[Park] Like Sleeping on ai-..Oh wait.

[MudBug]

Cumulus clouds. Was there really anything softer? Like giant puffy pillows designed just for sleeping on, the consistency, the bounciness, how you just sank into the indentation it made of you when you slept. Perfection. Total nap perfection. Was it any suprise to see the chromatic maned filly splayed over the fluffiest cloud that hung over the park looking like the bunny's whitest cotton tail in the world?

Not really.

The cloud floated lazily over the airspace with the help of the happily dreaming pegasi's swishing tail, whenever it drifted to close to a tree, or snagged on one, a light blue hoof would shift to dislodge her sleeping place and continue to happily drift like a stick in a stream. No doubt, Rainbow Dash couldn't even sleep without being in her comfort zone, the sky.

Every now and then she would shift, toss and turn, but never once she rolled off her cloud. If she did, it would've been quite a nasty surprise for the filly. But, for the most part, she seemed happy in her napping place. Snuggling into her soft cloud like it was some giant pillow and letting her dreams wander.

Knowing her, showing off too the Wonderbolts was deffinately in that multicoloured mesh somewhere as she snoozed. Soft, small snores escaping her and muffled by her ethereal bedding.

Rolling to her left, her hoof slid off the cloud, causing the pegasi to jerk slightly awake, hooves tucked sharply to her as the young pegasi's head shot up at the sudden shift of central gravity and in a semi-awake snort yelped -

"GAH! CHILI COOKIE DOUGH!"....It took a moment for Rainbow to realise where she was. Glancing across the airways she grumbled. Rubbing her face with one hoof before she stretched her legs with a few resounding pops as her joints were relieved thankfully. Then rolled onto hooves and stretched further.

A few more resounding pops and a long, relieved sigh sounded from her lungs as she flopped onto her cloud with a soft 'pomf' escaping from it.

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

Strawberry Orange was off, on her way to explore this new town her sister had dragged her to. This was the way it usually was - her sister, Apple Mallow, getting an idea in her fluffy head, only to zoom off to leave her sister behind to pick up the pieces and follow.

Grumbling about her annoying older sister, Orange peered down to the town beneath her. She had gotten a few looks around town while she was asking for directions, but it wasn't until now that she got to appreciate the town's quaint beauty. Everything was laid out neatly and daintily, not one store out of place. Each street connected to another like a simple puzzle, easy to get around in, even if you had a horrible sense of direction, unlike her.

Orange was so preoccupied looking at the ground, she forgot to look up...

*POMPF*

"Eeee-yeaaah!" Orange looked up as she got a faceful of cloud, practically flying right through the large cloud... and very nearly dislodging the striking blue Pegasus snoozing in it.

[MudBug]

Finding further comfort as the sleep tried to retake hold of her eyes, the multicoloured head of the pegasi snuggled further into the softness of the cloud with a contented sigh. Sure she may have jostled herself awake, but a good further relaxation into the puffy sky pillow was slowly helping her drift off back to sleep and to her happy dreams.

Well...'least she thought that.

All at once something zoomed through the cloud past her side, her soft bedding dispersing under her and causing the filly to shoot awake as gravity seemed to pull her down with a loud yelp before her wings snapped open. Catching her before she met the ground and swooping up to watch her assailant with a slight gawk.

Who the hay was that!? She'd never seen her before!

Whoever she was, it was enough to cause the rainbow maned filly to narrow her eyes as she zoomed up to the other. Still lagged a little by sleep, but she was quickly beggining to wake up as she peered at the other pegasi.

"What the hay is wrong with you, huh!? I could'a busted my neck!" She brayed irritantly, staring down the orange coloured femme as her wings beat at her sides.

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

Orange jerked her head back, blinking bits of cloud out of her eyes as her vision was filled with a very colorful, very angry, Pegasus.

"I - I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! I'm new around here so I was memorizing the town's layout." She said, rubbing the last few wisps of cloud from her muzzle. She stuck out her hoof in introduction. "The name's Strawberry Orange. Orange for short. I just arrived here today with my sister - we're both living at the new candy shop where she just started work. She makes the candy, I get her the ingredients she needs and delivers the candy she makes, all over Equestria. There isn't a town I can't find, no matter how far it is." She said proudly, puffing out her chest a little.

[MudBug]

Watching the pegasus as she explained herself, Dash arched a brow ever so slightly over narrowed eyes. New in town? Probably explained why she'd never seen her before. At the outstretched hoof she waited till the orange filly was done and couldn't help but find a smirk slowly etch out over her features as she spoke.

In an informal manner, she clopped her hoof to the other's in a bump motion before taking a backwards loop from the other.

"Every town in Equestria, huh? I'm impressed! Allow me to introduce myself, maybe you've heard of me?"

Grinning the pegasus zoomed into the air like a shot, gathering up a few clouds as the colours of her tail trailed behind her like a chromatic ribbon, colours shimmering in the light as she rounded up the puff balls before taking herself a good meter away from them. In a burst of speed she exploded through them, the light bouncing through the droplets of water that splattered from the clouds and allowing a rainbow to arc over her head as she floated there proudly.

"I am RAINBOW DASH! Winner of this year's Best Young Flyer's award in Cloudsdale and probably the fastest pegasus this side of Equestria!"

Boastful as ever, she grinned towards the pegasus with bright, hope in her eyes praying that she was atleast heard of in other parts of the world.

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

Orange blinked, her eyes dazzled by the bright array of colors which the rainbow-haired Pegasus presented herself, her wings spread out wide as proud as a peacocks.

"Rainbow Dash.... hmm... Rainbow.... Dash.... Oh! I think I remember you! You're the one who pulled off the Sonic Rainboom back in Cloudsdale, aren't you?" She exclaimed, remembering the historic event she watched back at her old town. She flapped her wings, rising up level to the blue Pegasus flapping above her. "That was really impressive! I wish I could be that fast, then I could make so many more deliveries!"

"I could never do something as cool as performing a Sonic Rainboom, but I'm no slowpoke if I do say so myself. My policy is - delivery in 3 days or less, or half off the price! To any where in Equestria! So far, I've been able to keep my reputation solid." She said proudly, polishing a hoof off on her chest.

[MudBug]

Rainbow watched the other curiously, crossing her hooves and smirking slightly as she was recognised. Ah yes, her sonic rainboom. Her cout de grace. She was amazingly proud of that one, her other moves were impressive too, but that bright flash of light not only aided her saving her friend, it got her the award and the chance to actually spend a day with the Wonderbolts! The memories made her beam with a slightly giddy grin before her attention was returned to Strawberry.

And she had to admit, she was impressed by the filly. Three days for herself were a trifle ofcourse, she'd practiced her speed for years and doing three days would've been no trouble for someone as awesome as she was. But you never could've told from looking at this one.

"Three days, huh? Impressive, you must have atleast a decent ammount of speed to you if y'can manage that!"

Returning to the candy topic, she rested her hooves behind her head, letting her wings flap away and beat the air like cookie mix as she lazed in it. She had no doubt in her mind who would be frequenting THAT kind of shop as she watched the other and wondered silently who her sister might be, if she knew her and the like.

"So who's your sis, if you mind me askin'?"

[Tempest Rime]

"Miss Dash," a reproachful voice came from above. A small, green, blue-maned pegasus flitted down towards the other two. Traces of ice had formed in her mane while she was flying, and a small icicle was hanging right in front of her face. Without missing a beat, she launched straight into a tirade of nagging. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you! I need to file the monthly reports today! Did you take care of the leftover clouds from the last rainshower yet? I can't send these off until those are dealt with!"

Suddenly noticing the unfamiliar pegasus, Tempest's tone immediately softened, and she self-consciously plucked the icicle from her mane. "Oh! Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, madam, I just, uh... Well, nevermind. But, I, uh, I do need to know if those clouds are still floating around... n-not that I doubt Miss Dash's ability to remove them, it's just protocol."

She turned red in embarrassment. She didn't know this other pegasus, and the first impression she was going to make was that she was some kind of uptight nag. Worse still, it occurred to Tempest that that might not be all that inaccurate.

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

"My sis's name is Apple Mallow. She's a white and green Pegasus with a super fluffy mane and tail. She's a complete airhead normally, but when it comes to candies and sweets she's a real hard worker. Don't ever tell her I said that though." She said, shooting a short glare at Rainbow.

"And yeah, I'm by no means the fastest Pegasus out there, but I'm no slowpoke. I guess I've kept my record cause I don't burn myself out trying to go too fast all at once - I set a good pace, one that will get me where I'm going easily, and don't push myself too hard. Then I have energy to stay flying for long periods of time without stopping - I can fly two days straight without rest! I crash and burn when I get home though." She laughed.

She blinked when a very steamed looking green Pegasus came up behind Dash and started off a rant ad the blue Pegasus with a very icy tone to it. It practically sent shivers down her spine! The green Pegasus soon noticed her though, and immediately retreated her tirade, her icy tone thawing instantly.

"Naw, don't worry about it. I completely understand when co-workers slack off or take too long to do something. It's not just hurtful to the other workers, it's downright rude!" She said, waving off Tempest's shyness. "Call me Orange. I just moved here with my sister, into that new candy store down on main street." She said, introducing herself.

[MudBug]

That slight glare from the other pegasus made the chromatic maned mare chuckle ever so slightly, oh yeaaah Apple Mallow. The memory of the pony made her hide her snickering, but before she could open up her mouth to talk, a sourly remembered sound came from behind her. Nagging. And boy was it nagging.

It made the filly cringe before she turned and saw the green pegasi, her legs now hung limply below her as she listened on in lackluster interest, why today of all days did Tempest have to find her on her nap day? And when she was meeting a new filly too.

"Hello, Tempest." Rainbow replied finally in a monotonous drawl.

Couldn't ponies today greet her by saying 'hello'? Instead of nearly plowing through her or nagging her ears off? Crossing her hooves she continued to listen onto the pair before it finally got onto the 'slack' part and something snapped slightly inside of the sky blue filly, throwing up her hooves in the air.

"WhoaWhoaWHOA!" Came her sudden outburst. "Let's get somethin' straight right here, right now, yeah I did take care of the clouds, I took care of the rainstorm that was scheduled for tonight, I took care of the shadey clouds for the park and the nursery AND I took care of it all in NO time at all. Thank you VERY much!"

Crossing her arms once she was done she peered at the pair of them almost accusingly as she held her pout. Hmmph. Slacker her hoof.

[Tempest Rime]

"Uh, oh, no, I didn't mean to imply that Miss Dash... I mean, it's... um..." She stammered a bit as she backpedaled, until introductions finally brought out her formal composure.

"I am Tempest Rime, Miss Orange, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Are you new to town? I don't believe I have seen you before, though I can hardly keep track of who's who when the Ponyville is relatively calm, and lately it seems like we've attracted a host of new ponies. Probably because that ordeal with the summer sun celebration garnered a large amount of attention from around Equestria."

She scowled as Rainbow snapped at them. "Well good. Thank you, Miss Dash. Though you can hardly blame me for asking, what with your somewhat casual attitude to getting things done. Just because you're fast enough to finish quickly you do tend to procrastinate." Tempest realized that she was nagging again.

"Ah, but this is not a conversation we should be having in front of bystanders, I apologize, Miss Orange, don't let me give you the wrong impression of Miss Dash, she is a very capable and dependable weather pony. We simply disagree on matters of attitude."

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

"Oh yeah, new to town, moved in today with my annoying sister, all that jazz. And no worries! I've heard more than enough rumors about Dash back in Cloudsdale to know just enough about her."

Orange looked back at the ground again, as she was still very curious about the layout of the town... "Hey, if either of you have a minute or two, could you show me around the town? I want to memorize where everything is and who owns what store, in case I ever need to deliver to them, or get deliveries from them."

"Oh, Dash, I also am a bit of a all-around-deliverer too, when I'm not delivering things for my sister. So if you know anyone that would need me to deliver stuff in the future, I'm your pony!"

[MudBug]

Drawing both hooves down her face with a slight grumble at Tempest's words, the multicolored found herself supressing the irritation in lew of glancing over Strawberry's direction with an arched brow. A distraction!

Yes! Thank Celestia!

Her smile was maybe a bit too bright at the aspect of going on a tour and avoiding the procrastination topic...yeah she liked to nap.

So what? There was no harm in that with her speed...she'd get it done in no time at all.

With a small, 'good natured' smile towards Tempest as she flapped there merrily.

"I'd be HAPPY to take you on a tour of Ponyville and if Tempest isn't too busy with all those boring files and such, maybe she'd like to tag along?" The mare aimed a playful smirk at the green filly.

[Tempest Rime]

Tempest returned Dash's smile with an unamused glare before turning to Strawberry Orange. "Well, I don't want you to think me unwelcoming, but I do have to get these forms filed and sent off to the regional offices in Cloudsdale. It's been nice meeting you, but I really must be off."

With that, she departed, quite content to avoid dealing with Rainbow Dash any more than was necessary. They might both be on the weather team, but they were about as different as any two ponies could be. She did not want to ruin the tour by bickering with Miss Dash the entire time.

On her way out of the park, however, she spotted a distinctive pink pony, and smiled. She might not be able to properly guide the newcomer around, but with a quick word and a gesture, she directed the earth pony towards the others. Miss Orange would get a proper Ponyville welcome.

(Exit Tempest, Enter Pinkie)

"Raaaaiinbow Daaaaaash!" A pink blur came streaking towards the two pegasus ponies, zipping up the side of a tree with apparent ease in order to reach a height closer to where they were hovering. "I heard there was somepony new in town!" She smiled widely at Strawberry Orange. "Hiya! I'm Pinkie Pie! I heard Dashie was gonna show you around, can I come!? I love meeting new ponies! We could go to Sugarcube Corner! That's where I work, we bake all kinds of goodies! I'm Pinkie Pie, did I mention that yet? What's your name?"

[Cat Napper]

Grey eyes flashed open with a wave of shock. One minute she was fast asleep, the next came with Cat Napper falling through empty space grasping for nothing with her forehooves. Still recovering from having just been awoken in a most unpleasant way, coming to her senses and getting control over her wings proved to be a difficult feat as they flapped uselessly on her back. As the ground rapidly rushed up to meet her, she shut her eyes and yelled in frustration and fear. "FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.."

With a last, great amount of effort, the petite filly raised her wings widespread merely feet from the ground and beat rapidly. "..UUUUUUUDGE." She stopped her cry as she slowed to a hover only moments before a devastating impact with the hard ground would have occurred. Heart still racing, breathing coming in gasps, Cat looked up to see the cirrus cloud she was napping on had grown much thinner since she first fell asleep and eventually evaporated into thin air. "Ohh thank Celestia.." She breathed before letting herself drop onto the ground with a large poof of dust and burying her face in her forehooves, trying to regain her senses. Alright, napping was harmless, but sleeping on a cirrus cloud for over sixteen hours might prove dangerous as they vanish quicker than the others. From now on the filly promised herself to choose cumulus clouds for an extended period of sleeping. Her wings lay limp on eiter side of her body and no movement was detectable from the pegasus other than the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she got back her breath.

Moments later, her navy blue legs stirred as she attempted to get to her hooves. Still shaking from the previous moment's shock, Cat's legs crumpled beneath her and she fell onto the ground once more in an odd stooping position. "Horse apples.." She swore quickly under her breath. ".. I really hope no one saw that." Luckily she hadn't collided with a small group of two pegasi and an earth pony only a few feet away from her landing, or the tree the earth pony stood on. Either one would've been bad, but as of now she was still unaware of their presense as she struggled once more to stand up and leave the area before her embarrasing incident was noticed.

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

Orange was about to reply to Rainbow when suddenly a bright pink earth pony literally bounced into the conversation, seeming to ignore gravity as she buzzed up a tree to get closer to the two pegasi hovering in the air. She was stunned as the earth pony chattered out a long stream of questions, one of them asking what her name was.

Oh cheese... this earth pony reminds me too much of my sister... I hope I' m not around when she meets my sister one day - or I'm sure there will be some sort of sugary explosion. She thought to herself before answering the pink pony. "Uh... My name's Strawberry Orange. I just moved here with my - I mean -I'd love a tour of the town, if you can keep up with us." She stuttered, catching herself before she automatically mentioned her sister.

There wasn't anything wrong with Pinkie Pie... she just didn't want to be around when her sister inevitably met Pinkie. From the sounds of it, Pinkie was in the confectionery business too, and undoubtedly the two of them will meet, despite the size of the town.

[MudBug]

So many blurs of colors.

First that pink blur of Pinkie that made her wince ever so slightly, watching her for a moment or two and wondering how in the hay she was able to be so fast and defy gravity at times. It was crazy and she almost envied the pink ball of energy for some of the things she could achieve so easily.

Watching her introduce herself...twice...the chromatic pony could only smirk to herself for a moment before patting Strawberry's shoulder in a sort of 'this is typical' gesture before floating to the side a foot or so.

And then another blur went by them as she blinked and looked to the ground. Who was that? Anyone she knew?

Squinting her eyes, her keen eyesight picked out how small the pony was and for a moment thought it might've been an older foal or something. But closer inspection, it looked to be that small pegasi...oh what is her name again...kitten? Kitty? Cat?-Cat! That was it, Cat!

Perking a brow she raised a hoof to her muzzle.

"Hey! Y'okay down there!?"

[Tempest Rime]

From seemingly out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie produced a bungee cord and tied it to the branch she was on. She leapt down to greet Cat Napper and began to carry on two separate trains of though at once as she bounced up and down, speaking to Cat and Strawberry alternately.

"Hi, you must be-"

"Well welcome to-"

"Cat Napper, I've-"

"town Strawberry,"

"seen you around be-"

"and don't you wo-"

"fore, I'm Pinkie-"

"rry about me, I'm-"

"Pie. Are you-"

"good at keeping up-"

"OK, you almost-"

"with Dashie here."

"crashed there!"

There was a snap from the branch as she reached the bottom of the last bounce, and she tumbled the short distance back down to the ground. "Whee! That was fun," she bubbled, as she began to climb back up the tree again, apparently unhurt.

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

Orange watch the strange pony try and start two conversations at once.... and somehow succeed in a odd way until her bungee snapped. Even though she landed on the ground with a loud thud, she brushed it off and zipped back into the tree, apparently unhurt.

"Yeah..... I can see that." She said, shaking the befuddled expression from her face. She sidled up closer beside Rainbow, leaning her head close to her ear.

"Is.... is she always like this?" She whispered to Rainbow, still looking at the smiling Pinkie with an eyebrow raised. If Pinkie was this crazy ALL the time... her sister was in some serious competition for the oddest pony Orange ever knew.

[Cat Napper]

The filly groaned and folded her wings over her face. Great, somepony saw her. Slowly she sat her tired body up and stretched her cramped legs, leaping to flight to greet the rainbow maned pegasus. "Heh, yeah I'm alright." She rubbed her hoof behind her head with an embarrassed laugh. "I just needa remember not to sleep on the cirrus clouds anymore." Her attention was brought to the hyper active pink earth pony who appeared to be.. having two different conversations at once? Cat listened and tried her best to pick out the sentences directed towards her. A filly named Pinkie Pie who had seen her around, yep. That seemed to be the just of what the frizzy pink pony was saying. "Hehe nice ta meetcha Pinkie Pie. You've seen me around huh? Have any of you ponies seen my art?" Cat tilted her head with an amused smile. Well, ponies knew her her name now! Maybe word of her studio was getting around.

[MudBug]

"Aaaaaall the time."

She replied with a small sympathetic smile aimed at Strawberry as she whispered back to the pony, watching Pinkie's interaction with a subdued humor even if it brightened her smile ver so slightly.

Pinkie was always the life of the party and could brighten up any dull afternoon...if you had the patience and it seemed patience must've been thrust upon Rainbow this afternoon with the ammount of ponies that were around. Bumping into her or even falling from the sky.

Glancing back to the petite pegasus again, she plinked her magenta eyes curiously at her as she flew up to meet with her and gave the miniature pony an odd look as she mentioned her sleeping on cirrus clouds. Cirrus? Seriously? They weren't bouyant enough for a pony to sleep on, yeah maybe more ACTIVE pony's...but really...who'd WANT to sleep on them?

Restraining herself from answering anything she let Pinkie do most of the talking whilst she hovered.

The conversation then took a turn that...went a little over Rainbow's head.

Art?

Art was slow and didn't move, it didn't really have a purpose in Dash's mind other than stay there and look pretty like some painted pony. So floating there she gave a very slight if appologetic shrug to Cat.

"Art aint really my thing, sorry..."

[Tempest Rime]

"Art?" Pinkie thought for a moment. "I don't think I've seen any of yours, at least not that I know of, unless maybe I have seen it but not known it was yours, in which case I have seen it, but I wouldn't know it was yours unless I saw it again. Ooh ooh, I know! We were just about to show Strawberry Orange here around town, we could visit your place while we're doing that and take a look at your art!"

She grinned. Art wasn't quite as great as sweets or parties, but there was nothing wrong with pretty pictures. Some of the brightest and most colorful works of art she'd seen were almost as wonderful as rainbows. In fact, it occurred to her that rainbows basically were art. And so were bright sunny days and rainstorms and snow. Blithely following this train of thought, she looked at Rainbow quizzically. "What do you mean Dashie? You make art all the time!"

[Kudalyn]

Strawberry Orange

Strawberry floated quietly beside Rainbow, listening to the ponies exchange ideas. Rainbows were kinda like art... like her sister's confectionaries too. She could never understand just how Mallow got her candies to look so pretty - she even designed and made the pretty boxes they were in herself too!

"Art is nice, but I can never really understand it, just because I can't draw myself. I'm a practical pony." She said. "And not to sound rude... but could we get to seeing the town as we talk? I just want to get a mental map of where everything is so I can report back to my sister about any supply shops there are in town."

[Cat Napper]

Cat tilted her head, wondering how in the world these ponies knew her without knowing her profession. "S'alright, art isn't everypony's thing." She nodded in understanding to Rainbow and Stawberry. "I was just wondering, I make a living offa my stuff so I was kinda hopin' that you'd heard of me from somewhere." The filly flittered her wings happily when she was reminded that the three of them were just about to leave for a tour of Ponyville. Here was an activity for the rest of the day. Cat gave one final, enormous yawn and stretched her back in mid air. "None of you mind if I tag along right?" she decided to clarify this first as was force of her polite nature. "I'm still kinda new around here, might be helpful to see what's around town."

[MudBug]

Wincing visibly at the 'Dashie' comment, she glared at Pinkie Pie before it melted away. She hated nicknames like that, reminded her of when she was a foal or somethin'. It was so cutesie poo. Not at all worthy of RAINBOW DAS-Wait.

She knew art?

Blinking at Pinkie Pie with a very confused expression, the chroma-maned filly just peered at the partying pony for a moment or two before the question eventually found her throat.

"Pinks, just how in Equestria do I do art?"

It seemed her answer would have to come on the move however as both Orange and Cat seemed to want their way around the town. How come she was suddenly the tour guide, did she have to buy a hat or something? 'Officialy Not Ponyville's Tour Guide'?

Rubbing her face with her hoof she eventually looked between the pair and nodded.

"Sure, sure, let's go."