Cloudsdale Love

Chapter 2: Cutie Marks, Growing-Up Talks

"After that," Rainbow continued, "we started hanging out. We just clicked together. We became the best of friends. We were by each other's sides almost twenty four-seven. When he got his Cutie Mark, we just shrugged, and continued on with life. Things didn't seem to change beyond that, though, until I got my Cutie Mark, a year later. After that, there was a... a spiral of events. Really, looking back, I'm surprised I didn't see it...

I was racing home to tell my dad the great news; I'd gotten my Cutie Mark! A couple blocks away, I crashed into Firestar. "Oof!" We both went down.

"Sorry, Fire!" I apologised.

"You're fine." He replied. "It happens."

"Hey! Guess what?"

"You won?" He exclaimed, happy for me. He'd been stuck finishing a test, so he couldn't watch the race.

"Well, yeah," I said, "but not that! I got my Cutie Mark!"

"What!?!" He yelled. I angled so he could see it. "Awesome!"

We hugged. Firestar, being strong - but by no means a hulk, mind you -, picked me up and spun me around.

"Woo-hoo!!" We cheered. When he set me back down, neither of us let go. We just stared at each other, basking in both the joy of the occasion and the comfort of each other's presence.

After a few seconds of joyful giggling, he realized that he was still holding me. He gasped, and let go. We both turned red. "U-Um, sorry." He mumbled. Then, he perked back up. "Your Cutie Mark looks awesome!"

"I know, right?" I exclaimed, still recovering from the joyful high I'd gotten when I found the red thunderbolt (outlined in yellow) on my flank.

"Come on!" He said. "Let's go tell your dad!" We ran off, heading to my house.

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Rainbow Blaze

I was relaxing at home, reading, when the doorbell rang incessantly. I got up and opened it, to find the two grinning stars of my life; Rainbow Dash, my daughter, and her closest (by far) friend, Firestar.

"Dad!" Rainbow jumped at me. In reflex, I put up my forehooves, and caught her.

"Oof!" I exclaimed. Rainbow wasn't as light as she was at birth. "Hey, Rainbow! How'd the race go?"

"I won!" She said hurriedly. "But that's not the best part. Look!" She flew to the floor, turning sideways.

I gasped, when I saw the thunderbolt adorning the side of her flanks. "You got your Cutie Mark?" I smiled. "That's my filly, Dash!" We hugged, again. "I'm so proud of you, Rainbow!"

I put Dash down, and up came Firestar, wanting to share in the joy. I gladly accepted him. As far as I was concerned, he was my son, too, in all but blood.

As I sat Firestar down, something occurred to me. "I'll be right back." I said. I walked into the kitchen, and rummaged through a certain drawer. Pulling out a piece of paper, I looked at it. After her mother passed, I thought I wouldn't see this again until she was at least twenty. Ha! She always was a fast little filly. Here she is, only eighteen, and already growing up. I set the paper on the table, and walked back into the living room.

"Rainbow?" I got her attention. "Do you know what comes with getting your Cutie Mark?"

"Uh..." I could almost see the gears in her head turning, "B-Becoming a mare?" She said, hesitantly.