Thunder awoke half an hour later, wondering where he was.
"Hello, anypony?" He asked, only recieving a dull hoot in reply. He was in Everfree forest, the dark forest stretched before him, trees with gnarled branches dangling their way above the ferns and ground cover in which Thunder was standing.
"Great, just great," He muttered to himself, starting to walk off in the direction of the light, "I'm gonna get it when I go home."
Moment's ago, Storm Valor and a few other stallions from Cloudsdale were scouring the skies and ground for Thunder Rain, but too scared to go into Everfree forest, they retreated to let the colt find his own way back. "Not that great of a loss if doesn't make it, but he is my kid, and I love him, It's just that he's so frusterating! " Thunder's father had been saying, over and over again.
Thunder Rain emerged from the dark forest, the sun hitting him like a wall. Squinting, he sees a green medow dotted with wildlife stretching before him, not too far after, Ponyville looms in the distance. Little gray bunnies, almost the color of Thunder's coat, hop about, standing up and staring at the pony,
One particularly cheeky rabbit hopped all the way up to Thunder and looked at him, hoof to mane, and scampered off into the bushes.
Thunder continued walking, even after the apparently bipedal visitor had finished his inspection, towards Ponyville. "Now, I hear there's a very nice pony who runs a shop called the Carosel Boutique...I wonder if I could get sewing lessons from her, at least some fabric and a needle and thread" Thunder thinks out loud while he walks toward the town.
Arriving in Ponyville, Thunder walks into the town square. It isn't filled with ponies, but a good number hang around, chatting with each other. In the center of the square, a fountain sprays misty water high into the air, only for it to fall down again into the basin that surrounds the hose.
Thunder sidles up to a purple pony, asking about directions to the boutique.
"Uh, excuse me, miss?" He attempts to catch the attention of the mare, who is packing her saddle bags with books after a long day reading on the a bench in the town square.
"Yes?" Twilight Sparkle turns her head around to look at the new comer. Her dark purple mane shining in the sunlight, while her horn is still buisily packing books into her bags.
"Uh, miss, uh," Thunder said, shyly, "I was just looking for directions to the boutique."
"Oh," Twilight said, "I'm Twilight Sparkle, the boutique is straight up the dirt path to your left, why are you heading there?"
"Oh, uh, I'd like to take sewing lessons from the mare who runs it," Thunder said, slightly embarressed, expecting Twilight to burst out laughing and make fun of him, however she doesn't seem at all surprised by the statement.
"Rarity is always willing to teach any young pony parts of her knowledge, I hope you have a good time!" Twilight closes her saddlebags and walks off, leaving Thunder to wonder about her response.
"Wow," Thunder Rain said to himself, while walking up the dirt path, "Maybe I won't get laughed at all the time!"
~~~~
Rarity was happily humming to herself as she sewed the last stitches into a special order that was due by that evening.
"I do hope Mrs. Flash likes this!" Rarity said to herself, admiring her work, but at the same time worrying if it would be enough.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Come on in!" Rarity sang out to the offender of the door. Thunder Rain walks in, shyly stepping onto the bristly door mat. "Ah, hello dear, what can I get for you?" She said to the young colt that had just walked in.
"Uh, I'd like to learn how to sew..." Thunder said, gaining enough conviction to speak up for himself, "Don't laugh." He stared into Rarity's blue eyes.
"Now why would I laugh? Darling, I am happy to see children your age take an interest in the, finer arts!" Rarity said, drawing Thunder into the back room. "Now, how much do you know about sewing?"
"Well," Thunder started, proceeding to explain to Rarity many, many things about how he noticed dress are put together. "And, oh, when you want a plum on top, you often haft to put two triangles on either side to keep it upright, but don't make them too big or it will ruin the effect!" Thunder finished, leaving Rarity with the impression that she has a miniature dress designer on her hooves.
"It sounds as though you already know an awful lot!" She said, pouring Thunder another cup of tea, "Why haven't you taken lessons sooner?"
Thunder hung his head at this comment, "My parents don't want me to sew, they think I should be a great flyer, but I hate flying!" He sniffled a little sob before looking back up at Rarity, "I just hate flying....But I'd like to make my parents happy...." He trailed off, sniffling, but trying to hide it this time.
"Now now, darling, there's nothing wrong with wanting to make ones parents happy, but you can't squash natural talent in doing so! There's a balance...Here, I'll teach you how to do a simple stitch..."
The rest of the afternoon was spent happily, on both parties, teaching and sewing. Thunder learned about the overhoof and underhoof stitch and had a grand time sticking different pieces of fabric together with no apparent purpose. Rarity was beaming at the progress of her new pupil, taking great interest in Thunder's every move, carefully correcting him when needed.
That evening, Thunder said goodbye to Rarity, it was getting late and he had better be getting back home.
"Well, have a good time trying out everything you've learned today! Do you want another lesson next week?" Rarity asked, handing Thunder a pile of brightly colored fabrics and a shiny box containing a needle and two spools of thread.
"Thanks a lot, miss Rarity! I'd love to come back next week!" Thunder said, taking the fabrics into his hooves and putting them into some lended saddlebags of Rarity's.
"Oh that would be lovely!" Rarity said, "Oh, and just Rarity, you don't need to call me 'miss'."
"Ok, Rarity!" Thunder Rain said, admiring the white pony in the twilight.
"Now get along home now, have a good week!" Rarity softly closes the door as her white figure disappears behind it's oaken surface.
Now, with a spring in his step Thunder Rain trots directly below his parent's house and, gathering all his will and strength, flies up and lands, err, not quite gracefully, on the front porch.
He gulps, trying to hide the saddlebags, but eventually decides to leave them in a bush by the front door. Opening the door, he confronts his parents....