Stupid cloud! Stupid ship! Stupid laws of physics!

[elementofloyalty]

Three attempts in and this had not been going well.

Outside the transport tubes in the city hovered one pegasus pony, staring in irritation at said tubes. One hoof rested on what was unmistakably a cloud -- a puffy, friendly-looking white cloud, just the right size to make a comfy napping spot for a pegasus who, well, really liked napping.

"You stupid tube tentacle... things!" she said, expecting that the ship would somehow respond. "Let me take the cloud up to that Hydro-whatsit place!"

Comments

[nunpunching]

"Oh. That's boss. I follow." No, not the precious cool points!

"So are you like Pokemon or some shit where you evolve into each other?"

[elementofloyalty]

Rainbow Dash just stared at him, trying to figure out how those words made sense in any configuration.

She couldn't.

[nunpunching]

"You know, like a pony turns into a unicorn turns into a pegasus? Does that happen?"

[elementofloyalty]

Explaining did... not stop her staring. Not at all.

"Nooooooo, that doesn't happen. That would be pretty horrible, actually. I couldn't stand being a unicorn! I was born to FLY!"

[nunpunching]

Punchy shrugs. At least she's staring at him for his equine knowledge and not just the way he talks!

"What if we got like, a big piece of canvas or whatever and tried to trap the cloud in that?"

[elementofloyalty]

"Do we even have one?" She kept hearing that supplies were really low and all that. "And we'd have to seal it up so well the cloud couldn't escape, because the tentacles will still push and pull on it. It might still pop like a balloon, but I hope not."

[nunpunching]

"We gotta have something somewhere. We could use my tent, probably." Granted, taking it down would probably expose the rest of programming to the whiffs of teenage boy smell that the tent's been keeping enclosed, but oh well.

[elementofloyalty]

Ewww. This could be bad.

"Okay, that'd be worth a shot. Should I bring the cloud or should we leave it here?"

[nunpunching]

"Will it still be here when we get back?" Although he does kind of want to see it follow Rainbow Dash around.

[elementofloyalty]

"Who'd take it when I'm the only pony on the ship who can move it?"

She grabbed it, pushed it a little closer to the ceiling, then shot back down to join Punchy on the ground. "Well, lead the way!"

[nunpunching]

"Wouldn't it, like..." Punchy makes a gesture of something falling apart with his hands. "Whatevs. Let's bounce."

Follow him to Programming, Rainbow Dash! It smells like unshowered workaholic! Which is actually more Tim's fault than Punchy's in Punchy's humble opinion.

[elementofloyalty]

She followed along behind with only some small signs of impatience, mostly in pacing zigzags at a trot. Flying was faster! Traveling was BORING!

Once they got to Programming, though, she cantered happily forward with a muttered, "Finally!" -- before hitting that smell like a brick wall. Her eyes went wide as she slapped a hoof to her face to plug her nostrils. "Gaaackkk! Haven't you guys ever heard of bathing?!"

[nunpunching]

"Sure, when we got time. Which ain't often these times, what with the distress calls on the waves and shit. Been mad strapped." Punchy starts to dismantle his tent. He wishes he could fly like Rainbow Dash. He'd be the Best Pegasus EVER.

[elementofloyalty]

She darted over to interpose between Punchy and the tent. "Whoa whoa whoa. If we wrap that cloud in that, I'm gonna be smelling you in my nightmares. We've gotta wash that first."

[nunpunching]

"You got nightmares?" That seems to concern Punchy more than the distinct smell of Programming and the tent. He folds up the tarp under his arm and starts walking. "You might wanna get your head checked for that."

[elementofloyalty]

"I mean that smell would GIVE me nightmares. How can you even stand it?" She took a few steps back as he folded the tent and, incidentally, wafted more stench her way.

[nunpunching]

Punchy shrugs. "What smell?"

Programming is mostly teenage boys, none of whom rip themselves away from their work nearly often enough to bathe. HIS NOSE IS DEAD.

[elementofloyalty]

Exposing Rainbow Dash to this environment may have been a huge mistake, then.

"Ugh," she said, putting a hoof to her face. "Let me put it to you as plainly as possible..."

She shot up into the air to get right in his face. "Your tent STINKS!" Backing off a little, but still frowning, she added, "And you should probably get clean too. Ugh! I'm starting to flash back to flight camp."

[nunpunching]

"I showered this morning!" Punchy himself smells more like sugar and energy drinks right now than sweat and body odor, but sometimes the world needs saving and the tent has to suffer for its occupant not having time to wash. "Besides, you smell like a horse."

[elementofloyalty]

"But not a smelly horse," she countered. "Besides, you TOUCHED that thing. Ugh! Come on, we're going down to the City first." She swooped around him impatiently to lead the way.

[nunpunching]

"Fine, fine. Bathhouse, you think? Could probs just dunk it in a pool there."

[elementofloyalty]

"That'll take forEVER to get there and clean it! No, you meet me at the lifts down there, I'll get this taken care of the RAINBOW DASH way!"

Step one of this plan appeared to be taking off at speed for the lifts proper, rainbow mane leaving streaks behind her.

[nunpunching]

"You gonna make it rain, girl?" But she's gone before he finishes that sentence. He shrugs, slightly peeved, and then heads towards the elevators.

[elementofloyalty]

He'd guessed perfectly! Once he finally got down to the City, he'd find her waiting for him, not far from a big grey cloud she'd pulled out of the skies.

"Okay, put it down and spread it out!" she said.

[nunpunching]

"Aw yeah, son. This is gonna be dope." He spreads the tent out and then steps back to watch.