Rumble's best friend

by Askre

At the playground.

“Can’t you swing me higher?” I plead. My brother chuckles behind me.

“If I swing you any higher you might get an unscheduled flight lesson,” he says between mild coughs.

It sounds like he’s getting sick again. He is always catching something now and then. Not everypony believes it though and think he’s just being lazy. I know better, he sometimes has to go to the hospital.

“I am a pegasus anyway, I should fly,” I claim. I have not learned how to fly just yet. My brother is trying to teach me but I just never get it. Best I can do is flap the wings fast as I can but they don’t take me off the ground.

“Look kiddo, if you don’t know how to take off, you don’t know how to land and…” he has to stop while trying to hide dry coughs. I hear it but say nothing. Thunderlane would just brush it off and say I don’t need to worry about it.

“As I was saying, take off and landing go hoof in hoof, you can’t do one and not the other,” he tells me.

I sigh and roll my eyes, I have been hearing that a lot. I wonder if Scootaloo has to hear it as well, I know she can’t fly yet either. She is not on the playground right now so I can't ask her; there are plenty of other foals around though. Thunderlane and I decided to come here to play today because it was sunny and nice.

“Rumble, are you alright?” I hear him ask. I had been silent for a bit I guess. He is still swinging me on the swing but it is slower.

“You are coughing,” I whisper and look at the grass. Thunderlane chuckles and tries to hide another cough.

“It’s nothing kiddo, just dry throat,” he says but I know better.

“Dad said that too,” I point out and the swings stops.

I turn to look at my brother. His ears are down and he looks sad. I’m sad too. Dad had been like Thunderlane, always catching something. Coughed and sometimes coughed badly. He always brushed it off and told us he was fine. Then one day he began coughing very bad and it didn’t go away, he coughed for months and then he was gone. Mom often worries that Thunderlane will do the same and so do I.

“Hey look kiddo…” Thunderlane stopped talking but this time not to cough. He looks at me smiling and trying not to cry.

“Alright you got me; I have a tickle I can’t get rid of right now. But I have already talked with the doctor. He’s told me it’s nothing, just some dryness that will pass,” he continues and reaches with one hoof to ruffle my mane.

“You won’t get rid of me this easily,” he said and I giggled. “We are friends remember.”

“We are,” I agree and he begins swinging me again.

Thunderlane and I always play together when we can. But it isn't often enough in my mind. I still have school and he is a junior member of the Ponyville Weather Team so he is busy. That is if he dosen't catch something, then he is either home in bed or at the hospital. Then I play board games with him or cards, but not always because sometimes he is too tired to do anything.

“I want to go higher,” I call and wonder if I can go higher if I start flapping my wings.

“Alright already,” Thunderlane laughs and I feel him push harder at the swing and I do go higher.

“Higher,” I shout laughing. This felt like flying, like when Thunderlane sometimes flies with me on his back. I start flapping my wings in excitement.

“No Rumble. Don’t flap your wings!” Thunderlane shouts but I hear him too late.

All I know is that suddenly I am no longer on the swing. I see the ground below me and all the other foals looking up at me. I was flying and I shout it over and over before I hear gasps and can see the grass coming closer. I am not flying at all, I'm falling and my wings still aren't strong enough to prevent that.

I almost hit the ground but Thunderlane appears and grabs me with his front legs. We land with a thud on the grass and he gives me a glare that I know means he is not happy.

“Sorry,” I grin and try to look cute and innocent.

“Don’t ever do that again kiddo,” Thunderlane grunts and sits up still holding me with one leg. He looks away and uses his other front hoof to cover his mouth as he coughs. My brother takes a moment to dry his hoof on the grass.

“Sorry Thunderlane, it was just so much fun, can we do that again?” I ask and smile wide and giggle when my brother takes me in a headlock and ruffles my mane.

“Are you trying to get me into trouble with mom you little rascal?” he asks laughing.

“No but it was fun and I know you will catch me, because you are my big brother and best friend,” I say and give him a hug.

“Best friend huh? Yeah I guess so kiddo.” He hugs me back.

We let go and stand up. Thunderlane crouches a bit so I can jump up on his back and he walks me back over to the swings.

“Alright, one more time but then we better head back home for lunch,” he says.

“Okay,” I jump off him and run back to the swings and climb into one. Thunderlane takes position behind me and begins pushing.

“Higher, higher,” I yell and laugh. My big brother pushes me higher and we don’t stop until it’s time to head home for lunch.

The end.

Comments

[CelestialScribe]

Thunderlane! That was his name, I kept thinking it was Thundermane.
Anyway, spotted a few grammar things but it was a cute, short story. Well done!

[Askre]

946096 Thanks and I'll try and fix those grammar issues when I get the chance.

946133 Thank you, yeah I just found the best screenshot that had Thunderlane and Rumble together where they were smiling, unfortunately those two were in the way. I'll probably end up changing the cover with something better when I find it.

[Aurum]

I wish I had a brother like that. Anyway, cute story! Though it somehow made me feel sad.
This site needs more Thunderlane fics.

[Askre]

946199 Thanks, yeah I wasn't sure if I should put the sad tag on or not, decided not to because the general point was not sadness but just friendly brotherly relations but I couldn't resist putting some sad overtone there.

[primeoetgrunn]

when I read the name Rumble, I was thinking of this guy:
tfwiki.net/w2/images2/thumb/3/38/Mtmte1_rumble_robotmode.jpg/175px-Mtmte1_rumble_robotmode.jpg

[Askre]

947480 I knew the name was familiar somehow

[Carpetbagger]

947480>>951062
Both owned by Hasbro too. It gives me hope that Celestia and Luna's dad might be voiced by Peter Cullen. Harmonious Prime anyone?

[Feurisson]

A bit short, but very sweet.
946199 Agreed, Thunderlane seems to be underrated. We need more stories of him.

[Askre]

1039583 Yeah I know. This was an entry for a contest which had word limits and the challenge for me was to keep it this short, it was really hard. I've considered doing a "directors cut" of it if you will but in the end decided against it.

And yes I do agree we need more Thunderlane.

[unph]

I'm a month late to this, but I wanted to read some Thunderlane, and the idea behind this story was pretty good.

It's pretty short, but that's mostly because some more of it could have been fleshed out. I understand that you were writing it for a contest though, so I guess that point's irrelevant. Definitely would like to hear more, though. Good while it lasted, I'd say.

"Thunderlane chuckles and tries to hide another couch."

^Don't fix that typo, that couch belongs there.

[Askre]

1129247 I can't believe I missed that typo.

Thanks, actually during the course of this month I have been reconsidering fleshing this story out now that the contest is over. I do belive I can do more with it and I don't write that much 1st person viewpoint stories.

[Ono-Matopoeia]

I believe the proper term here is "the feels".

[Leapingriver]

right. in the. feels. oh sweet Celestia the feels. no I'm not kidding it actually hurts; that light sad overtone just hit the nail right on the head (of feels) for me. this was just too adorable I love Thunderlane (best pony! next to Spitfire) and Rumble. one usually can't find that many brotherly fics about them, Rumble's mostly just in the background of Thunderlanes many many ships. I swear I would be in tears if this was only fleshed out a bit more *sigh* brotherly fluff, gets me all the time. moving on, I love the idea of Lane getting sick now and then. I mean it makes more sense, considering how everyone thought he was faking, if he gets sick often I'm sure people would be pretty suspicious. the thing about their dad was nice too, it adds so much drama even if was just there for a paragraph, it is now canon, for me. yeah wow, really well written 1st person is tricky to write in, but you did a great job I am now going to your page to see what other amazing fics you have written
oh before I forget. I've been writing a Derpy and Thunderlane fic, I already planned for him to be the sick easily type, but what I wan't to know is if I could possibly borrow your headcanon on their dad. I think it would really help me be able to hieghten the conflict. I'd credit you completely for their dad if you want me too. thanks in advance

[Askre]

2630577 Hey glad you liked the fic. I have considered fleshing this fic out more, but I just haven't gotten around to it, so much else I need to do first.

But sure, sure go ahead borrow my headcanon regarding their dad. I don't mind at all.

[Leapingriver]

2632604
yay! that would be awesome! I think it's something about the way you write, but your stories get a lot more emotion out of me than other stories. like idk, even just thinking about this story makes me feel choked up. but yeah I know what you mean, life just loves getting in the way
omg really? wow, your awesome, thank you soooo much for being cool with it I'll send you a link of the fic when it's done being approved if you want. he doesn't show up yet though.

[Learn for Life]

Huh. This story's a year old as of today.

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

People give you trouble about Hurricane Fluttershy "Rumble can fly" just tell them this is a prequel set several years before that.
As to Thunderlane's health problems, it could be asthma, but it sounds more like HIV & the sequel could be Grimdark

[Ice Star]

Has an odd dark element to it with Thunderlane's illness.

[Askre]

9617483
Yeah, this story was written back when we had only met Thunderlane in one episode in Season 2, so I was not shy giving some implications. But then the show ended up making him go to the Wonderbolt Academy and take part in the Equestria games, so clearly he's made a full recovery.