My alarm went off at eight in the morning, and I groaned as I turned it off. I rolled to my feet, rubbing my eyes as I tried to stay awake. I tried to sleep during the night, but with everything that was going on with Fleetfoot, I found it hard to fall asleep. Looking out my window, I grabbed my clothes and headed for the shower. I saw the bathroom door closed, along with Spitfire’s door, and gave a gentle knock. I waited several seconds before giving another knock, slightly louder than before. After receiving no response, I opened the door to see no one was occupying it.

Taking a deep breath, I turned on the hot water and stood under the shower head. The hot water felt great against my skin as I leaned against the bathroom wall, letting the steam help clear my head. I was expecting Fleetfoot to be up when I was, but I guessed she was probably preparing for the trip we were about to set out on. I gave a small smile, even with my nerves wracking my entire body, at the prospect of getting to know Fleetfoot more. With at least some pleasant thoughts filling my mind, I reached for my shampoo and began my slow shower. As I lathered the shampoo into my hair, I let my mind wander to the picture I saw two nights ago.

On the second picture had been the building of the orphanage, something that looked like the place that Spitfire and Fleetfoot had sent a donation to. The sign on the building read ‘Madame Ever Ring’s Foal House’, but that wasn’t what had captured my attention. What really got my attention were the three foals that were standing in front of the orphanage. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were easy to pick out, but there was a unicorn filly in between them, giving a very proud grin. I could only assume the filly was a close friend to Spitfire and Fleetfoot, as they had their wings draped over the filly’s back.

The filly had a cream colored coat and her eyes were a light lavender. Her mane and tail were pink with dark violet streaks running through them. Her mane was styled similar to Twilight’s, but there was a little extra length to put it into a ponytail. As I thought about it, I don’t think I ever heard any of the mares’ friends or the mares themselves talk about their unicorn friend. Realizing this, my smile turned to a frown as I wondered what happened to the filly. I guessed that the filly probably went on to live her life, but it seemed unlikely since ponies were very close with their friends.

I continued to think about the young filly, until a light knock resounded around the room. I looked towards the door, waiting to see if I was hearing things again. Silence filled the bathroom, the sound of falling water the only noise I could hear as I waited. A few seconds passed before another knock came from the door, followed by the sound of Fleetfoot’s voice.

“Mark, are you in there?” Fleetfoot said in calm tone.

Shaking my head from my thoughts, I cleared my throat so the mare could hear me. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.”

“Okay,” Fleetfoot said.

With no time left to think in the shower, I washed off the soap and turned off the water. I grabbed a towel from the linen closet and dried off everything below my waist. With my lower half dried, I pulled on my boxers, then followed with my pants. I grabbed my shirt as I finished drying off my top half, opening the door to allow the mare to enter. When the door opened, Fleetfoot stared at me. She was ready to say something when she quickly closed her mouth, a light blush adorning her face. I was pretty sure it was a blush, but I couldn’t tell because of how light it was.

I moved around Fleetfoot as she gave a single nod and entered the bathroom. The mare turned around, and for a quick second, I saw her look me up and down before closing the door. Not really sure what that was all about, I shrugged as I finished toweling off. Once I was dry, I threw my towel in my dirty pile that I created next to my dresser as I slipped on my shirt. Going to my closet, I opened the door and grabbed the first pair of shoes that I saw. Seeing as how Fleetfoot had told me that I should be prepared for lots of walking, I made sure that my clothes were appropriate for such a task.

I wore a simple white t-shirt, Rarity’s three diamond insignia on the sleeve with the top button undone so I could breathe a little easier. I wore a pair of light gray cargo shorts and I made sure that I was wearing my hiking shoes. Happy with my attire, I grabbed my small backpack and headed for the kitchen. As I neared the stairs, I saw the bathroom door was still closed. I lingered near the door for a few seconds before heading down the stairs. I entered the kitchen and turned towards the clock to see that it was only nine o’clock. With an hour left until we leave, I made a quick breakfast for the three of us and packed my backpack with a few snacks and water.

Getting everything packed only took a couple of minutes, so I sat at the dining table to wait for Fleetfoot’s arrival. As I sat at the table, I spread out the small assortment of fruit so that Spitfire and Fleetfoot had a different variety to eat for their breakfast. With the food organized, I leaned back in my chair, trying to see how long I could balance on two legs before setting myself down. I was starting to get the hang of balancing on the chair again after a few failed attempts, and I was now attempting to see if I could break my record.

Everything was working out well as I neared my current record time. “Mark, what are you doing?” Fleetfoot’s voice pulled me out of my concentration, causing me to fall back down.

I looked back to see Fleetfoot, but she seemed a little off. The pegasus seemed a little more sluggish in her morning and her eyes were a little red and puffy, clearly signs that she had been crying. Fleetfoot saw the food on the table and lazily floated over to eat the decent breakfast. It didn’t seem that Fleetfoot noticed my staring as I took in her entire appearance. Along with her sluggish movements, her coat color wasn’t as vibrant, and she seemed ready to break down into a sobbing mess.

Tapping my fingers on the table, I shook my head as I addressed the elephant in the room. “You doing okay, Fleetfoot? You don’t seem to be holding up so well.”

Worry was laced in my tone, and Fleetfoot winced a little from my concerned question. The mare continued to eat, refusing to look me in the eyes. Silence filled the space between us as I watched her eat slowly. Moving closer to the table, I reached out to the mare. My hand slowly moved towards the mare before finally resting on her shoulder. Fleetfoot didn’t move as I held my hand there, slowly moving towards her cheek to have her look at me. The mare resisted a little, but it wasn’t much as she easily moved along with my hands. The mare’s eyes refused to look at me still, but I held her there, waiting for a response.

Fleetfoot continued to look around for several seconds before letting out a shuddering sigh. “Can it wait until we get into the carriage?” She gave me quick eye contact to see me nod my head. “I’ll also need you to wear this, and carry this with you.” Fleetfoot produced a necklace and a piece of paper.

I grabbed the offered items and inspected them closely before turning to the mare. I wanted to see what these items were for, but it was something that could wait until later since we had a carriage ride we needed to make. Looking back at the clock, I saw that it was nearing ten and I gestured for the mare to get up. Fleetfoot looked at the clock, nodding her head as she jumped out of her chair, heading for the living room. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder as I joined the mare in the living room, the pegasus putting on her own saddlebags.

Fleetfoot looked around the living and at me before nodding her head in satisfaction. Fleetfoot trotted up to the door and opened it, gesturing for me to leave first. I still really disliked having the door held open for me, but it was something I was able to accept in their culture. I walked outside, followed by the pegasus as she closed the door behind us. Fleetfoot lifted herself into the air, floating next to me as we headed for the carriage station. Our walk was filled with a little more silence than I was used to with the mare, and it wasn’t helped with how few ponies were out and about.

This whole day looked ready to take the turn for the worst, especially as we passed a weather report bulletin and I got a look at today’s weather. A heavy thunderstorm was planned for today and tomorrow, making me a little more curious about where Fleetfoot was taking me. I looked on ahead as we passed Clover’s bar, Clover herself waving to us as we passed, and we happily waved back. Fleetfoot would take quick glances back at me, before quickly turning forward, probably thinking I didn’t catch her. Something told me that I should give the mare a hug, or even a pat on the back to help cheer her up, but I felt that it would be better if I could see what was wrong.

A few ponies greeted us as we neared the carriage station, Fleetfoot quickly flying towards the ticket booth. There were a few carriages still around with pegasi strapped to them, each ready for take-off to some location. I turned my attention back to Fleetfoot as she continued to talk with the stallion behind the glass. The stallion smiled at her as he handed her two tickets, and I caught a glimpse of their color to know our destination. She was having me travel to Cloudsdale, and I could feel a lead brick fall to the pit of my stomach, my nerves working overtime at what she was doing.

Pushing down some of my fear, I jogged towards the mare, avoiding the need to sprint so I wouldn’t cause a scene in front of all the ponies. I was hoping to catch Fleetfoot before she entered a carriage, but I didn’t make it as she flew inside of one, gesturing for me to join her. Running my hand through my hair while letting out a heavy sigh, I sulked my way to the carriage. I stepped inside the carriage, taking a seat across from Fleetfoot as the door closed behind me. Hearing the door lock, I felt the carriage lurch forward as we were lifted into the air. I took a quick look at the retreating sight of Canterlot, knowing I would be back very quickly after I explained my situation to Fleetfoot.

Sighing heavily, I looked at the mare as she pulled out a magazine, her attention pulled from it when I addressed her. “Fleetfoot, after we land in Cloudsdale, I need to head back to Canterlot immediately.”

Fleetfoot put the magazine down, and raised a curious brow at me. “Why do you need to come back? I thought you were okay with coming with me?” Her tone sounded a little hurt and worried about what I was saying, and I shook my head, knowing full well I would have to explain my situation.

I rubbed the back of my neck, taking interest in the ceiling as I explained myself. “I’m not entirely welcomed to visit Cloudsdale. I made a slightly poor choice, but at the same time, I find that I was justified.”

Fleetfoot’s expression remained neutral as she leaned back, making me avert my eyes away from her. “Are you talking about the small ban that you have because of punching the mayor?” I nodded my head. “You don’t have to worry about that. The paper I gave you allows you to enter the city as long as you do what you’re saying you’re visiting for.”

Raising my brow in confusion, I felt around in my pockets, pulling out the paper Fleetfoot gave me. I presented the paper towards her. “Are you talking about this paper?” Fleetfoot nodded her head.

“Give it a read and you’ll understand what I’m getting at.” Fleetfoot grabbed her magazine, and I just now noticed that it was a fashion magazine.

Ignoring the fact that Fleetfoot was reading a fashion magazine, I started to unfold the paper. Smoothing out some of the edges, I read what was on it.

This document entitles ‘Mark’ to visit Cloudsdale with ‘Fleetfoot’ on yearly visit to the local orphanage ‘Madame Ever Ring’s Foal House’ for a day or two, depending on how long ‘Fleetfoot’ needs to stay. ‘Mark’ will accompany ‘Fleetfoot’ wherever she goes, and ‘Mark’ will follow all laws regarding ‘Cloudsdale’. If ‘Mark’ is seen anywhere he is not supposed to be at without his guide, ‘Mark’ will be removed from ‘Cloudsdale’ immediately and sent for proper punishment at ‘Canterlot’.

Signed,

Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, and Princess Cadence

I read the paper a couple of times over before looking at Fleetfoot. The pegasus gave a curt nod before looking through her magazine again. Taking a final glance at the paper, I put it in my pocket for safe keeping. I looked out the window again to see that we were high in the air, clouds passing the carriage and a cool breeze brushing against my skin. I pulled my eyes away from the calm sight of nothingness as I turned back to Fleetfoot.

“Hey, Fleetfoot, are you doing any better than you were this morning?” I asked with slight concern.

I saw the small wince she gave before letting the magazine fall between her legs, thankfully blocking off what I was avoiding to see. I looked her in her light purple eyes. I could see a hint of worry, but there was a bit of relief as well. Silence filled the space between us for a few seconds before Fleetfoot finally spoke up.

“I’m doing better than before. Thanks for the concern, Mark.” Fleetfoot gave a small smile as she adjusted herself in her seat.

I nodded my head, but I could see there was still something bothering her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Fleetfoot swayed a little as she closed her eyes. She seemed deep in thought as she took careful breaths. After several seconds of listening to her calm breathing, she opened her eyes and looked at me.

“This trip has always been emotional for me. I’ve done this for at least twenty years, and it just gets harder every year,” Fleetfoot said as she scooted towards the window, turning to look outside.

Standing up, I moved to the seat Fleetfoot was in and slowly ran my hand up and down her back. I was expecting to have her swat my hand away, but the soft coos she gave showed that she liked the attention. I made sure to avoid any unnecessary spots that Cadence taught me so I could avoid any real awkward moments.

I continued to stroke her back as I spoke in a soft tone. “If it hurts so much to go there, then why do you keep going?”

Fleetfoot placed a hoof on the window, a small sniffle escaping her before she composed herself. “I keep going because of the promise that I made. As long as I’m alive, I’ll keep going until I can’t anymore.”

I wanted to keep pressing for more answers, but something told me that during this trip, I would get a lot of answers. I kept stroking Fleetfoot’s back, the mare continuing to look out the window. Wanting to help cheer her up, I grabbed at the paper she gave me, and presented it to her. Fleetfoot looked at the paper before looking back at me over her shoulder, her confusion evident on her features.

“I was wondering how you were able to get all four princesses to sign this,” I said as I offered her a comforting smile.

Fleetfoot ran her foreleg across her eyes, probably trying to get rid of the tears that were building up, but she wouldn’t admit that. She looked at me as she gave a cheeky grin. “You’re not the only one that’s close to the princesses. I was actually honestly surprised that Celestia got the other three to sign it. They seemed really eager to sign it when they saw that you were going with me. Why is that?”

I gave a shrug as I moved my hand from her back and to her mane, ruffling it a bit and getting the mare to giggle. “Honestly, I’m not even sure. It might be because I’m one of their few closest friends, or maybe they just want me to punch the mayor again.” This earned a good giggle from Fleetfoot as she rubbed her head against my hand.

“If you’re going to do that, then can you at least wait until I show you around? I would like to end on a high note like I always do,” Fleetfoot said as she leaned in closer to me, my hand continuing to stroke her mane.

The two of us sat closely together, Fleetfoot giving a soft hum as my fingers ran through her mane. I was actually surprised by how soft it felt. I figured that in order to keep it in her regular messy look, she would have to put some kind of intense care into it. As I continued to run my fingers through her soft mane, there was no feeling of any kind of mane product. It was like her mane was naturally like this, and I started to wonder if Spitfire’s was the same way. I looked out my window as Fleetfoot closed her eyes to get a few more minutes of sleep.

There still wasn’t much to see out the window, and I didn’t really bring anything to keep me entertained during the trip. There was the occasional bird that we passed, or a cloud that was shaped like some kind of animal or object, but that was the only thing I could really enjoy. I was growing restless in my seat as well, but I refused to move to avoid disturbing Fleetfoot, who was resting peacefully. I was sure that she wouldn’t mind if I tried to make myself comfortable, but the genuine smile that she gave in her sleep allowed me to handle the slight discomfort.

Not really sure how much longer we had in our travel, I went back to running my fingers through Fleetfoot’s mane. Fleetfoot gave a soft coo as she leaned more into me, her wings stretching over my legs and giving me a little warmth. The sight was oddly strange, but it was very welcomed. I gave a small smile as I thought about the subtle differences the two mares had when they were awake and when they were asleep.

Spitfire was a very authoritative mare, but I think I can understand where that attitude comes from. Spitfire tries to make sure that everyone understands what they do, and even with the slightly harsh tone, I could sometimes catch a hint of kindness. When Spitfire was asleep, she would give a wonderful smile that was very rare to see when she was awake. That smile of hers really defined her as a different mare. Spitfire seemed so content without the stress of others and her job weighing her down. Fleetfoot was different compared to Spitfire.

Fleetfoot was a very intelligent mare, if the few interactions I had with her were any indication. She could usually read how a pony would react in a certain situation, and act accordingly. The shower incident I had with her was a good example since she took the opportunity to get me all flustered. Fleetfoot wouldn’t yell at others, but there was always a subtle hint of some kind of punishment if someone would argue with her. When Fleetfoot slept, her mind would calm down and allow herself a chance to relax. She never looked it, but her job was really stressful on her, but it seemed she kept it hidden to avoid putting stress on Spitfire.

I gave a small smile as I looked back out the window. The two mares were so different from each other, but at the same time, they were exactly like sisters. Shaking my head a little, I felt the carriage lurch a little. Angling myself a little in my seat, I could make out the landing area on Cloudsdale. Looking back at Fleetfoot, she was still asleep. I nudged the pegasus lightly, trying to wake her up. Fleetfoot seemed to be a little stubborn about getting up, but after a few more nudges, she finally woke up. Fleetfoot blinked her eyes a few times, a large yawn escaping her as she took in her surroundings.

Fleetfoot looked up to see me looking down at her. Shaking her head, Fleetfoot settled herself again, getting ready to sleep again, before her eyes shot wide open. I haven’t seen Spitfire and Fleetfoot move at their fastest speeds they could travel, but if anything from the way she jumped away from me, it would be impressive to see them fly that fast. Fleetfoot clutched at her chest, amazing me that she was able to do that with her hoof as she stared at me. I took this as my chance to stretch a little in the cramped space of the carriage.

As I worked out a few kinks in my back, Fleetfoot spoke in a hushed tone. “I’m sorry for falling asleep on you like that.” Fleetfoot gave a nervous laugh as she packed away her magazine. “I guess I was a little more tired than I thought.”

I waved off the mare’s concern, giving her a reassuring smile as I spoke calmly. “Don’t worry about. You didn’t miss anything during the trip, and you looked like you could really use it. This trip seemed to be weighing heavily on your mind, so I didn’t mind being your pillow.” I gave a warm chuckle as the mare gave a small smile.

“It has been weighing heavily on my mind. I’m always nervous when coming here, and those nerves don’t die down until I get to the orphanage.” Fleetfoot put her saddlebags back on as she stood by the door.

“Well, I’m with you the whole way. Let’s just hope that nobody gives me any trouble during my stay here.” I made sure my backpack was closed before leaning back in my chair, waiting for the door to open. “Hey, before I forget, how long are we staying here?”

Fleetfoot looked back at me as she placed a hoof on her chin. “It depends, really. Sometimes I stay for only one day, but because of the rain that comes, and I don’t leave early enough, I stay for two days. It always rains around this time.”

Fleetfoot whispered that last part, but I was able to hear it because of the small space. I wanted to see what she meant by that, but I didn’t say anything, wanting to see if it would be answered during our trip. We waited for a couple of minutes before we felt the carriage bounce a little, signaling that we had landed. Fleetfoot made sure her saddlebags were secured before turning to me.

“You might want to put on that necklace. Twilight was kind enough to enchant it with her cloud walking spell. She gave it enough power to last a week since we don’t know how it will entirely affect you.” Fleetfoot turned back to the door, waiting for it to open before turning back to me, realization spread across her features. “You do know how this spell works, correct?”

I nodded my head as I pulled out the necklace and put it on. I kind of wished that I could have picked out the design, but I guess I was stuck with the little flame as the design for now. “Yeah, Twilight had me try it out before to see how well it worked. Everything seemed to work fine during the trials, but you may want to keep an eye on me in case it doesn’t last long.”

Fleetfoot nodded her head, her tone confident as she placed a hoof on her chest. “You won’t have to worry about that. You have one of the fastest fliers in Equestria by your side.”

I couldn’t help the slight chuckle from how confident Fleetfoot sounded, but it was reassuring to know that she would help me. We felt the carriage give one final lurch as we finally came to a stop. I could hear the clopping of hooves from outside, signaling that the door was about to be opened. A few seconds passed before the door was opened and Fleetfoot and I were greeted by a group of guards. All the guards were pegasi, and they seemed ready to pull out their spears. I gave a small frown as the mayor that I punched came trotting forward, a scowl very prominent on his features.

The pegasus stallion extended his hoof, his voice gruff and full of hate. “Your paper, please.”

I kept my eyes on the stallion as I fished the paper out of my pocket. I handed the paper to Fleetfoot to avoid any problems. Fleetfoot handed the paper to the mayor, who almost smacked her muzzle, as he grabbed at it harshly. His eyes skimmed the paper for a few seconds before giving it to one of the guards.

He dismissed the guards, and as he turned to trot away, he turned back to me, pointing a hoof at me. “I have my eyes on you. You slip up once you damned hairless ape, and I will have you kicked off this cloud faster than you can say ‘Luna’.”

Every fiber in my being demanded I run up to the stallion and slug him across the face again, but Fleetfoot’s presence kept me from doing so. Fleetfoot and I watched as the stallion took the sky, and we exited the carriage. I gave a tip to the two pegasi that had flown us up. I was glad that the part of Cloudsdale I was standing on was solid ground, giving me assurance that I was somewhere safe at the moment. Fleetfoot stood by the exit to Cloudsdale, and I sighed heavily as I walked over to her.

I reached Fleetfoot, and before we left, she stopped me with a hoof. “Thanks for keeping your cool.”

I nodded to Fleetfoot, keeping my voice at a somewhat calm level. “No problem. I don’t wish to add to your stress, but it’s going to take a lot of willpower not to deck him in the schnoz.”

This got Fleetfoot to cover her muzzle with a hoof as she suppressed her giggles. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anypony say something like that. I might have to try that sometime.”

I gave a light chuckle as Fleetfoot took to the air, floating next to me as I prepared to walk on Cloudsdale. We stepped out of the gates leading to the carriage station, and I was amazed by everything that I saw around me. Like the name suggests, Cloudsdale was made entirely of clouds. What really got my attention was the architecture of the buildings. I wasn’t much of an architect myself, but I could make out that the columns that supported the buildings were at least of Greek design.

Another amazing feature of the city was the multiple rainbow falls that flowed around every building. I remembered Pinkie telling me a story about when she tried some of the rainbow in liquid form, and how spicy it was. I followed some of the rainbow falls to a building that was hovering higher in the air, and I could only guess that was the Rainbow Factory. I continued to look around, getting a brief look at Fleetfoot as she let me continue to look around. Pegasi were flying all around, and I could see some stairs that led to the upper and lower levels of Cloudsdale. I could only assume those were for the foals that haven’t learned to fly yet, and tourists that couldn’t fly.

Taking in a final look of the city, the cold wind causing me to shiver a little, I looked at the edge of solid ground I was standing on. It was one thing stepping on trial clouds since I wasn’t hundreds of feet up in the air, and I had a trusty alicorn princess that triple checked everything before I would attempt to walk on the cloud. Taking a deep breath, I reached out with my left foot and slowly placed it on the cloud. I could feel as the spongy feeling of the cloud gave under my weight, stopping when my ankle was buried into it. I put a little more pressure on my left foot and the cloud seemed to continue its hold.

Looking to Fleetfoot, she offered a hoof for me to take so I could place my other foot on the cloud. As much as it pained me to do this, I grabbed the mare’s hoof. Fleetfoot flew to my front, leading my other foot to stand on the cloud. My nerves reached a higher peak as I sunk a little more into the cloud. Thankfully, I stopped sinking when the cloud was a couple inches above my ankle. Looking around, Fleetfoot smiled at me as I gave a few test bounces. The cloud continued to hold, and I looked at the necklace to see it giving off a very dull lavender glow. Seeing that nothing was about to go wrong, I let go of Fleetfoot’s hoof and started to follow her.

“So, how far is it to the orphanage?” I asked as I stumbled a little on the cloud.

“It’s about a thirty minute walk from here.” Fleetfoot looked back at me and gave a small grin. “Maybe longer if you can’t learn to walk straight.”

I gave a small frown at the mare as I tried to make sure I didn’t fall face first onto the cloud. “Hey, this is my first time actually walking on a cloud that isn’t about the size of a small raincloud. I also don’t have the ability to fly like you do.”

Fleetfoot shook her head at me as she stuck her tongue out at me. “Sounds to me like somepony is just whining.”

I chuckled a little as I slowly grew used to walking on the cloud. To other ponies around, Fleetfoot would have seemed kind of mean, but I knew she was joking. I knew where to draw the line with her teasing, and it seemed she did as well to avoid being mean. Once I got my laughter under control, silence fell between Fleetfoot and I. The silence, though, wasn’t unwelcomed as we both smiled happily. There was a slight feeling of unease as I looked at Fleetfoot’s smile. I had this strange feeling that when we got to the orphanage, her smile would falter. I wasn’t really sure if there would be anything I could do to fix that when it comes, but I was going to make sure her smile stayed long enough until we crossed that bridge.

Fleetfoot continued to lead me through the middle district of Cloudsdale. She explained that the entire city was broken into different districts to help keep everything organized. There were three residential districts, separated similarly to Canterlot’s residential districts. Fleetfoot and I landed at the carriage station in the middle district. We passed the stairs leading to the upper district back at the carriage station. The stairs leading to the lower district was at the other end of the middle district, but apparently we weren’t heading that way. The rest of the stairs that we passed led to either markets, social areas, or government buildings.

As we continued to walk, I really started to wish that I had pressed further about where Fleetfoot was taking me last night. Cloudsdale wasn’t that high in the sky, usually staying about the same height Canterlot castle stood, but it was very cold. I rubbed my arms to warm up my body, the chill air making the hairs on my arms stand on end. Thankfully, Fleetfoot pulled out a scarf from her saddlebags and handed it to me. I gave a slight nod as I wrapped the scarf around my neck, wrapping my arms a little in the extra slack.

The pegasi flew higher above us, not even looking at the weird creature that was visiting their city. I thanked the fact that they didn’t notice me, since I didn’t want to waste Fleetfoot’s time by having to introduce myself to every pegasus that would ask what I was. I continued to look around the cloud city, trying to find anything to pique my interest, but that was becoming more impossible as we headed deeper into the middle district. We were walking for possibly twenty minutes before I noticed dark clouds starting to form overhead.

I stopped walking, looking to the sky as I called out to Fleetfoot. “Hey, how come there are rain clouds here? Isn’t it kind of useless having rain since you don’t have any crops to grow?”

Fleetfoot stopped her gentle glide as she looked up for a few seconds before turning to me. “There are a few things that we can grow here, but they are usually a pegasus delicacy. Other ponies have tried it, but they usually don’t like it. We also have it rain because it helps keep Cloudsdale healthy. There’s a small amount of moisture in the clouds that make up the city, and it’s good to replace it with new water.”
I raised a brow as I looked at the mare. “How’s it good for the city?”

Fleetfoot placed a hoof to her chin, probably thinking of the best way to explain this to me. “Since the entire city is made of cloud, water still evaporates over time. We replace that water with fresh rainwater to keep the clouds full of life and to keep the structures of the buildings strong. There’s a bunch of other things, but the ponies at the weather factory can explain it better.”

I gave a slight nod as Fleetfoot turned around and started leading me again. It didn’t take long for the entire city to become cast in a light shadow. I could still see everything around me, but the eerie grayness of everything around me made it a little unsettling. As we continued to walk, I felt a few drops of rain land on my face. I couldn’t help but shiver at the feeling of the rain, the height of the clouds making the water colder. Fleetfoot looked back to see me giving small shivers. She gestured with her hoof to show that she was going to pick up the pace to get to the orphanage.

I jumped on the chance to get out of the freezing rain faster. I love rain, but I don’t wish to die from hypothermia. We continued to walk for fifteen more minutes before finally reaching the orphanage. Fleetfoot and I stood under the doorway, the pegasus offering me a towel to dry off with. I gladly took the offered towel, drying off as much as I could until I could change my clothes. I got most of the water off, only to get soaked again when Fleetfoot shook off the water dripping from her coat. Once the mare was finished shaking, she looked back at me, giving a sheepish smile as I gave her a deadpanned look.

Letting out a small sigh, I wiped off my face and arms, again. Getting dry for a second time, I offered the towel back to Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot took the towel, giving a small apologetic look as she put it back in her saddle. With us both decently dried off, Fleetfoot trotted up to the door, giving it a few hard knocks. As we waited for someone to answer the door, I looked around at the building. The stairs leading up to the door were shielded from the rain by the overhead stone arch. The building itself was made of cloud, but it wasn’t as artistic as the others. The clouds were smoothed out, giving the building an almost flat look.

The eerie grayness didn’t help to make the building look approachable. The orphanage looked like something out of a horror movie where I would probably run into a pair of twins, asking me to play with them. I knew I was being silly, but the bland look of the building didn’t help to cease those thoughts. I was also surprised at how tall the building was. I was used to the smaller buildings in Canterlot, but the orphanage seemed big enough to accommodate me. I was pulled from my musings when I heard the door creak open.

I turned towards the door, surprised to see a light pink unicorn mare. The mare had a rose colored mane and tail, a blue and white streak running through both. Her eyes were a light amber and she had a pair of glasses at the end of her muzzle. I could barely make out her cutie mark of two gold bands interlaced together. The unicorn had a neutral expression as she seemed to ignore me and look at Fleetfoot. I looked over at Fleetfoot to see her shift a little in place, a nervous smile on her face.

“H-Hey there, Ever Ring,” Fleetfoot nervously said.

“Fleetfoot, I see it’s that time of the year again,” Ever Ring replied, her tone uncaring.

Fleetfoot nodded her head as she fiddled with her saddlebags. Ever Ring looked over at me, then back at Fleetfoot before stepping aside. Fleetfoot gave a nervous wave as she walked into the building. I followed behind Fleetfoot, avoiding Ever Ring as I stood behind Fleetfoot. Ever Ring closed the door and locked it before facing us again.

Fleetfoot continued to shift nervously as she removed her saddlebags. “So, are the foals up or are they already asleep?”

Ever Ring grabbed a cloth from a nearby table, her dark pink aura encasing her horn and the cloth as she cleaned her glasses. “They’re currently upstairs playing.” Ever Ring finished cleaning her glasses and put the cloth back on the table before looking at me and pointing a hoof. “Who’s this?”

Fleetfoot shook her head, seeming to gain a little confidence as she jumped into the air and wrapped a foreleg around my neck. “This is my friend Mark. He wanted to stop by and entertain the foals with me.”

I looked at Fleetfoot as Ever Ring looked at me with a raised brow. The lie was obvious to me, but it seemed to go over the other mare’s head as she gave a single curt nod. “Very well, but make sure he doesn’t scare the foals. I don’t need to be interrupted during the night because they had a nightmare of a giant creature chasing after them.”

Looking away from Fleetfoot, I gave a small smile as I tried to reassure the mare I wasn’t going to be a problem. “I’ll try not to look intimidating to them.”

Ever Ring seemed to give me a quick look up and down before turning around and trotting away. Once the unicorn was out of sight, I let out a small breath as the tension in the room finally relaxed. I wasn’t sure where it came from, but being around that mare made things really uncomfortable. I felt Fleetfoot’s leg unwrap from my neck, the sound of her hooves landing on the oak floor drawing my attention. I looked at Fleetfoot to see her lowering her head, her wings sagging a little with her ears splayed back. Reaching out to Fleetfoot, I rubbed my hand along her back, getting her to look at me with a small smile.

Fleetfoot placed her saddlebags on a nearby rack, and I placed my backpack underneath her saddlebags. Fleetfoot tapped my leg and gestured for me to follow her upstairs. I gave a small nod as I followed her, taking this chance to look at some of the building. The inside was pretty dull like the outside, but it seemed to be filled with the necessities a pony might need to live up here. Along the stairwell there were some pictures. The pictures were, as far as I could tell, of the foals living here.

We reached the top of the stairs, and I noticed one picture at the top. The picture had Fleetfoot standing in with the group of foals, the unicorn from the other picture standing next to her. Spitfire wasn’t in the picture, which made me give a small frown as I looked back at the retreating Fleetfoot. I leaned closer to the picture, noticing Fleetfoot’s small smile, but there seemed to be something else that I couldn’t put my hand on. I looked at the picture a few more seconds before turning around and walking towards Fleetfoot.

Fleetfoot was standing outside a door, a nervous smile on her face as she looked back at me. “Hey, do you mind waiting out here? I want to get the foals a little prepared for your entrance.”

I gave a quick nod as I stood to the side. Fleetfoot gave a quick smile before turning back to the door. She grabbed the handle with her hoof and opened the door. As soon as the door opened my ears were assaulted by many foals shouting the pegasus’ name. Fleetfoot greeted the foals before trotting inside and closing the door behind her. While I waited for my cue to enter, I tested my hearing a little to see if I had any damage done to my ears. Seeing that everything was fine, as far as I could tell, I leaned against the wall, humming to myself.

I waited for a couple of minutes before I heard Fleetfoot’s muffled voice. “Mark, you can come in now.”

I was a little surprised at how fast she was able to get the foals prepared. It seemed like it would have taken a lot longer since the foals were really excited to see her. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle and opened the door. I walked into the room, closing the door behind me. I looked at the center of the room where Fleetfoot was sitting down, a swarm of foals crowded around her and a few hanging on her forelegs. The foals all looked at me with wide eyes, a couple of them whispering under their breath.

I didn’t say or do anything as I let the foals adjust to my presence. While the foals continued to converse, I took a few seconds to see who was in attendance. A quick count showed there were twenty foals in the room. Eleven of those foals were pegasi. Two of them were earth ponies. Five of them were unicorns. The last two were thestrals. I wasn’t really thinking about it much, but after running into Ever Ring and these non-pegasi foals, I was wondering how they were able to live up in Cloudsdale.

I was too distracted in my own thoughts that I didn’t see a unicorn filly slowly trot up to me. I felt something touching my shin and I looked down to see the unicorn filly. She looked up at me, her body shivering in nervous anticipation. Looking around, the foals all seemed nervous, and I think I knew why. Moving slowly, I gently lowered myself to the floor. I sat with my legs crossed on the cloud floor, leaning a little lower so I wasn’t so tall. This seemed to work a little as the unicorn filly climbed on top of my leg and started to touch my arm with her hoof.

I let the filly poke at my arm as I spoke in a gentle, calm tone. “Hey there, little one. What’s your name?”

The filly stopped poking my arm as she looked at me, her ears flicking back and forth. “S-Sweetheart.”

I gave a warm smile, making sure to hide my canines to avoid scaring her. I lifted my hand and brought it towards her. The filly watched with wide eyes as I reached out to her. I placed my hand gently on her head, and gently ran my hand over her light yellow mane. The filly rubbed her head against my hand, apparently enjoying the feeling of its motions. This seemed to get the attention of a few other foals as they trotted up to me. I smiled at them as well as they went about inspecting me. A few of them pressed against my ribs, getting me to chuckle a few times as they tried to comprehend exactly what I was.

While the other foals were busy inspecting me, a thestral that was laying on top of Fleetfoot’s head walked over. I looked at her as she shuffled nervously in place, her tone soft and uncertain. “A-Are you r-really a friend o-of Fleetfoot’s?”

I smiled at the filly as I reached at her with a free hand. The filly stood her ground as I petted her mane, smiling as I spoke. “If she considers me a friend, then yes.”

This seemed to make the filly smile as she jumped in place. I chuckled at the filly as she happily bounced in place, before a searing pain shot through my hand. I looked at the source to see the filly biting my hand. I let out a muffled groan as I felt the filly’s tongue licking the area she bit. Thankfully, Fleetfoot was quick to act as she gently removed the filly from my hand. The filly’s smile instantly vanished as she saw my damaged hand. Her ears splayed back as she tried to curl into herself. Fleetfoot grabbed my hand as looked it over, mumbling to herself as the other foals got off of me. Fear was evident in their faces as they looked between the filly and me.

An earth colt trotted in front of me, his voice showing a hint of fear. “Please don’t tell on Everglade to Madame Ever Ring. If Madame Ever Ring hears that Everglade bit somepony, then she won’t be able to get dinner.”

I looked between the colt and filly, Fleetfoot bandaging my hand with stuff from a first aid kit that was in the room. I looked at the colt, my expression neutral as I spoke in a calm tone. “How old is Everglade?”

I heard a few sniffles from behind the colt as the filly moved to the front, her eyes red and puffy. “F-five, sir.”

I was a little disturbed after hearing that. Out of all the different races of ponies, thestrals were the only ones that I didn’t learn a lot about. Luna helped to fill in some of the blanks, but I haven’t had a chance to talk with her more about thestrals. One thing that I did learn was that it was normal for thestral foals to bite things. Biting things allowed them to get used to their fangs, and it showed that they trusted someone. Hearing that Ever Ring punishes Everglade for something not in her control really made me upset. Pushing down my anger, I reached out towards the filly.

I noticed the filly’s eyes go wide with terror as I reached for her. I didn’t like that reaction, but it seemed expected if that small bit of information about Ever Ring’s punishment was anything to go by. Thankfully, the filly didn’t move as I lifted her by her barrel and pulled her in for a gentle hug. Everglade was breathing heavily, her heart pounding strong against her chest that I could feel it. I held Everglade securely against my chest, whispering soft coos into her as she slowly started to relax. I held Everglade against my chest for several minutes before she finally calmed down, her breathing slowing down as it turned into a gentle snore.

I wasn’t really trying to lull the filly to sleep, but from the look of the other foals, it seemed that they were starting to get tired. Looking to Fleetfoot, she nodded in understanding as she grabbed a few of the foals and started to place them in their beds. The beds had plaques on them that had the names of the various foals. Fleetfoot was finished putting the foals away for bed as I placed the earth colt that stood up for Everglade to bed. I ruffled his mane a little, getting the colt to laugh as he playfully swatted my hand away with a hoof.

Smiling down to the colt, I tucked him in as I spoke in a hushed tone to avoid waking some of the foals. “So, what’s your name?”

“Torchlight, sir,” the colt said with a small smile.

I chuckled as I finished tucking in the colt. “Please, just call me Mark. You were very brave to stand up for you friend there.”

Torchlight continued to smile, but there was something about it that felt off. “She’s one of my best friends. She stood up for me when I accidently broke a vase. She’s very kind and a lot of fun to be around as well.” Torchlight snuggled into his pillow a little more, turning to his side as he prepared for sleep. As I walked away, I almost missed his last sentence. “We all have to stick together if we don’t want to end up like Pyro.”

I looked at the colt, a small frown on my face as I looked at the other foals. Even with some of them asleep, they all seemed nervous, possibly even scared for the next day. My look wasn’t lost on Fleetfoot as she tapped my leg. I looked down as she gestured for me to follow her out into the hallway. Nodding my head, I opened the door and let Fleetfoot through before following her out and quietly closing the door behind us. Fleetfoot stood out in the hall, the mare turning around and looking at me with a hurt look.

I went to say something, but she cut me off with a raised hoof. “I know you have lots of questions, but do you mind holding onto them?”

I looked at the mare, a hurt look on my face evident as I crouched to look Fleetfoot in the eyes. “I can, but how come you want me to wait?”

Fleetfoot turned around and started trotting away. When she was a few paces ahead of me, she turned around and gestured for me to follow. I quickly caught up with her as I heard her let out a heavy sigh. “I actually have one more place I want to stop by, and I could use somepony that can offer a shoulder to cry on.”

This caused me to trip a little as I looked at the mare. I knew there was some small amount of hurt, but I didn’t think it was this much that she needed someone to vent to. I wanted to decline, but it seemed she really needed to get a few things off of her chest. Nodding to the mare, I gave a gentle stroke through her mane before speaking calmly. “If you need a shoulder to cry on, then I’m happy to offer it. I take it, though, that you just want to talk and for me to listen?”

Fleetfoot nodded her head as we descended the stairs. The rain had picked up in its intensity, the drops hitting the glass hard enough for me to hear. Fleetfoot stopped by her saddlebags and pulled out two umbrellas. Fleetfoot offered me one, and I took it as she looked out the window for a quick second, speaking in a hushed tone. “If you don’t mind listening to an old mare and her problems.”

I walked next to the mare, chuckling a little at her attempt of a joke to ease the tension between us. “Hey, first off, I’m you friend, and I’ll gladly listen to you, and even Spitfire if you have something you want to say. Secondly, you’re not that old, and even if you are, you’re really doing something right if you’re able to look so youthful.”

This got Fleetfoot to giggle a little as she gently slugged my arm. I feigned getting hurt as I rubbed my arm, getting Fleetfoot to giggle a little louder. “Hey, flattery can get you some places, but it doesn’t work that well against me or Spitfire.”

I shook my head playfully as Fleetfoot headed for the front door. Once we exited the building, we opened our umbrellas and Fleetfoot led the way. I could feel my feet getting wet because of the cloud absorbing the water, but thankfully it wasn’t soaking through my shoes. We walked in silence for a few minutes before we left the orphanage a good distance behind us.

I heard Fleetfoot give a heavy sigh as she started talking in a somber tone. “I guess the best place to start is at the beginning.” She looked back at me, waiting to see if I was going to interrupt her. Seeing that I was keeping true to my word, she continued on. “Madame Ever Ring’s Foal House. I was a newborn foal when I was left here. Fleetfoot isn’t even my real name, but it’s what Ever Ring named me.

“It was tough growing up here, but it was nice since I got to make a few friends during my stay there. The orphanage was also built by Princess Celestia and enchanted to allow other ponies to live there in case their parents were a pegasus and living in Cloudsdale. Moving on from that, though, I still had a hard time following the strict rules that Ever Ring had in place. She’s a very mean mare and only cares about getting money from the foals that are adopted.”

“She has hurt many foals because of her demand for obedience and proper behavior. About when I was five, a new pony arrived, a unicorn filly that you saw in the picture back home. Her name was Fireheart, but she liked to be called Pyro. She was a very troublesome filly, but the only pony that I knew that would stand up to Ever Ring. She was also the main reason why I became a Wonderbolt.

“By the time I was seven, I met Spitfire, and the three of us really clicked. Spitfire wasn’t part of the orphanage, but she didn’t like to be around her family that much. I would like to tell you more why, but that’s for her to explain. When Spitfire showed up, that was when the three of us really brought Tartarus to Ever Ring. We would do anything to ruffle her up, but she would only ever punish one of us.”

“I think you know which one she would punish after our little stunts. By the time we were eight, a Wonderbolts show was appearing in Cloudsdale, and Pyro wanted to see them perform. The three of us snuck away to the show, using the bits we saved up from what we found or earned doing little jobs. The show was so spectacular that not even words could describe how we felt, but out of us all, Pyro was the most inspired.”

“Pyro dreamt of joining the Wonderbolts, even though she couldn’t fly. She just wanted to be on the team any way she could and help them perform. Our antics went from causing Ever Ring headaches to getting Pyro as prepared for the Wonderbolts as we could. We weren’t really sure if they could offer her anything when she got older, but we were determined to help her see her dream.”

I heard Fleetfoot give a strong sniffle as she rubbed at her eyes. Even with the rain that was able to get through the umbrellas, I could see the tears that were staining her cheeks. I walked a little closer to her, running my hand through her mane as she tried to get herself under control. It was obvious that Pyro meant a lot for her, and possibly Spitfire, so wherever this story was going, it was only going to cause more tears. Fleetfoot gave a few shuddering breaths before continuing on in her story.

“A year and a half later, about this time, she was ready to see what she could do. Pyro earned her cutie mark in pyrotechnics during her practices, and we tried to use that talent to help enhance the Wonderbolts. Spitfire and I hadn’t earned ours yet, but we were happy to see Pyro so energetic to use her talent to help the Wonderbolts. We had everything set up, and we planned to show the Wonderbolts what she could do.”

“Spitfire decided to stay over for the night so she could avoid talking to her parents about what she had been doing. As the night grew darker, thunder and lightning started to go off. Pyro woke up because of the noise, and she worried that all the supplies that we had stored away in a shed was in danger of being hit. Spitfire and I tried to reassure her that everything was fine, but she was determined to check on them.”

“We offered to go with Pyro, but she told us that she should only be gone for a few minutes. I still remember that uneasy look Spitfire gave me as we looked at each other. In the end, we let her go and headed back to bed. The storm got worse, and those few minutes turned into an hour. Spitfire and I had an unsettling feeling in our stomachs and we left to check on Pyro. It was during that night Spitfire and I earned our cutie marks. We still wish we could have earned ours in a better way.”

“As we flew towards the shed, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. We thought nothing of it, but as soon as the thunder went off, a loud explosion came from the direction of the shed. Spitfire and I flapped our wings as hard as we could, praying to Celestia that everything was alright. Sadly, it didn’t turn out that way. The entire shed had caught fire, debris from the building everywhere, showing that Pyro’s supplies had blown up.”

“Spitfire was quick to act as she tried to put out the flames. Spitfire tried everything that she could to put out the flames, but nothing seemed to work. She was about to give up when a thought actually occurred to her. Using everything she had, she flew around the flames in a circle. I could hear Spitfire let off a small scream every time one of the flames burned her. Still, she continued on and started flying fast enough that she was able to pull the flames away.”

“Spitfire pulled away from the shed and the flames followed her. She carried them away into the sky, and thankfully was able to put them out. Spitfire landed next to me, breathing heavily and a few serious burns on her body. She went to help find Pyro, but I stopped her and went to look for our friend. I started looking all over the place for her, even moving pieces of debris to see if she was pinned under one of them.”

“Several minutes went by and I couldn’t find her anywhere. Tears started falling from my face as I continued to frantically search for her anywhere. My mind started jumping to the worst case scenario, but then I finally spotted her. I found her buried underneath one of the walls of the shed. I could see her blood staining the clouds, and her eyes were barely open as I landed in front of her. She seemed aware of my presence, but she was too weak to do anything.”

“I tried to remove the debris off of her, but it was too heavy. I thought about getting somepony to help, but I didn’t want to leave her alone. I shook away my fear at that time, and tried to remove the debris from her again. I flapped my wings as hard as I could, and I finally able to remove the piece of wall. My wings gave me enough strength as I tried to save somepony that I care for. Once I had the wall removed, I saw how serious the damage was.”

“Her entire lower half was crushed, blood soaking into the clouds. Pyro couldn’t even move as I tried to keep her awake. Spitfire joined me after regaining her strength, and I could see the shock on her face as she looked at our friend. We didn’t know what to do, but apparently somepony had called the Cloudsdale weather team. The weather team got the three of us out of the storm and carried Pyro off to the hospital.”

“Spitfire and I visited Pyro at the hospital, but she wasn’t getting any better. I blamed Ever Ring for everything that happened. She was awake when Pyro left, but she didn’t do anything to stop her from leaving. Spitfire and I asked if there was anything they could do to help Pyro, but there was nothing. We immediately knew what was going to happen next, but Spitfire and I refused to accept it. We stopped by again one afternoon to see Pyro just barely holding it together.”

“Pyro beckoned us over, and asked for one favor from the two of us. We told her that we would do whatever she asked. Pyro asked for us to keep each other safe from our own problems, and live our lives the best we could. We promised that we follow that through till the day we died. After Spitfire and I left the hospital, we promised each other that we would keep her dream alive as well. The next day we visited, it was the last time we saw her.”

Fleetfoot stopped flying and landed on the ground. I was confused as to why until I looked around. I was apparently so focused on learning about her past that I didn’t even notice we had walked into a graveyard. I looked at Fleetfoot to see that she was staring at a tombstone. I looked at the tombstone, and saw why she had finally stopped. We were standing in front of Pyro’s tombstone.

“She passed away during the night. The funeral just consisted of Spitfire, myself, a few other foals from the orphanage, and the mayor. After the funeral, Spitfire and I headed to the next Wonderbolts show and found out when tryouts were. We trained until that day came, and our hard work paid off. We were both on the team, and we’ve been doing our best to live Pyro’s dream.”

“Sometimes we think she’s watching over us, keeping us safe during our practices and performances as we make her proud. It’s funny as well since Spitfire and I never planned on being Wonderbolts. Now that we’re a part of them, we actually happy that we joined. We’ve made great friends during our time on the team. The only thing I hope for is that Pyro is truly happy with wherever she is.”

I didn’t say anything as I looked at the tombstone. I could see Fleetfoot out of my peripherals, shuddering as she fought back her tears. It didn’t last long as a loud bang from the thunder finally broke her resolve. Fleetfoot cried loudly through the rain, hitting the cloud with her hoof as tears streamed down her face. I couldn’t help the few tears that escaped my eyes as well as I thought back to some of my own past. Some things were different from Fleetfoot’s, but they were close enough that I could understand how she was feeling. I moved closer to Fleetfoot, being careful not to make any noise as she cried.

I stood next to Fleetfoot, looking at the tombstone. Fleetfoot sat on her haunches, letting the umbrella fall to her side as she placed a hoof on the tombstone. I crouched down, and picking up the umbrella, I held it over her as she leaned against my side. I could hear her sniffling as she buried her head into my shirt. I didn’t say anything as I let the mare cry, refusing to leave her side until she was ready to leave.