//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Hearts and Hooves // Story: Time Lord: The Story of North Star // by Thrawn1800 //------------------------------// “Han mathon ne nen.” I can feel it in the water. Chapter 14 Thunderlane woke to the first rays of sunlight, which were pouring in through the cracks in the window shades. He closed his eyes to shut out the unwanted incursion of day. He felt something brush against his outstretched wing, and smiled. It was wonderful, not waking up alone anymore. It was great being so near to someone he loved so much. Just over a week ago, he’d woken a lot later than usual. He’d panicked, only to find that North had already taken Rumble to school, fed and everything. He hummed contentedly, nuzzling into North’s mane. It also turned out, that when he’d gone to see Fluttershy, he’d also stopped by Sweet Apple Acres. And while there, he’d gotten a part-time job. Thunderlane smiled. North hadn’t needed to do that, and when he’d told him so, North had said: “I know. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t.” He laid there for a while longer, a sense of absolute contentment permeating through him. But slowly, something seemed to eat away at this pleasant feeling. It was like he’d forgotten something. Something really important, but what-? “Gah!” he shouted, as the memory resurfaced with a mental bang. He jumped so hard he launched himself out of bed and landed on the floor with a crash. When his eyes refocused, he found himself on his back, head towards the bed, looking up at a confused North. “Are you okay?” asked North, leaning down over the edge of the bed. “What was that about?” “Nothing.” said Thunderlane with a falsely calm voice. “That didn’t sound like nothing.” “I’m fine.” “Okay.” said North, who was still looking down at him from the bed. “Well, good morning.” “Good morning.” He gave North an upside-down kiss. North smiled. “Hungry?” he asked, poking Thunderlane playfully on the nose. “Yeah.” Thunderlane rolled over to evade North’s hoof. North jumped off of the bed, and stretched his back out. He straightened up, then followed Thunderlane down to the kitchen, being as quiet as possible as the passed Rumble’s room. It was a weekend, so there was no reason to wake him up. Somehow, the smell of food did not draw Rumble from his room. So the two of them ate a quiet, companionable breakfast. All the while, Thunderlane’s mind was racing, trying desperately to find a way out of this life-threatening situation. He had the package from Rarity, hoof-delivered by Noteworthy. But he still needed to figure out the rest of his plan. “I need to drop by Sweet Apple Acres this morning.” said North. “Applejack asked me to take a look at the apple cellar’s support beams, and make sure they’re holding up well.” “Okay.” said Thunderlane, who was grateful for the extra time this would give him to make plans. When they’d finished eating, they washed their dishes. Then North left to go assist Applejack, while Thunderlane went upstairs to check on Rumble. As he’d suspected, he was awake. But he was already absorbed in a book he’d checked out the other day. That was expected though, since it was the latest in the Daring Do series. North had borrowed it from him last night, promising not to lose his place. He’d then proceeded to finish the book over the course of about a minute. When North had given it back to Rumble, both he and Thunderlane had been staring at him with looks of astonishment. “Rumble?” he said, trying to get his brother’s attention. “Hey, buddy?” “Hmm?” said Rumble, his eyes remaining fixed on the book. “I’m going out for a while, okay?” “Okay.” “There’s some leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry, okay?” Rumble just nodded in answer. “Bye.” said Thunderlane, turning to leave. “Bye.” Thunderlane left the house, and looked around the street. It was shaping up to be a beautiful spring day. The air was cool, just slightly damp from the recent rainfall. The ground was completely snow free, and the sky was a brilliant shade of cobalt blue. He turned his head to the left, looking down the street in the general direction of Caramel’s house. He nodded to himself. Caramel would be the right pony to ask about this. The flight to Caramel’s house was as quick as ever, and he landed at the front door. He knocked, and it wasn’t long before Caramel answered. “Hi Thunderlane.” he said, smiling cheerfully. “How are you?” “Hi Caramel.” said Thunderlane. “I’m fine. Can I talk to you for a minute?” “Sure. Come on in” “Thanks.” Thunderlane brushed his hooves off, then stepped inside. Caramel’s house was as neat as usual, except for the recently used kitchen. “How can I help you?” asked Caramel. “It’s about North.” “Oh?” Caramel didn’t seem particularly upset by the subject, but Thunderlane did notice a certain flickering of the eyes and sharpness of voice that might have suggested otherwise. He shrugged it off. “I nearly forgot what today was.” said Thunderlane. “And I’m not sure what to do.” “Well…” said Caramel, who sat down on the hall rug. “North really likes Sugarcube Corner.” “Great!” said Thunderlane. “Does he have any favorites?” “You mean besides the walnut muffins?” Thunderlane laughed. “Yeah.” “Hmm…” Caramel thought for a moment. “He really enjoys pies.” “What kind?” “He’s never really told me what his favorite was. I’m not so sure he even has one.” “He works at Sweet Apple Acres.” “Doesn’t mean he likes apple pie.” Thunderlane nodded. “Is there anything else you can remember?” “Do you know how the Cutie Mark Crusaders did that dinner thing for a while?” asked Caramel. Thunderlane nodded, he remembered it very distinctly. “Well, the first pair they did it for was the two of us.” “Really? I didn’t know that.” “Yeah. He really seemed to enjoy that.” “He did live in a castle, with royalty and everything.” “You can hardly tell, though.” said Caramel. “He’s never snooty or pompous like a lot of Canterlot ponies.” Thunderlane nodded in agreement. “It’s really subtle.” They were silent for a moment, before he spoke again. “So he enjoys fancier foods. Thanks Caramel.” “You’re welcome.” After Caramel’s house, he wandered around Ponyville, trying to figure out what his next move should be. Fancy food didn’t really narrow it down much, since Ponyville had a wide range of restaurants to choose from. Who would know about that sort of thing? The most obvious answer came to him. Rarity. He started for her house, hoping desperately that she was still home. He knocked on the door to the shop, since it was more likely she’d be there than the house section of the Boutique. When there was no answer, he knocked again. He repeated the process several times, until he was sure that she was either out, or so engrossed in work that she wouldn’t be of any help to him anyway. Since he couldn’t find Rarity, what should he do? Who else did he know that could be of assistance? Twilight knew a good deal about the town, even though she’d only lived there for a few years. So, he was off to the library. The sun was climbing steadily higher into the sky, and before long it would begin its descent towards the west. He walked by an outdoor cafe, where several couples were clearly enjoying themselves. What had North thought when he hadn’t said anything this morning? So far, he’d been counting on North’s generally relaxed nature. But as in any case of panic, his mind began to create insane scenarios. He shook his head to rid it of the distraction. It was stupid to think like that. North didn’t do that sort of thing. That was sort of a benefit of not dating a mare. Though, Thunderlane supposed, there must be some stallions who would act like that. He knocked on the library door, hoping that unlike Rarity, Twilight would be available to help him solve his dilemma. When the door was answered, Spike was the one standing behind it. “Hi Spike.” he said. “Is Twilight in? I need her help with something.” “She’s here.” said Spike, letting Thunderlane by. “She’s over by the history section.” “Thanks.” He walked through the library, over to the shelves dedicated to history. As Spike had said, Twilight was perusing through the books of that section. “Twilight?” he said, in an attempt to catch her attention. He was successful, and she looked away from the books. “Hello Thunderlane.” she said brightly. “Can I help you?” “I hope so.” He told her about his plan, then explained what he needed her help with. “Well, there are quite a few of them, aren’t there?” She rubbed the side of her head, thinking. “Do you know the French place over by the east stream?” “You mean the one between the plant shop and the furniture store?” “Yes.” “You think he’d like that one?” She nodded. “They have a very good salad there, and the French onion soup is amazing.” “Thanks for the help.” he said, turning to go. “Say, do you know where Rarity might be?” “Last I saw her, she was hanging out with Rainbow Dash.” “Do you know where?” “They were having lunch at Sugarcube Corner. I don’t know if they’re still there, though.” “Thanks. I’ll go see if I can find them.” “You’re welcome.” As he was about to leave, Twilight called after him. “Oh, and Thunderlane?” “Yeah?” he said, turning back around. “I hope you two have a good time.” He smiled. “Thanks.” He found Rarity and Rainbow Dash inside of Sugarcube Corner, and was lucky he’d arrived when did. Rarity had just paid for their lunches, and they had been in the process of leaving. “Good afternoon, Thunderlane.” said Rarity. “How are you?” “I’m alright.” he said. “Rarity, I was wondering if you could help me with something.” “Of course. Is it to do with the ‘package’?” “No, the ‘package’ was fine. Thanks for that, by the way.” “Your welcome. But if it is not the ‘package’, what is it?” He told her what he’d told Twilight, and she nodded. “I see. I quite agree with Twilight, though. North will definitely enjoy the French cuisine at the Lieu de Manger.” “Is that what it’s called?” “Indeed. I presume you know where it is?” “Yes. I’ve never been inside before, though.” “Don’t worry. It is an excellent restaurant, the prices are equally satisfactory.” “Thanks for your help Rarity.” “You’re welcome.” “Hey, Rarity?” “Yes?” “I, uh… don’t know much about that sort of clothing. Could you stop by and help me with it? “Of course. When would you like me to come?” “Is five alright?” “That will be fine. I’ll see you then.” “Thanks. See you later.” He walked off to go get ready, while the two mares giggled. “He has no idea, does he?” said Rarity. “Not a clue.” said Rainbow Dash. “He’s going to be so surprised when North gets back from ‘Sweet Apple Acres’.” ___________________________________________ When it was about three thirty, Thunderlane took a shower, scrubbing his slightly sweaty fur to glistening cleanliness. He made sure he got his charcoal feathers straightened out with a thorough preening. He didn’t do it very often, since he was fairly good at keeping his feathers in order without resorting to this method. But tonight, he felt it would probably improve his appearance. He checked on Rumble, and found him engrossed in another book. He walked over, and tapped Rumble on the shoulder. “Huh?” said Rumble looking up from the pages. “North and I’ll be out for a while tonight.” said Thunderlane. “Will you be alright on your own?” “I was okay while you were out earlier.” he said pointedly. “Okay. Thanks buddy.” Rumble nodded, and returned to his book. At exactly five o’clock, Thunderlane heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by the ever punctual Rarity. He showed her in, then retrieved the brown package Noteworthy had delivered from its hiding place. This took a while, as he’d had to be extremely cautious when hiding it so as to prevent North from finding it by accident. “Thank you for your help, Rarity.” he said, setting the package down on the couch and opening it. “I’m not used to this sort of thing.” “It’s no trouble.” she said, pulling out the item from its paper wrappings. “Just take care of it.” “Of course.” She helped him slip it on, being careful not to tug on his wings. He frowned self-consciously. “Do you think he’ll like what I’ve got planned?” “I’m sure he’d appreciate anything that came from you. Stop worrying and try to have a good time!” He nodded, taking a deep breath. She was right, of course. But that still didn’t stop him from worrying. Once they’d finished, she stepped back to check him over. She straightened out his collar, then nodded in satisfaction. “There you go.” she said. “I must say, I had no idea you looked so good in a suit. This really is quite flattering on you.” “Thanks again.” he said. “You’re quite welcome. Is there anything else you need?” “No, thank you.” She walked over to the door, which he opened for her. “Well, goodbye for now.” She left, and he closed the door behind her. He walked back into the living room and over to the couch to wait for North to get back. ___________________________________________ It wasn’t a long wait. North opened the door, and walked in. Thunderlane had turned off the lights in the living room, in an attempt to surprise North. “Thunderlane?” called North. Thunderlane didn’t answer him, wanting North to find him on his own. After hesitating for several seconds, North walked into the living room. “Hello?” Thunderlane flicked on the lights, making North blink in surprise. “Thunderlane?” North’s eyes flicked up and down. “What’re you wearing?” “Do you like it?” asked Thunderlane. He was wearing a long white dress shirt with a collar similar to North’s, as well as a black vest. Instead of a bow tie, though, he was wearing a traditional red tie, which was tucked neatly into the vest. North nodded. “You look really handsome.” Thunderlane grinned, feeling some of the nervous anticipation draining away. “Thanks.” “But there’s got to be more to this than just a new suit.” said North, circling around him. “Do you have something else to tell me?” “You’re right. Would you like to go to dinner with me?” North grinned. “Of course! Just let me go clean up a bit.” North hurried upstairs, and returned shortly. He’d put on his own collar and bowtie, and his mane was freshly washed. “Ready?” asked Thunderlane. North nodded, so they walked over to the door. Thunderlane opened it for him, and North stepped through. “Thank you.” said North, taking up a position next to Thunderlane as they began to make their way through town. “Where are we going?” “It’s a surprise.” North pouted playfully. “You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?” “No.” Thunderlane wrapped a wing around him, giving him a gentle squeeze. North smiled, leaning against him. Their hooves fell in time with each other as they went, and North nuzzled his neck. They took a left turn around Town Hall, passing through where there were usually many stands and carts, all of which had closed earlier than usual. When they arrived at Lieu de Manger, North looked up at him. “We’re going in there?” asked North, indicating the restaurant. “Is that okay?” asked Thunderlane nervously. “More than fine.” said North. “That’s great! But how did you…?” “I had some help.” he admitted sheepishly. “I assume you’re happy?” “Very!” They walked up to the door, where Thunderlane again opened the door for him. North stepped through, and Thunderlane followed. They walked up to the maître d’hôtel, who smiled pleasantly. “Table for two?” he asked. “Yes please.” said Thunderlane. The stallion nodded, and called forward a waiter. “Follow me.” He escorted them through the tables, most of which were occupied. The floor was covered in carpet, which was soft, short, and dark red. The waiter took them up a flight of stairs, and had them sit down at one of the tables that overlooked the main restaurant floor. “Would you like to start with something to drink?” asked the waiter. “I’d like a glass of ‘79 Merlot, please.” said Thunderlane. “I’ll just have water, please.” said North. Neither the waiter nor Thunderlane challenged him, though it was obvious that the waiter was confused. Nevertheless, he nodded, and left to get them their requested beverages. They picked up their menus, and began perusing their options. “North?” said Thunderlane cautiously. “Um… why…?” “Why no wine?” said North, not looking up from his menu. “There are several reasons. One of them, is that there are lightweights, and then there’s me.” “Oh.” “Actually… I don’t really know whether or not this regeneration can take more than the last one.” He shrugged. “But honestly, I’d rather not find out. It isn’t really worth it.” “Okay.” Thunderlane had understood about half of that, but enough to grasp what North had meant. “Another reason,” North continued, “is that since you’ll at least be slightly intoxicated from your drink, you’ll probably need some assistance getting home.” Thunderlane nodded in agreement and thanks. “I know what I’m having.” said North. “You?” “Hmm… yes.” When the waiter returned with their drinks, they placed their orders. They struck up a conversation about the latest escapades of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, which easily elicited laughter from the both of them. When the salad arrived, they thanked the waiter, and he left. They served themselves, and began crunching away at the freshy, crispy leaves. After the salad, the waiter brought them their main courses. North blew the steam away from his bowl of soup, then he took a cautious sip. He smiled happily, and took another gulp out of it. “Isn’t that hot?” asked Thunderlane. “Not really.” said North unconcernedly. Thunderlane let it go, and began eating his own food. The two of them took occasional pauses to take a few mouthfuls, while continuing their conversation. After his first two glasses of wine, Thunderlane felt a pleasant buzz settle over him. The waiter returned, and took their empty bowls. “Would you care for dessert?” he asked. “That would be nice.” said North. “Two plates of fraise à savarin, please.” said Thunderlane. The waiter nodded and left. “I thought you didn’t know much about french food.” “I don’t. I saw that on the menu earlier, and I thought you’d enjoy it.” North nodded. When the waiter returned, and placed the dishes in front of them, his face lit up. “This looks good!” he said happily. On his plate was a slice of a cake-like bread, which was dusted with powdered sugar, and was topped with plump, bright red strawberries. The two of them dug in with zest, savoring the sweet and tangy flavor of the desert. When they’d finished, Thunderlane prepared to pay the bill. Before the waiter got there, North leaned over and whispered in his ear. Thunderlane nodded in agreement. “Will that be all?” asked the waiter, when he’d returned to their table. “I’d like to get a small box of your macarons to go, please.” said Thunderlane. “I’ll be right back with that. Here is the bill.” The waiter left, and Thunderlane picked up the piece of paper he’d left behind. He was pleasantly surprised. “Huh. They really do have good prices here.” After the waiter had returned with the box, and Thunderlane had paid the bill, they left the restaurant. As North had predicted, Thunderlane was light-headed from his drink, and was leaning a bit heavily on North. He apologized, but North didn’t seem to mind. When they arrived home, North let them in. Thunderlane sat down on the couch, while North took the box of desserts to the kitchen. When he returned, he undid his tie, sighing relaxedly. “Thank you.” he said. “That was very nice.” “You’re welcome.” said Thunderlane. “I’m glad you had a nice time.” North sat down next to him. His hoof wandered from Thunderlane’s side, up and behind his neck. He pulled Thunderlane’s head down to be level with his. They kissed, gently at first, but then it became a fiercer embrace. When they broke apart, both had to take several deep gulps of air to regain to catch their breath. North grinned, nuzzling Thunderlane appreciatively. North let him go, and scooted back a few inches to give Thunderlane some breathing room. “I have something for you.” said North. He held out a white envelope, which Thunderlane took. “You didn’t have to.” said Thunderlane. “Well, neither did you.” said North. “Go ahead and open it.” “Okay.” Thunderlane did, and pulled out two small white squares of paper, albeit stronger than the envelope they’d been inside of. He stared at them, dumbstruck. “These aren’t…” he said. He looked up at North. “Are they?” “They are. One for you, and one for Rumble.” “Rumble?” Thunderlane’s eyes began to water. “I… he…” The tears began to pour down his cheeks. The gift was so special, because he’d never been able to make the time and be able to afford to do something like this with Rumble. He sniffled. “Have I ever mentioned what an amazing coltfriend you are?” He hugged North, who seemed a bit surprised at the response he was getting. North didn’t move, clearly confused and unsure how to proceed. Thunderlane let him go, though still keeping  his hooves on North’s shoulders. “How on earth did you get these?” asked Thunderlane. “The show’s in Cloudsdale, and it’s been booked for over three months!” “Rainbow Dash pulled a few strings.” “Is that where you’ve really been?” “I did go to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack.” said North defensively. “It just didn’t take nearly as long as I let on it would.” “You’re fantastic.” Thunderlane hugged him again, and this time North was able to hug him back. North tucked his head next to Thunderlane’s jawbone, letting Thunderlane wrap him in a feathery embrace. It was nice to have this moment in the quiet. Though the evening had been enjoyable, there was something about the simplicity of the two of them being alone together that felt far more special. “I love you.” he whispered into North’s ear, who nuzzled into his neck. “I love you too.” “Aww!” They broke apart, looking around for the source. Rumble was watching them with a diabolically cute grin. “Rumble!” said Thunderlane. “How’d it go?” “Um… fine?” North looked up at him, and raised and mouthed: Macrons? Thunderlane shuddered, and shook his head. Tomorrow. “What’re you two talking about?” asked Rumble. “Come here, buddy.” said Thunderlane. “North has a surprise for us.” “What is it?” asked Rumble, walking over. “But you already know about it.” pointed out North. “So it’s a surprise for him, right?” “What is it?” asked Rumble again, his face full of youthful earnestness. “Take a look.” said Thunderlane, patting the couch between him and North. Rumble hopped up, and once he was settled Thunderlane showed him the tickets. “Are those…?” said Rumble. Both of the stallions detected the building up of energy within the colt, and instinctively backed away slightly. “Tickets to a Wonderbolt Show?” “Yep! You and I are going to a Wonderbolt Show!” “Really?!” Rumble sprang to his hooves. “Yes, really!” said Thunderlane, who braced himself, and saw North do the same. “YES!” Rumble pounced on Thunderlane, who was grateful he’d taken the precaution to hold himself up with a hoof. “Thank you thank you thank you!” “Don’t thank me. North’s the one who got the tickets for us.” Rumble turned around, and redirected his hug onto North. He took a deep breath, then… “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you-!” “I think he’s happy about it.” said North. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you-!” “Ya think?” When they finally got Rumble to calm down to a less destructive hyperactiveness, they were able to get him to bathe without much difficulty. He was too fixated on exhilarated anticipation to put up much of a fight, and they even managed to avoid getting drenched at any point during his bath. Once Thunderlane had gotten him to sleep, he rejoined North, who’d developed a habit of picking one book out of the house’s collection, and reading it through. “You ready to shower?” asked Thunderlane. “Yeah.” North said. He put the book back on its shelf, then he followed Thunderlane upstairs. After they’d showered, they went to bed. It having been a long day, neither of them felt up to anything besides sleep. North laid down with his back to Thunderlane, who scooched over so his chest and stomach were flush against North’s back. He wrapped his arms and wings around North. He sighed contentedly, relaxing himself fully into the bed and pillows. He buried his nose into North’s thick blue mane, taking a long breath through his nose. “Today was a great day.” Thunderlane mumbled happily. “It was.” North whispered. He yawned softly, wrapping a foreleg around one of Thunderlane’s own. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome.” Thunderlane, who tucked a hind leg gently around one of North’s. “And one more thing.” Thunderlane whispered, when the two of them were almost asleep. “Hmm?” “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day.”