Thunder & Lightning

by Jetto

Chapter 11: No sunshine, but rainbow

Morning awoke Thunderlane like a pair of hammers beating over his skull. It was a lazy metaphor, not very adequately describing his feelings right now, but his head hurt too much to think of something better. And even if he wasn't suffering from the worst hangover in his entire life, he had a feeling he wasn't smart enough to expand his vocabulary beyond that. Opening his eyes was a chore that took all the effort he could muster, immediately regretting putting it into action that allowed what little light there was to blind him instantly. He groaned painfully and used his left hoof to rub his eyes. His right hoof was too numb to respond to his commands, so he ignored it. As far as he could see, he noticed the familiar window, pointing at the gray sky above. As far as he could see, it was his own living room, he was sleeping on a couch under a single blanket. He sighed deeply, as he looked at ceiling, trying to remember the day before. His memory was hazy, all he remembered was a storm, but details escaped him.

"Heh... just a dream..." He smiled to himself.

Winning the race, beating Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust. Lightning Dust. The golden eyes.

All of it sounded surreal, even for a drunken fantasy he probably put himself into out of sheer depression. There was absolutely no way any of that could be true. No way at all.

"...mmmhhm... no... no more..."

Thunderlane's eyes shot open in an instant.

"...no more... cakes I... don't even.... zzzz..."

Beads of sweat started appearing on his forehead, as his entire body went stiff. He didn't dare turn his head right, but at the same time, he knew it was inevitable. He swallowed and slowly, carefully turned his head. It was all coming back to him. He remembered the race, going to her house, then to his. He remembered the tequila, slowly but surely emptied by two pegasi. He remembered the talk, the stories, the laughs, tears. The golden eyes.

"...mhmm... be gentle... please... I never... zzz..."

He wanted to scream. But he couldn't.

---

Soarin hummed after listening to the entire story, starting from leaving the party, ending with waking up, with some details omitted. He didn't hear anything about Lightning Dust's past for one, as it was clearly not something to share with others without consent. The other thing he didn't hear about was the 'other' thing that others usually didn't wish you to tell them without their consent. But even without details he was able to fill in the blanks in his friends descriptions. And as much as he wanted to do an "after-bang-hoof-bump" (working name) with a friend that wasn't called Prince Blueblood (note to self- reiterate it to make it sound less awful), he felt this wasn't a good time for it. At least, that's usually what it meant, when a grownup stallion lied on his couch in fetal position.

"So, I take it you're a little... bothered?" He asked, fully expecting the snark to hit him with vengeance. 'You think?', 'What gave it away?' and his personal favorite, 'No shit Sherclop'. Nothing. Thunderlane didn't activate the grump, instead whimpered something very quietly. Soarin shook his head. "That bad?" He asked, not getting any answers. "Come on Thundy, talk to me!"

Nothing. No talk. Soarin had to take the initiative.

"'Bro code' clearly states- taking advantage of a mare when she's intoxicated is a crime against ponykind..."

Thunderlane whimpered louder, as he covered his face with the blanket.

"...at least let me finish before wallowing in self-pity or whatever you want to wallow in." He coughed. "The rule doesn't apply when both sides are equally smashed. For all intents and purposes, she's as guilty as you are, which in turn cancels both of you out!"

"If that's supposed to be helping... it's not."

"Ugh, seriously," Soarin shook his head again "what I'm trying to say, is that it happens sometimes. You had no ill intentions, neither did she, but the atmosphere was right, you two had some good chemistry and booze did the rest. Happens all the time. What you need to do is set things straight, talk it out and everything should be alright."

"...it will?"

"Sure it will! I got your back, but only if you take that blanket off your pretty, mohawked head first. Whadya say?"

It took a while, but eventually Thunderlane slipped out of the blanket and revealed his face to Soarin. He was still scared, but deep in his eyes you could see a small glimpse of hope.
"O-ok, I guess..."

"Atta boy! Now just keep thinking positive things!"

"Y-yeah, positive."

"Like the fact that you just scored a ginger! Think about it, you just achieved something that even I couldn't do, without even trying!"

"Oh, ok." His smile grew a little.

"And don't even try to think you did something wrong to her. For all we know, she's been through dozens of stallions. I know mares like her- pretends to be innocent, but she's a first grade... huntress! Yes, that's a good word."

"No, she's not." Thunderlane shook his head. "She's not that kind of mare!"

"Please, I know one when I see one. You weren't her first and we both know it."

"Actually..." Thunderlane covered himself in blush and scratched his head.

Soarin blinked. His eyes slowly widened, soon joined by his mouth opening wide. One look at his friends expression told him all he needed to know. Once he recovered mentally and processed it through his head, he groaned and crossed his hooves.
"Damn gingers!" He lamented under his nose, prompting a subtle snort from Thunderlane. Soarin rolled his eyes and smiled as well, glad that at least one pony was having fun from his lifelong misery. "You know, actually that's even better! Now we know everypony she's been with and she has a really good taste." He announced it with a sly, winning smile. "Come on, life's too short to be depressed over nothing." Small pause. "Well okay, it's something, but nothing to be worried about."

"Alright."

"You're not the first or last pony this happened to, yet Equestria still exists!"

"Mhm."

"So unless she gets pregnant, you'll be all okay... no, wait!"

"P-p-p-p-pre-p-pre-pre-..." And thus Thunderlane was gone under the blanket again, trying to mumble the entire word properly, failing.

"Me and my big mouth..."

---

Thirty minutes later, one faithful assistant, her faithful partner and few cups of hot, herbal tea and biscuits later, they managed to get one stallion to a manageable state. That's when Flitter smacked Soarin in the head.
"Ow! Will you cut it out?"

"Not until you grow a brain!" She lifted her hoof up again, prompting Soarin to close his eyes and brace for the impact.

Meanwhile Cloudchaser took it upon herself to keep Thunderlane calm by slowly, gently stroking his mysteriously solid Mohawk, which she was pretty sure was the exact same from yesterday. How it survived the entire race, storm, getting electric powers, Pinkie Party, bottle of tequila, Lightning Dust and the entire night was a mystery to her or anypony else for that matter. It even had the same smell.
"Thunderlane, I hate to ask you at a time like that, but," Cloudchaser asked "what about Blossom?"

The excessive, if justified, harassment of a certain ex-Wonderbolt stopped. Both Flitter and Soarin immediately paused and looked nervously at Thunderlane. If there was any word that created a lot of conflicted emotions for, it was just mentioned. They subconsciously agreed for a ceasefire to keep Thunderlane from burying himself deep into blanket more than he already was. But much to their surprise, nothing changed in his behavior. He was still himself, sitting on the couch, hunched over a cup of steaming hot tea.

"I... I don't know."

The trio blinked and looked at each other, before going back to him.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Flitter asked.

"I don't know. I didn't even think about her until you asked."

"Not even once?"

"No. Well, maybe except that time I thought Lightning Dust's house could use a plant or two, but other than that, not really."

"Not really?" Flitter repeated. "You... you just cheated on her!" She yelled at Thunderlane, almost sending him into another guilt trip. Until Cloudchaser interrupted them.

"Actually, they broke up this Monday."

"Again?" Flitter groaned and shook her head. "Well, it's not like that EVER sticks for longer than a... what's the record now?"

"Ten days." Said Cloudchaser.

Thunderlane couldn't say anything to that. His relationship with Blossomforth was just something that worked the way it did and nopony batted an eye on it anymore. Except his newer friends, like Blue, Shiny or Soarin. He didn't mind them much, like everypony else they were bound to get used to eventually. If Lightning Dust didn't stop him (indirectly) they'd be a happy couple right now and he would wake up next to her instead. But at the same time, would he still take place in the race if that didn't happen? Would he still find enough courage and determination to stand there and take off, winning for the first time in his life.

Whether he actually cheated on her was a difficult debate.
On one hoof, he slept with a different mare, that much was for sure. But they were drunk, so it shouldn't count. But he provided the alcohol. But neither realized how soft-headed they were. Also, he and Blossom broke up. But they were about to fix it. But they didn't. Because of Lightning Dust. And Rainbow Dash. Mostly Lightning Dust though, but now at least he knew why she had an outburst that day (the "didn't your parents teach you manners" line was a good reason). Rainbow Dash had no such excuse, so maybe it was her fault in the first place. She always screwed up something and made things worse for others.

That's when Thunderlane moaned and hid his head between his hooves again. He was doing it again. Shifting the blame, while he was jut as responsible. But the worst part was the guilt. Or rather, lack of it.

He felt guilty for not feeling guilty. And his head hurt even more.

"Thunderlane, can I ask you something?" Asked Soarin, grabbing their attention. He took a deep breath, then adjusted his glasses and asked the following question with utmost seriousness. "How many mares did you ever bang?"

Silence. Flitter got up from the sofa she was at and slowly marched towards Soarin.

SMACK!

"Ow, why did you do that?"

"Where the heck did that question come from?"

"You just smacked me!"

"Not that question! Ugh, I mean, who asks that?!"

"I'm a love guru, that's what I do!"

While that conversation was going on, Cloudchaser couldn't help but giggle at her boss's and fillyfriend's antics.
"Try not to be jealous when they keep bickering like an old couple, sheesh." That comment managed to get into their heads and force them to stop, both turning away from each other, blushing. Even Thunderlane managed to crack a weak smile at them. Cloudchaser took the initiative and answered the question for him.
"Nope, they met when they were twelve and been together since, with small breaks then and when. Can you believe it all started with a game of 'truth or dare'? Blossom was so against answering 'which colt you like', we just had to make her kiss a colt from class instead. She was so against Caramel and Blues, but when Thundy was mentioned, she suddenly had a change of heart (she denied everything, it was so adorable). And things just escalated from there."

Soarin nodded. A schoolyard crush turned longtime relationship. Then the tragedy struck and suddenly she was the closest pony when he needed comfort. No wonder they ended up together.

"And that's a shame too," Cloudchaser continued "so many fillies ended up heartbroken after that, but hey, what can you do?"

Thunderlane's ears perked up.
"Wait, what?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, you little devil you," she playfully smacked him in the wing "the entire cheerleader squad was totally crushing on you. And yes, that includes me, if I can be perfectly honest."

That statement provoked three different reactions happening at the same time.

"You were a what now?" Thunderlane asked wide-eyed.

"CLOUDCHASER!" Flitter yelled.

"Wait, you were cheerleaders?" Soarin asked, his ears perked. "With pompoms and stuff?"

Cloudchaser rolled her eyes and answered them in reverse order.
"Yes, with pompoms and stuff, yes, but that was before we hooked up, and yes, I was and so was a lot of my friends. I mean, look at you- quite a handsome fella, strong, athletic, hard working, had good grades and manners, what's not to like? Sure, you were a little dark and moody, but after what you've been through nopony blamed you. You were still miles better then any other jerk jock in the hoofball team anyway."

Thunderlane opened his mouth, but not to speak, rather to let it hanging, because he had nothing better to do with it while he was dumbfounded by the revelation. He tried to notice if she was lying or sugarcoating it to make him feel better, but as far as he saw it, she was perfectly honest.

Soarin broke himself out of his new happy place of pompom heaven to ask another question.
"So, why didn't anypony try to make a move on him?"

"Well duh, because he was taken! We cheerleaders take great pride in respecting the Sis-Code."

"Sis-Code?"

"Sis-Code."

Soarin contemplated it for a moment, the nodded and added a note to himself to research that later.

Meanwhile Thunderlane felt like after all these years of living his normal life, somepony just came to him and lifted a curtain he didn't even know existed. So much things started making sense. Why he received the most love letters at Hearts and Hooves day of all the boys. He used to think it was random, or just teasing, or obligatory thing fillies did. All these times Cloudchaser and other cheerleaders tried to recruit him to hoofball team, even though the team was full and having a reasonable success. He felt stupid. All this time he was teasing Shining Armor about his obliviousness over his growing harem, but he had one of his own, just under his nose all this time.
But more than anything, he felt an even worse guilt over the guilt he thought he should have, but wasn't.

"By the way," Soarin interrupted his train of thought again "you stopped your story when you woke up. So, what's Lightning Dust's take on it? Did she say anything?"

"Uhm... not really."

"She didn't talk?" He asked and waited for answer."Thunderlane..."

"I..." His forehead started sweating, as he slowly retreated into the blanket once again. "I didn't really talk to her this morning..."

Slowly, one by one, all the residents of the house opened their eyes and mouths wide, realizing the sad truth that Soarin asked him next.
"Did you... did you leave her?"

"..."

"In your house?"

"..."

"After you drunk-banged each other?"

"..."

"Alone? On the couch?"

His eyes shifted. "...Y-yes." He answered, as his head slowly lowered so much so, that he couldn't see where the three simultaneous flat smacks came from, but he had a fairly good idea.

"YOU FOOL!" Soarin rose from his seat and flew right at his friend, grabbing him by his shoulders. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"I-I'm sorry, I panicked, I..."

"Don't just sit there!" He pulled the blanket out of Thunderlane's hooves, dropping a tea of unfinished tea on the floor, but nopony paid it much attention. "Run! Go home! Go!" With help of Flitter and Cloudchaser, he lifted him from the couch and hastily pushed him towards the door, opening it hastily. "And pray to Celestia she's still asleep..."

"'Sup!" Answered the mare behind the door.

"AAAAH!" Thunderlane screamed out of surprise.

"AAAAH!" Soarin screamed as well, equally shocked.

"AAAAH!" Flitter joined in.

"Ah!" Cloudchaser screamed too, not really shocked or scared like the other three, but she didn't feel like being left out.

"Nice to see you too." Lightning Dust answered, rolling her eyes.

Once the hearts slowed their beatings, the three surprised pegasi (plus Cloudchaser) could finally start to think of proper questions, all of them concerning the turquoise mare that, for reasons yet unknown was just sitting there on the chair in the waiting room, holding a fashion magazine, which she gladly threw away instantly.

"H-how did you get in my house?" Flitter asked first.

"The door was open. I met 'Miss no Personal Space' along the way, she told me you're here. I didn't want to interrupt you, so I waited. You took your damn time!" She crossed her hooves, playfully looking at Thunderlane, who at that point wished to have the blanket back.

"L-Lightning Dust, I-I..." he started, but was interrupted by the mare's hoof.

"Let me start," she coughed and shifted nervously and was about to start, but looked at the other three first "so, you three on it already?" She asked, getting nervous, sheepish smiles and head scratches in response. She rolled her eyes and continued. "Whatever, love guru stuff, I get it. There's no point in hiding. Look, Thunderlane, I... I... well..." Lightning Dust blushed and her voice lowered significantly. "I... I... you... me... umm..." the mare struggled with the answer, making Thunderlane blush as well, while Soarin, Flitter and Cloudchaser moved away, observing the spectacle with muffled glee. She continued.
"What I mean to say is... well... you're a jerk!" She nabbed him with her hoof, her expression adding a frown, complimenting her reddened face. "How would you feel if you woke up, in somepony's house, alone after... after..." her voice lowered "...after... y-you know..."

"I-I'm sorry..." Thunderlane replied, lowering his head down to the floor. He was about to say something else, as long as she would give him some time to think. He needed an hour or two. She didn't spare him a second.

"Whatever, just don't ever do that to me again, got that? As a punishment, I helped myself to your shower and breakfast. You're out of milk."

Another moment of awkward silence passed by, as both pegasi were avoiding eye contact, blush intensifying with every time the two met. Finally Soarin couldn't take it anymore and commented on it.

"I'd say kiss already, but you're beyond that." That earned him an rib jab from Flitter. "What? We're all thinking it!"

Last comment notwithstanding, Lightning Dust finally managed to snap out of it, shook her head and looked away.
"Well, I should go home now, I guess. So... see you later?"

Thunderlane hesitated on the answer. "Y-yeah, later."

"Yup." Lightning Dust replied, then waited a moment. Her eyes shifted around, until she sighed and moved her face towards Thunderlane, leaving a gentle kiss on his cheek, rendering him even more paralyzed then ever before.
"Bye." She said, then bolted out of the door.

Some time passed before any of the inhabitants of this house managed to say anything. First was Cloudchaser.
"Wow. This is like high-school all over again." She said. Flitter nodded. Soarin walked to Thunderlane and put his right hoof over him, then lifted his left hoof at his friend.

"I contained myself long enough, but no more! Gimme a hoofbump, you handsome devil!"

"Soarin!"

"No, don't you Soarin me at a moment like this! You just scored a hot, talented and apparently adorable ginger and she's totally into you, while you are technically single! Give me one good reason why we SHOULDN'T bump our hooves right now, and one more why you shouldn't hook up with her?"

"W-well..." He scratched his head and was about to come up with something, until the door opened again and a familiar turquoise mare entered again.

"While I'm here, Soarin, right?" Lightning Dust asked the other male in the room. "You told me yesterday that if I ever need help, well..." she blushed "turns out I really do need some advice on cuddling and smooching. It's more complicated then I thought."

The room went silent for a moment. Soarin blinked once, cleared his throat and leaned towards Thunderlane to whisper something into his ear.
"Just. One. Reason."

---

As surprised as he was to admit it, Thunderlane longed for yesterdays rain. Hot herbal tea was energizing and calming on its own right, but nothing beat a cold shower, especially from clouds originally designed for snow. Instead, after leaving Flitter's house, he had to do with afternoon chill, creating a perfect view of a dreadful day if he ever saw any. He half expected to see a battlefield, with hordes of dead pony bodies lying around, mixing mud, blood with yesterdays rainwater. Instead, there were only streamers, confetti, popped remains of balloons and an occasional smashed cupcake. Pinkie Pie was Pinkie Pie all right, but even her powers alone couldn't clean her after party in just one day.

If nothing else, clean air helped him regain what little composure he could and plan what to do next. He was in no hurry to go back home. Sure, he could've used a shower, but wasn't too hasty to go there. Definitely not because it could still have smell of Lightning Dust still around it, but that would've still felt weird. Knowing Rumble, he wouldn't be back home until evening anyway (and Ditzy was cooking on Saturdays, any reason to stay was viable). With absolutely no direction or idea what to do now, he went to the first place that came to his mind.

---

"Oh, hey Thunderlane!"

As he noticed before, the weather wasn't exactly promoting energetic behavior from ponies not in life-death situations. Coupled with it being Saturday, he wasn't at all bothered or surprised to see Raindrops alone in the office, lying on her back at the couch, lazily reading a very thin book. He didn't know the title, but judging by a picture on the cover presenting a young, fainting mare in hooves of a tall, muscled, mustached stallion, he immediately stashed it into "I don't care" shelf.

"Where's others?"

Raindrops shrugged, still not bothering leaving the couch or even properly sitting.
"Dunno, I'm the only one since morning. Bored out of my skull. Reading trash."

Thunderlane hummed and took a quick glance at the bulletin board. Today was a shift for Raindrops, Rainbow Dash and Blossomforth. From a technical standpoint, skipping your shift was a severe breach of rules set by the HQ... but here in Ponyville nopony cared. As long as there was at least one pony holding down the fort and covering for others, they were free to do whatever they wanted, so long as they could be summoned within reasonable time. What "reasonable" meant depended on who was in charge, and since it was Rainbow Dash, the rules were stretched like a taffy at Pinkie's Terrific Taffy Party.

"Any word from Dash yet?" He asked.

"Nope. Not since you "FACED" her yesterday. Knowing her, she's probably hunkered in her house, playing loud, sad music and trying to cry herself to sleep after the humiliation she received from you and new girl."

Thunderlane blinked, while Raindrops turned another page. It took a while for Thunderlane to snort and wave a hoof at that theory.
"Cry? Are we talking about the same Rainbow 'Like a brick' Dash?"

"No. I was talking about Rainbow 'Rekt' Dash."

"Rekt?"

"Teen slang. It means..."

"I know what it means! And really, that's nothing. She's been through worse, this is nothing. Hell, I've been through worse my entire life! Serves her right to be in my horseshoes at least once."

"If you say so."

Time slowly passed. The only sounds loud enough to be heard in the entire building were a clock ticking of every second and another page turned. Finally, Thunderlane coughed
"I'll go check on her," he announced "to see if she'll show up today."

"Yep, you go do that." Raindrops waved her hoof in response.

Thunderlane nodded, took a breath and turned towards the door.

"Thunderlane, before you go." She put the book aside and looked at him, small smile forming on her muzzle. "You were awesome back there. I'll bet on you next time, if that becomes regular."

Thunderlane stopped and blinked, before smiling back.
"You're way too nice."

"Yep, I can be a sweetheart, alright."

---

Big, elaborate, expensive, unobtainable to anypony beneath her, literally this time- Rainbow Dash's cloud house was just a gaudy as her ego. Shaping clouds was easy. Making them rain was a foals play. Shaping them into a solid enough mass to be able to provide shelter, hold furniture, survive any kind of weather- that was a bit harder, and by harder most ponies meant 'expensive'. Contracting specialists from Cloudsdale, shipping all the cloud, shaping and melding it in midair and who knows what else had to be done to make sure it holds. It almost made it sound like building a house out of bricks and planks on the ground was an easy and cheap task. Go figure that Rainbow Dash, despite living in Ponyville most of her life, was still a Cloudsdale brat through and through.

Thunderlane didn't feel right, standing on her doorstep. Just because the doormat said "Welcome" didn't feel like be belonged. All this time spending with her in Ponyville, the immaturity and brashness, made him forgot that she was a rich kid, from a very wealthy family. If it was her, she'd probably live back on the ground, in a small apartment like Lightning Dust had, maybe with a little more Wonderbolts memorabilia lying around and less empty space. And definitely more trash.

He shook his head. It was no time to think about Lightning Dust, and neither was last one hour yet he couldn't just forget, as much as he tried.
"Just check if she's fine, then go home." He reassured himself, before knocking on the door, still amazed how solid a cloud could get. You work with them for years and they never cease to amaze you.

Nothing happened. He knocked again.
"Rainbow Dash? It's me. Are you there?" He asked. No answer was given, but he still knocked again. It wasn't like she had neighbors in the sky he would disturb with the noise. "Say 'aye' if there's nothing wrong and I shouldn't come inside to check on you." No sound came out either. He shrugged and reached the doorknob, slowly opening the door and taking a look inside. Sure, he was trespassing, but he didn't have any wrong intentions. At worst, she just happened to leave and forgot to lock down. Or she was sleeping too deeply to answer him. Or both, her habit of napping outside taking over. Why she slept outside so much when she had a house this comfortable was beyond him.

He didn't make it far and just as he reached the salon, among the furniture, shelves and various kind of mess he associated with Rainbow 'Only Biologically Female' Dash, there was something he didn't expect to see. Tissues. Lots of them, all crumbled into small balls, lying around.

"What are you doing in my house?"

Thunderlane perked instantly when he noticed his boss coming into the room. She was only slightly more messy than usual, but still noticeable.
"Uh, I knocked and you didn't answer...."

"So you barged in uninvited?" She asked ,giving him a look.

"Well..."

"What if I wasn't home, huh?"

"But... you left the door unlocked."

Rainbow stared at him for a moment, blushing slightly.
"T-that still doesn't give you the right to invade my house! Now leave!"

"Fine, geez!" He shook his head and turned away. Before he could make a third step, he stumbled upon one of the tissue balls. He turned back and asked. "Rainbow..."

"What?"

"Did you... did you cry?"

Everything stopped. Two stares were locked into each other, only occasionally interrupted by a blink form either side.
"...what."

"I didn't think much of it yesterday, but..."

"No, I wasn't."

"But..."

"SHUT UP! I wasn't crying and I don't care about yesterday and you cheated and it doesn't count and I don't care and... and... where did you even get that idea from?"

Thunderlane sighed and pointed at the mess on the floor.
"Because these, when they are lying around can only mean three things. You don't seem sick and I would never accuse you of the second option, so that leaves only one thing."

"Second option?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and her brain gears started moving. A moment later, her second eyebrow joined the other, as she finally figured out what he meant. He eyes narrowed. "You're disgusting!"

"Like I said, I'm not accusing you of any--"

"OUT!" She yelled, rushing towards Thunderlane, pushing him in the direction of the exit. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Ouch, fine, I get it! Let go of me!"

"Get out and never come back! After everything you took from me, at least leave me my house alone!"

"Wait, what?"

He braced his hooves at the floor, stopping Rainbows pushing to a crawl. That didn't stop her from trying though, which is why he was still moving, few millimeters at a time.
"What do you mean 'took from you'?"

"N-nothing! I just slipped my tongue!" She said, still pushing.

"What did I take from you?"

"Nothing, now get out!"

"Rainbow, I know when you're lying!"

"Then here's the truth- you're not welcome here!" Finally she managed to push him into the door frame. Thunderlane wasn't about to lose this, as he grabbed sides of the frame with both front hooves and even wings, latching himself into it.

"I'm not leaving, until you, hgh, tell me what you meant!"

"Too bad, cause, hnggh, I'm not losing this time!"

"Hnngh, that's what you said last time!"

"Let go of my door!"

"MAKE ME!"

"I WILL!"

The struggle continued in silence, each combatant preferring to use their last reserves of strength into forcing the other to submission, which didn't happen. Rainbow Dash wasn't nearly as strong as her opponent, but wasn't about to give up and admit defeat, not at a time like this. Thunderlane, true to his words, latched himself into a cloudy frame and did not let go, though he couldn't do anything else to gain an upper hoof either, aside from just enduring. Which he did like nopony.

What didn't endure, was the frame itself. Even though solid cloud was stronger than wood, more comparable to a stone (magic, don't ask), since it was solid it could be broken, which it did, unable to hold not just one, but two overpowered pegasi of its own, it cracked and finally gave in, breaking away from the walls. Two pegasi yelled as they fell with high speed. Thunderlane fell face first into the cloud floor, which thankfully softened most of the impact (even if he still broke his nose in the process), but Rainbow Dash didn't stop just there and rolled on the floor for a moment longer, unable to control herself or regain balance, until she got dangerously closer to the edge.

"RAINBOW!" He shouted, instantly getting up on his four and lunging at her direction, grabbing her hoof just as she fell from the cloud. He struggled for a moment, but eventually managed to pull up a confused mare back on the cloud. As the two sat on the clouds, slowly regaining their breaths, he looked at her.
"Rainbow, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" He asked, as the mare slowly regained composure and shook her head. She noticed him still holding her hoof, at which she blushed and pulled it away.

"Let go!" She turned away, crossing her hooves. "And I didn't need your help, I can fly!"

"You're welcome." He snorted and turned back too, crossing his hooves as well.

Despite winning her battle (at the cost of one door frame), Rainbow Dash sat on the cloud a while longer instead of retreating to her house like she originally wanted. The silence between the two went for a while longer, but neither moved away from their original spots, nor did they try to turn around to make an eye contact. Thunderlane was the first to act.

"Rainbow, what were you..."

"That was all I had left," he interrupted him "and you took that away too."

"I... huh?"

"I was the fastest pony alive. That's what I was and... that's all I was. Ask anypony- 'what's that Rainbow kid about?', and they said a lot about me. She's a showoff. Insufferable brat. Kinda dumb. Has bad grades..."

"Dash..."

"What, you think I didn't hear what everypony was saying around? I'm dumb, not deaf. I know how things are. But I didn't care what anypony thought about me, and you know why?"

"Well..."

"Because those exact same ponies couldn't deny that I was the fastest thing there was! 'Rainbow Dash? Sure, she's annoying as all heck, but look at her go! She'll be a Wonderbolt, for sure!' But then, something unexpected happened."

Thunderlane raised an eyebrow and turned back to Rainbow Dash. She was still sitting on the cloud, her head uncharacteristically lowered.

"You!" She answered quietly. "Some random colt with a weird haircut!"

He blinked. "But I lost."

"Yeah, you did. And every time after that, for years. But every time we raced, every time I beat you, you were getting closer. And closer. And closer. I don't know how, but you were getting better, on top of getting better grades, bunch of friends, even a special somepony! Meanwhile, I busted my plot every day, got to school so tired I dozed of in class, never made a single friend and I. Still. Couldn't. Keep. Up!"

For a moment later, Rainbow Dash was speechless. So was Thunderlane, still trying to process what he just heard. He always wondered what was going on in her head and how she looked at things. Now he knew. And he wished he didn't. He peeked back at Rainbow Dash again. She sat quietly, but he was pretty sure she was just trying to hide her face to not show her sobbing face. He turned away again. He didn't need to see it to believe it.

"How many times did you hear somepony say 'why can't you be more like Rainbow Dash'?" She asked suddenly, not even waiting for the answer. "Do you have any idea how many times I heard my dad say that I should be more like you? 'He's such a hard working colt, why can't you be more like him?'... that's what he used to say.

A-and then... then you kept telling me about that... that thing, where you got super fast one day. When a lightning hit you and you went mach... 2 or 3, I dunno. Nopony believed it, but I knew you weren't lying. You never lied. I was never this scared in my life, so I... well, I prayed. I prayed to Celestia you'd never make it to the race. And... and I prayed you'd never race again... and... and..."

He knew the rest. The day before the race, that was 'the' day. Now that he reached out to those painful times again, he remembered that when he finally came back to school, everypony kept walking toward him, asking how he felt, offering help, pitying him. Except Rainbow Dash. She went out of her way to avoid him at any means necessary. He didn't give it too much thought before, but was that out of guilt? Did she feel at least somewhat responsible for everything?
Probably not. But among everything he went through, it was possible he, and everypony around, overlooked another troubled kid, only because there were more important things around.

But not all was doom and gloom back then.
"Rainbow... do you know why I still consider you a friend?" He asked suddenly. He peeked behind him. Rainbow didn't turn back, but her ears perked up. He got her full attention. "When I was feeling down back then, I didn't know what to do, or feel, but... I wasn't alone."

"W-well, I didn't really..."

"I don't know what I would've done, if Blossom wasn't there for me."

"R-right, she's great and all."

"I thought I was going crazy, but when she came to me, hugged me tighter then ever, I just... I needed that. More than anything in my life."

"..."

"What made me wonder, was why she was there to begin with. We weren't exactly on speaking terms back then, but she still came. I didn't ask her about it until years later."

"Oh no."

"And she told me exactly what happened. That you happened."

"S-stop it."

"That you went to her house, threatened her, told her that I needed help and there wasn't anypony else she could turn to. You forced her upon me... and I never even thanked you!"

A wild idea passed through his mind. He knew what had to be done.

"D-don't mention iIiiiiTT!" She finished her last sentence with a loud squeak. It wasn't exactly common for her to be surprisingly hugged from behind, by a stallion at that. Her face instantly become redder then before. She started wiggling and squirming, anything to get out of the black stallions surprisingly gentle, yet firm, embrace.

"So thank you, Rainbow Dash!"

"GET OFF ME, CREEP!"

"Don't let anypony tell you that you're worse than anypony."

"HELP! MOLESTER!"

"Because there is at least one pony who wished he was more like you."

All the movement and yelling stopped. The two sat next to each other, one embracing the other from the back, preventing him to see the look on her face. As awkward as it was, she preferred it that way over turning around. In fact, the longer he held her, the warmer her body became. It was a rather pleasant experience, despite everything else. It helped that nopony could see them. Then one pony would need to die an excruciating, painful death. She just wasn't sure which one that was.

He continued talking.
"In fact, I was always a little... well, jealous. You had all those adoring ponies around you all the time."

"T-those were just f-fans, I don't even know half their names..."

"And you have plenty of friends. Like Pinkie Pie."

"D-don't be... Pinkie is friends with everypony!"

"True. But there's also Fluttershy?"

"Fluttershy is just... just... well..."

"And me."

She took a while to answer this one. "Okay, thanks."

"And that little filly fan of yours?"

"What, Scootaloo? She's just a kid, she only liked me because I was winning. She's probably your fan now."

"Oh I dunno. I've seen that glint in her eyes. That's not something that disappears that easy."

"Huh, I remembered her name."

Few moments more passed in complete silence, save for the heartbeats of two ponies, mare and stallion, still not attracted to each other in any other way than pure, platonic friendship. Anypony saying there can't be close friendship between different sexes can go to moon.

"Thunderlane?"

"Yes?"

"Don't take it the wrong way, but... you stink."

Thunderlane blinked. "That's not very nice thing to say to somepony who just consoled you!"

"No, I mean it literally. You reek of..." she sniffed the air, instantly holding off the gag reflex "booze, pretzels and... whatever that third thing is."

He waited with the answer this time. Hesitated whether he should give one. And decided to do it anyway.
"...Lightning Dust."

"What about her?"

---

Few minutes of silence, one unhugging and several minutes of not overly detailed explanation of last night's events later. Rainbow Dash took it better then he expected.
"You're a moron." She massaged her head, trying to put together the pieces she just heard. "Lemme get this straight- after a drunken debauchery with an even bigger egotist then myself (yes, I said it, shut up!), you decided to ditch one pony who helped you the most in your entire life?"

"I never said I was hooking up with her."

"You're choosing between a mare that's half sweet half awful and a mare who is 100% bad, unless drunk?"

Thunderlane groaned and facehooved.
"Why did I even bother telling you?"

Rainbow shrugged.
"I dunno, why ARE you telling me this? Don't you have friends who are more into this kind of stuff? Did you asked Soarin?"

"I did. He said to go for Lightning Dust."

"And I told you to stay with Blossom. So, which one will you choose?"

Another batch of silence begun. Thunderlane slowly sat down on the cloud and pressed his head towards the cloud. He wasn't used to making mare choices. Or rather- he wasn't used to making choices, at all. Everything in his past few years of life was answering to whatever choice life made for him, whether it be school, work or even world saving. How was he supposed to react when there wasn't a right answer?

"Oh brother," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes "that's why I stay out of that lovey-dovey stuff. I have way too much responsibility already."

Thunderlane rose his head from the clouds to deadpan at her.
"What responsibility? You shift all your work to me!"

"Because you can get the job done, duh!" She rolled her eyes, as if what she said was the most obvious thing in the world. "I wouldn't trust anypony else, you know. Heck, if I could, I'd gladly give you my job already, but... you know..."

"Daddy issues, I know!" He interrupted her, then continued before she recovered from the offended blush. "You don't want to let him down, he'll be all mad and disappointed, but if you become a Wonderbolt, he'll let it pass. Probably."

Rainbow opened her mouth, but suppressed the urge to reply to that last bit. She shook her head before going back on the track.
"Don't change the subject, who are you choosing? Lightning Dust?"

His eyes shifted, as sweat started pouring from his forehead.
"N-no, I mean, not no, but I barely know her. Sure, I like talking with her and she's surprisingly cute and nice when she wants to, but still..."

"Then stay with Blossomforth."

"I... I don't know if we should. Don't get me wrong, I love her... or loved her... and she was great, most of the time, but lately, it's been getting worse..."

She was about to scream out of frustration, but for the sake of preserving their friendship she stopped at just groaning.
"Then marry them both, geez!" Thunderlane blinked, then raised an eyebrow, not sure if she was kidding. "Oh for Pete's sake!" She applied herself a facehoof. "Then don't hook up with either!" She sniffed the air again, then covered her nose. "And take that shower already!"

"That bad?" He asked, sniffing himself as well to confirm that indeed, he wasn't fully fresh. "Can I use your shower?" Then his stomach growled, just now realizing that he didn't have anything in his mouth, save for the herbal tea and biscuits. He smiled sheepish. "And umm..."

"Yes, yes, I'll get you some chow. Just don't get used to it."

The two smiled and went towards the door, Rainbow in safe distance from her stinky friend. The walked in silence... for about two seconds.
"Thunderlane, just to clarify," she started, avoiding eye contact and turning away to hide her slight blush "just because we had a... over-emotional last few minutes, we're not... falling in love, right?"

"N-no, of course not!" He snorted. "Why do you ask? Are you crushing on me?"

"Pfft, yeah, you wish!"

"No, I don't." He earned a smack in the shoulder.

"Jerk."

"Tomboy."

And then both started laughing, even stopping in the middle of their very short route to the house with broken door frames.

---

"Just to be clear," Rainbow Dash coughed "I'm not going to let you win again!"

"Heh, big words... from a loser!"

"Just wait till I show you the true power of my Sonic Rainboom! It's at least 20 times faster than your... err... what's it called again?"

"Well... the name's pending, but we (Lightning Dust and myself) called it 'Thunderized Whish-Whoosh'."

"... a what now?"

"It's a working name."

"How about you call it Sonic Thunderbo--"

"No."

Author's Note:

So... much... dialogue...

So... much... delay...

So... much... emotions...

So... much... elipses... <passes out>

Comments

[Eyeswirl the Weirded]

So... much... story! And still going!
Though I'm quite familiar with a fic rolling along much further than what might have been expected. I'm up to 30-ish thousand words in another story and it's still just getting started.

[Leo Dane]

I say pick Lightning Dust. He and Blossomforth's relationship comes off as just a bit toxic. And I loved the scene between Rainbow and Thunderlane!

[Hopeful_Ink_Hoof]

Whatever happens -- Lightning, Blossom, or neither -- there is going to be some awkward times ahead.

I kind of agree with Dash that it should not count, but not because of Thunderlane using his Storm Shot or whatever he calls it. More because Rainbow Dash stopped and went back for him. If not for that, there is no certainty one way or the other if he would have won or not.

[ShadowLDrago]

"No, don't you Soarin me at a moment like this! You just scored a hot, talented and apparently adorable ginger and she's totally into you, while you are technically single! Give me one good reason why we SHOULDN'T bump our hooves right now, and one more why you shouldn't hook up with her?"

He's right.

"How about you call it Sonic Thunderbo--"

I suggested that last chapter, wow, either you¡re retroactively psychic, or I am.

[Red Thunder]

How about "Thunderblast" or "Shockwave"?

[Red Thunder]

Also, as much as people like Thunderblossom, I'd say this site needs more Thunderdust, mix it up a bit.

[djthomp]

Not completely certain why I waited so long to read this update, I was probably still grumpy about how Dash was treated for the last few chapters.

And, well, it was nice to see some progress on that this time around. Still would be nice if Thunderlane would apologize for the way he publicly humiliated her, or at the very least thanked her for stopping the race to go look for him.

Edit: I forgot to mention earlier, thanks for not retconing away Dash's Rainboom in this AU. I suppose it wouldn't be a retcon per se since as the author you can define your alternative worldbuilding however you like, but it's nice to get a little bit of confirmation that she is still fundamentally the same character with the same skills. I was just slightly concerned that Thunderlane getting a special skill of his own was going to come at the cost of Dash losing hers.

[dshadow14]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L07t8yd_a4
I couldn't resist