Just Like Old Times

It didn't take to long to reach Manehatten. Form a distance it looked like the sky was clear, but on the edge of the city was a small line of clouds encircling the city. The city it-self was huge. Ponies and carriages littered the ground while the tall buildings cast large shadows on the ground.

"Manehatten. What do you think?"

Said Golden as he and shadow landed on a small cloud.

ShadowFall gazed at the vast city in awe. She'd thought Canterlot was pretty big, with its castle, mansions, streets and gardens. Cloudsdale seemed large too, though didn't feel so big when it was up in the sky that way. Manehatten was enormous by comparison, at least to her. The buildings were certainly bigger. How could so many ponies even live so close together.

"It's so..." she tried to find the right word. She wasn't sure she liked it, but it wasn't like she was planning on moving there. "...big," she finished at last, smiling shyly. She spotted the clouds at the edge of the city. "Are those it?" she asked hopefully. They didn't look like too much to handle.

"Are those it?"

Golden nodded.

"Ye thats them, nothing too hard." Golden paused as he looked at the clouds. "What we need to do is to gather them all together then compress them so that we can take them back to be processed. Lets start on the left and work our way back back here, bringing all the clouds with us."

Golden flared his wings, and bent his fore-hoofs slightly.

"You ready?" Asked Golden, the slightest sparkle in his eyes.

That didn't sound too hard. ShadowFall could remember doing cloud exercises at camp and she worked with clouds to make mist and fog all the time. She assessed the clouds for a moment, trying to get a feel for the wind and what she had to do. Then she smiled and nodded. "Ready," she agreed. She took off in the direction of the clouds, moving swiftly and gracefully. She waited in position for Golden Bolt to start. She didn't want to make a mistake and rain on somepony!

Golden took off and flew alongside Shadow.

"Ok, so when your flying above the clouds. Drop your hoofs into the clouds, it forms a sort of vortex and the clouds start gathering behind you. Most times they are compacted due to the force of the vortex, but keep an eye out in case a bit of cloud gets loose."

Golden flared his wings, bent his fore-hoofs and ready to take off. Then suddenly remembered something important.

"Before I forget, the faster you go the better. The speed allows your vortex to pull clouds over a greater area."

Golden's eyes twinkled for a second, before he gave a sly smile to Shadow.

"How about you go first? I'd like to see how fast you can fly."

"Me?" ShadowFall eyed the clouds nervously. She wasn't sure she was good enough to try it by herself. She gave her wings a few hesitant flaps. It didn't sound too hard, but she didn't usually fly fast very often. "Well, I guess I could try," she said finally. She bent to prepare herself and took a deep breath. She powered her wings and shot towards the clouds. She almost forgot to dip her hooves into them when she got there, but soon she had a little vortex of clouds behind her. She brought herself up at the other end, smiling. She wasn't that fast, but she wasn't terrible either. "How's that?"

"How's that?"

"hgggmrmrfmmf."

Said Golden, his mouth hanging open. Shadow was a small pony, no doubt, but what she lacked in size she made up in weather skills. Golden was expecting her to make nothing less than a small dent in the clouds. It happened to all weather Pegasia on their first time. They didn't just let it happen they over thought the whole processes, but Shadow, on her first try no less, had pull more than a quarter of the clouds needed to be cleared. Golden was stunned to say the least.

After he gathered his wits and set his mouth in the 'closed' position. He replied proper.

"Shadow, that was unbelievable! You are a natural when it comes to being a weather Pegasia. I mean, I didn't even do so well on my first try. Next thing you know you'll be taking over as lead weather Peagasia."

Golden smiled warmly at Shadow before he lowered his head and pointed it towards the clouds. With a great flap he was rushing towards them, as he neared he dropped his hoofs and gently banked so that he could end near Shadow. He pulled up and gently came to a stop next to Shadow. Behind him was a mass of clouds, only slightly bigger than Shadows.

ShadowFall blushed deeply with one eye hidden behind her mane. She shook her head, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the praise. Golden Bolt was probably just being nice. She doubted she was nearly as good as most weather ponies. At least she hadn't messed up though. "Oh, I don't think so," she shook her head with a soft smile. "You're a great weather pony. I'll just be happy if I can help out."

Perking up a little, she added. "Did you always want to be a weather pony?" She didn't actually know much about her friend from before camp.

"Did you always want to be a weather pony?"

"Well yes, actually I have always wanted to be a weather pony. Ever since I was just a colt. My father and grandfather used to tell me of their adventures as weather ponies. The stories were always so interesting and exciting. I think it was because of my parents being weather ponies and being able to teach me how to be a weather pony and the stories they told that got me all caught up in becoming one."

Golden took a moment to reflect on the days of his childhood, before returning Shadow's question.

"And what about you? Did you grow up wanting to become a weather pony, or did something else influence you?"

ShadowFall nodded as Golden Bolt talked, smiling at the description of his family. They sounded like lovely ponies. Maybe she would get to meet them someday. She loved her family too, though her brother and sister could be a little full of themselves at times. She was lost in thought when Golden's question came and she blinked a little.

"Me? Oh no, I..." She twisted her hooves, trying to thing how best to explain. Golden had told her about his family, so it didn't seem fair not to say anything. "My parents are astrologers," she explained with a proud smile. "I loved the sky and the stars and they were wonderful teachers, but I couldn't do the same things they and my siblings could because...well...they're all unicorns," she trailed off, waving her wings pointedly. She shrugged shyly. "I didn't really learn much about weather until I came to camp," she admitted. "I thought maybe...I could see more of Equestria this way," she added hopefully.

Golden smiled as Shadow spoke of her family. Astrologers were some of the smartest ponies he had ever met, they were always asking for a clear sky so that they could see luna's starts at night. After clearing the sky he would ask them why they liked the stars so much. Each Astrologer had a different reason and each reason was just as crazy, cleaver and funny as the last. Golden enjoyed Astrologers quirky nature and now here was a pony who had Astrologers as parents. Maybe he'd meet them some day.

"I loved the sky and the stars and they were wonderful teachers, but I couldn't do the same things they and my siblings could because...well...they're all unicorns,"

Golden looked like he was tasting the word 'unicorn' and it didn't taste bad, no not at all, it was just confusing for him. Golden looked shadow up and down, a confused look on his face, but his sheepish smile stuck throughout. He nodded as she continued speaking.

"I didn't really learn much about weather until I came to camp," she admitted. "I thought maybe...I could see more of Equestria this way,"

Well, first of all, you've got the right job to do that!

Said Golden as he smiled at Shadow.

"So your parents are unicorns,"

His smile grew even greater as he spoke again.

"Must have been on heck of a party for you to end up as a Pegasus."

He chuckled, preemptively ducking out the way in case shadow threw some cloud in his direction.

"But in all seriousness, did your parents use a spell when conceiving you? Or were you lucky like me?"

Said Golden as he pointed one hoof at his multicoloured eyes.

ShadowFall smiled, nodded at Golden Bolt's talk of weather ponies. It certainly seemed like she would see much of Equestria this way. She blushed at his next comments though, ducking her head in embarrassment. "No, nothing like that," she answered. "My grandfather was a pegasus. One of the royal guard," she added proudly. Smiling up at Golden, she nodded at his eyes. "I guess we're both lucky."

For the briefest of moments. Shadow had looked into Golden's eyes and Golden felt how his heart fluttered. He felt hot around his wings and his hoof's felt like jelly. Golden had the most inescapable urge to kiss Shadow. His whole body felt like it leaned forward, in an attempt to get closer to shadow.

"I guess we're both lucky."

Suddenly Golden was ripped back into reality. He blinked, the image of kissing Shadow still fresh in his mind, but no longer was there an inescapable urge to do so.

"I guess we are, aren't we? I never knew your grandfather was a royal guard. Did he have the armour plating and everything?"

Asked Golden as he nodded towards the clouds, and flapped his wings gently, before slowly flying towards the last of the clouds.

ShadowFall nodded proudly. She'd always admired her grandfather, which had more than a little to do with their shared wings. "He did. I have a picture somewhere." She turned and fussed with her saddlebag for a moment until she pulled out a photo album. Flipping to a page, she showed a picture of her grandfather: a white pegasus standing proudly in his gold and blue armor. Next to him was a dark purple unicorn mare who looked quite enamored with her handsome partner. "That's my grandmother," Shadow added, smiling.