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

[elementofloyalty]

"What would I need to head inside for?" she scoffed. "Nothing out here can bother me!"

She looked confidently at their surroundings, as if to make the point... and a cagey earth pony might notice her wilt just a little as the alien flora and fauna reminded her just how far they were from home. This was better than the City, but it was no Ponyville.

"...but maybe I'll come in once in a while. Just to see what it's like, you know?"

[appletastic]

"Sure it can't." Applejack will play along with Rainbow Dash's fearless act...to a point. She can't say the other pony will do the same for her, but hey. She liked honesty anyway.

"The door's always open. You might even get to sleep in! Haven't found a rooster that'll crow for me yet."

[elementofloyalty]

Applejack knew perfectly well how much Rainbow liked it when somepony started tearing down her pretenses of total confidence and absolute unconcern.

"I just want to get to sleep period. That City, it's like trying to sleep in the Everfree Forest, except it doesn't even LOOK natural."

[appletastic]

That worried her. Applejack turned and halted immediately, getting a look at Rainbow's eyes. Were there sleep marks? Was she exhausted?

"How long has this been going on?"

[elementofloyalty]

Rainbow Dash was an inexhaustible supply of energy! Besides, she'd been napping up here in Hydroponics. It wasn't a healthy sleep schedule, but she wasn't suffering like she'd tried to harvest all of Sweet Apple Acres by herself.

"Oh, since I got out, I guess. It's kinda hard to tell, isn't it? There aren't even any real days here. I don't know when I'm napping and when I'm turning in for the night!"

[appletastic]

"I know. I just keep my hat over my eyes and hope it works." It didn't always work, but they didn't need to talk about that. "Never thought I'd miss the princesses this much. At least the days made sense."

[elementofloyalty]

"I'd go crazy if I had to clear the skies down in the City. How would I even know it was the right time to do it? It's a terrible way to run things, this is why ponies should take care of these things instead of just letting them happen randomly!"

She snorted, folding her forelegs.

[appletastic]

"I wish they'd let you. But it's just us four."

There were some days when she really missed home and family. They always had the best advice. "Guess we've just gotta make do."

[elementofloyalty]

"Well we KNOW a lot of ponies are down in the pods! They should be woken up too!" Of course it couldn't just happen like that, and Dash knew it, but that never stopped a good complaint.

[appletastic]

"Even just Big Mac would help," Applejack agreed. "But they're not ready yet. Maybe next time. Just gotta keep hopin'."

[elementofloyalty]

"He couldn't control the weather!" Rainbow said, oblivious to the OTHER reasons Applejack might want Big Macintosh around. After all, the pegasus wasn't used to having family around.

[appletastic]

"I meant the food," Applejack clarified, none too impressed. "Or even just lifting weight. Not that I can't, but."

He's the biggest tank-pony Ponyville ever saw.

[elementofloyalty]

Yeah, Big Mac was alright. But with Rainbow and Applejack here, who needed him? Anything he could do they could do better!

"Yeah, that mush is getting really old, really fast. I feel like I'm being fed mush like some filly!" Rainbow dropped to the ground, to pawed at it angrily. "Is any of the stuff in here that looks... you know, different, edible?"

[appletastic]

"Give it the old sniff test. And if that don't work, break it with your hoof. If it doesn't jiggle, it's usually fine."

Usually. She'd had some interesting adventures testing the various foods in Hydroponics. It was dangerous work.

[elementofloyalty]

That's why she'd asked! "I guess humans don't normally eat plants like this, huh?" By 'like this' she means, of course, like a pony would.

[appletastic]

"Some of 'em, maybe. But I guess not. They really seem to miss meat." She made a face. They just...ate other animals! Some of them even ate horse!

[elementofloyalty]

Rainbow Dash just shuddered, all the way to the tips of her wing and tail. Don't mention that whole eating-horse thing to her, Applejack, or there will be a comical overreaction for a while. "Maybe THAT's their problem."

[appletastic]

"Yeah! Nothing wrong with hay and oats." Yet they couldn't even have those. "The grass is fine, if you were wondering. Not much of an improvement over the slop, though."

She took another look around the field. "So where's the cloud gonna stay?"

[elementofloyalty]

"Oh, uh, right around here somewhere," she said, waving very vaguely at an area of the sky not terribly far from the top of the barn. "Unless that's too close. What do I know about barns?"

[appletastic]

"Just don't drop through the roof and you'll be fine," Applejack smiled.

And now Rainbow Dash had a bed! "All better now?"

[elementofloyalty]

Rainbow Dash caught the cloud between her hooves, pushing it up to where she'd indicated a moment ago. Then she flew back a dozen feet or so, appraising its position thoughtfully.

It must have been all right, because she arced up into the air, tucked her wings in, and somersaulted into the cloud like a filly diving into bed.

"Aaaah," she said, folding her hooves behind her head. "Yep! All better now! Thanks, Applejack!"

[appletastic]

"Any time, sugar," Applejack laughed, tipping her hat back one last time. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be hitting the hay."

Naptime sounded wonderful. Good thing she'd done a fair bit of work before Rainbow hit the scene---there was no working afterward.

[elementofloyalty]

"You and me both," Rainbow Dash said around a yawn. She was tired, and, well, she could sleep pretty much anywhere, anytime, anyway! One hoof lifted up over the cloud to wave g'night, such as it was.