I looked out upon the raising sun from my floating cloud house. The sky was painted beautiful hues of orange and pink, the sky lightening from dark indigo to the light blue I know it will be. No doubt Scootaloo was asleep, she was a lazy bum but I loved her more than anything in the world. She was Scootaloo, my Scootaloo, the one who could always make me smile when the world fell down upon me.
"Like last Hearth's Warming." I thought, the memory bittersweet. As much as I tried, my wing was completely unable to work without the contraption Scoots and her friends made. Now, I'm not the most informed pony when it comes to anatomy, but I know the surgery must have ended up removing or cutting a muscle. I fought back tears from the knowledge flight would never be something I could do by myself again.
I didn't even need to look at the clock to know that I needed to leave soon. I slowly, quietly walked into Scootaloo's room. Her walls were painted cyan, with racing stripes of rainbow, colored like that at her request. The floor was cloud, a luxury only pegasi knew. She slept on a cloud hovering a foot off the floor.
I'd never admit it to her, but my little Scoots looked like a tiny orange angel right then and there. I didn't want to disturb her, with her hooves wrapped around Tank like he was a toy. Sadly, things must get done.
"Hey, wake up squirt." I smiled, nuzzling her magenta mane with my nose. "You got school and I got work."
"Aww, really mom?" Hearing her call me mom always makes me feel so... happy, special.
"Yes, really. If you're quick, we can have pancakes and hot chocolate. Extra marshmallows and whip." I turned around, walking half-way out the door before I added. "But you have to take care of Tank first."
I laughed at her groans and the sound of hooves shuffling tiredly before trotting to the kitchen.
***
I idly bucked fluffy clouds, watching them disappear into oblivion. I waited for a mare who was coming looking for a job. It's not hard to get work in weather control, you pretty much need to be able to fly without having a heart attack, hence why Fluttershy failed in getting a job all those years back. Speaking of that mare, she was due to come in an hour. No doubt she'd be late, everypony was.
"Umm, Miss Dash, is it?" A sweet voice called to me, I looked down to see a mare with a red coat, but it wasn't a painful red, like most reds, it was bright and happy without hurting. Her mane was striped with brown and cream, ever so slightly curled. She looked... perfect. Too perfect.
"Hi, I'm Cherry Cola! You're supposed to interview me for the a job as a weather worker." She reminded me as if I didn't know, her smile sincere and kind. I couldn't place my hoof on it, but for some reason I just hated her.
"Can you fly?" I asked, earning a temporary look of confusion from Cola.
"Yes, in fact I can." She said, regaining her composure. "My mom knows a Wonderbolt, so I was given lessons by them."
"W-wow," I blinked, suddenly aware she came from a family of connections, like Twilight. Yet I despised her even more.
"You know, you're kind of cute." She looked at me through half-lidded eyes, biting her lip seductively. "You doing anything tonight?"
"Actually, I am," I answered, disgusted by the mare's act. "I have a foal."
"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry!" She didn't actually look sorry, though. "Who's your special somepony?"
"I don't have one." I spat, more upset at her attempt at being mine, at least for the night.
"Illegitimate foal?" She nodded sympathetically at me.
"No, adopted, but she's my foal just the same." My eye twitched. Cola looked around for a minute.
"Wait a moment, are you the Rainbow Dash who is the Element of Loyalty?" She asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, yes I am." I said, standing up straighter and puffing out my chest.
"The winner of the Best Young Flyers competition?"
"That I am!"
"Saved the Wonderbolts, AND preformed the Sonic Rainboom?!"
"Do you doubt it?" A grinned coolly, making her squee.
"Omigawsh, it must suck to be you."
I gave stared at her, not even needing to verbalize my "What. The. BUCK?!" moment.
"All of that, all because of your wings." She stared at the Crusader's contraption on my wings. "And now they're gone."
"Know what, I'll send you letter when it's time to start work."
"Oh, thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She giggled in a sickeningly girly fashion, hugging me and flying off.
I remembered to never, ever send her that letter.
