--Adding Another--
Baer and Lightning both had come to the front of their home, while Cherry was standing there; as if she had been waiting for them. Baer stuck his hoof out, and shook with her as he asked, “How can we help ya?”
“Well, today was my first day in town. My instructor told me that I have to come here to work, so I figured I’d show up a day early and check out the area!” She was beaming with happiness, and seemed to have a tweaked version of the same aura that Dash gives off. She too, seemed capable of making new friends just by being nearby.
Dash stumbled forward and asked her, “So, you’ll be working with us from now on?” She smiled and nodded in response. Dash was doing his best to hold back a grin, as he lowered his head to hide it.
In the same moment, Baer told her, “Well, let me show ya around!”
“Thanks!”
Both ponies walked in together, leaving Dash and Lightning outside. Lightning said, “So... your marefriend lives with us now?”
“She’s not my marefriend! I just think she’s really cool...”
“Hah, riiight!” Lightning laughed as he stepped aside to make room for Dash. Immediately, Dash ran inside to try and catch both Baer and Cherry while they were inside. Lightning laughed again at his lovestruck friend, while he made his way to the bookshelf inside. Searching the shelf carefully, he found a book to read, as Baer trotted out to sit next to him. Lightning sat down on a cushion, and Baer grabbed another book and opened it.
“Say Lightning,” said Baer.
He turned and looked at Baer. “Yeah?”
“How much do you think Dash likes Cherry?”
Lightning thought for a bit and replied, “To the point where he would pass reading and bass practice to be with her.”
Baer laughed a bit and started reading his book. Page by page and minute by minute, time had flown by as the sun gradually began to set through the window of their cloud home.
Outside, the trees had already turned orange, yellow, and red, signifying that autumn was nearing. Surely, Lunar was concluding his training as scout leader, they would need him very shortly for the inaugural Winter Wrap Up. Lightning looked up from his book and looked out the window. The sky was calm, clear, and crisp. Absolute perfect flying conditions, so Lightning put his book back and stretched his wings out.
“Say, Baer.”
“Yeah?” Baer replied.
“It looks awesome outside, want to fly around for a while?”
“Definitely! I bet I can beat you in a race!”
Lightning laughed at his sarcastic comment. Good ole Baer knew just how to get him. “Alright, meet ya out there.” Lightning walked out the front door and was immediately hit by a strong autumn breeze. The simple wind felt good on his fur, as he closed his eyes and simply hoped both Spitfire and Lunar could be feeling the same type of breeze that he too was feeling. After all, Spitfire and Lunar had been there since the beginning for him.
He jumped off the front step of his home, getting an instant sense of free falling as he neared the ground; and, in a split-second, he spread his wings out and flapped as hard as he could, soaring up and above the house. Just for fun, Lightning executed a large half loop and flew back to the front step as Baer came out to join him.
“Dang, it feels great out here,” he said. “Hold on just a second!” Lightning felt a bit puzzled by Baer’s reaction, as he eventually returned back outside with a strange looking object in hand. “Hey, Lightning, catch!” Baer then proceeded to toss it over to Lightning, whom immediately caught it. It was a strange shaped ball; a bit flattened as he held it in his hooves. It felt rather rugged, and it was a brown, leather-ish color.
“What exactly is this, Baer?”
Bear flew over and took it from him. “My dad gave it to me, and my dad got it from his dad, and so on. He called it a hoofball, and it used to be used in a sport that the flight academy used to play.”
Just holding the ball felt great to Lightning. It had a great, inexplicable feeling to it, as Baer threw it back and explained him a bit more.
“You’re supposed to either throw it, or take it into your arms and fly straight ahead some sort of field to score,” he said. “It was a game that had a lot of pegasi hitting each other. Very physical, and exciting game, but was banned for being too violent and dangerous. Stinks, because I’ve always wished to play it.”
Lightning thought for second as he threw it back to Baer. “Hey, Baer, what if we set up our own games? Like two on two or something?”
He seemed thrilled with that idea. “Yeah! That sounds awesome! Great idea, Lightning!” They continued passing it back and forth, taking small steps back every time. Lightning’s passes weren’t the best, but he know how to catch it and hold it secure. “Hey Lightning, go long!” yelled Baer.
He nodded and lined up to the side Baer. Baer then chucked it as far as he could. The ball had sailed out a good two hundred feet or so, while Lightning exploded off the line, flying as fast as he could to catch up with it. At a certain point, Lightning had a bit too much speed and was sure to pass it. However he held his front hooves out to the left, caught it on his side, locked it into his belly, and fell down to the ground. A random pile of fallen leaves had cushioned his fall, as he held the ball up in success.
Baer grabbed his hoof and pulled him out. “Lightning, that was awesome! Whenever we start playing, I’m picking you for my team every time!” They both laughed and continued passing it back and forth until the sun had finally set on the horizon.
“Hey, let’s head back, Baer. it’s getting pretty dark out,” suggested Lightning.
Baer nodded and handed the ball back to Lightning.
“We gotta do this more tomorrow, alright?” said Lightning.
Baer nodded and replied, “Yeah of course!”
They both then flew back inside and found Dash and Cherry asleep on the couch. She was leaned against him, and a book was lying on Dash’s lap.
“Psst, let’s just sneak around and leave em be,” suggested Lightning.
Baer nodded as they quietly flew up to their rooms, reframing from waking the two lovebirds. “Night, Lightning, see ya tomorrow for work.” He and Lightning hoof-bumped, and went their separate ways for the night. Another night on his own, Lightning was really beginning to love his life even more than before. The only way he could be any happier is if he too, like Dash, could meet a special somepony.