Taro woke up to a loud scream. He looked around. He was on the floor. The cloud floor. Rainbow Dash hadn't had a spare cloud bed, so she gave him the next best thing.
He stood up and stretched. Normally, he would crack his aching back from a terrible sleep on the floor, but this floor was... soft. If this was the floor, he couldn't WAIT to find out how the bed felt.
He donned his fedora and walked into Rainbow Dash's room, where he thought the scream must've come from. She was sound asleep. She looked as if she was having the best dream. Taro smiled lightly.
Taro! You ignorant fool! Listen!
Taro shook his head. It was Thatch. Hey Thatch. How's you're time been with those other dragons?
How has it been? You haven't spoken to me in hours! I was beginning to think you were in danger!
Relax, I just shut out our connection so I wouldn't get distracted. I wanted to make sure, incase Twilight could enter minds, that no one, or rather noPONY would discover you.
Well, never-the-less, I wish to see you. We need to do some sort of activity. I want to see you, being separated is difficult for us. Remember the Inn?
Taro did. He was staying at an Inn with Isron, undercover. Isron told him that he had to block his mental connection with Thatch and try not to even THINK about him. It was torture. The both of them had mental break-downs, and when they were finally reunited, they broke down into tears.
"Alright," Taro spoke aloud, "I'll meet you. Find somewhere."
Rainbow Dash woke. "Taro? Who are you talking to?"
Taro had been leaning against the frame of the entrance and was staring off into space. He had completely forgotten where he was. "Oh, no. Nothing."
Rainbow Dash looked at a clock. "It's 8:21. Why are you up so early?"
"My mentor always had me get up early and train not only my fighting skills, but my magic and mental fitness as well.
Rainbow Dash put her head back on her pillow. "Sounds exhausting."
I found a place under a tree in a clearing. We speak in privacy here.
Taro smiled at the lazy Pegasus. Alright. I'm on my way. "Rainbow, I'm just gonna go out for a while. If anypony needs me, do... something I'll notice."
A grunt of approval came from under the pillow.
Taro exited the home and swan dove off the edge of the cloud. He then opened his wings wide, and flew toward the forest at amazing speeds.
Taro and Thatch sat under the tree for an hour. They spoke as if they hadn't seen each other in years. They spoke about Twilight's tests, the strange way of the dragons in Equestria and everything in between. Two more hours were spent training. Taro practiced his magic. He used various combinations of words making tasks easier or more difficult. Every mistake was met with a laugh from the two of them. They were... inseparable. Until, of course, letters were spelled in clouds. "Library" it read.
"Well, as much as I hate to do it, I have to get going."
So early? Thatch complained.
Taro laughed. It's been three hours.
With that, he took off.
Taro landed outside the library and knocked on the oak door. Or, at least, ALMOST knocked. Before his closed fist connected to the door, Pinkie Pie burst through it and shouted "SURPIRSE!"
"Pinkie, you were supposed to wait for him INSIDE the library," Twilight complained.
"What is this?" Taro asked, getting up dusting himself off.
"It's a party, duh!" Pinkie bounced back into the library.
"Every time sompony new comes to town, Pinkie Pie has to throw a party to welcome them in," Apple Jack stated, as if the answer was obvious.
Taro looked around to see only the six he had met the previous day. "Seems more like a neighborly get-together than a party."
"That's what I said!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping in the air.
"We figured it would be hard enough for you just knowing the seven of us, so we counted out the rest of Ponyville," Apple Jack explained.
"Seven? There are only six of you."
"Oh yeah, I forgot, Spike is watching Fluttershy's animals at her cottage," Twilight chimed in.
"Spike?"
"Yes, he's my dragon assitant. He's only a baby though."
"Interesting."
The party, or get-together, ended after Rainbow Dash tried showing Taro one of her tricks, that ended up knocking all of the books off their shelves. The floor was an absolute mess. Twilight just stared at Rainbow.
"Okay, looks lke the party's over!" Apple Jack stated, before things got out of hand.
"Yeah, alright Rainbow Dash, let's go. Thanks for the awesome party Pinkie Pie." Taro grabbed Rainbow Dash and flew out of the door.