By all accounts, Fluttershy didn’t fly very good.

She was too scared of turbulences, and didn’t catch any updraft. The next cloud was far away, yet still she refused to accelerate her wingbeat in fear of losing her glide. A brash bolt may win you the race, but slow and steady reaches the goal.

Slow and steady also dragged the voyage out arduously.

There was no slipstream. Though Fluttershy had quite smartly locked her spine and midsection into an aspect of prolonged flight, their speed was way too slow for any magical effects to take root. The consequences were decidedly un-magical, as the howling winds blasted Scootaloo right in the face.

“How much longer?” Fluttershy called.

Communication worked surprisingly well, although less by audibility rather than the vibrations of Fluttershy’s throat.

“Uh, shouldn’t be much longer,” Scootaloo replied, checking the tiny needle again, “We’ve got a straight twelve o’clock heading for another five point three, that’s straight ahead on flat barometer. Closest cloud on your right in two point oh. Uh, other than the one in front of us.”

Holding the compass was difficult enough without the map constantly trying to flutter off into the sky. Scootaloo was confident she’d made the right reading regardless. She’d pretend-practiced this a lot in her spare time.

“Uh huh,” Fluttershy said. She might have made a gesture, but her scarf and goggles made it impossible to tell.

Scootaloo rolled up the map, more or less in a neat fashion. Turning around was awkward with her boots strapped to the saddle, but she managed to get the map stashed in Fluttershy’s saddlebags. Better not lose it. There was no telling where they went with all the clouds around and below them.

Though she was a sluggish flyer, by no means did that mean Fluttershy was a dangerous flier. On the contrary, not once had Scootaloo lost her balance, and she had been repeatedly told to hold fast to prevent the possibility of a slip and fall. Not even Rainbow Dash, with all her fancy wingwork and the speed to propel them halfway into the aether, was this safe a flier.

And the slow pace of their journey also had its upsides. There wasn’t much to look out for. Cumulus only as far as the eye could see, testament to clean, steady and wholly unproblematic winds.

Scootaloo tried to resist, but she had often found herself unable. Whenever Fluttershy wasn’t paying attention, Scootaloo carefully nuzzled into the back of her head. Fluttershy’s mane was so wonderful. There was nothing so soft in the entire world, and it smelled so delectably sweet. The gentle long hairs made her muzzle all atingle, the appetite became overbearing.

She would never sate on the sensation. For just a brief moment, only that one second, everything else just fell away, and there was this tiny, awesome piece of pure beauty, just for Scootaloo to enjoy.

Before long, Fluttershy and Scootaloo had reached the towering clouds. They surmounted the formation without any hassle, but beyond it lay, surprisingly, more open sky.

“Uh, correct me if I’m wrong,” Scootaloo said, “but that’s no city.”

“There’s still ponies though,” Fluttershy said, “look.”

Some pretty heavy traffic streaked the space from several directions. Most of it was headed towards where Fluttershy had indicated, direct lines from surrounding clouds towards the centre, some kind of structure.

It looked hobbled together, despite its apparent popularity. Scootaloo couldn’t tell where the artificial ended and the natural began. It was shaped like a drop, and most ponies were trying to land on the top. The others, like the huge caravan pulled by six pegasi, got routed directly to the plenty mooring docks coming out the bottom half. The traffic controllers could barely keep up with the influx, yet always seemed to have a free opening for everypony.

Two circumnavigations and Fluttershy was waved in.

She landed gently on the edge of the platform, clear of any stray equipment.

“Aah,” Fluttershy sighed after pulling down her mask, taking in the fresh wind.

Scootaloo unfastened one of her boots from the saddle and coolly swung over Fluttershy’s back. The cloud crunched under her weight, but her hind leg sunk in way too deep, and she toppled over, her other leg still bound to Fluttershy.

“Goodness, what are you doing?” Fluttershy said, reeling, “Here, let me help you.”

“So it’s apparently a natural cloud,” Scootaloo remarked into the clammy, moist ground, waiting undignified for the bigger pony to do her shoes.

“So it seems,” Fluttershy said, “Though there’s quite a bit that looks, natural, about this entire structure.”

She giggled at her little joke. Too bad. Otherwise, Fluttershy would have looked so incredibly cool as she adjusted the collar of her heavy journeypony’s aviation jacket.

She helped Scootaloo back up and, together, they made their way past the other ponies, towards the ramshackle commerce hub.

The commotion was deafening. Everypony was trying to go somewhere or talk to someone, but doing so was impossible unless you were louder than everypony else. The great hall was made up of various construction materials, including a couple of big stone slabs. The echo chamber was complete.

Somehow, however, the way they pushed themselves past the bodies never seemed arbitrary. In fact, between the orientation of the architecture, the light through the open window passages and the textures under their hooves, there was a strange sense of direction. Whoever designed this space must have been really clever. Either that, or they just really wanted the droves of ponies, and their money, to get into the establishment frictionlessly, and back out again. With less money.

Fluttershy and Scootaloo made it to a front desk. The staff were shouting at the customers shouting back.

“Welcome Sky Imperium!” somepony hastily resonated in Fluttershy’s direction.

“Um,” Fluttershy said, “we were trying to ask for directions-”

“Mapmaker, down the stairs, aft section, beside the dock! Why doesn’t anypony ever take the stairs! Next!” came the reply.

There were several ramps leading down, but due to their popularity, Fluttershy and Scootaloo decided to take the advice and descend the stairs around the large pillar in the center.

Nopony seemed to be bothered by the fact how incredibly dirty this place was. Scootaloo stayed as far away from the staircase’s walls as possible in fear of dirtying her neat windbreaker jacket from the untold layers of grime. Funny thing though, you usually never saw pegasus structures with cobwebs and actual spiders in them. Where did those come from?

The bottom level was filled with various crates and containers being pushed, pulled, lifted, dragged and shimmied every which ways. There were countless exotic fruits and spices Scootaloo had never seen, foodstuffs, clothes, materials and machines on their way to who knows where. Arcana and alchemy tugged at her essence in every conceivable flavour and dimension. And she pretended not to have noticed the tentacle swiping at her through a hole.

The aft section was quickly found, thanks to the signs tacked everywhere. Beside one of the dock exits illuminating the dank cavern, the mapmaker’s shop was quickly found as well. The shack was spilling with scrolls and books.

“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy announced herself.

“Yes? How can I help you folks?” An old geezer with a crooked grin emerged from the paper.

“Oh, yes, hello,” Fluttershy said, “we were travelling to Skyview city, but it doesn’t, um, appear to be here.”

“Skyview!” the mapmaker said, “I’m afraid to say you’re at least an hour off course, my ladies. But, by the goddesses, Skyview! It hasn’t been in this quadrant for over a year! What ever map did you use to arrive at such a conclusion?”

“We, um, used this map here,” Fluttershy said, giving him the faded parchment.

“Ooh, oh my world! This map!” The sight of it seemed to hurt him physically. “This map is at least two years out of date. I recognize these formations. Woe is me! How can you fly with a map that is so old! It’s like you’re living on the ground!”

Fluttershy and Scootaloo both raised a brow.

“Alas, I must sell you a new one. However, hmmm … “ The grey old pegasus almost kissed the paper despite wearing magnifying glasses. “You know, I’ve got a party of gentlemares on the station who are attempting to reconstruct the magical streamline fluctuation history of this place. I’m willing to bet they’ll pay a pretty penny for this record of cloud formations. Tell you what, I’ll trade you a fresh copy of the current maps, hot off the presses, in exchange for this crumpled old thing.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said.

“I’ll even throw in--” the stallion began, “oh … um. Uh.”

Obviously not the reaction he had expected. Or even one he knew how to handle. Fluttershy took the new map while the old guy tried to will a word into existence.

It seemed they really had veered off course. Skyview was on the map, but it has obviously moved since. It was still one hour of flight away. Maybe two.

“Well, thank you very much for your help kind Sir,” Fluttershy said, giving a bow of courtesy before departing, “it is very much appreciated. Goodbye, and I hope you have a wonderful day.”

While he had been lost for words, the opposite seemed to be true now, as the old mapmaker stammered a goodbye, thank you, and something about a nice flight, simultaneously. Then he vanished back into his shack with seemingly impossible energy. Maps were urgently waiting to be made.

Scootaloo had become quite agitated in the meantime. There was constantly someone shoving through between her and Fluttershy.

They reached the dock, but a long cable slapped the planks in front of Scootaloo from a dock above. She jumped and tumbled back and severely shoved a large pony, who had been balancing huge ledgers in both her forehooves.

“Hey, watch where you’re going, kid!” the large pony shouted, catching her books.

“You watch where you’re going!” Scootaloo shouted back, “Not my fault you’re so big!”

“Oh you better hope I didn’t hear that, you squirt,” the mare fumed, “now bog off before I come after you!”

“You bog off!” Scootaloo shouted over her shoulder, “Jerk!”

Stupid big ponies everywhere. Can’t even walk straight. Everypony just shoving and pushing everypony else around. They’re so stupid. Don’t even know how to be friendly to each other. Blockheads.

Scootaloo caught up to Fluttershy. But that’s as far as her hooves brought her. Fluttershy was towering over her. The gaze could have cut a mountain in half.

Uh oh.

“Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, “you go back to that nice lady and apologize for what you said to her.”

Screw you.

It lay on the tip of Scootaloo’s tongue.

The words came so easily these days.

But it was Fluttershy. You don’t say something like that to Fluttershy. Fluttershy was so good and so pretty. Fluttershy was constantly looking out for Scootaloo, and Scootaloo wanted nothing more than to be together with her.

Especially in light of … the promise.

No, it was wrong. Fluttershy demanded satisfaction. Fate had went awry. It had to be reigned back in immediately.

Just as the large mare had righted her ledgers back into balance, her eyes grew huge to see Scootaloo’s scrambling return.

“Um, I’m sorry for calling you names, lady,” Scootaloo blurted, “I didn’t mean to call you a jerk. What I said to you was very mean of me. And I’m very sorry.”

The mare would have rubbed her temple had she had a free hoof.

“Look, just forget about it, kid. I accept your apology, okay?” she sighed, “Now, I’ve got things to do. So why don’t you scram back to your mommy, and you two have a nice day?”

“She’s not my mo-” Scootaloo choked.

“She’s not my,” she tried again. But the words wouldn’t leave her mouth.

The mare wasn’t even listening anymore. Scootaloo only had to say the words to herself.

“Fluttershy isn’t my …”

Scootaloo couldn’t say it.

Scootaloo had no mommy. She was different from other ponies, the fillies and colts at school. Parents were irritating. They gave chores. They dished out punishments and tongue-lashings. They demanded courtesy and diligence, and paid out responsibilities and duties. But Scootaloo’s school mates were always happy to see them at the end of the day.

The only pony Scootaloo was happy to see was that beautiful golden mare, standing at the end of the dock, patiently awaiting her return.

“Fluttershy, I’m sorry for calling that pony names,” Scootaloo spilled out.

“Yes, that was quite dumb of you,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh,” Scootaloo said.

“But you apologized to her in earnest, and you made it all good again,” Fluttershy said, “and I’m very proud of you for that.”

She leaned in and nuzzled Scootaloo on the cheek. In all of Equestria, there wasn’t a reward that Scootaloo would have desired more.

Fluttershy situated Scootaloo back on her saddle and did up the straps around her boots. Scootaloo didn’t attempt to do it herself.

“What’s the matter, Scootaloo?” Fluttershy said, pulling her scarf over her face again.

“Oh, it’s just,” Scootaloo said, “I guess I didn’t expect you to be so direct with me.”

“Why not? I thought it worked out quite well,” Fluttershy said.

“You just told me what to do, and I did it. It was so easy,” Scootaloo said. She sighed. “The other grown ups aren’t like that. My young adults council keeps telling me what to do too, all the time, but she’s being so queasy about it. She’s always telling me to figure it out myself. It’s always so complicated. How am I to figure out what to do if I don’t know what she wants from me?”

“Young adults council?” Fluttershy said, “Oh, you mean Miss Fair Weather?”

“Yeah, her,” Scootaloo said, “I never know if I do anything right by her. She just keeps telling me to think about it.”

“Oh, I believe she does her job quite well,” Fluttershy said, “she’s trying to be kind with you. And a bit of kindness goes a long way.”

“But what’s that mean?” Scootaloo said, “What use is any of this, if it doesn’t work?”

Fluttershy stepped up to the edge.

“I just don’t believe that, right now, counsel on being an adult is what you need, Scootaloo,” she said.

She passed the threshold. Into the sky they soared.

“Quite the opposite, actually.”