It was three days after her first Sonic Rainboom. I had kept her inside during those days, I wanted to be extra safe no one noticed her, even if it was unlikely someone would ever wander anywhere near this block. But I wasn't taking any chances for Dashie. Plus, we entertained ourselves with the celebrations, and the explanations.
Now here we were, at the usual park, on a cloudy day, with Dashie flying softly by my side, sporting her brand-new cloud-and-rainbow-thunder-bolt cutie mark. I was so proud.
She spoke first when we arrived there, "Hey! I noticed something when I went so high in the sky last time, can I go up there again? Please?"
I gave her a questioning look. What could she possibly have to do up there? She seemed resolute enough in her desire though.
"Well, okay, but please let's not make a habit out of..."
"Okay." And she was off, leaving just a rainbow blur behind.
I followed her contrail with my gaze. She was going straight up, higher and higher... until she disappeared inside a cloud.
Now, I didn't really know what to think. I was concerned mainly, but I knew Dashie was skilled enough to manage herself. So I waited. For minutes. My neck was getting strained by that point.
And then, I noticed something moving in the sky, descending. It had to be her, but she was still out of sight.
She was... she was... bringing....
"Hey Daddy, look at what I brought down!"
It was... a piece of the cloud she went in. She was holding it proudly on its side, inbetween her hooves.
I stared for a while before I could actually manage coherent thought. I mean, it was vapor! Just... water! And yet here she was, holding it in her hooves, like it was a solid whole. She was toying still with my world's physics like it was nothing!
I ran one hand through the thick haze in front of me, only to find no resistance. It passed through like it wasn't there. And I wet my sleeve in the process.
Our gazes met, and she looked more surprised than I was.
"How come your hand gets through? Can't you just touch it?"
I felt embarrassed at that point, for some reason, like I couldn't manage to keep with my daughter's standards. But I shook that feeling off quickly. How could I put this to her...
"Well, Dashie, it's just... those who can fly, yeah. It's only those who can fly who can touch clouds. You have wings, I don't, so you can move and control the clouds. I can't."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Control? What do you mean control? Can I make them rain? Or go BOOM like those thunders? Can.. can I really make thunders??"
She was staring at me, filled with expectation.
My mouth hang open for a while, unable to formulate appropriate words. How could I ever let her? But could I really limit so severely what she could and couldn't do in her element? Would it be dangerous without proper training? Did it...
Like most kids, she didn't wait for me to finish, and focused elsewhere.
"Look, they're so plush!" She was jabbing it tentatively on the side, until she dropped outright on top of it. It comfortably held her weight, to my relief.
She was drowning in pure bliss, if the look on her face was of any indication.
"Mmmmm... Hey! I could bring one of those in my room! Or maybe two! Can I sleep on those? Can... Can I make a fort out of clouds in my room, Daddy?"
I didn't know what to answer. Honestly, I couldn't think very straight at that point. But fortunately, the situation resolved itself without my intervention.
I managed to notice the cloud was getting smaller, dissipating.... Dashie slipped through a hole that formed in the middle of what little remained of it, before it disappeared completely in a light fog.
She caught herself in midair and returned upright, a look of surprise and disappointment in her face.
"Hey! What happened?"
I felt oddly relieved, and couldn't hold a little chuckle. Pegasus magic could only do so much in here, it seemed. "Well, the clouds are not really made to last at this altitu... at this height. Clouds are up in the sky because that's the real place for them to be."
"Awwwwww. But I wanted one in my room! They were so comfortable!"
"I'm sorry Dashie, I'm afraid I can't do anything about that." Still, I really couldn't stand seeing her so glum.
"Hey, you wanna know what else's comfortable? Come here." I gestured with one hand towards myself.
She floated near my chest, and we joined in a tight hug.
I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. It was so early, why would I ever...
I opened my eyes, and recognized a little cardboard box on my bedside table.
...Oh!
I left the little box just next to Dashie, on her bed. With a little note on it, reading:
"Happy birthday, Rainbow Dash."
She was still sleeping.
It was her eleventh birthday, she was all grown up now, looking very much like the weather mare from Ponyville I first learned about.
To think back of that... it still seemed all so unreal at times, to tell the truth. But I stopped thinking about the cartoon a long time ago, I had more important things on my hands now. Since that great day.
I kissed softly Dashie's cheek, that should wake her up.
Indeed, she was already groaning when I closed the door behind me, and went downstairs to make breakfast for both.
Shortly after, I could make out some muffled sound coming from upstairs. I did recognize the excitement in her squeals, though-
I barely heard the door of her room opening, then a rainbow blur across the house, and she was instantly on me.
Ooof!
She had glomped the hay out of me! I reeled on one side, absorbing the blow, having difficulty keeping my balance, with her pressing so hard against my side, wings flapping.
"Hey, watch it! You're going to make me spill the milk!" She didn't care one bit. She just hugged me harder, in fact.
I noticed she had her new goggles on her eyes already.
When I finally knew what to give her for her birthday, I've had to travel a dozen of shops to realize I would never find some goggles for her improbable eye size, so I had to search in do-it-yourself marts instead, It took four or five of them just to find someone who would consider crafting such an unusual artifact for me. And it didn't come that cheap even then. But really, seeing her beaming happiness and excitement, it had been all worth it.
"Dad, these are the best things ever! I always wanted a pair for my flights! Thanks so much!"
I couldn't help but smile wildly as I returned the embrace.
Seconds of beautiful silence passed, only the soft beat of her wings marking the passing of time.
"I love you, pops."
"Love you too, Dashie. Now let me finish your salad."
She released me from the tight grip, and fluttered up to the sofa, where she kept trying her new goggles on and off. Apparently I had done a nice work with the measurements.
"Hey Dashie, wanna play a game of horseshoes after breakfast?"
She shot up from her seating. "Are you kidding? Of course I do! I'll have you beat by the very first throw this time!" Her wide smile had become a huge, smug, happy grin by the end of that phrase.
