The First Rainboom

Celinda's jaw dropped. She stared in shock at her parents, one biting her lip with excitement, the other kicking quietly at the ground.

"You want me to do what?" she asked her mother, still not comprehending what they had just told her.

Her mother's eyes sparkled, "Train with Starswirl so you can break the sound barrier and prove his theories correct!"

Celinda stood in the entry hall of their house. The air smelled like her mother's cinnamon buns. Oh, how she loved those cinnamon buns... She shook her head to clear it, and glanced at her father, who had been silent this whole time, "What's wrong?"

He looked at her, "Nothing. I'm just not sure how this will go."

Celinda blinked, "Well, I think this will go excellently," she cried as she smiled and raced into her mother's hug, "And I can't wait to get started!"

As the little filly disappeared into her room, Honey Glow turned and stepped towards Basil. He stood stoically, the very picture of disappointment. She was so close to him she could smell the faint trace of herbs; a memento of all the time he spent in their vegetable and herb garden. He turned and began to walk slowly towards the back door. When he reached it, he turned his head slightly, waiting for Honey to follow him. Stepping softly on the cobblestones outside their house, the two of them headed towards the vegetable plots in the back of the garden.

"I didn't think she would be so excited," Basil said, breaking the silence between them.

Honey shrugged and buried her front hooves in the soil, "She loves to fly," she replied as she deftly pulled a weed from the plot.

Basil sighed, "I know. I just want her to be safe." He began to help Honey with the weeding, leaning close to the oregano sprigs to get a better view.

Honey turned her head to look at him, "Do you trust me?" she asked, her hooves still clearing the soil.

"Yes, I do," Basil replied softly, "And I know she's not me... It's just... I worry," he dug his hooves deeper into the soil, trying to bury his anxious thoughts.

Honey nodded, "I know," she told him, removing her hooves and moving towards the barrel of rainwater, "Just... try to see things from her point of view," she added, dipping her hooves in the barrel.

Basil nodded, then turned towards the barrel, "I will," he said solemnly, "I promise," He gazed down at his wife, and smiled softly.

"Well," Honey sighed, "I'd better go get dinner started then." She wiped her hooves clean and returned Basil's smile before turning to head back into the house.

As his wife walked away, Basil turned back to his work. He was soon absorbed in his work and lost in the scent of the herbs.