Race to Cloudsdale

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!” yelped Twilight on a bed and in a full body cast.

“Would you please hold still, the less you move the less it hurts!” shouted a nurse with a pink mane and white coat.

“I can’t help it! I have this really bad itch!”

“Where?”

“Oh I’ll get it!” shouted Pinkie Pie and bounced the nurse aside. “Just tell me where the itch is and I’ll scratch it.”

“Um, never mind, I think it’s gone now,” said Twilight nervously.

“By golly, it’s been a week and you still haven’t recovered like all of us,” said Applejack.

The whole gang, which included Granny Smith, Cherliee, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, were in the room to visit Twilight.

“Well I guess that’s what happens when a four ton you know what drops on top of you.”

“A four ton what?” asked the nurse.

“Oh um, sorry, Nurse Redheart, mixed my words again there, I meant fell down a hundred stair steps, figure of speech I was trying to remember.”

“I don’t get it,” whispered Spike over to Cherilee. “Why don’t we let any pony in on what happened?”

“I’m afraid it would lead to complications, such as so many people wanting to know more about unicorns and Orbs of harmony and so on. I doubt we’d ever get any peace.”

“Still, it’s just a nurse I don’t see any problem in that.”

“Personally I don’t want to find out if there would be problems, its better not to risk these kinds of things.”

“Look, I really would like to know what really happened. These injuries you’ve suffered don’t look like falling on stairs, look more like a herd elephants passed over you instead. It would give me an explanation to why nearly every part of her body has been squashed together.”

“Um, what if I told you a boulder fell on me after the stair fall?”

“I’d find it just as unlikely you survived. Bad enough wondering how you are still alive, it’s a miracle though, I can accept that. Right now, I’ll just leave you with your guests.”

“Thanks Nurse Redheart.”

“Now that we’re all here, can we talk about getting my big brother, Big Mac back?” asked Applebloom.

The group gave a moment of silence, but Applejack reluctantly stepped forward and said. “I’m sorry Applebloom. But when Rainbow Dash died during the battle, Fluttershy passed on as well and as a result, the Orbs of harmony became gone as well. So we have no way of bring Big Mac back.”

“But that can’t be, we can’t just leave it like this.”

“She’s right, I don’t want Rainbow Dash to be just gone as well, there has to be some way?” said Spike.

“I’m sorry, but without the Orbs of harmony, there’s no way we can bring them back. We’ll just have to leave them in peace?”

“But I don’t want to, I want Big Mac back!”

“And I want Rainbow Dash back!”

“My grandson was too young to die, it’s unfair,” said Granny Smith.

Before anyone could speak to them, they heard a tap on the window. They were all bewildered to see it was Angel outside, who gave his serious glare at them all. Everyone gave a quick glance to one another, but eventually Cherliee stepped forward and slid open the window. Before she said hi, she looked down and saw Angel stood on some kind of magic carpet.

“Um, what can we do you for Angel?” asked Twilight.

The rabbit started to shake his arms in random directions and odd signs.

“Calm down, we don’t understand what you’re saying,” said Applejack.

The rabbit held up one of its fingers, then pointed his paws at the carpet and jab.

“I think he wants someone to go on the carpet with him,” said Twilight.

“Oh I’ll go, I want to ride the magic carpet!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

“Hold on, no offence Pinkie Pie, but I think someone with a higher attention span should go,” said Applejack.

“I should go then,” said Rarity.

“No, I’ll go,” said Cherliee. “You guys have just been busy from protecting the world. I should go, I need to do something.”

When Cherliee looked back though, she became rather nervous at the soft carpet beneath her and questioned how reliable it was. Took a deep breath however, Cherliee put one hoof out the window and placed into the carpet one at a time. She started to into a snail motion and only hurried up when she heard Angel impatiently patter his feet. Soon as she was on and completely flat against the carpet anxiously, they surprised the audience when they vanished.

The two then reappeared in a vast barren land with canyons and lots of rocks, out in the middle of nowhere. Cherliee needed to open her eyes before she could see, when she did, she felt much better, now that they weren’t going super fast.

“Where are we?”

They descended the ground. Angel then hopped off the carpet and waved his arm for Cherliee to follow. The two walked into a gorge. Cherliee kept her head down, nervous at this unusual surrounding and was unsure to why the rabbit brought her here. She had a good idea what it was and gasped when she saw this large object.

Stood on four cone feet and shaped like a cannon, made of unrecognisable solid white material and had glass eye at the front of it, appeared to be some kind of aircraft.

“What is this?”

Unable to answer, being a bunny, Angel clapped his hands and disk shaped piece fell out of the ship and landed before them. The bunny then hopped onto it and indicated for Cherliee to follow again. The pony reluctantly complied. When they were both on, Angel clapped again and the two rocketed upwards.

Cherliee now found herself in the room with red tiled floors and the rest of the surroundings coloured the same as the ship. There were beds behind them and in front were two large chairs before the window.

“This here’s an aircraft isn’t it? Where did it come from?”

The rabbit went forward and climbed onto the chairs. He then lifted his arms and two orbs appeared out of holds from the armrests. Cherliee then figured to quickly sit beside him, when she heard the ship started to power up.

When she did, Angel rolled one of the orbs. The next thing Cherliee knew, they were propelled into the air, so fast that her face was being stretched back, crushed against her seat and unable to scream. Soon as it all halted, Cherliee could see outside the front window.

“We’re above the clouds!”

“Greetings, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy,” said a computer voice that startled Cherliee. “Destination input.”

“Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?”

A holographic projection then appeared in front of the two and Angel was then able to scroll through lists and images give with the use of the orbs. The machine then replied. “You wish to return home? To Cloudsdale? Please confirm this action?”

“Wait, their home you mean?”

An idea came to Cherliee and she figured out what this was all about.

*

“We need to go to Cloudsdale!” shouted Cherliee back at the hospital.

“Huh?” Everyone echoed. Applejack herself answered. “Why the heck would you want us to go to a place called Cloudsdale?”

“Because it’s where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came from. There has to be more like them, more that have Orb’s of harmony that can be used to wish back everyone, especially Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Big Mac.”

“That’s brilliant!” shouted Rarity.

“You mean that we’ll actually have Rainbow Dash back?”

“And my big brother?”

“How are we going to get there though?” questioned Twilight.

“There’s this guided aircraft that can be used to get there, that’s what Angel wanted to show me and how I got the idea!”

“Any idea how long it would take for us to get there?” questioned Applejack.

“By the looks of things, just two days.”

“Sweet, let’s go now!” shouted Applebloom.

“Hold on, we can’t just go just yet, we need to prepare ourselves and secondly we need to decide who to come,” said Applejack.

“I’ll come!” yelled Applebloom.

“Yeah, me two!” shouted Sweetie Belle.

“The reason we need to select who to come, because not all of us should,” replied Rarity. “It could be dangerous, wherever this Cloudsdale is and I’m worried that they might be all as violent as Rainbow Dash use to be. We’ll want those ready to defend themselves.”

“You’re not referring to us being unable to come?”

“Sorry, Applebloom.” Applejack then messed up her hair with her hoof, but Applebloom just frowned. “But you’re still too young to go around getting into fights. Best just leaving it to the pros.”

“That’s no fair!”

“I hope you’re not planning on me joining?” questioned Twilight. “Sorry, but I’m needing a little time healing here.”

“Now that’s just another word for please drag me along,” said Applejack humorously.

“Don’t worry, I have some Zenzu apple seeds growing, soon as they’re ready I’ll be sure to have Applebloom give some to you while we’re away.”

“You’re not going either Granny Smith!” yelled Applejack. “Sorry, but I don’t want any more of my family getting hurt.”

“Is it alright if I don’t come?” requested Snip in the corner. “Just that I technically did the most work in that fight against the unicorns and should probably stay in case Trixie decides to come back.”

“I think that’s a delightful idea, if I do say so myself,” replied Rarity.

“Am I really not allowed to come?” questioned Sweetie Belle.

The door then slid open and Nurse Redheart stepped in. “Alright, times up, could you please leave so that the patient could get some rest.

“Alright, be seeing you Twilight and we promise, we’ll get everyone back,” said Applejack.

*

Next day, everyone was gathered outside Granny Smith’s place and had luggage and bags with them, ready to go.

“You don’t think that’s a bit too much?” asked Applejack to Rarity. The fellow pony had an two sets of luggage that were as big as her.

“A pony like myself can never have too much. It’s also so I can catch up only designing the latest fashion, it’s been a while since I made anything.”

“You know... never mind.”

“Thanks for letting stay at your place Granny Smith,” said Spike.

“No problem hun. Least I can do, now that you’ve saved everybody and are off to revive those lost, especially my grandson.”

“I can’t believe this, we all get to go on trip together, this is so cool! Do you think we can have a picnic when we get there!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

They all silenced when they heard something rip through the sky and saw the aircraft fly above their heads and then land down. Exited from it, with the use of the landing disk, Cherliee and appeared and walked out.

“Alright there you are, everything put in for you. All that’s needed is a few voice commands and then your off, I hope you guys succeed in your endeavour.”

“Thanks, just wish I knew where my sister was so that I could say good bye to her for now as well.”

“Probably off sulking like mine,” said Rarity. “I swear, she was up all night begging to come along, but I just couldn’t.”

“Well, not much we can do about that then I guess; let’s get on this crude bucket and go and revive our friends!”

“Yeah!” shouted Spike and Pinkie Pie.

They all stepped onto the disk and were lifted up by it into the ship. Granny Smith, Snip, Owlysious and Cherliee waved as they watched.

Our heroes were now inside the aircraft and took their places. It was both Rarity and Applejack who took the pilot seats and both took their time as they looked out into the horizon to capture the image of their home before they left.

“Alright, spaceship, let’s get going and off to Cloudsdale!” yelled Applejack.

“Order confirmed.”

The ship powered and fired into the sky. Soon as it was now up it rocketed off to carry its passengers onto their next quest, one to bring back their friends.

*

Out in the middle of a small island, Diamond dogs patrolled around this long spiral building. Inside of it, through its corridors and pass its rooms, a black-coated pony with a doctor’s outfit watched over this container filled with liquid. Inside of it was Trixie, who was unconscious and hooked up to a mask and dozens of wires.

“What happened?” asked a nurse, who walked in. “I’ve seen Trixie come in here once or twice for a check up, but she’s never once come in here for intensive care or anything like this.”

“Apparently she went to this area called Equistria, but that’s all I’ve gathered thus far, other than she had her partner Snail.”

“Where is Snail?”

“Gone, I believe for good.”

“You think Snail turned on Trixie and did this?”

“Snail’s nowhere capable of doing this to someone like Trixie. I didn’t know anyone was outside our organisation.” The two stopped their talk when they saw Trixie’s start to move and her closed eyes trying to open. “Best go now, it appears she’s about to wake up and I doubt she’d like to know anyone was gawking at her injuries.”

The nurse obeyed and the doctor walked up to click down on a button. The container started to drain all its water and the wires started to slip off from Trixie and the unicorn awoken and by the looks of it, she was filled with rage. The container opened up and she was able to emerge.

“Greetings Trixie, glad you’re still with us. Your loss would’ve been a great loss of assets. I must say though that your damages were pretty severe, I wasn’t sure how much I could. Luckily I was able to do something about your horn.”

“My horn?” Trixie then looked down on the puddle that had been made from the liquid that slid off her body and saw her reflection. It looked fine, almost good as new.

“Sadly our science doesn’t have the necessary breakthroughs to repair it. All we could do was give artificial replacements. You’ll notice outlines of where we had to fix it.”

So Trixie did, when she looked closely. “That little runt, I swear I’ll kill him.” She then started to walk towards a row of armour and took out a pair to fit on, along with a new scouter.

“I hope you don’t plan on going anywhere, Trixie.”

“Oh and who are you to say that to me?”

“Not me, Trixie, our master instructed it.”

Trixie’s eyes popped out and she snarled. “What?”

“Our master heard of your unpermitted trip to Equistria and was quite displeased with that as well as something to do about Orbs of harmony that was heard on the scouter communicators.”

“Th-that’s impossible, me and Snail had our scouter communications turned off.”

“You forget that there’s an override on the master computer. Our master had used that to find what you were up to.”

“Where is our master now? Tell me?”

“After there was enough feedback, our master, for some reason, decided to go to Cloudsdale, home of the pegasi.”

With a disgruntle growl, Trixie yelled. “I wish for a chariot immediately!”

“But your orders?”

Trixie stood over the doctor with an angry growl on her face. “I ordered a chariot immediately! Get me one or else!”

“U-um right away, Trixie.”