Who Is That?

I trotted around some flowers growing next to a tree stump as I continued my way around the fields. I faintly made out the purple pegasus stretching out among the grass as I approached and stopped to watch.

“What are you doing out here?” Cloudchaser asked as I watched her continue stretching with a hind leg tucked behind her head. “And how did you know I’d be here?”

“Bon Bon,” I said instantly and immediately wished I could shove my hoof in my mouth. “I mean nobody. Just luck.”

“Mhm,” Cloudchaser hummed in an unconvinced tone as she untangled herself and laid down flat before pushing her stomach out along with her wings. “You know, you got a pretty damn interesting reputation around town already and you’ve only been here for what, five days or so?”

“Seven days but yeah. I’m uh sorry for throwing up on you two days ago by the way.”

“Meh it’s fine,” Cloudchaser commented as she continued stretching. “I’m used to it from Rainbow and Flits.”

I could believe that. Rainbow did tell me she was an alcoholic, after all. It wasn’t entirely unbelievable before hand anyway.

“You got a pretty damn interesting story by the way,” Cloudchaser told me as she finished stretching and I finished admiring her flexibility. If I even tried half of what she had been doing, I’d have been stuck for hours. “Former student of Celestia’s, former villain. Gotta admit, don’t come across too many ponies with Celestia and villain in the same sentence together. Definitely not one as attractive as you.”

I blushed and crossed my forelegs as she chuckled and rolled over onto her hooves before cracking back and letting out a content sigh.

“You seriously think I’m attractive?” I asked and internally kicked myself. I’m Sunset Shimmer, I don’t act like a filly having her first crush yet here I am acting just like that. I’m always the dominant one, not the shy one. “What are you doing after this?”

“Not much. Probably heading home for a shower unless you got something in mind,” Cloudchaser commented with a shrug as she ran a hoof through her mane.

“Nah just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out but if you need to go,” my voice trailed off as she pressed a hoof to my mouth.

“I can wait. Come on, I got something we can,” Cloudkicker grinned slightly as she removed her hoof and started trotting away. “Come on. I’m not gonna wait and I don’t hold up for anypony.”

I shook my mane before galloping to catch up to her as she continued trotting briskly to a field of sun flowers that were ironically enough pointed in my direction and for some reason, I could swear were following me.

“Lay down,” Cloudchaser instructed as I watched her flop on her back among the flowers and crossed her legs with her forelegs folded behind her head.

“And do what exactly?” I questioned as I copied her and laid down on my back with a content sigh.

“I’m a Wonderbolt trainee. I fly and do wild stunts that a normal pegasus only dreams of doing. Naturally, I live my life a thousand miles an hour. It’s nice to be able to slow down once and a while. Take in the scenery around me, you know?” Cloudchaser asked and her eyes examined the sky. “Like right there, that cloud. What do you see, Sunset?”

I stared at the cloud she was watching and tilted my head. It reminded me of a cat honestly.

“A cat,” I said finally. “I see a cat.”

“Strange because I see a wolf,” Cloudchaser commented and I tried hard to see anything but a cat. She pointed a hoof to another cloud and glanced at me. “Right there, I see a fish. Gotta look at it just right. Cloud watching and pony watching are similar things. It’s all about the perspective and what you’re looking for. The real question is, what are you looking for?”

“I see a earth pony colt,” I admitted as she gave me a small smile. “And I don’t know. Whatever happens I guess?”

“So you’re more carefree I take it?” Cloudchaser asked and I nodded after a moment as she let out a hum. “Kinda like me. I just go with the flow and whatever happens, happens. Cloud to your right, I see a train.”

My eyes followed where she was looking and I stared at it for a moment as I examined it’s shape.

“Yeah me too. So what’s it like being a Wonderbolt and flying around in front of thousands?” I asked as she shrugged.

“It’s nice but I occasionally miss my weather job here. I’m part of the C team with Surprise, High Winds and Dizzy Twister. Misty Fly is in charge of us four. Cloud over to my left, what ya see?”

“A ball. You?”

“Same.”

“So Ms. Wonderbolt trainee,” I started and she glanced back at me. “What’s there to know about you? You know a helluva lot more about me than I know about you.”

“Well, not much to tell. From Cloudsdale, went to the same flight school as Rainbow Dash, Derpy and Fluttershy. There’s apparently pictures of Fleetfoot, Soarin and Spitfire in our class as kids but I’m not sure about that one. Pretty damn sure I’d remember the big three Wonderbolts in my class. Derpy used to beat me and every pony in all the races and courses till her accident messed her eyes up. Flits and I are her daughters godmoms. Good kids. Anyways, I worked under Rainbow here with Flitter for a few years till I went to the academy. Got my cutie mark when I watched a shooting star and tried to chase it. So I guess my special talent is astronomy and following my dreams. What’s your mark mean?”

“It’s related to magic and my name, Sunset Shimmer. The red represents my determination and fiery personality, the gold represents my achievements,” I explained for the second time recently and she gave a slow nod. “What do you like to do?”

“Fly, read, drink and sleep. Hang out with Derpy and her kids, travel around,” Cloudchaser answered as she rolled a hoof in the air. “I already know your hobbies, guitar player.”

I internally debated if she meant that as an insult or not. I shrugged and decided it wasn’t as I smiled slightly.

“This has been real. How do you feel about heights?” Cloudchaser asked suddenly as she rolled over and pushed her self up, standing over me and staring down at me.

“I don’t really like them but I always did kinda wonder what it would be like to fly. Why?” I asked as she hooked her hooves under my forelegs and I gave her a confused look. “What the heck are you doing?”

“You might wanna hold onto tight,” Cloudchaser warned me before she pushed off the ground into the sky and I screamed.

“What are you doing?” I screamed and she gave a low chuckle.

“Relax, just showing you what flying is like. It’s not that scary, see?” Cloudchaser flew through a cloud and ignored my screams. “Don’t kick me, you’ll kill us both. Or well, maybe not both but you get my point.”

“I’m gonna vomit I think,” I commented and turned slightly green as she did a barrel roll and my eyes widened at how high up we were. The castle seemed like a speck. “Oh my fucking Celestia. How high up are we? Wait, don’t tell me. I don’t wanna know.”

“About forty five hundred feet, give or take,” Cloudchaser answered casually. “That area. We can go higher to fifty five if you want.”

“No!” I screamed and she tightened her grip on me.

“I’m not going to drop you, don’t worry. I got a strong grip. We’re just gliding right now,” Cloudchaser answered and I hesitantly glanced back to confirm we were. “It’s not so bad up here. To our left is Ghastly Gorge.”

I glanced over at the thin red winding Gorge as I raised an eyebrow, inhaling slightly.

“Not so bad after all, is it?”

“No, it’s not as bad as I thought. It’s pretty up here,” I admitted as I looked around at the clouds and landscape. “You see this all the time?”

“Yep. Poor ponies below us don’t even know what they’re missing up here. Unicorns and earth ponies are amazing obviously because I’m not racist because fuck that but I’m grateful to be a pegasus. I wouldn’t give up this freedom for anything,” Cloudchaser answered and paused. “Okay, there’s some ponies like my sister or Dinky or Amethyst or Junebug and Big Mac but not many.”

“In the human world, there’s airplanes. People fly up in them, and jump out.”

“To die or something? I can think of a million better ways to take one’s own life than that,” Cloudchaser snorted and I snickered.

“No, not like that. They have parachutes and they pull a cord and boom, they just float down the ground. Some do it in groups and do these tricks in the sky and shit,” I wiggled a hoof in the air. “Sounds terrifying to be honest.”

“Well, you’re up here so wanna try it?” Cloudchaser asked and I gave her a confused look as she rolled her eyes. “I’ll catch you, don’t worry. Unless you pull a Rarity and knock me out like she did to three Wonderbolts in about thirty seconds.”

“You better catch me or I swear I’ll- gyaaah!” I screamed as she suddenly let go and I started flailing my forelegs and hindlegs as I flew through a cloud. “This was a mistake! Cloudchaser!”

“Okay well now we know your limits,” Cloudchaser admitted as she wrapped her hooves around my waist. “Let’s not do that again then. It’d be a shame to kill you on the first date.”

“Yeah it would,” I agreed before giving her a startled look. “Wait, you’re seriously considering this a date?”

“Why not?” Cloudchaser shrugged as we continued diving to the ground. “We’re alone and flying, looking around clouds and talking about each other. Ticks all the boxes for a date in my book.”

“You could have told me at least,” I grumbled and she gave a faint laugh.

“I figured you knew. I don’t really open up much to ponies unless I genuinely like em,” Cloudchaser shrugged again as the ground got closer. “Well, what ya think of heights?”

“Not as scary as I imagined,” I admitted after a moment. “I mean, the free falling was absolutely terrifying and I’m never doing that shit again. But the actual flying part and gliding was pretty awesome. Equestria seems so different from the sky.”

“Yeah it does,” Cloudchaser agreed as she set down on her hooves and released me as I stumbled for a moment before regaining my balance. “Last time I took Amethyst up and she kissed the ground repeatedly when we landed.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, you’re up for the next date. I’m free all week,” Cloudchaser stretched her wings and grinned at me. “There’s a theater I like for reference downtown.”

“Monday at five work?” I offered and she nodded.

“Yeah. We can meet at the castle since I got a cloudhouse and well, you’re a unicorn unless you know a cloud walking spell. If so, my house is right above where the library remains are,” Cloudchaser said and started to walk away. “Oh right, one thing.”

“What?” I asked as she kissed my cheek and I turned red.

“I’ll see you Monday Sunset,” Cloudchaser smirked and I watched her turn around and started trotting off slowly as she swayed her hips more than needed.

I rubbed a hoof where she had kissed and I sighed contently as I continued watching her walk away.

Rarity is so gonna freak after this.