The Main Street of Cloudsdale was a particularly magnificent piece of city-planning. This street, more than any other street took full advantage of all three dimension available when you design something for Pegasuses. It had been continuously built on for several generations, and you could read the bizarre twists and turns of Pegasus architectural fashion in the buildings lining the street, like huge white insects trapped in amber.
Fluttershy convinced Rainbow Dash to take half a day off to accompany her when shopping. The stores where eager to take advantage of the tourist-boost that the Pigeon Run generated, and as such there where a lot of interesting offers on display. The usual quiet dignity that imbued the commercial district of Cloudsdale where rapidly eroding away. There where sales on top of sales and endless advertisements. Some owners had taken to shouting from their clouds like in an old bazaar.
“Need to relax before the race? Fastwings massage parlour is what you need, ask for the Royal Treatment....”
“Apples on a stick! Apples on two sticks, perfect for sharing! candied apples! Applesauce! Flim & Flam-certified Apple Cider, only the finest apples, may not be completely vegetarian....”
“Could I interest you lovely mares in our latest invention, our newly patented Razorblade Blender, it slices, it dices... Will it Blend? There is only one way to find out...”
Thankfully, they made their way past Main Street down to Bernoulli Avenue. This was the site of the more upscale shops, who didn't feel the need to resort to fierce advertising (and thus didn't have nearly as many customers.
The fashion of the Pegasuses was slightly more utilitarian than that of the Unicorns. You can't exactly afford extravagance when you are designing clothes for a species with wings, after all. There where one exception to this rule, however, the hats. Thanks to the lightness of cloud-fabric, volume was not a problem, as long as the hats where reasonably aerodynamic. As such, the Cloudsdale hat-makers where probably the only ones who used a wind-tunnel as part of their equipment...
”What do you think about this hat?”, Fluttershy said, as she tried out a rather futuristic-looking hat with a purple moon-shaped brim in one of the more fashionable boutiques.
”I... don't think that's your color”, Rainbow dash remarked.
”oh its not for me”, Fluttershy said, “its for Rarity, wouldn't it be nice if we could find some nice gifts for our friend while we are here? Cloudsdale is called the fashion capital of the sky after all....” ”That's because it is the only place around here where you can get clothes at this altitude, at least until they invent clouds that can rain socks and ugly hats.”
Fluttershy gave 'Dash a look filled with doubt.
”you don't like it?” , she asked.
“I like it fine...” Rainbow Dash said, “just not as a...hat”
“Oh, okay, how about we find Rarity a nice scarf instead?”
They went walking down the streets, idly looking trough shop windows for anything that could pique their interest. As they where looking trough the window of a shop that had a large collection of knitted scarves, Fluttershy turned to Rainbow Dash.
“You said that purple was not my color”, Fluttershy remarked, “but what do you think is my color?”
“ Uhm, green maybe? Or blue. I don't know”, rainbow Dash said “Say, what do you think is my color?”
Fluttershy examined her friend for a while. Blue coat, purple eyes, multicolored highlights in her mane...
”All of them” she concluded.
As they continued along the street, they talked about scarves, then about what, if anything, to wear for the race and finally they started discussing training techniques. Naturally, they had very different ideas, Rainbow Dash's plan for her training was a strict regime involving the gym, endurance training, aerobics and Poni-Chi and Fluttershys plan for training involved... birdwatching.
”We're supposed to train, not have a picnic!”, Rainbow Dash said, “How do you ever expect to be good just by hiking trough the cloud forest? “
“But I heard they have several species of rare birds I want for my life-list”, Fluttershy said, and besides, I'm just an amateur, you're the athlete.”
“We'll see each other later then” she said as Fluttershy flied back to the house to pick up her binoculars.
On her way to the gym, Rainbow Dash bumped into Tam-a-line. In her eyes, Rainbdow Dash could see the same slight insomnia that was still haunting her.
”hello!”, Tam-a-line said, “some party last night, huh?”
“Oh yes”, Rainbow Dash said, “so what are you up to?”
There was a slight hesitation.
“Is something the matter?”, Rainbow Dash asked.
“I need a place to crash tonight, alright?”, Tam-a-line said, “would you help a girl out?"
“Sure, but we're going home after the race”, Rainbow Dash said.
“Oh, that's no problem, at worst I'll only stay for a few days.”, Tam-a-line said.
“We're down at the Cumulonimbus Docks, Fluttershy is staying with me for the race, but I am sure we got a room you could crash in, if it's just for a few days.”
“Thanks, you're the best!”