A Rainbow's Shine


                                            Continuation of a prompt - can be found at https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/39357279

                                            >"Oh, just a little place a few blocks away. Their hay fries are to die for!"

                                            >You're excited about the sweet, purple mare's offer but the food in Equestria has left a lot to be desired.

                                            "Sounds good, although I can't eat hay."

                                            >The purple mare looks slightly embarrassed.

                                            >"They have some good cucumber sandwiches too. Humans can eat cucumbers, right?"

                                            >You let out a slight giggle.

                                            "Yeah, vegetables are fine."

                                            >Rainbowshine flashes a cheerful smile.

                                            >"Yay, let's go! Spring's waiting for me and I'm already late."

                                            >The two of you share s lightly awkward silence as you walk to the restaurant.

                                            >"So, um...how are you liking Ponyville so far?"

                                            "It's nice, I guess. Everyon- I mean, everypony has been nice to me so far."

                                            "At least, once they get over the fact that I'm different."

                                            >Rainbowshine's cheeks turn a little bit red.

                                            >"Oh, uh, yeah...sorry for being a little skittish. New things are just a bit scary for ponies."

                                            "It's no problem, I'm used to it."

                                            >"It's nothing against you, I promise! I remember when a zebra first came to town and everypony was so scared that they hid away until she left!"

                                            >At least you're less scary than a zebra.

                                            >Your polite conversation continues until you arrive at the establishment.

                                            >Rainbowshine leads you to a table where a turquoise pegasus sits, looking impatient.

                                            >"Ugh, there you are. Was thinking you flaked out again."

                                            >"Sorry about that, Spring! I met a new friend on the way and invited him to have lunch with us!"

                                            >Her friend's eyes turn to you.

                                            >"Oh, you must be the human. I've heard about you."

                                            >"I'm Spring Medley. Nice to meet you, I guess."

                                            >She extends a hoof.

                                            >You grasp her hoof and shake it.

                                            "Nice to meet you too. I'm Anonymous, but you can just call me Anon."

                                            >This pony doesn't seem too concerned with your appearance. She's just peeved her friend was late.

                                            >You assume Rainbowshine has a habit of tardiness.

                                            >Taking a seat on a bundle of hay at your mushroom table, the waiter stops by to take your orders.

                                            >"Ah, Rainbowshine and Spring. You'll be having the usual, I assume?"

                                            >Rainbowshine turns to you.

                                            >"Yeah, but add two cucumber sandwiches. My friend here is allergic to hay, or something."

                                            >"Very well, then. Right away."

                                            >The waiter turns away to hand off your order.

                                            >As he leaves, once again, an awkward silence pours over the situation.

                                            >You're still not used to talking with ponies. It's a lot different than shooting the shit with your buddies back on Earth.

                                            >Rainbowshine pipes in.

                                            >"What do you do for a living, Anon?"

                                            >You shrug.

                                            "I'm still new here so I don't have a full time job yet."

                                            "I typically just help out local ponies I know with whatever they're doing. They're nice."

                                            >"Ooo, like what?"

                                            "Just earlier today I helped painted the flower ponies' booth. Had to be careful I didn't knock off a single pedal of their merchandise."

                                            >Your new friend giggles.

                                            >"Those three are so tightly wound, they'd faint if somepony even breathed on their flowers!"

                                            "What about you two?"

                                            >Rainbowshine's face lights up.

                                            >"We both work at the weather factory in Cloudsdale!"

                                            >"We were neighbors as fillies, so we've been best friends pretty much our whole lives. We both majored in weather and fly each other to work every day!"

                                            >Spring's demeanor changes to a happier one. Guess she was just worried her friend wouldn't show up.

                                            >"As you can probably tell, Rainbow's specialty is mixing the rainbows and mine is whipping up the storm clouds. We make a pretty good team in the field!

                                            >"Although my friend over here is pretty goofy when it comes to her passion. Can you believe she makes hot sauce out of rainbows and puts it on her sandwiches?"

                                            >Rainbowshine gives a slight blush and scrunches her face.

                                            >"Hey, it's good! The secret is diluting it with carrot juice!"

                                            >All of this confuses you.

                                            "Weather factory? 'Mixing' the rainbows?"

                                            >Both of them give you a blank stare and then erupt into laughter.

                                            >"Wow, you really are new in Equestria, aren't you?"

                                            >Spring shoots her a friend an excited look, then turns back to you.

                                            >"Whaddya say we show Anon instead of telling him?"

                                            >"I was thinking the same thing!"

                                            >You blink a couple times in curiosity, but as you do the waiter returns with your lunch.

                                            >The three of you finish your meal while talking and laughing.

                                            >Rainbowshine hypes up Cloudsdale for you, and Spring tells tales of epic storms she helped cause.

                                            >The waiter returns with the bill and Rainbowshine once again scrunches her face.

                                            >"Oh crap, I forgot my saddlebag and bits at home! I'm so sorry..."

                                            >You calmly shake your head and pull out a pouch filled with bits.

                                            "Don't worry about it. I'll get this one."

                                            >How could you not buy two cute mares lunch?

                                            "Just consider it a thanks in advance for the awesome tour you're going to give me."

                                            >"O-okay..."

                                            >Rainbowshine's friend shrugs.

                                            >"Hey, I'm nopony to turn down a free hayburger."

                                            >You chuckle and pay the bill, leaving a generous (but not too generous) tip.

                                            >"Thank you again, Anon! You're so sweet."

                                            >Rainbowshine gives you a friendly hug.

                                            "It's no problem, really."

                                            >You all rise from your seats.

                                            >Spring brings up an important point and scratches her head.

                                            >"I just remembered. Only pegasi can walk on clouds."

                                            >Rainbowshine facehoofs.

                                            >"Darn, you're right."

                                            >After a brief brainstorming session, Rainbowshine thinks of something.

                                            >"Oh, I know! I heard unicorns can cast cloud walking spells on other ponies, maybe it will work for a human!"

                                            >"I think I know somepony who could help us! Come on, we're gonna go see my friend Sea Swirl!"

                                            >Spring decides to fly up to Cloudsdale to make sure it's a good time for a tour, while Rainbowshine walks with you to her friend's house.

                                            "So, what's Sea Swirl like?"

                                            >"Oh she's really smart! She's studying to become a marine biologist and a pretty talented spellcaster on the side!"

                                            "I didn't think there were any oceans around here."

                                            >"There aren't, but she travels a lot. She was telling me about this adorable little baby dolphin she befriended last time she went to the pier in Manehattan!"

                                            >"Do you have dolphins back where you came from?"

                                            "Yeah, of course we do. We even have theme parks with them."

                                            >You continue making small talk about dolphins until you arrive at a small, yet nice looking house.

                                            >Rainbowshine taps on the door, causing a tired looking unicorn to answer the door.

                                            >Her mane is messy and she's levitating a mug of coffee beside her.

                                            >"...yeah, what is i-"

                                            >"Rainbowshine!"

                                            >The unicorn fixes up her mane with magic as the pegasus pulls her in for a hug.

                                            >"I'm not intruding on anything, am I?"

                                            >Sea Swirl shrugs.

                                            >"I mean, kinda, but I can spare a few minutes. Damn midterms."

                                            >Her eyes direct themselves towards you.

                                            >"Who's your friend?

                                            >She squints at you.

                                            >"What is your friend?"

                                            >"Oh, silly me. This here is Anon, a human! I met him today and he's really nice."

                                            "Pleasure to meet you. Sea Swirl, right?"

                                            >You share a quick hoofshake with the lilac unicorn.

                                            >Her voice is sprinkled with quick yawns.

                                            >"Yeah...the one and only."

                                            >"So what brings you here?"

                                            >Rainbowshine explains the situation to her friend, asking her if she knows the cloud walking spell.

                                            >"I know you mentioned you used a water walking spell on your last outing to the lake, so I figured it was worth a try."

                                            >"Yep. I guess I could give it a try. There's a dusty old book laying around somewhere. Come on in."

                                            >Sea Swirl ushers the two of you inside and points you towards a bland looking couch in her living room.

                                            >"Make yourself at home. *yawn* This should only take a sec."

                                            >As your new acquaintance excuses herself, you scan your eyes around her little home.

                                            >Framed art pieces of fish and other aquatic life decorate the walls. They seem to get better throughout the house.

                                            >You spy a small, crude doodle of a dolphin with a smiley face just outside of the hallway. On the corner of the paper, it says "Sea Swirl: Age 6".

                                            >It seems that marine biology has been her favorite thing since she was just a filly. Cute!

                                            >You admire her art for a few more minutes until she returns with a large, old book.

                                            >"Alright, I think this is it."

                                            >She quickly flips through the pages.

                                            >"Stand up and hold still."

                                            "Um...if you say so."

                                            >You've never had a spell cast on you before and it's making you nervous.

                                            >You close your eyes, bracing for impact.

                                            >A flash of magic emanates from Sea Swirl's horn, and it quickly envelops you.

                                            >The magical light dissipates and you don't feel any different.

                                            "...did it work?"

                                            >You look down at your legs.

                                            >"W-what the FU-"

                                            >You somehow manage to avoid cursing in front of the two mares.

                                            >Up to your calves, your legs have been turned into tentacles!

                                            >Sea Swirl's tired eyes open completely and she gives a look of complete shock and guilt.

                                            >"Oh my god...I'm so sorry!"

                                            >"I've been studying cephalopods for twelve hours straight and it must have gotten mixed up in the spell!"

                                            "Well change me back! If you can...?"

                                            >Rainbowshine is doubled over in laughter.

                                            >"Are you squidding me? That's an ink-credible spell you've got there, Sisi!"

                                            >Neither you nor Sea Swirl are amused in the slightest.

                                            >Sea Swirl's horn flashes once again, changing your legs back to normal.

                                            >She gives Rainbowshine a look of disapproval.

                                            >"You don't get to make aquatic puns until you've gone to school for it, Rainbow."

                                            >"Fiiiine."

                                            >After the shock of her failed experiment, Sea Swirl is now as awake as she's going to get.

                                            >"Okay, I think I've got it now."

                                            "What? You can't be serious!"

                                            >"Oh calm down. I turned you back, didn't I?"

                                            "I guess so."

                                            >You comically grumble complaints under your breath as she fires up her horn for the final time.

                                            >After another flash of light, you immediately check all over your body.

                                            >No tentacles, fins, or anything fishy.

                                            >You just feel a little bit lighter.

                                            >The spellcasting pony wipes a bead of sweat from her brow and exhales.

                                            >"That should do it! Sorry about the mishap."

                                            >You're happy that you're still in one piece.

                                            >Rainbowshine tackles her friend into a hug.

                                            >"Thank you so much, this means a lot!"

                                            >"Hey, don't sweat it. I guess we're even after that piranha bit your flank last summer."

                                            >That sounds like a silly story. You guess you'll ask Rainbowshine about it another time.

                                            >"I don't mean to be rude, but I really have to get back to my studies. It was great meeting you, Anon."

                                            "Yeah, you too. Sorry I freaked out a little bit."

                                            >"Heh. Anypony would have."

                                            >Sea Swirl walks you and your friend to the door and waves goodbye as you depart.

                                            >"So, that was fun, wasn't it?"

                                            "Yeah, I guess. Sea Swirl is kinda cute."

                                            >Rainbowshine hides a scrunch.

                                            >"Anyways...let's head back to the front of the restaurant. Spring will probably be back soon."

                                            "Sounds good."

                                            >As you walk back, in the corner of your eye you spot a cyan blue pegasus waving her hooves towards your direction and then doing a bunch of flips in the air.

                                            >You could swear you could read her lips calling "Aaaanoooon!"

                                            >You pay her no mind. It's probably just your mind playing tricks on you.

                                            >Back at the restaurant, Spring hasn't arrived yet.

                                            >You pick out a comfy spot on the ground and sit down. Rainbowshine joins you.

                                            >"So Anon..."

                                            >"What's your favorite thing about Ponyville so far?"

                                            >You ponder this question for a few seconds. It's just idle small talk, but you haven't really thought about it yet.

                                            "I don't know, there's just something about it that makes me feel calm."

                                            "This might sound weird but, I really like spending time with ponies."

                                            >"What do you mean by that, Anon?"

                                            "Ponies are a lot nicer than most humans, I guess."

                                            "We've only just met and we're pretty much going on an adventure. Stuff like this is common here from what I can tell."

                                            >"Yeah, I guess it is! You seem like a friend to me, so why not, right?"

                                            "You'd really consider us friends already?"

                                            >"Well, duh. I've had fun hanging out with you so far, have you?"

                                            "Yeah, I have."

                                            >"Then there you go! Friends!"

                                            >Rainbowshine sweetly nuzzles against your shoulder.

                                            >This is nice.

                                            >You sit in a comfortable silence for a good few minutes until Spring gets back from Cloudsdale.

                                            >"Hey, you two. Management said it's cool to snoop around for a bit before everypony goes home."

                                            >Rainbowshine perks up.

                                            >"Yay! Let's go right now!"

                                            >You look towards the faint image of a city up in the sky and scratch your head.

                                            "How are you supposed to take me up there?"

                                            >Spring and Rainbowshine share a giggle.

                                            >"Oh, that's easy."

                                            >Your new friend gestures her head towards her back.

                                            >"Hop on! I'm stronger than I look, you know."

                                            >An uneasy blush forms on your cheeks.

                                            "Are...you sure that's okay?"

                                            >Riding equines is perfectly normal back on Earth, but this is...different.

                                            >You carefully position yourself on Rainbowshine's back. Surprisingly, she holds you up like you're weightless.

                                            >"I think the cloud spell makes you a bit lighter, but either way, this is nothing."

                                            "If you say so."

                                            >Spring lifts off from the ground and hovers in the air.

                                            >"Come on you two, we don't have all day."

                                            >"Sounds like a plan!"

                                            >Before you can react, Rainbowshine flaps her wings and parts her hooves from the dirt.

                                            >Her speed picks up very quickly. You're worried you're going to fall off.

                                            "AAAAH!"

                                            >It's crazy just how fast these little ponies can fly. They're like miniature airplanes.

                                            >You wrap your arms around the pony's chest and hold on for dear life.

                                            >It's scary. Half of your mind is fearing doom, but the other half is happy to be holding onto your friend.

                                            >Her soft fur and reassuring strength melts a lot of your worry away.

                                            >You think about why you had a small crush on Rainbowshine to begin with.

                                            >Her mane really does smell like candy, and is unbelievably soft.

                                            >After getting to know her, your crush is intensified. She's such a sweet and friendly pony.

                                            >She wouldn't let you fall.

                                            >The wind is firing bullets of cool air onto your face. The speed is exhilarating.

                                            >This is actually really, really fun.

                                            "Rainbow, this is amazing!"

                                            >You don't think she heard you through the intensity of the sky, but you had to say it anyways.

                                            >The distant speck of Cloudsdale grows closer and closer.

                                            >Like a soaring rocket, it feels like you might crash right into the clouds.

                                            >Yeah, you're definitely going to crash into the clouds.

                                            >Rainbowshine is going so fast that she can't slow down in time. She comes to a sudden, complete stop.

                                            >The instant drop in speed caused you to go flying off of her back into the clouds.

                                            >Your friend blushes.

                                            >"...At least the spell works!"

                                            >You try your best to get back on your feet after the impact.

                                            >After a crash like that, you would expect your body to be writhing in pain, but there's none at all!

                                            >The clouds are incredibly soft.

                                            >Rainbowshine rushes to your side, embarassed.

                                            >"Omigosh, sorry Anon!"

                                            >You shrug.

                                            "It's fine, the clouds cushioned my landing."

                                            >"Here, take my hoof!"

                                            >Rainbowshine extends her hoof and you subsequently grab onto it.

                                            >As you take her hoof into your hand, her cheeks turn a shade of deep crimson.

                                            >She tries to ignore the tenderness of the situation, pulling you up.

                                            >"Glad you're okay."

                                            "Yeah, thanks."

                                            >It's a bit awkward.

                                            >Your crash distracted you from the goregous cloudy city you're now in.

                                            >You scan your eyes across your surroundings, taking in the architecture.

                                            "Wow...ponies can make buildings this intricate with only clouds?"

                                            >"Pegasi are pretty amazing, aren't they? We can build just about anything out of clouds if we set our minds to it!"

                                            >Spring Medley lands behind you two. She briefly noticed your crash and the related hoofholding.

                                            >She lightly teases her friend.

                                            >"Come on lovebirds, let's start the tour."

                                            >Rainbowshine scrunches into the next dimension.

                                            >"HEY!"

                                            >Spring pretends to not hear her.

                                            >You walk with the two pegasus ponies into the city, making your way towards the weather factory.

                                            >All of you enter the production line and Rainbow narrates.

                                            >She points out several purple machines with large funnels on top of them.

                                            >"So this is where our clouds come from! We pour a solution of enchanted water into them, and then they're stirred carefully."

                                            >"The liquid then turns to gas, filling the sky with the clouds you see every day. Earth pony engineers designed the machines and they made the process much easier."

                                            "It's pretty crazy how all this stuff is done manually in Equestria. Back where I come from, clouds just sort of...happen."

                                            >Spring tilts her head.

                                            >"Clouds just coming out of nowhere? Your world sounds pretty crazy, Anon."

                                            "All of weather just happens on its own. It's just how it is."

                                            >"Spooky."

                                            >You move on to the next part of the tour, learning how snowflakes are created.

                                            >"This here is where Equestria's snowflakes come from. Each one is hoof crafted by talented pegasi artists. Aren't they pretty?"

                                            >A few workers are still at their stations, meticulously crafting the snow into beautiful shapes and patterns.

                                            >You try your best not to disturb the hardworking ponies.

                                            "Creativity and art seem to be a lot more important in Equestria."

                                            >"Oh, of course! The prettier our cities are, the happier the ponies are!"

                                            >You simply adore the lengths ponies will go to in order to maintain positive feelings.

                                            "That makes sense. Pretty cute, too."

                                            >"Glad you think so!"

                                            >The sun is about to set, right on time for your final stop.

                                            >Rainbowshine excuses herself for a moment. Wonder what she's up to?

                                            >"Be right back! Show Anon a good time, Spring."

                                            >"Ugh, fine."

                                            >Spring leads you into the large room where the rainbows are mixed.

                                            >Well, it's more like a large platform. There's no walls, just pillars holding up the ceiling.

                                            >The sight of the sky just out in the open is quite pretty.

                                            >"This is where all of Equestria's rainbows are created."

                                            >"It's very important to have a beautiful rainbow on display after a harsh storm."

                                            >"We obviously need rain, but the blistering winds and dark clouds can frighten ponies. Rainbows make sure they know everything's okay after the fact."

                                            "Weird question, but, are the rainbows edible?"

                                            >Spring chuckles.

                                            >"Yeah, of course they are. They're not exactly tasty, though. Very spicy."

                                            >"I mentioned this earlier, but Rainbowshine makes hot sauce out of them. She's weird."

                                            "I like spicy stuff. May I?"

                                            >"It's your funeral."

                                            >Spring gives you a small beaker in order to sample the rainbow.

                                            >You dip the glass into the pool, filling it with the tiniest amount.

                                            >Bottoms up.

                                            >The moment your tongue touches the colorful solution, the intense flavors hit you immediately.

                                            >Your face briefly flashes with every color of the rainbow, and the heat is nearly unbearable.

                                            >You're panting hard after that.

                                            >"Heh, you okay? How was it?"

                                            "Hot...so hot..."

                                            "Cayenne...habanero...jalapeno...horseradish...one after the other."

                                            >"Told ya it's spicy."

                                            >Spring trots over to the water cooler and gets you a glass of water.

                                            >You quickly gulp down the whole glass.

                                            "*pant* Thank you. My curiosity is satisfied."

                                            >The two of you share a laugh.

                                            >You wipe the last bit of sweat off of your forehead after that experience.

                                            >As you do, Rainbowshine returns with a few jars of clouds and a bucket of rainbows.

                                            >"Sorry about ditching you two for a second, but this will be worth it!"

                                            >"Take a seat on the edge over there, so you can watch the sunset."

                                            "Alright."

                                            >You wonder what she's planning.

                                            >"Spring, spread these clouds around!"

                                            >Rainbowshine hands her friends the jars.

                                            >"Oh, I think I know what you're going for. Got it."

                                            >Spring opens the jars and carefully spreads them around the sky, one by one.

                                            >There's now a thin mist in the sky, right in front of the sunset.

                                            >"Perfect!"

                                            >Rainbowshine takes her bucket of rainbows and splashes it into the air, making sure not one part of the mist isn't colored.

                                            >You guess the rainbows are somehow binding themselves to the vapor, creating a beautiful prismatic display.

                                            >Combined with the sunset, it's a breathtaking sight. Such color...

                                            >After the bucket is completely empty, Rainbowshine sits right next to you.

                                            >"There! All done! Do you like it?"

                                            "It's...beautiful, Rainbow."

                                            "This is really all for me?"

                                            >"Of course. I wanted to end the tour with a bang."

                                            >Spring quietly excuses herself, giving you two some space.

                                            >"You're a sweet guy, Anon. I had a lot of fun today."

                                            "So did I."

                                            >You're lightly sweating. It's now or never.

                                            "Say...do you want to hang out again sometime? Just you and me?"

                                            >Rainbowshine beams with delight and throws her hooves around you.

                                            >"I thought you'd never ask!"

                                            >You return her hug with the utmost enthusiasm.

                                            >You hold each other until the colorful mist and Celestia's sun fade away.

                                            >Her softness and cotton candy scented mane are causing you to melt away in delight.

                                            >You suddenly remember that cyan pegasus from earlier. Was she trying to tell you something?

                                            >The thought is quickly set aside. Definitely not important.

                                            >Rainbowshine really is the best rainbow pegasus, no contest.