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// Interlude: The Bumpy Road to Canterlot 
// Story: When Music is Silenced 
// by Summer Knight 
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	Thunder and the others walked through Ponyville once again, with Spike tagging along behind them. The streets were empty except for the eight of them, everypony having been scared back into their homes by the appearance of Cacophony. 
“What happened after I, um,” Thunder looked away in embarrassment. His voice was no longer so nasal or raspy, though his eyes were still glassy. 
Rarity picked up on what Thunder didn’t want to voice. “We used the Elements to destroy the Cacophony that you had been fighting with—and might I suggest that you stop trying to hooffight with those monsters?—but then more of them appeared, just like last time. While you were... ah, occupied, Rainbow went out to see what was happening, but they had already disappeared.”
“I thought they might try to hurt other ponies once we were gone,” Twilight added, “but it seems like they only target musicians.”
Thunder thought about that for a moment. “I’ve never seen more than one at a time when it was just music,” he said, “not even at the Manehattan Bash. I never even knew there was more than one until you guys started using your Element thingies.”
“Ya think Cacophony’s goin’ after the Elements of Harmony, then?”
Thunder shrugged. “It makes sense. Those are the only things that have been able to do anything to them.”
They walked in silence for a while longer. Thunder slowly became aware of everypony glancing at him when they thought he wasn’t looking, trying to seem as if they weren’t. He snorted. “I’m fine, guys. You don’t need to look like I’m about to shatter.”
“Were you and Berry Punch very close?” Rarity asked delicately. Twilight eeped and blushed as she remembered the love bite on Thunder’s neck, but luckily no one else noticed.
Thunder shook his head. “We only met a couple of days ago. I’m really not sure why I fell apart like that.”
“Ya been through a lot lately,” Applejack reasoned. “Ah reckon that was just the apple that broke the pony’s back.”
Fluttershy gasped and held a hoof to her mouth. “I never knew working on a farm was so dangerous,” she whispered. 
“It’s not good to keep all of that stress in, darling,” Rarity counseled. “You should really talk to somepony about it. I’m certain that any of us would be glad to listen.”
“Can we drop it?”
“It’s just—”
Thunder’s eyes flashed. “I said drop it,” he growled. He caught himself when he saw that Rarity looked taken aback, perhaps even hurt. Thunder sighed. “Sorry, I’m doing it again.”
“Er, doing what, dear?”
“Being an ass—uh, a plot—” he cleared his throat. “Being a jerk. I know you’re trying to help, I just really don’t want to talk about it.”
Rarity apologized and backed off, and the group made small talk for the remainder of the walk to the train station. Thunder’s breakdown had not caused them to miss the train, which was fortunate, as the next one to Canterlot was not for several hours. In short order they had their tickets and had boarded the train. They even managed to get a car to themselves, since it was the middle of the day and most ponies were at work. 

The trip to Canterlot was not a very long one. They passed a good deal of it in conversation, as Thunder learned more about his new friends and spoke in turn about himself and his band. 
“So where do you live now?” the ever-curious Twilight asked.
“Well, I’ve got a house in Fillydelphia, but I’m hardly ever there. Most of the time I’m out touring with the band or at the studio in Manehattan.”
“What about yer family?”
“Don’t really have any,” Thunder answered the cowmare. “I grew up in Detrot with my parents, but I haven’t been back there in years.”
“Ah, shoot.” Applejack looked down. “Ah’m awful sorry ta hear that.”
Thunder wondered what she meant, then realized how he had made it sound. “Oh, no, it’s nothing like that!” he hastened to reassure her. “They’re alive and well, or at least they were last I knew. We just don’t really get along.” That was putting it lightly, but he didn’t elaborate. 
If he had meant to make her feel better, it hadn’t worked. Applejack glared at him, her mouth hanging slightly open. “You… y’all…” she shook her head and stood up. “‘Scuse me, ah’m gonna get some air.” She trotted out without another word, closing the door hard behind her.
“Oh dear,” Rarity said softly. “I had better go make sure she’s okay.” She followed the cowpony out into the small open space between cars.
Thunder looked after them, confused. Had Applejack been angry with him? “What did I do now?” he asked.
Twilight glanced away awkwardly. “Nothing, Thunder. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Applejack lost her parents when she was young,” Fluttershy explained, her voice barely above a whisper. 
“Yeah, and family’s really super-important to the Apples,” Pinkie added in the most subdued tone he’d ever heard from her.
Thunder stomped lightly on the floor of the car. Could I please go five bucking minutes without bucking everything up? “Sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Twilight reassured him, “how could you have? Like I said, it wasn’t your fault.”
“So, what’s up with your family, anyway?” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Why don’t you see them anymore?”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cut her off. “Don’t you think that’s a bit personal?”
Thunder shook his head. “It’s alright. Like I said, we just don’t really get along. They never wanted me to be a singer, not even after my cutie mark appeared. My dad especially used to get mad about it, said I was an embarrassment. He wanted me to be a hoofypony, like him. You know, carpenter, electrician, that kind of thing. Something ‘practical.’”
“But you went and became a singer anyway,” Twilight said. “That’s brave.”
Thunder laughed bitterly. “I tried it his way, I was just never any good at working with my hooves. That was another thing Dad always took as an insult. I’m pretty sure he thought I was doing it on purpose.”
“I know what that’s like,” Fluttershy sympathized. “When I was a filly I couldn’t fly for anything. Everypony used to make fun of me for it.”
“Hey, not everypony,” Rainbow Dash protested.
“That’s true.” Fluttershy smiled at her friend with a faint squee.
“What about your mother?” Twilight asked.
“She wasn’t as bad, but she pretty much went along with whatever Dad wanted.” That wasn’t quite fair to her, Thunder knew, but he didn’t really care. She had stood up to his father on more than one occasion, but in the end she always got browbeaten into agreeing with him. He waved a hoof. “That was all a long time ago, though. I’m my own pony now, and I'm more successful than they ever were.” So buck 'em, he refrained from adding.
They all looked up as the door at the end of the car rattled again. Thunder stood up.
“Gonna use the little colt’s room. Be right back.” He exited the car going the other way just as Applejack and Rarity re-entered. 

By the time Thunder got back to their train car—he actually had needed to use the bathroom, though it had mostly been an excuse to give Applejack and himself some more time to cool off—it seemed that things had settled down. Applejack looked uncomfortable, but not angry.
“Ah’m sorry, Thunder,” she said as soon as he sat back down. “Ah shouldn’ta flown off the handle like I did.”
Thunder chuckled. “You call that flying off the handle?” He looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry too, I didn’t realize—”
Applejack waved a hoof. “No harm done, sugar cube. We’ve all got different stories, ah reckon. Ya know what,” she said as if just thinking of it, “you oughta come have lunch with me an' my folks sometime. We have the girls over all the time, wouldn’t be any trouble to set another place.”
Thunder smiled at her. “Sure. I’d like that.” 
With the tension defused, they passed the remainder of the trip quite pleasantly. Pinkie pulled a board game out of somewhere, and Thunder spent the rest of the ride to Canterlot trying to climb Candy Mountain. He didn’t make it, and by the time they were pulling into the station he thought he might be mildly traumatized.