Racer And The Geek

by kalash93

Sunrise

Chapter 4: Sunrise
__________
Morning was not kind to Sunny Breeze, although not much worse than usual. Other than waking up before dawn, slightly tired due to the late night coupled with the terrible nightmares, he felt normal. At least he would be with Haye during part of his next shift and since today was Sunday, the bank was closed- no work, so he could do as he damn well please.

Nevertheless, it still hurt that he had been called a foal killer. Murdering innocent, defenseless foals… how could one do such a thing? The idea- the words couldn’t possibly match the terrible truth. He needed a drink. The whisky poured down his throat, creating a burning sensation in his stomach which dissolved into a comforting warmth. So what if he did it in the morning- it made him feel better! Sunny didn’t try to go back to sleep again. He knew from experience that it was all in vain. Instead, he decided to go for a hike. He pulled on his telnyashka before slipping into his plain brown afghneighnka and placing the accompanying Panama hat atop his head, and then he got on his four combat boots. It’s not like anypony, let alone Rainbow Dash, was going to see him. It wasn’t anypony else’s business. The stallion took a long chug from the bottle. His heart still hurt.

He then stumbled out the door. Something caught his eye: the flag on his mailbox had been turned up. Curiously, Sunny opened the mailbox and magically retrieved a plain white envelope from it, dimly surrounding the thing with a pale yellow glow. He took it inside before opening it. He was surprised by who it was from. The handwriting was dainty like a mare’s, but the letters were all blocky and without much flow to them. The unicorn conjured up a light from the tip of his horn so as to better see what he was attempting to read.

“Dear Sunny Breeze,

How have you been? You’ve been taking good care of yourself, right? I hope you’re not drinking too much. I’ll be coming to visit you this weekend. We really do need to see each other more often and catch up on things. You’re still living in that flat, right? Anyway, try to clean the place up, or at least remember that you’re supposed to be offering hospitality this time. I do hope that you’ve gotten a better job. You know how I feel about your line of work. And if we go out this time, wear something nice instead of one of those hideous uniforms of yours. Buy something if you have to! If you have a marefriend, you’d better be doing that for her. Remember, I love you and can’t wait to see you again.

With Love,

Your Mother”

Sunny put the letter down on the table. He took another quick drink of whisky. It wasn’t that his mother visiting him was inherently a bad thing. Honestly, the two of them got along just fine. Rather, it was that she and him never really saw eye to eye on a number of things, especially when it came to his work. He loved her. He liked her. He just simply didn’t like dealing with her barging into his life. This upcoming weekend was not going to be fun. And now he would have to explain about Rainbow Dash. His mother always meant well, but he couldn’t be sure of her reaction. She hadn’t given him any definitive dates or times. There was no room to manoeuver or dodge her visit.

The stallion stumbled out the door. The weather outside was pristine, not that Sunny cared. He simply wanted to get out of town and forget his problems. That wasn’t too hard, as the small town was on the edges of some truly lovely scenery. Ponyville was surrounded by leafy trees, green hills, subalpine meadows, limpid streams, and clear skies. The streets were clear of ponies, most of whom were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Sunny trotted somewhat drunkenly down the street. His hooves rhythmically clipped and clopped on the hard paving stones of the main street down the center of town.

It was still more dark than light. The stallion quickened his pace so as to better appreciate the new day dawning before him. He did a quick run around town in order to make sure that the banks, as well as the kiosks, were closed. This was because no banking activity could take place on Sunday under penalty of law. It was with some small satisfaction that Sunny Breeze found them all vacated and securely locked. He couldn’t help but feel that it was a good thing. In his experience, giving ponies a lot of stressful work to do, but no time off or other means to blow off steam and defuse their stress, always lead to disaster. There was more to life than just working for money. Life had to be enjoyed while it was possible, which was something that he understood better than most.

The clopping sound of his hooves on the cobblestone paved roads presently was replaced with a gritty crunching noise as he turned onto the side streets and tiny lanes of Ponyville. Most of the roads were simple dirt and occasionally gravel paths. There certainly wasn’t even a single cul-de-sac paved in the newfangled asphalt or concrete. Those luxurious things characterized places such as Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Hoofston; all of them being wealthy unicorn cities. No, Ponyville was a simple earth pony backwater town. Its inhabitants were real salt of the earth types. To be elegant, they were peasants. They never got any fancier than simple stonework without mortar, but most of it was entirely unpaved altogether. Why did they need to pave anything in the first place? Weather control could work with the farmers, the only ponies who so intimately depended upon them, to arrange dates and times for rains, which meant that even the heavy farm carts laden with goods wouldn’t get bogged down in the mire of flooded dirt roads. Even when mishaps did occur, the stout earth ponies could just overcome them with brute strength and be no worse for the wear.

Sunny presently felt the terrain beginning to rise as he passed through the outskirts of Ponyville. He saw Sweet Apple Acres off in the distance with its windows darkened. Not even the remarkable industrious Apple family worked Sundays. Given the stereotype, they were most likely sleeping and would be going to Sunday prayers in a few hours. About their faith, or lack thereof, Sunny knew not. It was unimportant. Rainbow Dash’s cloud house was also dark. No odd rainbow trails streaked through the sapphire sky. Good.

The stallion began to accelerate his trot into a jog. It didn’t matter how much he had to drink, he still needed to keep in shape. The scenery mutated into indistinct blurs to his left and right. He was handling the considerable dose of alcohol rather well. Perhaps he could go a little bit more quickly? Sunny accelerated into a proper run. His hooves pounded furiously into the dirt track. There had to be a cloud of dust floating in his wake. The blood flowed around his tingling body. It was hot and gushing furiously, like the quickening tempo of the beat in his chest. It was the beat which told Sunny Breeze that he was alive. His lungs felt a searing heat start to fester in them. In his drunken state, he remained detached from this. Instead, he pushed harder against his body in a battle to prove that he was still its master. He would make it do the impossible. It would complain that it was too hard and he would refuse to surrender. A living being needed to discharge its strength and exert its will. Without power over his own body, he would have power over nothing. That was the essence of death. What he was doing at that very moment was the essence of life.

Again, Sunny sped up. He was galloping now. Daybreak was almost upon him. A mad desire suddenly seized him: the desire to greet the new day from a vantage point. It would be cool to watch Celestia’s sun wash its brilliance over the valley. It would remind him of days long passed. The mountain trail was unforgiving. Roots, rocks, fallen trunks, dips, and other obstacles made the going treacherous. The stallion pressed on. It was a miracle that he was both making great time and avoiding hazards, while drunk no less. He burst into a clearing charred by dragon fire. Sunbeams bathed him in the warmth of dawn. He looked over to the east. He was nearly out of time, but not out of contention. There had to be at most five minutes left on the clock. That was just one more than enough if he hurried. Sunny ignored the rebellion from his scorching lungs and aching limbs, willing himself to go faster.

He was almost to the top. Just a little more and he’d succeed! He did not look at the path. Instead, his gaze was drawn by what appeared to be two pegasi silhouetted black against the rising run. He tried to focus in on them in order to determine their identities, but he could not focus properly on them. Sunny extended his front legs. The left hoof made solid contact with the ground. The right hoof slid against some loose stones. This would have been only a minor nuisance if he had been sober and paying attention, but a combination of his distraction and considerable intoxication conspired against him. Sunny’s hoof slid across the unexpectedly slippery surface. He tried to continue onto the next stride with his rear legs, but with one side already significantly lower than the other, he merely tumbled like an apple from a countertop. Sunny twisted his body as he had learned to do so, quickly coming uninjured to an undignified halt. It wasn’t painless, as he could tell in spite of the alcohol, but nothing was actually damaged.

Sunny checked first checked his body. It was all fine, although it showed the usual telltales signs of hard exertion and taking a tumble on a dirt and gravel path. He then gave his afghneighnka an examination. The dirt wasn’t too terrible visible against the khaki brown fabric. It wasn’t torn, which was a testament to its tough construction. Even all the various emblems were okay. Sunny let out a visible sigh of relief.

He didn’t bother getting up again. Instead, he drunkenly lay where he fell and watched the sunrise anyway. He had been too late to see the first rays of light drive back the darkness, but he could still appreciate the visible brightening of the landscape. The dull blues, greys, and blacks of the night were replaced with the vibrant greens, yellows, and browns. Sunny’s heart lifted at last. It soared with the sun. A smile spread across his face as a warm zephyr blew through his mane. This had to be paradise. Even the aches and pains in his body seemed to agree, fading away rapidly from his awareness as the astoundingly idyllic natural spectacle of nature unfolded before him. He savored a deep breath. In a maudlin happiness, Sunny Breeze shut his eyes. The warmth of a pure day in a serene vista effused him. The stallion fell asleep.

No dreams troubled him in his nap. He did not know how long he lay slumbering in the meadow, but it was very restful. He awoke later that morning feeling better than he had in years. He thanked Celestia that his head was perfectly clear of spirits in that moment. This was exactly like many fond memories he had from his past. All that was missing was a certain possession of his.

He did not endeavor to move from his bed of grass. He was content. He lazily followed the sun through its celestial arc. He watched animals and plants interact. A bumblebee casually strolled across his muzzle before taking off. He took flowers and grasses into his hooves and played with them.

It was not until late in the morning that Sunny was roused from his reverie. He distinctly heard the sound of hooves on the trail. Even more importantly, they were coming down from higher up. The stallion didn’t feel like dealing with other ponies, but was in a far better frame of mind now than when he normally had to interact with them. He briefly considered hiding. There was no reason to do so. Even his clothing would be excused out here; there was nothing unusual about ponies wearing such outfits outdoors, especially if they spent the night camping outside, or were trying to observe animals. He sat up properly instead of reclining, but did not turn to look at the approaching ponies from the right.

As they grew closer, Sunny could discern more about them. They sounded like a pair of some difference in size. The larger one was surely an adult. The smaller one was certainly not a foal, but the more frequent hoofsteps and their lower volume meant that they likely were not a full adult either. That alone almost made it worth seeing, for ponies had only a very short adolescent phase that lasted perhaps a couple years at most. Adolescents were quite rare in Ponyville. Sunny’s own adolescence had occurred somewhat later than usual. Those were not fond memories.

The ponies seemed to be talking casually and walking abreast of each other. Perhaps they wouldn’t notice the solitary stallion in the brush. More likely was that they’d see him but either ignore him or leave him alone. They came closer, but their exchange could not be understood, although their voices marked them both as mares, one of whom sounded vaguely familiar. They were almost on him now. Hopefully, they’d just most along and forget all about that strange stallion they’d seen. But that was not to be.

Suddenly, they both stopped. Not good. Sunny just sat there. The songs of birds filled the silence. Maybe they wouldn’t bother him. Then one unmistakably began speaking to him. “Fancy meeting you here, Sunny.”

He sighed and snapped around. He blushed and fought to calm his racing heart. Why did she of all ponies have to happen upon him? “I didn’t know you came here, Rainbow Dash.” The stallion stood up. The mare was with an adolescent pegasus filly he had never seen before. Her mane was purple and her coat was orange. He couldn’t tell whether or not she yet had a cutie mark. She was fairly thin and spindly, though somewhat taller and longer than him with wings that seemed just a tad too large for her body. “What’s with the getup?” snickered Rainbow.

His cheeks turned red. “It’s not your concern.” Sunny Breeze turned his attention to the pony standing next to Rainbow. She seemed to be regarding the proceedings absentmindedly. “Who are you?”

“I’m Scootaloo- Rainbow Dash’s number one fan! How do you know Rainbow Dash? Are you another one of her conquests?” A cyan leg stopped the deluge.

“Yeeah… she can be a bit chatty,” explained Rainbow. “We’re on a way back to town, Sunny. Wanna tag along?”

Sunny did not hesitate. “Sure thing, Rainbow. Just give me a moment.” He yawned and stretched, momentarily forgetting that he was also giving his newfound companions an eyeful of the very visible distinctive green and white stripes of his telnyashka. A few seconds later, Sunny had joined the duo. He walked on the left side of the group, slightly behind the other two. Scootaloo was in the middle and Rainbow Dash was on the far side. He didn’t feel very talkative, but that was okay, as the other two seemed content to simply talk among themselves. It also meant that he wouldn’t have to answer quite so many awkward questions or give either of them too many opportunities to scrutinize his peculiar garb. Even more importantly, he had to think of why the filly was so devoted to Rainbow Dash and why she had asked if he were one of the mare’s conquests.

The stallion glanced back at Scootaloo’s flank. She definitely did not have her cutie mark yet. He had checked the other side when he fell in behind the group. That begged the question of her age. However, it was against his usual maxims to socialize while wearing a uniform. Sunny could tell from her voice and mannerisms that she had to be rather young. Mature ponies didn’t have that twinkle in their eyes; the one that fixed itself upon a mentor figure. To the owner of such eyes, that pony was perfect, omnipotent- infallible. Why would a filly fix her adoration upon one such as Rainbow Dash? The mare didn’t seem to be all that nurturing or motherly. Sunny’s own adolescence idol hadn’t exactly been tenderness personified, but had made sense given the circumstances.

Scootaloo suddenly turned on Sunny. “I didn’t quite catch your name. What’s it again?” She inquired.

“I’m Sunny Breeze. You’re Scootaloo, right?”

She nodded. “Totally.” She seemed slightly nervous. “I’m sorry for talking at you like that back there. I got a little carried away.”

Sunny smiled knowingly at her. “It’s okay. I remember what it was like to be a colt.”

“You still are a colt,” shot back Scootaloo. Sunny breeze was liking her more by the second.

“It wasn’t that long ago that you would’ve been right. Say, how old are you anyway?”

Scootaloo shuffled a bit uncomfortably and broke eye contact for a moment. “I’m twelve.”

Rainbow cut in and not very discretely whispered, “You’re supposed to say that a lady never reveals her age.”

“But you’re not a lady and you won’t say exactly what yours is,” teased Scootaloo in return. “Maybe you’re not as young as you want me to think.” They both giggled.

Sunny restarted the conversation. “Twelve isn’t too bad of an age to be. You’ve got a lot to look forward to over the next couple years.” Sunny caught himself wondering for what reason he was talking like those guidance counselors back in school.

“They say that nothing’s going to be more important than what we’re doing right now.”

Sunny Breeze gave Scootaloo a knowing look. “That’s what they say to everypony. The truth is that your age is not even remotely as critical a period as they say. It’s still important, seeing as you’ll be graduating before too long. From there, you can go on to higher education, get a job, and all that stuff. Don’t worry too much about it; you’ll know the right path as it opens to you.”

“Tell me about it,” huffed the filly. “I’m still the only one in my class who doesn’t have their cutie mark.”

“I know what that’s like.” Sunny saw Scootaloo’s eyes light up and her wings ruffle.

“Really?” They entered into a shady section where the leaves overhead created dappled patterns of light and shadow.

“Yes, really. I was the last in my class to get my cutie mark. Hell, I didn’t even get it until I started working. It-” Sunny stopped himself before he let something slip. They got the implications.

Rainbow Dash came back into the conversation. “By the way, Sunny, where exactly did you go to school?” The stallion was relieved. This question wasn’t dangerous.

“I went to Baltimare Public Central School. It wasn’t a Destrier Academy, but it did the job.”

Scootaloo inquired, “You’re from Baltimare?” Sunny knew already what she was thinking.

“Yeah, I’m a Baltimare stallion. Before you ask, no, I’m not a gangster. I left to get away from all that stuff.”

“Since you didn’t have your cutie mark when you left, did you graduate early?”

This was bad. Sunny had to steer away from dangerous subjects before things got really awkward. “Negative, Scootaloo.” He paused for a moment, looking around the hill they were walking down. “I graduated with my eighth grade class like everypony else. I was just both youngest and the smallest one in my class when I graduated; I was just thirteen at the time.” The other ponies exchanged looks.

“Anyway, Rainbow, where did you go to school?”

“Upper Cloudsdale,” she beamed with pride.

Scootaloo interjected, “I thought you went to school in Ponyville.”

“Nah, Squirt. I’m a Cloudsdale pegasus- born and raised. I didn’t come to Ponyville until I got out of weather school.” Sunny Breeze noted that Rainbow Dash was definitely some years older than him. It only cast doubt on her and him. Dating younger stallions did happen, but it wasn’t common, and they were invariably only younger by a year or two. Weather college took a solid six years to complete, but her wording had been peculiar…

Sunny turned the question on Scootaloo. “Where do you go to school, Scootaloo?”

“At Miss Cheerilee’s school house. It’s the only one in Ponyville.”

“Is there anything you’re thinking of doing once you graduate?”

“I want to be in the Wonderbolts!” That impossibly innocent twinkle returned to her eyes as she looked at Rainbow Dash. The mare frowned slightly. Sunny spared them from an awkward silence.

“It’s good to have dreams. They give you hope. However, do you have any backup plans?”

She scratched her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I think maybe I could be a mailmare.” Rainbow watched the conversation between Scootaloo and Sunny. He seemed to be assuming a sort of big brother mentor role for her. It really was as if he was older than her, but not so much older as to be incapable of relating to her. Two thoughts occurred to her simultaneously. Scootaloo was painfully ignorant about the truths of becoming a Wonderbolt. Sunny Breeze was very young. Presently, they reached the bottom of the hill and once more were at the outskirts of Ponyville. It was probably only midafternoon at the latest, but the conversations were growing short and awkward. It was at this point that Sunny tried to make one last saving throw.

“Can I offer either of you two lunch?”

Scootaloo turned him down immediately. “Sorry, but I have to study. We’ll hang out later, right?”

“Sure thing- I’ll see you around sometime.”

“Later,” said the pegasus to her fellows, suddenly launching into the sky and unleashing a startlingly massive wingspan. Her folded wings had seemed somewhat larger than what her body size ought to suggest, but Sunny was taken aback by the sheer volume of her outstretched span. They were big, long, and very feathery; they were absolutely certainly the largest set he had ever seen in person. They probably were great for soaring and raw power, but he didn’t fancy them being too terribly maneuverable or speedy. Sunny Breeze turned to Rainbow Dash. In her eyes were mixed emotions. One of them was unmistakably pride. The trouble was that he couldn’t precisely determine the identities of the others, or even accurately attempt to gauge their number. Her expression was unreadable. There was certainly some sadness to it. The stallion was familiar with that part from his own personal experiences. It had been one he’d seen too many times to count. What else was in that look? Was there longing? Was there envy? Was there contempt? Was there pity? Was there confusion? Was there uncertainly? Perhaps he read far too much into these things. Not every question should be answered. Rainbow Dash turned to him, catching him staring. He blushed furiously and turned away.

“Hahahaha! You’re so easily embarrassed, Sunny! The look on your face is priceless.”

He weakly tried to save face. “I aim to please.” They started walking into town. “So, what do you say?”

“I can’t- not today, Sunny.” He surprised himself with his reaction.

“Why not?” The look on his face said it all.

Rainbow didn’t get angry or back away from him. “I’ve got dinner with Lightning Dust.” Sunny gave an involuntary shudder and an almost audible growl. She seemed to sense his dissatisfaction. It was too extreme for his character when faced with a simple refusal. “But I’m good for lunch on Tuesday. How about you?”

“What time? I can do any time after I get off from work at two.”

“That actually… works pretty well for me. So I’ll see you at Percival’s at half past two. Deal?”

“Deal!” Sunny shot back with more enthusiasm than intended.

“You one hundred percent sure you’ll make it? First rule of dating me is always keep your promises.”

“I promise, Rainbow, that I’ll make it.”

“Good.”

His excitement waned as they continued walking together and they came upon another awkward silence. Rainbow Dash wanted to ask him something. That was the only logical explanation for why she was walking instead of flying. They weren’t too far from a certain shop, so Sunny figured that he could find one last thing to do with her and possibly encourage her to organically pop the question. He motioned for her to follow him.

“Dashie! Sunny!” Pinkie Pie exploded at the pair as they walked into Sugarcube Corner.

“Hi, Pinkie,” they replied simultaneously.

The pink pony was bouncing more animatedly than usual at the sight of two of her friends visiting her together. “What can I get you-”

Rainbow cut her off. “Two shakes. The usual for me and….” She turned to Sunny. “What do you want?”

“Anything; I’m not picky whatsoever.”

“And a Pink Fruity for him.” Sunny Breeze gaped like a fish. Rainbow Dash laughed.

“You troll, I’ll get you one of these days!” he finally breathed out as they sat down at a table.

“Gimme your best shot.” Silence reigned again. Pinkie brought out the drinks with her typical discretion and grace, causing Sunny to turn red again as she shouted out his name, what his drink was, and then made a big show of handing to him.

The pair sipped quietly for several minutes. The tension was getting unbearable for Sunny. Rainbow’s eyes never left him. She was hardly admiring his body, so there was something else she was scrutinizing. “So, dare I ask what’s on your mind?”

Rainbow Dash took a particularly long drag on her shake. “It’s that uniform.”

Sunny Breeze had a bad feeling about this. Nevertheless, he walked right into the trap. “What about it?”

There was no levity in Rainbow’s reply. “Second rule of dating me: always be honest. You can say that you don’t want to talk about it- and that’s cool, but never lie to me.” Her eyes narrowed. She looked at him expectantly, all the while continuing to drain her shake.

“Got it.” He was getting more anxious by the minute.

“Good. Where did you get it?” At least the mare was direct.

Sunny silently wondered how to respond. He could either tell Rainbow Dash the truth, or he could refuse to tell her. Refusal would be effectively tantamount to confession. He couldn’t get creative with the truth either. “I got it abroad.” There was no humor in her eyes, so he gave no more than necessary to satisfy.

“And what about that striped green shirt? Where’d you get it and what’s it called?”

He answered her truthfully, “I got it in Zebricy. It’s called a telnyashka.” This was tenuous footing. Rainbow might have been trying to sweat him, but Sunny was no stranger to much higher pressure situations. He could take her.

“Tell me, Sunny, what did you do to get it? Have you ever been in the army?”

The conundrum was pretty nasty; what he did wasn’t military work, but he doubted that she would get the difference or care. Discovering the truth would be even worse. He began, “I was gifted it by a Zebra I knew.” He stopped to consider his options. None were good. “I’m not saying any more.”

“One last thing: what do all those patches and stuff on your jacket mean?”

“I’m not giving you specifics.” Sunny first pointed to his upper left sleeve. “That’s the unit.” He pointed to the patch on his lower left sleeve. “That’s the group.” He pointed to his left breast. “That’s the blood type.” He pointed to his right breast. “That’s the national service.” He pointed to his lower right sleeve. “That’s the branch.” He pointed to his upper right sleeve. “That’s the insignia.” He pointed to his shoulders. “Those are the rank.” He pointed to his collar. “Those are the identification.”

The atmosphere tangibly lightened. Rainbow Dash merely said, “You really know your stuff, Sunny.” Her joking tone was back.

“It’s something I care about,” countered Sunny. That was unambiguously true enough. He caught his date eyeing him with a certain degree of suspicion. “Everypony needs a hobby. Besides, aren’t you Wonderbolts technically part of the Equestrian military?”

Rainbow looked a bit sheepish. “Yeah, technically we’re part of the air supremacy combat wing of the Royal Equestrian Flying Corps. However, we’re really not all that military. You don’t have to be in the service to join. We could supposedly be used just like any other fighter squadron, but that just ain’t happening.”

“Wasn’t there an incident some years ago where you guys got called upon to deal with a rampaging dragon?”

“That wasn’t me, but I get your point.” The pegasus finished her milkshake with several sharp sucks before banging it on the table triumphantly. “Aww yeah, first!”

Sunny’s eyes widened. “You mean to say that you just interrogated me because you wanted to beat me at a milkshake drinking contest?” He shook his head and looked down at his glass was half full. He started chugging.

“Hey, you gotta be quick to keep up with- ahh! Brain freeze!”

Just then, the unicorn finished his. He lectured in a mock posh voice, “That’s what you get for rapidly quaffing large quantities of frozen treats.” She was about to deliver a rebuttal when he too clasped his hoof to his forehead. “You’re impossible!” They laughed together. When they recovered enough to leave, they did. Sunny Breeze started walking to his place. He didn’t have anything left to do that day. To his surprise, Rainbow Dash followed him.

“Is there anything else you’d like to discuss with me?” She was looking at him oddly. He knew that there was a term for this, but didn’t have the foggiest clue what it was or what she was trying to imply to him. It did seem vaguely familiar on some level. He’d never seen this look applied to him before. Her eyes were partially lidded yet focused totally on him and contained no hint of tiredness. She seemed to be trying to adopt some sort of pose that showed off some of her most exquisite assets.

He was about to turn her down when a thought suddenly occurred to him. “How much do you know about language construction?” Rainbow facehoofed. Totally worth it.

“Nothing at all. It’s not my thing. I’ll see you later.”

“Later.” And with that, she was gone.

Sunny Breeze walked home in silence. He spent the rest of the day thinking about what he was going to do about his mother and about Rainbow Dash, particularly the latter. What did Scootaloo mean when she had referred to him as a conquest? Why was she so interested in him? Why was she on a date with Lightning Dust? His personal distaste for the teal mare aside, it seemed as if he were being played as part of some ineffable game. Even more importantly, why did he feel a sense of abandonment and betrayal when she had told him that? He was admittedly growing quite fond of Rainbow Dash, but just couldn’t possibly be feeling those sorts of emotions towards her. Why had she questioned him at Sugarcube Corner? Try as she did to pass it off as a ruse, Rainbow was still far too transparent for Sunny to be taken in. Did she know about what he did? Did she suspect anything? How would she react to learning the truth? How did she feel about him? What was the meaning behind her display just before she had left? Surely it couldn’t be what he suspected it was. Had she really just tried to seduce him?

These questions drove him to drink and surely enough, alcohol did quiet his brain’s demand for answers. The stallion did some more language creation work throughout the afternoon and early evening. He undressed and bathed himself before turning in early for the night. Overall, the day had been pretty good, but this was tempered by the knowledge that he would be back at work again tomorrow. With that done, Sunny Breeze fell asleep.

Author's Note:

Support me on Patreon.

Comments

[Sayer]

I relly enjoyed this chapter. It was ice to add Scootaloo and see her actual relationship with Rainbow Dash, although I kinda expected her to have her Cutie Mark. And I wonder how much time does Sunny Breze have before she finds out the truth? I can't wait for the next chapter!

[kalash93]

2122109

The romantic comedy is back. Come and see.

[kalash93]

2200946

I'm glad that you liked chapter 3. I was worried that people wouldn't like it because it's a lot darker than the surrounding chapters and comes almost out of nowhere.

Sunny looks vaguely like me in the picture.

You will keep on reading and commenting, right? Unfortunately, it's going to be another week before I can post the chapter 5. I have a lot going on and early week release dates are murder on myself and the prereaders, so I have to give an extra week for all involved. Oh well, I'll have something interesting up tomorrow. It's an somewhat unrelated world building character exercise. It focuses more on the modern warfare angle presented in chapter 3.

As for the different guards, well, I used different inspirations for each one. The theme around which I centered the designs is anonymity, as each uniform has a key feature designed for guarding the identity of the wearer. The different outfirts and callsigns are meant to be variations on the theme which also grant a certain degree of uniqueness and individuality to the characters as well as reinforce the idea that they're only private sector personnel who are armed, yet they are not raised to the standard pr proffesionalism of an army. However, especially with Sunny, if you look closely, you'll see a lot of Eastern Bloc influences.

Telny is actually inspired by Ukrainian SBU.
[img][IMG]http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/UkrainianSecurityOfficer_zps6f412e02.jpg[/IMG]
i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/UkrainianSecurityOfficer_zps6f412e02.jpg

Shades is inspired by American Army.
[img][IMG]http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/us_arm10_zpsa6a54e4b.jpg[/IMG]
i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/us_arm10_zpsa6a54e4b.jpg

Goggles is inspired by photographs on British soldiers from the first world war in gas masks.
[img][IMG]http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/stock-photo-soldier-of-ww-in-a-gas-mask-hold-a-rifle-24776569_zps10e12e29.jpg[/IMG]
i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/stock-photo-soldier-of-ww-in-a-gas-mask-hold-a-rifle-24776569_zps10e12e29.jpg

Keffiyeh is inspired by Jordanian dress uniform.
[img][IMG]http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/5226855217_02836f5b6c_z_zps75204fba.jpg[/IMG]
i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt146/mortablunt/5226855217_02836f5b6c_z_zps75204fba.jpg

[Rubakor]

Kinda sounding like Sunny may be just another notch on Rainbow's belt. She agreed to a 2nd date with Sunny but she's having DINNER with Lightning Dust? Sounding like Rainbow is sleeping around with her teammates, atleast the mares.

[Saberking2012]

Chapter 4-

This one is much better then the previous chapter and here's why. A)You give a fairly good detail(s) about RD and Scoots relationship. It's a nice touch so props for that. B)The only thing I didn't get(or jist didn't understand) was RD agreeing to go on a date with Sunny but is going on a different date with another individual. I'll admit, this seems unlike her but then again, I'm not one to throw complains. It's seems conflict will arise soon but the main question is when? In either case, nice chapter, will post my next review on a later time.