It's the hottest day of the year for Castle City as everybody is having fun in Mermaid Beach. Satin and Chenille, who are wearing monokinis are chicken fighting with two human men, Guy Diamond is riding a jet ski, Biggie is floating on the water, Cooper is swimming with a shark fin cap on his head and DJ Suki is relaxing on the sand. Branch, on the other hand, is measuring the water while wearing a pair of brown swim trunks. Suddenly, Smidge, wearing a wetsuit, cannonball dive into Branch's area and is swept into the place where Poppy, Violet and Rose are. Poppy is wearing a yellow swimsuit and Violet, wearing a two piece swimsuit, are building a turtle out of sand with the wingless sprite children while Rose, who is wearing a flower print bikini is picking shells. Branch's man bun was untied by Smidge's splash, revealing his long curls.
"Having fun, Branch?" Poppy asked him.
"Fun? How can anyone have fun?" He responded with a frown while wringing his long curls. "Were in a middle of a drought."
He took out a yardstick and showed it to the girls, explaining everything to them about the measurements.
"Sorry, I was huffing because of those guys ogling at me." Rose said with disgust while keeping her eye on a group of boys wolf whistling at her as she sorted the shells she picked on the beach.
"I know, Branch." Poppy said. "It's been awhile since it rained but please, let's not get all...orced up about it."
"You are not taking it seriously." Branch rolled his eyes.
"I'm taking it seriously, hotshot." Rose butted in while eating an ice cream cone that she bought.
"I am taking the dry weather to the heart." Poppy said. "I had the air conditioning in the apartments cleaned and fixed and put restrictions on bubble baths because my dad told me that the indoor pool of our apartment needs to be cleaned up again after accumulating mildew again and the chlorine generator broke."
"That's not enough." He nodded in disagreement. "We have to initiate my ninety step drought deterrent. Step one, no showering."
"Hey, I need to shower." Rose complained. "You know I came from a tropical country with only two seasons."
"You don't have snow?" Violet asked her.
"Not even spring or autumn." She answered. "Just the sun and the rain."
"Step two, live in the basements and..." Branch continued but the elf turned green with disgust.
"Don't say that!" Rose gasped.
"That's step two? Buddy, hehe, I'm not saying the drought is an issue but sometimes, you have to look at the positive side of the problem." Poppy tried to reason with him.
"If it doesn't rain soon, this city will die!" He cried but in the process, plants mysteriously grew in an unrapid pace.
"Branch, you made all the plants grow in an unrapid pace." Poppy said as she used her magic to make the plants stop growing.
"Okay, crazy, let's get you away from everyone and sort this out." Rose huffed as she, Branch and Poppy flew with Kristina out of the place.
Immediately, they went right back to work in Sweet Pop. Rose, pink tank top with a butterfly design, mini shorts, matching accessories, boots and her hair tied in a side ponytail, is working on the soda bar counter with her laptop and eating a tuna sandwich that she made in the apartment while Poppy, Branch and Violet, who are now wearing cafe uniforms are working in the cafe with the other employees.
"Can you think of anything more relaxing than baking." Poppy said as she took out a tray of cupcakes.
"Well, making sure the soda bar and the ice cream are in full stock or everybody's gonna dehydrate." He frowned.
"Branch, the stock is okay but the weather's gonna be what the weather's gonna be." She told him. "You can't control it, not even magic itself can do it."
Suddenly, a voice was heard. "Hello!"
"Who's there?" Branch asked.
"Boo!"
"Boo who?"
"Don't cry, it's just a drought."
"Who said that?"
"It was me!" A brown skinned human male enters the cafe. He has white curly hair styled in an Afro and wearing a blue tank top with a rainbow graphic, khaki pants and black vans shoes with white and red striped socks.
"Hey guy, how's it going?" The human grinned.
"Oh no, not you!" Branch nodded as he tries to fly back to the kitchen but Poppy pulled him back to the soda bar with her wand.
"Aw, cmon, Branch." Poppy assured him. "It's Cloud Guy!"
"Oh, who is this human?" Rose asked them.
"You new here, tiny?" Cloud Guy asked her when he noticed the workaholic Rose.
"Yeah, I have work." She pants in exhaustion.
"That's Rose, the new elf in the apartments." Poppy said. "We have a pool problem back at the apartment."
"I can help with the pool problem because I'm good at fixing." Cloud Guy grinned.
"Okay, so we go to your home and swim there?" Rose asked him.
"Meh, I have no home, shrimpy." He answered. "I live in the van over there."
"I can see the van parked in front of the cafe." Violet added.
"Maybe we can go sightseeing tomorrow." Rose suggested. "There are so many things I haven't seen here in Castle City."
"No way, long ears!" Branch huffed at her.
"Too late, big guy." The elf smirked.
"Nice suggestion, elfie." Cloud Guy grinned at the elf. "I'd be happy to do that favor for my best bud."
"I'll be your best buddy!" Poppy cried.
"Oh, I know you but I want him for an entire day." The human answered, pointing to Branch.
"Me? best friends with you? Poppy, you're right, he is hilarious." Branch answered bluntly.
"Tickle the bricks, sour grapes." Cloud Guy assured them. "This is best friendship and best friends need to have fun, I'll see ya all tomorrow."
In a minute, Cloud Guy got in his van and drove off.
"So, why is he nicknamed Cloud Guy?" Rose asked Poppy. "What's his full name?"
"He just calls himself that name." Poppy answered.
The next day, Rose caught up with her new friends outside the apartments. She has her hair tied in a half ponytail with a few braids and her sidelocks are held each with a ribbon. She is wearing a teal and lime green short dress with a black ribbon, fishnet sleeves and collar, fishnet stockings, butterfly-themed accessories, and boots. Violet, on the other hand, is wearing a blue collared long-sleeved shirt with a pink overall dress, her ribbon matched her dress and black flats.
"I'm ready for the sightseeing trip." Rose said as she caught up with them.
"Me too, this is gonna be fun." Poppy cheered. "I can't wait to show you everything around Castle City."
"Great!" Branch sighed.
Then, Cloud Guy arrived in his van as he opened the door.
"Hop in everybody and Branch, you're sitting next to me." He invited them.
"Fine." Branch groaned as everybody enter in the van.
When everybody is settled inside the van, they started cloud watching while they drive around the city.
"Let's do some cloud watching on our way to the Fairy Tree." Cloud Guy said. "Best friend rule numero uno, a best buds always think alike."
"Are you thinking how much I hate hobos right now?" Branch rebuffed him.
"Nope." Cloud Guy answered before thinking of something. "Let's practice this while we're on the road, say what you see when I point out something."
The group started guessing the shape of the cloud but Branch is stating the obvious as always. No matter what Cloud Guy tries to have fun with him, he's always not in the mood. Upon arriving at the Fairy Tree, they're preparing the camera that Poppy brought.
"To be best buds, they need photo albums." Cloud Guy said.
"Okay, just one day, just one day..." Branch murmured.
"Smile!" He said as the camera snapped. Branch is still frowning with his wings folded while Cloud Guy is smiling.
In every place they went all over Castle City, from the Oldtown district, the Castle City Lighthouse, the fountain statue of the twelve heroes who founded Castle City, Castle Park, Castle Gate, the Observatory, the Museum and the First Bank of Castle City to Castle Hotel, Aquamarine Lake, Castle Resort and finally, Mall Palace, where Rose loved shopping for clothes, notably boots. At lunch, they went to a restaurant in the mall to review the photo album.
"Now for page two." Cloud Guy said.
"Do you have enough pics for a day." Rose asked as she eats her fairy salad.
"I need this filled up elfie." He hooted at her.
"I know what we can do, we can go for the glitterball gun." Helena said.
"Nice, right after we have lunch." Branch groaned.
After they had lunch, they went to the indoor amusement park and go for the rides first where Cloud Guy continued having photos with Branch. After every page in the album is filled, they run to the glitterball field where they split into two teams.
"Friend rule number three, best friends never miss their target." Cloud Guy said while shooting at the place where Branch is hidden. "Having fun yet, best bud?"
In a minute, Branch's padded suit was hit by Cloud Guy's glitterball gun. After the glitterball field, they went to the apartments to put Rose's bought items inside her flat and went to Techno Reef, a nightclub where they join on the dance floor.
"Rule number Quattro, best buds' boogie baby." Could Guy said. "Watch the routine, learn the routine, love the routine."
"This is getting interesting." Rose said.
"We'll be dancing in the far side of the dance floor." Violet said.
When the music started, Rose noticed that DJ Suki works there. The sprite noticed the two girls at the dance floor and waved at them, who waved at her back. Cloud Guy performs a series of different dance moves while Branch just stands and watches.
"Okay, you're up buddy." He smirked.
"Well, you look ridiculous." Branch said with monarch butterfly wings still folded like a cloak.
"Let's get ya out of the dance floor or you'll embarrass yourself." Rose said as she used her magic to drag Branch and the others out of the club. Red, glowing flame markings sprouted from her right arm as she uses telekinesis to drag Branch and Cloud Guy out of the club with Poppy and Violet following them. As they came out of the club, Rose reprimanded Branch for his sourness.
"Aren't you supposed to be having fun?" Rose asked him.
"I hate to say this, tiny rose but I'm not having fun." Branch responded to her before turning to Cloud Guy. "I hate dancing but I did agree to be your friend for the day so I guess I'll just have to...HA! No way dude! The day is over, we are not buddies and we will never be buddies! Now, pay up!"
"Really, Branch?" Violet nodded.
"What a sour grapes." Rose agreed.
"Why aren't you agreeing!?" Branch yelled.
"Because you have to be my best buddy for a day." Cloud Guy said.
"And I was!" He groaned.
"But I didn't say which day." He mocked.
This made Branch too angry and agitated. Glowing blue vine markings with leaves appear on his arms and his eyes turn full blue. Poppy tries to calm him down but he immediately started chasing Cloud Guy with his powers, lashing vines at him. Suddenly, the sky turned gray and rain is about to fall around them. Immediately, Rose carried Violet with her and flew with Poppy to find the two guys. To make matters worse, a flood is coming straight for the city. Branch and Cloud Guy are somewhere in the city.
"Girls, this is happening because I watched the weather report on tv in Mall Palace that there will be a storm coming and Branch scared Cloud Guy right before this happened," Rose said.
"We have to rescue them." Violet said.
The girls flew to the place where Branch is chasing Cloud Guy. Poppy took out a wand and used it to channel her magic by using her telekinesis to grab both Branch and Cloud Guy.
"A little help, Rose?" She asked the elf.
"I can't, got my hands full." The elf nodded. "But I can do this."
Rose uses her flight to make a tornado on the two to grab Cloud Guy while Branch flew out of the way. Right after flipping him to the sky, Poppy grabbed Cloud Guy in time as the three fly with their human friends back to Pop Village Apartments. Right in the penthouse, Rose was preparing hot chocolate for all five of them with her magic as they watch the summer storm inside. Violet and Cloud Guy are all bundled up in blankets while Rose, Poppy, and Branch are bundled up with their wings. Rose made hot chocolate with her fire magic.
"Sorry about the van." Rose said as she brought the mugs of hot chocolate to the table with her magic.
"Branch, you go and apologize to him." Poppy urged him. Branch scoots in next to Cloud Guy.
"Okay, I'm sorry I attacked you." Branch apologized. "I watched the routine by the way."
"You learned the routine?" Cloud Guy asked him.
"I loved the routine." He smirked.
In a minute, Rose took out her cellphone from her bag and played the song. Branch did the dance routine but he added flying to the routine. It entertained the others so hard that the storm finally passed Castle City. Everybody was so relieved as they went outside and their vehicles occupied the streets again. The five went out to the penthouse garden to watch the sun come out after the storm.
"I knew you had it in you." Cloud Guy smirked.
"The dance?" Branch asked.
"Nope, the smile." He grinned.
"Now that you lost your van, you'll be living in the street." Violet sighed.
"No, he's not." Poppy assured her. "He's gonna live here in the apartment."
"Yeah, but he needs a job." Rose added.
"I'm good at fixing so, um..." Cloud Guy stammered but Rose and the others looked at him with a smirk.
The day after the storm, Rose came home with Violet as they noticed Cloud Guy fixing the pool.
"Hi, Cloud." Rose called. "How was the first day at work?"
"It's great, Mr. Peppy agreed that I can stay here as long as I do my job well." He said.
"Wow, at least things are getting better with you and Branch." Violet said.
"No, we're not but halfway there." Branch smirked as he passed them by.
The girls and Cloud Guy laughed out loud while the sun sets on the horizon outside.