A New Normal
Thunderlane unlocked his bedroom window and pulled it open. He stuck his head out and took a deep, chemical-free breath. Once again he’d used too much hair gel, all thanks to the mohawk he’d been sporting for well over a decade. Maybe it was finally time for a new style, one with less brain-damaging fumes.
He glanced down and saw a puddle on the ground, a remnant of last night’s rainstorm. The gel-soaked weather vane sticking out of his head did look good, he had to admit. Anything that distracted from his goofy face and dumb smile was a welcome addition.
Suddenly Ditzy’s face was under his, and she was grinning. “Overdo it with the hair gel again?”
He jumped up and banged his head on the window frame. “Ow, yeah. Why are outside my bedroom window?”
“You weren’t answering the front door. Don’t you have a ‘special’ letter to for me rewrite?”
“Just come around the front, you don’t want to go through the bedroom when it reeks like this.”
“You sleep in it, doesn’t it always reek?”
“Hey, that’s—” He hit his head again. “—Ugh. Aren’t you supposed to be the clumsy one?”
She stuck out her tongue. “Just don’t let me near your fine china or antiques… again.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be right out.”
He hurried through the eye-watering smells of the bedroom, taking quick glances at the made bed, immaculate dresser, and family portrait by the door. The picture showed four generations of pegasi, from his great grandmother Tailwind to his little brother Rumble, posing on a cloud overlooking Rainbow Falls. Ditzy was on the far end, and had fallen off the cloud shortly after the picture was taken.
Crumpled up papers littered the hallway to the bedroom, the kitchen, and adjoining front room, a growing mess in his otherwise spotless house. He’d gone through more paper in a week than in the past month, all for the sake of crafting his next anonymous missive. The final draft was sitting on the kitchen table, waiting to be transcribed by his partner in crime. It said “Want to go on a picnic? I’ll name a time and place tomorrow.”
There was a knock on the door, followed by Ditzy’s so-called ‘professional’ voice. “Special delivery for a Mr. Thunderlane.”
“Is it the second cousin I ordered?”
“Yep, and postage is due.”
He laughed as he undid the latch. “What do I owe you?”
She stepped inside and smiled big. “Details. All of them.”
“Details?”
“This is letter number five, right? How’s Rainbow acting?”
Before he could reply, she was at the kitchen table looking over what Rainbow Dash would be reading in less than an hour. “Let’s see, so far you’ve complimented her speed, her hair, her loyalty, her voice, and her eyes. You’re running out of classy things to… well, this is different. You’re really going to do it? You’re going to ask her out?”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. I’m nervous but… I’ve got to come out and say it eventually, right? Do you think she’ll be mad?”
“I might be able to tell you if you’d talk about how she’s acting already.”
“Well… it’s different. She—” The clock on the wall started to chime. “—I’ll tell you later, I’m going to be late.”
She shrugged. “So what if you have to get Rainbow up again? Maybe you can serenade her outside her bedroom window.”
“Hah, she’d probably brain me with a horseshoe. Besides, nopony has to get her up anymore, she—”
There were three loud thumps on the door, followed by Rainbow’s voice. “Get your lazy tail out here, Thunderlane!”
Ditzy pointed at the door and gasped. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really.”
“You’re spilling the beans tonight. Dinner. My place.”
“Can I bring Rumble?”
“As long as he likes spaghetti, and playing house with Dinky.”
“He’ll forgive me. Deal.”
Rainbow pounded on the door again. “Don’t make me kick this thing down.”
He rushed for the door. “I’m coming, I’m coming!”
Rainbow burst in as soon as he turned the handle, smashing him between the door and the wall. “What’s taking you so… Ditzy? What’re you doing here?”
Ditzy grinned. “Just… uh… picking up some deliveries.”
“Yeah? Have you got any mail for me?”
She nodded. “Oh yeah I do, but I… I forgot it at the post office. I’ll bring it by later, okay?”
Rainbow, who’d been airborne since she came in, folded her front hooves. “Aww. Just make it fast, okay?”
“Oh? Are you expecting something… special?”
Rainbow blushed and turned away. “Uh… maybe. Let’s get going, Thunderlane.”
Before Thunderlane could argue, she grasped his hoof and pulled him out the door.
---
Ponyville’s daily weather wasn’t very complicated: just a few scattered clouds over town and afternoon showers in the meadows. Thunderlane found himself dealing with the former, herding clouds across the sky to create shady spots on the streets below.
Pushing clouds across the sky was easy, keeping his mind focused on the task wasn’t. Every so often he’d see a pegasus flit out of the corner of his vision, and every time he’d wonder if it was her. Was Rainbow watching him? Did she know?
Times like these made him wonder why he’d ever started this game. They’d grown up in the same Cloudsdale suburb, and little had changed in all the intervening years. She was still the most beautiful mare he’d ever seen, and he was still the dopey stallion that couldn’t hold a candle to her.
Then she landed on the cloud he was pushing. “Hey, Thunderlane.”
He nearly jumped out of his feathers. “R-Rainbow?”
“That’s my name. Can I ask you something? It’s… kind of personal.”
He floated there for a moment, unsure of what to say or think. “Uh… sure, I guess.”
She scooted to the side of the cloud, giving him room to join her. “You remember a few days ago when you came to… well… you remember that letter I got, right?”
“The secret admirer one?”
“Yeah. Come sit here already.”
For a moment he forgot to flap. After dropping two feet, and fighting off a blush, he fluttered over the cloud and set down next to Rainbow. “So…”
“So this mystery guy keeps sending me letters. I’ve gotten a new one every day. Who does that?”
“Uh…”
“I mean, the letters are nice and all… actually they’re more than nice—” Rainbow shot off the cloud and zoomed around it. “—they’re great!”
He grinned. “Really?”
“Yeah! It was kind of weird at first, but they’re really growing on me. Did you see how I showed up on time for work every day this week?”
“Yeah?”
“This letter guy has got me thinking differently. All of the sudden I want to get up in the morning, and not just for the mail either. I… I kind of like knowing somepony cares about me like that.”
She flew up close and whispered in his ear. “I even cleaned up my house, but don’t tell anypony that part, all right? Can’t let the Wonderbolts think I’m taking time away from my flight training, or something.”
He nodded. “Do you… think you want to meet him?”
Her wingbeats slowed, and she rejoined him on the cloud. “That’s just it… The letter today said he’d give a time and place tomorrow but… I don’t know.”
“But… but you said you really liked how things are going.”
“Yeah, but what if it’s different after we meet? What if he’s different?”
He shrugged. “How could he be different?”
“I dunno… What if he’s really just a big loser, or he’s ugly, or he doesn’t think I’m awesome once he gets to know me? What do you think I should do?”
His mouth hung open. “You’re… asking me?”
She looked at him with mild annoyance. “Well… you’re a stallion and everything, right? What do you think this guy’s like? Do you think I should meet him?”
For a moment he stared off into space. Here he was, sitting on a cloud with Rainbow Dash, somewhere between Ponyville and the heavens above. Keeping the secret for one more day seemed silly. Even if she killed him, this would be a great moment to go out on.
A blue leg waved in front of his eyes. “Rainbow Dash to Thunderlane. Come in, Thunderlane.”
He turned to her. The moment of truth had arrived. “I… I think you should. He’s probably a nice enough guy, and he obviously thinks your great.”
So much for the truth.
She grinned and gave a big nod. “I’m gonna do it. When he writes me tomorrow, I’m totally gonna meet him!”
He grinned too. “Sounds gr—”
Then her forelegs were around him for the briefest of moments. “Thanks, Thunderlane. I know I give you a hard time and stuff… but I knew I could count on you.”
She was halfway across town before he could speak. “It’s… It’s me, Rainbow Dash… Where in Equestria am I going to take you on a date?”
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I'd suggest a Wonderbolts race, my lovestruck stallion friend.
Rainbow will have to tell her friends or Rarity's gossiping and/or Pinkie's Pinkie Senses will set it off.
5620157 The two combined would be disastrous .
Sorry it took so long. But I'm here now. And this is cute. *tee hee*
Still struggling with that, huh?
I'ma read the rest now.
I love this line.
Hehe! This is great! Why I have a feeling that Thunderlane will screw up?
6077556 you're not alone. We all do. After all it is Thunderlane's we're talking about here XD
You're too slow Thunder Lane
Well then things could have gone a little bit better so it looks like thunder Lane has been coming up with a lot of letters to say to Rainbow then Derpy arrived to get the letter from him but until Rainbow Dash came here and ask thunderlane to come with her he really want to tell her the mysterious Pony but rainbow was just so impatient she really wants to know this guy and of course he choke Thunder Lane you better say something