Destination One: Appleoosa
Icy Storm sat on the train and bounced in sync with the rhythm of the train. He has officially left his house for what feels like the last time in his life. No, he didn't run away. He's on a mission to find his purpose while his brother leads the Storm Wardens division of the Wonderbolts. To Icy and his brother, Prism Bolt, it feels like they switched places. Icy first wanted to join the Wonderbolts just like his parents, Rainbow Dash and Soarin, while Prism wanted to know his place in Equestria. Icy, deep in thought, didn't hear another pony talking to him. "Icy!" the pony shouted.
"Huh?" he responded.
"Do you have an answer to my question?" the cream-colored mare questioned.
"What was it?" he asked.
"What happened to the Weather Manager in Appleoosa?" she wondered.
"He got in a nasty accident with a cliff side and injured his wing pretty badly." he explained.
The unicorn was Pixel Bit. Single daughter of Sweetie Belle and Button Mash. She's decided to accompany her coltfriend in his mission to find himself. Their first stop was the western town of Appleoosa where the Weather Manager injured himself and is unable to do his duty and since Icy was a fast flying pegasus, he fits the criteria.
Pixel winced as she imagined what happened. Appleoosa will be without a Weather Manager until their arrival. Icy hopes that the weather won't be so bad until then. Finally, the train came to a hissing halt. Icy and Pixel grabbed their saddlebags and exited the train. The warm sunlight beamed onto the couple as they stepped onto the wooden platform and there to greet them was the injured Weather Manager. "Howdy y'all!" he greeted with a smile. "Name's Dust Devil and welcome to Appleoosa!"
"Icy Storm." Icy greeted back as they shook hooves. "This is my marefriend, Pixel Bit, and I take it you're the injured WM?"
"Yeah." he winced as he looked back at his bandaged wing. "How about I discuss what to do over the course of dinner and you can get started tomorrow?"
"Sounds good, sir." Icy nodded.
"And for the love of Celestia don't call me 'sir'." he commanded. "We here at Appleoosa greet on a first-name basis."
"You got it, Dusty." Pixel nodded.
Icy and Pixel followed Dust as he took them on a tour of Appleoosa. When they approached the town square, they encountered a relative of a friend. "Hey, Icy." Pixel began as she pointed a hoof at the familiar pony. "Isn't that Braeburn?" Icy squinted as he saw the mentioned stallion.
"I think that is." he nodded. "Hey Braeburn!" The pony looked their way and waved at them. They trotted towards each other and met at the halfway point.
"Howdy, guys!" he greeted. "I haven't see you in ages!"
"Same here." Icy nodded.
"So what brings you two to Appleoosa?" he questioned.
"You can say that we're on a 'quest' to find Icy's role in Equestria." Pixel explained.
"I thought you wanted to join the Wonderbolts just like your ma." Braeburn added. "How come you haven't joined?"
"Don't know." Icy shrugged. "It's like Prism and I switched places."
"No kidding." Braeburn chuckled. "How about you two get settled in and we can continue this over dinner?"
"I don't think that'll be a problem." Icy smiled.
The group continued their course to an inn not far from where they stopped. Dust put their room fee on him he thought it'd be the most he could do. Icy and Pixel went up to their room and unpacked. "I'm sure going to miss home a lot." Icy sighed as he put up a picture of him and his family.
"I am, too, Stormy." Pixel agreed. "But we might be able to see my mom at one of her concerts or Scootaloo during one of her races."
"That's true." Icy nodded. "We'll have to send a letter to your mom asking what her concert schedule is."
"Not to worry, Icy." Pixel smiled as she pulled out a poster from her saddlebags. "My mom gave this to me before she went on this tour."
"Smart." Icy chuckled.
"Now let's finish unpacking." Pixel finished. "They'll be waiting for us."
After unpacking, the two ponies walked out of the inn and walked along to their meet-up building where two stallions stood talking to each other. Once they met up, Braeburn took them on a quick tour of the rest of Appleoosa and they went to a place called Eternity's Saloon. "Why are we eating at a salon?" Pixel wondered.
"It's saloon, Pixel." Braeburn corrected with a chuckle.
"Oh." Pixel flushed red with embarrassment. Once they entered, the ponies greeted them before returning to their own business. At the counter, a mare walked up to them. "Howdy, y'all!" she greeted. "My name is Eternity and welcome to my saloon. What can I getcha tonight?"
"How about four Hard Apple Ciders, Eternity?" Braeburn ordered.
"Coming right up, hun!"
"Wait, you and Eternity are a thing?" Pixel wondered.
"Naw." he chuckled. "She calls everypony 'hun'!"
"Ohhhh......hehehe.....whoops..." Pixel nervously chuckled as another blush of embarrassment graced her cheeks. A few second later and Eternity came back with four mugs of the Apple family's signature Hard Apple Cider. They clashed their mugs and began to drink.
Over the course of their dinner, Icy and Pixel shared stories about what's been happening in Ponyville. Once the stories ended, Dust and Icy discussed how the weather patterns were in Appleoosa since they were extremely different due to the climates. Icy and Pixel then separated from Duct and Braeburn and retreated to their hotel room for the night. The next morning, Icy woke up with Pixel nuzzled in his hooves and releasing small snores. He chuckled and nudged her lightly and she woke with a snort. "Wha-? Oh." she yawned. "Morning."
Icy couldn't help but to chuckle at the state of his marefriend's mane. "Can it mister." she grumbled as she proceeded to move a comb through said bedmane. "Aren't you supposed to be outside?"
"What time is it?" he wondered as he sat up with a stretch of the body and wings. Pixel rolled her body to face the clock on the nightstand. "Half past nine."
"WHAT!?" Now Icy was in a rush to get his gear for his weather managing. His shift starts, according to Dust, everyday at nine thirty-five. Once he arranged all of his gear, Icy gave Pixel a quick kiss and zoomed out, shouting out hurried "goodbye's" and "love you's" to Pixel. Pix giggled and shook her head. Even though they had matured, she still found Icy's clumsiness quite cute and attractive. Then she started thinking. What was it that Icy saw in her that wanted her to accompany him to movies, lunches, and dinners?
She wanted an answer. She wanted to know. Why was Icy Storm attracted to her? A unicorn that likes to play games like her father isn't that charming to other colts or stallions. But somehow, some way, Icy liked discussing about Ponyvania and Fallout: Equestria. She needed to find the answer to this troubling question. Pixel rose from the bed, her bedmane now non-existent, and proceeded down the stairs. "What to do today?" she wondered to herself as she walked out with her Legends of Equestria saddlebag that hung over a shoulder.
"Why not watch the rodeo?" a pony behind her vouched. "I hear that cousin Applejack's goin' to be in it."
"Hm. That does sound like a good idea Brae." she replied as she turned to the stallion in question.
"She'll be happy to see that you and Icy made it here okay." Braeburn added.
"Oh she will." Pixel chuckled as they walked to the rodeo grounds.
They idly walked side by side in a silence that was unnerving. The only thing that Pixel could hear was her thoughts about the question. How will Icy answer? How will her coltfriend respond? More importantly, will he answer? Only time will tell.
