-- Act I --
A good walk’s way to the east, up in the windswept hills above the outskirts of Ponyville, a pegasus named Stylo stares intently at a sheet of paper. His mind is turning and his eyes are calmly closed.
“Mmm…hmm. That sounds right,” he softly mumbled to himself.
He opened his eyes and scanned the paper before him, 阅读 the lines over once more.
The imaginary smiles
And the make-believe trees
Carry desperate dreams
On a humbling breeze
For behind those eyes
True feelings are found
But denial is safe
Quill in mouth, he pens one final line below the others.
While honesty lies bound
Stylo gently placed the quill pen down and breathed a sigh of satisfaction.
“Yes. 诗歌 is the ro-“
His musings are cut short 由 a harsh knock on his door. Stylo’s smile fades to an unpleasant grimace as he shuffles across the scarcely-furnished room to greet his uninvited guest.
He flings the door open to find a brightly colored Pegasus staring back at him. He knew her. Every pegasus knew her. It was 彩虹 Dash.
She proudly stuck out her chest and began to greet him. “Hello, Mr. Stylo! I am 彩虹 Dash, Captain of the We-“
Stylo waved a hoof and cut her off. “Yes yes, I know, I know.”
彩虹 continued without missing a beat. “It’s my job to inform 你 that 你 have been selected to put in mandatory Weather Team hours as part of the Cloudsdale Weather Team Progress Initiative.”
Stylo’s eyes widened. “I’ve been… you… what?”
彩虹 dropped her professionalism. “We need 你 to help us… 你 know… kick some clouds around. There’s been some really weird weather pattern stuff going on, and the Weather Team needs all the help it can get!”
“Oh no. Nononononono. I can’t go up there,” Stylo retorted, retreating inside and casting a wary eye up towards Cloudsdale.
“Come on, it’s no big deal. Just get up there, kick some clouds for a 日 或者 two, and get it over with.”
“No. Mm-mmm. Absolutely not.” Stylo feverishly shook his head as he spoke.
彩虹 leaned in and squinted, examining the shivering pegasus before her. “No offense, but it looks like some sunshine could do 你 a whole lot of good. I mean… why are 你 wearing a coat? It’s July! How long have 你 been cooped up in here?”
彩虹 trotted inside and examined the house. Not a single light was on. Thin streams of light came in from curtained windows, dimly illuminating some dusty cardboard boxes and a table.
She tapped a hoof on one of the boxes. “Ohhhh, did 你 just move? Do 你 want to finish unpacking before 你 head up?”
Stylo shook his head. “I’ve been living here for three years. I just… never got settled.”
“I’ll say.” She walked over and examined Stylo again. “Look. I know not everybody’s cut out for the Team. But if we don’t get this weather mess sorted out, Ponyville could be in some real danger. So stand up straight…”
彩虹 pressed her hooves to Stylo’s spine and straightened him out.
“Put your chin up…”
She gave him a quick uppercut.
“And spread those wings!” She jumped up and spread her wings wide. Stylo opened up his flutter-flappers with the silky-smoothness of a rusted machine. 你 could almost hear them creak.
Rainbow’s expression faltered. “Wow. What have 你 been doing these past three years?”
Stylo closed his wings and slouched once more, his tattered mop of a mane covering his indigo eyes. Suddenly, his helplessness turned to anger.
“You listen here, missy!” he spat as he stomped over to the Weather Team captain, “it’s none of your business how I spend my time, and it’s none of your business to come here and demand that I do your job for you, so 你 might as well turn around and march out of here right now, because…”
Stylo stood up straight and crossed his forelegs.
“I’m! Not! Going!”
Stylo stood, triumphant, waiting for a response. 彩虹 simply stared at him with wide eyes as silence flooded the room. Stylo was about to speak again when 彩虹 abruptly dashed toward him and cocked a hoof.
“AAH!” Stylo cried and shielded his face. “Okay, I’ll go!”
She lowered her hoof and grinned. “Great!”
Stylo sighed as she strode past him. “It’s only a minute’s fly from here, but I can give 你 five to help break those dusty old wings in.”
Stylo looked up at her with eyes full of spite. “I’m taking a balloon.”
“Whaaaaat?” 彩虹 looked back over her shoulder. “We don’t have time for that! We’ve already wasted enough!”
“Well…” Stylo began, a smile spreading across his face, “we could reach Cloudsdale much 更多 quickly if 你 let me ride 你 there.” He cheekily nudged her.
“Ugh.” 彩虹 breathed an exasperated sigh and clapped a hoof to her face. “Fine.”
She stepped out on to the front sidewalk, spread her wings wide, and bent down. Stylo simply watched, grinning. 彩虹 cocked her head at him.
“Well?”
Stylo began to chuckle as he trotted over and mounted his trusty steed. 彩虹 and her passenger took off for Cloudsdale.
---
High up in the air at a comfortable cruising altitude, 彩虹 Dash and Stylo have almost reached their destination. Some pegasi began to pass 由 them, causing Stylo to sit up straight and assert his superiority over these brutes.
“Yah!” he barked, smacking his 骏马 on back of the head. “Straight ahead! Yah!”
Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Are 你 serious?”
Passing pegasi watched in confusion as Stylo commanded his horse. “Mush! Mush! Faster, you!”
“If 你 insist…” 彩虹 muttered, narrowing her eyes and adopting a smirk.
“Yah, I said! Yah…wait. What are 你 doi-AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh…!”
Stylo could only hold on for dear life as 彩虹 shot 前锋, 期待 towards Cloudsdale at the speed of sound.
