slow down to avoid any small accidents. 

"Soarin and Spitfire have really done it, huh?" Sky Strike smiled, beaming with pride. "I'm sure drawing big crowds like this is nothing to them! Although it's not hard for me to believe that they made it, I'm still amazed that this many ponies are coming to see them perform. It's just mind-boggling!"

"Oh, come on!" Dash rolled her eyes, swiftly moving behind her father. "Let's go! We have to get there early enough to get some good seats!" Placing her hooves onto her father's back, Dash roughly shoved him forward. Sky Strike couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's impatience, his wings flapping rhythmically in the air. 

Eventually, the two pegasi finally made it to the stadium entrance, landing softly on their hooves in front of the gates. "So, this show is free of charge, eh?" He smiled, his wings batting lightly at his sides to fluff out his feathers. "That's good. There's no way I would have had enough bits to get a front row seat." 

"Well come on then!" Rainbow Dash nudged her father, her hooves clopping on the surface of the cloud. "The seats are gonna fill up quick, and I gotta get up front!" Sky Strike smirked, quickly moving alongside his daughter right through the gates. Glancing left and right, Sky Strike noticed the changes that had been made over the years. There were far more Wonderbolts products than he remembered, the gift shop almost as twice as big as it had been before. The food stands were all in the same place, but their menus looked much bigger.

"Hmm... " Sky Strike sniffed the air, catching more pie aromas than usual. "Must be Soarin's idea." He rolled his eyes with a smirk.

Soon they entered the bright hallway that led to the inside of the stadium, the crowd roughly shoving to the left and right. But finally, they emerged into the stands, and each of them caught an eyeful of its massiveness. The familiarity brought Sky Strike a glance, and he simply shook it off with a smile. Although he noticed more seats than usual, nothing else had changed. It was still as impressive as ever, the nostalgia sinking into his body. Even though he had been here dozens or perhaps even hundreds of times, Sky Strike could still feel that shiver of anticipation that coursed down his spine, perhaps it was even stronger than usual.

"So Soarin and Spitfire really fly here, huh?" Sky Strike laughed quietly. "Just... wow." The two pegasi shoved their way through the crowd until they managed to get into the front section, plopping down right onto one of the sides. Both Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash's experience had told them that this was the perfect spot to catch the action. 

"Alrighty!" Sky Strike exclaimed, his body twitching with excitement. "We've got the perfect seats, and now all we have to do is wait!"

"All we have to do?!" Rainbow whined, running her hooves through her mane. "Waiting is the hardest part! We got here so early, and the show starts in more than an hour!"

"Patience, kiddo!" Sky Strike laughed loudly, reaching his hoof over to ruffle her mane. "Waiting is fine. Besides, I get to have a little quality time with my Dashie. And I know all the time we've spent together so far has not even gotten close to make up for the fact that I've been gone for ten years."

"Yeah... " Rainbow Dash mumbled in response, her smile faltering. "I have no idea how mom is gonna react to this whole thing... "

"Probably not well." Sky Strike sighed, brushing one of his hooves through his mane. "I've been giving a lot of thought on that... your mother has never been good at surprises. I'm imagining a lot of yelling, and perhaps the flying of horseshoes in my general direction." Sky Strike gave out a small laugh before shaking his head.  

"But you better not forget, Dash." Sky Strike smiled, giving his daughter a light, playful punch to the shoulder. "No matter what happens, your mother will always be your mother, and I will always be your father.  We'll always be a family, Dashie, and nothing will ever change that." 

"Yeah, yeah... " Dash rolled her eyes playfully, smiling before returning the punch, giving his shoulder a little more force. "Geez dad, lay off the cheesiness! You've been overdoing it like crazy for the past couple of days!" Sky Strike let out a little yelp before grinning, reaching his hoof over to rub his sore joint. 

"Hey, now! I don't remember hitting you that hard!" Sky Strike quickly dropped his hoof onto her head, ruffling her mane once more. "Respect your elders, child! For my experience and greatness far exceeds your meager existence!" 

"Meager?!" Dash took that as a challenge, her eyes flashing at her father. "You did so not just go there!"

"I believe, young Rainbow Dash... " Sky Strike straightened, arching an eyebrow at his daughter. " ... I just did..."

As the father and daughter duo continued their little fun, the stadium was becoming more and more crowded by the minute. Soon, the front row was completely filled, and the middle section was already halfway full. For the pegasi, they were given the option to hover in a designated fly zone above the seats of the stadium, but they were restricted from entering a certain distance above or around the wonderbolt's performance area. 

The time that Rainbow Dash had spent with her father had passed rather quickly, and the hour ticked by. All of the seats in the stadium were full, and busy noises echoed through the air. 

"Attention, citizens of Equestria!" The stadium announcer stated in his loud, bold voice. "We welcome you to the annual Wonderbolt's Anniversary Flight Show!" The crowd, including Sky Strike and Rainbow Dash, burst into cheers, their hooves stomping on the stadium floors in excitement. Loud, powerful music boomed over the loudspeakers, adding more layers to the thrill.

"Omigosh, omigosh!" Rainbow Dash pranced up and down in her seat as the announcer continued. "Come on come on! Start the show already!" Sky Strike felt his heart beating wildly, his blood pulsing through his veins. He always felt this kind of excitement for the show, but this time it was solely for his two young students that had grown into fine fliers. He took a series of deep, slow breaths to calm himself to no avail, his wings twitching anxiously.

"And now," the announcer's voice boomed, "for your viewing pleasure, it's time to introduce your one and only... wonderbolts!" The crowd exploded in cheers once more, and a series of fireworks launched into the air and exploded in bright, glorious colors in shape of the wonderbolt's symbol.

"Our first two fliers maybe new, but they're fast as falcons with challenging skills! Everypony give it up for Misty and Fleetfoot! " The crowd roared wildly when the wonderbolts emerged from the tunnel below, a trail of thunder following in their wake. They flew in rapid, spiraling stunts, dropping the jaws of all those who watched. Sky Strike had never heard of Misty and Fleetfoot, but he could tell from just a glance that they were high-class fliers. Their speed was incredible, and their agility through their acrobatic cuts was astounding! 

"... The wonderbolts certainly haven't dropped off at all for the past ten years." Sky Strike smirked, watching the young fliers soar through the skies. "It wasn't like I was expecting them to be worse, but I'm still amazed!"

The announcer continued to address the following wonderbolts, listing their names off two by two. Each duo performed their own set of drills and stunts that matched their strengths whether it was speed, technique, or power. They always took a moment to soar over the entire stadium before flying in a circle above, waiting for the next two wonderbolts to be introduced. Soon, almost the entire flight was in the air, building the anticipation for the two favorites.

"And now... " The announcer's voice dropped as the music climbed excitedly, escalating with the exhilarated heartbeats of the crowd. "Introducing the captain and vice-captain of the team... " Sky Strike was trembling in his excitement, his ears flickering in anticipation.

"The two wonderbolts who have led the team even farther than we could have ever imagined..."

"Come on already!" Rainbow Dash cried out, beating her hooves impatiently against the floor. "We know, we know!" Sky Strike continued his anxious silence, the smile never leaving his face.

"Mares and gentlecolts... I bring you the two greatest fliers in all of Equestria... " 

"This is really happening." Sky Strike said quietly to himself. 

"Soarin and Spitfire!" 

The crowd went nuts.

Loud, powerful fireworks shot off into the air as an explosion of smoke completely engulfed the bottom of the stadium. The music boomed loudly over the loudspeakers when two speeding bullets shot forth into the sky. Their speed was nearly unfathomable, and it took truly skilled eyes to see all the small intricate details they were putting into their performance. Looking like nothing but blurs, the two wonderbolts shot off all over the stadium, leaving trails of quaking thunder in their wake. They broke off from each other suddenly, each diving into a mix of dynamic rolls, spins, and loops before joining back together side by side in perfect synchronization. When they hit the end of their intro performance, the two wonderbolts parted once more and sailed over the crowd of the stadium, joining together and rising into the skies. They broke into a perfect stop, giving everypony in the stands a full view of their stars. Some in the crowd were muted in awe while the other cheered crazily, almost foaming at the mouth.

"Holy... " Even Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, blinking in disbelief. "That... was... so... AWESOME! Dad, can you believe-" Dash turned to speak to her father, but the sight silenced her. Sky Strike was staring up at his two former students with the most incredible look on his face, tears streaming like a waterfall from his eyes down his cheeks. Not too long ago, he was coaching two young fliers who could barely float with knocking into each other... but here they were. Their flying was flawless, his experienced eyes picking out no waste of movement or energy. Their turns were unbelievable, their acceleration and deceleration awe-inspiring... not to mention their overwhelming confidence and ability. The old, bad habits that he had seen in their flying was gone, their personal flying styles polished like sparkling diamonds.

They were no longer the foolish, young orphans he had taken under his wing. They were wonderbolts. His wonderbolts. Sky Strike lifted a hoof to his eyes to desperate wipe away the tears, not wanting to take his gaze off for too long. He didn't dare blink in fear of missing their upcoming performance. Although they had undoubtedly performed their acrobats numerous times, for him this was the first. 

Messy, clutter thoughts ran through Rainbow's head while she stared at her father, her heart faltering slightly. The look of pride on her father's face... that was something she had never seen before. He had never given her those incredible eyes, that moving smile. To see her father this humbled, this awe-struck was confusing. Especially since it was for two particular fliers who weren't even his own children. Shaking those jealous thoughts from her head, Rainbow turned her attention to focus back on the show.

But she just couldn't let it go.

The show continued, and every moment of it was just as amazing as before. The wonderbolts flew in tight, incredible formations over the stadium, flying to different kinds of powerful music. With the sky as their canvas, the wonderbolts painted an incredible sight with their flying, their thundering clouds streaking behind them with every stunt and acrobatic.  Sky Strike's eyes never left them, focusing solely on the two leading fliers who's abilities far exceeded the others. Their skills had grown so much that Sky Strike couldn't even recognize even the smallest things he taught them, for they had taken it to a whole new level. The talent that he had seen in the two had either hit or was still climbing its peak, becoming a incredible mountain for millions to see for years to come.

And before he knew it, the show was over.

The finale was absolutely huge. Fireworks once again sparked around the sky, the almost deafening music blasting through the loudspeakers. Each wonderbolt had their moment to showcase their own techniques, and once again they were all flying to their own styles and strengths. Fleetfoot zoomed around cuts and spirals with her speed, Rapidfire exploded with his incredible acceleration, and so on and so forth. Finally, it was finally the two captain's turn, and they both hovered over to the middle of the flight field.

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash blinked. "I've seen their routines dozens of times, but this is new." Sky Strike gave his daughter a curious glance before shifting his attention back at the two wonderbolts hovering in the center.  Strangely, their routine started off rather simple. They swirled around one another in the air, gently and carefully picking up speed as they did so. Something like this was usually more of a practice than an actual stunt, but the two wouldn't do something like this for no reason.

"What are they doing?" Rainbow Dash asked, leaning in to study their strange pattern. Everypony in the crowd grew silent, each of them eagerly waiting to see what the two captains had in store for them. The two wonderbolts picked up in speed each time they passed each other. They went faster and faster, the size of their circle increasing with every moment. Soon, the power of their flying was felt within the crowd, their manes whipping about their faces as the gusts grew stronger and stronger.

Sky Strike blinked, lifting a hoof to shield himself from the strange, powerful wind. "Wait... " He mumbled to himself. "This can't be... " 

A certain memory had suddenly phased into his mind.

Soarin and Spitfire were lying respectively on their backs and bellies, huffing strenuously on the small clouds they were floating upon. Their fur was completely soaked in sweat, their muscles groaning and begging for them not to move. Their wings were lying like heaps off of their back, twitching from the soreness that had followed their workout. With her face in the cloud, Spitfire pressed her hooves onto its plushy surface in an attempt to try and stand herself up. Her legs gave way immediately, and she flopped face-down back onto the the cloud. Soarin made no attempt to move, plastered right onto his back.

Sky Strike hovered down to them, his front hooves crossing over one another. "What's wrong?" He smirked, cocking his head to the side. "You aren't telling me you're done already, are you?"

"The horror... " Soarin gasped out, reaching up one hoof for the sky before dropping it back down onto his belly. "The... horror... " 

"Can't... feel... my soul... " Spitfire grumbled into the cloud, her mane filled with sweat. Sky Strike chuckled, his wings flapping rhythmically to bring him down to the small cloud his students had decided would be their final resting place. 

"Oh, come on you two! You both had told me that you wanted to learn it." He brought his hoof to lightly poke Soarin in the stomach. The young male flyer yelped out in response, his body refusing to react properly. 

"But... this isn't practice... " Spitfire panted, managing to raise her head up. "This... this should be illegal... " 

"Hey!" Sky Strike chuckled, sitting down on his haunches between the two. "You shouldn't expect to be able to do it in one day. It's a Sky Strike class S technique! It's not something that you can easily do without working your bodies out to the limit. I had to go through the strain to develop it, and look how I turned out!" He flexed his wing muscles proudly, gazing up at the brilliant blue sky.

"Well... " Soarin grunted, forcing himself to sit up. A series of cracks danced up his back, and he yelled out again before he collapsed back down.

"What Soarin meant to say... " Spitfire groaned, forcing herself to look over at her teacher. "Was that... he wanted to... see you do it again... " 

"So, you two haven't had enough yet after all!" Sky Strike raised an eyebrow with a grin. "Very well, pay close attention! This technique is not only for show, but it's also a powerful weather-controlling technique! It requires perfect aerodynamics, wing control, high-class athleticism, and determination!" He drifted back up into the sky, looking down at his students with a wide smile on his face.

"Alright, this is how you perform the Omnidash version five!" 

Sky Strike couldn't believe his eyes, and neither could the crowd. The two wonderbolts picked up speed, the incredible gusts of wind that they had been letting loose were now forming a powerful tornado with dark, booming thunderclouds held within. The wind ravaged through the crowd viciously, but none of them let that stop them from watching the spectacle. Soon, the massive tornado began to somehow raise up into the air, lightning cackling within its vicious body. And then, in an incredible finale the tornado completely erupted into a massive, thundering explosion, shaking the walls of the massive stadium.  The wind from the soaring tornado blew into the faces of everypony watching, their manes and faces flapping comically from the impact.

And then there was silence.

Even the other wonderbolts were in shock, their jaws unhinged and hanging off of their faces. Some of their goggles had been blown off, falling into the stadium below. Soarin and Spitfire slowly descended from the height of the sky, their wings flapping nonchalantly with wide smiles plastered on their faces.

The stadium exploded in cheer, and everypony stomped their hooves with overwhelming approval. Next to him, Rainbow Dash screamed her lungs out, but he couldn't quite hear what she was saying. He could only stare blankly at the two wonderbolts flying in the center of the stadium, his jaw on the floor.

"They did it... " Sky Strike whispered to himself, his mane made wild by the powerful gust. "They actually did it... no, they did it better than I would have ever expected." His eyes once again grew moist, his clear tears dribbling down his face. Spitfire and Soarin... the two captains of the wonderbolts. They weren't just his wonderbolts. 

They were everypony's wonderbolts.

"Wow, wow, WOW"! Rainbow Dash screeched, waving her hooves crazily in the air. "Dad, that's so AWESOME! They used your move! They used-" Dash reached out to grab her father, but felt nothing but air.

He had already gone.





"By Celestia's bountiful flank, what was that?!" Rapidfire asked in disbelief, his haunches plopping down onto the bench below him. When Soarin and Spitfire finally made it back to the locker rooms, the other wonderbolts had been standing there waiting for them, the image of the insane maneuver still etched within their brains. Soon, they were swarmed by their teammates, each firing off excited questions over and over again. 

"I have never even seen anything like that!" Misty exclaimed giddily, moving over to Spitfire with a twinkle in her eyes. "Wow! How were you able to pull off something so insane!" 

"That had to have taken so much control!" Fleetfoot stated, lifting her hooves to shift Soarin from side to side. "How much secret training did you guys do to be able to do that? And how did you even think of something like that?!" Fleetfoot used a little too much of her strength, shaking the male flier to such an extent that he couldn't even answer. 

"That must have taken so much strength and energy!" Rapidfire called from the bench. "How are you two still standing after something like that?!"

"Alright, everypony... " Spitfire spoke out in her captain's voice, "settle done. We'll explain everything to you guys later, so in the meantime get showered and dressed in your clean uniforms. Autograph signing is in half an hour, and the wonderbolts are never late to autograph signings!" 

"... Yes, captain... " Each of them grumbled, begrudgingly moving over to their lockers to store their gear. Soarin and Spitfire stood on the side, watching each of their teammates grab a fresh towel and gallop over to the showers. When the locker room was empty with the exception of the two captains, they each sighed in relief.

And nearly collapsed onto the floor.

Soarin, lucky for him, managed to fall onto one of the benches, catching himself with his trembling front hooves. "Ow... " He panted, his chest bounding up and down with exertion. "We did it... but it still drains me... " Spitfire was a little less lucky, instead falling onto her haunches with her back to the wall, wincing at the slight sting in her muscles.

"That's what we get... for deciding to use that... in such magnitude." Spitfire breathed, reaching a shaky hoof to wipe the dribbling sweat from her brow. "It hasn't... gotten any easier..." She coughed slightly, her lungs desperately trying to catch some air. "But we've finally managed to do it, and in a show nonetheless!"

Soarin managed to move himself so that he was sitting on the bench, his wings lying limply on his sides from the muscle pain. "Right." He grunted, rolling his shoulders to shake out the trembling in the joints. "When you told me that you finally wanted to throw that into our routine, I thought you were crazy. And I think I'm still right." Spitfire rolled her eyes before weakly tossing her goggles at Soarin. She missed by a mile, her goggles clacking harmlessly onto the floor.

"But... you... " Soarin chuckled, turning his head to smile at his childhood friend. "With this... I've feel like we've finally put everything he's taught us into practice. I don't know about you, but I think I'm finally able to move on." Spitfire turned her eyes to the ceiling, staring quietly at the lights above.

"It... was weird." Spitfire added. "For some reason, I felt like he was watching us. As if he was right there in the crowd, you know?" Soarin smirked, reaching back his weak hook to find the zipper of his suit. 

"Me too." Soarin chuckled, making a feeble attempt to unzip his flight suit off of his body. "It was strange, for a moment there I thought I saw him. He was smiling at us." Soarin grinned, slicking back his sweat-infused mane. "I've think we've managed to really make him proud."

Spitfire couldn't help but smile, straightening herself up with a hoof to the wall. "I think so too. And I've been thinking... maybe it's finally time for me to forgive myself." She sighed, stumbling over to her locker. "For the longest time, I've been letting the past really hold me down... with my father, Sky Strike... just everything. But after we did that move, I felt closer to Sky Strike than ever before. And... I don't know, I feel like he has already forgiven me for those things I said all those years ago."

"He didn't need to forgive you in the first place, Spit." Soarin smirked, finally able to slip himself out of his flight suit. "There's no way he could hate you, and I'm sure he understood why you said what you did. But I'm glad that you're finally able to move on from that... that's what he would want, you know."

"Oh, cut out that cheesiness!" Spitfire snickered, opening the door to her locker. In a brief moment she slipped out of her flight suit. Despite her trembling hooves, she managed to grab a fresh towel from one of her shelves and slammed the door shut, letting the soft cloth rest on top of her back.

"Anyways, we need to get showered and ready. We have a lot of autographs to sign, and I don't want us smelling like afternoon farm-ponies." Soarin rolled his eyes with a smirk, grabbing his own towel to scurry on after his captain.

"Oh, I'm sure they don't smell that bad!"








Outside of the stadium, Sky Strike took a breath of fresh air. It was midday, and once more Celestia's sun blessed him with its warmth and comfort. If there was anything that hadn't changed within the ten years he was gone, it was that. All the ponies who had attended the show were now spilling out of the entrances, each of them speaking excitedly with their friends and family about the incredible performance. Energetic pegasi fillies and colts swooped into the air, chatting happily with one another as they pretended to be wonderbolts themselves. They flew in circles and loops around their smiling parents, each of them declaring that they too would be a wonderbolt.

"I wanna be like Spitfire!" A young filly laughed in the air, nudging aside a small colt. "She fast, cool, and she's pretty!" 

"Well I wanna be like Soarin!" The colt she nudged grinned, tackling the filly in midair. "He does the best flips, and he's the strongest!"  The sight brought a smile to Sky Strike's face, watching the spectacle with amusement. Watching the small family disappear into the crowd, Sky Strike turned away to find himself a small bench that overlooked the massive structure. There was a large oak tree that sat behind the bench giving him some decent shade while the gentle breeze soothed over his mane.

Sitting down, Sky Strike took a moment to gather his thoughts. At first, he had been overly excited to meet with Soarin and Spitfire, and why wouldn't he be? They were his old students, almost like his children. In a way, he raised them, and yet his heart was full with sadness and regret. Not only did he miss Dash's entire childhood, but he missed watching the growth of Soarin and Spitfire as the two of the greatest fliers in all of Equestria. Oh, how he wanted to be there... to experience their thrill and excitement to be accepted into their dream.  More tears were attempting to leak out from his eyes, but Sky Strike rubbed them away, sniffling quietly.

Now, it seemed that both Spitfire and Soarin were untouchable, on a faraway cloud that he had no hope of reaching.  They were busy with shows, fans, practices, workouts, media... would he want to bother them by randomly showing up? If he did so, he could only hinder them. They were all grown up now, and they were indeed different. Would Spitfire still have that youthful fire in her eyes that she did before? And would Soarin still have that burning determination to better himself? He wouldn't know. 

Taking a deep breath, Sky Strike shifted his gaze back to the wide, blue sky that lingered above him. Once more, his thoughts turned back to Starlight. He was now in the same city as her, and Canterlot University was only a small ways away. How will she feel? Or most of all, how will he feel? Sky Strike sighed, shaking his head loosely from side to side. No, he needed to see her. If she didn't love him anymore, he would need to accept that. If she wanted nothing to do with him, he would have to move on. There was nothing else he could do.

"Come on, Sky Strike... " He said to himself, taking one last deep breath before letting it out slowly. "You can do this. "

"Autograph signings!" A loud, carrying voice called from the crowd. "If you are attending the autograph signings, please make your way over here! All the wonderbolts, including the captain and vice-captain will be there to sign free autographs and take pictures!" 

"Well," Sky Strike chuckled. "I guess that would be a good a time as any to stop by and say hello." He pushed himself off the bench, his hooves clopping on the ground below. "But... I should probably find Dashie before she starts freaking out again." He snickered, glancing left to right over the crowds. He had learned in the past that spotting a rainbow mane was rather easy, so he was sure it wouldn't take too much effort.

Unfortunately, it was taking a little longer than he thought. For about ten minutes now, Sky Strike was running a little amok in the crowd, his head shifting from left to right to try and spot a rainbow. "Dash!" He called, his voice being muffled by the hundreds of others that clashed in the area.

"Rainbow Dash! Element of loyalty! Daughter! Dash the Mash! Rainbow Sprite!" Sky Strike listed off any names that he had ever called her in the past, yelling them out to the crowd. Still, there was no answer, and Sky Strike kicked his hoof into the ground with agitation.

"Stupid Sky Strike... of course you wouldn't think of the consequences of being separated from your daughter... again!" He groaned into the air, waving his hooves up towards the sky. "Dammit, I really have to start thinking of the consequences of my actions... " He clocked himself in the head with his hoof, wincing lightly at the sting. Dash was definitely going to have a few words to say to him whenever he managed to meet up with her.

"Is not!" A small, shrilly voice called not too far away from him. Sky Strike turned to see the same filly and colt he had seen earlier. They were farther away from the crowd and were engaged in some sort of childish argument.

"Is too!" The colt called back to the filly, cradling a small book within his hoof. "It says right here that Soarin is the only wonderbolt who can pull it off!"

"Nuh uh!" The filly snorted, shaking her head. "I bet Spitfire could do it no problem! That's why she's the captain!"

"The reason why she's the captain is because Soarin doesn't wanna be in the spotlight!"

"No way! She's captain because she's better!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is NOT!"

"Is-"

"What's going on here?" Sky Strike asked gently, approaching the two children. Hearing the names of the two wonderbolts, he couldn't help but intrude a little bit. 

The young colt thumped on the cover of the book he held in his hoof. "I was telling my sister that the book says that Soarin is the only wonderbolt capable of using the... the.. the... ?" 

"Learn the name stupid!" The young filly huffed. "It's the 'Thunder Dive'!"

"Whatever!" The colt whined back, glaring at his sister. "The 'Thunder Dive'! The book says that Soarin's the only wonderbolt strong enough to use it!" Sky Strike couldn't helped but let out a light chuckle. The dive itself was a rather advanced maneuver, and only a few fliers could actually do it. It took quite a bit of strength and control to use. Sky Strike had never taught Soarin that move, and he had to suppress the pride that was building in his chest.

"I bet Spitfire could totally do it!" The filly shot back at her brother. "She can do anything! She's the best wonderbolt!"

"Nuh uh!" The colt shook his head angrily. "She's only the captain! That doesn't mean she's the best!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!'

"Does not!"

"Does TOO!"

"Does- "

"Okay, okay, okay!" Sky Strike covered his ears with his hooves. "I get it, I get it! Sheesh. Okay, first of all we all agree that Soarin and Spitfire are the best in the wonderbolts, right?"

"Right." The two said in unison.

"Well, there's that. Okay, well you have to understand that Soarin and Spitfire are two different fliers. Soarin's strength comes from his power and control, while Spitfire's strength comes from her agility and quickness. Now, although both of their abilities are rather high, there comes a point where both of them exceed one another. Spitfire can't use some of the more advanced moves that rely on power, and Soarin can't use some of the more advanced moves that rely on agility. But, when you mix both of them together in a show, it's one of the most incredible things to see and that's why they're the best in the wonderbolts. You understand?"

"Uh... " The colt blinked, his brain still trying to process the huge amount of information.

"He says that Spitfire and Soarin are both good at different things!" The filly frowned, clocking her brother on the back of the head with her hoof. "But wow, mister! You sure know a lot!" 

Sky Strike laughed, humbling rubbing the back of his head with his hoof. "Just a little, I guess."

"But I guess that settles it!" The colt smiled, finally catching up to speed. "Spitfire can't do the 'Thunder Dive', but she can do things that Soarin can't!"

"That's right." Sky Strike nodded. "And remember, just because Spitfire's the captain doesn't mean she's the best. She's the best leader, but that doesn't make her the better flier."

"Okay... " The filly nodded, satisfied. "Then... who is the better flier?"

"Between Spitfire and Soarin?" Sky Strike blinked, thinking back on the performance. "Well, Spitfire's turns and cuts were spot on, but Soarin's strong acceleration and wing control was top class. Spitfire's use of the 'High Wind Roll' was awe-inspiring, but Soarin's ability to jump from the 'Wind Blitz' to the 'Sky Spin' was unbelievable... honestly, it's really hard to say. But there is one thing I do know... " Sky Strike smirked, looking back down at the young filly and colt.

"I'm better than both of them!" He huffed, puffing out his chest. A few moments of staring passed before the colt and filly burst into laughter, rolling onto their backs on the ground.

"Better than them? You?!" The filly squeaked. "No way!"

"You're not even a wonderbolt! There's no way you are!" The colt chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes.

"What?!" Sky Strike stumbled, actually offended. "Are you kidding me? I'm the greatest flier in all of-"

"Then prove it!" They both screeched.

If there was one thing that could briefly make Sky Strike forget about his worries, about meeting the two wonderbolts, and about his wife... it was a direct challenge. Sky Strike smiled, tilting his head from side to side, feeling the light cracks race up and down his neck. 

"Okay... " Sky Strike's eyes changed, burning with a passionate fire. "Then not only will I show you two foolish children how it's done, but I'll also use Spitfire's 'High Wind Roll' and end it with Soarin's 'Thunder Dive'."

"You can't do those!" The filly watched him skeptically. "There's no way!"

"I bet you can't even fly up that high!" The colt remarked. 

Sky Strike let out a low, almost creepy laugh before spreading his wings, giving the two kids an evil glare if they saw one. "Then watch me... " Without wasting another second Sky Strike shot up into the air, the sudden rush bursting down the two children with wide eyes.

Once again, he didn't think of the consequences.







The wonderbolt autograph signing was taking place in the plaza just outside of the stadium, and was a big enough event to cease all traffic for. Ponies who hadn't attended the show were free to line up and to speak, bump hooves, and get their pictures or other things signed by their favorite fliers. Each wonderbolt had their own table shared with their wing-pony, and lines for each table were completely winded around the entire plaza. In the middle of the tables sat Soarin and Spitfire with, of course, the longest lines of all the other wonderbolts.

"Alright, everypony." A big, tough looking stallion wearing a suit and black sunglasses stood in the center, attempting to organize the lines. "No pushing, no cutting, and please keep the fangasms to a minimum."

"He actually said that..." Spitfire chuckled to herself. Pulling out a black pen and setting it onto the surface of the table. 

"I swear, if that mare shows up again... " Soarin said to himself, a shiver coursing down his spine. "Man, I don't want to think about it. I think my restraining order is still in effect. " 

"It comes with being a celebrity, Soarin." Spitfire smirked. "Let's hope they're all civilized ponies here."

When they were given the go ahead, the ponies eagerly rushed the tables, the security guards doing everything they could to keep things fashioned and orderly. They were ponies of all ages, size, and races, with there being a few more pegasi than unicorns or earth ponies. Most of the autographs they signed were pictures or posters, while others were t-shirts and small trinkets. 

However... some were also what you'd expect.

Soarin sighed, looking down at the bright-eyed teenaged filly. "You realize that signing your flank is only temporary, right?" The filly nodded her head eagerly, a wide smile on her face.

"And you realize that a picture or something else will last a lot longer?"

She nodded excitedly.

"And that the next time you take a bath or something, it will wash right off right?"

"That's if I take a bath."

"Oookay!" Soarin groaned slightly, grabbing the marker in his mouth. He scribbled his name and gave her a small hoof bump, watching the filly scurry happily away. Plopping back down onto his seat, Soarin took a moment to look at both his and Spitfire's lines, noting that both of them had an incredible amount of mares. 

"Spitfire, you're just so amazing! You... don't happen to be interested in mares, are you?"

"So, Miss Captain... how would you like to spend a night with a lovely little mare like me?"

"I love your mane... so fiery, so spirited. It would look better on the pillows on my bed, if you know what I mean..." The mare winked. Spitfire's eye twitched, and she handed the fan back her autographed picture.

"Well, your popularity hasn't gone down." Soarin chuckled, giving a small colt a little hoof bump. "At least the mares you all get want to sleep with you. Mine are almost legally insane..."

"Psh!" Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, they aren't that-"

A mare slammed her hooves down in front of Soarin's table, making the two captains jump in their seats. Her eyes were wild, crazy, and bloodshot. Her mane was pointed out in different directions, and her fur was ruffled and messy.

"Sweet Celestia... " She breathed, leaning in to stare at Soarin straight in the eyes. "Oh my gosh Soarin, I am your biggest fan. I love your flying I love your voice I love your sexiness I love your eyes I love your wings I love your appetite for pie I love your PIN number I love the last four digits of your social security number I love how your voice sounds on the phone I love how you sign your restraining order I love you so much oh my gosh I want you to take a knife and cut me open and wear my skin over your body oh my sweet Celestia Soarin I love you so much please kill me!" A security guard quickly wrapped the insane mare in his hooves, pulling her away from the table while she thrashed and screamed.

"SOARIN. SOARIN. I LOVE YOU. SOARIN. SOARIN SOARIN. LOVE... " Finally, her voiced disappeared into the crowd, and the vice-captain took in a deep sigh of relief.

"Nevermind. Your fans are insane." Spitfire shook her head. "Please keep them away from me."  

The autograph signing continued for about ten minutes before a loud, squeaking voice was bellowing through the crowd. "Excuse me! Sorry to move you! Come on, let me through! Element of Harmony here, I can do what I want! Hey, don't touch me there!" Breaking through the front of the lines was a familiar, rainbow-maned cyan pegasus. She panted, wiping the sweat off of her brow as she gazed up at the two captains of the wonderbolts. Normally, she would be absolutely thrilled, and unable to say anything clearly.

But she had something more important on her mind.

"Well isn't it Rainbow Dash!" Spitfire smirked, cocking her eye at the young mare. "Sorry to tell you, but Element of Harmony or not but you have to wait in line like everypony- " 

"Have you seen him?!" Dash barked away, looking back and forth between the two pegasi. "Has he been here yet?!"

"Um... what?" Soarin blinked. A security walked to up to care of Dash, but he stopped him with his hoof. "Who are you talking about?"

"Uh... you know!" Rainbow Dash started waving her hooves in the air. "... Him!" 

"Well, we had a lot of stallions come through." Spitfire thought to herself. "Is he trouble or something?"

"No! Well, yes... but, no!" Rainbow growled, smacking herself in the head with her hoof. "I'm talking about... well, he's somepony you know... kinda from your past. But you know him! Like, really well!" She didn't want to blurt out it was her father, not wanting to sound crazy. 

"Dash, you're making me draw a blank here." Spitfire frowned. "Who is he?"

Dash glanced left to right, looking over at everypony in the lines. "Wait... if he hasn't come up yet that means... oh, no!" 

"Rainbow, if you have nothing else to say would you please go back to the end of the line? Everypony's waiting for their turn." Soarin sighed, motioning over to the long line of fans. 

"He's going to do something ridiculous again, isn't he?" Rainbow shook her head, talking to herself. "I can't believe it... " She shifted her eyes over to the two wonderbolts and took in a deep breath. "Okay, so I don't feel like spoiling anything, but probably really soon you'll see what I mean. He's probably going to be doing something flashy, crazy, or even- "

"Look up there!" A pony in line lifted their hoof, pointing to something in the sky. "Who's that?"

"Oh my gosh... " Rainbow Dash smacked herself in the forehead. "Here we go... "

Curiously, Spitfire and Soarin all turned their attention to the sky, moving up their hooves to block the powerful rays of the sun. Suddenly, an amazingly fast blue blur came into view, shooting up into the air at a vicious speed.

"Misty?" Spitfire blinked, casting her gaze over to the other table. No, she was still at her table with Fleetfoot. Actually, all of her wonderbolts were seated at the tables, each of them watching the strange spectacle in the sky. 

The pegasus in the air soared high into the clouds, and for a moment everypony lost sight of them. And then suddenly, the pony exploded down from the sky, smoothly transitioning into a series of spins and rolls. Normal ponies just would have stood in awe, but both Spitfire and Soarin stood out of their seats, their eyes never leaving the flier.

"What... is this?" Soarin said to himself softly. "That's... " 

"The 'High Wind Roll'.... " Spitfire finished, watching the pegasus complete one of her special moves, the wind around them bursting the clouds that hovered high in the air. In all her years of being a wonderbolt, she had been the only one to successfully do it, the last being Sonic Speed. Overall, she had known three ponies who could do it. Sonic Speed, her, and- 

Wait.

She glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who kept her eyes on the ground and was muttering to herself. Ever since the first day she had seen her, she knew who she was. Her rainbow mane, her ambition, her natural flying talent... it was clear as day. Of course, Spitfire never said anything... it was a painful thing for the both of them. But then she remember when Dash approached the table, talking to them about a mysterious stallion. All she said was... "him".

Spitfire's eyes shifted back to the flier in the sky, continuing to do advanced maneuvers through the air. That wasn't the flying of a novice, or that of a trainee. It had been years ago, but she could still see it. The flow of the flier's cuts, the speed of their acceleration, the wing control... basics that had been burned into her body for ten years. It was a beautiful flying style. One that she knew all too well.

"No way... " Soarin said quietly beside her. "That's my... who is... " The flier above suddenly took a turn, diving down towards the plaza. There was a loud crack, the pegasus greatly increasing in speed and direction. Soarin had easily recognized the move. The "Thunder Dive". A move that had taken him  years to learn and master. A move that he had poured his heart and soul into learning, something that needed to be able to do to prove himself. Eventually, he had made it his own, perfecting it to suit his style. 

And this flier was doing just that.

When the pegasus acelerated down towards the plaza, everypony in the crowd scattered, shrieking away from the point of impact. The other wonderbolts also got up from their chairs, the security guards forming a protective circle around them. Soon, it was only Soarin and Spitfire, watching the pegasus go faster and faster.

And then it hit.

The moment the pegasus landed, an immense boom of thunder exploded out from the impact, the force of the maneuver knocking over all the tables the wonderbolts had used for signing. Dust kicked up high into the air, blowing out from the plaza. Spitfire and Soarin both fired out their wings, their strength keeping themselves in midair as they both fought against the gust. Rainbow Dash did the same, covering her eyes while her mane whipped around her face. 

When everything finally managed to settle, Soarin and Spitfire landed onto the ground, shaking the dust out of their manes while coughing. Soarin had found out the hard way that this was a move that you don't use lightly... it may not have the same impact as a sonic rainboom, but it was still very strong. Soarin and Spitfire finally adjusted their eyes, looking over at the pegasus that landed just a small distance away.

His mane was  rainbow colored. His coat was a dark blue. They recognized his cutie mark. 

"Oooooh yeah!" The pegasus laughed, pumping his hoof into the air. "I told you I was the best!"

They knew that laugh and voice too well. It had been years, but they knew it. 

"Dad... " Rainbow Dash said quietly behind him.

"Not only did I do both the 'High Winds Roll' and the 'Thunder Dive', but I threw in the 'Cloud Gallop' and the 'Typhoon Blitz'!" He was pumped, his blood boiling in his veins. Light steam was drifting off of his feathers, fading into the air. "I'm totally the best!"

"Dad!" Rainbow Dash shouted. Sky Strike blinked, turning back to look at his daughter.

"Oh, Dash!" He smirked. "There you are, I was looking for- " 

Soarin and Spitfire were standing just a few meters back, staring at him with wide and unbelieving eyes. When he met their gaze, their hearts froze in their chests. At first, they tried to deny it. It wasn't him. The stallion may look like him, speak like him... fly like him. It couldn't be him. Could... it?

Spitfire and Soarin stood by each other, motionless. Their eyes were locked onto Sky Strike, the one pony they were sure that they were never seen again. But there he was smiling, looking back at them. Their hearts froze to ice in their chests, their hooves trembling on the cement ground of the plaza. It had been ten long years, and yet they knew the tone of his voice, the gentleness of his eyes all too well. Dozens of questions floated around in their heads, but they somehow couldn't put any of them into words.

They could only stare.

Sky Strike watched them silently, giving them a small smile. Now, seeing them up close, he was finally able to see how much they 
had grown.

The young, brash Spitfire was gone. Now, she was a full grown mare, growing into her natural beauty. She no longer looked like the rebellious, hot-headed filly that had given him a hard time in lessons... she now looked mature and strong, like a true leader. She now stood with confidence, standing the same way he had seen the other wonderbolt captains.

For Soarin, his awkward teenaged colt years had finally passed him. He stood tall, his shoulders and his chests much broader. The wings folded at his sides were bigger, muscles coursing over his frame. He was as handsome as Sky Strike knew he would be one day, a real mare-killer.

To them, Sky Strike didn't look a day older. He looked exactly the same the day he had left them, giving them the same smile he had always given them years ago.

"What... " Soarin managed to pipe out, his ears drooping behind his head.

"No... " Spitfire gently shook his head. "No, you... you can't... " Her lips quivered, and she shut her eyes tightly.

Sky Strike sighed quietly. He knew that this wasn't going to be easy... how could it? After all, he was stupid enough to suddenly pull of a flashy entrance without giving them so much as a warning.

"I'm sorry." Sky Strike said quietly, raising the head of the two wonderbolts in front of him. "I let you two down, didn't I? I wasn't able to finish your lessons, I wasn't able to watch you two graduate. I wasn't able to see you two become wonderbolts, and I wasn't able to see you both grow up into two of the finest fliers I have ever seen." Sky Strike's eyes moistened, and he rubbed at them with his hoof. The guilt that was preying upon his heart was just pouring out now, the sad thoughts conquering the words on his lips.

"Again, all I ended up doing was hurting somepony. I hurt my friends, I hurt my family... and I hurt you two." He took in a deep breath, shaking his head. "Especially you, Spitfire. I only pushed you away." Sky Strike cast his eyes down onto the ground, continuing to try and wipe away the forming tears on his eyes. "I'm a terrible pony... " He whispered with a broken breaths.

A soft, gentle hoof found itself pressing into his cheek, lifting up his head. Spitfire looked at him in the eyes, her mouth open slightly.

"You're... you're real... " She said quietly, moving her hoof to run through his mane. "It's you... it's really you... " She pulled it back suddenly, cupping it over her mouth. Her eyes finally began to water, her body quivering in front of him. "You... I... "

She pulled him into the tightest, warmest hug he had ever experienced.

Spitfire's sobs came in like a storm, shoving her face into his neck. Her hooves grasped his body, and they wouldn't dare to let go. Her body convulsed with her crying, her running tears freely streaming down her cheeks and onto his fur. She tried to make words, but every time she tried she ended up sobbing harder into his body. Sky Strike gave her a sad smile, letting one of his hooves stroke her mane softly.

"It's okay, kiddo." Tears rolled down Sky Strike's cheeks as well, his eyes trying to blink them away. "If it helps, cry all you want. I'll be right here." As he stroked her mane, he lifted up his eyes to find Soarin.

Soarin didn't move where he had stood before. His eyes were reddening, trying to stifle the tears that were begging to be released. His own lip quivered, and he did his best to stand as tall and proud as he always did.

"Soarin... " Sky Strike smiled, watching the young stallion. "You've had it tough, haven't you?"

Soarin's hooves trembled, but he continued to stand tall. "... Yes... " He managed to say.

"You've been the wall Spitfire's had to lean on all these years, haven't you?" Sky Strike added.

"... Yes... " Soarin choked.

"It must have been so hard."

"... Yes... " Soarin cradled his face in his hoof, attempting to hide his sobbing expression. Sky Strike continued to smile, casting his eyes back down to Spitfire. The poor mare was still trying to speak, her words jumbled with her cries.

"... S... " Spitfire attempted to say something, her face still dug into his neck. "... So... "

"It's okay... " Sky Strike chuckled lightly. "I know what you have to say... "

"... Sorry... I'm... I'm so sorry... " She squeaked, hiding her face in his fur. "Sky... I'm so... so... "

Rainbow Dash stared at the scene, sitting back onto her haunches. Both wonderbolts were bawling their eyes out at her father, and he continued to try anything he could to  calm them. Taking a deep breath, she gazed up at the sky, her own heart fluttering with emotions.

"I guess I can't just keep him to myself, can I?" She whispered quietly to herself.