Act 1 Part 1: I Know You Want What's On My Mind
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The party was in full swing. Champagne froth spattered the floors, glitter and confetti stuck to everypony’s manes, and the live rock band’s music blared louder than the chatter. The smell of trash food cooked in old grease permeated the air. Above the various pegasi all hung a banner reading “Congraduations V Trail & S Stinger!” Drunken smiles were plastered to everyone’s faces, save for one.
Sitting quietly in a booth away from the main crowd was a stallion. His coat was charcoal gray, his mane a pale green mohawk, his subdued eyes shaded topaz. He cradled a frosty mug of dark amber liquid, and stared into it pensively. He tapped a hoof to the beat, but otherwise showed no indication he was even aware of the noise around him.
He was joined by a familiar, friendly face.
“Whazzup Thunderlane...” she slurred, taking a drink from the bottle cradled carefully in the primary feathers of her cyan wing. “How's my main stal cele-” she hiccuped, and ran a hoof through her multicolored coif. “-brating the new recruits?”
He chuckled and took a sip himself. “Hey Dash. I'm doing well. Just not really feeling the party right now. Gotta get up early in the morning to pick up my brother from our cousin’s house, you know how it is. Sure seems like you're having fun though.”
“Heck yeah...” she murmured, sliding into the booth across from him. “Seems like just yesserday me an’ Twilighe had the frenship murjensee... and now they're full fledged Wonderbolts. Never been prouder...” she threw back the rest of her drink. “Xept maybe when we did the hurricane way back when. Member that?”
“I was sick, remember?”
“Oh yeah...” Rainbow slumped her face into the table. “I'm gonna have one bad hangover tomorrow. Do me a favor and hit me in the head with a sledgehammer on your way to pick up Rumble. I'll be at Cloud Nine.”
“Don't you usually stay at your parents house when you come to Cloudsdale?”
She grunted negatively. “Drunk Dash doesn't deal with them well. Sober Dash barely does anyway. I love ‘em but in small doses, ya know? But right now I can't.”
“I get that.” Thunderlane took a swig. “I still can't get over when they showed up to practice. The look on your face was priceless.”
Rainbow hummed. “Yeah... I got pretty great parents.” She blinked a few times. “Oh, uh. Sorry.”
Thunderlane waved her off. “It's fine. You're lucky to have them. I can appreciate your appreciation without feeling bad or anything about mine. You just spend tonight partying. Most of it is because of you anyway.”
Rainbow attempted to drain her bottle, but got most of it in her mane instead. “Yeah sure... okay. Thanks Thun.” Her ears perked up as she heard the song change. “Oh man, I LOVE this song!” She launched herself into the air and took off towards the dance floor.
Thunderlane swirled his mug around a bit as he watched her dance. In the crowd he could also pick out a few other friends, comrades, and fellow ‘bolts. Raindrops, Cloudchaser, Bulk, and even Spitfire herself were jamming out together. He smiled on their behalf, even if it didn't quite reach his eyes. The setting of the sun outside indicated that Celestia had handed off wakefulness to Luna, and it was time for him to leave.
He thought better of finishing his drink, and simply headed past the band on his way to the exit door. The singer wore a black leather jacket, a black leather hat, and sunglasses, and for some reason he had a megaphone strapped to his hoof. The outfit seemed out of place, especially for a dimly lit bar, but the stallion seemed to work it.
“I know you want what's on my mind~ I know you like what's on my mind~ I know it eats you up inside~ I know, you know, you know, you know~”
Thunderlane hesitated before continuing on. One song couldn't hurt. But then again, one song could turn into two, then four, then twelve, and the whole night could be lost. Thus, he thought better of it, and pushed his way out the door. He didn't bother saying goodbye, as he'd already told everypony beforehoof that he'd be leaving early anyway.
The chilly night air penetrated his coat and seemed to seep directly into his bones. He pulled his wings tighter and began to trot down the street. He hated flying in the cold, and it was only a few blocks anyway.
The blazing neon signs adoring the colossal buildings on either side of the street began to flicker on as the night life began. Directly across was Rainbow’s hotel she mentioned earlier, the Cloud 9. It used to be called the Cloud 8 before the recent change in management. Honestly it fit better.
Eventually the pounding bass behind him faded out, until all that remained was the soft sound of his hooves meeting the cloudy walkway beneath him. Streetlights began to turn on one by one, illuminating the path before him, bathing the street in the dusky golden brown. He found Cloudsdale nights to be more beautiful than Ponyville nights, even if the light pollution tended to blot out some of the stars. Perhaps that could be attributed to his urban upbringing.
He always was a city colt, after all.
Ahead on the street came a dragon piloting a yellow taxi rickshaw. A year ago he'd find the sight a strange one indeed, but ever since the allyship between the Princess of Friendship and Dragon Lord Ember, dragons populated pony lands much more densely than they ever used to before. He nodded at the emerald drake, who saluted back with a wing.
Across the street he could see two drunkards getting tossed out of a club. A bit early in the night, he thought. While he was never one to turn down a party when there weren't other more pertinent responsibilities getting in the way, getting flat smashed wasn't really an enjoyable activity in his mind. Sure, a gentle buzz sometimes added to the fun, but he preferred to remember the party, thank you very much.
He turned a corner to reveal a new street, which he found to be deserted. Actually no, that wasn't true, he realized as he squinted. There were two figures in the distance. One was on the ground, and the other hunched over the former. Thunder’s pulse sped up. Something seemed wrong.
The second figure poked and prodded at the first figure. It looked up and down the street, made eye contact with Thunder, and began to drag the first one into the alley at the side.
Thunder began to trot more quickly.
The two forms disappeared into the side street, and a dozen thoughts went running through his head. All of them were questions centered around what could possibly be a non-suspicious way to perform an incredibly shady series of actions. Ultimately none came to mind. Something was up.
He pauses at the edge of the alleyway, setting his ear as far forward without being able to be seen. He heard the grumbling and muttering of two voices, one male and the other female. It seemed to be an argument of some sort.
“Buck off, bitch,” the mare sniped. Her voice was familiar to Thunderlane but he couldn't quite place it. He certainly couldn't place the vulgarity. “I wouldn't get next to you if you were the last pony in Equestria.”
“I wasn't asking,” the stallion replied, through grit teeth. “I said, I wanna get close to you. Now, are you gonna be a good little filly and play nice, or am I gonna have to hurt you too?”
Thunderlane cracked his neck. He could take this nefarious ne’er-do-well on.
“Touch me, I'll break your teeth.” She murmured, no strength behind the words. “I coulda been a Wonderbolt. You think I'm scared of you?”
“A Wonderbolt, eh?” He chuckled at this. “I'll bet. Now hold still. Let me give you something better than any Wonderbolt. Guarantee you won't forget.”
Thunderlane stepped into the alley at this. “I don't think so, pal,” he proclaimed, thrusting his chest forward and splaying his wings out. “See, I am a Wonderbolt. And we don't take too kindly to punks like you who won't take no for an answer.”
The stallion whirled on his hooves. His trench coat hung low around his body.
“Back off, friend,” he growled, a glint appearing on his hoof. “You don't want a piece of this. The girl is mine. I saw her first.”
Thunderlane cocked his head to the side. “You think this is about the girl? No,” he laughs and takes a step forward. “No, this isn't a fight over the girl. This is me about to kick your ass for thinking that this girl belongs to you.”
The stallion brings his hoof up, the switchblade strapped to it shining menacingly. “This is your last chance before I learn you somethin’ you don't wanna learn. Leave now and I won't cut you up and leave you bloody in a dumpster.”
Thunderlane pawed at the ground. “I really don't think you know who you're dealing with here. But sure, go ahead and think I'll be scared of that piddly little thing. It'll just make dragging your sorry ass to HQ for booking that much more satisfying. I'll make sure you rot for assault on an officer of the Princess.”
The stallion’s breath hitches at this. “You're bluffing. You don't know the Princess.”
“Don't I?” Thunderlane falls onto his haunches. “I'm best friends with the Element of Loyalty, and as top of the Wonderbolts reserve, her current ice envoy. Again. You literally have no idea who you're messing with. So I'll give YOU one more chance. Get out of here right now with your dignity intact, or I will break your bones, pluck your wings, and shove that butterknife where Celly’s sun don't shine.”
The stallion doesn't move for a moment of hesitation, but eventually sighs and drops his head. “Alright. The girl’s yours. She's probably diseased anyway.”
Thunderlane takes a deep resolute breath. “Get outta here before I change my mind.”
The stallion shoves past into the Main Street, and heads off into the distance.
After a healthy amount of time passed, and Thun was satisfied that the stallion wouldn't be coming back, he quickly rushed to the mare’s side. He cringed and turned to cough as he was massively overpowered by the stench of cheap whiskey. He turns back, holding his nose closed, and realized that he knew this mare.
“No way...” he muttered, leaning in to get a better look. Yup. This is definitely who he thought she was. Imagine the odds.
“Hey, uh, you awake?” He asked.
“Thanks for nothing, hero,” she hissed, venom dripping from her voice. “Was gonna get some dick tonight before you showed up.”
Thunderlane sighed and slumped his shoulders. Great. Of all the mares in Cloudsdale to save, it just ha~ad to be this one.
“You're gonna freeze to death out here.”
“Tch.” She murmured. “Yeah, whatever.”
Thun gently wrapped his forelegs around her barrel and began to flap his wings, pulling the two of them up into the air.
“You smell like booze. You're drunk. You're a pegasus. It's chilly. Put two and two together, you can literally die. So you're gonna sleep on my couch tonight, capisce?”
“Not like I got a choice.”
Thunderlane bit his tongue and began to fly the rest of the way to his apartment. He forsook the main entrance in favor of just going in through the window. It was more convenient anyway. Luckily it was open a crack, so he nudged it fully open with his rear leg. He slipped inside and kicked along the wall for the light switch. Finding it, he pressed it in and illuminated the room.
He floated over and set her gently on the couch, ignoring the small voice that said to just drop her. With that he dropped himself to the floor, and headed back over to close the window.
“You want some hot tea, or coffee, or something?” He asked, locking it shut. “I don't know how long you’ve been out there for. Wanna make sure you're warm, you know?”
Her response is a snore.
He glanced over his shoulder to see that, yes, she was indeed already asleep. A melancholic smile crossed his face as he analyzed her features.
Pale blue coat. Wild bright orange mane. Cutie mark comprised of a lightning bolt and a few stars. Yeah. Lightning Dust. A name and face he hadn't expected to ever see again following her disavowment and expulsion from Wonderbolts Academy, she wound up by pure coincidence right at his hooves. He pressed a wing into his forehead.
“What am I doing...?” He asked, to no avail.
He sighed and sat down, watching her sleep for a minute. She shivered a few times, and turned over to curl up into a rough ball shape. He exhaled out his nose before stepping over to the thermostat. He clicked it a few notches up, waited a second, then clicked it one more time. Then he clicked it back down, and spent the next minute switching back and forth before eventually setting on having it up that extra bit.
His hooves took him to the closet, and his wings took a couple of extra blankets. Stepping back into the living room, he set them over his guest. He sat and watched for another minute, ensuring that she had stopped shivering.
“Alright.” He sighed. “Lightning Dust is sleeping on my couch. Great. Maybe in the morning there’ll be cotton candy clouds and chocolate milk rain.” He trotted back to his bedroom as he continued to mutter. “Then dogs and cats will live happily together. And they'll make orange juice flavored toothpaste. And then, buck it, gravity will turn off and we’ll all float into the sky.” He shut his bedroom door behind him. “LIKE BALLOONS.”
He slumped facefirst into his bed and groaned for a while.
Once his fit was over, he turned over and stared up at the ceiling.
“Best case scenario she just quietly leaves out the window in the morning before I wake up. Worst case scenario, she robs me, trashes the place, and suffocates me with my own pillows, then spray paints ‘Thunderlane suxx’ on my wall. Then eats the last of my cereal, drinks the milk straight out of the carton, and only leaves a few drops left. That's the absolute worst thing that can happen. So uh. Yeah. Here's hoping she just leaves. There's my good deed for the week.” He reached over to make sure his alarm clock was set, then buried himself underneath the covers.
“Yeah... hopefully I'll wake up in the morning and she’ll be gone.”
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