PART 1

“Woohoo, that was awesome!” Rainbow Dash called to Fluttershy, who’d just done her first barrel roll.

“Yay,” said Fluttershy, landing on the cloud next to Dash.

“Okay, my turn!” Dash said, jumping into the air. She cruised up, zoomed forwards, and barrel rolled three times–she could have done way more, but didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings.

“Slick moves!” Smolder called out to Dash. Smolder was sitting with Gallus, a griffon with a blue coat. Smolder was a young orange dragon. The two were supposed to be doing their friendship homework, but watching Dash do aerial tricks was way more fun.

“Thanks,” said Dash. She turned to Fluttershy. “Whaddya wanna learn next?”

Fluttershy glanced at Smolder and Gallus, who gave her a thumbs up. “Maybe a dive?”

“Oh those are easy!” Dash complained, before quickly adding, “to learn, of course.”

Fluttershy hopped up into the air. “Let’s go!” she added softly.

“Bet ya ten bits it takes her more than three tries to get that trick,” Gallus said to Smolder.

“I think I’tl take her more than ten tries. Bet.”

“Deal.”

“This is high,” said Fluttershy, looking down at the cloud four hooves beneath her. “Can we try it lower?”

Resisting the urge to laugh, Dash said, “you gotta get way higher than this if you wanna dive.”

Fluttershy shivered. “Maybe another time?”

Dash couldn't hold it in. “Sure,” she said in a strained tone, before flying off and shoving her face into a cloud.

Fluttershy walked over to Twilight and Cadence and sat down.

Cadence was visiting her sister in law, Twilight, and the two had decided to watch Fluttershy and Dash fly.

“Nice job!” said Twi encouragingly, as Flutters sat down next to them.

“Thanks,” Fluttershy responded.

Dash pulled her head out of the cloud, and flew over to Flutters. “You got that barrel roll down.”

“Um… I thought you said my skill was going up?”

“Er… I did, it’s just an expression, or no, really it’s slang, but uh–.”

Now Gallus and Smolder were the ones trying not to laugh.

“When’s Thorax coming again?” asked Twi.

“He should be coming any time now,” Cadence replied.

A few moments passed, but Thorax hadn’t shown up. The skies were completely clear, besides one generic looking brown pegasus.

Cadence sighed. “Seriously, I was half expecting a ‘right on cue’ moment there.”

The brown pegasus landed in front of them, and Thorax dropped his disguise.

“Gotcha,” he said, grinning. “But in all seriousness, I’d never leave you hanging.”

“Hello to you too,” said Dash, performing a front flip for Thorax. She landed next to him.

Smolder rolled her eyes and shoved her homework into her backpack. Gallus followed her lead, and the friends walked over.

“I guess I should have brought food,” Twi said. “We could have had a picnic.”

“I could go for a hayburger right now,” Dash said.

Fluttershy nodded.

“Eh, why not,” Smolder said, shrugging.

“I don’t hate them,” Gallus said noncommittally. “Right now, I’ll go for anything.”

Twiley glanced at Cadence who nodded. “Settled then,” said Twi, “we go get hay–.”

The portal that opened on Dash’s cloud was roughly big enough for two ponies to exit at the same time, and had a black center. The outside pulsed between green and aqua.

And out stepped a pony.

He was a gray unicorn, with an aqua mane and a worryingly confident expression.

As soon as he stepped out of the portal a second unicorn’s horn powered up. She was snow white, with a mane to match.

The first unicorns stepped entirely out of the portal.

Twilight responded first. “Uh, hello!”

“Hi!” said the second unicorn. “I’m Snowy! Well, that’s not my full name, more of a nickname really–.”

“Nopony cares.”

The first pony’s voice was surprisingly cold. His horn sparked menacingly.

“Huh?” asked Snowy.

“Our names are irrelevant here.”

Fluttershy who’d been cowering on the ground said, “Maybe, maybe, knowing ea–each other's n–n–ames could be useful. F–for re–fer–ence….”

“Fine. I’m Theo. Satisfied?” The gray unicorn stared at Fluttershy, who backed away.

“She’s Fluttershy,” Dash said, nodding towards the pony in question. “And I’m Dash, the dragon’s Smolder, the griffon’s Gallus, the changeling’s Thorax, the two alicorns are–.”

Theo cut her off. “Twilight Sparkle and Cadence. Both princesses. Why do you think I’m here?”

Theo took a step towards the group.

The portal was still open, despite the fact that Theo’s horn had gone dark.

“Good question,” said Dash, flying up slightly. “Why are you here?”

Theo laughed. “Your two princesses.”

Twilight and Cadence were on their hooves in an instant, and Thorax immediately threw up a disguise.

Dash was a bit quicker to go on the offensive. She shot towards Theo, throwing him off his hooves. The two crashed into a cloud.

Snowy’s horn glowed brighter, and several more unicorns exited the portal. One of them activated the spell that allowed unicorns to stand on clouds, freeing up Snowy’s magic.

Gallus and Smolder were slower to react, and a spell hit the cloud they’d been sitting on. Luckily they both started flying before they even started falling.

“Why are you doing this?” Dash coughed, as Theo got her in a chokehold.

“Most ponies would probably say revenge.”

Theo tossed Dash off the edge.

Twilight was locked in combat with Snowy. Snowy was holding her own surprisingly well against an alicorn, matching every one of Twilight’s spells with one of her own.

Then Twilight shot a stunning spell at Snowy, who slammed into a cloud pillar, and flopped down, unconscious.

Then Theo shot a spell dead at Twi’s chest. She flew backwards, and slid across the cloud.

“Who are you?” asked Twi, surprised.

“Good question.”

Twi shot a spell at Theo at the same time he shot one at her, and they connected. Twi held Theo’s spell back, as he forced it forwards. Theo’s yellow beam was slowly inching its way toward Twilight’s horn. Twilight forced herself to push the beam back.

The spells shattered.

Twilight felt herself being thrown backwards. She slammed into a cloud pillar, which tore apart. Twi felt blinded, a bright yellow light in her eyes.

Then the light subsided, and Princess Twilight Sparkle felt herself falling.

~~~~

“You weren’t joking when you said that spell was powerful!” Snowy exclaimed.

Theo stared down at the forest below. Sunset had arrived, and the sky was red and pink. Cloudsdale had been torn apart. The few parts that had survived were currently on fire. The pegasi were running around trying to fix everything, but it was a lost cause.

“I don’t joke around,” said Theo. He had several burns down his front, and a chunk of his left ear was missing. The injured ear twitched.

Snowy started to say something, but Theo cut her off. “Are they dead?” Theo asked in a deadly calm..

“Maybe,” said Snowy warily, “Idk really.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Idk? Acronym or something for ‘I don’t know.’”

“Oh,” said Theo, his left ear twitching. “So you don’t know.”

“I don’t, but I can guess.”

“Do so.”

“I’d guess they're dead.”

“Hmmm.”

Snowy looked over at Theo. He was staring down at the forest below, which had caught fire. He seemed deep in thought.

“You okay?” Snowy asked.

Theo’s ear twitched. “Kinda. Honestly, I’d say you guessed wrong.”

Snowy glanced at the forest below. Pegasi and unicorns were fighting the fire, and had mostly contained it.

“How could they be alive?”

“River.”

“Who’s River?”

“Nopony–” another ear twitch– “That’s not what I mean.”

The river below was fast moving, and Snowy realized that it had been what Theo had been looking at….

“What are the chances?” she asked.

“Probably pretty good. I mean, even If they were blinded, the river’s a pretty big thing. The chances of them landing in it by luck are fine. If they were aiming for it, certain. They all had wings.”

“Why did there have to be a river?” Snowy moaned. “If there hadn’t been one, they’d all be dead right now!”

“Hmmm.”

“Got something?”

“Maybe. C’mon.” Theo’s horn flashed, and a portal opened. He stepped through it without a second thought.

Snowy sighed, and followed him through.

Author's Note

This is my current story. If you wanna see what my current writing looks like, keep reading. Or, if you like a thriller.