And So?

by Rokas

Chapter 8 - Vaulting the Carnivorous Ichthyoid

Thunderbird yawned mightily as he awakened to the ringing sound of a wind-up alarm clock. Working almost entirely on autopilot, he hopped out of bed and immediately moved to cross the room to where he'd placed the timepiece on the small desk opposite his bed. It was a calculated move to ensure that he would wake up enough to remember that he needed to stay awake, as he had a job to get to.

Of course, it would have helped if he were still bipedal; years of reacting to his electronic alarm clock at home had inculcated an automatic response to move on two legs. Now in pony form, Thunderbird barely got out of bed before he promptly fell onto his face. The pain from the impact jump-started his mind, and after the initial disorientation his memories flowed back in. How the Hell do you fall on your face when you're a quadruped? Thud grumbled to himself, as he stood up on all fours and immediately went to turn the alarm off.

God, I can't believe I'm doing this schtick again, the pegasus grumbled to himself, as he went to the small dresser and opened the top drawer. A few deft movements of hooves and application of gripping magic soon had a hair brush strapped to his right fore-hoof, and he began to brush out the inevitable mess his hair always ended up in after he slept. I don't know how some people can wake up and not need to straighten their hair out, Thud mused. Lucky sunsabitches.

His mane set—God help me, I'm actually calling it my mane, now—Thunderbird quickly turned to his tail and stroked out the few loose knots it had acquired as well. Fortunately it never seemed to suffer the same issues that plagued the mass of flexible keratin on his head, and so Thud finished his ministrations in only a few moments. No shower today, he told himself, as he turned to walk to the bedroom door, and then opened it and entered the hall beyond. Gonna be sweaty anyway, Dash said so. Why the Hell am I working on the same team as Dash?

That question had plagued his mind the last day, and Thunderbird was perturbed at the fact that he was softening his “no-interaction” stance in regards to the Mane Six. Worry later, work now, another part of his mind reminded him, and the pegasus quickly shut down his thoughts until he made his way downstairs and into the kitchen.

“Good evening,” Ditzy Dew said to Thud, as he entered and walked over to the pantry. “Or should I say 'good morning'?” she asked, from her seat at the room's table.

“Whichever,” Thunderbird grunted, his voice rough. He opened the pantry without preamble and then quickly rooted around for a breakfast cereal. Once this was found and firmly gripped between his teeth, the stallion turned and walked over to the dish cabinets.

Ditzy, meanwhile, chuckled slightly at the image. “Still not a morning pony, eh?” she cheerfully asked.

“No,” Thunderbird ground out, and then fell silent as he opened the fridge and retrieved the milk from within. He remained quiet as he fixed a bowl of cereal, returned the raw materials to their appropriate stores, carried the bowl of milk-enhanced cereal to the table with his mouth, and then set it down across from Ditzy Dew.

“I know you like to be quiet most of the time, but this is kind of ridiculous,” the mare said, as Thunderbird quietly took his seat and then started eating. The stallion merely gave her a tired look, and then returned to his food; this prompted Ditzy to shake her head at Thud. “Could you at least use a spoon?” she wryly asked, as he dug into the bowl.

Thunderbird paused just long enough to bring his head up and out of the food. “I don't have hands. But I got a muzzle, so I'm usin' it,” he muttered, and then returned to his meal.

Ditzy sighed at that. “Just don't do this where Dinky can see you,” she admonished. “The last thing I need is her picking up a bad habit like that.”

Thud grunted an acknowledgment, but otherwise remained silent as he polished off his breakfast. Once finished he cleaned up after himself, went upstairs to brush his teeth, and then promptly made his way back down to the front door.

Ditzy was waiting for him there, and she held the door open for him. “I do hope you have a good night,” she said, as Thunderbird casually walked past her.

“I'll try,” he replied, as he paused outside and began to stretch all six of his limbs. “Lord knows it'll probably be boring as Hell.”

“Maybe so, but it pays the bills,” Ditzy replied, as she cast her eyes over the stallion's large wings while they were fully extended. “Just try not to fall asleep.”

“Thanks, mom,” Thud sarcastically replied. He fell silent for a moment, and then sighed. “But yeah, I'll try,” he sincerely added, and then glanced over to the other pegasus with a faint grin. “Thanks.”

Ditzy Dew smiled politely at the sincere expression. “Of course. Now you'd best get moving before Rainbow Dash decides to come looking for you.”

Thud scoffed at that, but held his tongue as he spread his wings and leapt into the air. Strong wingbeats propelled him into the night, and soon he was a fading silhouette in the sky. Ditzy Dew watched him go, and then sighed tiredly. “Would be nice to get a full 'thank you' now and again,” she muttered, as she turned and walked back into her house. Ah well, I've known he isn't all there right after he wakes up since he moved in, she reasoned, and then closed the door behind her.

* * * *

Rainbow Dash paced impatiently on the lone cloud the weather patrol used as a meeting spot. He's not late yet, she reminded herself. He's not late yet, and if he knows what's good for him, he won't be. She snorted a bit as she thought of what she would do if the strange stallion failed to show up on time. Bucking lightning out of clouds? Nah, he seemed to enjoy that. Then again, let's see how he feels about it after having to do it for six hours straight.

The sound of large wings beating through the air brought Dash out of her ruminations, and she bit back a sigh of disappointment as she turned to watch Thunderbird make his approach. His movements seemed jerky and his landing on the cloud was rough, but overall Rainbow couldn't find anything to really fault him on. “Looks like you can keep to a schedule, at least,” she said, with a smirk.

Thunderbird bit his lip as he fought to keep a retort in. You're one to talk, dame naps-a-lot, he thought, and then took a slow breath to calm his short, morning temper. “Yup,” he said, equably. “So, what do we do to change the shift over, then?”

“Nothing much,” Dash evenly replied, satisfied that the new worker knew his place. “The pony leaving the shift handles the paperwork in town hall, including marking when her relief gets in,” she explained, and then turned to walk towards the opposite edge of the cloud. She paused just long enough to motion with a wing for Thunderbird to follow, and then resumed speaking once he moved up to join her. “Your job for now is just going to be watching for clouds coming out of the Everfree Forest, or the occasional natural cloud when they form.”

Thunderbird blinked at that, and he gave the mare off to his left a befuddled look. “Natural clouds?” he asked. “I thought you ponies made all of them yourselves?”

Dash raised an eyebrow at the way he said 'you ponies', but quickly set it aside as unimportant. “Most of them. But a few rogue ones pop up now and again,” she replied, with a wing-shrug. “Sometimes we corral 'em over the empty north fields, but we've got all the rain we need for now, so just buck 'em clear.”

“Clear the clouds, gotcha,” Thud replied, and then yawned. He brought a foreleg to cover his mouth with a fetlock while he did, and then lowered it sheepishly as Rainbow gave him a look. “Heh, sorry, still getting used to being back on night shift.”

The mare shrugged again. “No problem, I know how that is,” she replied. “Any questions?”

“Uh, yeah,” Thunderbird replied. “No one told me about the paperwork. Where do I get it from? Is there a certain way to fill it out? Where do I file it?”

Dash dismissively waved a foreleg at the stallion. “Don't worry, I asked Thunderlane to come in early tomorrow and show you the ropes with that stuff,” she said. “Ponyville can go a little bit without a weatherpony while you two get that all straightened out.”

“Uh-huh,” Thunderbird muttered. “Well, anything special or unique I should know about the weather around here?” he asked.

“Nah,” Rainbow replied. “We've got a good crew here, so things run smoothly,” she said, and then turned her head to give the stallion a hard look. “Just don't screw that up, okay?”

Thud suppressed another sigh, and then nodded. “Understood,” he flatly answered. “Does screwing up include taking a few flights? I don't want to fall asleep from sitting still all night.”

Rainbow smirked again at that, and her estimate of the stallion rose another small notch. “There's no problem with that,” she replied. “Frankly, I'd like it if you go flying around, make sure you don't miss anything. Just keep an eye out and you can do loops all night for all I care.”

Another nod came from the green pegasus, and he relaxed a little. “Alright, sounds like a plan,” he said. “I think I got it from here, miss Dash.”

“Alright then,” Rainbow said, and then paused to stretch her limbs out. Unlike Thunderbird, she stretched very much like a cat, arching her limbs in ways that made the stallion blush to look at.

Stop looking at her, Thud told himself, as he turned his head to look out over the village. His eyes seemed to have their own mind, however, and he found his focus flitting back over to the mare as she finished her stretching. That's wrong stop it stop stop stop, he mentally repeated, only to finally tear his eyes away as Rainbow flicked her gaze up to look at his face. Shit, did she see me? God, what's wrong with me? Why can't I be normal?

“Well...” Dash began, haltingly. “Good luck, and try not to fall asleep,” she added, and then turned and promptly flew off of the cloud before she dove out of sight for the ground below.

Thunderbird stood still for a few minutes as he listened to Rainbow's wing beats fade until she landed on the town square below. Pony ears are pretty good; the errant thought crossed his mind as he turned to face the direction of the Everfree Forest, and then sat on his haunches and carefully peered through the night skies to make sure no rogue clouds were in the air. It wasn't until he heard the doors of Ponyville's town hall open and close that more thoughts started to roll through his head. Why couldn't I be normal? Why couldn't I have grown up all stupid and blindly arrogant as everyone else? I'd have had a normal life and wouldn't be here thinking about ponies like this.

He shook his head somewhat violently in an attempt to clear his mind. Eventually, however, his mind went back to the image of Rainbow Dash's languid movements and an unfortunate, yet familiar reaction made itself known. Oh-kaaay, enough sitting, Thunderbird nervously thought, as he stood and then stretched his wings before he jumped off the cloud. The large airfoils bit into the dense night air and soon the stallion was flapping hard in an effort to distract himself with physical exertion.

* * * *

Rainbow Dash trotted out of town hall, and then paused to close the main doors behind her. Ponyville was quiet and small enough that no locks were needed for the entrance and the large chamber that formed the majority of the building's interior. Indeed, it was even considered a service to the community to leave it open, as two desks were set up with stacks of some of the most commonly requested forms that a citizen of the town would sometimes be called to fill out, including the weather patrol's checklists and logbook.

The paperwork sure is easy for a government job, Rainbow mused, as she turned and then walked down the stairs leading to ground level. She paused there, however, and then sighed. So why did it take me twice as long to finish tonight?

The sound of wings cutting through the air drew her attention skyward, and the cyan pegasus watched as Thunderbird flew off the watch cloud and promptly began to head towards the border with the Everfree. Right, that's why, Dash thought, while a light blush ran briefly over her cheeks. Stupid colt, with his stupid wandering eyes, she mentally grumbled, just as she took to the sky and powered into the night. Stupid Applejack, putting stupid thoughts in my head. Stupid... her mental rant trailed off then, as the small niggling of her conscience made itself known. Rainbow sighed as she slowed her wings and angled for home. Stupid me, for stretching like that in front of him. What the hay is wrong with me?

She silently cursed Applejack again as her wings stilled and she glided towards the front portico of her cloud house. If it hadn't been for her dumb idea that the creep has thoughts for me... And he is a creep, Dash reiterated to herself, as she alighted on the clouds that formed her home, and then folded up her wings. The way he talks, how he acts, he's just so... so weird! And Pinkie Pie said he's cool but won't say why, and Scratch actually thinks he's interesting. A frown graced her muzzle as Rainbow nudged open her front door and quickly walked into the solitude of her home. Why is everypony going crazy? Can't they see he's just a... A...

Rainbow froze in her tracks as she realized that, aside from a few brusque comments, Thunderbird had been mostly decent with her. This of course made her frown deepen, and she grumbled in her throat as she closed the door to her house and then promptly walked over to the special enchanted pen where her pet, Tank, lived. Forget that stupid stallion, she thought, and then smiled as the tortoise slowly awoke and pushed his head and limbs out from his shell to give his mistress a slow, warm look. “Hey there, Tank, mommy's home,” Dash cooed, unafraid to use a mushy tone and cutsey word selection when the only one who could hear her was her pet. Carefully she leaned over the pen's light fencing—there more to remind the tortoise of where the safety of the enchanted floorboards ended than to keep him in—and picked up Tank with the hooves of her forelegs, while her wings slowly flapped to keep her position stable. “How's my little stallion doing?” Rainbow asked, as she brought the tortoise up and rubbed her nose against his.

Tank made a happy sort of noise and returned the gesture with his idiomatic leisure. Dash felt her worries and cares melt away, and not for the first time she felt relieved that circumstances had her pick Tank over the falcon. That bird was cool, but I don't think he'd let me do this sort of thing, Rainbow mused, as she placed Tank back in his enclosure. “I'll fix us both some dinner, then it's time for bed,” she addressed the animal, and then turned and walked off towards her pantry.

Her thoughts drifted as she worked on the meals, and Dash frowned as the new hire on the weather team once again wandered through her mind. If it was just the ogling me, it'd be easy to dismiss, she thought. But AJ's words keep bouncing in my head. The idea of any stallion having some sort of attraction to her beyond the merely physical was alluring, and Rainbow found the idea tended to stick for the oddest reasons. He doesn't stare at me like he wants a one-night rut, she realized, as she thought back to the interactions she'd had with him. He's not intimidated by me like some stallions are, either. He just looks at me like an equal. He looks at me.

The idea made her blush again, and Dash found she had to shake her head clear it of such ideas. I'm just getting carried away, she thought, as she picked up Tank's dinner bowl in her mouth and turned to carry it over to the pet's pen. Me an' AJ are just seeing something that isn't there; Thunderbird is just a weird pony who doesn't act right, that's all. Even Twilight said he was kinda strange, the way he just asked for some weird kind of fiction nopony's ever heard about, and then sat and stared at maps for hours. Another shake of her head helped to clear her thoughts. Just another weirdo in a town full of weirdos. With that settled, she set down Tank's meal and then went to dine on her own hefty salad.

* * * *

Some hours later the sun rose over the eastern horizon, and Thunderbird smiled as he managed to greet the day properly for the first time in his life. Always sleeping in late before, or working until after the dang thing came up, or just plain busy with something else I wanted to do, he mused, as the first sliver of the burning star crested over the distant mountains. But here, now... His thoughts trailed off as he simply sat still and appreciated the natural beauty. A bit flat without any clouds, Thud mused, but still, gorgeous. Thank you, God, for letting me see this.

Around him he could hear the first signs of the world waking up, as birds began to sing, and a few ponies started to make noise in the streets as they walked to whatever errand was urgent enough to have them rouse so early. Idly curious, Thud moved to the edge of the weather patrol's watchcloud and looked down upon Ponyville. The twilight's gloom still held the ground in the grip of shadows, but this was starting to lift as the sun continued to rise further in the eastern sky, and soon the pegasus could make out the various shapes of ponies quite easily. Most of the early risers were heading towards the market, he noted, often with large saddlebags on or while towing a cart. Ah, shopkeeps and the like, Thunderbird mused, as he returned his attention back to the skies. The boring, unchanging skies, he further thought, and then sighed. I miss Florida's weather already. Hot and humid to the point of near agony it may have been, there was something undeniably beautiful about the clouds as they formed every day, shifted and moved, and then rained. Nothing like this sterile artificiality. Thud spared a moment for a rueful chuckle. Funny, I get away from Humanity's penchant for 'fake' food and plastic, and only to find out Ponies have their own hangups with the natural order.

He mulled on this as the day continued to brighten, and soon enough the ground below was finally lit by the rising sun. Ponyville came alive more than ever as shops opened and workers flowed through the streets towards their employment. Still others made a second wave of migration towards the marketplace with empty saddlebags, clearly intent on their shopping needs, while a few headed towards the permanent stores in town. All in all, the scene was so picturesque that Thunderbird wished he had his digital camera with him. Then again, how would I get the pictures off of the memory card to show others? he asked himself. I'd need my laptop too, I'd guess. And the chargers for both. Thud sighed at this. Sometimes I wish this place had more modern conveniences, even if those same conveniences occasionally cause as much trouble as they save.

The flapping of wings caught his ear just then, and Thunderbird turned his head around until he saw a familiar figure approaching his location. “Permission to come aboard, sir!” the pegasus asked, as she stopped short of the cloud and gave a friendly salute.

Thunderbird laughed briefly at the mare's antics. “I'm pretty sure the weather patrol isn't military, Ditzy,” he said, and then waved the gray pony forward with a foreleg.

Ditzy Doo just chuckled as she flittered over and then landed only a meter away from the bigger pegasus. “Maybe not, but I got you to crack a smile, didn't I?” she asked, with a smirk as she tucked in her wings.

“What're you, Pinkie Pie now?” Thud countered, a smirk of his own upon his muzzle. “Nice cap, by the way.”

“Thank you,” Ditzy unironically replied, and then reached up to make sure the blue mailpony's cap was perched correctly upon her head. “I always did like the hats, even if the uniforms always chafe my skin right through my coat.”

“So you never wear them?” Thunderbird asked.

“Not unless there's an inspection going on,” Ditzy replied, with a shake of her head. “Sometimes one of the Canterlot big horns decides she needs a vacation and takes an expenses paid tour through the outlying offices. Of course, they always start in Ponyville.” She paused at that, and then sighed as she turned to sit her haunches on the cloud, parallel to Thunderbird's position. “A pain in the flank if you ask me.”

Thud chuckled again, which garnered a look from his friend. “Sorry, it's just I know exactly what you mean,” he said, with a grin. “When I worked at Wally World back home, every year we put up with a wave of 'inspections' from the various bigwigs whenever they had the year-end meeting at the convention center in town.”

Ditzy managed an almost masculine-sounding grunt back. “I can imagine,” she replied. “Anyway, enough about my job, how was your shift last night?” she asked, as she turned her head to look over at the stallion.

Thunderbird shrugged his wings. “Boring as Hell, for the most part,” he answered, and silently prayed Ditzy wouldn't pry further.

His hope was unfulfilled, as the gray mare gave him a sly smile. “'For the most part', eh?” she asked. “And what part wasn't boring? When you met Rainbow Dash for the changeover?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Thunderbird lied. He was unfortunately terrible at it, and thus could only blush as Ditzy chuckled at him. “I 'm serious,” he reiterated.

“Sure you are,” Ditzy sarcastically replied. Before Thud could respond, however, she stood back up on all fours and then stretched her wings. “I'm sure I'll hear all about it later when I stop for lunch at Sugarcube Corner; the grapevine will have everything down by then.”

Thunderbird grumbled. “Stupid small town nosiness,” he muttered.

“You'll get used to it,” Ditzy assured him. “Anyway, I left the back door to the house open, so go in through there. Just don't take too long.”

“No prob,” Thud replied. “I just gotta wait for Thunderlane to get here so he can show me how to do the post-shift paperwork.”

“Oh, him,” Ditzy said, with a roll of her eyes. “Word to the wise, he's a complete slacker and won't hesitate to try and drag you down to his level if you let him. Best to keep things on the straight and narrow.”

Thunderbird nodded with a knowing look on his face. “I know the type,” he revealed. “A line from Skyrim sums it up: 'a poncy little milk-drinker, that one.'” He chuckled at this.

Ditzy, though, simply gave the stallion a confused look. “Skyrim?” she asked.

“Oh, it's a video game,” Thud explained. “Kinda popular, actually; I'm surprised you didn't hear about it when you went to one of the human realities.”

“Well, it's not like I carried out an exhaustive survey,” Ditzy replied, with a shrug. “And human worlds tend to be insanely populated to the point where something could be famous in some circles and those outside would never hear of it.”

“True,” Thunderbird allowed. A frown then crossed his muzzle. “'Insanely populated'?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ditzy smugly replied, with a nod. “You people breed like rabbits.”

Thunderbird frowned at the mare, though his expression turned into a smirk a moment later. “Well, it is a rather fun pastime,” he snarked. “You should try it sometime.”

“Ha ha,” Ditzy sarcastically retorted. “If you haven't noticed, I do have a daughter.”

“Could be adopted,” Thunderbird countered, in a mischievous tone. “In fact, fan speculation back home has that amongst the possible origins of Dinky.”

Ditzy Dew sighed and rolled her eyes at that. “You people and your hyperactive imaginations,” she good-naturedly muttered, and then smirked a bit. “You all just don't want to think about your favorite ponies 'doing it', do you?”

“Well, that's part of it for some,” Thud replied, his tone shifting into one of discomfort. “But yanno, sometimes it's just because we want to see a character that we have represent the best aspects of our humanity.”

“Uh-huh,” Ditzy deadpanned. “And chastity is one of those things?”

“It is when paired with adorable things,” Thunderbird countered.

Ditzy scoffed at that. “Whatever,” she said, and then took to the air to hover a few feet above the cloud. “In any case, I must be off. Take care, Thud.”

“You too, Ditzy,” Thunderbird replied, a soft smile on his face as the mare turned and flew off towards the north. Once she was gone, however, the stallion let his face slip back into the slight scowl he wore as his 'neutral' expression, and then looked out over Ponyville again.

Time seemed to pass more quickly now, as the sun rose into the sky and the town started to settle down from the morning rush. Wish I had a watch, Thud mused, as he began to wonder if his relief would ever show. I know I've seen ponies on the show with watches; I wonder where I could buy one and how much would it cost?

The sound of flapping wings approached the cloud , and brought Thunderbird out of his reverie. A glance to the side showed him a black-coated pegasus on approach, and the unique cut of the stallion's mane told Thud that his relief was finally here.

“Hey there,” the newcomer said, slightly out of breath as he landed. “Sorry I'm late; alarm clocks, am I right?” he asked, with a grin.

“I suppose,” Thud replied, his tone even but with an eyebrow raised. “Thunderlane, I presume?” he asked, even though he recognized the stallion from the show.

“Yeah, that's me,” Thunderlane answered, and then walked forward once he caught up on his oxygen intake. He then walked up to Thud and then extended a hoof. “I'm guessing you're Thunderbird?”

“Aye,” Thud replied, as he reached out to shake the proffered hoof. “He be me.”

Thunderlane gave him a bemused look as the the greeting ended and the black stallion withdrew his hoof. “Uh, you okay?” he asked.

“No,” Thunderbird replied. “I'm tired, you're late, and we still have work to do,” he expanded. “Forgive my brusqueness, but I really just want to be shown how to do the paperwork so I can get it done and go enjoy what free time I have left in the day.”

“Geeze, which side of the cloud did you wake up on?” Thunderlane asked. He didn't wait for an answer, though, and instead moved to stand next to Thud and pat him on the back with a wing. “C'mon, dude, relax, life's too short to be worried about doing everything like clockwork.”

“There's a difference between enjoying life and not doing your job right,” Thud countered. “And right now, I just want to finish my responsibilities so I can call it a day.”

“Okay, okay. Chill,” Thunderlane replied. “I get what you're saying, dude. C'mon, let's hop down to town hall and I'll show ya,” he added, and then turned around to spread his wings before he hopped off the cloud.

Thunderbird took in a calming breath, and then moved to follow. He hopped off the cloud and spread his wings just in time to catch some air and glide down in a tight spiral, until he landed next to Thunderlane with an appropriate 'thud' that startled the charcoal pegasus. “Geeze, that was rough,” Thunderlane observed.

“Meh,” Thud replied, as he folded his wings up. “It's not the hardest I've hit the ground.” Nor is it the worst impact I've had, he mentally added, as he remembered the automobile accidents he'd been in before.

“Okay,” Thunderlane said, and then shook his head a bit. “Alright, c'mon then,” he said, and then started to walk towards the steps up to town hall. Thud followed quickly, and both pushed through the doors and into the main room.

Doesn't have quite the same feel as the courthouse back home, Thud mused, as he recalled several jury duties he had gone to. Of course, it's not quite fair to compare the two; Ponyville is a small town, and Orange County has what? Over a million residents? Something like that. He pushed such thoughts from his mind as Thunderlane and he headed towards a set of desks set off to the side of the main room. Each had an electrical desk lamp and stacks of papers neatly organized on their surfaces, as well as several writing implements. Oh thank God, they actually do have pencils here, Thud observed. I freakin' hate quills.

“Here we are,” Thunderlane said, as the two stallions stopped in front of the left desk. “Ya just grab the time sheet here,” he said, and then slipped a binder over and opened it up. “Find the last entry, and then scribble in your name, the time, the pony relieving you...”

* * * *

“...And that's it!” Thunderlane finished, with a smile. “Not so bad, right?”

“Nah,” Thud replied, as he finished the last sheet. “No worse than my job at Sears,” he added, without thinking.

“Sears?” Thunderlane asked, and Thud winced as he realized his mistake. “What's that?”

“A store back home,” Thunderbird answered, as he put the finished worksheet aside and set down the pencil. “I worked in the parts and service department for a few years, and I had to keep track of customer information.”

“Ah,” the charcoal pegasus chimed in. “I get ya,” he said, and then waved a wing to indicate that Thud should follow. “Parts and service for what, though?” he asked, once both stallions were walking towards the exit.

“Appliances,” Thud replied, after a moment to think. Ponies have fridges and stuff, it shouldn't hurt to mention them. “You know, refrigerators, stoves, that sort of thing.”

“Cool,” Thunderlane added. He was silent for a moment as the two passed through the doorway and exited town hall. “Well, that's it; you're free,” he added, and then turned his head towards Thunderbird. “So, off to your plans?”

“I guess,” Thud replied, with a wing-shrug. “I don't got no real plans. I'll probably just find someplace to grab dinner and fly around some.”

Thunderlane blinked at the double-negative, but soon enough grinned. “Hey, wanna join me for breakfast, then?” he asked. “I had to skip it to get here before I was too late, so I'm gonna hit Sugarcube Corner.”

The former human gave Thunderlane a queer look. “Ain't you supposed to be working?”

“Do you see anything for me to do yet?” Thunderlane asked, with a smirk. “Lemme guess; Dash gave you the whole 'don't screw up' speech, right?”

“Not exactly a speech,” Thud answered. “But yeah, she kinda implied it would not be in my favor if I slacked off.”

Thunderlane chuckled. “Yeah, she gives all the new ponies that bit. Don't let it worry you; she's not that bad, really. Just keep the weather to the schedule and she won't mind if you take a bit of time to run an errand or get some lunch.”

“I'm sure she'd still be upset at a new person doing that,” Thunderbird replied.

“Yeah, maybe,” Thunderlane allowed, and then grinned again. “But luckily, I'm not new. And you're not on the clock, so what's the big deal? C'mon, let's go get some muffins.”

Thud frowned at the other pegasus, but soon sighed. “Alright, but it's your funeral if Dash gets ticked,” he relented.

“Hey, it usually is,” Thunderlane agreed, and then turned and started to trot down the steps. “Even when it's not my fault,” he added, as Thud caught up with him. “She just doesn't like me, for some reason.”

If Ditzy's right, then it's 'cuz you're a slacker, Thud mused. Ah well, I'm officially clocked out, so it's all on his head if this miffs off best pony.

With that thought Thunderbird returned his attention back to the outside world, and followed Thunderlane through Ponyville's streets. “So, where are you from, anyway?” the other stallion asked, with a glance behind him.

“A long ways away,” Thud replied. “No offense, but I'd rather not go into it.”

“Oh, okay,” Thunderlane said, somewhat surprised. “Well, what are you doing in Ponyville?”

Thud forced a sigh down as he sped up a bit to walk abreast of Thunderlane. “Honestly, it was a bit of an accident,” he explained. A cosmic one. “Got caught in a storm, stuck in the Everfree, chased by a manticore, the usual.”

“That's the usual?” Thunderlane asked, with an incredulous glance. “Geeze, I'd hate to see what you'd consider a bad day.”

“So would I,” Thud agreed. The pair fell silent at that, and remained in companionable silence until they got to Sugarcube Corner and saw the line out the front.

“Geeze, busy again,” Thunderlane observed.

“Yeah, it's almost as if everyone wakes up at the same time and wants breakfast on the go,” Thunderbird wryly observed.

“Oh, ha ha,” Thunderlane sarcastically replied. “You're one of those types, aren't you?” he asked, as he led Thud to the end of the line.

The addressed pony raised an eyebrow at the charcoal pegasus. “And what type would that be?” he asked, curiously.

“Smart, and snarky about it,” Thunderlane replied, with a tired sigh. “As if it weren't bad enough with half the weather team getting on my back.”

Thunderbird shrugged at that. “Ah, don't worry about it,” he said, friendlily. “I tend to keep to myself, so unless you give me a good reason I'll leave you alone.”

“Oh?” Thunderlane asked, with a raised eyebrow of his own. “And what would be a good reason?”

“Depends on what you do,” Thud replied, with a slight grin. “Can't really say what's what 'til it happens.”

Thunderlane snorted at that, but kept his tongue as the line moved forward. By now the pair were at the main door and soon stepped into the bakery's customer area. Thud took a moment to look around and was surprised to see the tables set up for dining in were surprisingly empty. I guess the rat race is alive and well here, too, he mused.

“So...” Thunderlane said, which drew Thud's attention back to the charcoal pony. “Can I ask why you don't want to talk about where you're from?”

“I don't know, can you?” Thud asked back.

Thunderlane snorted. “Ugh, you're a grammar stomper too,” he said.

“Someone's got to be, otherwise the language deteriorates into slapdash dialects of nearly incomprehensible gibberish that alienates the group using it from the majority,” Thud countered. “That may be how new languages form, but as far as I'm concerned English as it stands is good enough.”

Thunderlane gave his companion a befuddled look. “English? Don't you mean Equish?”

To his credit, Thud only paused for a moment before he closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes. Yes, that is exactly what I meant,” he said, and then opened his eyes to give Thunderlane an even look. “See? Regional dialects impede understanding.”

“I guess,” Thunderlane allowed. A moment of silence passed between the two stallions before he spoke again. “So anyway, can I ask why you don't want to talk about where you're from or not?”

Thud suppressed the urge to correct Thunderlane a second time. Once is fair, twice is just being pedantic. “Not much to tell, really,” Thud cautiously replied. “What do you want to know?”

“I dunno,” the other pegasus muttered. He thought for a moment, and then spoke again. “Just, why don't you wanna talk about it?”

“Well...” Thud said, as he let the word trail off while he thought. “Let me just say that the main reason is I'm kinda homesick,” he explained. “And I can't really head back there right away”—or ever—“and I just don't want to make things worse by talking about it.”

“Oh,” Thunderlane said, and he stretched the word out. “Uh, sorry.”

“It's okay,” Thud replied, evenly. “You didn't know.”

“Still, I didn't mean to—”

“Hey!” A cheerful voice chimed in, and startled both stallions into finally noticing that they had reached the front of the line. And standing on the other side of the counter was the incessantly beaming face of Pinkie Pie. “How are you two doing? What can I get you?”

“Hiya, Pinkie,” Thunderlane said, and was echoed a second later by Thud. “I missed breakfast, so I'm going to need the morning special with coffee.”

“Okay!” the infamously friendly earth pony replied, and then looked to Thud. “It's like dinner time for you, isn't it?” she asked, curiously.

“Indeed,” Thunderbird replied, with a small but sincere smile. “But right now I'm hungry enough to eat a—just 'bout anything, so what's the morning special?”

“Oh, that's two fresh muffins of whatever the day's flavor is and hay browns and either a tall glass of milk or a cup of coffee!” Pinkie explained.

Thud could only blink as two things from the rapid-fire sentence hit him. “Hay browns?” he asked. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Hay cooked in a buttered skillet until extra-crispy!” Pinkie added. “Really gives a good crunch and offsets the muffins' delicious squishiness!”

“Okay,” Thud temporized. “But I thought this was a bakery, not a greasy spoon?”

The smile slipped off of Pinkie Pie's face at that. “What's a greasy spoon?” she asked, confused.

Thud took a moment to blink in surprise before his brain kicked into gear. “A diner; it's a roadside diner specializing in cheap, tasty, but fattening food,” he explained. “I thought you and the Cakes just baked stuff here?”

“Ahh,” Pinkie replied, and then regained her smile once she understood Thunderbird's reference. “We do have a full kitchen, and don't mind making stuff for ponies when it's slow,” she explained back.

“Slow? But it's—” Thud began, though he immediately cut himself off as he looked around and realized that there was no line behind the two weather ponies, and that most of the crowd had cleared out, save for a couple sitting at a table in the corner. “Huh, it was busier in here a moment ago,” he observed.

“Yeah, you two got here just as the rush ended!” Pinkie said, still with her idiomatic grin. “Good timing, huh?”

“Yeah,” Thud replied, a knowing tone in his voice as he turned his head to give Thunderlane a look. The latter had turned his head to glance off to the side and had an expression of feigned innocence on his face. “Anyway,” Thud continued, after a moment, and turned his head back to Pinkie. “If that's the case, then how about hash browns instead of hay browns?”

Once again the smile slipped off of Pinkie's face, and both she and Thunderlane gave Thud befuddled looks. “What's a hash brown?” Pinkie asked.

“You're kidding me?” Thud asked, and then shook his head a bit. “Hash browns are just like hay browns, only with diced or shredded potatoes seared to a golden color instead of hay.”

“Ooooh,” Pinkie said, and once again her smile returned, this time with even more force. “That sounds absolutely yummy! I can easily do that instead of hay browns if you want?”

“Excellent,” Thud replied, and then smiled. “A morning special with that, then. Oh, and milk.”

“Super!” Pinkie replied. “Just sit down and I'll go started on those!” she added, and then turned around and walked into the back room. “Missus Cake! I've got two specials to make!”

“Okay Pinkie, I'll take the counter,” the familiar voice of the matronly pony answered from the same room, and soon she appeared in the same doorway her employee had moved through.

Both Thud and Thunderlane had already moved away by then, and had picked out a table to sit at and wait for their meals. “I never thought Sugarcube Corner was a diner, too,” the former mused.

“Like Pinkie said, you gotta hit it at the right time,” Thunderlane spoke up. “Kinda limited, though, since they are a bakery first and don't really stock anything for customers except stuff for their specials.”

“I get ya,” Thud acknowledged. “Still, just a bit surprising to me, that's all.”

“Yeah, it doesn't look it from outside, does it?” Thunderlane asked, by way of agreement. “Pretty good food, though.”

“Hmm,” Thud just hummed. The pair fell silent at that, but only for a moment. “So, are you originally from Ponyville, or elsewhere?” the green stallion asked. Might as well find out more about the background ponies.

“Me?” Thunderlane asked. “I'm from Cloudsdale, originally. My parents moved us here when I was a colt, though, so I think of Ponyville as home,” he explained, good-nautredly. “I've visited Cloudsdale a few times, but I like it here; nice and relaxed and easygoing, no hectic schedule.” Thud raised an eyebrow and gave Thunderlane a spurious look at that, and the latter blushed a bit under the stare. “Okay, yeah, maybe a bit of a schedule,” he allowed. “I'll eat my breakfast quick and get to work soon enough.”

“Then it's good I made yours first!” Pinkie's bubbly voice intruded on the two stallions, and they jumped a bit in surprise as the pink pony walked up to them and then knelt down to shift the plate she was carrying on her back onto the table. Upon the simple china was a pair of muffins and strands of hay that had indeed been crisped up and glistened with the added butter. “And here's your drink!” Pinkie added, and then whipped out a cup of coffee from nowhere with her hoof and placed it next to the plate.

Thud frowned. “Pinkie, where was that drink?” he asked.

Thunderlane gave the other stallion a panicked look. “Dude, don't ask,” he said. “You'll just get a headache.”

“No no, I want to know,” Thud insisted, and then looked to Pinkie, who wore a pensive expression. “Because I'm not sure I want to drink or eat something if I don't know where it's been. No offense, Pinkie, I just want to make sure it won't be irradiated from whatever pocket dimension you yanked it from.”

The weather pony across from Thud gave him a confused look, but Pinkie Pie's face lit up. “Oh, that's close but not quite the right flavor,” she said. “See they're in the same spot they were before, I just turn them to the side so that they can fit!”

Both stallions blinked hard at that, but Thunderbird soon recovered and his eyes lit up. “You mean they're in the same spot, but you turn them ninety degrees from everything else along a curled dimension?” he asked.

Pinkie Pie squealed, and then bounced over to wrap Thunderbird in a hug. “You got it, you got it!” she happily exclaimed. “Nopony ever gets it but you did!”

“I have no idea what the hay is going on,” Thunderlane flatly observed.

Thud politely extricated himself from Pinkie's grip before he turned and gave the charcoal pegasus a smirk. “See, what Pinkie does is that she keeps stuff in the same traditional Cartesian coordinates, but then rotates them along non... uhm, what's the word?” he asked himself, as he turned his head to the side and blinked as he thought. “Non-linear, I think,” Thud added, and then turned back to Thunderlane. “She turns them around in the non-linear dimensions predicted by string theory so that they can occupy the same space but at a different attitude compared to normal space-time.”

Flat silence met Thud's pronouncement, with both Thunderlane and Pinkie Pie giving the green stallion befuddled looks. “Huh?” the former muttered.

Thud sighed. “She turns things sideways from everything else,” he explained.

Again, a silence. “What?” Thunderlane asked, utterly perplexed.

The green stallion facehoofed. “Nevermind, 'Lane,” Thud said, as he lowered his foreleg back down. “Just know that it's not black magic, merely non-Euclidean geometry.”

Thunderlane blinked. “Uh... okay,” he said, and then looked down at his food. “I think I'm gonna eat now,” he said, and then started to dig in.

“And I'll go get your meal cooking,” Pinkie chimed in, and then turned to walk back to the kitchen. Just as she finished the first part of that evolution, however, she stopped and then beamed towards the entrance to the bakery. “Hi girls!” Pinkie said, and then waved a hoof towards the door.

Both Thunderlane and Thud turned their heads towards the door, and they saw Twilight Sparkle standing there along with Fluttershy. The latter seemed to be nervous as she looked over Sugarcube Corner's front room, while the latter simply stared at the table around which the two stallions sat. This tableau exited in silence for a moment before Twilight finally seemed to shake her head clear of something, and then walked forward. Fluttershy was caught off guard, and thus had to skitter a bit to catch up and then walk so that her purple friend shielded her from the others they approached.

“Are you two here for our special?” Pinkie Pie asked, as the newcomers walked up. “I'm already making one for Thud here and he told me about a neat change to it that sounds really good so I might even try some so do ya wanna know what it is or would you like it as a surprise or do you just want the regular old hay browns?”

The wave of verbiage stunned Twilight for a moment, but she soon recovered and shook her head. “No, thank you, Pinkie. I had breakfast at the library,” she replied.

“Oh, okay,” Pinkie cheerfully said. “How about you, Fluttershy?”

“Uhm, that's okay,” the buttercream pegasus replied, her voice at a volume usually reserved for libraries or funeral homes. Hearing her was made more difficult for Thud as Fluttershy continued to shield herself with Twilight. “I wouldn't want to be any trouble.”

“Oh, it's no trouble at all!” Pinkie exclaimed, and then again turned and this time managed to head off for the kitchen. “I'll make it another special, and you can try the hash browns!”

“Hash browns?” Fluttershy asked, but her tiny voice didn't carry and Pinkie continued into the kitchen.

Her timid response was not noted by anyone else, as Twilight remained fixed on Thud, who reciprocated while Thunderlane worked to devour a muffin. Eventually, Thud made a discontented grunt and spoke up. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Twilight said, as she shook herself out of her apparent stupor. “It's just... I mean, did you actually understand Pinkie Pie's explanation just now?”

Thud blinked a couple times in surprise. “Uh, yeah?” he replied. “I mean, I guess so. What's not to get?”

“But how could you even figure out what she was talking about?” Twilight pressed. “And you referenced multidimensional concepts I have only come across in the most theoretical lectures back in Canterlot and applied them to Pinkie's explanation in a way that makes sense.”

Her words caused both Thunderlane and Fluttershy to put their attention directly on the green pegasus, and Thud blushed a bit in response. “Yeah, so?” he finally asked.

Twilight developed an eye twitch at that, but was prevented from saying anything as Pinkie Pie trotted up and then shimmied a plate onto the table to sit in front of Thunderbird. “Here you go,” she said, and then whipped a tall glass of milk out of nowhere and plopped it down beside the plate filled with has browns and two muffins. “Let me know how those browns turned out because that's the first time I made them with potatoes.”

“Alright, thank you Pinkie,” Thud said, and managed a smile at the pink pony. He then turned back to the meal and then hesitated. “Uh, no flatware?” he asked, with a glance towards the hostess.

“Oh, right,” Pinkie said, and then reached into her mane with a hoof. She abruptly yanked the limb free of her hair and slapped a fork and a butter knife down onto the table. “There ya go.”

Thud eyed the flatware warily. “Were those sideways, or merely stuck in your mane?” he asked, carefully. “Because no offense—again—I just don't want to eat off of anything that was in someone else's hair.”

“Nope, they were sideways,” Pinkie replied, with a smile. “And I'm not offended; the Cakes were really big on me learning how to keep stuff fresh and separate when I started working here so I get that you want to make sure the stuff you eat off of is clean.”

“Ah, excellent,” Thud said, and then turned his attention to his break-dinner-fast. “The hash browns look good,” he added, and then picked up the fork in his hoof's magic grip and tested a bite. “Mmm, done pretty well, too,” he added, after swallowing.

Pinkie Pie was practically permeated with satisfaction. “I'm so glad; it's the first time I cooked potatoes that way.”

“Potatoes?” Twilight asked, and then looked at Thud's plate. “Huh, so instead of frying hay, you had her fry potatoes?”

Thud paused and looked up at that. “Yes. Now, do you mind?” he asked, in a huff. “I'm trying to have my dinner here.”

Twilight finally looked chagrined at that. “Oh, sorry,” she sheepishly said, and then backed up a step. “It's just, I really would like to talk about how you can understand Pinkie Pie so well. Could we speak after you're done?”

The stallion paused, and then sighed. “Sure, whatever,” Thud said, and then went take a bite out of a muffin. “Forgive my brusqueness,” he added, after a swallow. “But I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and I'm kinda starved.”

“Oh, of course,” Twilight said, and then backed up again. “I'll let you finish then,” she added, and then turned to walk over towards another table. Or she started to, but had to halt when she nearly tripped over Fluttershy, who remained frozen and staring at Thunderbird. “Fluttershy?” Twilight Sparkle confusedly asked. “What's wrong?”

“T-teeth,” Fluttershy uttered, so quietly that only Twilight could understand the word. The pegasus' unusual behavior, however, garnered the interest of every other person there, and she blinked as she realized that she was now the center of attention. “Eeep,” she mewled, and then started to back away from the table with the weatherponies.

“Er,” Twilight said, and then turned her head back to give Thunderlane and Thud an apologetic look. “Thanks for your time, you two. I'll speak to you later,” she added, with a look to Thud, and then turned and trotted off to lead Fluttershy to a table in a more reclusive corner of the main room. The buttercream pony was all too eager to move, and soon they were gone.

“That was strange,” Pinkie Pie observed, from where she'd been forgotten by the others. Then she shrugged to herself. “I'll ask about it when I bring her her breakfast,” she added, and then turned her head to look over the two stallions munching on their meals. “Anything else I can get you two before I go?”

“I'm good,” Thunderlane answered, a sentiment that Thud echoed.

“Okey dokey Loki!” Pinkie said, and then trotted off for the kitchen once again.

The weatherponies watched her go, and then by mutual silent agreement returned to their meals.

* * * *

“Are you alright, Fluttershy?” Twilight Sparkle asked of her friend as they both settled into their seats. “I know meeting ponies is not easy for you, so I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble.”

“Oh no, it's fine, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied, with a soft smile. It was short-lived, however, as the anxiety resumed its place on her face, and she glanced over to the stallions eating their meals. “It's just... that green pony, he's... He's the one...”

“That killed a manticore,” Twilight interjected, and then waited as Fluttershy nodded. “Well, I can see why it would disturb you,” the unicorn began.

“Oh, no,” Fluttershy interrupted, and then eeped as she saw Twilight give her a confused look. “Uhm, it's not that, since I know how rough things can be in the Everfree forest, though it is kind of scary to know a pony could do that. But...” she shivered slightly, and then glanced over at the green pegasus again. “When he went to take a bite of his muffin, I saw his teeth,” she explained, and her voice dropped from its normal, already quiet volume to that of a mouse whispering in church. “He... he has omnivore teeth.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Omnivore? As in, eats plants and meat?” she asked, just to make sure that they both understood the word correctly. When Fluttershy nodded, the unicorn briefly pursed her lips. “I don't mean to be rude, Fluttershy, but are you sure of what you saw?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh yes, I know what they look like from dealing with all my animal friends who are also omnivores,” she explained, her tone and expression more confident as she delved into her area of expertise. “They have the grinding molars and sharp incisors for plants, but also the sharp, pointy canines for tearing flesh away in manageable chunks. And, uhm, their incisors are also good for cutting into meat, as well.”

A wave of nausea washed over Twilight Sparkle as Fluttershy spoke. How the hay can she be so afraid of new ponies, but talks about predation as if it were gardening? the lavender pony asked herself. “So, you think Thunderbird is, uh, like that?” she asked, warily.

“Well, he seems like it,” Fluttershy replied, albeit with less firmness than before. “Remember how I told you Ditzy got me to help take him to the hospital?” she asked, and then waited for Twilight to affirm the event. “Well, from what I saw, he had to have pursued the manticore to finish it off rather than run. That's more predatory behavior than most ponies display.”

“That sounds psychotic, actually,” Twilight replied, and then glanced to the side to take in the eating stallion across the room. “Somepony like that could be dangerous.”

“He could be, but he's not!” Pinkie Pie said, as she seemed to pop out of nowhere and startled both Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle. A plate was balanced on her back, and she quickly shimmied it onto the table in front of her pegasus friend. “I had a good talk with him the other day and it turns out he's really nice but kinda kooky and moody and sometimes he can be a bit of a meanie pants when he's pressured but that's okay because not everypony is the same and you know how that's like, right Twilight?” Pinkie asked, finishing her verbal assault as she placed a glass of milk and flatware out for Fluttershy. Her gaze, however, never left Twilight's face.

For her part the purple pony was left unnerved, and a little bit embarrassed. “Er, yeah,” she said, sheepishly, as she brought up a foreleg to rub the back of her head. “But still, anypony who would willingly follow a manticore to finish it off—”

“I don't think it's that bad, actually,” Fluttershy quietly interrupted, capable of such a feat by the sheer quality of her rich voice. The attention she got from her friends made her shrink in her seat a bit, but the pegasus continued to speak. “I mean, it's not something most ponies would do, but... most ponies don't have teeth like his, either.”

Twilight frowned a bit, but this time it was in thought as she pondered Fluttershy's words. “Are you suggesting he might be a new subspecies of pony?” she asked, curious.

“I–I don't know about that,” Fluttershy stammered out. “I just meant—I mean, if he is an omnivore...”

“Huh? Where'd you hear that?” Pinkie Pie asked, confusedly.

“Oh, uhm,” Fluttershy temporized, as she shifted in her seat a bit. “I saw his teeth, and they look like the teeth on other omnivores.”

“Oooohh, you saw those,” Pinkie knowingly said, as she nodded her head.

“Wait, so you saw them, too?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “So he really is a meat-eating pony?”

Pinkie shocked Twilight just then, as in place of her usual perkiness the pink earth pony just shied back a bit and rubbed a hoof over the other foreleg. “Uhm, I kinda promised him I wouldn't talk about that,” she explained. Her usual good humor returned quickly, though, and she beamed at her friends. “But don't worry, he's really a good pony and nice, too. I mean, he was in your library for a while I heard, and he didn't do anything mean did he?”

“Er, no, he didn't,” Twilight admitted, somewhat sheepishly. “I mean, all he did was look up some basic information... about...” she trailed off, as several pieces of information started to fit together in her mind. “Pinkie, is Thunderbird from outside of Equestria?” she asked.

“Uh, maybe?” Pinkie nervously replied, with a shaky grin. “Why? Does it matter?”

“Well, sort of,” Twilight said, cautiously. “I mean, if what Fluttershy is saying is true, then when you combine that with the fact that he uses uncommon pronouns, makes odd cultural references, and was trying to learn basic facts about Equestria, then he might be from an isolated tribe of ponies that nopony has even heard of before!” The unicorn's voice grew more and more excited as she talked, and she looked off into space as her mind worked. “It could be an important discovery to our understanding of ourselves as a species and as a civilization. I mean, how would a tribe of omnivorous ponies live? What kind of culture would they have? How would they be different from us, and how would they be alike? Would their predilection towards eating meat mean increased aggressiveness? Would they hunt like griffons do? Maybe that's how Thunderbird was able to kill a manticore single-hoofedly? Oh, so many questions, so much to study!”

Both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy shared a worried look as Twilight ranted. “Uhm, Twilight, maybe you should consider mister Thunderbird's feelings?” the pegasus meekly asked. “I mean, he's been here for almost two weeks and this is the first time I've heard anything like this said about him,” Fluttershy carefully added, and then shirked back slightly when Twilight turned her attention to the pegasus. “What if he doesn't want to be studied?”

Twilight blinked several times at the questions, and soon a blush spread over her face as she scrunched down slightly in her seat. “Oh, yeah,” she said, with a sheepish grin. “I guess it would be rude of me to try and barge in with a lot of personal questions, huh?”

“Maybe,” Fluttershy allowed, and then fell silent as she shared in the embarrassed moment with her friend. In an effort to change the topic to something less uncomfortable, she finally turned her focus to the plate of cooling food in front of her. “Mm, this smells good, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, as she reached down and grabbed a fork with her hoof.

“I know, right?” Pinkie asked, even as Fluttershy tried the hash browns. “I was telling Thud about the special and he kinda thought that hay was a bad thing so instead he suggested potatoes and I thought that sounded really good and I made some up for him and they smell so good I even tried a tiny bit myself when nopony was looking and it's really tasty.”

“Mm, I'll say,” Fluttershy agreed, after swallowing a bite. “I never thought you could fry potatoes.”

“Hmm,” Twilight Sparkle hummed, as she observed the situation. “He doesn't like hay? That's odd for a pony... but then, if he's had an omnivorous diet he's probably used to more high-calorie foodstuffs than we are...”

Fluttershy and Pinkie shared another look, though this one was more amused at their common friend's contemplative behavior. “Anyway, I've got to go clean up a bit,” Pinkie said, and then turned to trot for the kitchen. “Be back soon,” she added, as she departed.

As with the two stallions across the room, Fluttershy and Twilight fell into a companionable silence as the former worked on her breakfast and the latter contemplated what she had just learned. And more importantly, she wondered how she could learn more.

* * * *

Thunderbird felt odd as he finished his second muffin, and then sipped his drink. “Ever get the feeling that someone's walking over your grave?” he asked Thunderlane, as the latter nursed his coffee.

The addressed pony frowned. “That's a creepy thing to say,” he observed. “What does that even mean?”

“Sorry, it's just a cultural idiom back home,” Thud explained. “It means I got a weird feeling, like something's off.”

“Oh,” Thunderlane said, and then glanced around. “It might be 'cus Twilight Sparkle is staring at you,” he casually spoke.

“Huh?” Thud replied, with a hard blink of his eyes. Then he glanced across the room and made brief eye-contact with the lavender unicorn before she turned away. “Oh,” he said, flatly. Great, now she's curious, he mentally grumbled.

“Lucky,” Thunderlane said, with some envy in his voice. “She's hot.”

Thud blushed at that and turned his head around to glare at the other pegasus. “I'm pretty sure that's the furthest thing from her mind,” he stated, flatly.

Thunderlane just smirked at that. “Oh yeah? What about you, then?”

“What about me?” Thud retorted.

“C'mon, you can't tell me you look at a nice piece of plot like that and don't think about the possibilities,” Thunderlane pressed.

A frown crossed Thunderbird's muzzle at that. Great, he's one of those guys. “Believe it or not, some of us don't think about sex every five seconds,” he said aloud. Then an idea floated across his mind, and Thud smirked a bit. “And if I were you, I'd be wary of even thinking those sorts of thoughts around Twilight Sparkle. She is Celestia's personal student, after all; even if she hasn't mastered mind-reading yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the princess has.”

Thunderlane blinked in surprise. “Can unicorns do that?” he asked, a bit of shock in his tone.

“Do you really want to find out?” Thud replied, conspiratorially. “Especially since the first you'll realize it's true is when your nuts are being twisted off and you become a eunuch.”

“N–no,” Thunderlane weakly protested. “Princess Celestia wouldn't do that.”

“Again, do you really want to find out the hard way?” Thud pressed, and did his best to keep the smirk on his face from growing into a wide grin. “Probably best if you try to keep your head under control... or rather, both of them.”

The charcoal pegasus gulped at that, and then briefly yelped in fear as Pinkie Pie showed up. “Hiya!” she said, as she trotted over rather than appear out of nowhere. “How were your meals?”

“G–good,” Thunderlane managed.

“Pretty darn good,” Thud agreed. “Although it's offset by the fact that I usually prefer... something more substantial than muffins for a dinner,” he added, warily.

Pinkie seemed to get the message, as her eyes widened a bit and she smiled knowingly. “I'm sure. But you still enjoyed it, right?”

“Definitely,” Thud replied, with a nod and a polite smile. “I'm probably going to come by here again in the future.”

“I hope you do!” Pinkie said, even as she bent her head down and started to bus the table. She gripped the plates, glasses, and flatware with her mouth, heedless of any contamination, and stacked them expertly on her back. “Anyway, come up to the counter to pay, okay?” she added, once she was done.

“Okay then,” Thud replied, with a nod.

Thunderlane also nodded, but remained quiet until Pinkie left. “Well, I guess I should get to my shift,” he said, and then stood.

Finally, Thunderbird thought. “Equestria thanks you for your diligence,” he said, dryly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Thunderlane replied, somewhat testily. “I'll see you later,” he added, and then started to walk for the counter. Along the way, however, he froze briefly as he saw Twilight Sparkle had stood up as well, and was making her way over towards where Thunderbird sat. As a result, the charcoal pegasus shifted to the side, and did his best to scrape against the wall and then the counter as he tried to keep away from the unicorn.

Thud stifled a laugh as best he could as he watched Thunderlane have a minor freakout. Oh my Lord, is everyone here this naïve? he mused, as he considered the fun he could have. Then he shook his head. No, no, don't be a dick, now. A little fun is fine, but try to avoid starting a panic.

He then suppressed his thoughts and amusement, as Twilight walked over. “Hello again,” she said, friendlily. “I hope you don't mind, but I wondered if we could talk a bit now?”

Most of the mirth left Thunderbird's mind at that. Okay, just be cool, he told himself, as he politely smiled at Twilight. “I suppose,” he said, evenly. “Have a seat?” he asked, and then gestured to the one Thunderlane had been sitting in.

“Thank you,” Twilight replied, and then moved to take the proffered chair. She took a moment to get comfortable, and then just sat there fore a few moments more as she seemed to contemplate something about the pony she sat across from.

Thunderbird quirked an eyebrow at her. I guess I'd better get the ball rolling. “So, still wondering about me understanding Pinkie Pie?” he asked.

This seemed to startle Twilight out of her introspection, and she nodded a bit. “Yes, uh, mostly,” she said, with a sheepish smile. “But, something else occurred to me a moment ago and I was wondering how best to word my questions.”

A frown crossed Thud's muzzle once again. Great, what now? “Oh?” he asked.

“Yes,” Twilight replied. “See, I was talking with my friends and... well, some things came up, and I kind of pieced together an idea.” She paused to gauge Thunderbird's reaction, only to see that he just looked confused. Twilight took in a calming breath and then continued. “I was wondering; you're not from Equestria, are you?”

Thud sat back at that, and Twilight noted that he became slightly bemused. “Uh, I'm not sure what you mean,” he temporized.

“Well,” Twilight began, a bit confused as to the stallion's reaction. “You use strange and uncommon pronouns, you've made references to myself and others to cultural idioms that don't seem to exist in Equestria, you were at my library looking up basic facts that most foals learn in school, and to top it off...” She hesitated then, as a worry niggled into her brain. If he's aggressive, will he attack me? Twilight wondered, but soon her curiosity and confidence in her ability to defend herself won out. “Well, my friend Fluttershy noted that your teeth are... unusual.”

She saw the stallion tense up, and a determined look settled across his face. “Oh?” he asked, simply.

Now it was Twilight's turn to frown, and she did so in a manner that Thunderbird found adorable, even in the current situation. “Yes,” Twilight replied. “She saw you take a bite out of your muffin and said that they look like omnivore teeth.”

Silence was the only reply to greet her statement, and Twilight could only fidget as the pegasus across from her simply stared her down. After a few, awkward moments, he finally took in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. “So what is your question, miss Sparkle?” he asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. “What is it you're building to?”

Twilight shifted a bit uncomfortably. I'm not so sure about this anymore, she thought, but nevertheless pressed on. “Well, it all points to the fact that you're not from Equestria. So I would like to ask you if that's true? Are you from outside of Equestria? And do you—I mean, are you actually... omnivorous?” she asked, nervously.

Once again, Thunderbird's face set into an upset mask, and he remained silent for a few moments as he thought. Not asking if I'm a human, but I guess there's only so much you can infer, he mused. After another moment of silence, he shook his head. “Miss Sparkle,” he began, and then paused again as he worked out the words in his head. “You're a pony of science, correct?” he asked, and then waited for her to nod. “Then let me tell you something you don't want to hear, but need to anyway: some knowledge is not worth the cost to learn it.” With that, he shifted out of his seat and turned to face the unicorn. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bill to pay,” he added, and then walked off towards the counter.

Twilight watched him go, too confused at his words and actions to follow up on her questions. This didn't last, however, as the ever-curious unicorn finally snapped out of her shock and climbed out of her chair. “Wait, what do you mean by that?” she asked, as she trotted over to where Thunderbird was paying missus Cake.

Thud sighed as he tightened up the little bit pouch tied to the base of his left wing. I really gotta thank Ditzy for showing me that trick, he mused, even as he folded his wing back down. “Miss Sparkle,” he began, while he turned to face the unicorn. “Is this going to be a thing with you?” he asked, tiredly. “Are you just going to hound me for information whenever you see me?”

A blush washed over Twilight's features, and she took a step back. “Uhm,” she muttered, unsure of how to respond.

“Because I really don't want to play that game,” Thud continued. “I'm not keen on the whole 'avoid someone' shtick; checking around every corner, timing my travel to stay away from you, that sort of thing. It's far, far too tiring and annoying and I'd rather like it if we didn't act like adversaries playing a cat-and-mouse game.”

The blush on Twilight's face deepened, but her posture remained somewhat defiant. “Well, you could solve that by just agreeing to talk to me like a normal pony,” she replied.

“And you could stop it by respecting my privacy,” Thud countered. “I'm not an experiment to be studied, analyzed, collated, and summarized.”

A moment of dread silence filled Sugarcube Corner, but soon enough Twilight backed down, both figuratively and metaphorically, as she took a step back and looked down. “I'm sorry,” she said, quietly, and then looked back up at the stallion. “It's just that, if what I've observed is true, then you seem to be from an unknown tribe of ponies. You could know things that could expand our knowledge base, and help us learn more about ourselves even as we learn about you and where you're from.”

Thud frowned, as the pleading tone and expression on Twilight's face tugged at his heartstrings. “Twilight,” he said, unconsciously slipping into an informal tone of address, even as his tone grew soft and imploring. “You don't know what you're asking,” he said, sincerely. “Whatever you suspect about me, it's wrong. And I would greatly appreciate it if you would just let the matter drop.” With that, he turned his head to nod at Cup Cake. “Thank you for your hospitality, missus Cake,” he said, and then turned and started to walk to the entrance.

A pink blur moved from the side and intercepted him halfway to the door. “You're not going to go away angry, are you?” Pinkie Pie asked, from where she stood in front of the pegasus.

Thunderbird sighed. “I'm not mad, Pinkie,” he said. “I've just reached my limit of... personal interaction for the moment,” he explained.

“But you're still upset,” Pinkie pointed out. “So can—may I give you a hug before you go?” she asked, and then gave him a pleading look.

Thunderbird winced. Gorram, that's super effective, he thought. “Look, Pinkie, I...” he trailed off as the pink pony ratcheted up her appeal with a sad pout and wider eyes. “Augh! Okay, fine, you may give me a hug,” Thud finally relented.

“Yay!” Pinkie cheered, and then sprang forward and wrapped her forelegs around Thunderbird's neck and pulled him into a hug. Her head wedged in next to his, and she just squeezed.

For his part, Thud relented with a sigh, and then shifted around a bit so he could lift his left foreleg and partially return the friendly embrace. He patted his hoof over Pinkie's back and chuckled. “You're a crazy pony, you know that?” he asked, the irritation gone from his voice.

“So you say,” Pinkie jovially replied, even as she released the stallion and stepped back. “But I still knew how to get you to smile,” she added, noting the grin on Thunderbird's muzzle.

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” Thud playfully retorted. “But thanks, Pinkie.”

“Anytime!” Pinkie beamed. “You just have a good rest of the day, okay?”

“Heh, okay then,” Thud replied, and then walked off. “You too.” With that, he finally walked out the door. Once outside, he took in a deep breath, and then let it out. Time to relax, he thought, and then smiled as he spread his wings. A jump and a few hard flaps and he was airborne and ascending with every stroke of the feathered limbs. I will never, ever get tired of this, he reminded himself, as he soared higher and forgot about his troubles.

* * * *

Twilight Sparkle just stood still as she wrestled with a mix of emotions. Embarrassment at having upset another pony warred with some irritation at Thunderbird's intransigence, but mostly with her deep-seated curiosity at the whole affair. I shouldn't have been so pushy and nosy, she reprimanded herself. But the fact that he didn't deny it, that he even acknowledged in a roundabout way that he does have unique and new information...

“Twilight?” a soft voice asked, and Sparkle snapped herself out of her internal debate to see Fluttershy had cautiously approached. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine, Fluttershy. Thank you,” Twilight replied, with a polite but warm smile. It was brief, however, and her expression soon fell. “I'm just a bit mixed up. I feel kind of bad that I ended up being so pushy even when I said I wouldn't. But if anything, talking with Thunderbird makes me want to really find out what his story is.”

“I don't know about that,” Fluttershy said, in a concerned manner. “He doesn't seem really interested in talking about it.”

“I noticed,” Twilight wryly observed. “And I know I shouldn't be nosy, but this is a unique situation. Just from how he reacts I know he has all sorts of information and knowledge that could be fascinating at the very least.” She paused, and then sighed again and shook her head. “But I don't want to be a jerk and try to pry it out of him, either.”

“Weeellll,” Pinkie Pie, who had wandered over in the midst of Twilight's explanation, said. “You might get him to open up a bit if you tried being his friend instead of his interrogator.”

Twilight winced at that. “Yeah, I really blew that, didn't I?” she asked, and then lowered her head and folded her ears back. “Some element of friendship I am,” she muttered.

“Don't feel bad, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, as she placed a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder and gave her a warm smile. “You're just passionate about learning. You might let it carry you away sometimes, but your heart is in the right place.”

“Totally,” Pinkie chipped in. “And if you're nice I'm sure Thud will give you a second chance he swore he was a good pony when I met him so I'm pretty sure he won't hold a grudge unless that's what they usually do where he's from.”

“Gee, thanks Pinkie,” Twilight muttered, and then sighed. “Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do right now. I think I'll head back to the library and get some work done while I think on how to make it up to Thunderbird.”

“Ohh, can—may I come along and help?” Pinkie asked, earnestly.

Twilight blinked. “Did you just correct yourself and use formal grammar?” she asked of her pink friend.

“Yeah. Thud was picky about it and teased me a bit and said stuff like 'language influences culture as culture influences language'”—she lowered her voice in an attempt to sound masculine as she echoed Thunderbird's words—“so I figured I'd give it a shot and see if I can't see what he's talking about.”

Once again, Twilight Sparkle was dumbstruck for a moment. I don't know what's more astounding, she thought. The fact that Pinkie got something so distinct and profound out of Thunderbird, or that she's actually trying to apply it. Twilight then shook her head and smiled at the earth pony. “That's a great idea, Pinkie,” she said. “Both of them, actually; I'd like some help. But, shouldn't you be still at work?”

“Oh, we've gotten through the morning rush,” Cup Cake interjected, which startled both Fluttershy and Twilight as they had forgotten they were standing by the counter. The two sheepishly turned to face the elder mare, who smiled at them. “We usually let Pinkie Pie take an hour or two off between the breakfast and lunch rushes, so long as her work's done.”

“Yup, and I cleaned all the stuff I used so I should be good!” Pinkie added in.

“Well, alright,” Twilight said. “Let's go.”

* * * *

Thunderbird sighed as he landed in front of a building that he had only been in once before, but recognized all the same. I hope I'm not being a dick or a hypocrite about this, he thought, as he walked up and then pushed the front door open. The expected bell tinkled, and Thud paused to let his eyes adjust to the lower light.

“Hiya, Thud,” a mare's voice said, and as the pegasus' eyes finished adjusting he saw the white unicorn who had spoke. “How's it going, dude?” she asked, from behind her store's counter, a friendly smile on her muzzle.

“It's going,” Thud replied, and then walked over. “How're things with you, Vinyl?”

Vinyl Scratch sighed before she replied. “Slow, as always. Had a repair job yesterday, so I don't have to worry about food for a while, so that's always good.”

Thunderbird nodded at that. Funny how their economy is so mixed between modern and medieval, he mused. “Well, I'm glad to hear that,” he said, with a friendly smile of his own. “No one should really go hungry.”

“Oh, I wouldn't go hungry,” Scratch replied, with a shrug. “I'd just have to resort to grass and hay,” she added, and then paused to shudder. “Lemme tell you, that stuff is just not satisfying. And I hate the taste, too.”

“Oh, really?” Thud asked, curiously.

Vinyl nodded at the query. “Yeah. I know I'm not in the majority of ponies, but dude, I just cannot stand that stuff unless I'm starving.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” Thud replied, with a grin.

Scratch smiled at that. “Awesome,” she said, and then held up a foreleg. “Gimme a brohoof for that.”

Thud complied, and banged a raised hoof against Vinyl's as he chuckled. “I always wanted to do that,” he admitted.

“So? Why didn't you before?” Vinyl asked, as she lowered her leg back down.

Thunderbird blinked, and then grimaced a bit. Stop screwing up you idiot! “The gesture just isn't popular where I'm from,” he replied. A half-truth is better than a lie, at least.

“Ah,” Scratch said, with a nod. Then she smiled cheerfully. “So, what can I do for you today?” she asked, in a professional tone.

A nervous grin spread over Thud's muzzle. “Nothing professional, I'm afraid,” he said, carefully. “And, actually, I might be overstepping my bounds, so if I offend then I apologize.”

Vinyl blinked at him. “What, are you asking me out?” she asked, equally cautious.

Thud blinked back, and then blushed. “No! Er, I mean, not that you're not pretty,” he hastened to add. “I just—I mean, I just wanted to see if I could bum around and listen to music again like we did the other day.”

The unicorn processed his words, and then smiled. “Well, sure! Why would I have a problem with that?” she asked, curious.

Thunderbird sighed in relief once he saw that Scratch wasn't upset. “Well, it's bumming your equipment,” he said. “You know, the stuff you're selling? I... I kinda feel bad for asking because I really should be spending money here since it's your job and all.”

“Dude,” Vinyl replied, even as she walked out from behind the counter. “You're a friend, and one who's already promised to buy something once you get the money,” she said, and then smiled as she reached up and lightly smacked a hoof into Thunderbird's shoulder. “Besides, what do you think I do in here all day when there's no work to be done? Play tiddlywinks?”

“Heh,” Thud uttered, with a sheepish grin, albeit a short-lived one. “I figured as such, but... I just didn't want to presume anything,” he said, and then paused as something entered his head. “Wait, are we friends?” he asked, surprised.

Vinyl frowned at him. “Well, yeah!” she replied, eagerly. “I mean, c'mon, you've got good taste in music and you're fun. Why wouldn't we be friends?”

“Well, I dunno,” Thud said, with a shrug. “Just back home I didn't really make friends that easily.”

Scratch shook her head at him. “Thud, you're a friend, okay?” she earnestly explained. “I don't know what ponies are like where you're from, but here we're glad to make friends if they're nice. And you're a pretty nice guy so far.”

Thud blushed at that, and the sat down on his haunches. “Thank, Vinyl,” he said, with a sheepish smile. “It's nice to hear that come from someone without me prompting them.”

“Geeze, the ponies where you're from must really be weird, then,” Scratch said, with a shake of her head. “Anyway, forget about all of that. Did you bring your fancy music box today?”

“No,” Thunderbird replied, with a shake of his own head. “Just was out for a fly after work and I realized I needed to listen to some music. Figured I'd come in and ask you before I go grabbing things.”

Vinyl Scratch nodded, and then smiled. “Well, how about some of my music for today?” she asked. “I'll play you some of my own stuff I've been working on.”

Thud smiled. “Sounds great, Scratch; lead on.”

Author's Note:

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin!
Naal ok zin los vahriin!
Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!
Ahrk fin norok paal graan,
fod nust hon zindro zaan.
Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

Have I mentioned how much I love Skyrim?

What? I've gotta be relevant in these notes? Fine. More waste for the pile of self-indulgent idiocy. 13k words I should have written in other stories instead poured into this because my life is devoid of hope and this selfish, childish fantasy is the only thing that keeps me from wanting to slit my wrists. Well, that and the few good friends I have.

Enough pity partying, enjoy the chapter. Or not. I really don't give a flip.

Comments

[Classy Toad]

#swag.

[Beyond the Horizon]

...

He's not gonna reference THAT Skyrim meme at some point is he?

Also.

He needs to FUS RO DAH! at some point.

Tis a requirement now.

[Rokas]

3188332
Stop reading my mind.

[Beyond the Horizon]

3283123

NEVA!

THE HIVEMIND IS ALWAYS EXPANDING!

[Rokas]

3284695
killitwithfire.jpg

[Beyond the Horizon]

3285431

i.qkme.me/3pgzp1.jpg

[Rokas]

3289246
Deploy heart-attack bait!
http://pridark.deviantart.com/art/Hugs-375701977

[Beyond the Horizon]

3289864

OH FRAK-

static4.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/OH+GOD+WHY+HNNNNG+_2e450d155edac8e03e6967b521f1da18.jpg

M-Must-must resist! MUS-T REEESIIISSTT!!!

NO! I SHALL NOT BE FELLED LIKE THIS! RAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!

media.animevice.com/uploads/1/15158/479398-who_the_hell_do_you_think_i_am_by_k_a_t_o.jpg

[Rokas]

3290919
I THINK YOU'RE SOME OVERUSED MEME THAT I NEVER GOT IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE I NEVER SAW THAT ANIME.

Also:
http://mattings.deviantart.com/art/Wing-Snack-360972894

[Beyond the Horizon]

3291603

Oh fine. You wanna play hardball? Let's play hardball!

images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/28500000/OMGOSH-so-cute-Rainbow-Dash-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-28577716-894-894.png

[Rokas]

3291887
It doesn't show up.

[Beyond the Horizon]

3291990

Does for me.

[Rokas]

3292240
Yes but without the delivery the effect is nonexistent. Ergo, you lose.

[Beyond the Horizon]

3292271

gamezot.net/xe/files/attach/images/125/264/005/74f8cc8ce93d3cf20010a5fe1652f4f1.png

Different one. Better? >.>

[Rokas]

3292294
It works, at least.
Counter-Luna:
http://pridark.deviantart.com/art/I-love-you-373197983

[Beyond the Horizon]

3292561

DOUBLE COUNTER!

HERE WE GO!

[Wellwater]

Dude why is this such an awesome story? For srs. The funny is hilarious and the serious is thoughty and the whole thing just works somehow.

And I've read dozens of HiE.

[Eclipsemlp666]

Just a question but are you ever going to continue this?

[Rokas]

4606275
Maybe. Why?