When Two Clouds Meet

by Ardent Wing

Home By Morning

“Uh, Cloudy? How do we get down?” Cloud was anxious now. She had been gone all night! Her parents would be furious!

Cloudy Night was still laying back against their floating pillow when she heard this, and she opened her one of her eyes to peek at this new pony that had, quite literally, fallen into her world.

Cloud Charmer looked scared; all signs of her previous relaxedness had gone. She was hopping on her hooves and staring at the ground, far below. It was almost enough to make Cloudy laugh right there. She liked this energetic filly.

Yet how long would it last? Was this even real? Immediately the doubt began to gnaw at the back of her mind. How could this possibly be real? Dreams don't just, come true, especially for her. So why did this feel so much like all of her hopes, her wants being fulfilled in a single day! This was so unexpected, no! She would not let this pony leave when they had just met, she would not lose everything in just one moment!

In the back of her mind, Cloudy Night heard a little voice speak to her," They always leave... you can't stop them... just fall to the side and be forgotten already."

She stood, she would just help this pony, and hope for herself.

“I have an idea” Cloudy answered. Standing up, she focused herself, and imagined their cloud to be moving. Cloud Charmer saw her friend's horn begin to glow and sparkle, and suddenly the cloud was moving.

“That’s a cool spell. Is that what you always do?” Cloud’s fear of her parents was momentarily overcome by interest in her friend’s ability.

“Where do you live?” Cloudy asked.

“In a treehouse on the hills outside of town. I just moved here you know!” This was great! Cloud could already feel the world speeding up. The race home had begun!

Ever so slowly, the cloud wistfully floated towards and over town on the way to Cloud Charmers home. It was so… uneventful. She looked out over the edge and saw the town slowly passing below, a few tired ponies stretching outside as they woke up in the morning. This wasn't what she had hoped the race home would be. She had to find some way to kick this cloud ride up a notch.

“Booooooring!” Cloud shouted, then stopped for a moment. “I have an idea!” she shouted even louder.

Cloudy had been surprised by her new friend’s first shout, and she jumped at the second. The surprise continued to mount as Cloud Charmer put her hoof around Cloudy and told her to hold on tight. Then, before she could respond, Cloud started flapping her wings as hard as she could. At first there was no change, and then the cloud rocketed forward faster than an arrow!

Cloudy didn’t shout, she couldn’t. her mane was blowing in her face, Cloud was yelling excitedly while she held her hoof around her, she could do nothing. The world sped past her at high speed; it was chaotic, it was terrifying… Cloudy was scared… she was stunned… she… LOVED it!

“Wooooooooo!” she added her shout to Cloud’s as the two ponies shot across the sky on their floating ship.

She was actually having fun! Her! She was exhilarated, ecstatic. The whole world was just motion. She closed her eyes and let everything flow around her. Despite the fact that this was everything she hated, she loved it. It wasn’t like before, where the chaos seemed to surround her, now she was part of the chaos, part of the terrifying motion of the world. It felt very good. Until the ride stopped.

Cloudy opened her eyes; they had landed in the woods by one of the hills outside Cliffside, what she assumed was Cloud’s house sat on a clearing on the top of the hill. This pony was very good with her wings, if she was able to get their pillow to the ground without Cloudy noticing. For a moment Cloudy Night wondered if any-pony would notice a small patch of fog in the woods for the rest of the day.

Cloudy Night looked around and felt… disappointment. She wished the ride had kept going.

Cloud Charmer stepped onto the ground, “that was fun! I like you. Let’s hang out again tomorrow, okay? I’ll meet you at the bridge by the river outside of town.” Then she, continuing with her streak of surprising Cloudy, hugged her.

This was too good to be true, she took Cloud Charmer home, and now the pony wanted to hang out again! How could she be so daft! Who would want to hang out with Cloudy Night? Well, apparently, Cloud Charmer did.

“We’re gonna have so much fun! It’s gonna be so awesome!” then she was gone, bounding up the hill towards her home.

Cloudy watched her go before stepping back onto the cloud, she felt… something... like a sound, a beat, reverberating through the world as she left.

She wasn’t lonely anymore.

***

Cloud ran up the hill as fast as she could go. She knew her parents would be furious, but she had a plan. She couldn’t wait to hang out with Cloudy Night tomorrow!

She got to the front door, but before she could do anything else it burst open before her!

“Cloud Charmer! Where have you been? Your father and I were so worried! We told you not to get into trouble! Do you have any idea how long you’re grounded for?” her parent’s faces were thunderclouds, and she was about to be struck by lightning.

Suddenly Cloud’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m so sorry Mom and Dad. I was going to come home but I met a new friend and she…” she was full on sobbing and stabbing at the ground with her hoof.

Her parents faces seemed to melt, and they brought her in for a hug. “There, there, sweetie. We’re sorry we yelled at you, we were worried is all. As long as you tell us what you’re up to from now on, we won’t be angry.”

"But still. You broke your promise and you will be required to work the house chores for the rest of the week." Cloud Charmer's father intoned.

"Understood, Sir!" Cloud Charmer stated, while also saluting her father with her right hoof.

"In that case, come here Cloud" her parents said, reaching their hooves out to hug her.

As they brought Cloud Charmer in for the hug, she inwardly sighed. Whew! Worked like a charm.

After she finished talking to her parents Cloud ran upstairs to her room. Her entire room had been made for her last night while she was gone! But where was it? There! Her adventurers sack lay on the table where her dad had moved it.

Cloud ran over to the sack, pulled it open and rooted around for what she was looking for. Finding it, she pulled it out, got her quill and ink, and began to write.

Adventurers Journal
Day 1 in Cliffside

Last night was, in short, AWESOME! at first, the place seemed boring. Ponies were doing the normal thing, I think, and I couldn't see anything interesting around. Until I met Cloudy, that is. She's a unicorn that walks on clouds like a pegasus, in what way is that not cool? In fact, I think Cloudy Night is one of the coolest ponies ever! I cannot wait to hang out more with her more, because we are going to have the best adventures in the whole wide world! I just hope that we can start soon, waiting does kill me.

P.S. I feel like there's something I'm forgetting. Like something really big happened yesterday/today. Whatever it is, I guess I'll just have to remember it.

She did not hear the click that passed through her head the second time that day...

Cloud Charmer dropped the quill back in her ink pot, and proceeded to sit on her room floor with her back hooves splayed out beside her. What had she forgotten that was so important?

It was a beat, like a drum, coming from nowhere in particular that reminded her...

"Oh..."

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[Ardent Wing]

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