It's All Downhill From Here

by B_25

Best Known For Failure...

“So, Cloudchaser, I’m so glad you could meet me today.” Thunderlane winked at her from across the picnic blanket. “Not everypony is lucky enough to spend time with the most beautiful mare in the universe.”

Cloudchaser’s face heated up. “Oh, well, hehe… thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, running his hoof through his mane. “We’re obviously made for each other.”

“I can totally agree with that,” Cloudchaser replied, inching closer to him.

Thunderlane scooted a bit closer. “Now, if you don’t mind, let’s get this picnic started.”

Cloudchaser snatched the picnic basket. “Alright, let’s see here. I packed two sandwiches, some chips, Flitter… Flitter?!”

Flitter jumped out from the open basket. “Hi sis! Hey Thundey.”

“Flitter, what are you doing here?” Cloudchaser asked.

“Oh nothing, I just thought I’d tag along. Is that okay with you, Thundey?” Flitter circled around the stallion with a sultry look in her eyes.

“That’s A-Okay,” he replied, reaching out a hoof to stroke her mane. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, Flitter. So much prettier than your sister.”

“What?! But-But I-”

“Oh, you tell me every day,” Flitter said. “Now, how about we blow this joint and have some actual fun?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Thunderlane said, walking away with Flitter. “Let old Thunderlane show you a real good time.”

“Wait!” Cloudchaser cried out, to no avail. “I made tomato and daisy sandwiches, your favorite!”

****

“No, no, no! Come back!” Cloudchaser’s eyes snapped open to reveal a drool covered pillow being strangled in her grasp. She let out a sigh and dropped the pillow to the side. “Pillow, you really are my only friend, aren’t you?”

Cloudchaser flopped over and looked at the clock. “Eight AM? You gotta be kidding me.” She snuggled herself back under her covers and buried her head into her pillow. “I’ve still got another three hours before I’m required to be active. Maybe I’ll actually have a good dream this time around.”

She closed her eyes and started to drift off, but as the cruelty of fate would have it, she once again found her sleep pattern interrupted, this time by a loud knock on the front door.

“Oh, buck it… Flitter can get it.”

After a few more knocks, she heard the door open, followed by a familiar voice. “Hey, Flitter! You ready to head out?”

It’s Thunderlane…

“Definitely!” Flitter said in reply. “Let’s hurry and get out before my sister wakes up. She’ll probably throw some kind of crazy fit if she sees us getting an early head start.”

What?! Ooh, she’s so going to eat those words.

Cloudchaser rolled out of her bed and dashed out the room. “Wait!”

Once she arrived in the living area, she took just a moment to take stock of the situation. Thunderlane was standing in the doorway with her sister, and both of them were looking at her with cocked eyebrows.

Maybe I should’ve thought this through.

“Um, hey Cloudchaser,” Thunderlane said. “Are you… okay?”

“Uh, yeah, I was just making sure that, ummm, you guys were going to have a good day… So, have a good day?”

Real smooth, Cloud.

“Uh-huh, you too, Cloudchaser,” Thunderlane responded, slowly backing out the door.

“You see, told you she was crazy,” Flitter audibly whispered to Thunderlane as she shut the door.

Cloudchaser slammed her hoof to her face. “Ah! Fate! Why do you hate me so much?”

Well, at this point she was up and around, so she may as well get started on her day. First things first, it was time for a trip to the bathroom to assess her physical appearance and decide if a shower would be necessary or not.

She took one look in the mirror and almost broke into tears.

“Thunderlane… saw me… like this! Ahhh!”

Her normally spiky mane was smeared and smushed with sweat all to one side, drool was dried and caked down her chin and on her cheek, and the bags underneath her eyes made it look like she got beat up. This was bad. A shower would definitely be necessary. As well as a possible identity change and move out of the country.

After a quick clean up and an attempt to remove any and all memories of the morning’s events from her brain, she relocated back to the living room to try and plan her day.

But first, a personal pep talk would be in order.

“Alright Cloudchaser, you had a rough start, but you can do this! You want to show up your sister, don’t you? Yeah, you do. You’re going to show her what’s up. You are going to show Thunderlane that you are the epitome of the your family line’s evolution. You are Cloudchaser!”

Alright, pep talk, done. Step two, figure out what step two is.

Alright, we got training today. With Spike. If it’s anything like the day before, though, it is not going to be pleasant. But then again… It’s not exactly like I have a choice. If I want to win, I’m going to have to train. Especially if Flitter is gonna be cheating and getting a head start on a regular basis like this.

She felt her heart jump at the thought of her sister and Thunderlane spending time alone together. It left an empty feeling in her chest when Flitter would get attention from Thunderlane instead of her. And now she was invading her dreams, which was just not fair.

She needed to take a stand. She needed to get her own head start in this competition. Then she’d show Thunderlane who was the best.

Without a second thought, she ran out her front door and took off into the sky. A young dragon was about to get a wake up call.

****

“Oh, Spike, it is simply divine of you to invite me over, today,” Rarity said, snuggling against Spike on his bed. “It seems we never get to spend as much time together anymore.”

“Yeah, I know,” Spike said, holding Rarity close to him. “But, that’s the life of an adult dragon like myself. Work and business all the time.”

“Oh Spikey, you’re just so mature and handsome! It’s enough to make mare all flustered”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” he said. “From you and all the other ladies in Ponyville.”

“Oh, Spike, it’s so tragic! I must have you in my life! Please, kiss me now!” Rarity leaned in close and looked him right in the eyes. “I need it.”

“Well, if you insist.” Spike gently took Rarity’s face in his claws and pressed his lips to hers.

“AAh, Spike, what the heck?!”

****

Spike opened his eyes and was greeted with a pair of purple eyes the size of saucers looking back at him, as well as the sudden realisation that he was still holding this purple mare’s face in his claws.

“Twilight?.... You’re not Rarity!”

“No, I’m not! What were you doing? I was just trying to wake you up, and you suddenly flip over and kiss me!”

“Sorry, I was having a rather… animated dream,” Spike said with a blush and chuckle. “That’s what you get for trying to wake me up this early I suppose.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Anywho, you’ve got a visitor in the living room, and I’ve got some dragon drool to wash off my face.”

“A visitor? This early? Who is it?”

“Go out and see,” Twilight responded. “I’ll be in the bathroom for a bit, so hurry up and get out there, okay?”

Spike let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Fine, but it better be important. I’ve still got another couple hours before I have to start training, and I may be able to continue my dream if I get back to sleep right now.”

Spike wandered into the living room, mumbling and grumbling about the lack of fairness in the universe, when he noticed who the guest was.

“Cloudchaser?”

“Good morning, Spike,” she said. “Let’s get started early today, we’ve got work to do.”

Oh joy...

Author's Note:

Thanks to my bros Manaphy and Soaring for regularly saving me from publishing unedited crap. You guys rock!

Comments

[Manaphy]

You're welcome, Famous!
Anyway, nice chapter as usual. I must say I feel sorry for Cloudchaser. It makes me want to give her a hug. I'm eager to see where the story goes from here.

[themouthofmush]

In this chapter, Cloudchaser and Spike both manage to embarrass themselves beyond redemption. Enjoy!

to be fair, they could have embarrassed themselves worse than they did. how? i have no clue, but one could only hope that there is worse embarrassment out there.

[Frankie2]

I said it before. I'll say it again. Flitter...is a bitch. I so hope either Applejack/Lyra or BonBon/Holly Dash win. Right now, I'm not liking the other three teams. In my opinion, neither of the twins deserve to win and Rainbow Dash/Trixie is a disaster waiting to erupt.

[Brony kaiju soldier]

Man, Thunderlane and Flitter are pushing some boundaries, aren't they? I notice one teeny tiny little typo, if you consider

You are going to show Thunderlane that you are the epitome of the your family line’s evolution.

this to be a typo.

[DarkDMan]

Good to know that, Spike and Twilight, can kiss and not be all weird about it after. Says a lot about their unique relationship!

[Geoice]

this is all good.

[Eonflare]

Well, it's a start. Chin up Spike, at least she's getting a bit determined, even if it's just to upstage Flitter.