If somepony gives their love to you, be sure to give it back. Poor Thunderlane is about to learn that the hard way as two mares compete for his attention.
Cloudchaser, Raindrops, and Thunderlane are three ponies with problems. Cloudchaser's problem is that she thinks Raindrops is stealing Thunderlane from her, and she must win him back. Raindrops's problem is that she likes Thunderlane, but she isn't sure about how to express her feelings, or even if she should.
And Thunderlane's problem? He's completely oblivious to the fact that his family friend and his wingpony are courting him at the same time. In fact, none of these pegasi really know what the others are truly thinking. And unless one of them gets a clue soon, it's gonna be pretty awkward for all involved.
Oh, and just to make things even more complicated, Flitter and Derpy are helping CC and Rainy in their endeavors. Guess which one is doing so against her will.
It was a beautiful, breezy afternoon in Ponyville as a group of ponies congregated at the outskirts of town. Some watched the skies expectantly while others paced back and forth impatiently.
"She said the session ended this afternoon," mused Flitter as she looked up into the sky. "I hope they're not running late."
"Are you alright, Flitter?" asked Rumble, giving his foalsitter a worried look.
Flitter looked down at Rumble and smiled weakly. "I'm fine, Rumble," she said, patting the young colt on the head. "I guess, I'm just excited that they're finally coming home. It's been a long week, after all."
"Yeah, I think I understand," said Rumble. After a pause, a wide smile appeared on his face as he began to prance around Flitter. "I can't wait to see my big bro! He must have a lot of great stories!"
"I'm sure he does," said Flitter with a chuckle. "And I'll bet he's just as eager to see you again. Actually..."
"Hey, I see 'em! They're coming in!"
Flitter's thought was interrupted by an overly-exuberant Scootaloo bouncing up and down and flapping her wings. She looked up into the sky, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder.
Five pegasi streaked across the heavens, all of them lined up in a V formation as they passed over the ponies below. They quickly looped around and landed in front of the spectators. Each of them wore a blue uniform decorated with bolts of lightning as well as badges of gold and silver. As soon as they touched down, Scootaloo and Rumble bounded up to them.
"Rainbow Dash~!"
"Big Bro~!"
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but chuckle as she caught Scootaloo in her forelegs and gave her a warm embrace. Thunderlane, however, was caught off-guard as his younger brother nearly tackled him to the ground.
"Oof~! Easy there, little guy!" he said with a laugh.
"It's really good to see ya, Big Bro!" said Rumble cheerfully.
"Heh. Yeah, same here," said Thunderlane, finally returning Rumble's hug. Flitter giggled a bit as she watched the display of affection.
"Oh, don't act like you don't wanna join in, Flit."
Flitter's ears perked up as a familiar voice made itself known. As she shifted her attention from Thunderlane and Rumble's tender reunion, she saw her sister Cloudchaser approaching her with a knowing smirk on her face. Flitter smiled back.
"You know me too well, Cloudy," she said as he wrapped her forelegs around Cloudchaser. "I really missed you."
"Same to you and more of it," said Cloudchaser as the two sisters nuzzled noses.
"So, you're a Wonderbolt now, huh?" said Flitter as she released Cloudchaser. "What's that like?"
Cloudchaser snickered. "Oh, we're not Wonderbolts just yet. We're still just cadets," she said. "That being said, it feels pretty awesome. Spitfire even made me a lead pony!"
Flitter's eyes went wide. "No way!"
"Way," said Cloudchaser, pointing to the gold medal pinned to her uniform. "Heh, guess all that nervousness I felt before was for nothing, eh?"
"You were nervous?" said Flitter, tilting her head. "You could've fooled me. When you got that acceptance letter, you were practically jumping for joy."
"That was before I got to the Academy," said Cloudchaser. "Trust me, Flit. Spitfire is not a pony you want to mess with. If she tells you to jump, the first thing outta your mouth better be 'How high?'"
"Yeesh," said Flitter with a shiver. "And you had to deal with that for the entire week?"
"You get used to it after a while," said Cloudchaser with a shrug. "Hey, if it means becoming a Wonderbolt, it's totally worth it."
"Heh, I suppose," said Flitter, taking a look around. "Hey, where's Milky Way? Didn't he go with you guys?"
A sly smile formed on Cloudchaser's lips. "Yeah, but I doubt he's coming back to Ponyville. He got paired up with this mare named Wild Flower at the Academy, and the two of them were pretty much inseparable. And I mean more than usual."
"More than usual?"
"The rule at the Academy is that wing pairs have to stick together no matter what," explained Cloudchaser. "Of course, that's only for training exercises. Ever since the pairings were listed, I kept seeing Milky Way and Wild Flower having meals together and just staring into each other's eyes."
"Oh wow," said Flitter, leaning in with interest and dipping her voice. "You think they're..."
"No doubt in my mind," said Cloudchaser with a giggle. "Milky Way kept insisting that he wanted to go to Las Pegasus so that he could get some more training time with his wingpony, but I know better."
"Huh. I never took Milky Way for the romantic type," said Flitter. "Wait until Blossomforth and Cloud Kicker hear about this. They're gonna have a field day."
"I know I did. At least in my head," said Cloudchaser. "Seriously, I don't think I would've gotten away with spreading gossip at the Academy. Spitfire would've busted my flank."
"Well, good thing we're not at the Academy then," said Flitter with a laugh. She then gave Cloudchaser a knowing smirk of her own. "Hey, speaking of romance, what was it like flying with Thunderlane?"
Cloudchaser blinked. "What?"
"Oh, don't act coy with your little sister, Cloudy," said Flitter playfully. "I know how much you like him. I saw your eyes light up like a Hearth's Warming tree when you found out he was accepted into the Academy along with you. Heh, I'll bet Spitfire says that you two have great chemistry as a team. That or she chewed you out for staring at him with that dreamy smile you get when he..."
"Quit it, Flit~!" Cloudchaser hissed, her face turning beet red.
"Huh? What's the matter?" inquired Flitter. "I'd wager that more than half the town knows that you like Thunderlane, Cloudy. It's nothing to be embarrassed over."
Cloudchaser sighed. "It's not that, Flit. I, wasn't paired with Thunderlane."
Flitter gasped. "For real? But you two are great together!"
"Spitfire didn't think so," said Cloudchaser bitterly. "She actually made him a lead pony, too."
"Oh," said Flitter sheepishly. "So, who'd he get paired with then?"
"Raindrops."
Finding herself a bit perplexed, Flitter turned to look at Raindrops, who was busy talking to Derpy Hooves. "Raindrops? Why did Spitfire think she of all ponies would make a good match for Thunderlane? They're nothing alike."
"Well, to be fair, they do make a good team," said Cloudchaser. "And if they fly well together, who am I to argue?"
Flitter raised an eyebrow. "You were just afraid of complaining to Spitfire, weren't you?"
"H-hey! It's not that!" insisted Cloudchaser. "Th-the Academy's not really a place for romance, anyway. Besides, Rainy's just a wishy-washy klutz that Thunderlane would never fall for in a million years. I mean, she's a good flier and all, but she's not a good match for a stallion like Thunderlane."
Flitter's expression became deadpan. "You are so jealous of her."
"Am not~!" Cloudchaser whined. "I-I don't think she's even interested in Thunderlane! Heck, I'm sure she doesn't even swing that way!"
"Cloudy, you're overreacting," said Flitter with a giggle. "I'm just teasing you."
Cloudchaser let out a strained groan. "Very funny, Flit," she growled.
"Consider it my 'Welcome Home' present," said Flitter. "In all seriousness, I think you're right. I highly doubt that there's anything going on between Thunderlane and Raindrops."
"Yeah," said Cloudchaser, looking over at Thunderlane with a whimsical smile. "I know that tomorrow, it's gonna be business as usual. Thunderlane and I are gonna have our usual Sunday stroll in the park."
Flitter gave her sister a look. "Cloudy, it's bad enough that you leave me alone with Rumble every Sunday to flirt with Thunderlane, but I had to look after him the entire week you were gone. How about helping me out for once?"
"Sorry, Flit. I'm just doing what my heart tells me," said Cloudchaser, giving Flitter a pat on the head. "When you fall in love, you'll understand."
Flitter sighed. "And here I was hoping that the Wonderbolt Academy would teach you something about responsibility," she muttered. She then looked up. "Hey, by the way. If you didn't get paired up with Thunderlane, who did you get paired with?"
Cloudchaser's eyes went wide for a moment before she flattened her ears and twiddled her hooves. "Um, nopony. Nopony you know, that is. Look, can we talk about...?"
"YEAH!"
An all-too-familiar exclamation interrupted Cloudchaser's train of thought. She whipped around to see her wingpony, Bulk "Snowflake" Biceps, talking to his little brother Featherweight. Flitter stifled a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Cloudchaser snarled.
"Snowflake's your wingpony, and you're embarrassed to admit it," said Flitter. "I'm calling it right now."
Cloudchaser sighed. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"
"Nope!" said Flitter with a grin.
Cloudchaser groaned. "Look, I know he has a reputation in town for being Mr. Macho Pony, and honestly, I had no idea how he got into the Academy when I first saw him. But really, he's not a bad flier. And we actually do make a good team."
"Or you're just too chicken to complain to Spitfire."
"I'm serious!"
Flitter let out a hearty laugh. "Lighten up, Cloudy. Jeeze, don't tell me all that time at the Academy did away with your sense of humor."
Cloudchaser rolled her eyes. "Let's just drop it, alright Flit? There was a lot more to the Wonderbolt Academy than just my love life, y'know."
"Yeah, I know," said Flitter. "Consider the matter dropped. For now."
"Good," said Cloudchaser. "Now how about we go get some food? I'm starving."
"Sounds good to me," said Flitter. "But you're buying."
"What? But I just got back!"
"It's either that, or you help me foalsit Rumble tomorrow."
"You fight dirty, Flit."
"Heh, I know."
As the sun began to set and all the ponies began to go their separate ways, Cloudchaser couldn't help but look at Thunderlane out of the corner of her eye.
There's nothing to worry about, she thought. Tomorrow we'll have our date in the park like we always do. Just because he's flying with Raindrops doesn't mean they're dating. Yep, no use getting worked up over nothing. Everything will be back to normal by tomorrow.
The next morning, Raindrops was awoken by a familiar thud outside her door. With a yawn, she pulled herself out of bed and shambled over to see who it was. Sure enough, lying on the ground before her was a grey pegasus with a mailbag slung over her shoulder. She smiled.
"'Morning, Derpy," she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Derpy Hooves quickly picked herself up and shook herself. "Oh! Good morning, 'Drops!" she said cheerfully. "Sorry you had to see that. You know how I am before I have my morning muffin."
"All too well," said Raindrops with a sleepy chuckle. "Um, you do realize that there's no mail on Sundays, right?"
Derpy blinked. "It's Sunday? Oh muffins, I knew I was forgetting something," she muttered. "Oh well, I might as well give you your mail early."
She then reached into her mailbag and pulled out a bunch of letters. When she looked up to give Raindrops her mail, she tilted her head in confusion. "Wow, 'Drops. You don't look so good."
"Huh?" said Raindrops, giving Derpy a confused look of her own. "What are you talking about? I feel *yawn* fine."
"No, I've seen you fine," said Derpy. "Yesterday, you were fine. Today, you look like you just got out of bed."
"Mmm. Maybe because I did," Raindrops mumbled.
The confusion on Derpy's face suddenly gave way to guilt. "Oh. Um, I woke you up, didn't I?"
"No, no. It's not your fault, Derpy," said Raindrops, shaking her head. "It's me. I had trouble sleeping last night."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," said Derpy. "Wanna talk about it?"
Raindrops cast her eyes downward and sheepishly brushed the back of her foreleg. "Um, I dunno. It's, kinda personal."
"Raindrops, you're my best friend in the whole wide world," said Derpy earnestly. "If something's bugging you, I wanna know."
"I'm, grateful for that, Derpy. Really, I am," said Raindrops. "But, don't you have something else to do?"
"Well, now I know it's Sunday, so nope!" said Derpy with a wide grin. "C'mon, fly with me a bit. I'll even share my morning muffin with you."
"I'm still not sure about this, Derpy. I mean..."
"It's lemon poppyseed~. Your favorite~."
To emphasize her point, Derpy took the muffin out of her bag and waved it in front of Raindrops's glazed eyes. Raindrops sighed. One thing she knew about Derpy was that once her mind was set on something, there was very little that could be done to dissuade her.
"Alright, fine," she relented. "I, guess I need to get this off my chest, anyway."
"Yay!" Derpy cheered. With that, the two pegasi took to the skies and Derpy broke her muffin in half.
"So, what's on your mind, 'Drops?" said Derpy as she gave Raindrops half of her muffin.
Raindrops paused. "Well, it's about the Wonderbolt Academy."
Derpy raised an eyebrow. "You're still worried about the incident with the piano? I thought you said Spitfire didn't take any issue with that."
"It's not about the piano, Derpy," said Raindrops irritably. "And I thought we agreed never to talk about that again."
"Oh, right. Sorry," said Derpy sheepishly. "I keep forgetting."
"It's fine," said Raindrops with a sigh. "So, anyway, you remember how I told you that I was paired up with Thunderlane?"
"Yeah, I remember that," said Derpy, taking a bite out of her muffin. "What about it?"
"Well, there's something I, neglected to tell you yesterday," said Raindrops, fiddling with the muffin in her hooves.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I, think I like him."
Derpy gave Raindrops a blank stare (in the loosest form of staring). "So? I like you, too. Why is that keeping you up at night?"
"No, you don't understand, Derpy," said Raindrops. "I, like him."
Derpy blinked. "I, like you, too. What's there not to understand?"
"No, Derpy," Raindrops groaned. "I mean I lo—"
She stopped herself mid-sentence and began to blush. "Oh, I can't say it~!"
"Can't say what?" said Derpy, thoroughly out of the loop. "You're not making any sense, 'Drops."
"I-I'm trying~!" cried Raindrops. "O-okay. Let me see if I can put this in a way that won't cause me to die of embarrassment."
Derpy took a look around and shrugged. "I'm the only one here, 'Drops. You can say whatever you want to me."
"It's, not that easy, Derpy," said Raindrops. "See, I think I have a— No, I can't even say that."
"I'm, really not following you here, 'Drops," said Derpy, rubbing the side of her head. "What are you trying to say?"
Raindrops took a deep breath. "Okay, let's try this. When I was first paired with Thunderlane, I wasn't sure what to think. I mean, it's not that I didn't like him or anything; I just didn't know why Spitfire thought we would make a good team."
"But you did make a good team," said Derpy.
"Much to my surprise," said Raindrops, staring down at the muffin in her hooves. "And even more surprising, I started feeling, things. Like butterflies-in-your-stomach kinda things. I-I don't know, something about being so close to him made me feel, happy. Like I was on top of the world."
Derpy nodded slowly. "Hmm. I think I'm starting to get the idea," she said ambiguously. "But, why is that keeping you up?"
"Several reasons," said Raindrops glumly. "One, he's my lead pony. I'm not sure that kind of relationship is allowed in the Wonderbolts."
"Well, you'd know better than I would," said Derpy with a shrug. "I mean, I'm not a Wonderbolt."
Raindrops sighed. "Let's, just move on. The second thing is that I'm not sure if he likes me back."
"Alright, now you're just being silly," said Derpy, folding her forelegs. "Why would anypony not like you, 'Drops? Tons of ponies like you! I like you!"
"Yeah, but it's not the same," said Raindrops. "Derpy, you know the difference between liking somepony and really liking them, right?"
"I, guess?" said Derpy. "I mean, Carrot Top's my friend, but you're my best friend."
"Derpy, this goes beyond best friend," said Raindrops.
"Like super best friend?"
Raindrops smacked her face with her hoof. Derpy wasn't a dumb pony by any stretch of the imagination, but there were a few things that kinda flew over her head.
"No, Derpy," she sighed. "I'm talking about lo-l-it rhymes with dove, okay?!"
It took a few seconds, but Derpy managed to put two and two together as a wide smile formed on her face.
"Raindrops, are you meaning to tell me that you've fallen in love?" she asked.
"Shhh~! Do you want all of Equestria to know?!" Raindrops hissed frantically.
Derpy chuckled. "What's the big deal, 'Drops? I think this is a great thing!"
"Keep it down!" said Raindrops, flailing her forelegs. "I don't want anypony else to know!"
Derpy tilted her head. "Why not? I know when I finally find a special somepony, I'm gonna tell everypony about it."
"Well, that's because you're you. You wear your heart on your wings," said Raindrops.
Derpy looked over her wings, becoming a bit puzzled. "Nnnnnnnno, I'm pretty sure it's still in my body where it belongs."
Raindrops let out an exasperated groan. "Look, Derpy. I lo-really like Thunderlane, but I can't tell him."
Derpy raised an eyebrow. "Why not? I know you, 'Drops. You're usually not a shy pony."
"I-it's not that," said Raindrops, to which Derpy gave her a look. "Okay, it is that. I can't help it. Every time I talk about my feelings for Thuderlane, my tongue just decides to tie itself into knots. And I fear that if I tried to tell him, my heart would burst. I-I don't know what to do, Derpy."
Derpy placed a hoof to her muzzle and pondered for a while. Suddenly, her expression brightened. "I've got it!"
"Huh?" said Raindrops.
"I'm gonna help you, 'Drops!"
Raindrops blinked. "H-help me?"
"Sure! What are best friends for?" said Derpy. "If you really love Thunderlane, you should let him know."
"B-but I can't..."
"Sure you can! You just need some advice!" said Derpy, placing a foreleg around Raindrops. "Now then, I'm gonna go drop off my mailbag back at home. In the meantime, you go ask Thunderlane if you two can do some Wonderbolt training this afternoon; just the two of you."
"But, what if he has other plans?"
"It's a Sunday afternoon, 'Drops. What pony makes plans for a Sunday afternoon?"
"I dunno, Derpy..."
Derpy gripped Raindrops's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye (the best she could). "Raindrops, I want you to be happy, and you're not gonna be happy keeping your feelings all locked up inside. It's not healthy, y'know?"
"But..."
"Trust me, 'Drops. I've never steered you wrong before, have I? Besides that incident we promised never to talk about again, I mean."
"W-well, when you put it that way, no."
"There. So just tell Thunderlane you wanna do some one-on-one training with him, and I'll handle the rest."
"How?"
"You'll see," said Derpy with a wink. With that, she flew off. Raindrops let out a deep sigh as she nibbled on the muffin Derpy gave her.
I hope she knows what she's doing, she thought. Heck, I hope I know what I'm doing. Ooh, I've never been so nervous before in my life. I hope everything turns out okay...
Cloudchaser paced back and forth at the entrance to the park, pausing every once in a while to look at the clock tower and tap her foot. Thunderlane was late for their Sunday stroll through the park, and she was getting impatient.
"I don't get it," she muttered to herself. "We always meet here at one o'clock, and it's been at least half an hour. What could possibly be holding him up?"
She pondered this conundrum for a few seconds, only to come up with a complete blank. She knew that while Thunderlane appeared to be lazy, he never missed a Sunday stroll. The more she thought about it, the more her imagination ran wild. A giddy smile slowly spread on her face.
Oh! I get it now! she thought. He must be getting me a present! Aw, what a sweetheart~!
She let out a dreamy sigh and stared back at the clock tower.
"Alright," she said. "I'll give him one more half hour, but that's it. And that present better be good."
"Oh, hey CC!"
As if on cue, Cloudchaser spotted Thunderlane soaring through the sky and waving at her. She waved back, smiling all the while. Thunderlane touched down right before her.
"About time you decided to show up," Cloudchaser said coyly. "Don't you know it's impolite to keep a lady waiting?"
Thunderlane blinked. "You were, waiting for me?"
Cloudchaser raised an eyebrow. "Um, duh. It's Sunday, remember? We always take a walk through the park on Sunday."
Thunderlane suddenly smacked his head with his hoof. "Augh, I'm such an idiot! I completely blanked, CC! Ugh, I am so sorry about this."
Well, so much for my present theory. Oh well, Cloudchaser thought with a shrug. She then patted Thunderlane on the shoulder. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It happens to the best of us. You're here now, and that's what matters."
"No, it's not that, CC," said Thunderlane with a sigh. "I, already promised Raindrops that we'd go over some Wonderbolt drills this afternoon."
Cloudchaser's smile vanished. "Wait, she wanted to train with you this afternoon?"
"Yeah. She said she didn't want to forget everything she learned at the Academy or something," said Thunderlane.
"Well, didn't you tell her that you already had plans?"
"I would've, but like I said, I completely forgot about our usual Sunday get-together," said Thunderlane sheepishly. "To be fair, she had an interesting point. Nopony usually makes plans for a Sunday afternoon."
"Except for us," said Cloudchaser with a pout. "Well, that's fine. Just go tell her that you can't make it."
"I, actually don't think that's such a good idea," said Thunderlane. "When I talked to her this morning, she seemed all jittery. I think she really wants to make sure Spitfire doesn't yell at her when we have our next session. You know how Spitfire has this way of making ponies nervous."
Cloudchaser couldn't really argue with that (after all, Spitfire made her nervous, too), but something in the back of her mind told her that this was not as innocent as it appeared. She let out a strained sigh.
"TL, look. This is our special day together, and you know that," she said. "Just tell Rainy that you'll train with her another day."
"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna work, either," said Thunderlane, flattening his ears and casting his eyes downward. "She said that this was the best day we could get together. After all, nopony..."
"Makes plans for a Sunday afternoon. Yes, you already said that," said Cloudchaser bitterly. She then groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof.
Thunderlane sighed. "Listen, CC. I'm really sorry about this. I didn't mean to blow you off. I just, forgot. Like you said, it happens to everypony every once in a while. I'll make it up to you. I promise."
Cloudchaser looked at Thunderlane out of the corner of her eye. "How?"
"Um, how about we hit Sugarcube Corner tomorrow; just the two of us? My treat. I'll even get you those lemon cupcakes you like so much."
Cloudchaser placed a hoof to her muzzle and furrowed her brow as she considered Thunderlane's offer. Finally, she sighed.
"Pinkie Promise me you'll be there," she said, turning to face him.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," said Thunderlane without missing a beat.
Cloudchaser smiled. One thing she knew about Thunderlane is that when the chips were down, he always kept his word.
"Okay. I forgive you," she said. "I can't stay mad at you, anyway."
"Thanks, CC. You're a real pal," said Thunderlane, giving her a brief hug. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then!"
"Right, seeya."
With that, Thunderlane took off. While his promise of a date put her at ease, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was, off.
"Well, that's my entire afternoon down the drain," she said with a sigh as she raised herself off the ground. "Guess I'll be helping Flitter foalsit Rumble today, after all."
***
When Cloudchaser arrived at Thunderlane's house, Flitter was busy playing a board game with Rumble.
"Oh hiya, Cloudy," she said, looking up for a brief moment. "I thought you weren't going to be able to help me today."
"Change of plans," said Cloudchaser curtly. "And don't you dare gloat."
"Cloudy, would I really do that?" said Flitter.
"I dunno, you made a big deal about it yesterday," said Cloudchaser brusquely.
Flitter gave her sister a confused look. "Sheesh, what's eating you? You're usually a lot happier after spending time with Thunderlane."
"Well, you just answered your own question, Flit. Congrats," said Cloudchaser.
Flitter sighed. "Alright, what happened?"
"Thunderlane blew me off," said Cloudchaser. "He said he forgot about our plans, and he promised Raindrops to do some Wonderbolt drills with her."
"Oof, tough break," said Flitter. "Well, at least he'll make it up to you, right?"
"He said he was gonna take me out tomorrow to Sugarcube Corner," said Cloudchaser.
"There you go, then. You've got no reason to be upset," said Flitter, turning back to her game. "Let's see here... Sky Five."
"Miss!" said Rumble smugly. "Cloud Nine."
"Aw, you zapped my weatherpony~!" exclaimed Flitter in a playful tone. "Looks like you win again. I'm telling you, Cloudy. Rumble's a master at this game."
Cloudchaser sighed. "Flit, you know that Thunderlane never forgets our Sunday stroll."
"Well, he did this time," said Flitter with a shrug. "After all, ponies don't normally make plans for a Sunday after—"
"I know!" Cloudchaser yelled, interrupting her sister. "Ugh, sorry Flit. Thunderlane said that Rainy used that line on him when she said she wanted to train."
"Line?" asked Flitter, raising an eyebrow. "What are you implying, Cloudy?"
"Something tells me that this isn't a coincidence," said Cloudchaser. "I think Rainy's up to something."
"Really?" said Flitter, her expression becoming deadpan. "Cloudy, just yesterday you were saying that Raindrops was a wishy-washy klutz that Thunderlane would never fall for in a million years. And if I recall, you also mentioned something about her not swinging that way."
"Wh-what, am I not allowed to be wrong about something?" said Cloudchaser, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
"No, you're allowed," said Flitter. "But I think you're wrong about the wrong things. Like I said, I'd wager that more than half the town knows that you're carrying a torch for Thunderlane. What are the chances that Raindrops doesn't know about your feelings for him? Face it, Cloudy. This was all just a misunderstanding that you're blowing out of proportion."
Cloudchaser sighed. "I, guess you're right. I'm probably just being, silly. Love makes you do that sometimes, y'know?"
"What, get paranoid for no good reason?"
"I, wouldn't put it that way," said Cloudchaser sheepishly. "Look, you'll understand once you find your special somepony."
Flitter shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Hey, you mind playing with Rumble for a bit? I need to check on dinner."
"Alright, sure," said Cloudchaser. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Raindrops was up to no good.
C'mon, Cloudchaser. Stop being ridiculous, she scolded herself mentally. Rainy isn't that kind of mare. Thunderlane is still your special somepony. There's nothing to worry about. Yep, nothing at all...
That was the only thought running through Raindrops's mind ever since she told Thunderlane she wanted to do some training with him. It's not that she didn't appreciate Derpy's help. She understood better than anypony that Derpy Hooves always meant well in everything she did. But even then, the thought of trying to confess her feelings for Thunderlane was making her heart pound like a jackhammer. Whatever Derpy had in mind, Raindrops didn't feel it was going to be enough.
With a deep sigh, she looked up at the clock tower. It was just after half past one, and Thunderlane said he would meet her at one thirty.
"Oh well. Looks like he forgot," said Raindrops, half-hoping that was the case as she started to leave. "I guess I'll just go home and..."
"Hiya, 'Drops!"
Before Raindrops could utter another word, Derpy came barreling out of the sky and startled her out of her wits. When Raindrops recovered from the surprise, she breathed a deep sigh.
"Derpy, I'm a bundle of nerves as is. Please, don't surprise me like that," she said.
"Whoopsie. Sorry, 'Drops," Derpy apologized, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "I guess I got overexcited."
"It's fine," said Raindrops, picking herself up. "So, um, what's this big plan of yours?"
"Well, I figured if you're having so much trouble talking about your feelings for Thunderlane, I'd just give you a script to work with," said Derpy, giving Raindrops a small stack of papers. "That way, you won't have to think about what to say."
Raindrops looked over the script and raised an eyebrow. "I'm, not sure about this, Derpy."
"Whaddya mean you're not sure? It's perfect!" said Derpy.
"Well, for one thing, I can't read this."
"Sure you can, 'Drops! You just need to have some confidence!"
"No, I mean I physically can't read this," said Raindrops, flipping through the pages of the script. "Seriously, Derpy. Your hoofwriting is completely illegible."
"Wait, that can't be," said Derpy, furrowing her brow. "I dictated my lines to Dinky so that we wouldn't have this problem."
Raindrops groaned. "Derpy, I wanted to keep this a secret!"
"'Drops, relax," said Derpy soothingly. "Dinky's not gonna tell anypony about your crush on Thunderlane. She promised me."
Raindrops sighed. "Alright, if you say so," said she. "Just, don't tell anypony else, okay?"
"Oh, okay," Derpy relented. "But I still think this secrecy thing is silly."
Raindrops rolled her eyes and looked back at the script. "Well, that aside, I still don't know how this is gonna help if I can't read it."
"Here, let me see it a moment," said Derpy, swiping the script from Raindrops's hooves. "Let's see here... One package of new strings from Trottingham and a case of candy syrup for Lyra and Bon-Bon, some new books for the Golden Oak Library, five bags of flour for Sugarcube Corner..."
Derpy trailed off as her face became bright crimson. "Oops."
"What?"
"This is my mailing list," said Derpy, thoroughly embarrassed as she put the script away and took out a new one. "These are the lines I came up with for you."
Raindrops sighed and shook her head. "You are a piece of work, you know that, Derpy?" she said as she looked over the new script. As she did so, she bit her lip and swallowed. "U-um, Derpy? I-I still don't know about this. I mean, I'm not sure I can say half of this stuff without fainting."
"C'mon, Raindrops. Have some confidence in yourself," said Derpy. "All you have to do is memorize those lines and say them to Thunderlane. What could be simpler?"
"Memorize?" said Raindrops. "But I said I'd meet Thunderlane here at one thirty, and he's already running late. Besides, I haven't stretched yet."
"Stretched?"
"For our training."
Derpy tilted her head. "You mean, you're actually planning on training with him?"
"Well, he's not going to fall for me if he thinks I'm lying!" said Raindrops frantically.
"Hmm. Good point," mused Derpy. She then looked up into the sky. "Hey, looks like somepony's coming over to us."
Raindrops turned to where Derpy was pointing and blanched. "Eep! Th-that would be Thunderlane!" she squeaked. "WhatdoIdo, whatdoIdo?!"
"Just relax and use that script I gave you," said Derpy. "The rest you'll have to play by ear. Don't worry, 'Drops. I know you'll figure something out. Now go get 'im!"
With that, Derpy gave Raindrops with a salute and flew off.
"Derpy, wait!" Raindrops cried. "I don't know if I'm..."
"Hi, Raindrops!"
Raindrops heart stopped for a split second as she heard Thunderlane's voice. She quickly turned around, hiding the script behind her back.
"O-oh! H-hi, Thunderlane," she stammered. "H-how are you?"
"I'm alright," said Thunderlane. "Sorry I'm a bit late. I had to reschedule something with Cloudchaser."
"B-but I thought you didn't have any plans for this afternoon," said Raindrops.
"So did I. Turns out I was wrong," said Thunderlane with a shrug. "Eh, those are the breaks sometimes. I'm just glad CC was cool with it. I'd hate to ruin our friendship just because of a mix-up."
"Y-yeah, that'd be a shame," said Raindrops. "S-so, shall we get started?"
"Yeah, sure," said Thunderlane, stretching out his legs. "Just, let me warm up a bit. I shouldn't be too long."
"O-okay," said Raindrops. While Thunderlane was distracted, she quickly folded up the script and gripped it in her tail. She then sighed and cast her gaze upward. Celestia, give me strength...
***
As soon as Thunderlane was done stretching, he and Raindrops flew up into the air and began going through standard Wonderbolt drills. At first, things seemed to be going well. The two of them moved as one as they wove around bobbed around lines of trees and weaved their way through the clouds. But all the while, Raindrops's heart was beating a mile a minute; partly due to the exercise, and partly due to nerves. Even though she managed to match Thunderlane move for move, her anxiety still lingered in the back of her mind. After a few minutes and maneuvers debating with herself, she finally managed to psych herself up.
Alright, here goes nothing, she thought.
In the middle of a loop, she reached behind her and grabbed the script from her tail. She then frantically read it over, trying her best to pay attention to where she was flying at the same time. When she felt that she found a good line, she looked up at Thunderlane.
"Um, Thunderlane?!" she called out to her lead pony.
"What's up, Raindrops?!" Thunderlane called back.
"I just wanted to say that your wings are..."
"Whoa, incoming!"
Thunderlane quickly swerved to the right. Before Raindrops could react, she found herself plowing right into a large cloud.
"Oof~!" she grunted.
Thunderlane looped back, a concerned look on his face. "You okay, Raindrops?" he asked.
"F-fine. I'm fine," said Raindrops, recovering from the minor crash. "It's just a cloud."
"Right," said Thunderlane with a chuckle. "Alright, let's keep going!"
With that, he zoomed off with Raindrops right at his heels. She quickly skimmed the script for another line and tried again.
"Um, anyway!" she said, straining her voice. "I just wanted to say that you're quite..."
"Heads up, Raindrops! Duck!"
Thunderlane quickly propelled himself into a sharp dive. Raindrops tried to follow, but in her hesitation, she accidently crashed into a duck. She and the waterfowl tumbled to the ground. When she looked up, she was staring at a familiar shy pegasus.
"Oh my!" gasped Fluttershy. "Are you two alright?"
"I'll live," said Raindrops, getting to her feet and brushing herself off.
Fluttershy sighed. "I am so sorry about this, Raindrops. Mrs. Duckworth and I were just out for a stroll, and we didn't see you."
"No, it's fine," said Raindrops, quickly getting back into the air.
"You sure you're okay?" Thunderlane asked. "You seem out of it."
"I'm sure it's nothing a little practice can't cure," said Raindrops sheepishly. "I'm fine, really."
Thunderlane shrugged. "If you say so," he said before zooming off. Raindrops was quick to follow as she looked for another line.
"As I was saying, Thunderlane!" she called out. "I think it's really cool how you..."
"Look out, Raindrops!"
Once again, Thunderlane's warning came a tad too late. While he flew out of the way, Raindrops became caught in the branches of a tree. As she struggled to get out, the script Derpy gave her went flying all over the place. Thunderlane flew up to her and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm, thinking we need more practice," he said, stroking his chin. "Spitfire's gonna chew you out royally if this is how you perform when we come back."
Raindrops sighed. "I'm sorry, Thunderlane."
"No, it's cool," said Thunderlane. "Like you said, it's nothing a little practice can't cure." He then reached out his hoof to her. "How about we come back Tuesday and try this again, eh?"
Raindrops blushed as she accepted Thunderlane's help. "Yeah, that sounds great," she said. After Thunderlane had pulled her out, she dusted herself off. "Thanks."
"Just looking out for my wingpony," said Thunderlane with a wink. "Catch you later!"
With that, he gave her a salute and flew off. Raindrops heaved a great sigh as she began picking pine sap out of her mane. When Thunderlane had completely disappeared over the horizon, Derpy flew up to her.
"Sorry, 'Drops," she said sheepishly. "Maybe next time we can actually have time to practice the lines."
Raindrops heaved another sigh. "That, was horrible. Thunderlane must think I'm an idiot."
"No, he doesn't," said Derpy reassuringly. "He said he was willing to practice with you more, didn't he? He still likes you."
Raindrops paused for a moment, and then gave Derpy a weak smile. "I, guess you have a point there," she said. "But, I'm still feeling uneasy about this, Derpy. If he finds out that I messed up because I was trying to woo him, I'll never live it down."
"Well, he doesn't need to know," said Derpy with a shrug. "Besides, you know how the saying goes. If at first you don't succeed, try try again! We just need to go to Plan B."
"Okay," said Raindrops, too fatigued to argue. "Now, where's that script...?"
The two pegasi looked around and saw a bunch of papers scattering in the wind. Derpy drew in a sharp breath through her teeth.
"Ooooookay, let's just skip to Plan C," she said. "First step: Make a new script."
Raindrops rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof as she tried to regain composure. "Right, sure. Whatever. Just, don't make it too flowery this time."
"Alright, fair enough," said Derpy, giving Raindrops a friendly pat on the back. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, 'Drops. Trust me."
Raindrops looked up at Derpy. She couldn't help but smile. Even though Derpy did annoy her sometimes, she could never stay mad at her best friend.
"Thanks, Derpy," she said softly. "I, think I need all the help I can get with this."
"That's why I'm here," said Derpy with a smile of her own. "C'mon, let's get you home."
The next day, Cloudchaser was relieved to find that Thunderlane was better than his word. When she arrived at Sugarcube Corner, he was right there waiting for her.
"Hey, CC," said Thunderlane as Cloudchaser landed in front of him. "Listen, sorry again about that mix-up yesterday."
Cloudchaser smiled. "Oh, TL. You don't have to keep apologizing about that," she said sweetly. "Today is apology enough."
Thunderlane chuckled. "I wish more ponies were as understanding as you, CC," he said, opening the door. "Ladies first."
Cloudchaser giggled coyly. "Why thank you, kind sir," she said as she walked on in. Just as Thunderlane closed the door behind him, Pinkie Pie popped up out of nowhere to greet them.
"Hiya, Cloudchaser! Hiya, Thunderlane!" she said in her usual exuberant manner. "Beautiful weather, isn't it? Oh, wait. You two help control the weather, so you knew that already."
Thunderlane and Cloudchaser shared a laugh. "Good to see you too, Pinkie," said Thunderlane. "We'll take a tray of your finest lemon cupcakes to stay."
"Coming right up!" said Pinkie as she bounced off into the kitchen. Thunderlane and Cloudchaser made their way to an unoccupied table and sat down.
"So CC. What's up?" asked Thunderlane.
"Oh, nothing much," said Cloudchaser with a shrug. "I'm taking it easy now that the Academy session is over."
"You're that confident in your abilities, huh?" said Thunderlane, leaning in with interest.
"It's not that," said Cloudchaser with a shake of her head. "I just don't wanna burn myself out, y'know? Let's be real here, Thunderlane. I think anypony would want a grace period after the week we had."
"Yeah, I hear ya," said Thunderlane. "But that doesn't mean we should slack off."
"Yeah, tell that to Rainbow Dash," Cloudchaser scoffed. "I heard from Cloud Kicker that she takes at least ten naps a day."
"I'm, thinking that's an exaggeration," said Thunderlane. "Rainbow Dash earned her place as a Wonderbolt Cadet, CC. We all did."
"I know, I know," said Cloudchaser. "This is the mare who can clear the sky in ten seconds flat we're talking about, after all."
"Yeah," said Thunderlane with a playful laugh.
"Order up!" Pinkie called out, balancing a tray of cupcakes on her tail as she walked out of the kitchen. With expert precision, she did a small jump and propelled the tray right onto Thunderlane and Cloudchaser's table. To their semi-surprise, not even a bit of icing was disturbed from the toss.
"Thanks!" Cloudchaser called out before taking a cupcake in her hoof. "So, what about you, Thunderlane? I would figure that you of all ponies would want to rest up after the Academy."
Thunderlane chuckled and then sighed. "I wish I could, CC. But I think Raindrops needs more training."
Cloudchaser nearly choked on her cupcake. "Wh-what?"
"Oh, yeah. I should probably tell you about yesterday," said Thunderlane. "See, I don't know what happened, but Raindrops just kept messing up for some strange reason."
"R-really?" said Cloudchaser.
"Yeah. She kept crashing into stuff," said Thunderlane. "I don't know why; she never messed up this badly at the Academy. But, I figure it's nothing a little training won't cure."
Cloudchaser chewed on her lip for a moment. "Well, how much training do you think she needs?"
"I dunno," said Thunderlane with a shrug. "We're gonna do some more drills tomorrow afternoon, and I guess we'll just see how it goes from there."
Cloudchaser felt her body tense up all over as she took in a deep breath through her teeth. "TL, d-don't you think that's a little excessive? I mean, maybe Rainy just had a bad day. You know how much of a klutz she can be."
Thunderlane sighed. "Yeah, I know. But she's still my wingpony, CC. That means I gotta look out for her. You'd do the same for Bulk, right?"
"Well, yeah. I guess," said Cloudchaser, twiddling her hooves. "But we're not at the Academy anymore, TL. Surely Raindrops can just train with somepony else."
"I think we both know that it wouldn't be the same, CC," said Thunderlane. "I mean, I guess she could do some training with Rainbow Dash as well. After all, we all flew with her after that punk Lightning Dust was given the boot."
"Well, problem solved then," said Cloudchaser. "Raindrops can train with Rainbow Dash, thus giving you time to relax and unwind. I heard Rainy prefers mares, anyway."
Thunderlane gave Cloudchaser a curious look. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing. Just, something I heard," said Cloudchaser, clearing her throat.
Thunderlane shrugged, and then stroked his chin in thought. "I dunno, CC. You know how Rainbow Dash is always nagging me for slacking off. I don't want her to think I'm just pawning off my responsibility on somepony else. Besides, she has a busy schedule, too."
"Yeah, those naps aren't gonna take themselves," said Cloudchaser, rolling her eyes.
Thunderlane sighed and shook his head. "Look, I know you're worried about me burning myself out, but I can look after myself just fine. I'm not planning on spending every day training with Raindrops or anything. I just wanna make sure she's okay, y'know? There's no 'I' in 'team,' after all."
"R-right, yeah. I-I guess that's true," said Cloudchaser in a strained tone. Although she tried to keep calm, her blood was boiling like a raging inferno. "S-still, though. Don't you think it's weird that Raindrops is messing up like this?"
"Um, yeah. I already said that, CC," said Thunderlane, appearing a bit confused. "That's why we're gonna go through some drills tomorrow and find out what's wrong."
Sweet Celestia, stop acting so dense, Thunderlane! She's trying to flirt with you! Cloudchaser wanted to scream. And we both know that's my job!
"Hey, you okay, CC?" asked Thunderlane. "You seem a bit tense."
"What? No, no, I'm fine! Really!" insisted Cloudchaser.
Thunderlane shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. But if something's bugging you, I'd rather you tell me. We've known each other for a long time, after all. You can trust me."
"I-I know," said Cloudchaser, relaxing a bit. "Th-that's what I like about you, Thunderlane."
Thunderlane nodded and smiled before noticing the position of the sun out the window. His smile suddenly vanished. "Um, CC? Do you have the time?"
"I do!" said Pinkie randomly, looking at her watch. "I've got half past two."
Thunderlane breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. I can still make it," he said, turning back to Cloudchaser. "Sorry to cut this short, CC, but Rainbow Dash is expecting me to bring in some thunderclouds for tonight's storm."
"O-oh, that's fine," said Cloudchaser. "I-I guess I'll see you around then."
"Yeah, seeya later," said Thunderlane. With that, he got up, paid Pinkie for the cupcakes, and walked out the door.
Cloudchaser let out a sigh as she stared at the cupcake tray. "Hey, Pinkie?"
"Yes?"
"Can you wrap these up for me? I've suddenly lost my appetite."
***
"So, how'd it go?" Flitter asked as she heard Cloudchaser come in. Her only response was a slammed door and a frustrated groan. Flitter winced, suddenly regretting her question.
"Well, it's official, Flit," fumed Cloudchaser. "Raindrops is the biggest..."
"Before you continue, I think I should remind you that there are children present," interrupted Flitter, pointing to Rumble and Featherweight looking up from their game expectantly. Cloudchaser blushed and cleared her throat.
"As, I was saying," she said. "Raindrops has just earned the title of the Most Devious Mare in Equestria."
"Let me guess. Thunderlane blew you off again," said Flitter, giving her sister a bemused look.
"Oh, no. No, he didn't," said Cloudchaser. "But all he wanted to talk about was Raindrops. I mean, it was Raindrops this, and Raindrops that, and Raindrops needs more training, and..."
"I get the picture," said Flitter, cutting across Cloudchaser. "So, the big deal is that after training with Raindrops, he talked about Raindrops. Oh dear, it's a sign of Nightmare Moon's return!"
Cloudchaser deadpanned at Flitter's sarcasm. "Perhaps I should rephrase that. See, he said that Raindrops was messing up yesterday, and he wanted to do more training with her to see what was wrong."
Flitter paused to think for a bit. "Okay..." she said with a confused nod.
"You, don't know what that means, do you?"
"I haven't got the slightest clue. Why, should I?"
Cloudchaser sighed and walked over to Flitter, placing a foreleg around her shoulder. "My dear, naïve little sister," she said in a condescending tone. "There is so much you need to learn about the complexities of love."
"Apparently," said Flitter, more than a bit insulted by her sister's attitude. "Would you care to enlighten me?"
"Why, it's obvious, my dear Flitter," said Cloudchaser. "Raindrops is messing up on purpose so that she can spend more time with Thunderlane!"
Flitter blinked. "Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh?!'" shouted Cloudchaser. "I saw Raindrops at the Academy! She didn't mess up that much! There is no way she could've forgotten everything she learned in a day! Heck, even Thunderlane thought it was weird!"
"Maybe she just had an off day," said Flitter with a shrug.
"See, that's what she wants me to think," said Cloudchaser. "But she can't fool me. I know she's flirting with Thunderlane and trying to steal him from me!"
"Wouldn't that require having him in the first place?" asked Flitter. "I mean, did he ever say you were his special somepony?"
Cloudchaser gave Flitter another bemused look. "He doesn't need to say it, Flit. We both already know it."
"Okay, if that's true, why are you worried about Raindrops?" said Flitter. "We've known Thunderlane ever since we were foals. I know he'd never hurt you like that."
"Not intentionally," Cloudchaser corrected. "But if Raindrops's scheme comes to fruition, she'll steal his heart from right under my nose."
"You have absolutely no idea how crazy you sound right now, do you?" inquired Flitter.
Cloudchaser laughed. "Oh, Flitter. You really do have a lot to learn," she said, giving her a noogie. "And that is why you're gonna help me win him back."
Flitter stared at Cloudchaser as if she had three heads. "I'm gonna do what now?"
"Just as I said," said Cloudchaser. "Now, there's not much we can do about tomorrow, but I know for a fact that there's a Wonderbolt show coming up soon. So, you'll get a couple of tickets for me and Thunderlane for the show. After that, he'll forget all about Raindrops."
"Uh-huh," said Flitter. "And, pray tell, what will your role be in this master scheme?"
"Why, I'm going to hit the spa, of course!" said Cloudchaser. "I'll get myself a makeover that'll knock Thunderlane's horseshoes off. That, my dear Flitter, is how he'll forget about Raindrops."
"So, in this magical alternate universe you're living in right now, Thunderlane is incredibly shallow and would go for something like that," said Flitter. "Remind me again, why did you fall in love with him?"
"When this is all over, you'll understand," said Cloudchaser with a wink. "Now then, I believe it's my turn to prepare dinner. Whatever you do, don't forget our little discussion."
"Yeah, sure," said Flitter. "Just one more question, though. What makes you think I'll do this for you?"
"Because it'll be good for you," said Cloudchaser. "You'll learn all you need to know about love, and I'll get Thunderlane back. It's a win-win!"
"More like a lose-lose," said Flitter bluntly.
Cloudchaser chuckled and shook her head. "Ah, poor Flitter. So young. So oblivious to the joy that is true love. Oh well, that'll all change once I get Thunderlane back. You'll see~."
With that, she gave Flitter another wink and sauntered into the kitchen. Rumble gave Flitter a perplexed look.
"What was that all about?" he asked.
"I think my sister has gone off the deep end, Rumble," said Flitter with a sigh. "And the worst part is she's dragging me with her."
Rumble tilted his head. "I, still don't get it."
"Neither do I, buddy," said Flitter. "Neither do I."
As Raindrops sat down for her breakfast, she heard a knock at the door. She had a good idea who it was.
"Just a sec!" said Raindrops, picking up her baguette and flying over to the door. Just as she suspected, there stood Derpy Hooves with her mailbag slung over her shoulder.
"'Morning, 'Drops!" Derpy said cheerfully. "You feeling any better?"
Raindrops sighed. "Not really. I, still don't think this is a good idea, Derpy. I mean, what if Thunderlane doesn't really like me? What if he just wants to keep our relationship professional?"
"'Drops, you're never gonna win his heart with that attitude," said Derpy. "You gotta think positive! Now, Dinky and I have been talking about what happened last Sunday, and I think we found the problem."
"What, that I tried to flirt with Thunderlane and ended up humiliating myself?" asked Raindrops.
Derpy giggled. "No, silly~. It was the script."
Raindrops deadpanned. "Derpy, I could've told you that. In fact, I did tell you that."
"And it turns out you were right," said Derpy with a smile. "See, when I came up with those lines, I forgot a crucial detail."
"And what might that be?"
"They weren't you."
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," said Raindrops, rolling her eyes.
"I had a dream last night about traveling around the universe in a weird blue box with a strange stallion that looked like Time Turner."
Raindrops blinked. "What?"
"You wanted me to tell you something you didn't know," said Derpy with a shrug.
Raindrops smacked her head and let out an exasperated groan. "You're incorrigible, Derpy."
"Well, you're a silly-filly, but you don't hear me complaining," said Derpy. "Now then, Dinky and I have decided that the best way to win Thunderlane over is to be yourself. With that in mind, I brought you this."
She then reached into her mailbag and gave Raindrops a stack of papers. Raindrops raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't this another script?" she inquired.
"Nope. These are conversation starters," said Derpy. "I did the same thing with Dinky for her first day of school. It'll help you relax and be comfortable around Thunderlane. That way, you can confess your feelings for him without feeling awkward."
Raindrops still appeared to be skeptical. "Derpy, talking to Thunderlane isn't the problem. I can talk to him just fine. It's just that whenever I think about my feelings for him, I get all flustered and end up making a fool of myself."
"Then don't think about it," said Derpy simply. "That's what got you into trouble last time, right?"
"I think it was more so the fact that I was trying to read pick-up lines mid-flight," said Raindrops.
"Exactly," said Derpy.
Raindrops stared blankly at Derpy. "I'll be honest, I'm not sure if what you said just now made sense or not."
Derpy chuckled. "Look, just memorize the conversation starters before you see Thunderlane, and then just let it go from there. You'll be fine, trust me."
Raindrops fiddled with the bread in her hooves. "Well, I dunno..."
"Hey, if it'll make you feel better, I'll be right there with you," said Derpy. "I should finish my route by the time you go to meet Thunderlane."
Raindrops mulled it over for a bit before giving Derpy a nervous look. "You promise you'll be there to support me?"
"Yep," said Derpy with a warm smile.
Raindrops smiled back. "Alright, Derpy. We'll give it another shot," she said. "And, thanks."
"No need to thank me, 'Drops. I'm just happy to help," said Derpy with a salute. "Seeya later!"
With that, she took off. Raindrops snickered a bit and nibbled on the heel of her bread.
I'm the only mare I know who is both lucky and unlucky to have a friend like Derpy, she thought.
***
That afternoon, Raindrops arrived at the park only to find Thunderlane right there waiting for her. She swallowed and took a quick look around for any sign of Derpy. When she couldn't find her wall-eyed friend, she sighed.
I guess she's just running late, she thought. Derpy has an important job, after all.
She then took a deep breath to calm her nerves and came in for a landing.
"Hey, Raindrops," said Thunderlane, looking as chipper as ever. "You ready to train?"
"Yeah," said Raindrops, rubbing the back of her foreleg. "I, just hope I don't crash into anything this time."
"Heh, that makes two of us," Thunderlane chuckled. "Alright then, whenever you're ready."
Raindrops nodded and stretched herself out. As she did so, she heard a sharp hiss coming from behind her. She turned around and breathed a sigh of relief. There was Derpy, hiding in a bush and giving Raindrops a wink. Raindrops winked back and turned back to Thunderlane.
"Alright, Thunderlane. Let's fly!" she said.
With that, the two pegasi soared into the air and began their training. Now that she felt more confident, Raindrops found it easier to stick with her lead pony. Every swoop, turn, and dive he made, she matched him with expert precision. No matter where he went, she was right there behind him; almost as if they were linked to each other by some sort of tether. As Raindrops noticed this, all of the feelings she felt at the Academy came rushing back. Her heart began skipping every other beat, butterflies manifested themselves inside her stomach, and her cheeks felt warm. And without Spitfire breathing down her neck, it was harder to keep those feelings in check. She quickly cleared her throat.
"Um, Thunderlane?!" she called out. "M-maybe we should take a break!"
"Hmm? Oh, sure thing!" said Thunderlane with a nod. He then made one final loop around and touched down on a large cloud as Raindrops followed suit. After a moment of silence, Thunderlane turned to Raindrops and smiled.
"That was actually pretty good," he said, giving her a playful punch in the foreleg. "Way better than last time."
"Th-thanks," said Raindrops, casting her eyes downward. She noticed Derpy waving at her below and took a few deep breaths to regain her composure. As she did so, she thought back to the conversation starters Derpy gave her. When she picked one that she felt was appropriate, she turned to Thunderlane.
"So, um, how have you been?" she asked.
"Mmm? Oh, I've been alright," said Thunderlane with a shrug. "What about you?"
"So-so," said Raindrops. "I, guess I've just had a lot on my mind since the Academy."
"Ah, I see," said Thunderlane with a nod. "That might explain why you were messing up last time."
"Yeah, pretty much," said Raindrops with a nervous chuckle.
"So, what have you been thinking about?" asked Thunderlane.
Raindrops wings stood up on end. "Wh-what? Um, uh..."
She frantically looked down at Derpy, who motioned for her to continue. Raindrops gulped.
"I, uh, was just thinking about how my life has changed now that I'm a Wonderbolt Cadet. Yeah."
Derpy smacked her face and groaned inwardly.
"Really?" said Thunderlane, raising an eyebrow. "I don't see much of a difference. I mean, nopony really treats us any differently."
"W-well, I guess that's true," said Raindrops, twiddling her hooves. "And honestly, I'm relieved about that. B-but what happens when we actually do become Wonderbolts?"
Thunderlane shrugged. "I dunno, I'm not a Wonderbolt yet," he said plainly. "Besides, the Wonderbolts may be elite fliers, but at the end of the day, they're still ponies. Awesome ponies, mind you, but ponies nonetheless."
"P-perhaps," said Raindrops. "But being a Wonderbolt is more than just flying around and looking cool, y'know."
"Yeah, I learned that the hard way," said Thunderlane with a self-mocking chuckle. "I think all of us did."
"I, actually kinda knew that before being accepted into the Academy," said Raindrops.
Thunderlane blinked. "You serious?"
"Sure. I mean, why else did Spitfire come to Ponyville in order to monitor our rainwater collection?"
"Huh. That is a good point," Thunderlane mused. "I never thought about it like that before. No wonder you're acting so jittery."
Raindrops's heart skipped a beat. "J-jittery? Wh-who's jittery? I'm not jittery. Am I?"
"From what I've seen," said Thunderlane. "Say, Raindrops?"
"Hmm?"
"You, don't actually need any more training, do you?"
Raindrops's face turned bright red in an instant. He's onto me! I'm doomed! she thought. "Um, wh-whatever gave you that idea?"
"Today was proof enough," said Thunderlane. "You handled yourself just fine. I talked about it with Cloudchaser yesterday, and we both agree that it's weird."
It took sheer force of will for Raindrops to prevent herself from hyperventilating. "Thunderlane, I can explain..."
"What's there to explain?" asked Thunderlane. "I know what this is about."
Oh no! Here it comes! Raindrops thought as she braced herself.
"You're stressing yourself out over something that hasn't happened yet."
Raindrops tilted her head. "Wh-what?"
"You just said you understood long before you were accepted into the Academy what being a Wonderbolt really meant," said Thunderlane. "And because of that, you're trying too hard to keep yourself in shape. Cloudchaser told me that she's taking a break from training to give herself time to recover from the week we had. Maybe you should take her advice."
Raindrops paused for a moment to let Thunderlane's words sink in, and then let out an awkward laugh. "Oh~. Oh, yeah. I, think you hit the nail on the head there, Thunderlane. I'm just being silly. Heh heh..." she said nervously. She then breathed an inward sigh of relief. That was too close.
"No need to be embarrassed about it. I understand," said Thunderlane His expression suddenly brightened. "Hey, I just got an idea!"
"Wh-what's that?"
"There's a Wonderbolt show coming up that I was planning to take Rumble to. If you're not busy tomorrow, would you like to come with?"
Raindrops's eyes went wide. "Y-you, want me to go with you to see the Wonderbolts?"
"Sure, why not?" said Thunderlane. "I'll even pay for your ticket. Even a hard-working pony like you deserves a break every once in a while. So, how about it?"
Raindrops tried to speak, but found herself completely tongue-tied. "Um, I, er, uh, tch, well, eh, mmm, ngh, er, uh..."
After hemming and hawing for a while, she looked down at Derpy and mouthed "Help me!" Derpy's response was a vigorous nod. Raindrops swallowed.
"Um, yeah. S-sure," she said.
"Great!" said Thunderlane. "They're performing at the Cloudosseum tomorrow at two thirty. Rumble and I will save you a seat."
"O-oh. Great. Thanks," said Raindrops.
"Just looking out for you, Raindrops," said Thunderlane, giving his wingpony a pat on the back. "See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, seeya."
The two pegasi shared a salute, and Thunderlane darted off. As soon as he disappeared from sight, Derpy emerged from the bushes and tackled Raindrops into a hug.
"You did it, 'Drops!" she cheered. "You're going on a date with Thunderlane! I knew you could do it!"
"D-Derpy~!" Raindrops sputtered, her face turning red once again. "I-it's not a date!"
Derpy released Raindrops and gave her a confused look. "He's buying you a ticket to see the Wonderbolts. How is that not a date?"
"Well, he didn't say it was a date. He just, wanted to do something nice for me. That's all."
Derpy shrugged. "Well, whatever the case, you're making progress."
"It doesn't feel like I am," said Raindrops glumly. "You saw me, Derpy. I thought I was gonna die back there."
"Well, you still look alive to me," said Derpy with another shrug. "Look, the important thing is that you're opening up to him. Openness is key in any relationship."
"I-I know," said Raindrops with a sigh. "I wish I was as confident as you, Derpy."
"Don't worry, 'Drops. You're getting there," said Derpy with a smile as she gave Raindrops a pat on the back. "And soon enough, you'll be able to speak your mind, and Thunderlane will fall head over hooves for you. Just wait and see."
"If you say so," said Raindrops. "Um, Derpy?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you believe in me."
Derpy grinned from ear-to-ear. "I'm glad that you're glad. And I'll be more glad when you start believing in yourself, too. Thunderlane is a very lucky pony to have a mare like you courting him."
Raindrops giggled. "Oh, you flatterer, you~."
"I only say it 'cause it's true," said Derpy. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go home and get dinner on the go."
"Alright. See you later, Derpy," said Raindrops. The two friends then shared a hoof bump and went their separate ways.
Phew. That was pretty stressful, Raindrops thought. Maybe I should take Cloudchaser's advice and hit the spa on the way home. It certainly couldn't hurt.
"Just you wait, Thunderlane. Once this is over, you're gonna see a whole new Cloudchaser."
Cloudchaser was having the time of her life at the spa. Not only was the treatment relaxing, but she couldn't stop thinking about how Thunderlane would react once he saw her. True, the makeover she requested was costing her a pretty penny, but if it meant getting Thunderlane back, it was worth every bit. As Lotus Blossom worked on her hooves and Aloe finished applying her mud mask, Cloudchaser couldn't help but drift off into la-la land.
"I can just picture it now," Cloudchaser said to nopony in particular while Aloe placed cucumber slices over her eyes. "I'll get the tickets from Flitter and wait for Thunderlane to relieve us of foal-sitting duty. But instead of the Cloudchaser he knows and loves, he'll see the most beautiful mare in Ponyville whom he knows and loves. And after that, Raindrops can kiss her chances of stealing him from me goodbye. And our date to see the Wonderbolts tomorrow is just the icing on the cake. Yessiree. This day is gonna be just perfect."
Just then, the bell at the front door rang as somepony walked in. Cloudchaser shrugged, unconcerned about who it was before she heard a voice.
"Just a massage for me today, thank you."
Cloudchaser's ear twitched. She recognized who it was.
Raindrops? she thought, becoming quite confused. What the hay is she doing here? I thought she was training with Thunderlane.
Before she could ponder any further, she heard Aloe lead Raindrops to an unoccupied table right next to her.
"Oh, hi Cloudchaser!" said Raindrops pleasantly.
"Raindrops," Cloudchaser grumbled in reply as Lotus prepared her hooves for painting.
Raindrops raised an eyebrow. "You alright, Cloudchaser? You sound a bit grumpy."
"It's nothing," Cloudchaser lied. "So, um, what exactly are you doing here?"
"Well, I just finished my training with Thunderlane, and I thought I might as well treat myself," said Raindrops with a shrug. "You know how vigorous Wonderbolt training can be."
"Yeah, sure," said Cloudchaser irritably. "And, how exactly did your training go?"
"Oh, much better than last time, let me tell you," said Raindrops as Aloe got to work on her back. "Actually, he said I might not need the extra training after all."
"Hmm. You don't say," said Cloudchaser in a passive-aggressive manner.
"Yeah, he thinks I'm stressing myself out over staying in top form," said Raindrops.
Translation: You faked those mistakes so that you could spend more time with him, Cloudchaser thought. Don't be coy with me, Raindrops. I can read you like a book.
"So, what about you?" asked Raindrops. "Why are you here?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'm just getting a makeover," said Cloudchaser.
"A makeover?" parroted Raindrops. "Cloudchaser, why would you of all ponies need a makeover? I think you're fine the way you are. Heck, that mane alone should be sacred ground that nopony should ever even consider changing."
Cloudchaser snorted. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Rainy," she growled. "Besides, I'm keeping the mane."
"As well you *mmm* should," Raindrops grunted as Aloe rubbed her shoulders. "So, I'll ask again. Why the *ahh* makeover?"
"What business is it of yours?" asked Cloudchaser curtly.
"Just curious," said Raindrops as she began to feel her stress melting away. "Mmm~. A little lower, please."
"Hmmph," huffed Cloudchaser. "Well, if you really must know, I'm going to see the Wonderbolts show tomorrow."
"Really? Oh, what a coincidence," said Raindrops. "So am I."
Cloudchaser's wings flared up, hitting Lotus Blossom in the face. "What?"
"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot," said Raindrops. "Thunderlane told me that ever since the Academy session, you've been taking it easy so that you didn't exhaust yourself. He said I should try that, and so I am. I didn't know it would be that formal, though. Maybe I should get a makeover, too."
Over my dead body, you copycat! Cloudchaser fumed. "I-I wouldn't bother with that, Raindrops. A-after all, this treatment is already costing me two legs. I don't think you'd be able to afford this and the ticket."
"Oh, I don't need to worry about paying for the ticket," said Raindrops. "Thunderlane said he'd buy it for me."
Cloudchaser's entire body became tense. "H-he's buying it for you?"
"Yeah. He said he was planning on going with Rumble anyway, and he invited me to come with," said Raindrops. "He even said he'd save a seat for me."
Cloudchaser bit her lip in an effort to keep her temper in check, but found it was a bad idea when the taste of mud mask hit her tongue. After spitting out the mud, she took a deep breath.
"Well! That's very nice of him!" she said in an incredibly forced tone. "I'm sure the two of you will have a great time!"
"The, three of us, you mean," Raindrops corrected. "He's bringing Rumble, too."
"Oh, right! Yes! Rumble!" said Cloudchaser as her eye twitched, causing the cucumber slice to fall out. "Well, you know what they say! The more the merrier!"
Raindrops tilted her head. "Um, Cloudchaser? You okay?"
"Oh, I'm just peachy, Raindrops!" said Cloudchaser, trying desperately to keep herself from exploding. "I just have to, change a few plans is all! No biggie!"
"Uh-huh," said Raindrops, still a bit skeptical. "Oh well, it probably isn't my business. But, if I were you, I'd probably get a massage, too. You look kinda tense."
It is your business, you vile temptress! Cloudchaser wanted to scream. You're stealing Thunderlane from me and acting like I won't notice! I thought you didn't even like stallions!
"Well, enjoy the rest of your makeover," said Raindrops as she hopped off of the table and gave Aloe a tip. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the Cloudosseum."
"Yep, you can sure count on that!" said Cloudchaser. "Buh-bye~!"
With that, Raindrops left. Cloudchaser took another deep breath.
"Throw in a mineral bath and a deep massage to my treatment," she told Lotus Blossom. "I'm not taking any chances."
***
"Well, that took longer than expected," said Flitter as she greeted Cloudchaser. "Enjoy your time at the spa?"
"No," Cloudchaser said bitterly.
Flitter groaned. "Oh dear sweet Celestia. What now?"
"Thunderlane is taking Raindrops to see the Wonderbolts show tomorrow."
"Really? And how'd you become privy to this information?" inquired Flitter.
"Straight from the horse's mouth, if you can believe it," said Cloudchaser. "Raindrops decided to go to the spa and rub it right in my face."
Flitter raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's what happened? Raindrops isn't the type to gloat."
"Yeah, well, we thought she preferred mares, too. Guess there's a lot about Rainy we don't know," said Cloudchaser.
"Hey, here's a novel idea," said Flitter. "Why don't you just, I don't know, ask her?"
Cloudchaser scoffed and shook her head. "Oh, Flitter, Flitter, Flitter. You truly are a love newbie," she said. "You don't just ask about a pony's love life. It's rude. Not to mention she wouldn't tell me the truth, anyway."
"Or if she did tell you the truth, you wouldn't believe her because you're completely out of your mind," mused Flitter. "Alright, we'll nix that idea."
Cloudchaser's expression became deadpan. "You're, mocking me, aren't you?"
"Me? Mock you? Never~!" said Flitter sarcastically.
Cloudchaser sighed. "Flit, I wish you'd take this seriously. The stallion of my dreams is being taken away from me here!"
"Cloudy, calm down," said Flitter. "You're probably worrying over nothing."
"Nothing? Nothing?!" Cloudchaser shrieked. "Losing Thunderlane is not nothing, Flitter!"
"Look, just because he bought Raindrops a ticket to a Wonderbolts show doesn't mean they're dating," said Flitter. "Maybe he just wanted to do something nice for her. He's allowed to do that, right?"
"Of course he is," said Cloudchaser. "I mean sheesh, Flit. I'm not an overly-possessive stalker girlfriend or anything."
"You sure are acting like one right now," said Flitter bluntly.
"Th-that's because of Raindrops. She's trying to steal Thunderlane from me, and it's driving me crazy," said Cloudchaser.
"Okay, fine. Whatever," said Flitter, rolling her eyes. "So, what now? I got the tickets like you asked, but it seems your entire plan is a bust."
"Not yet, Flit," said Cloudchaser. "'Cause we're using those tickets to go to the Wonderbolts show ourselves."
Flitter gave Cloudchaser a blank stare. "I thought you just said you weren't an overly-possessive stalker girlfriend."
"I am not stalking him," said Cloudchaser, flattening her ears and letting out a dejected sigh. "I just, want to see what he does with Raindrops."
"Translation: You're stalking him," said Flitter, giving her sister a bemused look. "Besides, what about Rumble? I don't think Thunderlane's gonna be happy if we leave him home alone."
"Oh, he's going to the Wonderbolts show, too."
"But, I only got two tickets."
"No, Thunderlane's taking him."
"Really? Well, that's news to me. Wow, this really does sound like a big misunderstanding."
"That's why you're still a love newbie," said Cloudchaser. "Don't worry, you'll understand everything once I win Thunderlane back."
"The only thing I understand as of this moment is that you should get your head examined," said Flitter, folding her forelegs. "And I only say that 'cause I'm worried about you. Cloudy, don't you think you're taking this just a little too far?"
Cloudchaser sighed and placed a foreleg around Flitter's shoulder. "Flitter, there's no such thing as going too far when it comes to love," she said. "If you learn nothing else from this experience, at least learn that."
With that, she patted Flitter on the back and walked off. Flitter sighed.
Cloudy, I know you have a brain, she thought. For Celestia's sake, use it before you do something you'll regret...
Derpy Hooves gave Raindrops a quizzical look as they made their way through Cloudsdale. "You, look like you, 'Drops."
"Yes, I know I look like me," Raindrops sighed. "But do I look, you know, decent? Like, how are my wings?"
Derpy tilted her head. "They look good to me. Did you preen them recently or something?"
"Yes. This morning. Several times," said Raindrops. "Oh! How does my mane look?"
"Nice and neat, like it always does."
"My coat?"
"I think your coat looks good, too."
"My hooves?"
Derpy sighed. "'Drops, you look fine."
"Are you sure?" said Raindrops nervously. "Because I'm wondering if I should've gotten a makeover yesterday."
"A makeover?" parroted Derpy. "'Drops, this is a Wonderbolts show, not the Grand Galloping Gala. Besides, didn't you say this wasn't a date?"
"I know," said Raindrops. "It's just that, I saw Cloudchaser at the spa yesterday getting a makeover, and she said it was for the Wonderbolts show."
Derpy blinked. "Who?"
"Cloudchaser. You know, Flitter's sister?"
"Flitter has two sisters?"
"No, just one."
"You're confuzzling me, 'Drops."
Raindrops sighed. "Never mind."
Derpy shrugged. "Well, maybe she's got a date. I dunno."
"Maybe," said Raindrops with a sigh. "I guess I'm just nervous."
"You're silly is what you are," said Derpy. "Just be yourself, and everything will be fine."
Raindrops took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, if you say so. Um, Derpy?"
"Mmm?"
"Are you, sure you can't come with me?"
Derpy shook her head. "Sorry, 'Drops. I promised Dinky I'd pick her up after school today. Besides, I don't wanna get in the way. Some things you just gotta do on your own, y'know?"
Raindrops gave Derpy a half-smirk. "I suppose so," she said. "But, you'll be with me in spirit, right?"
"Of course," said Derpy, giving Raindrops a hug and a pat on the back. "Now go get 'im."
Raindrops nodded. "I'm gonna try."
With that, she gave Derpy a salute and flew off. As Derpy waved goodbye, she noticed two other pegasi passing her.
"Hmm? Oh, hello Flitter! Hi, Stormwalker!" she called out.
Flitter stopped and turned around. "Stormwalker?"
"Yeah, your sister."
"My, sister's name is Cloudchaser."
Derpy blinked. "Right. What did I say?"
"Flitter, we don't have time for this," Cloudchaser grumbled. "We need to find good seats."
"Right, sorry," said Flitter, flying back to her sister. Derpy rubbed the side of her head.
"Huh. That was kinda weird. And rude," she mused. "Oh well. I guess I'd better head back to Ponyville. Dinky's expecting me, after all."
***
When Raindrops entered the Cloudosseum, it didn't take her long to find Thunderlane and Rumble. Then again, she figured it would be impossible not to spot Thunderlane in a crowd. His mane made him stick out like a sore hoof. She flew over to their cloud and waved, and Thunderlane waved back, beckoning her to join him. She did so, landing right next to him.
"Glad you could make it, Raindrops," said Thunderlane. "Did you have any trouble getting in?"
"Nope," said Raindrops. "I just gave my name at the box office, and I got my ticket no problem."
"Good," said Thunderlane. "Oh, I should probably introduce you to Rumble. Rumble, you know my wingpony Raindrops, right?"
"Yeah, I know," said Rumble. "It's nice to meet you in person, Ms. Raindrops. I heard you and my big bro make a great team."
Raindrops blushed a little. "Y-yeah, I guess we do."
"Cool. Can you show me sometime?"
"Huh? Oh, sure," said Raindrops. "I mean, if that's alright with you, Thunderlane."
Thunderlane chuckled. "Why wouldn't it be? My little bro deserves to see firsthoof how awesome we are."
Raindrops's heart fluttered. D-did he just say I'm awesome? she wondered, her face becoming redder. No, he was probably talking about us as a team. B-but what if he wasn't? What if he really thinks I'm awesome? That would mean he likes me, right? But, I'm not sure if it means he likes me the same way I like him. Should I ask? Oh, I don't think I can...
"Uh, Ms. Raindrops? Are you okay?" inquired Rumble, tilting his head.
Raindrops jumped. "Oh! Um, sorry. I-I'm just..."
"Fillies and gentlecolts! Your attention, please!"
Raindrops breathed a huge sigh of relief as the announcer floated into the middle of the stadium.
"Thank you all for coming this fine afternoon!" he proclaimed. "And now, without further ado, the ponies you've all been waiting for: The Wonderbolts!"
As soon as he said that, twelve pegasi zoomed in from underneath the Cloudosseum, creating the telltale thundercloud streaks of the Wonderbolts. Thunderlane lifted Rumble onto his back to get a better view as the Wonderbolts performed. Like with every Wonderbolts show, it was truly a spectacle to behold.
"Take a good look, Rumble," said Thunderlane with a warm smile. "One day, your big bro's gonna be up there."
"Wow," said an awestruck Rumble. "I can't wait for that to happen. It's gonna be so cool!"
Raindrops couldn't help but feel incredibly moved as she watched Thunderlane and Rumble bonding. She smiled, and turned her attention back to the Wonderbolts.
"Truth be told, I'm also eager for that day to come," she said whimsically. "Flying through the sky; monitoring the weather all over Equestria; protecting our home from those who wish to hurt us. It's going to be something, very special."
"I hear that," said Thunderlane. "Plus, it gives young colts and fillies a group of ponies to look up to."
"My big bro says that's the best part of being a Wonderbolt for him," Rumble added. "That's what makes him so cool."
Raindrops paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "I-I never knew that about you, Thunderlane," she said. "That's, really sweet."
Thunderlane blushed. "Y-yeah, well. That's the big brother in me talking," he said sheepishly. "I've always tried to be a good role model for Rumble here."
"Oh," said Raindrops. "I-I still think it's sweet, though."
"Thanks," said Thunderlane. "I'm, glad you think so."
"N-no problem," said Raindrops, turning her attention back to the performance. As she watched the Wonderbolts, she couldn't help but daydream as she envisioned herself and Thunderlane flying side-by-side in full uniform. The very thought caused a warm, tingly feeling to wash over her body. She was tempted to drape her wing over Thunderlane's body and snuggle up to him, but thought better of it.
No. This isn't a date, she reminded herself. Just play it cool, Raindrops.
"Um, Ms. Raindrops?"
"Hmm? What is it, Rumble?"
"You'll look after my big bro no matter what, right?"
Rumble's question took Raindrops by surprise. "Wh-what?"
"My big bro says that teammates look out for each other," said Rumble. "And I know he's already looking out for you. So, you look out for him, okay?"
Raindrops grew quiet for a time and twiddled her hooves. "O-of course I will," she said after a pause. "That's what a wingpony does."
Rumble smiled. "I like you, Ms. Raindrops. You're a nice pony."
"Th-thanks," said Raindrops.
Thunderlane chuckled. "Rumble, Raindrops is here to relax. You shouldn't remind her about stuff like that."
"Oh," said Rumble, flattening his ears. "Sorry."
"No, it's okay. Really," said Raindrops.
"Yeah, lighten up, kiddo. I'm just teasing," said Thunderlane. "I already know that I can count on Raindrops. You don't have to worry about us."
"But what if Ms. Spitfire yells at you again?"
"Uh, that's not something Raindrops can protect me from, Rumble. Besides, she yells at everypony."
"Really? Why? That doesn't sound very nice."
"It's, complicated. I'll tell you when you're older."
"You always say that, Big Bro~! Why can't you tell me now?!"
Raindrops giggled at the playful argument between the two brothers, and then sighed whimsically as she turned her attention back to the Wonderbolts.
I don't think he wants to keep our relationship on a strictly professional level, she thought. Maybe Derpy is right. Maybe I do have a shot at this after all...
"Oh, wow. That last maneuver looked pretty intense. Did you learn how to do anything like that at the Academy, Cloudy?"
Cloudchaser said nothing, but continued looking through a pair of binoculars at something that obviously wasn't the Wonderbolts. Flitter sighed.
"Cloudy, you've got to be the only pony here not watching this," she said. "C'mon, you're missing a great show!"
Cloudchaser gave her sister a sideways glance. "Did you forget why we're here, Flit?"
"Well, I'm here because I bought the darn tickets in the first place," said Flitter with a shrug. "And believe me, they were pretty expensive. I'd be stupid not to come here."
Cloudchaser heaved an exasperated sigh. "Stop joking around, Flit. This is serious."
"I, wasn't joking."
"Good, 'cause it wasn't funny," said Cloudchaser curtly, looking back through her binoculars.
"Oh, for pony's sake, would you put those away?" Flitter groaned. "You look ridiculous."
"I need to see what Thunderlane is doing with Raindrops," said Cloudchaser.
Flitter took a look across the stadium and raised an eyebrow. "I can see 'em just fine. They look like they're just sitting there and talking. And hey, you know what else they're doing? Watching the show."
"Shh~! Don't distract me!" Cloudchaser hissed. "I see them laughing."
"Well, maybe one of them told a funny joke," said Flitter. "And before you ask, I highly doubt it was about you."
"I didn't say anything," said Cloudchaser, giving Flitter a dirty look. "Rainy might be stealing Thunderlane from me, but he's still my friend. He wouldn't laugh at me like that."
"Yes, I know that," said Flitter. "Which is why you stalking him is all the more baffling."
"I already told you, Flit. I'm not stalking him," said Cloudchaser firmly.
"Right, and I guess those binoculars are just for bird watching," said Flitter, rolling her eyes.
Cloudchaser sighed. "You really don't get it, do you, Flit?"
"No, and I'm not sure I want to at this point," Flitter said frankly. "You keep saying that love is this wonderful thing, but seeing you act completely bonkers isn't really making a compelling case."
Cloudchaser shook her head. "Tsk tsk tsk. That's, really sad, Flit. I truly pity the stallion who tries to win your heart," she said, looking back through her binoculars.
"Cloudy, don't try to turn this around and make it about me. You're pathetic enough as it is," sighed Flitter.
"I wish you'd stop putting words into my mouth," said Cloudchaser, still looking through the binoculars. "I'm just trying to teach you about love."
"Well, either you're a lousy teacher, or love isn't what it's cracked up to be," said Flitter. "All I know is that when I find a special somepony, I'm not gonna allow myself to be jealous of every mare that makes eye contact with him."
Cloudchaser's eyes went wide, and then quickly narrowed as she turned back to Flitter. "What's that supposed to mean?" she growled.
Flitter took a deep breath. "Alright, this probably isn't what you want to hear, but somepony has to say it, and it might as well be me. Cloudy, I think you're just jealous of Raindrops."
Cloudchaser paused for a moment, and then chuckled. "Oh, Flitter. Your naïveté may be unhealthy, but that doesn't stop it from being adorable."
Flitter blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"
"Flitter, I'm not jealous of Raindrops," said Cloudchaser. "Nope, not one bit."
"Uh-huh," said Flitter, clearly not believing her.
"No, really. I may be mad at Raindrops for trying to take Thunderlane away from me and want nothing more than to punch her lights out, but I'm not jealous of her," said Cloudchaser with a laugh, turning her attention back to Thunderlane. "That's just silly."
"Sillier than you spying on her and Thunderlane with a pair of binoculars while claiming that you're not stalking them?" Flitter asked rhetorically.
"No comment," said Cloudchaser. "Now, would you please stop distracting me? When Raindrops makes her move, I want to see it so I can..."
"YEAH!"
Cloudchaser's train of thought was derailed by a telltale bellow from the cloud above. Her eye twitched.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" she groaned, looking up. "Snowflake!"
Bulk Biceps peered over the side of his cloud.
"Huh? Oh, hey Cloudchaser!" he said with a friendly wave. "You enjoying the show? I know I am."
"I'm well aware of that," Cloudchaser said dryly. "Now, you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to concentrate."
Bulk gave his lead pony a quizzical look. "On, what? The show? You thinking about trying to pull of those maneuvers or something? 'Cause I'm game for that."
"It's none of your beeswax," Cloudchaser spat, looking back at Thunderlane.
Flitter sighed, and turned to Bulk. "I'll explain later, Snowflake," she said. She then mouthed, "It's about Thunderlane." Bulk paused for a moment, and then gave a nod of comprehension and a wink before turning back to the performance.
All was silent for a time after that, with Cloudchaser still looking at Thunderlane and Raindrops through her binoculars and silently stewing. Then, all of a sudden, she perked up.
"Huh? What happened?" asked Flitter.
Cloudchaser turned to Flitter, a sultry smirk spread across her face. "Flitter, I just got an idea. This is sure to win Thunderlane back."
Flitter couldn't help but feel nervous. "This better not be going where I think it's going," she said.
"Oh, don't be like that. It's the perfect plan," said Cloudchaser slyly. "If Raindrops wants to play hardball, then we'll play hardball. Of course, I'll need to bring Snowflake up to speed."
"Okay, it is," said Flitter, smacking her forehead with her hoof. "I thought you were insane before, Cloudy, but this is beyond ludicrous."
"Why do you have to be such a pessimist?" asked Cloudchaser, folding her forelegs. "I didn't even say what the plan was."
"Stop me if I get something wrong," said Flitter. "You plan on making it look like you're going out with Snowflake so that Thunderlane will get jealous and try to win you back."
Cloudchaser blinked in surprise. "Wow. I wouldn't have expected a love newbie like you to catch on so quickly. Maybe there's hope for you yet."
Flitter smacked her forehead again. "Cloudy, just because you're jealous of Raindrops doesn't mean Thunderlane's gonna be jealous of Snowflake."
"I'm not jealous!" Cloudchaser yelled defensively. "I mean, look at her, Flit! What does she have that I don't?!"
"Well, her sanity and rationalism, for starters," said Flitter brusquely.
"Flitter, love isn't supposed to be rational!" Cloudchaser exclaimed.
"Ah, so you admit it," said Flitter with a smirk.
"Admit what?"
"That you're being irrational. And because of that, you're obsessing over Thunderlane a lot more than usual and acting all paranoid just because he's talking to another mare."
Cloudchaser heaved a great sigh. "Flitter, listen. This isn't just some filly crush we're talking about here. This is real love. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be acting like this. Thunderlane means so much to me, and I don't want to let him go. I can't let him go. You understand?"
Flitter paused for a moment, and then gave Cloudchaser a somber nod. "Yeah. I think I understand."
"Good," said Cloudchaser. "So while I sort things out with Snowflake, what I'll need you to do is organize a party at Sugarcube Corner."
"Okay, why?"
"It's part of my plan to win Thunderlane back, of course," said Cloudchaser.
"But, what do I tell Pinkie Pie?"
"I dunno, make something up. Tell her it's a Wonderbolt Cadet party or something."
"Isn't it a bit late for that?"
"Well, you know Pinkie. She doesn't need much of an excuse to throw a party."
Realizing that this wasn't getting anywhere, Flitter relented. "Alright. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks. I knew I could count on you," said Cloudchaser, nuzzling Flitter's cheek. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."
She then turned her attention back to Thunderlane. Flitter shook her head.
I take it back, Cloudy. You haven't gone insane, she thought. You're just in denial. I know you're jealous of Raindrops for being Thunderlane's wingpony. Why won't you just admit it and stop hurting yourself like this?
After the Wonderbolts show was over, Raindrops said a quick farewell to Thunderlane and Rumble before heading straight to Golden Harvest's house. She knocked on the door, and was greeted by Derpy Hooves.
"Oh, 'Drops! This is a pleasant surprise," said she.
"Hiya, Derpy," Raindrops chirped. "May I come in?"
"Sure, sure!" said Derpy, leading Raindrops inside. "You're always welcome here, 'Drops. Never forget that."
"Thanks," said Raindrops cheerfully. Derpy took notice and gave Raindrops a knowing smirk.
"Well well. Somepony's in a good mood," she said as they went into the living room. "I take it things went well at the Wonderbolts show?"
"Oh, it was fantastic," said Raindrops with a whimsical sigh. "I really think this is it, Derpy. Thunderlane is... He and I are... I found... Ugh, you know what I mean."
"Still having trouble saying it, huh?" said Derpy.
"Yeah," said Raindrops sheepishly. "B-but I made it through the entire show without embarrassing myself or fainting, so that's something!"
Derpy chuckled. "Yeah, you're getting there, 'Drops. Now let's move on to the next step."
Raindrops's smile vanished. "The next step?" she parroted.
"Yeah. Now you gotta ask Thunderlane out on a date."
"WHAT?!"
Raindrops jumped back, and her wings stood up on end.
"D-Derpy, that isn't a step; it's a giant leap!" she exclaimed. "I-I don't think I'm ready to do that!"
"Well, he asked you out on a date, didn't he?" asked Derpy.
"It wasn't a date~!" Raindrops cried in exasperation.
"Could you please keep it down? I'm trying to read."
"Mama, who's yelling?"
Raindrops blushed profusely as Derpy's daughters, Dinky Doo and Amethyst Star, wandered into the living room.
"S-sorry, girls," she apologized. "I-I just got overexcited about, something."
"Do I want to know?" asked Amethyst.
"I, don't think you do, Ammy," said Derpy, twiddling her hooves.
"Ooh, ooh! I know what it's about!" Dinky chirped. "But I promised Mama not to tell anypony."
Amethyst shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But, just a word of advice. If you want to keep a conversation private, the whole house shouldn't be able to hear it."
"Noted," said Raindrops meekly as Amethyst walked away.
"So, like I was saying," said Derpy. "Even if that wasn't a date, this is a good next step."
"Okay, why?"
"Well, what do you know about Thunderlane? And furthermore, what does he know about you?"
Raindrops placed a hoof to her muzzle and stuck a thinking attitude. "Well, I know he's a good flier," she said. "And he's a real gentlecolt. He loves his brother Rumble, and the reason he wants to become a Wonderbolt is so that he can be a good role model. That's, about it."
"Okay, that's not a bad start," said Derpy with a thoughtful nod. "But let's flip that around. What does he know about you?"
"That I'm a real klutz, but despite that, he can still count on me?" said Raindrops with a shrug. "That and I understood the responsibilities of being a Wonderbolt long before he did."
"Yeah, that's not as good," said Derpy. "And that's why you need to ask him out on a date. It gives him a chance to see you in a different light, and you'll end up learning more about him, too. Like I said, openness is key in any relationship."
"Yeah, but I'm not sure I'm ready to be that open yet," said Raindrops. "I mean, I know he at least likes me as a friend, but I don't know if he likes me as a special some... As a soul... Like I do. If I ask him out on a date, he might say that he doesn't see me that way. I don't know if I can handle that kind of rejection."
Derpy sighed. "Raindrops, that's silly talk. And you're only hurting yourself by thinking that."
"Mama's right," Dinky chimed in. "You shouldn't hide your feelings just because you're scared."
"I know, I know," said Raindrops. "But, what do I say to him? How do I tell him how I feel?"
"We can't answer that, 'Drops," said Derpy somberly. Her expression then brightened as an idea hit her. "But, we can help you answer that yourself."
"Huh? How?" asked a confused Raindrops.
"My previous script idea was a flop because it was full of stuff that you weren't comfortable saying," said Derpy. "Well, how about you write your own script?"
Raindrops raised an eyebrow. "Derpy, I'm already having trouble saying my feelings out loud. How the heck am I gonna get them down on paper?"
"Easy. We'll brainstorm with you," said Derpy. "Right, Dinky?"
"Right!" said Dinky with an enthusiastic nod. "I'm gonna go get a quill and some parchment!"
Before Raindrops could say anything, Dinky was off like a shot. Raindrops sighed.
"I don't think this'll work," she said.
"Well, yeah, if you're gonna be that way about it," said Derpy, folding her forelegs. "C'mon, 'Drops! Have a little faith in yourself!"
Raindrops couldn't help but smirk. "It's not that easy for me, Derpy. But for you, I'll try."
"Don't try for me, 'Drops," said Derpy sagely. "Try for yourself."
Raindrops blinked. "What?"
"Yeah, that made a lot more sense in my head," said Derpy sheepishly. "A lot of stuff does. You know how it is."
Raindrops chuckled. "All too well, Derpy."
***
"Hmm, let's see here... 'I really really really really really...' No, that's stupid."
Raindrops crumpled the piece of parchment she was writing on into a ball and tossed it into the growing pile behind her.
"Ms. Raindrops, I don't mean to complain, but you said that about everything you wrote so far," said Dinky.
"Sorry," said Raindrops. "I, just can't find the right words. I can't even write out lo-the word that rhymes with dove without causing my heart to flutter."
"Maybe you're going about this the wrong way," said Derpy. "If you're having trouble being direct, then list some stuff you like about him and work from there."
"Well, okay," said Raindrops, tapping her lips with her quill. "Hmm, well, I like his reasons for wanting to become a Wonderbolt."
"Yes, that's a good start," said Derpy. "Write that down."
Raindrops did so. "Um, I also like how chivalrous he is."
Derpy tilted her head. "I didn't know Thunderlane was a knight."
Raindrops sighed. "Derpy, you don't have to be a knight to be chivalrous. You just have to show courtesy to mares."
"Isn't that just being a gentlecolt?"
"It's the same thing."
"So a gentlecolt is the same thing as a knight?"
"No, Derpy."
"Ugh, I'm so confuzzled."
Raindrops rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof. "Of course you are."
"I'll explain it later, Mama," said Dinky. "I think that's a great trait to admire, Ms. Raindrops. Write that down."
"Okay," said Raindrops, scribbling the note onto the parchment. "Hmm, what else? Well, I really like his, mane."
"You do?" asked Derpy. "'Cause it always confused the heck outta me."
"Well, that's just the thing," said Raindrops with a giggle. "It's so, unique. It's the same reason I like Cloudchaser's mane."
"Yeah, I still don't know who that is."
"She's talking about Stormwalker, Mama," said Dinky.
"Oh~. Right, her. Yeah," said Derpy, although it still didn't sound like she understood. "Anyway, I'm not sure about that one, 'Drops. Saying you really like a pony's mane is the oldest pickup line in the book. At least that's what I heard."
"Even so, I think Thunderlane would appreciate it if I complimented his manestyle," said Raindrops, scribbling on the parchment. "Hmm, I can't really think of anything else off the top of my head."
"Well, that's why you gotta ask him out," said Derpy. "You'll learn more about him, and when you do, there's gonna be more stuff about him that you love."
Raindrops brushed the back of her head. "I, kinda see your point, but I don't want to call it a date. Not yet, anyway."
"Why not?" asked Derpy.
"Because it makes me uncomfortable," said Raindrops. "I wanna take this one step at a time."
Derpy shrugged. "Well, I think that's silly, but you do what you want, 'Drops."
"Okay," said Raindrops. "So, where should we go?"
"Why not ask him to join you for breakfast at Sugarcube Corner?" suggested Derpy. "I'm taking Dinky and Ammy there as a treat tomorrow, so I'll be there to give you moral support."
Raindrops pondered this for a moment, and then nodded. "Sounds like a plan," she said. She then looked out the window, and her expression drooped. "Oh, but the sun's starting to set. I don't think I should interrupt his dinner or anything."
Derpy smirked. "No worries, 'Drops. I know the perfect solution."
"What's that?"
"Just write him a letter."
"But, it won't reach him until tomorrow morning."
Derpy's smile broadened. "I'll make one extra delivery today, just for you."
Raindrops gave Derpy an apologetic smirk. "Oh, I couldn't ask that of you, Derpy. I mean, what about Dinky and Amethyst?"
"It's fine," said Dinky. "Mama has a big heart like that, and that's what I love about her. Besides, it's not that late. She'll be home for supper. Right, Mama?"
"Of course I will, Muffin," said Derpy, nuzzling her child's ear with her muzzle.
"Well, okay. But only because you insist," said Raindrops, taking another piece of parchment. She then gave Derpy a warm smile. "Thanks, Derpy. You're a real pal."
"Not just a pal," said Derpy with a wink. "I'm your best pal."
"And I wouldn't have it any other way," said Raindrops with a light chuckle. She began to write her letter when a thought struck her. "Oh, how will I know if he accepted?"
"Don't worry. You'll know," Derpy assured her.
Raindrops shrugged and went back to writing her letter. I guess I can't argue with that, she thought. After all, Derpy knows what she's doing. I hope...
As soon as the Wonderbolts show was over, Cloudchaser searched for Bulk Biceps while Flitter flew off ahead of her. Of course, her muscle-bound wingpony was not hard to find.
"Hey, Snowflake!" she called out, flying up to him.
"Huh? Oh, hey Cloudchaser," said Bulk. "That was a great show, huh? I especially like how Soarin' did that..."
"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever," interrupted Cloudchaser. "Listen, can we talk?"
"Talk?" parroted Bulk. "'Bout what?"
"It's complicated," said Cloudchaser. "Come fly with me a bit. I'll explain on the way back to Ponyville."
"Um, okay," said Bulk, still a bit confused. "What's up?"
"Well, you're my wingpony, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Meaning you've always got my back no matter what, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, I need your help with something important."
"Okay, what is it?"
Cloudchaser took a deep breath. "Well, here's the thing..."
***
"So, let me get this straight," said Bulk after Cloudchaser finished her story. "You think that Raindrops is stealing Thunderlane from you, and you want to pretend to go out with me in order to get him back."
"That's the basic gist of it, yeah," said Cloudchaser.
Bulk raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"
Cloudchaser blinked. "What? No, I'm serious."
Bulk sighed. "Cloudchaser, when you said 'important,' I thought you meant something to do with the Academy, not a crazy love scheme."
"My heart is important, Snowflake!" Cloudchaser protested. "Raindrops is gonna crush it into little tiny pieces by taking the stallion of my dreams away from me!"
Bulk stared blankly at his lead pony. "Did I miss something? When did you start competing with Rarity for the title of the Drama Queen of Ponyville?"
"I'm not a drama queen~!" Cloudchaser whined.
"I know that. Which is why I find this weird," said Bulk. "Besides, Raindrops likes mares, doesn't she?"
"I used to think that, too. But then she managed to snag a date with Thunderlane," Cloudchaser grumbled.
"Sounds to me like you're jumping to conclusions," said Bulk. "Did you talk to Thunderlane about this?"
Cloudchaser gasped. "What? Wh-why would you even suggest that?!"
"Because it's, smart?" said Bulk with a shrug.
"No, it's not!" said Cloudchaser. "If I confront Thunderlane, I'll look like the bad guy! I'm not mad at him!"
Bulk tilted his head. "I'm sorry, what?"
Cloudchaser rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof. "Wow, you're more of a love newbie than Flitter," she groaned. "Look, I don't want Thunderlane to think that I think this is his fault. It's not. It's Raindrops's fault for trying to steal him from me. She's the bad guy here."
"She is?" asked Bulk.
"Yes!" Cloudchaser cried. "Sweet Celestia, Snowflake! I thought that would be obvious!"
"Well, why not talk to her?" suggested Bulk. "I know Raindrops, Cloudchaser. She doesn't like to hurt other ponies. If you tell her how you feel, I'm sure she'll back off."
Cloudchaser deadpanned. "Snowflake, that's a terrible idea."
Bulk blinked. "It is?"
"Um, hello~? Over half of Ponyville knows that Thunderlane's my special somepony!" said Cloudchaser. "That means Raindrops knows that, too! If what you said is true, she wouldn't have started courting Thunderlane in the first place!"
Bulk gave Cloudchaser another blank stare. "I'm sorry, Cloudchaser. A lot of this is flying over my head."
"Gee, there's a shocker," Cloudchaser groaned in frustration. "I don't even know why I'm discussing this with you."
"Isn't it because you wanted me to pretend to go out with you so that you could win Thunderlane back?" inquired Bulk.
Cloudchaser's expression brightened. "Thank you for reminding me," she said. "Snowflake, don't ever let anypony call you dumb."
Bulk snorted indignantly. "Does that include you?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
Cloudchaser had no response to that. "D-don't change the subject," she said, clearing her throat. "Listen, you don't have to fully understand what's going on. Just, do this little favor for me, okay?"
"Uh-uh," said Bulk, shaking his head.
Cloudchaser's pupils dilated. "WHAT?! What do you mean no?! I thought you were my wingpony!"
"That doesn't mean I gotta do everything you say," Bulk growled.
"B-b-b-but..."
"But nothing," said Bulk curtly. "I may not be the brightest pony in the world, but I know better than to get mixed up in some lover's quarrel."
"It's not a lover's quarrel~!" Cloudchaser bawled.
"Okay, love triangle then. Whatever," said Bulk. "The point is I don't want any part of it. I'm sorry."
Cloudchaser pouted and folded her forelegs. "Fine! Be that way!" she huffed. "See if I do anything for you next time you need help!"
"Cloudchaser, you're overreacting."
"And you're starting to sound like Flitter."
Bulk sighed. "Cloudchaser, if you want my advice, and I know you didn't ask for it, take some time to clear your head. Then go talk this out with Thunderlane and Raindrops. They deserve to know how you feel."
Before Cloudchaser could respond, a group of pegasi flew up to them.
"Hey, Bulk! We've been looking for you, dude!" said Star Hunter. "Listen, you know Crescent Moon, right?"
"Yeah, what about him?"
"We just found out from Rainbow Dash that he works for the Wonderbolts!" squealed Silverspeed. "We're going to see him right now to ask him about it. You wanna come with?"
"YEAH!" Bulk bellowed, and immediately took off. Cloudchaser sulked.
"Pfft. What does he know?" she muttered bitterly.
***
Cloudchaser's mood did not improve when she got back to Ponyville. She heaved a great sigh as she touched down in front of Thunderlane's house. She was about to knock on the door when Derpy Hooves came barreling in out of nowhere and crashed into her.
"Owie~!" Derpy moaned as she got to her feet. "Sorry about that, Stormwalker. I didn't see you there."
Cloudchaser snorted as she picked herself up. "My name is Cloudchaser," she growled.
Derpy blinked. "You sure?"
"Derpy, I think I would know my own name," Cloudchaser grumbled.
"Alright, alright!" said Derpy. "Sheesh, you don't need to get all huffy about it." She then knocked on Thunderlane's door. Thunderlane answered.
"Oh, hiya, Derpy. Hey, CC. What's up?" he asked.
"Special delivery!" said Derpy, handing Thunderlane a letter.
"Oh, thanks," said Thunderlane. "Huh. It's from Raindrops."
Cloudchaser's eye twitched. "What?"
"She's probably writing me a thank you note for taking her to the Wonderbolts show today," said Thunderlane, opening the letter. "Hmm... 'Dear Thunderlane:' yadda yadda yadda... Oh, hey! Raindrops is inviting me to have breakfast with her at Sugarcube Corner! That's nice of her."
Cloudchaser's jaw dropped. "What?"
"Heh, this'll be a great treat for Rumble," said Thunderlane. "What do you think, CC?"
"U-um, well, maybe you should check your calendar," said Cloudchaser. "I mean, you might have something important!"
Thunderlane placed a hoof to his chin. "No, the Wonderbolts show today was pretty much my only major plan for this week. Otherwise, I'm pretty much open."
Cloudchaser's shoulders became tense. "What?"
Thunderlane hemmed and hawed for a moment before giving a playful shrug. "Ah, what the heck? I never turn down free food. Of course, you already know that, right CC?"
"Um, yeah. Listen, maybe..."
"Alright, I guess I know where Rumble and I are gonna be tomorrow," said Thunderlane. "Thanks, Derpy."
"Just doing my duty," said Derpy with a salute. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back home for dinner. Seeya, Thunderlane! Seeya, Stormwalker!"
"It's Cloudchaser~!" Cloudchaser screamed as Derpy flew away.
"Um, CC? Are you okay?" asked Thunderlane.
"F-fine! Just, fine," said Cloudchaser.
Thunderlane shrugged. "Okay, but you don't sound fine to me. You'll let me know if something's bothering you, right?"
"O-of course."
"Good," said Thunderlane, giving Cloudchaser a pat on the shoulder. "Seeya later, CC."
With that, he went back inside. As soon as the door was shut, Cloudchaser flew up to the nearest cloud and punched it with all her might.
"You think you've won, don't you, Raindrops?" she muttered to herself. "Well, don't get too cocky. Because Snowflake or no Snowflake, you're going down..."
Derpy Hooves sighed. "I know what I heard, 'Drops. Have a little faith in me, okay?"
"N-no, it's not that," said Raindrops defensively as they arrived at Sugarcube Corner. "I trust you, Derpy. You know I do. I'm just..."
"Nervous?" asked Dinky.
"Yes, that," said Raindrops. "I-I just can't believe Thunderlane accepted my invitation just like that."
"I can," said Derpy. "And no, it's not because I was there. I knew he'd accept before I delivered that letter. Besides, this is a good thing, right? It means he likes you."
Raindrops twiddled her hooves. "I-I guess you're right."
"So see? There's nothing for you to worry about," said Derpy with a wide grin.
"Yep, nothing at all," Dinky chimed in. "You can do it, Ms. Raindrops."
"Um, yeah. I don't mean to interrupt whatever you're doing, but you think you could hurry it up, Mom?" asked Amethyst Star. "I wanna get a table before they run out of danishes."
"Oh, right. Just a sec," said Derpy before turning back to Raindrops. "Alright, 'Drops. It's all up to you now. Just remember what you wrote last night, and everything else will fall into place. Good luck."
With a wink, Derpy then led her daughters inside. Raindrops was about to follow suit when she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, Raindrops!"
Raindrops's ear twitched as she turned around. Sure enough, there was Thunderlane, flying in with Rumble on his back.
Okay, so he brought Rumble. I guess that means this isn't a date, Raindrops thought. Talk about your mixed blessings.
"Sorry we're late," said Thunderlane. "It took Rumble a while to wake me up."
"He usually sleeps late a lot," said Rumble irritably. "It's annoying."
"Oh," said Raindrops, casting her eyes downward. "Sorry. I, didn't know."
"Nah, it's cool," said Thunderlane. "I never turn down free food, anyway. Just ask Flitter and Cloudchaser."
So, he wants me to treat him, Raindrops thought. Maybe it is a date? But, why would he bring Rumble on a date? Oh, I'm so confused~.
"So, shall we?" said Thunderlane, opening the door. "Ladies first."
Raindrops blushed. "Oh, th-thank you," she said. She then took a deep breath as she walked in. Okay, date or not, just keep it cool. It'll be just like the Wonderbolts show. Act naturally, and you'll be alright.
***
Raindrops wasted no time looking for Derpy as soon as she entered Sugarcube Corner. Luckily, she managed to spot her friend sitting across from an unoccupied table. Derpy looked up and winked at Raindrops. Raindrops swallowed, and then nodded.
"Um, how about we sit over here?" she asked, pointing to the unoccupied table across from Derpy.
"Uh, sure. Why not?" said Thunderlane. "Is that okay with you, Rumble?"
"I don't mind," said Rumble.
Okay, so far so good, Raindrops thought as they all sat down.
"Good morning, dearies!" said Mrs. Cake cheerfully. "What can I get for you?"
"I'll have a baguette and some coffee," said Raindrops. "Cream and two sugars."
Thunderlane raised an eyebrow. "A baguette?"
"Um, yes," said Raindrops. "It's my favorite food."
"Oh, really?" said Thunderlane, tilting his head. "Huh. I, didn't even know that was something you could get here."
"Oh?" Raindrops asked. "Well, you don't know what you're missing. Sugarcube Corner may be known for its sweets, and those are very tasty. But in my humble opinion, nothing beats a nice, hot baguette in the morning."
"Oh wow," said Thunderlane, turning over to Mrs. Cake. "Make that two baguettes. And some lemon tea for me."
"Big Bro, can I have a cinnamon bun?" asked Rumble.
"Sure, little guy," said Thunderlane with a smirk. "But in exchange, we're gonna do some laps right after breakfast. Deal?"
"Deal!" said Rumble.
"Coming right up!" said Mrs. Cake as she trotted off into the kitchen.
"You, really care about your little brother, huh?" said Raindrops.
"Well, of course I do," said Thunderlane, mussing up Rumble's mane. "Since I have what it takes to become a Wonderbolt, I wanna make sure he does, too. And the best part is he never complains."
"Can we do fewer laps this time, Big Bro?" asked Rumble. "I promised that I'd meet Button Mash after breakfast to check out his new game system."
"Now, Rumble. We already had a deal," said Thunderlane sternly.
"Aw, c'mon~. Just this once?" Rumble begged.
Thunderlane sighed and turned back to Raindrops. "Well, he almost never complains."
Raindrops giggled. "Well, it's nice to see that you're such a good brother, anyway," she said.
"Well, I try," said Thunderlane sheepishly. "Which is why Flitter and Cloudchaser are such lifesavers. Without them, I could never balance my work with looking after Rumble."
"Oh, really?" said Raindrops. "I, never knew that."
"Yeah, well. It's just one of those things," said Thunderlane with a shrug. "You just have to prioritize stuff, y'know?"
"Yeah, I know," said Raindrops. "I always give a hundred and ten percent at the Weather Factory, after all."
"I see," said Thunderlane. "I guess it's no wonder the Wonderbolts accepted you."
Raindrops chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose," she said. "Actually, when I first applied, I was afraid that I wouldn't get in. I never really considered myself a great flier, but I still had a good track record with the weather. Weather has always been a passion of mine, you see."
"Yeah, I figured," said Thunderlane. "So, that's what you're looking forward to, huh? About being a Wonderbolt, I mean."
"You could say that," said Raindrops.
Thunderlane smiled. "Good for you."
Raindrops blinked. "What?"
"I think that's a great reason to become a Wonderbolt," said Thunderlane. "And also, I think you were selling yourself short. You're a great flier, Raindrops, and you shouldn't let anypony tell you otherwise. I honestly couldn't ask for a better wingpony."
Raindrops began to feel butterflies in her stomach. He likes me. He really likes me, she thought. Oh, be still, my heart.
"Th-thank you. That's really sweet," she said meekly. "Yeah, it seems I have a lot of hidden potential. Meaning I have to work extra hard to live up to it."
"But not too hard," said Thunderlane with a wink.
Raindrops gave an awkward laugh. "R-right," she said, trying to compose herself.
"Ms. Raindrops?" Rumble asked.
Raindrops perked up. "Yes?"
"You really like my big bro, don't you?"
Raindrops's cheeks became warmer and warmer by the second. "E-excuse me?"
"You're doing these nice things for him, and you always have something nice to say about him," said Rumble.
Raindrops's face turned beet red. "Well, that's, um, I, what I mean is..."
"Well, I want you to know that he likes you, too," said Rumble. "After all, that's why he's been looking out for you."
Raindrops's throat became dry, and she swallowed. "Wh-what? Th-Thunderlane, is this true?"
"Well, of course it is," said Thunderlane with a chuckle before turning to Rumble. "Although I wish you'd let me speak for myself, little guy."
"Sorry, Big Bro," said Rumble sheepishly.
At that moment, Raindrops's heart decided to launch into a drum solo.
D-does this mean what I think it means? she wondered. Does he really see me the same way I see him? Or, does he just consider me to be a really good friend and nothing more? Oh horse apples, I can't tell! Wh-what do I do?! What do I say?!
"Um, Raindrops? Are you okay?" asked Thunderlane, giving Raindrops a concerned look. "You look a bit, flushed. Is it too hot for you?"
Darn it, Raindrops! Stop panicking! Raindrops scolded herself mentally. Don't mess this up! You can't mess this up! Say something!
She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was, "Humina humina humina humina..."
"Huh?" said Thunderlane, tilting his head in confusion.
Oh no, oh no, oh no! I am so dead! Raindrops thought. I was so close, too! Oh, I just hope he lets me down gently...
"Order up!"
Her thoughts were interrupted by Pinkie Pie walking in, carrying a tray on her back and setting it in front of them. Raindrops breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Th-thanks, Pinkie. I was getting a bit, anxious," she said.
"No problem," said Pinkie. "We're just pretty busy today. Oh, speaking of which, there's something I wanna tell you two!"
"Hmm? What is it, Pinkie?" asked Thunderlane.
Pinkie lifted Raindrops's baguette, which was hiding three invitations.
"You all are invited to a special Late Wonderbolt Cadets Homecoming Party this afternoon!" she said with her usual enthusiasm. "Flitter gave me the idea yesterday, so I ran it by Rainbow Dash, and she said it would be awesome! There's gonna be dancing and games, and I even decided to make something extra special that I know everypony's gonna love!"
"Oh, wow! That sounds neat, Pinkie!" said Thunderlane. "Count us in!"
Raindrops gave Thunderlane a quizzical look. "Us?"
"Yeah. You, me, and Rumble."
Raindrops began to have palpitations all over again. "Um, uh, y-yeah. Sure."
"Alright!" cheered Pinkie. "Just remember, it's this afternoon at four. Don't be late!"
"You got it," said Thunderlane.
"R-right," said Raindrops, picking up her bread and beginning to nibble on it. As Pinkie Pie bounded off, Thunderlane took a bite out of his baguette.
"Hmm. Not bad," he said. "I can see why you like these so much, Raindrops."
Raindrops's only response was a timid nod as she continued to munch on the heel of her bread. Don't say anything else, Raindrops. Don't make this any worse, she thought.
***
After breakfast, Raindrops paid the bill and walked outside with Thunderlane and Rumble.
"Well, that was fun," said Thunderlane. "Thanks for treating us, Raindrops."
"N-no problem," said Raindrops. "Th-thank you for accepting my invitation."
"No prob," said Thunderlane. "I guess Rumble and I will see you at the party later."
"Y-yeah," said Raindrops. "Seeya."
Thunderlane then gave Raindrops a salute, and he and Rumble took off. Raindrops let out a great sigh as Derpy walked up from behind her.
"So, how'd it go?" Derpy asked.
Raindrops paused for a moment. "Um, actually I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, I felt like I screwed that up, but Thunderlane didn't seem to mind."
"That's a good omen if I ever heard one!" said Derpy cheerfully. "Meaning this Wonderbolt Cadet party is gonna be your big chance to finally win him over!"
Raindrops' wings flared up. "W-wait, how do you know about that?"
"Simple. Pinkie invited me," said Derpy. "And I'll be right there to support you, like I always am!"
Raindrops twiddled her hooves. "I, dunno if it'll be that simple, Derpy."
"Maybe not, but that's no reason to give up, Ms. Raindrops," said Dinky, making her way into the conversation. "Mama tells me and Amethyst that all the time."
"Yeah, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm with Dink on this one," said Amethyst. "That being said, I'm not touching my mom's kooky schemes with a ten-foot pole."
"Hey~! My schemes aren't that kooky!" said Derpy with a pout.
"Just kidding, Mom," said Amethyst with a chuckle. "I know you better than that."
Raindrops couldn't help but chuckle as well. "You guys are right. I gotta keep trying, no matter what."
"That's the spirit, 'Drops!" said Derpy, putting a foreleg around Raindrops's shoulder. "Everything will work out in the end. You'll see."
Raindrops let out a whimsical sigh. "I hope you're right, Derpy. I really do..."
"Okay, Flitter. This is it. I'm gonna win Thunderlane back no matter what it takes."
Flitter sighed as she helped Pinkie Pie put up decorations for the Wonderbolt Cadet party. "Cloudy, you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Just admit that you're jealous of Raindrops for no good reason and move on."
Cloudchaser let out a frustrated groan. "For the last time, I am not jealous of Raindrops!"
"Okay, then why are you obsessing over her and Thunderlane?" asked Flitter.
"Because Thunderlane's my special somepony, and I don't want Raindrops to take him away from me," said Cloudchaser. "What about that is so hard to understand?"
"The part where that's somehow not jealousy," said Flitter.
Cloudchaser rolled her eyes and shook her head. "See, this is why you're still a love newbie, Flit. To you it may look like I'm jealous of Raindrops, but I already know that she has no chance against me. Therefore, I don't need to be jealous of her."
Flitter gave her sister a blank stare. "Tell me, Cloudy. Are you oblivious to the fact that you're acting like a total hypocrite, or do you just not care?"
Cloudchaser deadpanned. "Okay. One, I am not acting like a hypocrite. You just think I am. Two, even if I was, so what? Love makes us all do crazy things."
"I'm well aware of that," said Flitter, casting her gaze upward. "Look, just promise me you won't make a scene."
Cloudchaser sighed. "C'mon, Flit. Have a little faith in me, will ya? I'm a grown mare. The last thing I want to do is throw a temper tantrum. I'll handle this is a mature, adult fashion."
Flitter gave Cloudchaser a half-smirk. "Glad to see you still have some rationality left. Okay, I'll trust you."
"Right," said Cloudchaser. "So if anything bad happens tonight, you'll know that it's Raindrops's fault."
Flitter smacked her forehead. "Oh, brother."
"Hey, guys! Hurry it up!" Pinkie Pie called out. "It's four on the dot, and the guests are starting to arrive!"
Cloudchaser smirked. "Here we go, Flit. Wish me luck."
"Yeah, sure," said Flitter, too tired to argue. She then took a look around and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Pinkie! You said you were making something special for the party, right?"
"Yep!"
"Well, where is it?"
"Ooh, you're right! Hang on!"
A blur of pink flew by Flitter and into the kitchen. After a few seconds later, Pinkie reemerged, dragging what appeared to be an inflatable wading pool filled with chocolate pudding. Flitter and Cloudchaser's jaws dropped.
"Pinkie, what is that?" Cloudchaser asked.
"It's an inflatable wading pool filled with chocolate pudding, silly. What does it look like?" said Pinkie. "I know it's not exactly the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, but this pudding is still very special."
"How so?"
"Well, remember when I came to the Wonderbolt Academy to deliver a care package to Rainbow Dash?"
"Um, yeah?"
"Well, part of that package was some fresh-made pudding! But, Rainbow Dash didn't eat it all, so I'm serving it again for everypony. Waste not, want not!"
Cloudchaser blinked. "So, all of that came from the care package?"
Pinkie giggled. "No, silly! I wouldn't be able to fill up this wading pool with such a small amount of pudding! I just made some more!"
"Oh," said Cloudchaser. "Well, I'm sure it'll be fine, right Flit?"
"Um, sure," said Flitter, unsure of what else to say.
"Alright!" said Pinkie cheerfully. "Now, let's get this party started! I'll go open the door."
With that, she zipped over to the front door and opened it wide. The first guests to arrive were none other than Rainbow Dash, Thuderlane, and Rumble.
"Hiya!" chirped Pinkie. "You all ready to party?!"
"You know it," said Rainbow Dash with a laugh. "Lead the way."
Happy to oblige, Pinkie ushered the first guests inside. As soon as Thunderlane was in the main party room, Cloudchaser wasted no time approaching him.
"Hey, TL," she said sweetly.
"Oh. Hey, CC," said Thunderlane. "Wow, and I thought I was early."
"Oh, I was just helping Flitter and Pinkie set things up," said Cloudchaser with a shrug.
"Ah. Cool," said Thunderlane. "Well, I sure am excited. Rumble and I have been looking forward to this all day."
"So have I," said Cloudchaser coyly, fluttering her eyelashes.
"Yeah!" said Rumble joyfully. "I mean, Pinkie Pie always throws the best parties, doesn't she?"
"You got that right, little guy," said Thunderlane with a laugh. "C'mon, let's go see the spread."
"Oh, I can show it to you!" said Cloudchaser hastily. "After all, I helped set everything up."
Thunderlane paused for a moment, and then smiled. "That's very nice of you, CC. We'll follow you."
"Great!" said Cloudchaser. She then gave Flitter a wink as she led Thunderlane and Rumble over to the buffet. Flitter rolled her eyes.
I hope Cloudy knows what she's doing, she thought. Or at least, I hope she has enough sense not to royally humiliate herself...
***
"Well, this is it, 'Drops! This is your big chance to win Thunderlane's heart!" said Derpy Hooves. "How do you feel?"
"Apprehensive," said Raindrops. "B-but I'm not gonna give up."
"Good," said Derpy as they landed in front of Sugarcube Corner. "Now, just keep doing what you've been doing. I'll be right there to help you if you get stuck."
"R-right," said Raindrops with a shy grin. "Thanks."
Derpy grinned back at Raindrops before knocking on the door. Pinkie answered it immediately.
"Oh! Hi, Derpy! Hi, Raindrops!" she said. "Come in, come in! There's still a lot of party left to go around!"
"Thank," said Raindrops as she and Derpy entered Sugarcube Corner. Inside, the party was in full swing. A lot of ponies (mainly pegasi) were dancing, playing games, enjoying the food, or simply shooting the breeze. Raindrops couldn't help but notice the pool of chocolate pudding in the center of the room.
"Um, Pinkie?" she asked. "Is that a pool of chocolate pudding?"
"Sure is!" said Pinkie. "See, in the care package I delivered to Rainbow Dash, there was some pudding, but she didn't finish it all, so now I'm giving everypony a chance to finish it!"
"Makes sense to me!" said Derpy with a dopey smile.
"No comment," said Raindrops. "Say, have you seen Thunderlane anywhere?"
"Oh, he's right over there with Cloudchaser," said Pinkie, pointing over to the mohawk-maned stallion.
"Right, thank you," said Raindrops. She started over towards Thunderlane, but stopped midway. Derpy tilted her head.
"What's wrong, 'Drops?" she asked.
"Well, he's in the middle of talking to somepony," said Raindrops. "I don't wanna just barge into his conversation. It's rude."
Derpy sighed. "'Drops, if you're just gonna let every little thing stop you like this, you're never gonna be able to tell him how you feel. Now get over there."
Before Raindrops could protest, Derpy pushed her over to Thunderlane and Cloudchaser. Thunderlane looked up and smiled.
"Hey there, Raindrops!" he said. "I was wondering where you were."
Cloudchaser shot Raindrops a cold glare, causing Raindrops to giggle nervously.
"Um, sorry if I'm interrupting anything," Raindrops said sheepishly. "I didn't mean..."
"Nonsense," said Thunderlane, cutting across her. "CC and I were just chatting."
"Yep. That's, what we were doing. Chatting. About stuff. Private stuff," said Cloudchaser, still giving Raindrops the evil eye.
"Private stuff? We were just talking about yesterday's Wonderbolts show," said Thunderlane, tilting his head in confusion. "That's not private. Heck, Raindrops was there."
"Yeah," Rumble pipped up. "My big bro invited her because she was getting all nervous about becoming a Wonderbolt. Then she invited us to join her for breakfast today to thank us."
"Um, yeah! Yes, I did do that," said Raindrops, brushing the back of her mane.
Cloudchaser's eyes narrowed. You can't fool me, Raindrops. I'm wise to your little scheme, and I'm gonna put a stop to it if it's the last thing I do, she thought. She then cleared her throat.
"Well, that's nice," she said.
"Yeah. Nice," said Raindrops, twiddling her hooves. "Um, Thunderlane? Can I have a word with you? It's, personal."
Cloudchaser's eyes widened. Oh no you don't, you minx!
"Hey, hey! What's the rush?" she said, pressing her hoof against Raindrops's shoulder. "This is a party, Rainy! You should mingle a bit."
Raindrops swallowed, feeling rather uncomfortable. "Um, yeah. I was, planning on doing that. But, I wanted to tell Thunderlane something."
"I'm sure you did," said Cloudchaser in a syrupy sweet voice. "But, can it wait? I was here first."
"Th-this is, kinda important, though," said Raindrops meekly.
"Well, if it's so important, then I'm sure you can say it to me and Rumble, too," said Cloudchaser.
Raindrops began taking shallow breaths. "Um, well, I mean..."
"Are you okay, Ms. Raindrops?" asked Rumble.
"Me? Oh, I'm fine! Don't worry about me," said Raindrops with an awkward chuckle. "It's just that, um, uh..."
Just then, a catchy song played on the phonograph, and Thunderlane perked up.
"Oh! Hey, I love this song!" he said.
Raindrops suddenly got an idea and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Um, yeah! I do, too!" she said. "Hey, you wanna dance?"
"Sure!" said Thunderlane. "Excuse me a moment."
With that, he and Raindrops walked on out to the dance floor. Cloudchaser's cheeks became bright red as she pouted her lips and forced down a scream.
"Alright, no more messing around," she growled. She immediately looked around for Bulk Biceps. When she found him, she zipped over to him and almost knocked him off-balance.
"Yeow!" he exclaimed. "Wh-what is it, Cloudchaser?"
"You. Me. Dance floor. Now," she said sternly.
Bulk deadpanned. "We've already been over this, Cloudchaser. I'm not getting involved."
Cloudchaser snarled angrily, and then let out a sigh. "Okay, Plan B," she muttered. She then walked over to Raindrops and tapped her shoulder. Raindrops jumped in surprise.
"Wh-what?" she squeaked.
"Mind if I cut in?" Cloudchaser asked.
Incredibly confused, Raindrops simply shrugged. "Um, not at all," she said, allowing Cloudchaser to take her spot. She then watched nervously as Cloudchaser danced with Thunderlane. Derpy noticed this and walked over to her.
"What happened? Why'd you stop dancing?" she asked.
"I-I dunno," said Raindrops. "Cloudchaser just, said she wanted to dance with him, so I..."
Derpy looked over at Cloudchaser, and then back at Raindrops. "First of all, that's Stormwalker, you silly-filly. Second, this is a perfect opportunity to finally tell him how you feel, and you shouldn't let it slip by. Now get back in there."
With that, Derpy shoved Raindrops back onto the dance floor. Inadvertently, Raindrops knocked Cloudchaser out of the way.
"Sorry!" Raindrops called out. "I-I thought you were done!"
Cloudchaser looked up and growled. Flitter noticed this and quickly flew to her sister's side.
"Cloudy, remember. You promised not to make a scene," she said.
"It's her fault!" Cloudchaser hissed. "She pushed me!"
"It was probably a mistake," said Flitter.
Cloudchaser simply snorted in response and went back over to Raindrops. She tapped her on the shoulder again.
"Uh, y-yes?" Raindrops stammered.
"I, wasn't done," said Cloudchaser.
"Oh, sorry," said Raindrops, once again letting Cloudchaser take her place. But once she moved back into the crowed, Derpy gave her a look of disapproval.
"She said she wasn't done!" said Raindrops with a shrug.
"'Drops, you can't keep doing this," said Derpy with a sigh. "I know you're nervous, but you have to let him know how you feel. So do that."
Once again, Derpy shoved Raindrops back onto the dance floor. And once again, Raindrops accidentally knocked Cloudchaser away. Cloudchaser snorted angrily.
"Alright, that's it," she said. She then marched over to Raindrops and cut in front of her. Thunderlane raised an eyebrow.
"CC, you're being kinda rude to Raindrops," he said. "Why not just let us dance?"
"Is it wrong for me to want to dance with you, TL?" said Cloudchaser innocently.
"Well, no. But..."
"Then let's dance."
Raindrops sighed, feeling both confused and irritated.
"I know the feeling," said Derpy. "You should go tell her to back off for a little bit. At least until you tell Thunderlane how you feel."
"I dunno, Derpy," said Raindrops. "She might not listen to me."
"Well, you gotta be more assertive, 'Drops," said Derpy. "Now get going."
"Alright, I'll— Yipe!"
Before Raindrops could finish her thought, Derpy pushed her once again. This time, she knocked Cloudchaser into the pool of chocolate pudding. The music stopped as everypony looked to see what was going on. Raindrops gasped and rushed over to Cloudchaser.
"Omigosh, are you alright?" she asked, holding out her hoof. "I am so sorry, Cloudchaser. I didn't mean to..."
Cloudchaser looked up at Raindrops, an angry inferno blazing in her eyes.
"Sorry? Sorry?!" she yelled. "I'll give you sorry!"
Then, without warning, she pulled Raindrops into the pool with her. Before Raindrops could recover, Cloudchaser was on top of her, pulling her foreleg behind her back.
"Ow!" Raindrops yelped. "Wh-what's your problem?!"
"Don't play dumb!" Cloudchaser screamed.
"I-I'm not!" Raindrops sputtered, forcing Cloudchaser off of her back.
"Oh yes, you are!" Cloudchaser barked back, flying in for another tackle. This time, Raindrops was ready. She quickly sidestepped around the attack and tried to make her way out. This was easier said than done, for the thick pudding made it difficult for her to move. Before she could reach the edge of the pool, Cloudchaser grabbed her tail and pulled her back in.
"Horse apples! This is all your fault!" Cloudchaser roared, pinning Raindrops's shoulders to the floor.
"Hey, hey! Cool it, CC!" said Thunderlane. "It was probably just an accident."
"Oh, this was no accident, Thunderlane," Cloudchaser snarled.
"Y-yes it was!" Raindrops shouted, squirming and writing under Cloudchaser's weight. "I-I didn't mean to push you in!"
"I'm not talking about that, you snake!" Cloudchaser spat. "You're trying to flirt with Thunderlane! Don't deny it!"
Raindrops stopped struggling and gasped. She felt as though her entire world had just shattered.
"Wh-what?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-I..."
"There's no way out of this one, Raindrops," said Cloudchaser, her voice dripping with venom. "You tried to be all sneaky about it, but I saw right through you."
Raindrops's lip quivered, and tears marred her vision. "N-no..." she whimpered.
"Still playing dumb, huh?" said Cloudchaser with a sneer. "Well then, I'll just..."
"Stop hurting my friend, Stormwalker!"
Before Cloudchaser could react, Derpy flew in and pushed her off of Raindrops's body. She looked down and held out her hoof.
"Hey. Are you okay, 'Drops?" she asked. "I'm sorry I pushed you like that."
Raindrops cast her eyes downward and accepted Derpy's hoof. Once Derpy helped her out of the pool, she ran outside, sobbing all the while. Everypony turned to Cloudchaser, giving her dirty looks.
"Well, I hope you're happy," said Flitter, folding her forelegs. "Y'know, this all could've been avoided if you just talked to Raindrops and figured out what was going on. But no. You just jumped to conclusions and assumed the worst. And look where that got you."
"CC, this is very unlike you," said Thunderlane. "What's going on?"
Cloudchaser gulped. "I-I can explain. Raindrops, she..."
"Raindrops didn't do anything," said Thunderlane sternly. "Besides, what do you have against her, anyway?"
"Cloudy wanted to be your wingpony back at the Academy, Thunderlane," said Flitter.
Beneath the pudding covering her face, Cloudchaser's cheeks were turning bright red. "F-Flitter~. Wh-why'd you have to tell him that?"
"Because you sure as heck weren't gonna say it," said Flitter in a very matter-of-fact tone. "That, and he has a right to know."
Thunderlane sighed. "CC, just because Raindrops is my wingpony doesn't mean I think any less of you. And it certainly doesn't give you the right to accuse her of flirting with me and embarrass her in front of everypony."
"B-but..."
"Flitter's right, CC. This all could've been avoided if you just talked to me or Raindrops," Thunderlane continued. "I told you that you can tell me if something's wrong. Don't you trust me?"
"W-well, of course I do, TL. B-but..."
"Then why didn't you tell me how you felt?"
Cloudchaser racked her brain for an answer, but found that there was none. She looked up at Thunderlane with misty eyes.
"You hate me now, don't you?" she sniveled.
Thunderlane was thoroughly befuddled. "What?"
"You think I'm the bad guy, and now you hate me," Cloudchaser said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I-it's not what it looks like, Thunderlane. I-I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I-I'll go apologize to Raindrops right now. P-please, don't leave me."
"Leave you?" said Thunderlane, still out of the loop. "What are you talking...?"
Before he could finish his question, Cloudchaser ran out the door, sobbing just as Raindrops did moments before. There was a pregnant pause.
"Could somepony please tell me what the hay is going on?" Thunderlane asked nopony in particular. "What's gotten into her?"
"I wanna know that, too," said Derpy. "What about that dance was so important to Stormwalker?"
"Cloudchaser," Flitter corrected.
"Whatever," said Derpy.
Flitter sighed. "You really don't know, do you, Thunderlane?"
"Don't know what?"
"Cloudy loves you."
Thunderlane blinked. "So? I love her, too," he said with a shrug. "That doesn't explain why she's acting like this."
"No no no, you don't understand," said Flitter. "She's, in love with you."
Thunderlane's eyes widened. "Are you serious?!"
"Why do you think she insists on going to the park with you every Sunday?" said Flitter. "Pretty much everypony in town knows she considers you to be her special somepony."
"O-oh," said Derpy, suddenly looking a little guilty. "I-I didn't know that. 'Drops is gonna be so upset."
Flitter turned to Derpy. "What do you mean?"
"She's in love with Thunderlane, too."
Flitter's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "What?! You mean, what Cloudchaser just said was true?!"
"Yeah," said Derpy. "She wanted to tell him herself, but she had difficulty finding the right words. I was helping her out, but I made a mistake and, well, you know the rest."
Thunderlane had difficulty processing all this. "I-I honestly never knew that either of them saw me that way," he said.
"I guess that's why Cloudchaser talked about you all the time ever since you came back from the Academy," said Rumble.
"I-I guess so," said Thunderlane. "Y'know, I can't help but think that this is partially my fault."
"Don't say that," said Flitter. "Cloudchaser's the one who jumped to conclusions."
"Yeah, but maybe I should've picked up on things better," said Thunderlane. "I dunno, I guess I kinda feel bad for them."
Rumble rubbed up against his brother's chest. "Well, you're gonna fix it, right Big Bro?"
Thunderlane looked down at Rumble and gave him a gentle smile. "Yeah, you're right," he said, patting him on the head. "Even if it isn't my fault, I should probably say something to them. And, I think I know just what to say. Later, guys."
With that, he flew off.
"Do you think he really knows what to say?" asked Derpy.
"I hope so, Derpy," said Flitter with a sigh. "I really hope so..."
Raindrops flew over Ponyville, still covered from head to hoof in chocolate pudding and still crying her little eyes out. Finally, she landed on a grassy knoll on the outskirts of town and simply collapsed while burying her face in her forelegs.
"I-I can't believe that happened," she sobbed. "I'll never live this down. Thunderlane probably hates me now. I might as well just crawl into a cave and stay there for the rest of my life."
She then heard wings flapping behind her and sighed.
"Go away, Derpy," she said. "I know you want to help, but there's nothing you can do for me. Don't worry, I'm not mad at..."
"Rainy, it's me."
Raindrops slowly looked up and turned her head. She was surprised to discover Cloudchaser standing behind her; also covered in chocolate pudding. Raindrops pouted.
"What the hay are you doing here?" she snapped. "Haven't you done enough?"
Cloudchaser sighed. "Raindrops, hear me out. I'm, very sorry about what happened back there. I didn't mean to..."
"To what? Utterly humiliate me?" said Raindrops with a sniffle. "I-I don't even know how you figured it out."
Cloudchaser blinked. "Wait, what? Figured what out?"
Raindrops let out a deep sigh. "I guess there's no point in hiding it now that everypony knows. I-I'm in l-l-l-love with Thunderlane."
Cloudchaser's eyes went wide. "Wh-what?! B-b-but I'm in love with Thunderlane!"
Raindrops gave Cloudchaser a perplexed look before folding her ears back and staring at the ground. "Oh. I-I didn't know. If I did, I would've backed off."
"How could you not know?!" Cloudchaser yelled. "Everypony in town knows!"
"I don't know what to tell you," said Raindrops with a shrug. She then began to cry again. "W-well, I guess it's for the best. After what happened, I don't have any chance with Thunderlane anymore. I-I suppose if you truly love somepony, the best thing to do is let him go."
Cloudchaser bit her lip. "Rainy, s-stop being so melodramatic. Y-you're making me feel bad," she murmured.
"Sorry," said Raindrops, sitting up and looking off into the sunset. "I-it's just that, I really thought he was the one for me, y'know?"
"Y-you did?" asked Cloudchaser.
"Mmm-hmm," said Raindrops. "It all started at the Academy. I wasn't sure why Spitfire paired me up with him, but when we got to flying together, it was simply, amazing. Magical, even. Almost like we were one pony."
"That's, kinda the point of a wing pair," said Cloudchaser.
"I know, but this was different," said Raindrops. "I felt like I was more than a wingpony. I was the wind beneath his wings. No matter where he flew, I'd be right by his side. I would fly through thunderclouds of the highest density and a gauntlet of dragon fire just to make sure he stayed safe. He counted on me every day. And even when I messed up, he was right there to help me. He made me feel, special. B-but like a special kind of special. A kind of special that nopony has ever made me felt before. It was like we were destined to support each other, both in and out of the Academy."
She then heaved a great sigh. "B-but, if he's your special somepony, I won't get in the way. I'm sorry about all this, Cloudchaser."
Raindrops got up and began to walk away. Cloudchaser felt tense all over.
I'm such an idiot! she thought as a new batch of tears formed in her eyes. Flitter and Snowflake were right all along! Why didn't I listen to them?!
"Raindrops, wait!" she called out.
Raindrops stopped, but didn't turn around. "Don't worry about me, Cloudchaser. I'll be alright," she said with a sniffle.
Cloudchaser let out a pained sigh. "Rainy, don't be so hard on yourself. I-it's not your fault; it's mine."
Raindrops gave Cloudchaser a confused look. "Wh-what? No, it isn't. I shouldn't have tried to go after Thunderlane in the first place."
"No no no, you don't get it," said Cloudchaser. "I-I..."
She cringed and muttered something under her breath.
"What?" asked Raindrops. "I didn't hear you."
Cloudchaser mumbled again.
"Sorry, could you speak up?"
Another mumble.
"Cloudchaser, just spit it out already. What's wrong?"
"I'M JEALOUS, OKAY?!"
Raindrops was taken aback by Cloudchaser's sudden outburst. Cloudchaser cringed again.
"J-jealous?" parroted Raindrops.
"Yeah. I'm jealous of you," said Cloudchaser. "I've been jealous of you ever since you were paired up with Thunderlane instead of me, but I was too afraid of Spitfire to complain."
Raindrops shrugged. "Well, you don't have to feel that way anymore. I won't interfere."
"I'm not finished yet," said Cloudchaser with a sigh. "Rainy, listen. You know everything you just said about Thunderlane making you feel special and how you flew as one pony?"
"Um, yeah?"
"Well, I wanted to feel that. I wanted to experience what you experienced. And when I couldn't, I started jumping to conclusions and driving myself crazy. I should've told you how I felt."
"Well, why didn't you?"
"Because I thought it wouldn't matter," said Cloudchaser, hanging her head in shame. "I thought you were just up to no good. I thought you were just trying to steal Thunderlane from me knowing full well how much I love him. But that's not the case at all. You genuinely love him, just like I do."
"Well, yeah. You're right," said Raindrops. "But..."
"Do you know why I love Thunderlane, Raindrops?" Cloudchaser interrupted.
"Um, no," said Raindrops.
Cloudchaser took a deep breath before saying her piece. "It's because I understand him in a way that most other ponies don't. Most ponies just think he's a goofy slacker, but I know he's not. He takes pride in his work. He always keeps his word. And, I feel like I'm one of the few ponies who understands how much he cares. About his job as a weatherpony, the Wonderbolts, Rumble, me..."
Cloudchaser trailed off as tears rolled down her checks. "And, you. He cares about you too, Rainy. You're his wingpony."
Raindrops sighed. "Don't try to make me feel better, Cloudchaser. You don't have to feel guilty."
"Yes, I do!" Cloudchaser wailed. "All this happened because I was so thoroughly convinced that I was right that I didn't even consider how you felt! Heck, I didn't even consider how Thunderlane felt, and I was trying to win him back! I was hypocritical and stubborn and stupid and..."
Cloudchaser's lament was interrupted by Raindrops placing a hoof to her mouth.
"Cloudchaser, don't beat yourself up over this," she said softly. "It's okay. I understand."
"No, you don't," said Cloudchaser, shaking her head. "I'm the bad guy here. You deserve Thunderlane a lot more than I do."
Raindrops sighed. "Cloudchaser, neither of us are the bad guy. It was just a misunderstanding. Things got out of control. It happens. I'm sure Thunderlane will forgive you."
Cloudchaser paused for a moment, and then gave Raindrops a weak smile. "Yeah, you're right. A-and I don't think he hates you, either."
There was a pause.
"To be honest, I don't know where that leaves us," said Raindrops.
"Me, neither," said Cloudchaser. "Now that I know how you feel about him, I'd feel just terrible if I forced you to back off."
"Yeah, same here," said Raindrops. "Maybe we should talk to Thunderlane about it. I mean..."
"Girls, wait!"
As if on cue, Thunderlane flew in with a large rain cloud in tow. He paused for a moment to catch his breath.
"Girls, there's no need to fight!" he said breathlessly. "I love both of you!"
Cloudchaser and Raindrops stared at Thunderlane in disbelief.
"First of all, we weren't fighting," said Cloudchaser. "Second of all, huh?"
"Flitter and Derpy told me the whole story," said Thunderlane sheepishly. "Honestly, I never picked up on it." He then chuckled. "I know that makes me sound pretty stupid, but it's the truth."
Cloudchaser's jaw dropped. "Y-you didn't know, either? Even after all this time?"
"Nope. And, I'm sorry about that, CC," said Thunderlane, touching down in front of the two mares. "I should've paid more attention."
"N-no, it was my fault," said Cloudchaser. "I should've been more open with you instead of trying to handle everything myself."
"No, it was my fault," said Raindrops. "I was just too nervous to tell you how I really felt. I wanted to so badly, but..."
"Girls, please. Let's not play the Blame Game here," said Thunderlane. "That's not what I came here for."
He then turned to Cloudchaser. "CC, you don't know how much you mean to me. It's because of you that I have balance in my life. You're understanding, smart, caring, and just a really cool pony all around."
He then turned over to Raindrops. "And Raindrops, when I said that I couldn't ask for a better wingpony, I really meant it. You're dependable, funny, determined, and just a regular ole sweetheart."
He then turned to address them both. "So, I gave it some thought, and as far as I'm concerned, you're both my special someponies."
Raindrops placed her hooves over her heart and sighed. As she exhaled, she felt a great burden tumble from her shoulders. Cloudchaser, meanwhile, seemed befuddled.
"W-well, I'm glad you think that," she said. "B-but, aren't we breaking some unwritten rule here?"
"Oh, hush," said Raindrops with a giggle. "I think this is great. Now I don't have to get all flustered anymore. Thunderlane, you don't know how happy this makes me."
"I think I do," said Thunderlane with a chuckle. "Now, let's get you two cleaned up, and then we can head over to my place for dinner."
"Sounds good," said Raindrops.
"Y-yeah," said Cloudchaser.
Thunderlane then bounced on top of the rain cloud, creating a downpour that washed away the chocolate pudding. As the two mares got themselves clean, Raindrops turned to Cloudchaser.
"Y'know, after hearing you talk about Thunderlane, I think I've gotten a new appreciation for you, Cloudchaser," she said.
Cloudchaser tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I got to see how passionate you are; how much you really love Thunderlane," said Raindrops. "It was just a peek, but I do believe I saw some of your inner beauty."
Cloudchaser blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, let me put it this way, now that I'm feeling more confident," said Raindrops. "I, always thought you were kinda cute. And now that I saw a bit of your inner beauty, I find you very attractive, both inside and out."
Cloudchaser felt as though her whole world got turned upside-down. "W-wait a minute! A-are you coming onto me?!"
"A little, I guess," said Raindrops. "See, to me, it doesn't matter whether a pony is a mare or a stallion. It's what's on the inside that counts."
Cloudchaser stared blankly at Raindrops with her mouth agape. "S-so, all those rumors about you liking mares..."
"Are half true, yes," said Raindrops, finishing Cloudchaser's thought.
"So, you..."
"Swing both ways," said Raindrops with a giggle and a wink.
Thunderlane flew down from the rain cloud and chuckled. "Well, whaddya know, CC? Now you've got two special someponies!"
Cloudchaser tried to speak, but found that she had little to nothing to say. "I, um, uh, I, I, ay yi yi..."
"Heh, now you know how I felt all this time," Raindrops laughed.
"Sounds like she's in shock," said Thunderlane with a smirk. "I think I know how to snap her out of it."
He then walked up to Cloudchaser and pressed his lips against hers. Cloudchaser's eyes snapped open. Her heart pounded something fierce. Her face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. Her wings stood up on end.
"Room for one more?" asked Raindrops coyly. She walked over to the kissing couple and wrapped her wings and forelegs around both of them, pushing them closer together. Cloudchaser's heart raced even faster for a moment, but then she recovered from the shock. She closed her eyes and kissed Thunderlane back, relishing every moment. Time almost seemed to stand still for the three pegasi. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, they released each other.
"You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to do that, TL," Cloudchaser told Thunderlane. "I-I'm the happiest mare in the world right now."
"That makes two of us," Raindrops cooed.
"Good. I'm glad," said Thunderlane. "C'mon, let's go home. Flitter and Rumble are waiting for us."
Cloudchaser sighed. "Oh boy. She is never gonna let this go."
"Let what go?" asked Thunderlane. "The fact that you should've listened to her?"
"No, the fact that I'm now dating two ponies at the same time, and they both know it," said Cloudchaser. "I've been calling her a love newbie all this time. How the hay am I gonna explain this to her when even I don't understand it?"
Raindrops laughed. "Love's just weird that way, huh? Don't worry, Cloudchaser. We'll find a way to work this out. I promise."
Cloudchaser looked at Raindrops and gave her a weak smile. "Okay, I'll trust you. It's about time I stopped being so stubborn, anyway. Alright, let's go."
"After you, CC," said Thunderlane. "Ladies first."
"And I've got your back, Thunderlane," said Raindrops with a salute.
Cloudchaser smiled and nodded before taking off into the air, with Thunderlane and Raindrops not far behind.
Hmm, maybe Rainy is right, she thought. Maybe this can work out. Sure as heck beats the alternative where we were both miserable. I just hope Flitter doesn't gloat too much...
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Flitter, Derpy, and Rumble waited for Thunderlane back at his house.
"I'm really sorry about all this, Flitter," said Derpy glumly. "'Drops and I didn't know that Stormwalker was already Thunderlane's special somepony."
"It's not your fault," said Flitter with a sigh. "Still, I can't help but worry about him. How's he gonna choose between two mares that love him so much without breaking one of their hearts?"
"I dunno, I'm not him," said Derpy with a shrug. "If I was, that would be weird."
"Don't be sad, Flitter. He'll find a way to fix this; I know he will," said Rumble. "He's my big bro! He can do anything!"
Flitter gave Rumble a sad smirk and patted him on the head. "I don't think it's that easy, little guy. Love never is."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," said Flitter, getting up and walking over to the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Cloudchaser, Thunderlane, and Raindrops standing in front of her. None of them looked particularly devastated.
"Hey, Flitter!" said Thunderlane as they all let themselves in. "I brought Raindrops over to join us for dinner. Hope you don't mind."
"Um, not at all," said Flitter, still a bit confused. "So, what happened? Which one of you is Thunderlane's special somepony?"
"Well see, that's a bit complicated," said Cloudchaser, twiddling her hooves. "Honestly, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around..."
"We both are!" Raindrops blurted out cheerfully.
Flitter's jaw dropped. "E-excuse me?"
"Yeah, it turns out we were both wrong, Flit," said Cloudchaser. "Raindrops was trying to flirt with Thunderlane, but she wasn't trying to hurt me. Also, she apparently likes mares and stallions."
"Well, duh! Of course she does!" said Derpy. "I could've told you that, Stormwalker!"
Cloudchaser rubbed the bridge of her nose with her hoof. "For the last time, Derpy, my name is Cloudchaser! Cloud-chase-er~!"
Derpy tilted her head. "Are you sure? 'Cause I could've sworn it was Stormwalker."
"Where the hay did you even get that idea, anyway?" asked Flitter. "Those names sound nothing alike!"
"Well, they rhyme," said Derpy with a shrug.
"That, didn't answer my question. At all," said Flitter.
"Don't bother. I know from experience that it's almost impossible to argue with Derpy," said Raindrops with a giggle. "Believe me, I tried."
Thunderlane gave a lighthearted chuckle himself. "Well, the bottom line is that we're all dating each other now."
"Uh-huh," said Flitter, raising an eyebrow at her sister. "So, Cloudy. Would you care to explain this to us love newbies?"
Cloudchaser sighed and flattened her ears. "I can't, Flit. I-I just can't. This is like nothing I've ever dealt with before."
"I guess now is a good time for you to get off your high horse and say that you don't know everything about love, huh?" said Flitter, folding her forelegs.
"Y-yeah," said Cloudchaser sheepishly. "Flit, I'm really sorry about how I acted. You were right all along. I was jealous of Raindrops, and I just let it go to my head. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."
Flitter smiled. "I'm glad to hear that you're finally being honest with yourself," she said. "That's the Cloudchaser I know and love."
"It's the one I know and love, too," Thunderlane added, nuzzling Cloudchaser's cheek.
Cloudchaser smiled back. "Thanks. I'll try not to let that happen again."
"Um, I wanna apologize, too," said Derpy. "The whole thing with the chocolate pudding was my fault. I was just trying to get 'Drops to be more assertive and then... Ugh, I just don't know what went wrong."
Raindrops smiled, and patted Derpy on the back. "Derpy, I'm not mad at you for that. It was just an accident. Besides, I know you were trying to help me. And for that, I'm really grateful. You're a great friend."
Derpy blushed. "Aw, thanks 'Drops."
"See, Flitter? I told you my big bro would fix it!" Rumble chirped, tackling Thunderlane into a hug. "He's the most awesome pony ever!"
"Heh, cut it out, Rumble~. I'm not that great," said Thunderlane sheepishly. "I didn't even know these two loved me so much."
"That's, more our fault than yours, Thunderlane," said Raindrops.
Thunderlane chuckled. "Even so, I probably should've payed more attention."
"Huh. Looks like this all was a big misunderstanding," said Flitter. "Just, not the one I envisioned."
"Well, nopony's perfect," said Cloudchaser with a shrug. "And besides, it all worked out in the end. Mostly. Kinda."
"You shouldn't be such a pessimist," said Raindrops, placing a foreleg around Cloudchaser's neck. "I told you, we'll find a way to make this work."
"I-I'm not being a pessimist. I'm just, not used to this," said Cloudchaser, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
"And that's fine," said Raindrops. "We can take it slow if you want. I don't mind. I won't do anything that you're not comfortable with."
Cloudchaser looked up at Raindrops and gave her a wan smile. "Th-thanks. I-I'd appreciate that."
There was then an audible growl, and Thunderlane blushed.
"Um, sounds like now is a good time as any to have some supper," said he.
The other ponies all shared a laugh.
"Alright, I'll go set the table," said Flitter. "Rumble, you mind helping out?"
"Sure thing!" said Rumble, rushing to Flitter's side.
"Will you be joining us, Derpy?" asked Raindrops.
"I'd love to, but I should get back to my place," said Derpy. "Amey and Dinky hate it when I'm late for dinner. But, before I go, there's one last thing."
"What's that?"
"Well, what about the Ponyville tradition?"
Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, and Raindrops looked at each other for a moment. After a pause, they understood what Derpy was talking about.
"Oh. Yeah, good point," said Raindrops.
"I'll go get everything we need," said Thunderlane. "Just a sec."
With that, he dashed off. In less than a minute, he returned with a fresh piece of parchment and some quills.
"So, how's this gonna work?" he asked.
"I'll write it," said Cloudchaser. "I don't care what you and Rainy say; my behavior was the most inexcusable. It's only fair."
"Well, if it gets you to stop kicking yourself, I don't mind," said Raindrops. "You're not as cute when you're gloomy."
Cloudchaser gave Raindrops a look.
"I'm gonna have to go with her on this one, CC," said Thunderlane.
Cloudchaser sighed. "This is really gonna take some getting used to," she said as she began to write.
Dear Princess Celestia:
Today, we all learned a few things about friendship and love. We learned that some displays of affection can be more subtle than others, and you should look out for them. But even so, it's best to communicate your feelings clearly instead of keeping them locked up inside; even if it can be scary to do so.
We also learned that while listening to your heart is good, it can often tell you to do nutty things. There's a fine line between love and obsession, and if you're not careful, you could end up going over that line. That's why you have friends who can steer you in the right direction. Just make sure that you listen to them, even if you think you already have the answers.
Your loyal subjects,
Thunderlane, Raindrops, and Cloudchaser
"That's perfect, guys," said Derpy, taking the letter. "I'll deliver it to the Princess personally first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thanks, Derpy," said Raindrops.
"It's just my duty as a mailmare and a good friend," said Derpy with a salute. "Well, I'd best be off! Seeya, 'Drops! Seeya, Thunderlane! Seeya, Stormwalker!"
"Cloudchaser~!" Cloudchaser corrected.
"Right. Cloudwalker. What you said," said Derpy before flying away.
Cloudchaser smacked her head. "Ugh, I give up."
Raindrops laughed. "Well, that's just Derpy for you. C'mon, let's go eat."
"Okay," said Cloudchaser. She got up to go to the dining room, but lagged behind to watch Thunderlane and Raindrops.
Three ponies dating each other at the same time, she thought. No matter how you slice it, it still sounds crazy. I'll probably get used to it, I guess. I don't know how or when, but one thing's for sure. Blossomforth and Cloud Kicker and gonna have a field day with this one...