Head in the Clouds (PM for invite)

[Bramble Rose]

Rainbow Dash refused to act like a little lovestruck filly.  She had a Daredevil's license to maintain, after all.  Still.  This was her first real adult date ... her last dates had been in the weather academy, and several had been ... problematic.  Or weren't what she thought.  Or they'd been stupid jerks who just wanted to tease her.  But not to think about that.  She was on a real date, now, she supposed, with a nice stallion, and he liked the Wonderbolts.  So they were heading to a Wonderbolts show in Cloudsdale!

Only problem was that he was an earth pony... but that should be taken care of.

Still.  She wasn't going to spend hours picking out what to wear for a date.  No pink hair-ribbons or stupid skirts for her.  She was perfectly fine with how she looked.  No.  The last hour and a half she'd spent picking between the Wonderbolts socks, the two different Wonderbolts jerseys, the Wonderbolts scarf, or ... maybe the Wonderbolts reserve uniform?  No, no, that wouldn't be appropriate, though he had certainly loved how it looked.  Not that it was about looking nice for him.  She was just trying to figure out what would be appropriate for her first big Wonderbolts show as a reservist who was just watching as a fan and not actually part of the backstage stuff.  That was all.  She had a lot of responsibility now to represent the Wonderbolts properly.

That's why she'd already discarded the silly Wonderbolts hats, the headband with half a lightning bolt on each side that made it look like you were getting hit in the head with lightning, and the big wOnderbOlt fake foam glasses.  She'd also, with some hesitation, ditched the Wonderbolts training tee, worn for practices.  Not appropriate.  She should have asked Rarity for help... she pulled on the Wonderbolts socks, then looked in the mirror as she tossed the scarf round her neck.  Then she got rid of the scarf and put on the second jersey.  Yes, socks and Jersey seemed appropriate.  He'd love - that is, it was respectable for a Wonderbolts Reservist.  She'd seen Spitfire herself wearing something similar.

With a final hesitation at the door, and several times making sure she had the tickets at hoof, she finally flew off to the castle, where Carrot was supposed to meet her, pushing a nice-sized cloud along with her.  There he was!  She circled down out of the sky, taking the cloud down to ground level, then floated there in front of Carrot with a cocky grin nervously plastered across her face, hoping for a good reaction.  Not that she cared.  It was just that if he liked it, it was probably appropriate for a reservist.  That's all.  "So," she said, super-casually, "ready to go?"

​

[brianblackberry]

Carrot Fields had been pretty nervous all day.  Sure it was “just” a Wonderbolt show, and he has attended those since before he even had his cutie mark, and sure he and Dash were  “just” going there to hang out together, but this time it wasn’t just a day at the show with his buddies, it was a day at the show with a mare whom he really liked and started a relationship with.  Sure it wasn’t his first date ever but it was his first since moving to Ponyville, or since he joined the R.E.A., or finished secondary school… It had been a while!

 

Determined not to screw this up, Carrot actually debated wearing something nice, like his kilt, but quickly realized that was too formal.  Besides, he wasn’t sure if she appreciated the cultural significance of it at all, even if she had posters of Cirrus McCloud.  No, no, this was to be casual, that was how she would want it, not making a “big deal” as she would say, even if it felt like a big deal to him. 

 

His favorite Wonderbolt tee was the obvious choice.  Well, his second favorite, anyway -  his absolute favorite was the sexy Spitfire one but that would have been wildly inappropriate, so instead he went with the tried and true sky blue tee with the team logo blazed across the front.  Much more importantly, he had his beloved goggles on the top of his head, signed by Spitfire and Soarin’!

 

Visiting the castle itself was more nerve wracking then the date itself; he was excited with the idea of the latter but less sure about the former.  It wasn’t the fact he was having a cloud walking spell put upon him - that part was nothing short of awesome and a dream come true.  Rather, that he was coming by to casually visit royalty in the form of Princess Twilight Sparkle herself to have the spell performed.  It made him uneasy to have royalty go out of their way just to do this for him, but she was a best burd of Dash, after all.

 

After that nervous encounter he just sat outside the castle waiting for Dash, the royal guard at the entrance nearby watching him, likely wondering why he was sitting there looking like a sports nut.  Fortunately the wait wasn’t long as the rainbow maned pegasus swooped down pulling a small, white, fluffy cloud with her, where it hovered mere inches off the ground.  He would have been happy to see her no matter what she was wearing, but that outfit really got his attention: a cute, loose Wonderbolt jersey and thigh high socks, accentuating the parts of her slim, athletic body that wasn’t covered by clothing.  In short, she was sooo hawt!  He blushed, tempted to look away out of shyness, but instead kept eye contact.  He gave a warm smile as he rubbed the back of his mane, “Guid day! Ah really loch yer ootfit; ye look really bonnie in it! Perfect fur th' shaw!”  Perfect for him to look at.  “Sae umm, 'at th' clood Ah am usin'?”

 

Duh, of course it is dumbtail!

[Bramble Rose]

Rainbow Dash leaned one foreleg over the cloud, lazing there for maximum casual coolness as her wings lazily flapped to keep her afloat.  No big deal.  Even if her face was pinkening from his compliment on her outfit.  Yay!  That is, cool, cause that meant it wasn't too fangirly.  Not that she was fangirly.  ANYWAY.

"Naw, I figured we'd get you a different cloud, this one's just for show.  Get on, ya goof.  Yer first cloud."  She gave a great big, proud grin.  Usually, first clouds were nothing special... but for him?  Who had lived his entire life stuck on the ground?   Even aside from being so happy to be able to show her friend the sky, she felt a tight swelling in her chest of pegasus pride.  She wanted him to LOVE the sky, to see how it felt to be a pegasus!  To feel the clouds, the wind, the love for the sky that she herself had!  She wanted everypony to know how this felt!

"Don't try anything fancy at first, just step up onto it like it was a porch."  She gave the cloud a little kick, and a piece of it unfolded and flopped down to make a ramp almost like rough stairs.  "Don't test it out by stomping on it, though.  You might thin it out or break it.  You've got pegasus powers now!"  She grinned.  "Just like in the Daring Delvers game!"
 

​

[brianblackberry]

Carrot Fields had a huge grin on his face, barely containing his foal-like excitement about actually getting to go up in the air, on a cloud!  Better yet, on a cloud with a Wonderbolt! Sure, she kept maintaining it was “only the reserves” but still ... Wonderbolt!  Even better still, it was a Wonderbolt that was interested in him!   Dash’s casual flirting while inviting him up was simply delicious icing on a very decadent and mouthwatering cake.

 

Carrot galloped up the fluffy ramp, but his footing stumbled and he hopped a couple times on his left legs before he finally caught his balance.  “Heh, sorry! jist sae excited abit thes, everythin' abit thes is sae cool!  But Ah wasn’t expectin' it tae feel loch this.” He walked in a circle around the cloud several times, getting used to the feel of it.  It felt so… Strange! The cloud beneath him was soft, but walking a very light, thick pillow, but one that was only sort of there, it almost felt as if he was walking on the very air itself.  He’d never be able to explain it to another earth pony.  He hesitated for a moment but finally he sat down on the cloud, it was like relaxing on a bed, a very soft, fluffy bed!  “Ooh, Ah see wa ye loch sleepin' oan these!  Mah bed isn’t nearly as soft as a cloud!”  He realized how that might sound and blushed.  “Er, weel ur onie bed.  Oan th' ground.  Bed oan th' ground.”

 

Need to change subjects!!

 

“Er umm, anyway, got mah favorite Wonderbolts shirt, wi' th' logo an' everythin'!”  Well, second favorite, but he wasn’t going to say what the favorite one was.  “Oh!!”  He took off his goggles and held them out, “Check these out! Ah got them signed by Soarin’ an' Spitfire when Ah was at th' gala a coople years back!  Mebbe Ah can get some ay th' other Wonderbolts tae sign them an aw! Och!  Hey!  Ye wanna sign ‘em?!”

[Bramble Rose]

Rainbow Dash's pinkened cheeks were not being helped by Carrot's fumbling words, but she had no idea how to get him to stop saying stuff about beds.  Luckily, he figured out something to say instead.

"Awwww, yeah!"  She nosed under her wing to pull out a nice silver-ink pen she'd been keeping ready to hoof ever since she got into the reserves, taking the goggles in her hooves and bending down her head to sign them.  "Not bad!" she said, after everything was said and done.  "Good pair t'have!  Tell ya what, I'll use my new influence t'get you backstage so you can get even more of them to sign these goggles!  Nice to see you wearing them - lots of ponies are all, like, 'oh no!  Now that it's signed I'm gonna put it under a glass case and never, ever take it out!'"  She minced around the cloud in little steps as she made fun of the collectors who didn't want to actually *enjoy* their stuff.

She grinned at him.  "All right, now put those back on, cause we're outta here!"  She gave him about two seconds to comply as she kicked the 'ramp' back up into the cloud, then planted her hooves and took off into the sky, leaving a rainbow trail behind her!  She wasn't going top speed, but she wanted to give him a *rush* right off the bat - no tricks, no swerves, just the wind in his mane and a blue sky.
 

​

[brianblackberry]

As Carrot Fields hoofed over the goggles, he had a big silly grin on his muzzle.  It was awesome enough that Dash was so willing to sign his goggles along with the signatures he already got from Spitfire and Soarin’, and it was even more awesome that she said she could get other Wonderbolts to sign them too, but what really hit him in that moment was the fact that he was on a date, well as she put it “hanging out”, with a Wonderbolt!!

 

A Wonderbolt!!

 

A really cute Wonderbolt!!

 

Carrot gleefully took the goggles back after they were signed and planted them atop his head before realizing he was about to fly on a cloud! That meant wearing them proper! He slid them over his eyes and smiled, “Hoo dae Ah look? dae Ah look ready?”  The answer came in the form of the cute rainbow maned pegasus suddenly pushing the cloud forward and up into the sky, before he knew it, he was flying far above the thatched roofs of the quaint houses of their town.

 

The feeling of being up in the air, out in the open on a cloud was like nothing the earth pony had experienced before.  Sure, he had been in an airship a couple times in his life, but even out on their exposed decks you still felt as if you were on some sort of ground even while up among the clouds.  For the first time it felt like he was trying soaring through the air!

 

For the first few moments, he sat crouching down - the sudden takeoff was a little frightful.  As they continued to streak across the sky, he slowly sat up, enjoying the wind in his face.  He really wanted to experience what it must have felt like for a pegasus, and after a little hesitation, stood up on all fours, leaning forward with an excited grin; his long, ruddy mane blowing wildly in the morning air along with his equally long tail.

 

As exhilarating as it felt standing tall on the cloud as they flew through the air, he felt that he needed to thank Dash for going to much out of her way for him in doing this.  Carrot turned around to face Dash and squatted down so he could be face to face with the blue pegasus.  With a shy smile and pinkish cheeks, he leaned forward and affectionately rubbed his nose against Dash’s as a thank you and of course, affection for the mare he liked.

[Bramble Rose]

Rainbow Dash grinned as she propelled the cloud along, looking up to see Carrot standing to press his face into the wind.  Good thing he didn't have a problem with heights and speeds, cause one little stumble and he'd be tumbling a loooooong way down.  He looked like he was loving it, his tail bannering behind him, and admittedly, she couldn't really see much of the sky past the cloud, but that didn't mean she didn't have a good view.  She got a little smirking grin on her face.  Pushing clouds around half-blind was part of her job, after all...

Then suddenly he was turning back towards her, his curly mess of a red mane billowing around his face, and he ... nuzzled into her!  She blushed fiercely and hid her face in the cloud in embarrassment - which had the negative effect of cutting off her remaining visibility.  She didn't even realize she'd started dipping down out of the sky, until suddenly there was a fierce jolt, and she was flying *through* the cloud, out the far side, and through the window she'd just crashed into, sending it flying open and the sky-blue pegasus flying into somepony's room and smashing into their bed.

Her head was still spinning, something was there, blurry in the whiteness before her.  Slowly her vision cleared, and she was able to get it into focus - only an inch or two away.  A trio of blue diamonds on a white field.  "Oh!  Sorry, Rare!" she cried, scrambling backwards, her cheeks flaming crimson as she thought about *why* she had crashed.  "Um... I ... uh ... Just ... was looking at ... wasn't thinking of ... um ... not a kiss or anything like that!  Not that I'm thinking of kisses!"

Meanwhile, Carrot, still on his cloud, was floating off in a slow spin across Ponyville, just a couple stories up.
 

​

[RarityDash]

Rarity hummed merrily as she sat in the boutique.She had completed several new designs for Canterlot Carousel and was taking a much deserved break for the day. Her face was all smiles as she sat in a comfortable chair facing one of the boutique's windows, voraciously ingesting the words of The Pegasus Under Moonlight, the latest Shadow Spade adventure to be published. She was at the part where the victim was in hot pursuit of the perpetrator who he was sure had wronged him--a pony who both Shadow and Rarity knew, however, was entirely innocent--implicated by a much deeper conspiracy which was only just unravelling. Rarity was getting quite invested in the high octane chase through downtown Beakbreak, when very suddenly her window was smashed open and a pony-sized mass came hurdling through, colliding right with her and sending her and her chair flying back.

 

"ugh..." Rarity groaned as she adjusted herself. She lifted her head only to find that none other than Rainbow Dash was there atop her. This was nothing new. It used to be practically every other week Rainbow was crashing into the boutique. The frequency had been so great that Rarity often had wondered if it was intentional... If Rainbow was crashing in just as an excuse to visit her. She still wasn't sure--while the crashes had become much less frequent of late, it was hard to tell if that was because Rainbow was more comfortable around her or if it was in her flying she had found new confidence.

 

Whatever the case, while usually Rarity would think nothing of Rainbow crashing in... this time it was a bit different, mostly owing to just where Rainbow had ended up. She was pinned by the pegasus, who's face was practically buried in Rarity's flank. Rainbow removed herself from this problematic position and paced back several steps. Rarity noticed at once that her friend was blushing profusely, though she was less immediately aware of the fact that her cheeks were somewhat flush as well.

 

And then Rainbow spoke and things only became more incredibly awkward. She tilted her head as she stared at Rainbow. A kiss? Her mind flashed back to the awkwardness that had occasionally peppered her past with Rainbow and also her previous suspicions that Rainbow had crashed into the boutique on purpose. Could her one time theory regarding Rainbow's feelings be true after all? She thought back to all the time her and Rainbow had spent together in Canterlot and how happy Rainbow had been for it all. There definitely was enough to support it... and why else would she come in blathering about kisses?

 

Rarity herself was still confused, but thinking about it made her blush only deepen. She wanted to ease Rainbow's nerves at the least. "Calm down, Rainbow darling..." she said in a somewhat sweetened voice, taking a few steps back toward the other mare. "it's okay... and if you have something you'd like to tell me, I would be delighted to listen."

 

She smiled fondly and then added. "I promise I won't judge you."

​

[brianblackberry]

Carrot knew that Dash wasn't fond of Public Displays of Affection - but he figured, they were high enough up that nopony would see them ... and he loved it when she blushed.  She was so brash, it constantly amazed him to see her vulnerable to his teasing.  And he wasn't disappointed, her face turning crimson and hiding oh-so-adorably into the cloud.

Then there was the impact, and he clung desperately to the cloud as it spun through the sky.  Even after it stopped, his eyes kept rolling in their sockets for a few seconds more, till he shook his head free of the dizziness.  "What... what was that?"  There was no answer from Dash.  He looked down where she had been, and just saw ... empty sky.  He leaned over the edge of the cloud, and saw a hole in the cloud.  Leaning over a little further, he could look right through a little tunnel in the cloud, right under his hooves - and on the far side was that fancy Boutique building, and the hole in its window...

"Ohmigosh!  Dash, are ye a'ight?"   He leaned over a little more to try to get a good look through the cloud, then almost toppled off.  He grabbed hold desperately, shivering as he had visions of so far a fall.. then sensibly moved back from the edge and turned around to look at the boutique normally.  "DASH!  Dash, Oi'm still on th' cloud!  Oi dinnae fall off!"

He glanced down at the ground again ... something of a mistake ... but then noticed something even worse.  A bunch of ponies staring up at him in curiosity.  His own face turned a bit pink, and he gave a sheepish wave of his hoof down at the ponies below...

[Bramble Rose]

Dash cleared her throat awkwardly.  All the times she kept wanting to come to Rarity for advice on Carrot.  Every time she was around Rarity, she couldn't help but think of how good Rarity was with other ponies, winning their hearts, saying just the right thing, doing just the right thing.  Dash was horrible at that.  She was just ... straightforward.  Her words kept coming out of her mouth before she even really thought about what they meant.  She'd never have Rarity's ability.  But maybe she could just get a pointer or two, quick?

She glanced out the window.  Carrot looked fine, still on the cloud, though too far away for her to hear.  She glanced back to Rarity.  "Um... well, uh ... "  She brushed her hooves over her jersey, made sure her socks were in place.  "Was ... just on my way to a Wonderbolts event.  Didn't expect to ask you like this.  Um... Don't have a lot of time, just... uh ..."

She hestitated.  Why was it so hard to say this stuff?  ARGH!  She was awesome, it shouldn't matter what she asked Rarity!  "Do I look OK?  I mean, pretty?  Not pretty, um, just, uh ... like... do I ... look OK?  Like ponies would like how I look?  I mean, do you like how I look?  Only cause if you do, probably everypony would.  But... do you?  Think I am?"

​

[RarityDash]

The expression on Rarity's face became increasingly vacant as she stared back at Rainbow for several awkward, protracted seconds in the wake of the things she had just said. A feeble cough entered her throat eventually as her face went a touch red. How did she respond to that?

 

A confession would have been one thing... but this was... this was something else. Was Rainbow instead trying to get Rarity to confess to her? Why else might Rainbow be asking Rarity if she thought she was pretty? it was positively bizarre and a little terrifying. How could she respond to that when she wasn't herself sure how she felt about Rainbow Dash?

 

She couldn’t deny that thoughts of Rainbow Dash did result in an anxious feeling deep in her chest. She had had dreams before. Dreams that she was falling again and Rainbow would save her. That no matter how close it got, Rainbow would always be there for her. Even before the best young flyers competition though, there had been something about Rainbow that she couldn't deny. There was a want in her to protect Rainbow, to guard the vulnerabilities that so many others were able to convince themselves weren't even there. She found it hard to deny that it didn't come down to a matter of attraction.

 

It was strange of her. Rainbow was her friend and also a mare, but it was simply how it was. It confused and in some regards frightened the unicorn. Perhaps it was in a deliberate attempt to avoid confronting such things that she had seen fit to more than once latch her romantic aspirations onto complete strangers. She couldn't, however, really deny that it was there.

 

"Ummm..." Rarity started weakly, finding it hard to make her voice audible. "You're beautiful, Rainbow darling. A vision of loveliness which cannot be denied," Rarity said, her face going entirely red. "It is not by accident that I've so often coveted a chance to have you model for me or that I have never passed up a chance to simply watch you fly. Yours is an uncommon charm the likes of which is enough to inspire envy and fascination in stallions and mares across Equestria."

 

She shyly looked away, not sure how much more than that she should say. "If I was the one you liked, I would feel nothing but incomparably blessed..."

​

[brianblackberry]

It wasn't long before Carrot realized that Dash could no longer possibly hear him.  All right, then... if she couldn't hear him, he'd try going to her.  After all, if he could stand on the cloud, maybe the spell also let him to control the cloud as well!  Made sense, right?

Except... how does an earth pony control a cloud?  He couldn't get off to push - he'd plummet right to the ground.  But, um... He dropped to his belly so he could drape off one side of the cloud, his hooves churning the insubstantial air as if he were trying to paddle a raft through the water.  

Annnnnd... That wasn't working.

He saw the ponies still staring up at him from the ground, and felt his face growing hot.  He must look a right fool.  He lounged on the cloud, gave another casual wave, and saw the awkward and bewildered look on the upturned faces as they waved back.  

Carrot began to worry though, not because of his situation but what had happened to Dash?  She did crash right through the window!  Was she hurt?  Is that why she wasn't coming out again?  Sitting there on her butt, stars circling her head, in Rarity's Carousel?  His stomach churned at the uncertainty!  At the feeling of helplessness, it wasn't a feeling he was used to and certainly not one he was at all comfortable with.

[Bramble Rose]

Rainbow Dash blinked at Rarity's eloquence ... she'd expected a "You look fine, dear," or some sort of little critique about how it wasn't in style not to have your mane done a certain way during a Wonderbolt Event.  At the extreme, to try to put her into some sort of cheerleader outfit.  Not ... that!

Of course, it was 100% Rarity, taking some little thing and getting all fancy and wordy about it.  Still, Dash's face felt terribly hot and flushed at the declaration.  If Dash didn't know that Rarity was on the hunt for some Prince or Fashion Mogul, she'd have thought that was a declaration of love!  Rarity really had to be more careful with how melodramatic she could get...

"Oh!  Oh, heh.  I wasn't expecting... that is, I meant to ..."  no.  No, just leave it be.  Way too awkward.  Still, it was no doubt that meant she had Rarity's stamp of approval!  "I'm ... *really* glad to hear that, cause... I mean, see, I ... I kinda have... I like, um... "  She wanted to tell Rarity about Carrot, but the words were so hard to get out.  She had a reputation as an awesome daredevil to maintain, not some silly little schoolfilly crushing on a colt!  And she hated how stupid she sounded whenever she tried to talk about something like that.  Her face was flaming red.  "I ... uh ... it... cause I ... see, on that subject, I kinda ... that is to say ... I wanted to tell you ...  ARGH!"  She banged her forehead against a wall.  "I'll tell you later, bye!" she cried, then dove out the window to take to flight once more.  She planted her hooves on the underside of Carrot's cloud and instantly jetted up into the sky, getting enough altitude that they wouldn't have to worry about prying eyes or running into anything but a mountain cliff after this.

She checked all six cardinal directions to make sure nopony was around, then came up around the cloud to grab Carrot's cheeks in her hooves and give him a quick, fierce kiss, only a second or two before drawing back.  It was so much easier to act than to talk about things like this!  "Argh!  You drive me nuts!" she cried, flustered, as soon as she broke away from the kiss, looking him right in the eyes.  "Are you OK?  Have you learned your lesson about distracting the one doing the flying?"
 

​

[RarityDash]

 

Rarity watched Rainbow's reaction with a deep anticipation, her heart fluttering awkwardly in her chest. She noted every word and every stammer. Rainbow truly couldn't get it out, it seemed. She didn't have to though as Rarity could fill in the blanks on her won. After all, much like her idol Shadow Spade, Rarity prided herself in her attention to detail, and the details here could lead to only one conclusion.

It was something of a shame then when the spirited mare, rather than completing her confession, chose to make a sudden and speedy egress. Disappointment set in in the immediate. Rarity bit her lip and then gave a breathy sigh. "Oh, Rainbow..." she muttered.

She took another breath to compose herself and thought about it all. Perhaps Rainbow truly would work up the courage in time. Rarity would just have to do her best to be ready for it. It would mean a big change to everything, but perhaps she wasn't so unprepared for such a change. And perhaps that courage would never find that otherwise courageous mare. It would be frustrating if it did not, but maybe it would be for the best. Though a part of her was surprisingly ready to confront Rainbow herself, Rarity found she was even more ready to just wait and see what Rainbow chose to do.

For now, she'd just do her best to take her mind off of it all. She found her book nearby and resumed reading it.

 

 

(Rarity Exit)

[brianblackberry]

Carrot Fields kept scanning the ground below and the sky around him with an increasingly worried brow, hoping for any sign of Rainbow Dash, but without any luck.  He needed a change of plans. Fortunately the cloud he was on hadn't moved too far off, and he began to wave frantically, hoping one the few townsfolk he could see might be a pegasus willing to investigate more closely, and rescue this wayward earth stallion.

He had only a moment's glimpse of a blue streak heading his way... what was that?  Some sort of unicorn spell or -

Carrot found his whole body thrown flat against the cloud, as he and the cloud shot upwards at such a rapid pace.  This wasn't good!  He wanted down, not up!  All he could do is hold on for dear life.

Everything stopped just as suddenly as it had started.  He looked around, feeling a bit dazed and lightheaded, noting that he was as high up as the summit of the nearby mountains.  This would normally have been exhilarating, but his focus was still on getting to... "Dash?!!"  There she was, floating right before him!  Before he could utter a second word, the ruddy maned stallion found himself in a passionate kiss that sadly, lasted all too briefly before she admonished him for his earlier flirtations.

He brushed aside his long, now even more messy mane from his face and gave an overly innocent, lopsided grin, "yeah, sorry abit 'at. Ah guess thes whole bein' oan a clood thing is new tae me, jist, well, ye waur, well ur, jist sae bonnie, er... hot, wi' yer jersey an' stuff."  He blushed, unsure of his words, not that they weren't anything but true, but not sure how much she appreciated them.  Fortune favored the bold though, and that was the only reason she'd noticed him in the first place, so there was no reason to hold back now.  She wasn't pushing the cloud, and nopony could see them ... he leaned forward affectionately nuzzled her nose with his, "Aam glad yoo're alrecht! Ah was really worried. Ah promise nae tae dae thes while yer flyin' us, but ay coorse when yoo're not, aw bets ur aff!"  He winked playfully.  "Och! Ah hope yer friend Rarity wasnae upsit at aw, was she haem?"

 

[Bramble Rose]

 

Rainbow Dash found herself briefly speechless at the rumpled Stallion, slightly damp from the clouds, warmed and shining from the sun, tossing his mess of a mane back.  Goodness.  Her face turned even hotter and redder than before.  And then he nuzzled back at her!  She had to get used to that.  She'd say something awesome.  Yes.  Uh.  It was simple.  You look pretty hot, too.  imagine him with unshorn hooves.  NO, don't imagine him with unshorn hooves!  What is wrong with you, you're way too cool to get all flustered over something stupid like this!

"Um... mmble... hmphbl grm..." she mumbled, then groooooaned and sunk down out of sight of Carrot, absolutely mortified. She took a deep breath and then floated back up.  "I mean, yeah, course I am!  Totally hot!  Cause I'm Rainbow Dash!"  If she couldn't talk about him, she could at least talk about herself.  She was good at that!

"Yeah, Rarity was home, but she didn't seem to mind."  She thought a moment.  "I wonder if she knows about us, because she said some odd stuff... aaaaanyway.  Hunker down, Carrot!  We're gonna kick it into high gear!"

She flew straight up into the air, loop-de-looped around, and hit hooves-first into the cloud. "Juice and Jam time!"she cried, as she propelled the cloud - and Carrot with it - at high speed across the stratosphere.

 

[brianblackberry]

 

Carrot Fields found it both amusing and adorable how Rainbow Dash reacted to his physical flirtations.  For a pony so brazen and bold when it comes to most anything, and darn proud of that fact, she was sure shy when it came to affection, especially if it was public in any way, although there certainly no other ponies around in any direction.  Carrot actually held back when there were other ponies nearby, knowing Dash didn't like 'PDA' as she would call it; not that she wasn't just as interested in him, she claimed she had this 'daredevil image' she had to maintain, what that had to do with being romantic in public, he didn't entirely understand, but went along with it for her sake.

 

Such a silly mare, it made her even more cute.

 

Her attempt to play off his complements on her outfit through bravado was amusing, he didn't need to say anything in return, he just gave her a warm, affectionate, if not bemused smile.  At least she didn't get in trouble with her friend Rarity for that earlier crash, and it did make Carrot ponder, how many of her friends did know about them?  Twilight certainly, and perhaps Fluttershy and Rarity because of the Daring Do game they all played?  Who knows.  He was going to inquire more but Dash was already streaking them across the sky before he could even open his mouth!

 

The ruddy maned stallion held on tight, low to the cloud, before slowly sitting back up.  They were moving pretty darn fast, and his long, wild mane was blowing all over the place.  He wanted to put on his Wonderbolt goggles, but those were more for showing off with all their signatures than to actually wear, *sigh* he needs a second pair, especially since he doubted this will be the last time he was to be on a cloud.

Cloudsdale had to be just over the horizon; he couldn't wait, Cloudsdale, the home of the Wonderbolts, and he'll get to actually set hoof on it!

 

[RarityDash]

 

This was bad. This was very bad.

 

Cloudchaser couldn't help but mutter to herself as she flew ahead, finding it hard to fly straight for how worried she was. She had to find Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was the only pony who could help. Rainbow was the only pony who would know what to do.

 

Though she was a take things as they come mare, and one perpetually buoyed by the supportive words of the most awesome fillyfriend in the universe, Cloudchaser could not deny that she wasn't the most capable pony around. With her at the wheel, things were always likely to just go slightly askew. It was ponies like Rainbow who were the backbone of the world. Cloudchaser might have made it into the Wonderbolt Reserves on her second attempt after dropping out the first time, but Rainbow had made it on the first try, and was on the fast tract to joining the team.The difference was fundamental. She knew when to defer and wasn't going to put anypony at risk just to try and mange a potential disaster on her own. 

 

And so she scanned the skies, looking for her rainbow-haired colleague. She moved quickly, knowing that time was of utmost importance, desperately searching. Then, suddenly, she spied the colorful blur on the horizon, drifting toward Cloudsdale alongside a different, unknown pony-sized blur. She gave a gasp. With all the speed she had built through her cadet training, she darted ahead.

 

"Dashie, quick! Quick. We need you! There's big trouble coming! Like huge," she frantically started as she slowed down. She turned around, prepared to dart back in the other direction. "Come! Before it gets here!"

 

[Bramble Rose]

Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise as suddenly, Cloudchaser, and babbling up a storm.  Annoyance surged through her.  "Cloudy, I'm on my way to a Wonderbo-"

She cut off as the panic and worry really sunk in.  Cloudchaser wasn't even reacting to an earth pony riding a cloud, and she already knew that Dash had today off for a Wonderbolt concert.  Cloudchaser wasn't flighty like Derpy - if she was panicing, it was for good cause.

 

Her eyes skimmed the horizon quickly.  From the direction Cloudchaser came, and the only source of such panic for the weather team... Yes, there.  That dark aura on the horizon.  "Awww, horse apples... the Everfree?  Again?  We just broke up an unscheduled storm from there last week!"

 

Her skilled weatherpony's eye took in the tiny details.  The odd color in the sky on the horizon, the way that distant haze of clouds moved, the altitude, makeup, all the little clues.  "Whoah.  That's ... gonna make a lot of tornados... "

 

Off came the socks, off came the jersey, and she tossed them at Carrot.  "Hold onto these!  I'll be back soon!  Don't go anywhere!"  She replaced them with her work goggles, pulled out from under a wing, and settled firmly into place.  Then she was gone, tracing a rainbow streak across the sky, fast enough that even Cloudchaser couldn't keep up.

[brianblackberry]

 

Carrot Fields was just as surprised as Dash when Cloudchaser suddenly appeared in distress about some weather related emergency.  He had seen the spikey maned lavender pegasus around Ponyville from time to time, although he didn't know her name until now.  Actually, Cloudy sounded more like a nickname, like Dashie.  Either way, she was cute, which is likely why he remembered her, as he always paid close attention to the cute mares in town from the day he moved to the area to the time he finally started dating, a long, long period, well at least to him.

 

Not that he stopped noticing them afterwards, or ... well ... that's not something he needed to dwell on.

 

Suddenly he had a face full of jersey, and he fumbled with it, blindly assuring Dash "Aye, dinnae fash yerself.  Where would Oi go tae, then?"  By the time he got the jersey off his head, though, all he could see of her was her tail bannering off in the distance - he was talking to thin air.

 

He sighed and laid the clothes down on the cloud.  Glanced around, the wind blowing his curly red mane away from his face.  This wasn't that big of a cloud ... what was he going to do until she came back?  Couldn't she have left him closer to the ground?  He glanced down at the jersey and socks she'd worn just for him, only the sleeve of the jersey still showing above the surface of the cloud as it slowly sunk in, as if sinking into thick mud.

 

It took half a second for him to realize what was happening, and in that half second the sleeve had disappeared into the cloud.  He shoved his hoof down into the fluffy white mass, feeling around desperately for the disappearing clothes.  Ah!  Got it!  He pulled up ... one sock.  He carefully peeked his head over the edge, peering down below to see the other sock and the jersey fluttering down towards the ground.

 

Well.  That happened.  How embarrassing.  After she'd specifically given them to him to take care of.  Well, at least he knew where they were.  Right under him.  Actually, a little off that way.

...

 

No, wait.  they were getting further away.  Where were they going?  No, wait.  "Ach!  Where'm Oi off tae?!  Why am Oi movin'?!"