Rainbow Dash kicked open the door to the boys locker room, barely missing a teammate on the way out to the field. She mumbled an apology as she stomped past.
“Captain!” one of the boys shouted, scandalized by her presence. “This is the guy’s locker room! You can’t-”
“Shove it, Winds!” she shouted. “Captain Privilege gives me access to both locker rooms to sort out problems, and that’s what I’m doing!”
“What problems?” another asked.
“None of your business!” she said. “Everyone other than Thunderlane, get the hell out!”
Any other time, they might’ve protested. But since Magic had become more common to the world, they’d learned to read the emotions of someone with wings. Her pony ears laid back, and her wings flared out, ruffling and wishing to move. She was ready to fight, and none of them wanted to be in her way.
While everyone attempted to squeeze through the door at once, Rainbow checked the showers and bathrooms to make sure no one was trying to hide and eavesdrop. Once she was sure everyone was out, she closed the heavy door. For extra security, she grabbed someone’s discarded shoe and balanced it on the doorknob.
With that done, she went back to where Thunderlane stood. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to think to put his pants on before she got to him. Rainbow vaguely attempted to calm herself, and sat down on one of the benches.
“You asked Fluttershy to Prom,” Rainbow stated more than asked.
“That literally just happened,” Thunderlane answered. “How in the hell did you find out about it?”
“Did you not see Rarity three feet away?” she smirked. “She texted me the second you asked, gushing about ‘oh my stars! Flutters has a date!’.”
“So, this is about me asking Fluttershy out?” he asked.
“Mostly,” she said. “Like, okay, I like to give people I know the benefit of the doubt, especially after the thing with Aj and the bake sale, and it is Prom season and all. But Flutters literally just came out as trans last week, so forgive me for being paranoid about someone asking him out.”
“Oh? OH!” he exclaimed. “That’s, okay, that makes sense.”
“I’m here to make sure you’re not planning anything,” she stated, crossing her arms. “So talk. What’s your plan here?”
“It’s not a plan,” he said, raising his hands into the general ‘don’t hurt me’ position. “I just like him, and that’s what you do when you like someone.”
“When did you start liking him?” she asked.
“Remember the other month in soccer practice?” he answered, “Cloud Chaser kicked a ball into my face and my nose was gushing blood? Fluttershy always watches practice, so you had him take me to see if Redheart was still in her office? Well, she wasn’t, but Fluttershy knew what to do, something about his mom being a doctor?
“Anyway,” he said, putting them back on track. “After a few minutes we ended up talking. Okay, mostly me at first, but once he got a bit more comfortable we had a good back and forth. And have you seen the way his nose scrunches up when he laughs? We’ve talked a couple times since then, mostly online but still.”
“So why now?” she asked, leaning casually on the bench. “Sure, it’s prom season. But if you liked him for two months then why wait?”
“Well, I kind though he might have been secretly dating you?” he offered.
Rainbow burst out laughing. She didn’t take a break to breathe, even when she fell backwards off the bench. Thunderlane just sighed and waited for her to finish.
Eventually, Rainbow’s laughed came to a stop, and she climbed back onto the bench.
“Okay, sorry, that’s hilarious,” Rainbow said.
“You have to admit, you two are pretty close,” he said. “But considering you asked Bright Heart to prom…”
“Yeah yeah,” she rolled her eyes. “But in all seriousness, Fluttershy is a brother to me. Besides, he only likes guys, so even if I did have a thing for him, it wouldn’t work out.”
“You’re not mad that I thought you were gay?” he asked. “Well, back when I thought Fluttershy was a girl I mean. I heard you punched a guy for that once.”
“That was because he was an ass and called me a ‘dyke’,” she shrugged. “I get the gay thing a lot. You know ‘you’re not girly!’, ‘you don’t try and get a boyfriend!’, ‘your hair is a literal fucking pride flag how are you not a lesbian?!’ as if the hair I was born with determines my sexuality! Then again, Twilight and Pinkie look like their respective flags, so maybe it’s a two out of three deal.”
“Okay, I get it,” he laughed. “But the point was that Fluttershy’s gender isn’t an issue for me. So are we cool?”
“Almost,” she answered.
“Almost?” he repeated.
“Last thing I want to talk about is your past ‘relationships’,” she said.
“Um, I’m always safe?” he asked.
“Stars, man!” she sighed. “While that’s good to know, I mean the fact that you change partners more often than I change underwear!”
“I did not need to know that!” he grimaced.
“It’s an expression,” she said, waving it off. “I mean, okay remember how we were talking about me and gay stereotypes? You’re the ‘slutty bisexual’ stereotype. Plus the ‘womanizing stereotype’. There’s a good handful of people who ended up crying in the bathroom over the last few years. I mean, Cloud Chaser did purposely attempt to break your face with a soccer ball because of that.”
“Okay, but this is different?” he defended. “Like, okay, it’s true that I am usually only looking to get laid. But I’d like to first point out that when I go to get with someone, I tell them exactly what I want out of it. I make it clear that it’s either a ‘friends with benefits’ thing or a one-night stand. Some people think that means that once I sleep with them, I’ll magically fall in love with them and only them. Cloud Chaser was upset that I moved on, but I did tell her it was just no strings attached. You can ask Flitter.
“But that’s not what I’m doing with Fluttershy,” he said. “If it was, I would’ve told him. I genuinely want an actual relationship here. If sex happens it happens, but it’s not my end goal.”
“Fair enough,” she said. “Now I feel like I should’ve yelled at Cloud Chaser more for that ball to the face. Eh, maybe I’ll just let AJ go all ‘Honesty Mother Fucker’ on her.”
“That’d be a show,” he laughed.
“On that note,” she smiled. “We are definitely cool for now. I’m pretty sure you’ll get several ‘break his heart I break your soul’ speeches from the rest of the group. Bright and I are taking bets on ‘most intimidating’ and ‘most creative’, so let us know who said what.”
“Looking forward to it,” he sighed. “Now, maybe you should let the rest of the team back in, because I’m pretty sure half of them don’t have pants on right now.”
“Fuck, I completely forgot about them!”
One day later, Rainbow and Thunderlane sat in the stands while the rest of the team practiced. Rainbow might’ve been a bit harsh on Cloud Chaser the last two practices, but it was petty satisfaction for the both of them.
“So, everyone already take you aside for the Shovel Talk?” Rainbow asked.
“At least it’s over, I think,” Thunderlane said leaning back.
“So, tell me who said what!” she demanded. “Remember, I’m looking for ‘most intimidating’ and ‘most creative’. I have fifty bucks and my pride riding on this!”
“Okay, okay,” he said. “So, you saw Applejack literally toss me over her shoulder this morning. How, I have no idea. But she interrogated me just like you did yesterday.”
“Not as scary the second time?” she asked.
“Worse, actually,” he swallowed just thinking about it. “Have you ever had her analyze you like that? Looking for the truth? I swear she was using some kind of magic on me, and that was before she got the ears!”
“Yeah, fair enough,” she nodded. “I think it’s an ‘Element of Honesty’ thing. I’d have to ask Sunset or the other world’s Twilight.”
“Speaking of,” he said. “Twilight reminded me about her dissection skills and her knowledge of law enforcement and forensics. She really has perfected the ‘mad scientist’ look, fucking lab coat and all.”
“Yeah, I need to talk to her about next year’s Halloween costumes,” she laughed. “My idea sort of has a ‘mad scientist’ theme to it.”
“Speaking of costumes,” he said. “Rarity literally dragged me into a room and used magic to tie me up with sowing supplies. I didn’t even hear the actual threat all I could think was-“
“All you could think was ‘don’t get a boner’?“ she interjected.
“No! Well, yes, but no!” he exclaimed. “More the ‘she just now pretty much kidnapped me, and could do it again’ type of thoughts.”
“Fuckin’ A,” she laughed. “Did she win ‘intimidation’ or ‘creative’?”
“Nope,” he shook his head. “Sunset won ‘intimidation’. You know that one hallway that’s always dark and empty?”
“Why do we even have that?” she wondered.
“I blame the theatre kids,” he shrugged. “But Sunset cornered me in there, and was all ‘If you think me as a Demon was scary, remember that I had nothing to care about back then. Now I do.’. And if anyone asks I’ll deny it, but that was probably the top most terrified I’ve been in my life.”
“Sweet,” she said. “Well, not sweet for you, but that is objectively cool in the same way a horror movie is cool. So does that mean Pinkie won ‘Creative’?”
“Yep,” he laughed. “She showed up in the locker room just before I got out here. Just jumped out of the damn shower. How she got in there considering it was locked before you let us in, I don’t know. At first she was all nice, congratulating me on asking Fluttershy out and all that.”
“Pretty creative so far,” she said. “But where’s the kicker?”
“I’m getting there,” he said. “She went on for a bit, rambling about how happy Fluttershy is right now. Then in that same fucking cheery smile she always has, she said ‘I’d threaten to hurt you if you hurt him, but you’re going to get a Unicorn laser to the dick in a few years anyway, so I won’t bother!”
Rainbow snorted with laughter, then continued to choke on air.
“Then she just reminds me that Rarity’s going to be making prom outfits for her friends and their dates!” he shouted. “What am I even supposed to say to that?!”
“I don’t know!” Rainbow wheezed. “But I’m scared for your dick?”
“Please tell me she doesn’t actually have future vision powers,” he said.
“Honestly, I have no clue,” she shook her head. “I don’t think so? At least not anything that specific.”
“Great,” he groaned, leaning across the seats.
“Look on the bright side!” she said. “I just won fifty bucks!”