After the strange, and quite frankly, random vision Thunderblast and his friends had at the old ruins in the Everfree, they went into a day of hiding until things cooled down. They begun to wonder why there were ponies following and looking for them. Will they ever know? Probably not. In the mean time, after the commotion faded, Thunder flew up to Cloudsdale to spend some time with his marefriend. Instead of going to Ponyville for the day, they went to a park and...played like foals?
The two chased each other around the mostly-vacant cloud-assembled playground. They played tag, which wasn't fair for Thunder considering Rainbow Dash was three times faster than him in reflexes and speed. That, and she cheated once by flying after him.
"Hey! You can't fly!" Thunder said, after getting playfully knocked down.
"Who says I can't?" Rainbow let out a small chuckle, smirking and spitting a raspberry his way.
"Oh, you asked for it," he said, flying up and grabbing her, before tickling under her wings.
Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. "Nooo! Sto-ha-ha-ha-ap Th-Thunder!" She winced, as he tickled her wings more, but also trapping her in an inescapable grip. The tickling was then followed by Thunder being pinned gently against a cloud tree. He struggled to move, but also wasn't trying because he didn't care. Soon after, Rainbow Dash sat in his lap, laying her head on his warm chest, listening to his gentle heartbeat as she did.
"Mmm," she sighed happily.
"I love you, Dashie."
"I love you too, Thundey."
The two snuggled there, apathetic to those who trotted or floated by and watched, a couple in disgust that they would do such a thing in a park centered towards foals. At one point, Thunder gave a warning growl at a mare who wouldn't stop trotting by, looking at them in utter disgust each time she did. Not long after, she stopped bugging them, Rainbow Dash unconscious to the fact that somepony was actually there.
As the day passed slowly, the air begun to cool, with frigid breezes brushing through their coats, causing Dash to shiver.
"Brr... Is it just me or is it getting cold out here?" She said, trembling slightly.
"It is... I can tell we'll have an early winter this year," Thunder replied.
"What m-makes you think that?" Rainbow asked, still trembling.
Thunder wrapped his wings around her, to shield her from the freezing breeze, before pointing at the sky.
"Those birds are headed south, and it's only September," Thunder said as he watched a massive flock of birds deviate south.
"Don't they normally do that?" Rainbow Dash asked in confusion, while snuggling into his soft wing feathers.
"From what I know, they fly south in October or November around here. Then again, I never really pay attention," Thunder said back, chuckling lightly.
"Aah," Rainbow nuzzled the grey pegasus' wings. "You have soft wings. You know that, right big boy?"
"Well, it kind of is a regulation to have your feathers well taken care of while in the guard." Thunderblast said, stroking Rainbow's mane.
"Huh, I thought you boys were always rough stallions who don't mind getting dirty?" Rainbow said sarcastically.
"I mean, I don't mind getting dirty," Thunder shrugged. "But it's not like we don't shower every day, Dashie," he chuckled.
Rainbow Dash let out another light chuckle. "I know, Thundy," She snuggled into his wings and chest, which acted as a blanket around her. "Do you realize how cute you are?"
"My parents called me cute...so...kind of," Thunder replied.
"No, Thunder. I mean, you're...really...REALLY cute...Like...it's hard to explain how cute you are. You're the perfect stallion that i'm sure any mare would want. You're big, strong, caring, warm-hearted...a great pillow," she paused, and they both laughed some. "I don't know one mare who doesn't love royal guards. I just can't believe one actually likes somepony like me."
Thunderblast looked down at her. "I don't like you, Dashie."
"Oh..." She replied in a sad tone, before getting a kiss to the cheek.
"I love you," Thunder continued, smiling.
Rainbow Dash smiled and let out a cute squeak, and Thunder chuckled.
"I love it when you squeak too. It's so unbelievably adorable," Thunder smiled warmly.
Before anything else could happen, Rainbow Dash tightly wrapped her hooves around his body, directly over his wings, before squeezing him with all her might. The result was a small squeak, similar to a toy meant for a dog or a cat.
"D'aww, Thunder! I've never heard you squeak before!" Rainbow blushed and giggled.
"Uh...that...wasn't a squeak," Thunder's cheeks blushed a dark red.
"Oh, yes it was." Rainbow said back, before squeezing him again, making him squeak louder and blush harder. "That is so cute! A royal guard who squeaks like a mouse!"
Thunder then groaned, knowing he had been defeated. He then hugged her, massaging her back lightly, his wings still around her. "Yes, that was a squeak then."
Rainbow Dash nuzzled his chest, beginning to purr like a kitten. When she opened her eyes and looked at a clock pole near them, she gasped. "Oh my, Thunder. My dad's gonna kill me!" She said, before quickly pushing out from under his wings and hooves.
"What? Why?"
"He wanted me home thirty minutes ago!" Rainbow said in panic mode.
"Oh...Let's get you home then."
"Ugh... Where the hell is that mare?" A periwinkle stallion, just a hair smaller than Thunderblast, said as he trotted in circles by the front door. Moments later, a knock came. He opened the door and saw Rainbow Dash staring in slight fear.
"Dad, I'm so sorry. I wasn't keeping track of time," Rainbow Dash said, bracing herself for a lecture.
"You're over thirty minutes late, Dashie. Get your flank in here," the stallion glared, Rainbow Dash struggled to ignore his angry look.
Thunderblast sighed from down the short path leading to their house, before turning tail to fly away.
"Hold on, boy. You get in here too," the stallion said, staring out the door at Thunder.
Thunder's heart sank at that moment. He knew Rainbow's father didn't like him that much, and didn't believe he was worthy enough to be called one of Celestia's guards. Thunder trotted up to the door, where Rainbow's father had sat down on the couch.
"Come in...and sit down," he said.
Thunderblast's muscles tightened as he slowly shut the door behind him, and sat down next to Dash.
"No, you two, sit apart!" Her father yelled in displeasure.
The two scooted apart quickly, before eying the stallion.
"Now, you both knew, you BOTH knew, you had to be back by four-fifteen." The stallion said, eying Rainbow Dash.
"Dad, we're sorry! I swear we lost track of time!" Rainbow proclaimed.
"Excuses, Dashie. I can tell when you are using them. May I ask why you begun dating this stallion in the first place?"
"Dad! He's the only stallion who shows love for me, who cares for me! And I love him back..." She said, smiling lightly at Thunder before returning a blank expression her fathers way.
"He isn't the stallion for you! If you ask me, I think Soarin was a better choice!" Her father yelled, sitting forward in hostility.
"You wanted me to date...a...a...a rapist...a kidnapper?" Rainbow shouted, her voice filling with fear and anger.
Her father stared at her, his jaw hanging open. "He kidnapped you and RAPED YOU?!" He said, standing on all four hooves.
"Uh...d-did I say that?" Rainbow stuttered, backing against the couch cushion as her father came around the coffee table and up in her face.
"You're in trouble for not telling me, missy. You're going to tell me everything that he did, so I can rip him apart," her father said in a menacing voice.
"Dad...n-no!"
"DASH, I SHOULD BEAT YOU RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOUR WORTHLESS COLTFRIEND FOR NOT TELLING ME THAT SOARIN GUY TOUCHED YOU THAT WAY!"
"DAD!"
"DON'T YOU DAD ME. YOU'RE LUCKY TO STILL HAVE ME. I'M ONLY TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU. IS WHAT I'M DOING NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?!"
"DAD!!"
"DID I RAISE YOU FOR NOTHING? DID I RAISE YOU TO BECOME THE MARE YOU ARE NOW?"
"D-dad..."
"APPARENTLY YOU WANT YOUR MOTHER TO PARENT YOU, NOT ME. YOU WISH I DIED INSTEAD, DIDN'T YOU?"
Rainbow Dash sat there speechless, whimpering lightly and on the verge of crying. She looked up at her dad, who had shoved his forehooves into the cushion behind her like some maniac, and was literally inhaling and exhaling like a bull. Thunderblast, on the other hoof, watched with his jaw hanging open. Moments later, Dash started to cry, and the stallion's eyes before her turned glassy, his irises beginning to tremble.
"Oh Dashie..." He pulled the rainbow-maned mare into a hug as she sobbed.
Thunder just simply watched as they embraced. He was absolutely speechless, and like most would be, utter shock.
"I should have died...you're right...your mother didn't have to do what she did.."
At that moment, Thunder realized Rainbow's mother must have fallen to a similar fate of his, which also brought him to tears. Without hesitation, he hugged them both. And for once, her father didn't flinch. As a matter of fact, it comforted him slightly.
"I-I miss mom..." Rainbow cried as the two stallions hugged her.
"I know, Dashie..." Her father said, stroking her mane. "I miss mom too," he continued, glancing up at a picture of a sky-blue pegasus mare with a yellow mane, wearing a candy-cane scarf around her neck, and smiling at the camera.