Lightning Dust Gets Drunk in a Bar Full of Strangers

by Fire Gazer the Alchemist

How She Feels

I never really bought a fire alarm for my home. Never thought I would need to. After all, I live in a cloud house, and those don’t typically catch on fire. In fact, I was pretty confident clouds couldn’t catch on fire.

And that was the mentality I had when I tried to make pancakes this morning.

Needless to say, it ended badly.

It started innocently enough when I grabbed the pancake mix from my pantry. From there it went downhill.

After spending about ten minutes trying to figure out where to go from there, I’d managed to mix a batter together, and poured it into the pan. When I set it on the stove, I’d set it to it’s highest setting thinking that would cook it quicker.

Then everything caught on fire.

And I screamed like a girl.

That’s pretty much how Lightning found me this morning. She sleepily rushed downstairs to find my shrieks of terror as flames spread from the now overcooked pancakes onto my stove and the walls.

I panicked and started fanning the flames with my hoof, hoping in desperation that it would help.

“Dammit Rider!” Lightning yelled. From the corner of my eye I saw her wings snap open and she flew from the house.

“Well thanks for helping!” I cried as her lightning contrail faded. The fire licked my ceiling, and I scampered clear. Grabbing wildly I got my hooves on a washcloth and violently began whacking the fire. The cloth seemed to bounce off of the flames

Suddenly, Lightning burst back into my house, a dark raincloud in tow.

“Stand clear!” she shouted. I didn’t have time to hear her before she struck the raincloud with a powerful buck.

“What?” The contents of the raincloud suddenly exploded out, knocking me over with the sheer force as water doused my kitchen.

The fire hissed in protest, and the kitchen filled with steam. Groaning, I sat up. Around me, the clouds quickly ate up the extra water, turning a few shades darker in the process.

Satisfied with her work, Lightning gave the now depleted cloud a quick buck and it dissipated. “You’re welcome.”

“Thanks,” I said, wringing out my mane. The clouds may have absorbed the water, but I hadn’t. I could feel a chill in my bones from the thorough soaking, and used my slightly burnt washcloth for damage control.

“What the hell happened?”

I clicked my tongue and awkwardly looked away. “I was trying to make breakfast… emphasis on trying.”

Lightning’s eyebrows furrowed. “What kind of breakfast causes clouds to catch on fire?”

I laughed. “Pancakes, apparently.”

Her jaw hung agape. “I… don’t have words for that.”

Sighing, I stood up. “Same here.” My head turned to the burnt, and now soggy, pancake lying on the stove. “Heh… sorry.”

Her mouth closed, the shock wearing off. “I wasn’t that hungry anyway.”

“Fair enough. Thanks again for saving my life.”

She snorted. “You’re just lucky I’ve forgiven you, otherwise I might’ve let you burn.”

“Dark stuff, Dusty.” I paused, realizing what she just said. “Wait, so I am forgiven?”

“Eh… mostly.” She punched my shoulder playfully, but harder than necessary. “I’m still a little pissed at you.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you. So after I dry off do you want to go to Derpy’s?” I knew I made a mistake when I saw her legs stiffen. “What?”

She blinked. “Do… do we have to go now?”

I cocked my head in confusion. “Well… kinda yeah. Is that a problem?”

Lightning looked away. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea yet.”

“What?” She awkwardly looked at the ground as I stared in shock. “Why the hell not? You know you’re bi now, why can’t you just tell Derpy how you feel?”

“Because I don’t know how I feel!” Lightning screamed. I backed up, eyes widening. We stood in silence for a moment.

“What do you mean?” I softly asked. Her eyes glanced around, refusing to fall on me.

“I don’t…” she choked on the words. “I don’t know how I feel about her.” She pulled up a chair at my kitchen table and sat down, holding her head. “She… she loves me, Rider. And I…” She couldn’t finish. She didn’t have to. I knew what she meant.

Lightning didn’t love Derpy.

“But… you’re bisexual,” I protested, taking the seat opposite of her. “Why the hell not?”

She slammed a hoof onto the plush, cloud table, probably expecting a loud noise to make me flinch. “I can’t just flip a switch and fall in love with her, Rider! I’ve seen her as my friend all this time… me being bi doesn’t change that.”

"And all the stuff you said last night?" I demanded. "About her eyes, her smile, how you feel?"

"I never said I didn't like her, Rider. And I know what I said, but I was tipsy and tired and emotionally exhausted. I don't know what I was feeling then and I don't know what I'm feeling now. Bisexual or no."

I paused. She was right, it was too much of me to just expect that everything would turn out okay just because of her sexuality. She had just uncovered a part of herself she never knew existed, and it had come at quite possibly the worst day of her life. What she needed was time to figure it out, time to adjust, time to understand.

Time wasn’t a luxury we could afford, however. A brief memory of Derpy’s crying face made that face very apparent.

“Do you at least like her?”

She finally looked at me. “I… I really don’t know, Rider. I really bucking don’t know.”

Well… crap.

“Can you give it a shot?” I meekly asked. “A trial date, maybe?”

“Stop asking.” I’m stunned by how utterly cold she sounded. Her voice was like a knife, cutting the conversation dead in its tracks.

We sit in the dead silence, breathing in the smell of burnt pancakes and never once breaking eye contact.

It ends when tears well up in Dust’s eyes.

“Lightning…”

She buried her head in her hooves. “She loves me, Rider.” Her muffled words aren’t sad or angry, they’re weighed down by pressure. “How am I supposed to go on a trial date, or a real date, or just hang out with her knowing that she feels that way and knowing it probably kills her inside that I don’t feel the same way?”

My first instinct is to respond with “I don’t know”, and I got as far as opening my mouth before realizing how catastrophic that would be. I pressed my lips together and thought about what I was going to say next.

“That’s uh… well I can see why you’re confused…” I put my hoof to my chin in thought. “But it sounds to me like you’re hesitant because you’re worried about how Derpy will feel. So… why don’t we talk to her?”

Her head snapped up, eye glowering. “Sure, because it worked out so well the last time I tried to talk it out with her.”

I cringed at the memory. “This’ll be different. I mean, I’m not lying to either of you this time, so what could go wrong?”

“Everything,” she bitterly spat.

I sighed. “Okay, look. If you could, would you want to date Derpy?”

Lightning’s lips tightened as she pondered the question. “...I guess. I mean, we’re already really close, and I really like being around her… and...”

I leaned in. “...and?”

“And I kinda... liked cuddling her…” A blush spread across her face.

I smiled. “Then let’s talk to her.”

Lightning stared down at my table for a little while longer, and then nodded her agreement.

---

Even though the scent of freshly baked muffin wafted through the air, Derpy found that she had no appetite. She poked at the treat in front of her and sighed.

“What do you think, Mommy?” Dinky chirped, halfway through her own. She had baked this batch almost entirely on her own, and had been all too proud to show Derpy in a hope that it would cheer her up.

She forced a smile and took a bite despite her churning stomach. “They’re delightful, Dinky.”

Dinky smiled backed, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Time Turner bit his lip, and Derpy could tell he was tapped for ideas for trying to cheer her up.

He had spent the night, mostly to make sure she wouldn’t close up again and leave Dinky all alone, and they had stayed up late playing a few of her favorite card games. Sadly, it was going to take more than Crazy Eights to get a genuine smile out of her. In fact, nothing short of a miracle—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three heads popped up. They waited patiently, and heard the sound again: the unmistakable knocking of hoof on wood.

“I’ll get it,” Time Turner said, pushing himself up.

“Okay,” Derpy called as he walked away. She poked at her muffin a little, while Dinky nibbled on hers. “So Dinky… how’s school been going lately?”

Dinky swallowed and stared at her mother with wide eyes. “You don’t have to do that, Mom.”

Derpy blinked. “Do what?”

“Act like nothing’s wrong. It’s okay… I know what it’s like to be sad sometimes too… especially when… you know...”

Her jaw sat agape. “Dinky…”

“But… it’s okay… I’m not happy all the time... but I am most of the time. Because I have you.” She got up and hugged Derpy tightly. “And you have me… okay?”

Derpy returned the embrace without hesitation tears threatening to well up in her eyes. “Yes, my little muffin. Yes I do.”

Their hug continued for a while longer, before Dinky’s stomach rumbled and she had to pry herself away to grab another muffin.

“Hey, Derpy,” Turner called from the other room.

She wiped her eyes before responding. “Yeah?”

“There’s somepony here to see you.”

“I’m not really in the mo—”

“Derpy?” Lightning walked around the corner and into the kitchen. Her hooves stopped at the first tiles, hesitant to continue. Her face was scrunched with worry and uncertainty, but she kept a calm demeanor.

Derpy blinked, confusion raced across her brain. Then joy. Then sadness. “Lightning…”

She rubbed her foreleg sheepishly. “I know you said you never wanted to see me again, but this is important.”

“O-Okay.” Derpy was still trying to process her emotions and had recently made it to surprise.

“Look, I… I’ve done a little thinking lately about… well, everything that’s been going on, and I’ve realized some things.”

Derpy felt a spark of hope flare in her chest. “Like what…?”

“I’m not gay...”

The spark fizzed out.

“...I’m bisexual.”

The spark ignited again. “What?”

Lightning nodded. “I uh, yeah. I’m bisexual. It just took me a bucking long time to wrap my head around it.”

Time Turner blinked in surprise, while Derpy grew a smile. “So… does that mean—”

“Derpy wait, before you say anything.” Lightning took a deep breath. “I don’t love you. Romantically, at least.”

“Oh…” Derpy couldn’t stop the disappointment from slipping into her voice. Lightning winced.

“But look, just because I don’t now doesn’t mean I never will.”

Dinky gasped, realizing what this meant.

Derpy realized it too. “S-so what you’re saying is...”

Lightning gave an anxious grin. “If you aren’t still mad at me, then do you think maybe we can... give it a go?”

Derpy’s jaw went slack. “You mean... you’re asking me out?” Her voice climbed three octaves.

Color flushed onto Lightning’s cheek. “I… uh…” A yellow hoof outstretch from the wall behind her, holding a small bouquet of roses. They promptly smacked Lightning on the back on the head, and she winced. As she turned, the hoof rustled the flowers. “Oh, right.” She grabbed them, sheepishly smiled, and offered the roses to Derpy. “I almost forgot, but Rider made sure I got these for you.”

Blinking, Derpy looked from the roses to Lightning, to the yellow hoof — which she now knew to be Rider’s — egging her on, to Turner, who still seemed to be surprised at this development.

Lightning bit her lip, concerned at the length of time it was taking for Derpy to make her decision. “Uh… what do you want me to get down on one knee or something?”

Rider’s hoof retracted, and a second later a slap was heard.

Dinky finally spoke up. “Mommy, just say yes already!”

Derpy coughed, realizing she had been holding her breath. “Yes!” She squeed. Lightning smiled. “Yes! Yes! Buck yes!”

“Mom!”

Derpy brushed the flowers aside, and wrapped Lightning in a powerful hug. “Thank you!”

Lightning wheezed. “Ahk… welcome…”

Not wanting to suffocate Lightning before they even started their date, Derpy released her. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Lightning rubbed her now sore neck.

Dinky hopped off her chair, and tackled Lightning with another hug.

“Whoa,” Lightning laughed. She patted Dinky’s head. “Miss me much?”

Dinky giggled. “So… can I call you mom?”

Lightning’s smile evaporated. “Uuhhhhh…”

“Dinky!” Derpy shrieked.

Laughing, Dinky broke away from the hug. “I was just messing with you, Lightning.”

With a sigh of relief, Lightning relaxed. “Thank goodness.”

Time Turner blinked. “So… this is really happening?” Everypony turned to him as he pointed to Lightning. “You’re really bisexual?”

“She sure is.” Rider stepped into the room and clapped Turner on the back. He nodded. “Hey Derpy.”

“...Hi Rider.” Derpy felt her stomach churn a little. “What are you doing here?” She asked, a little harsher than she meant to.

He cringed slightly. “I—”

“He’s pretty much the only reason I had the balls to come back here,” Lightning interjected.

Derpy glanced from her to Rider. “Is this true?”

“No, of course not,” he said. “Lightning doesn’t have balls.”

She punched him. “Yes, it is true.”

Derpy’s lips tightened. “Well… thank you… I guess.”

“So, am I forgiven?” Rider asked.

Shaking her head, Derpy sighed. “Not yet. I just... I can't just forget about what you did.”

He shrugged. “Fair enough.”

Time still looked confused. “Okay… I think I’m starting to understand, but I still have one question.”

“What?” Lightning asked. He looked at her.

“What are you going to do about the Wonderbolt’s Academy?”

Lightning opened her mouth to respond, and closed it again. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she looked from Derpy to Time. “I… hadn’t thought about it.”

Derpy’s stomach flopped. The last thing she wanted was to prevent Lightning from trying to accomplish her dreams, but she knew how little time together they would have if she went.

Lightning glanced at Derpy one last time, and noted the sad look she’d been trying to conceal. A soft smile sprouted on her face. “You know what? I have an idea.”

Author's Note:

Thanks to WorkbenchManiac for proof-reading.

Comments

[Seether00]

Derpy should join the Wonderbolts

[Qussar]

Nice development, but watch your back. That cliff hanger might get you stabbed with a pencil

[KillerShadow 15]

Damn cliff hangers. Great chapter.

[Seether00]

I do wonder if Rainbow will ever show up again.

The Wonderbolts have to have members who are married and have families. They must make it work somehow.

[Star-of-Twilight]

Really good, has me wanting to see what happens next.