Back in One's Comfort Zone?

"We are arriving into Ponyville now! We hope you've enjoyed travelling the Ponyville Express!"

Those are the words that wake Swift from his slumber. The next thing he hears is the screech of the train coming to a stop. And right after that.....is the feeling of his face meeting the train floor.

"Ow."

At that sound, Beat gets out of his seat. "Dude, you alright?"

Only to be met with the muffled reply of "Do I look like it? Just got woken up by the train's flooring!"

"Kinda your fault, Swift. The way you were lied, you pretty much set yourself up for that."

"Oh.......well.....you suck."

"Good to know. Now get up, we're here." He bluntly says.

"Already? That was quick."

"Time goes quickly when you sleep.....I think."

"Yeah, it kinda does. Look at the clock one moment, see it's 7 in the morning, then look again, and it's 8."

"Nice. Now come on, let's grab our bags and get off before we end up in Appleoosa."

This brings Swift to his hooves. He quickly puts his blanket away in his saddlebag, and attaches it to himself. "Aye, aye!"

A minute later, they depart the train, and are met with the train conductor giving them an "it's about time" look. Swift and Beat stare back for a minute before the catch on.

"Hey, sorry we took like a minute of our time to grab our stuff, we're not in a rush, y'know!" Swift gets on the defensive.

The conductor just rolls his eyes and trots off. So do Swift and Beat a few seconds later.

"Some ponies......"

"I can understand. He just needs to do is job. And if the train's falling behind, who are we to argue?"

"I guess so.....I just get cranky when woken up." Swift states, before yawning. "Maybe a walk around town would do me some good."

"Good idea." He smiles before adding. "Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"Yeah, that'll boost me right up!" Swift says, grinning. "Wotcha, Ponyville! We're in town and ain't no stopping us!"

And with that, the two friends brohoof each other before trotting out of the station.

"Wow, this place looks.....pretty peaceful. Definitely a quiet place, I'll give it that." Swift says with a smile and a nod. "The houses look pretty vintage as well." He remarks.

"First place we find that sells food, we need to check out and try!" Beat shouts.

"Why's that?" Swift asks, before both of their bellies grumble loudly, making them chuckle nervously. "On second thoughts.....amen to that."

"Come on." Beat says. "Maybe we'll find somewhere easier if we look from the skies."

"Alright!" Swift shouts before taking to the air.

"Wow....he's as hungry as me." The red pegasus's stomach rumbles right after he says that. "Me and my big mouth..." He takes to the air right after. "Wait up!"

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me, Beat? Or is that building there legit?"

"Which building you talking about?"

"Are you kidding me?! The one that stands out amongst the rest!!"

"Ooooohhh.....yeah, the bakery. I think it's called Sugarcube Corner."

Swift's stomach immediately growls. "A building made of cake and pastry and stuff?! Fillies and gentlecolts, breakfast is served!!" He darts down to the building, making Beat's eyes widen.

"Wait, Swift! Don't! That isn't really-"

"Don't try and stop me! My stomach's needing filling!!"

".....Eh, let him find out on his own." Beat sits on a nearby cloud. "Some popcorn would be handy right about now."

Swift lands on the roof and lips his chops. "Open wide, mouth.....hear comes heaven....." He leans down to a corner of the building and immediately chomps down on it.

"AAAAGHHHH!!"

"Hahahaa..shouldn't let his stomach think for him." Beat thinks out loud as he flies down to Swift, who's lied on the floor, wings sprawled out, teary eyed and clutching his face.

"Mmmmmmph!!"

"I'm sorry what?" Beat asks, leaning down to him, a smug grin on his face. "I tried to warn ya, Swift, but you interrupted me before I could get a word in edgeways. Don't feel so smart now, do you?"

Swift glares at Beat for that remark.

"Ssssmmmmpphh...."

"Come on. I'm gonna take ya to see the new house. I was feelin' hungry before, but this is keeping me going for a little longer. Haha! Priceless!" He takes off in a direction.

"This is humiliating.....and freaking painful...." Swift gets up and takes off after him, still clutching his face.

"Well Swift! Here we are! Our new home!" Beat states, enthusiastically.

Swift, his mouth losing the pain it felt a little earlier, gapes at it in awe. He takes the hoof off of his mouth and smiles lightly. "Whoa....I have to admit, Beat, you've done a grand job at finding us a new gaff*!"

"Yeah, I gave it a little bit of a makeover. Something to signify that this house is ours. Splodges of red and blue here and there, and look at the front door!"

Swift lowers his head to look at the door, and what he sees makes him tilt his head. "Our cutie marks?"

"Just to further make sure they know it's us." Beat says matter-of-factly with a smirk.

"Ah." Swift puts simply. "Soooo....we gonna go in?"

"If you want. I mean, it's our house right? Oh, and your parents want you to move the rest of your stuff out of your old room. Now that we're moving here, getting it from house to house won't be so hard."

"Eh?! Just how do you know that?!" Swift shouts in shock.

"Your ma was in town when I came here last, and when I told her what was happening, she said to come and visit.....and get the last of your stuff." He finishes with a snicker.

"So basically you're telling me to get lost and go see my parents?" Swift deadpans.

"Come on, Swift, it's been a while since you've seen them, and it'll be good for ya!"

There's a pregnant pause between the two before Swift sighs heavily. "Screw it. I'll go. But don't go making promises for me in the future, ya hear me?" He almost demands to Beat with a glare, who only responds with a salute.

"Later, bro!" He shouts as Swift takes off into the air, heading for what he thinks is Cloudsdale. "He's gonna get lost, I can tell."

"B-beat?"

Beat turns to his left at the voice to see a butter yellow pegasus with a long pink mane. Her cutie mark is three pink butterflies, and her eyes are cyan.

"Fluttershy? Wow....it's been a while!"

"Yeah....I mean....I saw your cutie marks on the door....and I have to admit, I was a little surprised.....so you're moving here now...?" She asks, pawing her hoof on the ground.

"Yeah we are! Swift's gone to let his folks know he's back and get a bit more of his stuff to move here. So how've you been since we moved?"

"Great! I mean...since I moved here, I've made loads of new friends, discovered lots of new little critters and animals and.....this town is so...amazing..."

"Better than Cloudsdale, I presume then?" Beat asks with a snicker.

"You have no idea, Beat. You'll love this town the more you get to know it. And I bet Swift'll feel the same way...I mean, once he comes back, of course."

"Yeah, but it's been a while since we've been around here. So he's gonna probably get lost."

"Oh dear.....should we go help him?"

"Nah. He's resourceful. He'll find a way to get there eventually."

"Okay." She agrees with a giggle. "Anyway, there's something you kind of need to know."

"Oh?"

"It's something concerning her." She says in a secretive manner.

It takes a few moments for Beat to register before his eyes widen. "Oh!....What about her?"

"Let's go inside. I'll tell you there."

Beat agrees, opening the door a letting Fluttershy in first before he trots in after her.

"This is ridiculous..."

Swift just hovers around uselessly, looking around through the clouds.

"How can I not know where Cloudsdale is?!"

He flies in a random direction, frustrated at his inability to pinpoint where the cloud city is.

"This is taking the piss. Cloudsdale is one elusive city when it wants to be....Hm?"

At that point, he comes across a house made purely of clouds. Upon coming closer to this house, his eyes widen at the size of it.

"This isn't a house....this is castle worthy!"

The pegasus flies down to the "castle" and lands on what appears to be the end of the path leading to the front door. He looks around at the structure. Littering the house is rainbows. Rainbow rivers, rainbow waterfalls, rainbow ponds, even a rainbow spouting out from the top of the roof. Swift just gapes at the sight, then shakes his head, snapping him out of it.

"Just need to knock, ask for directions, then once I have them, I fly off. Plain and simple. Okay....here we go." He trots up the path to the door, and when he's there, he looks up and down the house and is in awe at the sheer size. "Whoa, whoever lives here must be rich..." He goes hesitant for a few moments, and then knocks on the door.

He waits for a few moments, then turns around, sitting down and looking at the sky.

"Wow....it's been a while since I've been around here, I'll admit. This view is amazing. After being in Sky Canyon so long, you kinda tend to forget how nice things at home really are....."

He stops talking when he hears the front door opening. Following that is a low gasp. This makes Swift slowly turn his head, and the next thing he sees is a cyan hoof meeting his face, followed by brief pain. Then everything goes black for him.