Do not enter(open)

Cloud Twister sat in the stands of the Cloudosseum. It was completely empty. Not a soul was here. He hadn't seen it this empty ever. Last time he had been here was the young fliers competition. Of course he had only been watching, he had planned on entering but had forgotten to make a routine by the deadline for entering. He just didn't feel that anything he had made was good enough.

It was all so horrible. He wouldn't have been near good enough to even place anyways that Rainbow Pony had been amazing.He flew out into the middle of the Cloudosseum and looked about smiling. The place sure was huge, he could only imagine how many ponies could fit in here, how loud it would be for one in the middle. It must be electrifying. He smiled and flew around the edge of the Cloudosseum quickly, doing barrel rolls before spiraling up into the air and doing a few flips, pretending that he was being cheered on by tons of fans.

Of course, there were no people. No fans, not even a clean-up pony. He had snuck in to the place, despite the numerous 'do not enter' and 'authorized personnel only'. It had been way, way, way too tempting. It had even taken some work, distracting a guard away from his post. A few bits of fancy flying to stay away from some cameras. But it was totally worth it.

He circled a few more times, as fast as he could. Before stopping and panting and laughing. This was great he sorta wished he had entered, but...no he would've embarrassed himself. It was at this moment he thought he heard someone, he looked around wildly before simply yelling "Is somepony here? Civilians aren't allowed here without permission!" he was hoping to bluff himself out of this by acting like a guard. A great plan. Right?

"Pony feathers!" The lone grey pegasus swore under her breath as she ducked behind a row of seats. Suddenly aware that her presence had been detected, she was more embarrassed than afraid. It certainly was not in her nature to be caught trespassing, and she already wondered what kind of excuse she could use if caught.

She surveyed the scene; rows and rows of empty seats and no guards in sight. Somepony was most likely bluffing, and her instincts told her that whomever called out was just as much an unauthorized explorer as she was.

The pony whom she had seen just earlier, executing various tricks and maneuvers in the centre of the arena came to mind. Where was he now? Midnight decided to take a chance and stepped out from behind her hiding place.

"Hello?"

He was surpised to see nopony as he turned around, though he thought he saw a flash of grey, then again he was surrounded by cloud, it could have just been a pony passing over head and casting a shadow. But he thought he had heard something, even after he turned around. His wings still beat steady and strong. He was trying to seem as confident as possible. He was totally a guard. At least until someone who actually was or knew a guard came around, then he was out of here.

Of course his lack of anything a guard could possibly need wasn't a very easy thing to hide. Somepony would ask a few question and figure him out. Of course, if they did that it probably meant they weren't a guard and he was off the hook. He'd just have to worry about sharing the Cloudosseum with somepony.

As a mare suddenly appeared he back pedaled a bit in surprise. Where had she come from? She didn't look like a guard. She certainly wasn't a Wonderbolt, none of them had such dull colored fur. Though she certainly did have colorful eyes. Flew over to her and then circled her once quickly, still in the air, before talking to her "So, probably shouldn't be here ya know. Whats your name?" he said, trying to fake having a sense of authority, but he could barely keep a straight face, authority wasn't his specialty at all. "I'm Cloud Twister, weather pony extraordinaire!" he said proudly, his wings took him to a height where she would have to look up to him, it made the proclamation much more effective.

Midnight instinctively and immediately climbed to the colt's height so she could properly address him face-to-face. At first she had been startled by he presence of another pony and feared the consequences had she been caught by a guard, but guards don't introduce themselves or brag about being weather ponies. A slight, crooked smile appeared on her face as she assessed the colt in front of her, amused at how effectively he had called his own bluff.

"Midnight Sun" She answered without hesitation. "Nice to meet you, although I assume you probably shouldn't be here either. You had me going there for a while though."

She glanced around for any sight of security personnel before continuing.

"So, may I be so bold as to ask what you are doing here?"

Midnight Sun, had ring to it. Thought it seemed to be a bit of an oxymoron. For hiding a few moments ago she sure seemed confident now, probably because he had made it rather obvious he wasn't guard. Why would he continue that though? Now he had somepony to talk to. Not to mention being a guard sounded like a horrible job. Sitting in the same place all day just to yell at somepony once a week? How boring was that?

"Yeah, I have been known to intimidate." he said, flaring his abnormally large wings out to their full reach. He smiled brightly at her question "Why am I here? Haven't really figured that out yet, just to have fun I guess." he said, suddenly doing a midair backflip. "Maybe see if my idea for a young fliers competition is even worth trying out." he added with a shrug.

He then looked back at her with an eyebrow raised. "I haven't seen you before. You from Cloudsdale?" he was quite skeptical of this pony. Why was she here? She didn't strike him as the biggest flier. Especially when her cutie mark wasn't obviously connected flying. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen any pegasi without a flying cutie mark, ever. Though he supposed a sun was sky related, sorta. Though if she thought her talent was raising and lowering the sun, well, celestia might have something to say about that. "So why are you here?"

"Well, to answer your question, I'm not from Cloudsdale; I just moved here from Manehattan. I've never actually been inside the Cloudosseum, so I guess I just let my curiosity get the best of me. So, you're thinking of entering the Best young fliers competition? Hmm...Maybe I should consider giving it a shot myself."

She continued to hover, her strong wings beating slow and steady as she regarded the pony beside her.

"How long do you think it will be before the guard returns to his post?"

"Manehattan? I've been there a lot. Everypony seems stressed out though. I like the Cloudsdale better, no flying through smog too." he said. The ponies in that city could be a bit rude, but the rich ones had a tendency to be impatient. Which was great for him. It seemed like every other day he was flying something there, usually something heavy enough that other ponies didn't want to or couldn't deliver it in one day. These big wings paid off, which was good since several kids had teased him about them in flight school. Especially after he had tripped over them once. He had nearly died of embarrassment, literally, his wings had pinned to his sides during a race. Not. Fun.

"and...uh, the young fliers thing is iffy, I'm probably not good enough anyways and my routine needs work." he said with a shrug. Really he just didn't want to embarrass himself in front of thousands of ponies. It would be proof that he wasn't good at flying, which would just...suck.

"Hmm? I didn't really worry about getting caught. Just came in and figured I'd fly away if I got in trouble." he said. He wasn't sure what to do now, it was sorta awkward having somepony else here. He had been planning on just soaring around the field but now he felt obligated to talk to the mare. "So, you just travel or do you have some sort of job?"

"Manehattan wasn't bad, but living there got old very quickly. I enjoyed things like the theatre and all the art galleries and other cultural venues, but the crime and congestion detracted from the experience to say the least. I was not a native; I attended college in the city and took a teaching job there after I graduated.

She cocked her head to one side, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"But to answer your question, I don't have a job here yet, but I was hoping to find work as a weather pony or something like that. I left the city because the academic life...wasn't what I expected. I'd rather be flying and Cloudsdale seems like a good place for such things. "

Midnight was surprised at how chatty she had suddenly become. She wasn't typically one to volunteer so much information about herself, but she was feeling rather sociable all of a sudden.

"Anyhow, the more I think about it, the more I feel inclined to enter that competition. I'm a decent flier; I'm no slowpoke and I do know a few tricks."

She smiled ever so slightly.

"Is there a...monetary prize for the winner?"

(( Sorry, I'm not here to RP, I just wanted to say how funny I find the thread title 'Do not enter(open)' xD ))

((Irony..Isn't it great? :D Sure you don't want to RP? ))

Cloud had never had time to visit all the culture stuff there. Nor the patience to fly through any smog, follow speed limits, watch out for inexperienced flies and avoid the buildings and the occasional flying boat. Traffic in general just bothered him. But running into some slow pony really, really bothered him. It wasn't like this city where slow ponies could take the ground, that would be even slower than their lethargic flying pace. Over all, the city was to crowded for him. He needed his wing room. Anywhere he couldn't fly with comfort wasn't a place he wanted to be.

"I'm always in a hurry there anyways." he said, starting to drift with his wing beats. "Weather pony you say? Well, good luck, I could always use less work." he said with a smile. Mostly because a newbie was sure to get some of the boring jobs, why was that great? Less boring jobs for him of course!!!

"Well you came to the right city sunny, this place is flying paradise. No wings no entry...though a few unicorns do come around every once in a while. They're all super cool though, once this white mare with these purple glasses was around. Best. Party. Ever." he said, suddenly doing several flips, but hey, it had been one heck of a time "I'm surprised I didn't go deaf." he said, coming to a rest back in front of the mare.

"Money? Of course not, real fliers don't fly for money. It's the thrill. Rushing down from above the clouds with your wings closed, eyes watering, vision blurred, head first, straight towards the ground before pulling a perfect turn into a quadruple barrel roll loop." he said, his hooves putting emphasis on the movements he was describing. "Of course, if that mare from last year shows up no one stands a chance. She made a sonic rainboom. First time thats ever been done in any official competition ya know? But she says she pulled it off once as a little filly!!!" he said, obviously very, very enthusiastic about the competition and last years winner. He had been there, it had been awesome!! Greatest show ever, Wonderbolts good. "Anyways, you get this goofy crown and can hang with the Wonderbolts." he ended.

"Well, a prize like that would be better than money anyhow."

Midnight tried to hide her excitement behind her usual deadpan expression, hoping the sparkle in her bright green eyes wouldn't give it away. Even though she would be hesitant to admit it, meeting and spending time with the Wonderbolts would be a childhood dream come true.

"I heard some talk about a sonic rainboom, but I'd have to see it to believe it. I was in Manehattan when the competition was held, but I can just about imagine some of the crazy things that went down."

((How much can we talk about canon ponies and events?))


She continued to hover calmly, giving no indication of her capabilities. No need to show off, after all. But everything Cloud had said was true; it was all about the thrill and the pure joy of flying, and the adrenaline rush that seemed to counterbalance many her hours spent in libraries and museums. Flying was freedom, and flying skillfully was power.

Quadruple barrel roll loop, you say? Can you actually do it?"

Despite her change in attitude he rolled his eyes at the girl. Well, at least if she joined he would undoubtedly be able to beat her. Money was meaning less in this competition. It wasn't about the reward, it was about flying, the competition, not the prize. Though the prize was definitely, like, the best prize ever! He didn't think she was a bad pony or anything, just that she didn't really understand the spirit. Her drive was misdirected, that's all. But that was her problem, if she wanted money, she could try. Though as a weather pony he didn't really need to much money, he didn't even need a real house. The clouds gave him plenty of a home.

"Believe me, it exists and you really, really, want to see it." he said with a smile. The competition had been pretty crazy, those ponies almost falling to their doom only to be saved by that rainbow colored mare. Amazing. One of the best flight competitions he had ever seen. Ever. "I mean- it was just-...sorry you weren't here, if I hadn't already had one, I would've gotten my mark just watching." he said, trying to convey how absolutely great it had been. He had been certain he was going to try out for next year at that point, but his confidence had waned since that point. Now, well, now he felt more like he would never have a routine good enough to even place.

Of course, that didn't mean he could back away from a challenge. Not at all "Can I do it? In my sleep with a blindfold on...though...the blindfold doesn't really affect anything." he said with a laugh "So...was that a challenge?" he said smiling mischievously. His wings beating, ever so slightly, faster. Raising him into the air a bit, ready to really take to the sky and show her how a real flier got things done. That was the plan at least.

"It sounds like I missed out on seeing a grand spectacle then. Too bad."

As subtle as the colt's eye roll had been, she had still noticed. The attitude that she often observed in pegasi who were just a few years her junior was enough to make her feel like an old nag at times. It was amusing; almost as much as how everypony in her new town seemed so ready to underestimate the little grey mare. Midnight would have liked to believe she was somehow immune to what she saw as a common arrogance among skilled fliers, but in reality she was just as capable of being a showoff as any other.

And like most young pegasi, she almost always welcomed the chance for a friendly challenge.

"A challenge, you say? If you take it as such, then I suppose it is. Let's see what you've got."


((I'm getting ready to go on a trip for a few days; I'll be back and able to post again on Monday. ))

She accepted? He was slightly surprised. But mostly excited. It had been forever since he had been in a good race. Though he was quite confident anypony would be more likely to think this was a game of chase once the race started. He lowered himself to the ground, well, 'ground' of course he was actually standing on clouds. As his wings pumped to give him a soft landing, the cloud puffed out a bit, giving him a bit of a crater to put his back hooves in. Good starting ground, just in case.

He smiled, confident, no question about it. He was cocky even if this pony had a year or few on him. He flexed his wings in front of him, then back and was rewarded with the loud cracking of joints. Much better, "Lets keep this simple" he said, his smile getting more smug by the second. "Anything you can do I can do faster." he said, his over sized wings spread out above his back, giving gentle, slow flaps that were audible as loud 'swooshes'. He couldn't really hold it back, the promise of flight just got his blood boiling.

"So you wanna start? Or would you rather 'attempt' a race?" he said, his hubris practically oozing out of him. But that's how competition worked. His wings finally stood still, raised high, casting a large dark shadow out from him. This was going to be fun, no matter how bad he was gonna win.

((Curse you, real life! My vacation ended just in time to come home to a hurricane, followed by a week with no power and lots of fun cleanup. I live in New Orleans IRL, yay. Now back to the important business of being a pony.))


Midnight returned the pony's smug look and took her place beside him on the cloud, amused by his eagerness to race and sudden cockiness.

"I wanted to see what kind of aerobatic maneuvers you could do, but if it's a race you want....it's on."

His big wings would give him an advantage for sure, but she was up to the challenge.

She welcomed the chance to prove her skills, even if it was to a random stranger who she had only just met. With determination in her eyes, she pointed to a bank of clouds just beyond the cityscape.

To those clouds and back. Ready....GO!

The pegasi shot from the cloud, quickly gaining speed. It seemed that the stallion's apparent bravado was justified after all...he was crazy fast. Midnight had to work hard to keep up with those huge wings, but the ponies remained neck-and-neck even as they rounded the clouds at the halfway point and headed toward the finish.

Cloud could feel the competitive fire going through his veins. He hoped this wouldn't be easy. It wasn't every day he met somepony who was willing to race. In fact, ever since leaving junior speedsters it had gotten hard to find other racers. Almost as hard as it had been to find someone to keep up with him when he wasjunior speedsters.

"We can do that afterwards if you want, a weather pony has gotta have some moves."

As she pointed out some clouds his eyes locked onto them. His wings spread just a bit more as he raised them just a bit higher, feeling them start to stretch. His ears laid down flat to reduce drag. One of his eyes quickly glanced at the mare as she said ready, then jolted back to the target clouds. Then he heard the magic word. Go.

His legs pushed him forward into a jump, a moment later his wings pumped and started pushing him forward. 'great takeoff' he thought, smiling. She was fast! He hadn't been expecting a real race, but as they reached the halfway point his wings half closed to become more aerodynamic. He cut as close to the cloud as he could, pushing himself even more. His wings flared open to keep him from drifting off course.

As they came to the close of the race he pumped his wings one last time, hoping to gain a little bit of an extra push and get the win. He stopped, not completely breathless but breathing heavier than normal. "Phew, fun...you're pretty fast.

There was nothing like a good race against a worthy opponent to clear out the proverbial cobwebs and remind Midnight that despite her bookish ways, she was a true pegasus. Even though she didn't win, the race was very nearly tied with the colt winning by only about a second.

She took a moment to catch her breath, then folded her wings as she tossed her messy mane out of her eyes.

Likewise. You've got some serious wingpower! It's been way too long since I've had the chance to race....thanks for humoring me.

Midnight smiled at him for a moment before once again taking flight, climbing gracefully with a series of wide chandelles before attempting the maneuver the colt had mentioned earlier; a quadruple barrel roll loop. It was about enough to make most pegasi dizzy, so many rolls and loops at the same time....but she executed it with relative ease. She climbed again, then dove sharply into a double outside loop before landing on the cloud.

Good enough for you?

Cloud was still a bit hyped up. His wings half extended as they slowly rotated in their sockets. He regained his breath pretty quickly. He was a long distance glued after all. Sometimes he had to go several minutes at full speed to make sure he got somewhere with time to spare. Whether he was weather ponying or delivering a package. He tended to either start going late or get distracted on the way. Well, that or both. "Yeah, same here, thanks."

Twister's eyes lazily watched as she completed the stunt he had named earlier. so she was pretty good, she'd just need some weather training. Couldn't have somepony kick out lightning when they were trying to make the cloud poof away or make big winds on a day when it was supposed to be calm. "I guess, for a beginner." he said with a smirk. "Have you ever actually done stuff with clouds? Real weather stuff beyond sleeping on them?" sleeping on clouds was a very important part of the job after all...well for him it was.

((Sorry for dropping out for so long. Shall we carry on?))