Maidens Day

Rainbow Dash flew towards the location of the Maidens Day celebration, with Twilight and Fluttershy lagging slightly behind. This year it was in an unpopulated area a few hours north of Ponyville. It was a beautiful day, the pegasi in charge of the surrounding areas did a great job; the sky was clear, except for some carefully placed clouds for resting in spots that provided a picturesque view. As they neared the site, those views were of gently sloping hills covered in wild grass, with the occasional patch of forest between.

Of course, Rainbow Dash had no use for those clouds; picturesque was not at the top of her priority list. Winning was never far from the top of that list, and from the time they’d left Ponyville, Dash meant business. She’d tried not to fly too fast, so that Fluttershy and Twilight could keep up, but any suggestion that this might be a good time for a rest was met with an incredulous look, then promptly ignored. Getting to the Cloud Temple in time to sign up was priority number one right now.

Finally, the temple came into view. It was a massive building of clouds, with rainbow falls streaming down the front like columns. Dash knew that it took dozens of pegasi to haul it from Cloudsdale to wherever the ritual was held each year. As they got closer, Dash could see that the skies around it were swarming with pegasi who planned on attending or entering the competition.

Dash veered off to the left, well before the temple, and landed on a cloud.

“We’re stopping?” Twilight asked, shocked.

“Gotta catch my breath for a few minutes. I can’t go in there worn out,” Dash said, not really out of breath, but carefully stretching her wings. She had to be in top shape, and she had to have her head together.

Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other and sat down with a shrug. Fluttershy admired the scenery below, and Twilight just grinned at the temple.

“I’m so excited, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to learn about this!” Twilight happily informed her friends for the tenth time since she’d gotten permission from Princess Celestia.

“It’s cool you could come.” Dash grinned. “I always need more ponies to cheer me on.”

“Cheer you on in what? Can you tell me what’s going to happen?” Twilight asked eagerly.

Dash smirked. “First, there’s this competition I have to win... a race, some combat, and some weather stuff. Then, I’ll give you the inside scoop on being Cloud Maiden.” Dash struck a cool pose she’d been working on for when she went up to get her crown.

“What’s a Cloud Maiden?”

Dash raised an eyebrow, still in her cool pose. “Maidens Day, Twilight. Think about it for a second.”

“The Cloud Maiden is the pegasus in the ritual, later. The Flower Maiden is the earth pony.” Fluttershy explained. “It’s a very big honor to be Cloud Maiden, you have to be the best pegasus mare available.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “So one of you could be the Cloud Maiden, and perform the ritual?”

“Oh, no. Not me.” Fluttershy shrunk back behind her mane.

“Fluttershy is just here to cheer me on,” Dash explained, with a comforting smile to Fluttershy. “She doesn’t wanna be Cloud Maiden.”

“Why not, if it’s such an honor?” Twilight asked Fluttershy.

“Um... because of the ritual,” Fluttershy whispered.

“What sort of ritual is it? How is the magic channeled?”

Rainbow Dash gave a snorting laugh. “You don’t know any of it?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I was a unicorn.”

Fluttershy and Dash exchanged glances. Dash knew that Twilight shouldn’t know about this, but she was used to Twilight knowing about everything. And explaining this to somepony who didn’t know was going to be weird. And, she had to admit, kind of funny.

“Oh... my...” Fluttershy searched for words.

Dash giggled. “Okay, well, this is a fertility thing. So what is fertility all about?”

“Making things grow?” Twilight guessed.

“Well, um, in a way it’s about that.” Fluttershy said gently. “But it’s also about, well--”

“Sex.” Dash smirked. “Which is what the Maidens are there for.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide, and her cheeks turned a deep shade of reddish purple. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before squeaking, “Sex?! You mean, like, intercourse?”

“Yup.” Dash giggled at Twilight’s expression as she spoke, “The Cloud Maiden and the Flower Maiden go into the ritual space and rut like bunnies, and it makes the earth ready for plants and stuff to grow. So, if you’re Cloud Maiden, you’ve gotta be ready to go muzzle to tail with whoever the earth ponies pick.”

“And I don’t really want to do that...” Fluttershy added. “Not that it isn’t a huge honor.”

“A huge honor? That’s disgusting! I mean, I know it’s old and powerful and can channel magic, but we’re talking bodily fluids here!” Twilight said, staring wide eyed at Fluttershy, before turning to Dash. “Wait, you’re going to try to be Cloud Maiden?”

“Of course!” Dash swelled up with pride at just the thought of it. “Being the Cloud Maiden of the pegasi is like being Princess for a day! Plus, all the other pegasi know you won a year. You get to brag that you were a Cloud Maiden for the rest of your life!”

“So, you’re willing to have sex with a strange pony for that?”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Not me, Twilight. The Cloud Maiden. While you’re the Cloud Maiden it doesn’t really count. It’s magic.”

“Um, how does it not--” Twilight started, but she was interrupted by the sound of a horn from the temple.

“Gotta go! Gotta get signed up!” Dash shouted, already flying towards the cloud building. “Watch for me in the contest!”

As Dash darted towards the building, she shook her head at Twilight’s questions. Being Cloud Maiden was totally not the same as having sex with a strange pony. While Dash had done many awesome things in her life, she’d never had sex that literally lit up the sky with lightning and made flowers grow and bloom, though she liked to think she came close once or twice. But that’s what the Cloud Maiden did, what she would be doing tonight if she won this.

Inside the temple was a huge hall, filled with pegasi flying in every direction. Dash scanned the room and found the sign-up table, with a crowd of a couple dozen other girls around it. Flying over and hovering in line, she took a moment to check out the competition.

The pony in front of her, she recognized immediately. Fleetfoot. Dash had known that some of the Wonderbolts would be competing; a lot of them had their turns already, but there were a few who hadn’t made it yet. Still, having one standing in front of her, waiting to get a number just like Dash was, drove it home that this was not going to be a fly in the park.

The line moved forward, but Dash didn’t notice until the pony behind her bumped into her. She blushed and flew forward quickly. “Uh, sorry.”

“I thought they were looking for ponies who could fly,” the pony behind her sneered.

Dash grit her teeth and looked away, pretending she didn’t hear. Then she heard Fleetfoot say, “Are you a moron?”

Dash’s eyes went wide in shock, and she started to blush harder as she quickly turned to figure out what she’d done to offend a Wonderbolt. She just saw Fleetfoot raising an eyebrow at the pony behind Dash.

“What? She’s not even awake!”

“You better hope she stays that way." Fleetfoot motioned to Dash. "This is Rainbow Dash. The sonic rainboom filly? She’s got more magic in her than the rest of us here combined.”

Dash grinned. A Wonderbolt knew who she was! And thought she should be here!

“Still not as fast as me, though,” Fleetfoot finished, turning back around. The brown mare behind Dash was still glaring at her, but there was a considering look to it now.

Dash had to admit that Fleetfoot was right. The race was, for once in her life, not going to be her strongest point. Besides Fleetfoot, Dash could see Lightning Dust towards the front of the line. There were faster ponies in Equestria than Rainbow Dash, and several of them were competing to be Cloud Maiden.

The fight cube was a toss up. Dash knew she might not look like much, especially compared to some of the mares she could see in the crowd, but none of them had taken on a changeling army and very nearly just about won. It would come down to who was in there with her. She really hoped it wasn’t Lightning Dust; that was a pony who would totally fight dirty.

But even Fleetfoot thought Dash had a chance, and that came down to the weather event. Weather control was pegasus magic. Pegasi didn’t talk about magic much, it was usually just a talent. Some ponies could clear a cloud in one kick, some of them took three. But every now and then a pegasus came along who had real magic. It was rare, not even once a generation; there was a reason the sonic rainboom was legendary.

Once Dash got up to the desk, registration was a breeze. She just had to give them her name, and sign a paper saying that she understood all of the responsibilities of being the Cloud Maiden. With a quick scrawl, she was offered a number and sent to the arena attached to the back of the temple.

Pegasi filled the stands that surrounded the racetrack, and in the center of that floated the cloud columns of the empty fighting cube. Above the arena, clouds were being carefully positioned for the weather contest. But right next to the arena entrance the crowd of competitors gathered on a cloud platform. Dash landed there and stretched her wings, keeping her eye on the other mares warming up as they kept an eye on her.

After a couple of minutes, a whistle blew, and Dash looked up. A pale blue mare with an aqua mane was standing in front of the group with a clipboard. The gathered ponies stopped their exercises and turned their attention to her.

“Alright, listen up. This isn’t just another game, girls. You’re competing to be the Cloud Maiden, the very symbol of pegasus excellence. Do not forget this,” the blue pony said. “So first, you fly to the rainbow pool over there. You dip your wing tips in for the Cloud Maiden, and your forehooves in for the Flower Maiden, and then we want to see you do your best for both of them! We have judges at each event, watching not only your skill and scores, but your ambition, sportsmareship, and tactics. They want to see each of you compete like a true pegasus. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am!” Rainbow Dash answered, along with every other pegasus there.

“Great. We’ll be forming you into groups by numbers. First group...” The pony listed off a hoof full of numbers, and those ponies went to the rainbow pool, decorated themselves, and continued to their first event. Dash was in the second group called, twenty ponies including her and Lightning Dust.

Dash flew to the cloud with the liquid rainbow and squeezed between other ponies to dip her hooves in.

“This stuff is gross,” one mare complained, dipping only the tip of her hooves in.

Dash put both hooves fully in the pool, then leaned to either side to dip her wing tips. “I like rainbow. I’ve got a fountain at home.”

“You would.” A different pony rolled her eyes.

“Awesome recognizes awesome, girls,” Dash said with a grin as she shook her wings and hooves dry, then flew off to her first event.

***

About an hour later, Rainbow Dash had completed the race and the fighting cube, and flew to the stands to find Twilight and Fluttershy before her turn at the weather course.

She found them in one of the box seats. In the next box over was a family with a colt and filly who were constantly shoving each other, treating their seats as their own personal fighting cube. Dash caught the filly as she was shoved out of the box, giving the kid a chance to catch the air with her wings. “Remember: keep moving. Always keep moving,” Dash offered, as the filly shot back into the box towards her brother.

Dash landed next to her friends with a grin. “Hey, guys. How did I look?”

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked quickly. “I saw that pony hit you in the face in the fighting cube, and, um, Twilight said I shouldn’t fly out there to you. But that’s not allowed, a pony could really get hurt.”

Dash frowned. “That totally was cheating! Everypony knows head, hair and wings are off limits. I was kicking flank, too! I’d just cleared out two other ponies with one move--” she flew into the sky and gave a sharp kick with her front and rear legs at the same time. “--when I felt something slam into my face!” Dash tossed herself backwards and landed on the cloud floor of the box. “I turned back, and there was Lightning Dust, smirking at me. It was so hard not to jump back in and show her who she was dealing with.”

Her pout turned to a smile. “But I’m fine, and the judges saw it. Besides, Lightning Dust got all worn out there, so I pulled off that wicked move at the race.”

“I saw that!” Twilight said with a smile. “You had me worried, you were behind her the whole race...”

“Strategy, Twi!” Dash grinned, thumping the floor with a hoof. “Pegasi aren’t just amazing athletes and tough warriors, we’re also brilliant strategizers.”

“Strategists,” Twilight said with a smirk.

“Whatever. I knew Lightning Dust was gonna cheat again, she was probably gonna try to bump me off track if we were fighting for first.” Dash flew into the air, then back and forth in front of the box to demonstrate the speed that would have kept her in first place. “So I fell behind the whole race and she couldn’t run into me.” Dash slowed with a pained expression on her face. “Do you guys know how hard it is to let somepony fly ahead of you in a race?”

“Um...” Fluttershy said, blinking. Twilight just rolled her eyes.

“Well, it’s really hard,” Dash informed them. “But I did it, and I used that pacing thing you taught me, Twilight. So Lightning Dust wore herself out, and when we rounded the turn to the finish... BAM!” Dash shot into the air and did a spin, tossing up her forelegs. “Rainbow Dash in first place! Like it should be.” She slowly returned to the cloud as Fluttershy and Twilight both grinned.

“You were amazing,” Twilight assured her.

“I could have done better without her help, but I think the judges saw how I handled it.” Dash gave a little shrug and grinned. “She won’t be laughing when I’m Cloud Maiden.”

“So, the judging is a big part of this?” Twilight asked.

“Oh yes.” Fluttershy nodded. “This isn’t only a physical competition. It’s about being a pegasus.”

Twilight eyed the field, set up for the difficult athletic events. “Does that mean that a pegasus like Fluttershy would have a chance? One who isn’t as good at flying?”

Fluttershy blushed deeply, and looked down. “Um...”

“No,” Dash said bluntly. She gave a concerned glance to Fluttershy, then said plainly to Twilight, “Look, the pegasi send the very best pegasus they can find, not the best pony. A good pegasus is tough, competitive, smart, honorable, and a really great flyer. I know lots of great ponies who aren’t all of those things.”

“Oh... I see.” Twilight glanced between her friends awkwardly. “Well, Dash, I think you’re a great pegasus. I’m sure the judges will see that.”

“I’m probably towards the middle of the pack now...” Dash admitted, happy for the change of subject. “Even if they saw Lightning Dust cheating, my times in the cube and the race weren’t awesome. But I’ve got the weather course to really wow them.”

“Can you do that?” Twilight asked.

“Of course she can do that!” Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow Dash with earnest pride.

Dash grinned. “I’ve got a good chance.”

“Rainbow, you have better than a good chance,” Fluttershy said, flying to her friend to wrap a foreleg around her. “You’re the best weather pony in Equestria.”

“I know. I just have to do something special here.” She bit her lip, trying to think of just the right trick.

“A sonic rainboom?” suggested Fluttershy.

Dash shook her head. “Nah, that’d be way too showy here. It would look like I thought that was the only reason they should pick me. I’ll have to take a look at the course, and work with what they give me... actually, I’d better get back there now.”

“Good luck!” Twilight offered.

“We’ll be watching!” added Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash took off. On her way past the box where the filly and colt were playing, she saw the little filly give her brother a good buck to the chest, sending him toppling over the edge where he quickly caught the air with his wings. Dash grinned and gave a salute to the girl. “That’s how ya’ do it!”

The filly saluted back, and Dash made her way to the weather course.

She waited on a platform at the beginning of the course as the other contestants in her group gathered. Lightning Dust was frowning and glaring at Dash, but there wasn’t much she could do to mess up this event. They would be running the weather course one at a time, so Dash only had to focus on herself.

Rainbow Dash got her first good look at the course and smiled. Clear thirty clouds; five of them were rain clouds, so they’d have to be emptied first. A thunderhead slalom... nice touch. And lastly, paint a rainbow. She could do this in her sleep. But sleeping wasn’t going to make her Cloud Maiden, and this course needed a little improvement. Just to make things interesting.

They formed a line, and Dash watched the mares in front of her take their turns. Some of them were talented, no question. A few just made her smack her face with her hoof-- there was never a reason for a crooked rainbow. That was just sloppy. Of course it was one of the mares who thought rainbow was gross.

Dash watched Lightning Dust closely. She ran the whole course fast and clean-- she cleared the sky quickly, stacking her rainclouds to empty them all at once. She made it easily through the thunderheads, then she painted a perfect rainbow in the sky. If Dash had a pony who could do that on her weather team at home, she would have been happy, but this wasn’t the Ponyville weather patrol.

On her turn, Dash stepped up to the beginning of the course. She had a plan, she knew what she wanted to do. Now it was just up to her and the clouds.

The whistle blew and Dash was in the clear air surrounded by clouds. She shot between the fluffy clouds, darting from one to another and dispatching each one into a puff of vapor with a single kick. Then she quickly corralled the gray rainclouds and wrapped them together into one giant cloud, giving a few hops to empty the contents and turn it clean and white. She didn’t clear this cloud, though. Rainbow Dash had other plans.

Pushing the massive cloud in front of her, she flew towards the thunderheads; each horizontal column was dark gray and sizzling with lightning. Carefully steering her cargo, she wove over and under each pole as quickly as she could manage. Halfway through, her bunch of cloud floated a little higher than she planned and came within inches of scraping one. Dash’s eyes went wide as she gave it a quick tug, narrowly avoiding the chain lightning reaction that would have fried her, without losing her momentum.

She came out of the gray clouds flying fast, and set her bunch of white clouds in the center of the clear patch of sky, grinning. Now it was time to show them something they hadn’t seen before.

First she flew in tight circles around the cloud, poking and guiding the cloud into shape as she went. If she was going to be perfectly honest, even she wasn’t sure how she did this, but the clouds always seemed to get it. When she finished, she flew down and grabbed a brush full of rainbow, quickly putting the finishing detail of rainbow fountains on her scale cloud-sculpture of Cloudsdale, before painting a rainbow over it in a perfect arc.

She turned to the judges, who were just staring at her with their eyebrows raised. Worry hit her for a second; she hoped they weren’t going to be mad that she was showing off. But they wanted to see what she could do with weather, and they wanted the very best. They didn’t tell her she couldn’t run the course with a cloud in hoof, or build a cloud sculpture. So she just smiled at the judges, gave them a salute, and flew back to the contestants. Rainbow Dash had shown them her best, and now she just had to wait.

***

A little while later the contestants had been dismissed, the judges were talking, and Rainbow Dash found Twilight and Fluttershy sitting on a cloud platform in the main hall of the temple. Most of the pegasi were gathered here, some on platforms and some hovering in the center. Everypony knew it wouldn’t be long now.

“Found you!” Dash said as she landed. “What’s up?”

Fluttershy grinned, “You were wonderful! We saw everything.”

“I never realized you were so good with weather!” Twilight said with a smile. “I mean, I knew you could do all of that, but it seemed like the other ponies had a lot more trouble with it.”

“I told you I was the best weather pony in Equestria. It’s not my fault you didn’t believe me,” Dash said with a smirk.

“Well, I believe you now. So, are you happy with how everything went?” Twilight asked.

Dash nodded. “I am. I gave them my best. And if I’m not the best pegasus they saw today, I’ll give them my best again next year, and every year until they make me Cloud Maiden.”

Twilight’s face lit up. “I hope you do get to be Cloud Maiden! The ritual is fascinating! Fluttershy explained the, um, effects of the magic conducted--”

“The what now?” Dash asked.

“The things that happen during the sex,” Twilight explained.

“Oh, right.” Dash nodded. “The storm and the trees and all that.”

“Right. That’s very powerful magic. I was telling her that I think I’m understanding the purpose of all of this. It’s like the Summer Sun Celebration,” Twilight said, as if that explained things.

Dash was still confused. “I’ve seen the Summer Sun Celebration, Twilight. There’s no sex in the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“No, because Princess Celestia channels magic through her horn.” Twilight made her own horn glow to illustrate. “Earth ponies and pegasi channel magic through their bodies. But their magic is just as important as unicorn magic to keep the world healthy. So, what the ritual does is allow that magic to be reinforced, both in the minds of the ponies, and by magnifying it and renewing it in the earth and sky.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. So?”

“So... it’s exciting!” Twilight ruffled her wings. “For the night of the ritual, the Cloud Maiden and the Flower Maiden are the pegasus and earth pony equivalents of Princess Celestia, at least in her role of raising the sun. They have power that matches hers, while the ritual is going on, and in their own ways they’re just as important to Equestria.”

Dash’s brain finally processed what Twilight was trying to say. As it became clear, her eyes went wide. “What?!”

“They do?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes matching Dash’s.

Twilight seemed taken aback by the reactions. “Um, yeah. I mean, I can count on two hooves the number of ponies who could channel magic like that, and they raise the sun and the moon. Pegasi and earth ponies just can’t channel the magic through horns, so they use their bodies to affect the world.”

Dash just stared. “I never thought of it like that... so if I’m Cloud Maiden...?”

“You’ll be one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria for the evening. The power to control all of Equestria’s weather will be inside of you, and the Flower Maiden will be drawing it out. Of course, from what Fluttershy said it seems like the ritual boundaries contain the actual effects, but the magic will spread over the world.”

“Wow.” Dash blinked, letting the idea settle in. She’d known the ritual was magic, and there were some neat things like the storm. But the idea of that much magic being inside of her, and released from her, was hard to imagine.

“And, of course, it would be up to you to draw the magic out of the Flower Maiden.” Twilight added.

“Like, princess-level magic?”

“Uh-huh! Wouldn’t that be exciting? I mean, the magic part, not the way you go about doing that. That’s still a little gross.”

“Yeah,” Dash said absently. She was busy trying to imagine why it was a good idea to have her muzzle buried in a strange pony who was unleashing literally earth-shattering magic. What if they messed up? Could they destroy Equestria just because Dash nibbled something too hard?

On the other hoof, she knew from the past that not being good enough was bad. It lead to years with not enough rain, or crops that didn’t grow well. Farmers complained, and the pegasi couldn’t do much for them. Then food prices went up and nopony was happy. There were stories about the times when the Cloud Maiden and the Flower Maiden couldn’t make anything happen at all, and the droughts ruined the land. The last time that happened, the amount of blame and hoofpointing was said to have opened the door for the windigos...

Twilight was still talking, oblivious to Dash’s reaction. “I wonder if Applejack and Pinkie Pie know about this? I can’t wait to tell them! Or to see the--”

The horn sounded, silencing the huge crowd.

“What’s happening?” Twilight whispered.

“They’ve decided,” Fluttershy whispered back, smiling.

Dash just bit her lip as the Equestrian anthem was played by a group of royal guards with horns and drums. The crowd parted, giving a wide berth as a processional of important pegasi flew to a platform in the center of the temple. Spitfire was there, both in her role as captain of the Wonderbolts and as the previous year’s Cloud Maiden. The mayor of Cloudsdale was in the group as well, and a hooffull of royal guards, and some important looking ponies who were probably higher-ups at the weather factory.

They stood on the platform in an orderly row and waited for the anthem to finish. When the last note sounded, silence fell over the crowded temple, and Spitfire flew up a few feet into the air, and hovered over the gathered dignitaries as she pulled out a scroll and read:

“Fillies and gentlecolts, we have chosen the Cloud Maiden.

“Long ago, the position of Cloud Maiden began as a duty. A duty pegasi took on gladly, to restore magic to our tribe and to the sky we call home, and to aid the other tribes in bringing magic to themselves and the land. Each year, ponies join together in a sacred ritual that reaches back to the first herds that ran and flew, long before the great nation of Equestria was founded. Being a Cloud Maiden remains the highest calling a pegasus mare can answer.

“Over time, as the tribes grew apart, the position of Cloud Maiden became even more important; she became a symbol of the pegasi, showing the other tribes the power and beauty of our ponies. She would display to all ponies the excellence we each strive for in courage, honor, and skill. To this day, the pony chosen as Cloud Maiden is our representative, an honor we only bestow on a mare who has proven her fitness before us all.

“This year’s Cloud Maiden will join a noble lineage. It should come as no surprise that many of our most honored heroes have worn this crown. Brilliant commanders, fearless explorers, and record-breaking athletes have all claimed the title of Cloud Maiden. I consider it the highest honor I have achieved in my life, and I hope the next Cloud Maiden holds it in as high regard, even as she strives for her place in the sky. If a pony was content with a single achievement, she wouldn’t be a Cloud Maiden.

“To all of those who tried, we salute you. The position of Cloud Maiden is not just a prize, it is a responsibility. The Cloud Maiden is all pegasi, her magic is our magic, and her performance in the ritual reflects our dedication to our role in the world; as stewards of the weather, as allies of other ponies, and as ponies with an unmatched history of excellence in every endeavor we undertake. To compete for this position shows the willingness of our current generation to strive for the same glory our ancestors achieved, and I’m proud to say that the number and quality of contestants was impressive.

“When Equestria calls on the pegasi, we hold nothing back. From our contestants we’ve selected the best possible mare to do our part in insuring the bounty and beauty of Equestria this year. The fruitfulness of our nation rests on her wings, so we’ve ensured that they are strong. The comfort of ponies everywhere depends on her magic, so we’ve ensured that it’s abundant. We have no doubt that she will bring honor to the pegasi, and fertility to the world. So it gives us great pride to recognize Rainbow Dash as our Cloud Maiden.”

Dash blinked. She won. She was the Cloud Maiden.

Fluttershy hugged her tight and squealed.

Twilight was grinning and saying stuff.

Rainbow Dash reminded herself that she’d won. She knew how it felt to win, she loved that feeling, but she wasn’t feeling it now.

Fluttershy let go of her and gave her a gentle push towards the center of the hall. “You need to go accept the crown!”

Dash nodded, in a dream. There was a crown. A crown she’d won. She flew to the center of the hall, barely aware that she was moving. When she got there, next to Spitfire, a pony came up with a crown shaped like a circle of lightning bolts, laying on a cloud pillow. It looked really... pointy. Like it would hurt. She wasn’t sure she wanted it on her head.

Nopony asked her, though. Spitfire took it off of the cloud and put it on Dash’s head, where it felt strange and itchy.

“Good luck,” Spitfire said with a curt nod.

“Thank you. I-- I’ll make everypony proud.” Dash said, trying to give a confident smile. She guessed that it worked, because Spitfire gave a small smile back. Dash held the smile on her face as she turned to the crowd. The sounds of the cheers echoed through the temple like thunder, and Dash did her best not to whimper.

As the cheering continued, two of the armored pegasi guards from the royal palace flew up beside her. They both gave something between a nod and a bow, and one spoke loudly over the crowd. “We’re here to take you to your room, when you’re ready.”

Dash just stared at the crowd, the smile painted on her face.

“Ma’am?”

Dash looked at him and blinked. “Oh, um, right. Let’s go.” Dash found where Fluttershy and Twilight were standing, and gave a quick motion for them to follow her. The guards took off and lead them to a room at the top of the temple. Fluttershy and Twilight landed a few seconds after Dash and the guards, causing the white pegasi to raise their eyebrows.

“They’re helping me get ready. Gotta look hot tonight, ya’ know? Heh.” Dash said with a false cheer that the guards seemed to accept, or not question at least. They opened the door for the three mares, then closed it behind them as soon as all three were inside.

The room wasn’t lavish-- not like Canterlot Castle or the Carousel Boutique-- but it was large, sunny, and comfortable. There were two couches for resting or sleeping, a table full of what must have been imported produce to eat, and a sunken tub with shelves of soaps, brushes, and perfumes. Everything a pony might need to spend a relaxing day preparing for a date that the fate of Equestria was riding on.

Twilight grinned. “You must be so excited...”

“Uh... yeah! Totally! But, not as excited as the Flower Maiden should be.” Dash grinned fairly convincingly for her friends.

“I didn’t mean about that part,” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I meant about the magic.”

Dash felt the worry well up inside of her. The magic was the part that Dash specifically did not want to think about, and clearly this was showing on her face.

“Are... you okay?” Twilight asked, seeming slightly confused.

Dash took a deep breath, then tried to smile again. “Twilight, I’m totally okay. I’m the Cloud Maiden, why wouldn’t I be okay? I won, and I’ve got a pointy sharp crown thingy. It’s awesome, right?”

Twilight nodded. “It’s very exciting. But you don’t seem okay.”

“I’m okay! I just need to take this thing off. It itches.” Dash said, reaching up to the crown and pulling it off. Everything felt slightly better with the crown off. “Anyway, I’m gonna do the ritual tonight. But that’s hours away. For now I just need to relax. I’m gonna need all of my awesomeness if I’m gonna make this thing work.”

“Has it ever not worked? What would happen if it doesn’t?” Twilight asked.

“Um... usually it’s just that the Flower Maiden and the Cloud Maiden don’t... get along.” Fluttershy explained, blushing. “Then it’s just a bad year for the farmers. Applejack will be very upset.”

Dash hadn’t thought about Applejack. Applejack who was a farmer, whose job depended on the ritual. They’d watched the ritual together last year, once it started and the pegasi were allowed to land. Fluttershy and Pinkie had been there too, but AJ was really into the whole thing, pointing out all the signs that things were going well and she was going to have an awesome year.

Dash swallowed hard. Not only was Equestria counting on Dash, one of her best friends was counting on her, and would be watching for all the signs the Cloud Maiden was messing up.

Fluttershy just went on, “But if things go really badly, it causes droughts, or famine, or plagues, or-- but, that hardly ever happens.”

“Of course not!” Twilight said happily. “It’s been decades since there’s been a problem like that in Equestria.”

“Yeah, and it’s not like I’m gonna let everypony in Equestria down,” Dash said, trying to sound casual. “I mean, what sort of pony would I be if I got chosen as Cloud Maiden, and I couldn’t follow through?”

Fluttershy smiled, and put a hoof on her shoulder. “We know, Rainbow. Everypony knows they can count on you. That’s why they chose you.”

“Right. I mean, I’m Rainbow Dash! There’s nothing I can’t handle. This is gonna be a breeze, the Flower Maiden probably won’t even be able to handle me.”

“Well, I should go and see what the earth ponies are doing,” Twilight suggested.

“Tell the Flower Maiden she’s in for a treat! I’ll be so good there’ll be plants growing in the Appleloosan desert!”

“Um... I’ll let you tell her that tonight.” Twilight walked over to the large open balcony. “See you later!”

Dash watched Twilight flying off, her own wings itching with envy. She wanted to go out and fly around. She wanted to be at the ritual site right now, where she could see teams of pegasi setting up ornate cloud patterns over the hilltop. She didn’t want to think about what she was supposed to do on the hilltop. She wanted to think of a way to get out of it.

While she was undoubtedly awesome, Rainbow Dash decided that the pegasi had chosen the wrong Cloud Maiden. The Cloud Maiden should be somepony... gentle. Earth ponies liked things that were gentle. And somepony who knew a lot about the ground would be good. And there were a lot of yellow things on the ground...

Fluttershy squirmed in the appraising look that Dash had been giving her the last few moments. “Rainbow?”

Dash snatched up the crown and plopped it on Fluttershy’s head. “You have to do this for me!”

“I-- I don’t want to be the Cloud Maiden!” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Neither do I!” Dash answered frantically.

“But, you entered the competition...” Fluttershy pointed out, taking the crown off her head.

“I didn’t know! I didn’t know I was supposed to be some super magical princess for a night, I thought I just had to have sex with the Flower Maiden and make the grass grow!”

“Um, that is what you have to do.”

“But-- what if I mess it up?” Dash tried to explain. “What if I’m the worst Maiden ever, and I barely put any magic in the world, or put too much magic in the world, and ponies hate me?”

“Nopony will hate you.” Fluttershy said softly.

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Fluttershy, have you ever met a pegasus? The ones out there?”

Fluttershy hesitated, then said, “Yes...”

“They will hate me. You won’t hate me, our friends won’t hate me, even if I let AJ down and she loses the farm. But those pegasi out there will hate me. They’ll spit my name. It’ll be a new word for idiot, ‘why is that dumb pony such a Rainbow Dash?’”

Dash started to shake, and looked imploringly at Fluttershy. “I can’t do this. There’s no way I can do this.”

“They all saw you get chosen.” Fluttershy said trying to hide behind her hair. “If the Cloud Maiden doesn’t show up tonight, they’ll all... um...”

“Hate me,” Dash finished, her ears drooping. That was that, really. If she failed, they’d hate her. If she tried to quit, they’d hate her. The only possible way out of this was to go through that ritual and do a decent job. Which was just what she was sure she couldn’t do.