Chapter 10
The next morning I felt good, better than I had in about a month. I’d actually had pleasant dreams, and not a single nightmare had ‘graced’ me with its presence. I pushed the warm sheets off of myself and rolled over. I sat up, stretching my back and neck, sighing as some tension was relieved. I jumped down from the bed and shook myself, then I brushed my mane out of my eyes and walked over to the door. When I opened it, I could hear Thunderlane and Rumble talking downstairs. I went down, and found them in the kitchen. They were eating breakfast; another batch of pancakes. When I walked in, Thunderlane looked up and smiled.
“Sleep well?” he asked, swallowing his previous mouthful.
“Very.” I said, adding pancakes to a plate I’d found on the counter. “You?”
“Alright.”
“And you, Rumble?”
“Hmm?” said Rumble, looking up from his plate. “Oh, yeah.”
I joined them at the table, and began on my own pancakes. I listened to the brothers’s conversation; they were discussing something called… the Wonderbolts? I didn’t ask about it, not wanting to interrupt. I just carefully stored away what I heard, and soon figured out they were some sort of pegasus flying team. Rumble seemed very enthusiastic about it, describing each Wonderbolt in detail. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Soarin, etc.
“Go brush your teeth.” said Thunderlane, after putting his and Rumble’s plates in the sink. “And I’ll walk you to school.”
“Okay.” said Rumble. He left the kitchen.
“Can I go with you?” I asked I’d finished eating.
“Well, if you want.” said Thunderlane, taking my plate. “I don’t see why you'd want to, though.”
“It sounds interesting. I’ve been here a month, and I still don’t know much about Ponyville.”
“Come on, then.” he said, as Rumble raced back into the kitchen with saddlebags. “We’re going.”
I straightened my mane, then followed them outside. We started off through town, and I sniffed in the fresh morning air. The snow seemed a bit wetter than yesterday, squishing under my hooves. When I asked Thunderlane about this, he laughed.
“It’s getting warmer.” he said. “That means it’s almost time for Winter Wrap-up.”
“What?” I asked, confused.
“It’s when Ponyville works together to bring in spring.”
“You don’t use magic?”
“Ponyville was settled by Earth Ponies. It’s traditional.”
“I see.”
After a few more minutes of walking, and crossing a stream, we arrived at a large red schoolhouse. Colts and fillies were gathered around the front door, waiting for the teacher to let them in. Rumble raced ahead, meeting up with a few of the others. They appeared to be friends, talking and laughing together.
“Now what?” I asked. “Can we go?”
“We should wait until they’re inside.” he said. “Until the teacher’s got them.”
“Okay.”
We didn’t have to wait long. The door opened, and a purple mare appeared.
“Come on in!” she said, smiling happily at the little ponies in front of her.
Thunderlane waited until the students (and Rumble) were inside, then he turned and started walking. I followed him, still looking around.
“So, what happens during Winter Wrap-up?” I asked, as we crossed back over the stream.
To the north, train tracks were visible. As we walked, he started explained. The Earth and Unicorn ponies would be taking care of things on the ground. He and the rest of the Pegasi would help change the weather, bring the birds back from the south, and assist the other two groups in melting the snow.
“I wish I could help.” I said, looking back at my useless wings.
“Maybe I can help.” he said. “There’s something we could try.”
“What?”
“Well-”
Before he could explain, Pinkie popped up in front of us. It was so sudden, it drove the conversation right out of our minds.
“Hey, Thunderlane!” she said. “Rainbow Dash told me to tell you you can have the day off!”
“Thanks Pinkie.” he said, and she bounced off.
“Well.” he said, turning to me. “Since I have the day off, what would you like to do?”
“Not a clue.”
“Well…” he said, “Want to see a movie?”
“That’d be nice.” I said. “I don’t know what’s playing, though.”
“Let’s go see.”
I followed him to Ponyville’s movie theater, which I’d seen but never entered. We read through the list, seeing if anything caught our attention. One of them did catch my eye, with a title that pushed at a nonexistent memory. The Sound of Music.
“I’d like to see that one.” I said, pointing at it. He grinned.
“I thought you would.” he said. “It’s an old movie, but it’s a good one.”
It was then when I realized I didn’t have the means to pay for myself. And Thunderlane didn’t know about… me.
“Thunderlane.” I whispered nervously. “Um… there’s something you should know.”
“Yes?” he said, looking back at me.
“I’m… not a normal pony.”
“Well, everyone’s a little different.”
“No, you don’t get it.” I tried to think of how to explain this. “Um… come here.”
He walked up next to me. “Yes?”
“Listen here.” I said, pointing to the left side of my chest. He looked confused, but he did so.
“Everything seems fine.” I gently moved his head so his ear was over the right side of my chest.
“And now?” I asked.
He looked dumbfounded. “You have…”
“There’s a lot more than that.”
I glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping. Then I explained everything. By the end of my story (which was less painful to tell this time), he was staring at me. I expected him to get upset, or call me a freak, or at least look a little surprised. What I didn’t expect was for him to grin widely.
“That’s awesome!” he said excitedly. “I’m friends with an-”
“Shh!” I looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed his outburst. “And… where you going to call me an alien?”
“Well, I was going to say extraterrestrial. But you are, aren’t you?”
“No.” I said, even if that wasn’t strictly true. “At least, not the way I think of it.”
“Well,” he said more quietly, “shall we see The Sound of Music, my Time Lord friend?”
“Sounds good.”
I followed him into the theater, where he was kind enough to pay for two tickets, as well as a drink (he didn’t seem to mind sharing) and some popcorn. The movie was fantastic, but I had a nagging sensation in the back of my mind that I’d seen it before. During the scene where the telegraph-carrier and the Captain’s daughter were singing, Thunderlane and I went for the popcorn at the same time.
“Ow!” We were shushed by the occupants of the rows around us.
When Maria and Captain Von Trapp were singing together, we went for the drink at the same time. The effects this time were a bit more… dramatic. Our lips met for the briefest moment, and both of us turned as red as the stripes of the Austrian flag. We avoided each other’s eyes, embarrassed by what happened. When the movie finished, we exited, talking happily about the movie.
Afterward, he invited me to have lunch with him. We ate at a fairly nice restaurant, talking about the actors’ and actress’ performances. We agreed that the movie was excellent for such an old one. Thunderlane admitted that he could sing, which interested me. He didn’t reveal any more information (pouty face).
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After we’d finished eating, it was time to go get Rumble. As we were crossing the bridge, both of us twitched our ears towards the stream. I could hear somebody calling out. We looked in the direction of the sounds. Part of the stream had given way, and a mare was struggling to keep her head above the chilly water.
Without thinking, I turned and galloped straight towards her. When I reached the stream, I tested the ice. It was thin, but I would have to hope it could support my weight. I went over to the mare as quickly as possible, and laid down flat on the ice.
“Grab my hooves!” I shouted. “Come on!”
The panicky mare grabbed my hooves, and I tried to pull her out. I could feel the ice cracking underneath me. I lifted the mare up with all of my strength, pulling her over me, and using my hindlegs to launch her to safety. I had just enough time to see her land safely on the bank before the ice gave way beneath me.
The water was like white-hot fire, burning across my body. The pain stopped after a second, giving way to complete numbness. Time slowed as I sank through the water. My surroundings were made of white light and blue shadows, extending infinitely in all directions. I ran out of air, instinct forcing me to take in a lungful of the cold water. Without adequate oxygen, my surroundings began to grow black. Then dark hooves plunged into the water, grabbing my arm. I was lifted out of the water, and flown to the snowy bank.
The pain returned, this time inside and out. I took shivery breaths, the air turning to ice in my lungs. For once, I wished the darkness of unconsciousness would take me. But there was no solace from the pain, and it tore my nerves apart. But then I felt something soft and warm wrap itself around me.
“Go find someone!” shouted a stallion’s voice above me. “Quick!”
I heard hooves galloping away, and I looked up. Thunderlane had his arms and wings around me, trying to warm me up. I moved closer, trying to soak up his heat. The cold air stung like knives against my coat. He pulled me closer, tightening his soft feathers about me. My breathing was starting to even out, just barely.
“W-Where’s the mare?” I stuttered, my teeth chattering. “Is s-she alright?”
“Yeah.” he said, looking over his shoulder. “S-she’s fine.”
“You should t-take care of her. I’ll b-be f-fine.”
“She’s being taken care of. And you’re not fine.”
His arms tightened more, bringing me right up against his chest. I buried my nose in his fur, shivering violently. He smelled strangely good, and I found myself taking deep, long breaths. He was trembling too, though he hadn’t been in the water.
Then I felt his wings lift away. I looked up, wanting to know why. The snow reflected so much light, I was forced to squint to see better. There was a stallion and a mare, neither of whom I recognized. The stallion was of similar colors to me. But he was a unicorn, with a stronger and more muscular build. The mare was… an Alicorn. How many were there, and where were Celestia and Luna? This Alicorn had a light pink coat, and mane and tail were striped cream, pink, and purple. I looked up at Thunderlane, who had his head bowed respectfully.
“Your highnesses.” he said.
“Keep him warm.” said the mare, in a kind voice.
“Y-yes your highness.” His wings returned to their previous positions, though perhaps a bit less tightly.
I listened to the pair’s whispered conversation, attempting to make out what they were saying. I couldn’t, but I could detect the urgent tone in their voices.
“What is your name?” asked the mare.
“T-Thunderlane, your majesty.”
“Thunderlane, how far is your house?”
“It’s on the other side of town.”
There was a pause in the conversation, then the stallion spoke.
“The library is closer.” he said. “Would you help me carry him?”
“O-Of course.”
Again, Thunderlane’s wings removed themselves from me, accompanied by his arms. He held me steady, I was still shivering and wet. The stranger helped me stand, my legs completely unstable. Together, the three of us took a step forward. Beneath me, my legs gave way, and I fell face-first into the snow.
“This won’t work.” said the stallion. “Dearest?”
“Alright.” said the mare. “Thunderlane, your friend will be alright. He’ll be at the library, but you should probably go home, or wherever you were going.”
“Y-yes, your majesty.” said Thunderlane, backing away. He looked down at me. “S-see you later.” he said, his cheeks slightly red.
There was a flash of light, and the familiar feeling of teleportation magic. When our surroundings resolved themselves, we were inside the main room off the Ponyville library.
“North?” said Twilight, coming from around the statue of a horse’s head. She seemed didn’t seem surprised about the other two ponies. “What happened to you? Why do you have icicles in your feathers and mane?”
“We need to warm him up.” instructed the stallion. “Is the fire still lit?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
I felt myself being moved. I was laid down in front of the fireplace, which did indeed contain crackling red flames. The heat pouring off of it washed over me, defrosting my body and dulling the knives. I laid there for a while, until I felt I could move again. I sat up slowly, being careful so as to stay upright. A white hoof offered me a mug, which contained a steaming brown liquid. I accepted it, gratefully downing it after checking the temperature.
“You alright?” asked the stallion, taking the now-empty mug.
“I think so.”
“Can you move your wings?” I knew I couldn’t, but I tried again anyway. As expected, nothing.
“No. But I couldn’t move them anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Not a clue.” He nodded, taking the mug to the tree-house’s kitchen. While he was gone, Twilight came over. “Who is he?” I asked quietly.
“He’s my brother.” said Twilight. “Shining Armor.”
“And the other?”
“That’s Princess Cadence.” Princess? Where were Celestia and Luna? Shining Armor returned from the kitchen.
“Well,” he said, “who’s hungry?” I raised a hoof, and he laughed. “I’m on it.” He returned to the kitchen, and there soon came the sound of dishes and cupboards being moved and opened.
“Are you warm enough?” asked Princess Cadence. “Do you want a blanket?”
“No thank you.” I said. I didn’t bow, or even say ‘Your Majesty’. After knowing Celestia and Luna for over a year, I’d earned that right.
“Okay.” She didn’t object to my lack of reverence, but I was sure she’d noticed.
I stayed where I was, until Shining Armor called us. I stood, walking into the kitchen with the two alicorn mares. He’d set the table, so we all sat down. Shining Armor was directly in front of me, and the others sat down to my right and left. We began to eat. Twilight and Cadence both remarked on the good job he’d done. I remained silent, to busy thinking about the way Thunderlane had looked at me earlier.
“What do you think?” said Shining Armor, breaking my mental reverie. “Too much salt?”
“It’s fine.” I said simply.
“Do you like it?” he asked. Neither mare seemed to notice, but he was pouting… playfully?
“It’s good.” I said, taking another bite. He grinned, looking inexplicably happy with my comment.
Later on, I was listening to the mares talk about escapades Twilight had gotten into when she’d been younger. Cadence was her old foal-sitter, so they were laughing together about her antics. During one particularly hilarious story, I managed a grin. It was then, when I felt something brush against my hoof. I looked across the table at Shining Armor, whose expression was completely innocent. However, it happened again, and this time it was definitely a hoof.
He was playing hoofsie? With me?
I brushed back experimentally, trying to get a reaction out of him. So as to appear uninvolved, I returned my attention to the conversation. Our hooves brushed together for several minutes. I received another shock, when one time, his hoof didn’t pull away. Instead, it remained in prolonged contact with mine. I had to summon all of my willpower to avoid turning my head to face him. It was a close thing, and I was saved by a funny comment about Twilight and snakes.
After dinner, we returned to the living room. The conversation continued, this time about events in the Crystal Empire. Since when was that back? I didn’t ask, since my ignorance would definitely expose me.
“We’ll handle the dishes.” said Cadence, indicating herself and Twilight. “Why don’t you two get to know each other?” She and Twilight left, going into the kitchen.
“So,” said Shining Armor, “what do you get up to?”
“Not much.” I said. “I just… hang out.”
“Cool. Got a special somepony?”
“No.”
“Well… there’s something you should know.”
“What?”
He tilted his head up, his mouth next to my ear. “You’ve got a nice flank.”
I simultaneously turned red and jerked back. “W-What?” I said breathlessly.
“I said…” he whispered, putting a hoof on my leg. “You’ve got a nice flank.” His hoof started to travel upwards. I jumped off of the couch, backing away.
“Um… de… er…” I babbled incomprehensibly. “You…”
He followed me, backing me into a wall. He wasn’t any taller than me, but I felt really small. Faintly, I realized I’d slid down the wall.
“Why’re you doing this?” I asked.
“You’re really, really sexy.” he said, sticking his nose into my mane. He took a deep breath, and I tried to scoot sideways and escape. He caught me with his arms. I saw his face for a second, then he kissed me. I groaned, unwillingly enjoying the feeling. His ears were red, and his cheeks flushed. I pushed him off of me, slipping out from under his arms and backing away.
“You’re married!” I protested.
“This was her idea.” he said. “We thought you’d like it.”
“N-No… I-I don’t!”
“You sure?” he asked, getting so close I was forced to sit. “Because you certainly sounded like you did.”
“You kissed me! What was I supposed to do? Cough?!”
“Well.” he said, putting his hooves on my shoulders. He was really close, but I found myself… liking it. “You sure you don’t find me at all… attractive?”
I blushed even redder. “Well, I-I…”
“Your cheeks and ears are talking for you.” He kissed me again, just as passionately as the previous time. He drew away, his breath shaky.
“You want to take this upstairs?” he asked, rubbing my flank seductively.
“I-I want you to stop.” I said, removing his hoof. “I-It’s just… wrong.”
“She’s okay with it.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s right! And I barely know you! We met three hours ago!”
“So?” he said, walking a hoof up my leg. I shivered, removing it.
“How can I do this if I don’t even trust you yet?” I asked. “And what reason have you given me too?”
He leaned forward and whispered something in my ear. Warmth flooded through my heart and mind, and I pounded on him. I pinned him to the ground with my hooves. He stared up at me, looking surprised by the sudden reversal of positions.
“Prove it.” I whispered. I had to be sure. He whispered a short, four word sentence in my ear.
And I kissed him.
___________________________________________
When the mares returned, Shining Armor and I were deep in conversation. He’d asked me about the old Royal Guard, so I was supplying him with all the details I could remember. He was fascinated with every bit of the information, occasionally asking questions about one aspect of life or another. He thanked me for designing the armor, and especially for the identity-protection it provided.
“You two seem to be getting along.” said Twilight.
“Yeah.” said Shining Armor, ruffling my mane then wrapping an arm around me. “North’s a pretty cool guy.” My cheeks glowed faintly, as I remembered our make-out session.
“Well,” I said, removing his arm and standing, “it was nice meeting you two. But I should probably get back to Thunderlane’s house.”
“Must you?” asked Shining Armor, grinning suggestively.
“Yes.” I said, my cheeks growing warmer. “Bye.” He nodded, his wide smile making me uncomfortable. I walked to the door, which Cadence opened for me.
“Have a nice night?” she asked. It was definitely a question.
“Yes.” I said, not looking her in the eye. “The… conversation… was interesting.”
“Good night.” she said, closing the door to a crack. “Polaris.” The door closed, and I stared at it for a second. Then I started walking back to Thunderlane’s house.
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When I arrived, I knocked on the door. It was shortly answered by Rumble, who bowled me over. “You’re okay!” he shouted happily. “Thunderlane said you-”
“Rumble?” came Thunderlane’s voice. “Are you letting him in or attacking him?” He appeared in the doorway, and waved Rumble off of me. He helped me stand.
“You feeling better?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I said. I was happy to see him. “Loads.”
“Good!” He looked happy to see me too. “Let’s go inside.” I followed him in, Rumble running ahead of us.
“Come on Rumble!” he called after his brother. “You have to get a bath!”
“Need help?” I asked.
“If you’re up to it.”
I grinned, crouching down. “Let’s get ’im!”
We chased him all over the house, repeating the previous day’s events. He hid under Thunderlane’s bed again, and this time I checked to make sure Thunderlane wasn’t there. And yet, somehow, he turned up again.
“OWW!”
This time, our noses collided painfully. Both of us went limp against the floor, clutching our throbbing noses. In the dark twilight underneath the bed, his face seemed… different. He looked really nice. I pushed the thought aside, determined to catch that colt.
We finally cornered him, and went through the bathtime rituals. He again soaked us in a tidal wave, leaving both of us dripping. After we’d finished with him, Thunderlane and I got showered. He helped me with my wings again, but his touch seemed almost… hmm.
When we’d finished with that, he went to tuck Rumble in, and I went to my room.
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I laid awake for hours. I tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. But no matter what I did, I felt too full of energy. After one particularly exhausting and violent twist, I laid still, panting. I rubbed a hoof through my mane, trying to figure out why I couldn’t sleep. Behind me, the door opened.
“North?” said Thunderlane, walking quietly into the room. “You okay?”
“I can’t sleep.” I said wearily. “I just can’t get comfortable.”
There was a moment of silence, then the bed creaked behind me. I felt the bed sag slightly under a new source of weight. Then I felt something warm behind me. A careful hoof touched my back, moving up and down. I relaxed, letting Thunderlane rub my back. My eyelids grew heavy, his gentle massage relaxing my hyperactive mind.
“Good night, Thunderlane.” I whispered. Just before I drifted off, I heard his softly whispered reply.
“Good night, North.”