//------------------------------//
// Double Dinner Date 
// Story: Parental Problems 
// by Speven Dillberg 
//------------------------------//

	It took quite some time for Thunderhead to calm down, even after he had been told that it had all been a great misunderstanding. He would have ranted at the pair for some time had Tranquil Sky not intervened and whispered something into his ear. Postie and Rainbow couldn’t hear it, but whatever had been said was enough to make the stallion grumble and walk off. When Rainbow asked what she had said, all Tranquil said was “Your father wouldn’t want me telling you.” That was enough to make Post Haste cringe as he went through each and every possible negative situation that could suggest.





The four pegasi soon found themselves outside a small building. It was undoubtedly a restaurant of some kind, evidenced by the smell of cooking food and the nearby sign that proclaimed it catered to both pony and griffon diets. However, there was no-one, pony or griffon, at any of the tables.
“Hey! Thunder!” a griffon tercel wearing an apron and with red streaks in his facial feathers called out. Postie supposed that, to them, it was similar to styling one’s mane.
“This is the griffon I was talking about,” Thunderhead  whispered to the others. “Maxwell!” he called out. “Got any spare tables?”
“I might, I might” the griffon said as he stepped outside, looking at his company. “Ah, Missus Tranquil Sky! You look as beautiful as ever,” he said with a polite bow.
“Why thank you,” Tranquil replied with a titter, reminding Postie a lot of Rarity.
“And who are these two?” the griffon asked, turning his attention to Rainbow Dash and Post Haste.
“I told you about my daughter, Rainbow Dash.”
“Er, hi,” Rainbow replied awkwardly.
“Ah, the tomcolt.”
“Tomcolt?” Rainbow asked angrily, turning to her father.
“No point denying the truth,” Thunderhead said wearily, as though he’d had this argument before. Rainbow let out a groan in response. Tranquil giggled.
“So who’s he?” Maxwell the griffon asked, his beak seemingly twisted into something resembling a smile.
“Rainbow brought her coltfriend home,” Tranquil Sky answered. 
“Well, good luck, kid,” Maxwell said with a noticeable trace of smugness. “Thunder isn’t exactly the easiest pony to impress.”
“I’d say he’s done a good job so far,” Tranquil answered. “Smart, polite, handsome,” directing a leer at the mailpony. Post Haste noticed that and took a step back, giving the older mare a strange look.
“You might wanna watch out, Thunder,” Maxwell said with a laugh. “The young colt’s gonna steal your wife.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Thunderhead replied airily. “Right?” he asked Postie, keeping his voice cordial.
“Y-you don’t have to worry about that,” Postie replied nervously. He realised that he had been wrong about the moustache. By making him seem less threatening, it made the moments the older stallion decided to be scary even more terrifying. 
“Dad!” Rainbow said angrily.
“You’re scaring the poor guy,” Maxwell said with another laugh.
“That was uncalled for!” Tranquil said, upset with her husband’s behaviour. “Apologise!”
“What for?” Thunderhead asked, looking between the two mares, apparently oblivious to his actions.
“All right, air-head,” Maxwell replied as he turned tail. “You’re lucky, it should be a quiet night tonight. Pick a table, I’ll send someone over to take your order.”
The restaurant was very small, closer in size to a cafe. There were five wooden tables, two meant for a group of four and the other three with only two chairs. The wallpaper was very simple and made the whole place feel very calming.
As they made their way to one of the tables, Tranquil slapped Thunderhead in the back of the head with a wing. “What is wrong with you?” she hissed.
“What are you talking about?”
“Threatening Rainbow’s coltfriend like that! He’s been a complete gentlecolt the whole time, and you had to go make a complete foal of yourself by trying to act like some idiot barely out of flight school!” she replied in a low, menacing voice. “I don’t know why I put up with you...”
“Because you can’t resist my body,” Thunderhead answered with a smug smile as they arrived at a table for four. 
“You are so immature sometimes,” Tranquil muttered.
As they sat down, Rainbow and Postie couldn’t help but share a raised eyebrow, both noticing how the interactions they had just seen ran a close parallel to their own relationship. The main difference was that Postie usually ended up being the voice of reason.
Before any of them could open their mouths to continue the conversation, a small griffon hen with pink and gold highlights was at their table.
“Hi!” she said, her bubbly voice a little high-pitched. For some reason, Postie couldn’t help but think that she was an adolescent.
“Hello Maria,” Thunderhead replied. “I didn’t know your father had you helping in here.”
“Oh, hello Mister Thunderhead! I didn’t think I’d see you until weather duty tomorrow.”
“I’m just here for dinner with the family,” he replied with a wave of his hoof. “And I don’t think Maxwell will be too happy with you talking to us instead of doing your job.”
“If you’re the only customers we get then dad can’t really complain,” Maria replied with a snort. “Still, I guess you’re right. Do you know what you want?”
“Not yet, no. We could use something to drink though. You have any apple cider?”
“Came from Appleloosa last week,” she said. “Cost a lot too, if the way dad was complaining is anything to go by.”
“Getting it sent out this far would be expensive,” Thunderhead mused. “I’ll take some of that.”
“I’ll have some too. Probably won’t be as good as the stuff from Sweet Apple Acres,” Rainbow said with what could be interpreted as a cruel smile.
“I’d love some wine if you have any,” Tranquil Sky said.
“Sorry, ma’am, we don’t,” Maria said apologetically. 
“That’s okay, dear. I’ll just have some water then.”
“I’ll have water too, thanks,” Postie chipped in.
“Okay then!” Maria said happily as she trotted back into the kitchen.
“What’s the matter, can’t handle the strong stuff?” Thunderhead asked with a rather mean chuckle.
“Don’t be so mean!” Tranquil said angrily, reaching over and smacking the stallion in the mouth. “I’m sure he has a reason.”
“It’s really embarrassing,” Postie said, hanging his head.
“Ah, it can’t be that bad,” Thunderhead said airily as he rubbed at where his wife had struck him.
“You ever been in a drinking contest with an earth pony before?”  
“No.”
“Well, don’t.”
It wasn’t the truth, but it was close enough that it couldn’t really be considered a lie. After all, he had been challenged by Applejack to see if he could drink as much as he could before he had been transformed by Princess Luna. The immediate result had been a rather horrible mess on the porch of the Apple Family house and a trip to Ponyville’s clinic.
“What happened?” Tranquil asked, sounding worried.
“Alcohol poisoning,” Rainbow said. “It wasn’t pretty.”
Thunderhead just stared at Postie as their drinks arrived, Maria carrying them on a tray balanced on her back between her wings. “Two mugs of cider and two glasses of water! Do you know what you want to eat yet?” 
“Thanks, Maria. And no, not yet.”
“We’ll call you when we’ve decided, okay dear?”
“Okay!” With that the griffon pranced off happily. 
Thunderhead continued to stare at Postie long enough for the younger stallion to start feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He was about to excuse himself from the table when Thunderhead spoke up. “That is either the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard a pony do, or the bravest. I’m still not sure,” he said as he took a sip of his cider. After he swallowed his mouthful, he spoke up again. “Yeah, definitely the stupidest.”
“Thunder!” Tranquil replied, upset. “How can you be so mean to the poor dear.”
“No, I admit, it was pretty stupid,” Postie said with a laugh. 
That first night amongst Rainbow’s family passed with a good deal of laughter. Their meals didn’t last long, but they stayed long after Celestia’s sun had set. When they did leave, it was very late and they were all desperate for sleep. With little more than a simple “Good night” they went to their bedrooms. Postie and Rainbow, still suffering fatigue from their long flight, fell asleep almost immediately. The great monstrosity of a bed proved to be more comfortable than any cloud.





Author's Notes:
Urgh, that ending feels so forced. I just want to get to the next part already!