And Rising
“…And you better get your act together, Thunderlane, or you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
The aforementioned stallion’s gaze darted back and forth, nervously following Rainbow Dash as she paced in circles around his living room.
Rainbow seemed unable to contain her annoyance and it was manifesting as nervous energy. She’d been trotting the same path for a good twenty minutes while she lectured him, stretching and folding her wings, pausing momentarily to stomp a hoof, flicking her tail and generally acting like a bundle of energy.
Thunderlane himself was slumped on the couch, ears flicked back, the very picture of dejection. Not because Rainbow Dash was being bossy about his love life, no, but because he had failed to notice on his own that things were very, very wrong.
When Rainbow Dash had come along earlier, half-lugging, half-supporting Derpy, Thunderlane had been dismayed but unsurprised at his partner’s bedraggled appearance. It wasn’t unusual for Derpy to have an accident bad enough to leave her bruised or bleeding or filthy and though it made Thunderlane’s heart lurch every time she returned home in such a state, it was nothing he hadn’t seen before.
Derpy had mumbled something about a bath, brushing off offers of further assistance and dragging herself up the stairs in the direction of the bathroom.
Thunderlane had gazed sadly after her for a moment, then turned to thank Rainbow Dash for helping her home.
Any words he’d be about to utter got stuck in his throat at the hard expression in Rainbow’s brilliant magenta eyes.
Now, twenty some minutes later, Rainbow Dash was winding down, though her angry trotting hadn’t abated. Instead, she seemed even more fired up, though he suspected that had more to do with her irritation with Flitter and Cloudchaser than anything he may have done or failed to do.
“I had no idea it was that bad.” He felt lame as soon as he said it; as if he was making excuses and his friends making fun of Derpy behind his back was somehow his fault. “I mean…The guys sometimes ask me why I like her or tease me about how I get all clumsy when I’m trying to impress her when she’s so clumsy herself. And Flitter and Cloudchaser and Blossomforth don’t really talk to her much when we’re all together, but…I never knew they were treating her badly. She never said anything…” He trailed off miserably, wishing the couch would just swallow him whole. He was supposed to be taking care of Derpy and making her feel special and safe.
So much for that.
“She didn’t want to say anything.” Rainbow finally ceased her pacing, though she still rustled her wings restlessly from time to time, and swiveled to look him in the eye, “She didn’t want me to say anything. She was just going to let those two get away with laughing at her and acting all nice when you’re around. She was worried you’d be mad at them.” The blue mare scowled at nothing in particular, “I hope she’s right about that!”
“Being mad at them won’t help.” Thunderlane sighed, slumping further in his seat. He had known the twins since all of them were tiny little foals; their parents were friends and knew each other from the old days. They’d grown up together and Thunderlane knew just how stubborn and insensitive the two could be – They wouldn’t listen to anything they didn’t want to hear. “You know how those two are. Being mad won’t change a thing. They’ll just come back, worse than before, and make Derpy even more miserable.”
“So you’ll just let them get away with treating the pony you supposedly care about like garbage, then?”
“No!” Rainbow’s biting anger seemed to light a fire beneath Thunderlane’s short tail and he jumped up from the couch, his own body a sudden flurry of movement as he began pacing where she left off, hooves clomping dully on the carpeted floor, wings held high and stiff with anger. “I would never do that!”
“Well, you better do something, because but your friends are being major jerks.” Confident now that he was going to do something about this mess, Rainbow Dash flopped down on the couch and tucked her hooves behind her head, “And as crazy as Derpy makes me, she totally doesn’t deserve that.”
“No,” Thunderlane agreed quietly, all of the fight going out of him, “She doesn’t deserve to be treated like that at all.” His entire body seemed to sag downwards towards the carpet; even his mane looked a little flatter than usual. “She’s so special, Rainbow Dash…And hardly anypony knows it because they all look at her and just see her weirdness and all of the accidents. I don’t think she even sees all of the special things inside of her anymore…”
Rainbow Dash watched him for a moment, as he folded in on himself helplessly. Thunderlane was physically strong, as well as a fast flyer. But something she had learned about him early on was that he was shy outside of a work setting, as well as uncertain about how to express himself. He didn’t know how to talk to other ponies very well, especially if they were self-assured, like Flitter, Cloudchaser, and Rainbow Dash herself. This character flaw made him a good match for Derpy, because it set him up nicely to just listen to her, but it also left him at a disadvantage when it came to shielding her from the cold reality of life.
“Dude, it’s kinda your job to make her feel special, Thunderlane.” Rainbow resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she shouldn’t have had to tell him that – He should have known it. But then…maybe he didn’t know; his other short-lived relationships had all been with much more confident mares than Derpy Hooves. “Don’t you tell her how awesome she is, like, every day?”
“I try, but it’s kinda hard…” He sank fully down to the floor then, limbs pulled in tight, chin rested on his front hooves, “I’m not so good at that kind of stuff and every time I try to seriously tell her that she’s beautiful or amazing or that I, ya know, love her…I can’t talk or I say something stupid or I just get so scared that I say something else. I want her to know how I feel about her, but it’s just…scary…” He trailed off, looking anywhere but at Rainbow Dash and feeling incredibly dumb.
Rainbow tipped her head, about to reply, though movement and a flash of blonde in the doorway caught her attention.
Derpy had reappeared, damp and surprisingly silent.
She stopped on the threshold, opening her mouth to speak –probably to inquire as to why Thunderlane was hunched up on the floor- but Rainbow silenced her with a quick shake of the head. Derpy frowned, taking a step back and noiselessly bumping into the doorframe.
She clearly couldn’t even begin to fathom what might be going on, but Rainbow Dash pointedly ignored her, turning back to Thunderlane. “Maybe you just need some practice talking about that kinda stuff.” She placed a hoof under her chin, brow quirked thoughtfully, “I got better at it after AJ made me talk about it, even though I still don’t like being mushy. But it’s like flying, you know? You get better at it, the more you do it. Practice makes perfect and all that junk.” She grinned then, eyes dancing, “So lay it on me. I don’t mind hearing mush if it’s not mush about me.”
Thunderlane glanced up at her, uncertain. “You want me to tell you why I like her?”
“Sure, why not?”
Why not indeed? There was no good reason not to talk about it. If he were braver, he would have been shouting for all the world to hear that he loved Derpy more than anything. But he wasn’t, and the thought of anypony knowing the full extent of his feelings terrified him.
But still…He needed to do this. For her; she deserved to hear it, someday, and if he didn’t ever say the words aloud, how could he expect to ever be able to say them to her?
“Well…” Thunderlane pushed himself up from the floor, forcing himself to look Rainbow in the eye. She in turn smiled lazily, her eyes still twinkling – Which he took as a sign she was making fun of him and he wasn’t about to let her get away with that. “It’s a lot of things about her, I guess. I like how she doesn’t give up, even when things seem really impossible. I remember when she came here and she had nothing…And she was still smiling, still hopeful, and I thought that was amazing, ‘cause I’ve never been that brave in my life.”
He paused for a moment, eyes sliding shut, lost in the memory of their first meeting. It could have been any random day, though he remembered it distinctly – The second Tuesday of the spring. She had been thinner then, and incredibly shy when his mother had answered the door to find her there, quietly inquiring about the hoof-printed “room for rent” sign that had been affixed to the porch rail. And Thunderlane, only working part time, had been entertaining a much smaller Rumble with a set of blocks in the living room when their mother led the grey mare in. Derpy had tripped on the carpet and gone crashing to the ground, sprawled in a heap of awkward embarrassment. He would never forget the way she had looked in that moment, when she pushed herself up off the carpet, determination lighting her eyes, and forced a smile across her face as their eyes met.
It hadn’t been love at first sight. It hadn’t even been like at first sight. But it had been something; that moment had sparked something between the two of them.
Derpy, still standing silently in the doorway, clearly remembered that day as well, though it was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. She was staring wide-eyed at Thunderlane’s back, trembling uncontrollably, though this time not from cold, but rather because she didn’t know what to say or think or do and was Thunderlane really going to say what she hoped he might…?
It suddenly made sense, why Rainbow Dash had wanted her to remain quiet.
“I don’t even know how to explain what makes her beautiful,” He continued, shifting a little and canting his head thoughtfully to the side, “She’s not, you know, gorgeous like Rarity or Fluttershy. And she’s not really, um, sexy either. But it’s her eyes and her smile and the way she smells like soap all the time…It’s just her; she’s just herself and she makes my heart pound just by being near me. I think…” He paused, stretching his wings, then settling back on his rump, “I think sometimes that she’s beautiful because she’s not like other mares, ‘cause no matter how hot they are, they just all seem kinda the same, because they’re not her. Because…”
He trailed off, hesitating, ducking his head and pawing at the carpet anxiously. For a moment, he was stuck just working his jaw, trying to force out words that didn’t seem to want to come.
On the couch, Rainbow Dash leaned forward expectantly, an eager grin stretching across her face.
And Derpy remained where she was frozen in the doorway, her heart attempting to pound its way through her chest.
“Because…” When he finally managed to speak, Thunderlane’s voice was quite, but steady, as if he were absolutely certain of his feelings, “I love her.”
Derpy let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, as well as an odd little noise something akin to a surprised squeak. As soon as the sound escaped her, she clapped a hoof over her mouth, well aware that she hadn’t been meant to hear the quiet confession right then and she’d probably ruined the moment. Her own sudden movement caused her to stumble, and when Thunderlane turned, eyes wide, he found her sprawled across the floor, just inside the room.
Behind him, Rainbow Dash sat on the couch, grinning her head off.
Thunderlane rose, turning fully and trotting a few steps to close the distance between himself and Derpy. She wanted to turn away, again ashamed of her own inelegance, but found that once their gazes met and locked, she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
He was quiet for a long time, time enough for Rainbow Dash to slide off of the couch and depart from the room, stepping carefully around Derpy. “Take as much time off as you need this week,” She was still grinning, that same cocky grin that crossed her face when she was showing off, “Both of you. I think I know a couple a mares who haven’t had enough work to do lately.” And with that, she was gone in a swish of rainbow tail and a flutter of wings.
The silence continued until well after she was gone, the two golden-eyed ponies still staring at one another, almost as if frozen in the moment.
The spell that had fallen over them was broken by Thunderlane leaning in to nuzzle gently against her cheek, whispering softly in her ear, “You know what? I love you…”
And she felt a familiar prickle behind her eyes and a tightening of her throat that meant she was about to cry. She leaned into him, searching for the warmth that enveloped her those nights they shared a bed, the familiar, steady beat of Thunderlane’s heart – His heart that was full of love for her. For her, whom nopony had ever loved before. “You do…?” She managed to choke the words out, looking up at him through eyes blurred with tears.
He smiled, reaching to pull her close, “I do.” It was much easier to say, now that he’d said it once and she’d heard it, now, with her snuggled against him, nuzzling her damp muzzle against his neck. His heart was still beating wildly, but he was no longer afraid – She knew already, after all. “I love you, Derpy Hooves, more than anything.”
And then she was smiling too, a great, beaming smile, as she threw her forelegs around him in an exuberant hug.
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1529789 I couldn't have said it better myself.
1529789 1529811
Thanks guys! Mind if I ask what you like in particular? Knowing what's good helps me keep up the awesome!
1529820 Excellent characterization, realistic actions, well written, good grammar, a good story, all sorts of fun stuff
Right in the feels! I'll be honest, I'm a sucker for moments like this. I love the play by Rainbow Dash, clever girl, and Ditzy's fall in is perfect. Bravo!
1530368
The characterization and realism are the things I like to hear I do well. I really love fanfic that has a really real feel to it, you know? I find it tough to portray fictional characters as real, though it's a challenge I wholeheartedly embrace.
It always makes me feel good to know I've succeeded in that aspect!
1530389
Thanks so much! Rainbow's gotta keep up her awesome by helping out the mere mortals and of course poor Derpy had to "spoil" the moment by being so utterly herself!
To suppress the d'AWWWs is futile.
Love it, great writing in this one, though I know someone will be getting some tonight, BOOYAKA
A million sorry's "somepony"
1530721
XD I'm kind of leaving how far their relationship has progressed open to interpretation. There may be some getting of "some" or there may be just cuddling -- It's up to you all and your imaginations!
awesome chapter ^_^
ok derpy. Now it's your turn! XD
1530747Actualy you did say in an earlier chapter how they "always keep quiet" at certain moments >_> since they are in thunderlanes parents house, herp
1533094
Hey, there are other things they could be doing together that are noisy!
Good attention to detail, though! The implication there was intended to be that his parents assumed they were fooling around -- Hence their disapproval. You know how parents are; they always gotta assume the worst!
1533588Only thing I can imagine them doing that could be noisy is them playing monopoly [or whatever the MLP version is named "clopopoly?"]
then again the parents would probably think of them doing roleplay 
1533632
I kind of have it in my head that Thunderlane's parents are going to assume they're getting busy no matter what, and while the thought of their son gettin' some is kinda not anything parents want to think about, they're more concerned with Rumble not knowing what's going on -- So they spent a lot of time getting after him to always knock on doors XDD
1534709Ahh makes sence, but you should have a scene where you either comfirm whether or not they wrestle in bed
1534739
Nope; I'm leaving that completely up to the reader to decide. I'm not against smut, but I also don't write it. It's just not my thing and it would be kind of out of place within the atmosphere of the story.
1534750Bah!
, still though keep writing this and update soon
Rainbow Dash: Love Doctor?
Sure, why not. I always like seeing her softer side, when she's helping out her friends like this. The arrogant 'awesomer than thou' stuff is funny, but she's the Element of Loyalty for a reason.
This chapter was so sweet i could jus- Hnnnngggg!
D'AWWWWWWW!!!!!
I'm not even kidding when I say I had a heart attack at how adorable this was. seriously, someone call an ambu8KWQBVJ5U,IHO9ZAQ13XAAQ2 22222 222222222222222222222222222222Z
SO CUTE I AM GOING TO EXPLODE FROM SUCH ADDORIBLENESS AHHHHH *BANG*
ow the pain the pain, gah my heart can't take much more of this, all the fluff. so. much. fluff. and love and adorableness and cuteness and just jwnfjeugrbf hnnnnng
heart attack, heart attack. gosh cranberry, your gonna owe me a new heart after I'm done with this fic; a nice big one filled with all the fluff from your fics :3 
Thunderlane why you must be so adorable
this is so well writen, *sob* why can't there be fics like this about best pony. in fact why can't all romance fics be like this! this is like, the picture of prefectness! why isn't this on ED? this story, the precious, it's just so beautiful, must keep reading
Warning: heart attack due to fluffines overload and serious awwww'ing, commencing
I slammed my head against my monitor because of the fluff. I also made a pladypus noise for 30 seconds like i had lost my mind. My mom was worried.
The feels, man. Heh, good job.