“It’s ok Sugarcube. It’s ain’t all as bad as ya making it all to be ya know.” Applejack’s country droll reassured, her tone trying to keep up the appearance of that of good natured and compassionate.
“I SENT MY COLTFRIEND TO THE HOSPITAL!”
Of course Twilight’s shrill of sadness and self-loathing seemed to be winning in the end.
Applejack couldn’t help but cringed a little at Twilight’s admission though, the lavender mare’s face showing a mixture of rage, revulsion and shame, all mixed up into one purple and pink maned package. The orange apple farmer had to admit to herself, when saying it it the context she was yelling it, it sounded pretty bad.
“Well…He forgave ya, didn’t he?” Applejack tried to counter halfheartedly.
“TO. THE. HOSPITAL!” The lavender mare repeated, her hooves burying themselves into her face with a soft smack.
“Hello you two…Right here ya know…” Said a familiar mohawk wearing stallion. Thunderlane adjusted himself in the bed as he tried to find a more comfortable position. “And I’ve had way worse crashes then that toss you gave me Twi. I’m fine. Really. See?” The stallion reached over and gave his bandaged wing a poke with a hoof, searing hot pain shooting through his wing, down his back, and rounding about all the way to his head and out his body, causing the stallion to twitch violently upon the bed before giving the most unconvincing smile ever conceived. “See…Doesn’t…Hurt…At all…” He turned away, whispering softly to himself. “All i know is pain…Horrible, agonizing, pain...”
“Thunderlane! Stop joking around!” Twilight yelled, her frown deepening at her recovering coltfriend. “I could have really damaged your wings because of my carelessness!” Her face softened as tears began to well up within her eyes, not for the first time today. “Or I could have…I could…”
“I’m fine Twi, really.” The stallion dismissed with a wave of his hoof, feeling bad that he didn’t quite sooth her temper with his attempted joke. “Doctor said I’ll be out in a day or two so no worries, okay?” He gave a bright smile. “Besides, it’s a great time for you to bond with Rumble a little bit more while I’m away since I’ll be here for a while. He really enjoys your study sessions anyway.” Thunderlane tapped a hoof to his chin before adding. “Can’t imagine why.”
Twilight sniffed before wiping a hoof across her eyes. “I…I guess so…And you're a jerk.”
“Oy!” Thunderlane mused with wink and smirk. “But I’m your jerk.” That, at least, earned him a muffled huff of amusement.
“How about you go get yourself some tea for now sugarcube.” Applejack suggested, cutting off any response her friend may have had for the black pegasus. The farm mare gently patted the unicorn upon her back smiling brightly as she did so. “It’ll help clear your head and whatnot.”
Twilight looked like she wanted to protest, but soon lowered her head and nodded. Hesitantly, she made her way to Thunderlane’s side giving the black stallion a gentle nuzzle and he in return, giving the mare a soft kiss on her cheek, before making her way out the room, closing the door behind her.
Applejack shook her head, sighing deeply before turning to face the black stallion, her eyes slightly narrow. “So…You and Twi, huh?”
Thunderlane rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. “Heh…Yeah. Me and Twilight.” He shadowed, putting on the best smile the stallion could muster.
“Well…Can’t rightly say I saw that coming. Not by a long shot.” Applejack mused before shaking her head. The orange mare’s eyes gazed around the room as both ponies fell into an awkward silence. The apple farmer tried her best to keep busy, her eyes glancing around at the decor of the room around her. It was a typical hospital room, painted a very light shade of blue. The curtains to the room were drawn closed, keeping the sun’s glare down to a reasonable level. Her ears would flick every so often at the beep of the heart monitor nearby.
Finding that nothing was keeping her attention from the stallion, Applejack breathed a deep sigh, the smell of sanitation wafting through her nostrils, before speaking once again. “So…Ah…How long have ya been t’gether, if ya don’t mind me asking?”
Thunderlane raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t talk to Twilight yet?” He asked. “I mean I was knocked out for a while before we came here.”
Applejack gave him a deadpanned look as she glanced towards the stallion. “Kinda hard to talk to a mare that’s ranting and raving around say that she had crippled her “coltfriend” for life.”
“Ah…I see your point.” Thunderlane sighed before looking away, knowing full well just how…Excited the lavender mare could get when she was stressed. “I guess…A few months now.”
“A few months eh?” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “And ya convinced Twilight to keep it a secret all this time?”
“Hey,” Thunderlane frowned. “I don’t know what you're trying to say Miss Applejack, but I went along with what Twilight wanted, thank you very much.” He told the mare. “She’s the one that wanted to keep our relationship out of the spot light.”
“Right…” The farm mare stared at the stallion for a few moments before nodding slowly. “ I think I believe ya. You were never one to lie outright anyway, long as I’ve known ya.” Applejack shook her head. “Plus when it comes to Twilight, she may be smarter than most ponies, but she can be…well…”
“Yeah…No I get it.” Thunderlane said sighing softly. “Book Smart isn’t the same of Street Smart right?”
“Well, ya not wrong.” The mare said with a shake of her head. “Least ya not an ig-nor-rent in that regard. Counts for something ‘ight?”
Thunderlane cupped a hoof under his chin and gave Applejack the best bad boy look he could muster. “Don’t fall for me.”
Thunderlane felt a hat hit him across his head before Applejack’s voice rung out. “As if, ya idjit!” Placing her stetsen back upon her head, she gave him a glare that nearly made his heart stop. “This goes without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway.” Her hoof pressed into his chest s “You hurt her, ah hurt you. Got it?”
Thunderlane gulped before nodding rapidly. He, too, hand known the mare growing up. When she made a promise, she usually kept it. “Yeah…Sure…On my word AJ.”
Applejack nodded. “Good. Now with the formalities out of the way, ah can start treating ya like family.” She gave the stallion a toothy smile.
“Ah…What?” Thunderlane asked with
“Well shoot! Any pony a friend of a family friend is family ta me!” Applejack said curtly. “Both you and your brother is welcomed to Sweet Apple Acres whenever ya want. Always got a place for ya.”
“Just like that?” Thunderlane asked.
“Just like that.” She mused softly before looking to him. “What? Expecting some kind of fan fair or something?”
“More like a victory tune maybe. Something upbeat yet short...Da da da dum dum da dum da dum. Ya know. Something like that maybe.”
“Yeah well, sorry to underwhelm ya lover colt.” Applejack said with a roll or her eyes.
Thunderlane leaned back onto his bed. “Ah well, maybe next time.” A thought crossed his mind. “Hey...Where are the others anyway. Twilight’s little...ah...distraction had most of my focus when you two came in.”
Applejack nodded. “Ah think Rarity went home, saying something about planning the perfect dinner. Think y’all should watch out for that. Last I seen Rainbow, she was in her house dry heaving from all the laughing she had been doing since this all started. As for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy...Ah haven't seen hide nor hare of them since we admitted ya here.” Applejack observed. “Guess I can understand in Pinkie’s case. Bet she's planning a big party for the two of y’all as we speak.”
“Oh boy…” Thunderlane deadpanned. It wasn’t that he hated Pinkie’s parties. In fact, Pinkie’s parties were some of the best he ever had in his life. No the party itself was going to be fantastic since he concerns one of her best friends.
“Do you think Twi would want Pinkie planning a big party and all. I mean…”
“I rekon ah get where you're coming from.” Applejack said with a nod. “I’ll go talk to her.” Applejack smiled as Twilight soon came through the door. “Right now actually. You two have fun now. Don’t keep him up too late Twi. Oh and congratulations on the coltfriend.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as Applejack moved to leave, closing the door behind her. “Did I...Miss something Thunderlane?”
Thunderlane held out a hoof. “Talking. Threaten. Party.” He listed, counting on his hoof.
Twilight blinked. “Wha…”
The dark colored smiled as he shook his head. “Don’t worry about it for now, okay? Heh...So what do you think they got to eat here, cause I’m starving!”