//-------------------------------------------------------// Rock You Like A Hurricane -by GeneralLiberator- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// The Perfect Storm //-------------------------------------------------------// The Perfect Storm “I…can’t feel my legs…” “Pain is just weakness *hic* leaving the body! Now say my name, bitch!” “…I…huh?” *slap* “I said: Say my name!” “L…Lightning Dust?” “LOUDER!” “LIGHTNING DUST!” “Now say: ‘Lightning Dust, please *hic* fuck me until I can’t stand!’” “Wait…is that a *hic* metaphor or-GAH!” “YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAW!” *** One Hour Earlier… *** The kind of friend that one could always turn to during tough times. The friend that would never judge you, spite you, or put you down in any way. The friend that would help you drown your sorrows away. The friend that you wouldn’t give your heart to, only for you to find her in bed with another stallion. That friend’s name was alcohol. At the moment, it was Thunderlane’s one and only friend. He raised the mug up and took another long swig of the bittersweet liquid, savoring the taste of the Apple family’s signature brew as it flowed down his throat. The empty mug was then placed back on the counter before being pushed forward slightly. Another stallion, a grey unicorn wearing an apron, walked up on the other side of the counter. The mug was taken in a telekinetic grip and lifted up from its position. The bartender looked at his patron, who merely stared glumly at the wall. “Another one, Lane?” The stallion asked him. “Mmm.” Thunderlane hummed out without looking at him. A worried expression came onto the unicorn’s face. “There are better ways of dealing with it, you know.” “I’ll just take it out on my liver for the time being,” Thunderland said plainly. The bartender gave a heavy sigh before fixing Thunderlane with a sympathetic look. “Don’t let it get you down. There are plenty of fish in the sea.” “Draft, that metaphor is overused to the point that it might as well be an actual pony with a job and a residence,” Thunderlane said with a frown. “We could name him Cliché.” Any other time, Draft would have laughed at the joke. As he had grown to know Thunderlane over the years, he had become aware of the pegasus’ quirky sense of humor. Any other time, it would have at least put a smile on his face. Not this time, though. The usual cheeky grin that accompanied the punchline was missing. In its place was a glum, downtrodden frown. Being a bartender, Draft had come to know that frown very well. Most would identify those who wore it as ponies who were down on their luck, not even sure what to do with themselves. However, Draft had come to know just about every version of depression. The frown on Thunderlane’s face marked a special brand of sadness. A brand that only stallions knew, one born of only one source. A mare. “What I’m trying to say is that you will find somepony else.” Draft let out another heavy sigh before he gave Thunderlane a weak, yet knowing grin. “You’ve never had any trouble with it before.” “I’m done with living like that.” Thunderlane spat out. “I’m…I’m tired of chasing tails for no reason other than scoring for a single night.” The old bartender cocked an eyebrow. “Ok…who are you and what have you done with Thunderlane?” “I mean it.” Thunderlane let his eyes wander a bit. “Have you ever felt like you were getting nowhere? That…there was something else better you could pursue?” “Been there, done that.” Draft said with a distant look. “But that begs the question: Where do you want to go from here?” “I want…I want something more out of life.” Thunderlane was silent for a moment. “I want a family. I want foals.” Draft put away the dirty mug and pulled out a fresh one before putting it under the tap. “So what’s stopping you?” “Life.” Thunderlane said without skipping a beat. “Life throws us all curve balls once in a while.” Draft said as the mug began to fill. “It’s how you deal with them that makes you who you are.” “I…” Thunderlane thought for a moment as his ears folded down, shifting a bit on his stool. “I…really thought she was the one.” “The way I see it…” Draft finished filling the mug and walked to Thunderlane with it floating beside him. “…it’s probably better that you found out about what kind of pony she was now rather than later.” Thunderlane opened his mouth to [hurl] an angry retort, but could not find one. It was a simple point, but fairly made. Both his eyes and head fell. “I felt like this could have been it. That my old days of screwing around and getting nowhere were finally done, and I could start a new chapter in life. One that I was actually looking forward to.” “Congratulations, Thunderlane.” Draft said as the mug was gently levitated and placed in front of the pegasus. “You’re finally growing up.” For the first time that day, Thunderlane allowed himself a smile, however weak it was. He brought the mug up and took a quick swig before placing it back down. “So…should I spread the word around to the mares?” Draft asked with a grin. “That Ponyville’s premier bachelor is eligible?” Thunderlane gave a light chuckle. “Nah, I’m done with that for a while. I just need time to…think.” “Take your time, but not too long.” Draft said as he turned and made his way back down the bar. “Eventually the mares will find out, and then you’ll have a love-struck mob beating down your door.” Thunderlane smiled and rolled his eyes. It was another reason he loved coming to this bar, besides the quality of the liquor. Draft was a great pony to talk to, and could always take the worst scenarios in life and bring out the bright side. A sigh escaped his lips before he turned his head to look around the room. It was fairly quiet tonight. Not too surprising, considering it was a Thursday. There were only a handful of patrons scattered around the room. An older stallion at the very opposite end of the bar was enjoying a mug of some kind of liquor. A mare and stallion sat in one of the booths, talking quietly to each other. And finally, a stallion sat at a table in the far corner, reading a newspaper. It was getting later into the evening, but Thunderlane suspected that it would not get much busier. Truth be told, that was exactly what he wanted; to be able to wallow a little in self-pity . A nice, quiet summer night. Since tomorrow was his off day from weather duty, and Rumble was sleeping over at a friend’s house, there was nopony to tell him he couldn’t. The minutes rolled by, the silence only interrupted either when Thunderlane brought up the mug for a swig or when Draft returned to refill it when it was empty. Sometimes they exchanged words, and sometimes they did not. Either way, Thunderlane began to feel the familiar hazy feeling settling into his head. It was not unwelcome. That peace was shattered when the door was thrown open with a loud slam, drawing the attention of everypony in the room. Thunderlane turned to see a young pegasus mare come flying in before landing on one of the stools a few seats down from him. She had a bright turquoise coat, along with a two-toned mane and tail of electric orange. A pair of grey saddle bags were draped across her back. However, what Thunderlane was focused on was the look on her otherwise pretty face, which could only be described as ‘extremely irritated’. The mare waited all of three seconds before she growled and pounded on the counter. “Barkeep!” “Right here, missy.” Draft said as he walked up on the other side of the counter. “What’ll ya have?” “Whatever can put me on the ground the fastest.” She said with an angry frown. Draft stared for a moment before he turned and fetched a shot glass out from beneath the counter. “Alrighty then.” The glass was then placed on the counter, followed by a bottle of amber liquid. Draft took the cork out before beginning to fill it. As he did so, he looked up at the mare with a knowing look. “You seem irritated, Miss. Rough day?” “I’m sorry, I thought I asked for a drink, not for small talk.” The mare said in a rather smartass tone. “Would you like me to recap my order?” Draft stared at her for a moment after her glass was full and watched as she quickly snatched it up and downed it in one go. She winced for only a brief moment before turning back to Draft. “Another.” She said as she pushed it back forward. Draft hesitantly levitated the bottle back up and began to fill. “You know, Miss, the way I look at it-“ “Just fill the damn glass.” She said forcefully. Draft obeyed, and pushed the refilled glass back forward. Just like before, she downed it with little to no effort. “Another.” Draft narrowed his eyes a bit. “Miss, if I may make a suggestion-“ “You’re not my bucking father! Now would you kindly-“ She let off a groan before reaching into her saddle bags and throwing a hoof-full of bits on the counter. “Forget it. Just leave the bottle.” Draft stared down at the bits offered to him for a moment. It paid for the bottle, and then some, so he set it down on the counter in front of her before gathering up the money. “Much obliged,” he forced out before turning and walking away. The mare let out a heavy sigh before refilling the bottle and downing yet another shot. The couple at the booth had been watching, and spoke in hushed whispers to each other. Thunderlane had also observed in curious silence, debating whether or not to say something. Eventually he decided it would be best not to get involved, and turned back to his own mug. The minutes continued to roll by, the scene in the room not changing much. The stallion at the far end got up and left, leaving only Thunderlane and the angry mare at bar itself. The two continued on their drinks, not paying much attention to anything else. It was only after his fifth mug that Thunderlane’s eyes began to wander a bit. They eventually settled on the mare at the other end, seeing her still downing a shot every now and then. Nearly half of her bottle was gone, and she seemed to be feeling its effects. Her painful expressions grew more noticeable with each and every drink she took. Thunderlane was focused more on the mare herself, namely how she seemed familiar. His mind briefly focused on her body, which looked extremely well-conditioned and undeniably attractive. If his facilities were a bit more in order, he might have been able to think on it. However, that was not the case, and he stared at her dumbly for a few long moments, trying to ponder where he had seen her before. Unfortunately she noticed, and turned her head to see the stallion staring at her with glazed-over eyes and frowned. “The fuck are you lookin’ at?” Thunderlane blinked himself out of his stupor. “I…er…nothing!” “You’re damn right ‘nothing’!” She snarled. “Put those googly eyes back in your head. This mare is not interested.” “What? No!” Thunderlane said in a mild panic. “It wasn’t like that!” She scoffed before turning back to her glass. “Yeah right. Go find something else to stick your cock in.” Thunderlane stared in shocked silence for a moment before opening his mouth to defend himself. However, he could not find any retorts. A defeated sigh escaped his lips before he turned his attention back to the wall, deciding once again it was better to leave well enough alone. Even more minutes rolled by, and now Thunderlane was feeling considerably inebriated. His vision was slightly blurred, his thinking obscured, and it was getting a little harder to keep a firm grip on the mug. He could not even remember why he had come here in the first place. Luckily, the part of his brain that could keep its facilities together told him that was a good thing, and to just relax. So he did, greatly enjoying his place on the stool. Eventually Draft made his way back over to Thunderlane, a mug in his telekinetic grip. Also being levitated was the cloth he was wiping it with. “So Thunderlane…” The bartender began. “You never did tell me how your time at the Wonderbolt Academy went.” The mare’s ears instantly perked up, but she did not turn to them. “Ahh…good *hic* times…” Thunderlane slurred. “Good to see Cloudsdale again.” “I imagine.” Draft said with a smile. “But what about the Academy? Did you make the cut?” “Naaah.” Thunderlane drawled out. “I *hic* I ain’t that good. I would never be Wonderbolt.” The mare stared at her glass, a rather hollow look in her eyes. “Oh please.” Draft waved a hoof at him. “I have seen you here in the skies of Ponyville. You’re a great flier!” “Fly for weather…make clouds do…stuff…” Thunderlane thought for a moment before lightly shaking his head. “Can’t do crazy stunts.” “Why not?” Draft asked. “Ngh…they say I gots great stamina…hehe…he…” Thunderlane laughed slightly at the innuendo that only his inebriated mind could pick up on. “But I don’t gots…uhh…” He furrowed his brow in thought. “Agi…aga…agil…” “Agility?” Draft suggested. “Yeah that! I don’t has that.” Thunderlane waved a hoof. “No biggie. I failed purposedly.” Draft’s eyes widened. “Wait…you flunked out on purpose?” “Yeeeaaaah.” Thunderlane said with a grin. “It was easy. Just had to crash lots.” “But…why?” “Born…Cloudsdale…” Thunderlane said. “But Ponyville home. Not want *hic* to leave. Love…here.” “Well…I guess that makes sense…” Draft ponderedbefore a thought struck him. “But then why would you try out in the first place?” “For…” Thunderlane smiled. “…for brubur.” Draft blinked. “Brubur?” “Yeah, brubur.” Thunderlane said lightly. “Little brubur, Rumble.” “Oh, Rumble!” Draft chuckled. “Rumble, your little…brother.” “Yeah…” Thunderlane trailed off for a moment. “Bruber loves Wonderbolts. Tried out for him. To *hic* make him proud!” The mare’s eyes wandered a bit, a hit of sorrow in them. “Wait…” Draft cocked his head to the side. “So you flunked out on purpose rather than just tell your brother that you didn’t want to be a Wonderbolt?” “Mmmmhmmmm.” Thunderlane gave a proud grin. “Pretty clevers, eh?” Draft stared at him for a moment before he frowned. “Actually, that sounds pretty stupid.” Thunderlane blinked a few times before fixing him with a suspicious look. “Foal *hic* proof plan. How stupid?” “Because you lied to him.” Draft leaned against the counter. “You should always be honest with your family and friends, even if it’s something that they don’t want to hear. Because if they truly do love and care about you, they will understand and forgive you.” The mare’s lip quivered a bit, and the corners of her eyes got a little misty. Thunderlane stared at Draft for a few long seconds before his eyes widened. “Draft…you are like, super smart!” Draft gave a ghost of a smile. “No. I just have experience.” Thunderlane gave a hard laugh at what was not even supposed to be a joke. “You crazy.” “So I’ve been told.” Draft said as he leaned further against the counter. “Still, could you imagine it…Thunderlane the Wonderbolt.” “Heh…yeah…” Thunderlane smiled and looked down at the floor. “Crazy dreams…” The mare’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Just think, there you would have been…” Draft began. “Thousands of ponies all crowded into a stadium, all cheering their heads off…” Her eyes narrowed even further, and an angry frown came onto her face. “All *hic* screaming ‘Thunderlane! Thunderlane!’” Thunderlane laughed. “All waiting to see me…including brubur…” Her teeth bared, and a very light growl escaped her throat. “Living a dream that so many could only imagine…” Draft continued. “Becoming a legend…becoming-“ “OH, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Both Draft and Thunderlane turned their heads to stare wide-eyed at the source of the? screamed. The pegasus mare turned to meet their gaze, an enraged look on her face. “Celestia damn, nothing but *hic* ‘Wonderbolts this’ and *hic* ‘Wonderbolts that’…” She shook her head, fighting through the hazy feeling from the booze. “Why don’t you just go fuck ‘em if ya love ‘em so much?” Draft, on his part, chose to keep his mouth shut. After his little confrontation with this mare earlier, he had come to the conclusion that she couldn't be reasoned with. Draft had encountered this kind of pony before, the kind that was not to be trifled with. Known far and wide as a very tolerant proprietor, he didn’t want to get into an unpleasant confrontation. Thunderlane, however… “You…” Thunderlane gave her a hard look, searching for something to say. At the same time, his mind was trying to send him a message, that something about this mare was familiar. However, in the end, he could come up with only one word. “Bitch.” The mare turned to him with wide eyes before they narrowed. “What…did you *hic* just says to me?” She spoke lightly, but in a dangerous tone. Thunderlane gave a little chuckle before getting off of his stool. He turned to face her rather sloppily, stumbling around drunkenly on his hooves for a moment. “I says…” He took in a long breath. “Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch.” The mare stared at him in shock for a moment, not moving a muscle. She then followed his own movements, sloppily getting off of her stool before facing him. “Who…the fuck *hic* do you think you are speaking to?!” She screamed. “Who? WHO? DO YOU FUCKIN’ KNOW WHO I AM?” Thunderlane stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth to once again say his previous single worded answer, but stopped. The sober lobe of his brain was pushing through, if only for only a brief moment. It was sending him only one message, in the form of two words. A message meant as a revelation. A message regarding the mare, and where he had seen her before. “Lightning Dust…” Thunderlane breathed out, eyes wide in realization. She stared at him for a long moment, the silence between the two of them deafening. “You’re goddess-damned right.” She said in a low tone. “I…take back what I said…” Thunderlane said slowly. “You…not bitch…” Lightning Dust smiled contentedly. “Yeah, that’s right! Take it back, like a little, washed up pus-“ “You are a Super-Ultra-MEGA-BITCH!” Thunderlane snarled. By now, the spectacle had the full attention of the other three patrons in the bar. They all stared wide-eyed at the spectacle before them, with rather nervous expressions on their faces. Draft’s expression, however, took the cake, as he knew the makings of a drunken brawl. “Now fellas…let’s just take it easy…” “This bitch *hic* nearly got a group of ponies killed!” Thunderlane said angrily as he pointed at Lightning Dust. “She be fuckin’ psycho!” “Oh shut the hell up!” Lightning Dust snarled. “You *hic* weren’t even there!” Thunderlane stared at her blankly for a moment before he frowned. “Uh…yeah I was. There. At the time. Catching a unicorn.” “Oh, big *hic* fuckin’ whoop!” Lightning slurred as she marched forward a bit until they were face to face. “So you caught a screaming damsel. You think that makes you better than me!?” Thunderlane stared in shock for a moment at the otherwise heartless mare in front of him. He had fully remembered that day a few weeks ago, of course. The day that she had almost killed a few ponies riding a hot air balloon with an uncontrolled twister. It was Rainbow Dash along with a few others who managed to save them, Thunderlane being one. “You don’t know me!” Lightning screamed in his face. “You’re nothing! Nothing!” Thunderlane just continued to stare at her blankly for a few moments. After the tense moment was over, he narrowed his eyes. “You wanna know that truth?” He asked her. “The truth is that you…” He stepped closer to her. “…are nothing but…” He leaned forward. “…a big…” His nose pressed against hers. “…fuckin’…” Her face got pushed back by his. “…FAILURE!” Lightning Dust’s eyes widened. “You dare-“ “A failure who couldn’t make it all the way.” Thunderlane pressed forward, pushing her even further. “A failure who nearly got *hic* a bunch of ponies killed just because she thought she would look cool!” Lightning Dust cringed slightly. “I never-“ “And now look at you.” Thunderlane poked her chest with a hoof. “All washed up and having nuthin’ better to do other than take all your bitchiness out on others.” Lightning Dust opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. “And you know *hic* what else?” Thunderlane began, leaning in again. The few ponies in the room tensed up again. “You know what fuckin’ else!?” Thunderlane took in a long, deep breath, his face mere inches from hers… …and blew the longest raspberry of his life. It lasted a full thirty seconds, demonstrating an impressive lung capacity. A few flecks of spit landed on Lightning’s face, but she did not move. She instead just stared straight at him, left eye twitching every now and then. Finally, the record breaking raspberry ended, and Thunderlane took a long, satisfied breath. “There.” He smiled. “I think I made my *hic* point.” He narrowed his eyes at her again, his grin still present. “What do ya say to that?” Lightning Dust continued to stare, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The silence in the room felt deafening, so much so that they may as well have been in a vacuum. None of the others in the room moved from their spots, all eyes on the scene in front of them. After a full minute of shocked silence, Lightning finally managed to open her mouth. “I…” *** Five Minutes Later *** The front door to the house burst open, with the owner stumbling in. His movements were rather sloppy. Part of it was because he was drunk as a skunk. Part of it was because he was walking using only his hind legs… …and part of it was because of the mare clinging to his torso with her mouth pressed rather sloppily against his. The two then fell down on the inside welcome mat, with the stallion landing rather painfully on his back. The mare, pinning him to the ground, pulled her mouth back from his, a long strand of saliva running between their lips. She gave him a look that could only be described as animalistic before reaching a foreleg back and slamming the door. The same foreleg then came back and slapped the stallion across the face. “BEDROOM!” Lightning screamed as she pressed her face against his. “WHERE?!” “I…huh?” Thunderlane was still rather confused about what had happened over the last few minutes. “Useless!” Thunderlane let out a yelp as the surprisingly strong mare picked him and took off down the nearest hall, flapping her wings. She stopped at the first door and peeked in, scanning over the room before finding what she was looking for. A bed. Thunderlane let out another shriek as he was thrown rather roughly onto the bed, rolling over until he was on his back. He painfully lifted his head up to see the one who had stallion-handled him. Lightning Dust glared at him, taking deep, heavy breaths as she slowly stalked into the room, her wings fully extended. The look in her eyes was downright feral and could even be classified as predatory. “So…the big, bad stallion thinks he’s tough, eh?” She stopped at the foot of the bed and climbed up. “He thinks he’s *hic* better than me?” Thunderlane stared at the mare slowly prowling across the bed like a tiger. He wasn’t sure if he should be deathly terrified or extremely turned on. “I…uhh…no?” Lightning Dust licked her lips. “Well let’s see how tough he is when I-“ Her line of speech was cut off when her hoof slipped off the edge of the bed, causing her to tumble off the side and onto the floor. Thunderlane, being a gentlecolt, did the first thing that came to mind. He burst into uncontrolled laughter. Lightning, still as inebriated as the stallion on the bed, sloppily picked herself up off the floor before growling at the hysterical stallion. “What? You think that’s funny?!” “Epic…*hic* fail…” Thunderlane said between laughs. “Somepony makes a mistake *hic* and this is how you act?” Lightning straightened herself up with a bit of difficulty. “You fucking degenerate!” “Oh stop!” Thunderlane was now giggling like a colt. “I’m gonna pee! I can’t-woah!” He was cut off as the enraged mare tackled him backwards onto the mattress. His head turned up to see Lightning Dust glaring at him as she pinned him down. Burning amber eyes bored into gold, rage and fury meeting fear and uncertainty. “So you think I’m funny?” Lightning muttered. “Am I a clown? Do I amuse you?” “I…” Thunderlane gulped. “I never-“ Thunderlane’e eyes widened and he let out a surprised grunt as Lightning forcefully shoved her hips down against his. As if that wasn’t enough, she then began lightly grinding her marehood against his sheath, causing them both to bite their bottom lips. “Well…” She said, wincing from the tingle of pleasure. “Since you got some amusement from me…” She leaned down till her nose hit his. “I think it is only fair that I *hic* get some amusement from you.” Thunderlane bit his lip even harder as he his member began to peek out. Lightning did not stop her rubbing. Her coaxing continued until his stallionhood was fully emerged, throbbing with an anticipation all its own. Lightning looked down at the rather impressive tool and smirked. “Well, well…” She turned to look up at Thunderlane with a sly grin. “Looks like you do have something going for you after all.” Thunderlane tried to think of a comeback, but Lightning showed surprising finesse by flapping into the air and spinning her body around. Thunderlane opened his mouth with the intention of forming words, not with the intention of receiving the surprise muff that was shoved into it. Lightning Dust bit her lip again. “Come on, big boy! Time for a treat!” Lightning lifted her hips up until they were a few inches away from Thunderlane’s face. He stared up at the “treat” that was offered to him, the bright pink folds of her marehood beckoning him to take a taste. The stallion hesitantly leaned forward and gave a quick lick all the way up the length of it. Lightning Dust did not react the way he had hoped. She instead craned her neck back to look at him angrily. “Is that it? Come on!” Thunderlane stared at her for a full three seconds with a nervous expression. Lightning let out a groan and took matters into her own hooves, once again slamming her nethers into his face. Thunderlane got the picture pretty quickly, and started to lightly lick along the folds of her pussy. A low hum came from Lightning’s throat as he did so, giving him an extra shove of courage to intensify his effort. His tongue ran all across the surface, coating it in a mixed layer of both his saliva and her quickly forming juices. Lightning Dust wanted to tell him to pick up the pace, but smiled as she turned to look at his throbbing stallionhood. “How about a little *hic* extra incentive?” Thunderlane’s eyes went wide as she began lightly stroking his cock with her hoof. The soft fur of her fetlock rubbed against the length of his member, causing him to let off a moan into her lower lips. She leaned down and, with one flick of her tongue, lapped up the bead of precum that had already formed at the tip. The thick scent of his musk filled her nose as she did so. Feeling herself getting antsy, Lightning leaned down and slowly began to lick the head of his stallionhood. She circled her tongue around the medial ring a few times before lightly taking the head into her mouth. The sudden sensation was a little too much for Thunderlane, and he instinctively bucked his hips forward hard. Lightning’s eyes widened as most of the length was suddenly shoved through her maw, across her tongue, and partially down her throat. Thunderlane gave a long moan through a face full of her pussy, shoving his tongue into it. This in turn caused Lightning to let off a pleasured groan of her own, slowly pulling her mouth off of his stallionhood. Lightning looked down at his cock to see that it was coated in a fine layer of her spit, gleaming slightly in the dim light of the room. Her hips lifted off of Thunderlane’s face, allowing him to crane his head to look at her as she did the same. Both had gone slightly flushed in the face, partly from the arousal, and partly from the alcohol. “So, the funny guy *hic* likes to play rough?” Lightning purred with half-lidded eyes. “Well, I’m game.” Thunderlane did not even have time to say anything before she turned back down and eagerly took his entire length back into her mouth. Thunderlane let out a grunt, and the split second that his mouth was open was enough for Lightning to slam her lips back down into it. After recovering from the surprise pussy attack, Thunderlane dutifully went back to work, greedily lapping at her hot nexus lips with his tongue. He brought his strong forelegs up and wrapped them around her back legs, resting his hooves over her firm, toned flank. Lightning moaned through the mouthful of cock and gagged slightly every time the medial ring reached past the entrance to her throat. Down below, Thunderlane started using his tongue to toy with her clit, circling it around the nub of flesh. The reaction was a definite intensifying in the pleasured sounds from Lightning, who in turn increased the rate she was bobbing her head. After a while the familiar feeling of intense pleasure began to build, marked by the increased ferocity with which their mouths attacked each other’s privates. Lightning’s tail lightly coiled around Thunderlane’s head, pulling him in further as an indirect way of saying she was close and not to stop. Lightning let out a loud, pleasured moan as Thunderlane bit down slightly on her clit, her wings giving spasms as he did so. The floodgates burst, and a tidal wave of warm, sweet liquid squirted from her nethers. Some Thunderlane managed to catch in his mouth, while the rest spattered across his face and onto the pillow, partially soaking his fur and the sheets. At the same time, Lightning shoved the entire length his cock into her maw, and Thunderlane let out a heavy grunt. Lightning’s eyes widened as the member gave one single twitch before a spurt of cum erupted from the tip. Lightning gagged as blasts of hot seed was unloaded down her throat into her stomach. Eventually it became too much, and she pulled her head back, the cock leaving her mouth with an audible *shlick*. Lightning coughed and gagged up a fair amount of spunk, some going onto the mattress and some onto the pelvic region of the stallion she straddling. Lightning calmed herself down and looked back to see Thunderlane panting slightly, and he in turn looked to see her. She gave a slight grin. “Not…bad…” She panted. She turned her had to look back down and, to her excitement, saw that he was still hard as a rock. “Well…that made for a *hic* good warm-up. Now then…” Lightning quickly spun around until her front legs were pressed down on his chest, demonstrating her impressive flexibility. She gave a sly grin as she positioned her hips above his. “…ready for the main event?” “Al-*hic*-already?” Tunderlane’s eyes widened. “Can’t we just-ngh!” He was cut off as she began rubbing her nether lips along the length of his stallionhood. Whatever fluids they had present on their respective parts got mixed together by the action. Eventually hers took over, the sweet female love juice coating the front of his cock in a nice sheen. “Now comes the true test…” Lightning looked down into his eyes with a slight glare. “So…you still think you *hic* are better than me?” Thunderlane’s eyes wildly looked left and right before a slap across the face forced him to look at her. “I…uh…what was the question again?” “You still think you are a big, bad, tough guy?” Lightning snarled as she slowly slid her marehood up the length of his member until her entrance was lined up with the tip. “You think you *hic* know bad?” “I...” Thunderlane, his inebriated mind having trouble keeping up, gulped before saying the only thing he could think of. “I…need an adult?” “I AM AN ADULT!” Lightning screamed. She immediately pushed herself backwards, slamming most of the length inside her. Both their eyes went wide at the feeling, although Thunderlane was a mix between both pleasure and pain from the force of it. Lightning then pushed herself up until she was sitting up straight with his cock still inside her. She began to gently rock her hips back and forth, grinding atop the stallion, who let out a few groans in response. “Yeeeaah, you…ngh…like that don’t you?” Lightning said with a grin. “Come on! Talk dirty to me!” Thunderlane blinked at her a few time. “D…Dirty?” “Yeah!” She said in excitement. “You were talkin’ all *hic* that cool shit earlier! Call me a dirty bitch again!” Thunderlane bit his bottom lip. “I…I don’t really know…” “Call me a bitch!” Lightning snarled. “Call me a dirty whorse! Slap me around a bit! We’ve got *hic* options, baby!” Thunderlane tried as hard as he could to think of something to say, but could not for the life of him come up with anything. The pleasure in Lightning’s motions eventually took over, making his eyes close and a groan escape his throat. Lightning frowned as he laid his head back down on the mattress. “So…ngh…typical.” She forced out between pleasured grunts and she continued to rock. “Think…you are…ngh…so…tough…and now…” Lightning leaned down and pressed her torso against his, her mouth coming forward until it was barely an inch form his ear. “Now…you’re like putty.” Lightning stopped her motion and nipped at his ear, causing it to flick lightly. “Big bad boy, now *hic* reduced to a little colt…” Thunderlane’s mouth twitched slightly before it twisted into a slight snarl. “Well…” Lightning began as lightly pushed herself back up. “How about we see just how long you can-“ Lightning was cut off as Thunderlane pushed himself upward and forward, causing the two of them to land roughly with Lightning’s back hitting the mattress. Lightning could only let out a surprised yelp before a stallion pressed himself over the top of her, pinning her down. Lightning opened her eyes up and snarled at the stallion who looked at her blankly. “What the fuck *hic* do you think you are doing?” Lightning Dust squirmed underneath him. “I'm the one in charge here! I'm the-“ Lightning’s eyes went wide as Thunderlane suddenly shoved his cock back into her waiting pussy. A loud moan escaped her throat as her head fell back on the mattress. Thunderlane leaned downward, a very sly smile on his face. “Do you *hic* feel in charge?” he said with a grin. Lightning weakly opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off as Thunderlane slowly pulled out of her right before ramming back in. He repeated this again, her walls seeming to clench down on his member to prevent it from leaving. They would then part as it entered again, sending a great spike of pleasure up her spine and alleviating the feeling of emptiness that came with it exiting. What began as slow, teasing actions turned into a steady tempo, with Thunderlane bucking forward in a steady rhythm. Their hips would meet with wet slaps every time he bottomed out, with his own grunts joining the moans of the mare beneath him. Lightning did little more than stare at the ceiling, her tongue slightly lolling out as she was rutted senseless. The cock being stuffed into her seemed to fit perfectly, stretching her just the right amount. She was filled in all the right places, and it wasn’t long before she felt the all-too-familiar building of pleasure threatening to erupt. Thunderlane was not far behind. The feeling of Lightning’s wet walls sliding along his stallionhood, which he felt leaking pre inside of her. It was not suffocating, as it had with some of the younger mares he had been with before, but just the right amount of tightness to truly make him feel the right amount of euphoria. Lightning was the first to come as Thunderlane suddenly bottomed out inside her, breaching into her womb. She let out a long, pleasured yell as she felt her own cum building up inside of her, sealed inside by the throbbing member that still filled her. At the same time, Thunderlane let out a loud, guttural roar as he pushed himself forward, burying himself fully down in her. Lightning’s eyes widened as his cock gave a single throb before an explosion erupted inside of her. The first spurt was a quick one, followed by rope after rope of thick, hot cum that shot into her womb. There was so much of it that some actually broke through the seal made by Thunderlane’s cock, squirting out and rolling down her ass onto the bed. Lightning’s eyes rolled back as Thunderlane collapsed down on top of her, panting heavily. Their sweat-matted coats pressed against each other, their chests quickly rising and falling in tempo with the other. Thunderlane shakily picked himself up before moving backwards, an action met with a loud *shlick*. A large torrent of mixed love juices flowed out of Lightning’s quivering lips, forming a small pool on the mattress below them. Thunderlane rolled over until he was lying beside her. The two of them just stared at the ceiling for a moment, reveling in the afterglow of their twin orgasms. The room fell silent, save for their slowing breaths accompanied by the heavy scent of sex that hung in the air. Thunderlane would have been content to just lay there and fall asleep. He had been fighting through the effects of the alcohol for a while now, his mind telling him that getting laid was more important than sleeping. Just as he closed his eyes and was about to let it take him, there was a stirring on the mattress, followed by somepony crawling on top of him. He opened his eyes back up to see a pair of amber ones staring down at him. The mare that owned them also had a small smile on her face. They merely stared each other in the eyes for a few moments before she began to lean down, her muzzle closing the distance from his. Thunderlane closed his eyes and puckered his lips, preparing to receive what was probably a goodnight kiss. Instead the only feeling he got was a nose pressed against his. His eyes opened once more to see Lightning’s still staring at him, except that this time they had another quality to them. Mischievousness. Followed by that was a rather sly grin that spread across her face. She moved her muzzle up until her mouth was only an inch from his ear. “Round three.” She whispered. Thunerlane’s eyes went wide. “Wait, wha-ARG!” Thunderlane did not even know that he his erection was still present until Lightning roughly shoved her hips down onto it, her pussy once again swallowing it whole. Lightning Dust then pushed herself back up, beginning to once again lightly grind on his dick while still eyeing him with that sly smile. “Show’s not…*hic* done yet, big boy.” Lightning said between pleasured grunts. “Half-time’s…ngh…over. Time to…get to it again.” Thunderlane’s face twisted up into one of pain. “I…can’t feel my legs…” Lightning Dust frowned as she stopped her motion. “Pain is just weakness *hic* leaving the body!” Her frown turned back to a toothy grin. “Now say my name, bitch!” Thunderlane, managing to recover from the pain of having his pelvis nearly crushed by hers, blinked a few times in confusion. After a moment he managed to compose himself, his response one that was carefully thought out. “…I…huh?” His words were immediately met with a turquoise hoof slapping him across the face. He let out a grunt from the strike before the same hoof forced his head to look at the owner of it. “I said…” Lightning’s face twisted up into an enraged look. “Say my name!” Thunderlane’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. “L…Lightning Dust?” “LOUDER!” Lightning screamed in his face. “LIGHTNING DUST!” He cried out before shutting his eyes. Lightning gave a satisfied smile before she straightened herself back up, his cock still in her pussy and her stiff wings turning upward slightly. “Now say: ‘Lightning Dust, please *hic* fuck me until I can’t stand!’” Thunderlane eyes opened to give her a rather inquisitive look. “Wait…is that a *hic* metaphor or-GAH!” Thunderlane’s eyes went wide as Lightning gave a quick flap of her wings, raising her up in the air until only the head of Thunderlane’s stallionhood was still in her. From there she let gravity do the rest, quickly slamming back down onto his cock with quite a bit of force. Lightning repeated this action again, rising up before falling back down and ramming the dick back into her. What began as a few errant flaps soon turned into quick ones, with Lightning riding Thunderlane at an incredible speed. Thunderlane could do little more than bite his lip and lay his head back, reveling in the feeling of the mare that was pounding his cock without mercy. “YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAW!” Lightning cried out in ecstasy with a twisted smile, taking great pleasure in both the feeling of the member she was jackhammering onto and the feeling of once again being the one in control. Thunderlane’s forelegs moved up to wrap around her thighs, firmly holding them to support the mare atop him. The loud sound of wet flesh slapping against wet flesh filled the room as Lightning continued to furiously pound down onto Thunderlane. Her pussy continued to swallow his cock whole with every slam of her flanks against his hips. Every time she did so caused a loud grunt to emanate from the stallion beneath her, only spurring her to increase her pace as she added to the pleasured sounds with her own moans. Lightning looked back down at Thunderlane to see that he was looking up at her with a flushed face. The moment their eyes met they both decided at the same time to play their final trump card: bedroom eyes. The two sets locked onto each other and did not let go even as Lightning increased her pace even further and Thunderlane began his own movements, bucking his hips forward. Their eyes narrowed as they felt the heat in their extremities building up, signaling that yet another round of orgasms was coming for the two. The stallion summoned up what strength he had left and increased the pace of his own thrusting, eventually coming to the point where they were meeting each other halfway. The bed creaked loudly as grunts and moans came from the two ponies atop, now moving at several thrusts every second. Thunderlane gritted his teeth as Lightning’s tongue lolled out the side of her mouth, still furiously beating her wings in tempo with Thunderlane’s thrusts. Between the rapid movements and the fact that they had not broken eye contact with each other once, the two of them did not last long. “fuuuuuUUUUUUCK!” They both screamed out their feeling of ecstasy in unison. A split second before the moment hit, Thunderlane reached his arms up and pulled Lightning Dust down from her sitting up position. The mare, whose eyes had rolled back slightly in her head, did not object as she felt her chest press against Thunderlane’s. As soon as their bodies met they each gave out one long, last pleasured cry that echoed throughout the house. Compared to the last one, the explosion inside of Lightning was twice as intense and yielded twice as much. Thunderlane’s balls churned before their payload was fired off into her nethers, her walls drenched in the heavy hot seed once again. Bullet after bullet was shot as Thunderlane thrust a few more times up into her, the sounds made the action increasingly sloppy as he did so. Just like before, there was overflow, and the last few shots caused a fair amount to break through the seal and squirt out to hit his hips and drip down her nexus lips. Lightning collapsed in a heap on top of his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck. The movement caused her body to shift forward, signaled by Thunderlane's cock leaving her with a loud *pop*. Another large gout composed of their combined cum flowed out of her bright lips, spilling down her nethers and across his lower torso. Thunderlane’s forelegs slid off of her and flopped onto the bed, his chest rapidly rising and falling in tempo with hers. Through their chests they could feel each other’s hearts beating wildly, the rhythm steadily slowing down as they reveled together in the blissful feeling of the heavenly afterglows. For a few minutes the two were completely silent and unmoving, choosing to relax themselves after the rather heated session that just occurred. It was after a while that Thunderlane began to suspect that she may have fallen asleep on top of him which, in truth, he wasn’t opposed to. Now that the adrenaline had worn off he himself was just barely skirting the edges of passing out. His assumption had proved to be wrong when Lightning turned her head up, her face still heavily flushed. Thunderlane turned his own gaze down to meet hers, the two wearing blank expressions for a moment. Thunderlane broke it when he cracked the smallest of smiles. Lightning blinked a few times before clenching her eyes in pain as a headache flared up. “Arg…fuck *hic* me…” She brought a hoof up to hold her head. Thunderlane’s smile disappeared and he cocked an eyebrow. “But…” Lightning lowered her hoof and looked up at him again. “…we…*hic*…already did…” Lightning stared blankly for a few moments, the silence falling over the room deafening. To the surprise of Thunderlane she actually cracked a smile, followed by a very light chuckle. “He…hehe…ha…haha.” What began as giggles soon erupted into full-blown laughter, with Lightning’s chest rising and falling rapidly to signal the action. It wasn’t long after that Thunderlane soon joined in, their laughter filling the room where there had previously been silence. Lightning pushed her face down into his chest as she continued to giggle like a filly. Thunderlane managed to calm himself down after a minute, but was surprised that Lightning had yet to do so. The muffled sounds continued to sound as she let them off into the fur of his chest. Thunderlane merely smiled at the site of the hysterical mare laying on top of him. “Yeaah…” He said with a grin. “It’s *hic* pretty funny, huh?” Lightning did not cease, although the pitch of the noise she was making did change. Thunderlane opened his mouth to tell her not to hurt herself, but stopped. His smile disappeared. Overall the tone of her noise sounded…off. Her breaths seemed to be very shaky, the movements of her chest seemed erratic, and the laughs did not sound like laughs anymore. As a matter of fact, they kind of sounded like… “I-I…*hic*…I’m…” Lightning stuttered before she unburied her face and turned her tear-filled gaze up to Thunderlane. “I’m such a faaaaaaaaiiiiilureeeee!” Thunderlane’s eyes went wide and he frowned as she pressed her cheek against his chest. “You…*hic*…were right.” She cried out as she continued to sob. “I *hic* failed at life. I *hic* failed at the Wonderbolts.” She turned her tear-streaked face up to him again. “I *hic* failed at everythiiiiiiiiing!” She wailed loudly in despair. Lightning once again pressed her face into his chest as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him hard. The loud sobs and whimpers continued to emanate from her as she cried into his fur. After the initial shock at the rather rapid mood swing had worn off Thunderlane bit his lip nervously, debating on how to respond to this kind of situation. While he didn’t necessarily take back everything he had said at the bar, he also absolutely hated the sight of a mare crying. Eventually his gentlecolt instincts took over, and he raised a hoof up and gently ran in through her bright mane. “Uh…there *hic* there…” He cooed awkwardly. “No need to cry. It’s all ok.” Lightning turned her head to the side and let out a long shaky sniffle. “N-No. It’s not. I screwed *hic* everything up. I’m a terrible pony.” “Hey now…” Thunderlane said lightly as he continued to stoke her. “That’s not *hic* true. We all make mistakes.” “Not like this.” Lightning let out a few more sniffles. “I made a promise. A promise to *hic* push myself further than anypony. To become a *hic* legend.” She turned to look back up at him again. “To be the greatest Wonderbolt ever.” “That’s…” Thunderlane blinked a few times. “...a big promise. Why make that *hic* kind of a promise to yourself? What you tryin’ to prove?” “No.” Lightning shook her head. “Not to me. To *hic* somepony else.” Thunderlane cocked an eyebrow. “Who?” Lightning frowned. “Doesn’t matter anymore. I made a promise, and I…I-I…” Her lip began to tremble horribly. “I-I *hic* broke that promise!” She let off a few more whimpers. “And now here I am. All *hic* washed up. No job, no future, wallowing in self-pity …” Fresh tears began to form. “…and using some random stallion like some kind of *hic* cheap but extremely effective sex toooooy!” Lightning Dust once again broke out into a hysterical cry, pressing her face back into Thunderlane’s already soaked fur. The stallion in question was not sure if he should have felt pity for her or felt offended by the offhoof comment. Either way his hoof once again went back to stroking her mane, resuming the tempo that it had earlier. Lightning did calm down somewhat from the action, but did not stop her whimpering. “A-Am I a *hic* failure?” She asked. “Am I always gonna be a *hic* failure? Doomed to fail before I even begin?” The lip once again began trembling. “I worked *hic* for years, built myself up only to fail miserably! I’m stupid! I’m worthless! I don’t even deserve to…to…” She trailed off as a pair of dark wings came around and folded over her body, cocooning her in their feathery warmth. Under those a pair of forelegs also gently wrapped around her, and she turned her gleaming eyes up to the owner of them. “Hey…” Thunderlane said lightly with an attempt at a comforting smile. “You’re not worthless.” Lightning held his gaze for a moment before she frowned and pressed her cheek against his chest again. “You’re just saying *hic* that. You have as much a right to hate me *hic* as anypony else.” “I don’t hate you.” Thunderlane said in a light tone. “As a matter *hic* of fact, I think you are an amazing flier.” “Yeah right.” Lightning said with another sniffle. “What do I *hic* possibly have going for myself at this point?” “Well…” Thunderlane thought for a moment, harder than he would have liked. “You…have *hic* determination. You are one of the best fliers I have ever seen. You are insanely beautiful. You seem *hic* pretty smart and quick learning. You…” Thunderlane trailed off as he realized what he had just said. Clearly Lightning realized it too as she looked up to him with wide eyes, what could only be described as stars in them. “Y-You…you think I’m…” Her face was overtaken by a light blush. “…b…beautiful?” Thunderlane would have liked to deny everything. He would have liked to attempt to change the subject. He would also have liked to play dumb and act like he had no idea what she was talking about. However, as those gorgeous amber eyes stared into his golden ones, he could not. “Yes.” For the briefest moment Lightning Dust seemed absolutely star struck, her eyes seeming to sparkle and the blush on her face deepening. Deep inside Thunderlane’s head he could not help but wonder how this seemingly tough-as-nails mare could be reduced to a crying wreck, followed by a simple compliment causing her to blush like a filly. And there was another part of his head that had to admit how incredibly cute she looked when she did it. Her lips then turned upward in a small smile and her eyes went half-lidded as she shifted a bit in his grasp. Thunderlane loosened his hold and she crawled upward, closing her eyes before leaning her head toward his. Thunderlane could not hold back a blush of his own as he too closed his eyes, puckering his lips and preparing to receive what she was offering. Instead of what he thought would be a warm pair of lips pressing against his, he was met with a forehead colliding against his muzzle. “Gah!” Thunderlane let out a pained grunt as her head slid off and landed on his throat. “Ugh…dammit, if you don’t want *hic* the compliment then you could just say so!” A few seconds went by, but there was no response. Thunderlane opened his eyes and looked down at the prone mare slumped over top of him. “Hey, *hic* are you even list-“ He cut himself off as Lightning let off a loud snore. Thunderlane stared blankly at the mare for a few moments before blinking a few times. He brought a hoof up and gently poked her head, an action that got no response whatsoever. The action was repeated two more times before it finally received a response, one in the form of Lightning cracking a slight smile before wrapping her hooves around Thunderlane and pressing her head into the crook of his neck, still snoring all the while. Her head seemed to fit perfectly in the spot, with her messy electric mane giving Thunderlane's nose a little tickle as his gentle breaths ruffled the bright orange strands. Thunderlane let out a heavy sigh before letting his head fall and rest on the mattress. The air still stunk of sweat and shame, their coats were filthy and sticky, the bed was stained beyond belief with their various love juices, his pelvic region felt like a jackhammer had been taken to it, he was exhausted beyond belief… …and yet he still felt so strangely comfortable. Lightning continued to peacefully snooze on top of him as he reached his arms up and gently wrapped her in an embrace. His eyes closed as he finally allowed the sleep that his body had been begging him for the last hour to creep in at last. At the same time he could not help but dread the sore body and the massive headache that were sure to greet him in the morning. Just before sleep finally did take him, he partially opened one eye up to look down at the sleeping mare who was cuddled against him. Even in her slumber he could still make out what was a defined smile on her pretty face, which was partially buried in the warm fur of his neck. As his eye closed, he allowed himself a smile of his own. Totally worth it. Author's Note NOTE: Bonus morning-after chapter imminent. It is done. I have crossed the threshold, and there is no turning back. The line has been crossed and it cannot be uncrossed. I have stepped into a realm unlike any other, a place where many mortals fear to tread. The gods and dark lords of this place look down upon me, their wicked grins taunting and dripping with satisfied malice. They see but another mortal man who sees himself worthy. "Why are you in this place, little man? Did you get lost? Well, I guess you cannot go back now, can you?" Then they laugh. They laugh at my feeble attempts to stride forward, stumbling and falling more times than I can count. For they are right. I am but a mortal man who wandered willingly into the domain of immortals. A place where few living creatures would step into, knowing full well what waited for them beyond the Veil. But I have seen what cannot be unseen. I have heard what cannot be unheard. I have looked the dark entities of this place in their infinite black eyes, being gifted with but a fraction of the dark knowledge that they possess. Knowledge that will now and forever swim in my head, whispering to me of shadowy pacts and twisted intents. I have seen the forbidden secrets. I have seen the places where they are hidden. I have crossed into the Realm Of Clop. God, I am so fricken' wasted. //-------------------------------------------------------// After The Rain (Or, Why The Morning-After Sucks) //-------------------------------------------------------// After The Rain (Or, Why The Morning-After Sucks) Pain. That was the very first thing Thunderlane felt, although it was difficult at first to identify the actual source. After a few moments the fog that clouded his mind lifted a bit, which only caused the pain to flare up even more. His nervous system managed to align itself properly, and his brain identified the source of the pain as both the mind and body. His eyelids fluttered a bit, causing the headache to flare up even worse. A groan escaped his throat as a result, and that action revealed that his lungs also hurt. At this point it was less trying to tell which body parts were in pain and more which weren’t. After a bit of difficulty he managed to open his eyes, which were met with a harsh, blinding light. Headache flared up yet again, forcing him to shut them to allow it to pass. Once it did, they flickered open once more, and although the pain returned in force he forced them to stay open, his pupils adjusting to the light. The first thing he saw was something white. After a few more, agonizing blinks the haze managed to clear before he was able to identify it as the ceiling. Beyond that he was not sure of his surroundings. He instinctively moved his head a bit but got a taste of the whiplash that had somehow formed in his neck. Thunderlane gritted his teeth at the sensation before it passed, resting his head back onto a soft surface. Ok, I’m on a bed. That’s a start. He tried very hard to think about what happened last night. He knew alcohol must have been involved, as he knew the symptoms of a hangover from far more experiences than he would have liked. But that still did not explain why his body hurt so much, or why he felt so tired. What the hell happened last night? His torso shifted a bit to try to get a bit more comfortable from his position, an action that caused a pressure in his chest and throat to make itself known. Dammit, I better not be getting sick. He took a long deep breath to try to alleviate the pressure, but immediately froze. There was a very odd feeling about the pressure he was feeling, like it was greatly defined in…shape? Wait… His sensory receptors for his torso finally jumpstarted themselves, and it was then that he realized the pressure was not in his chest and throat. It was on his chest and throat. His building feeling of panic only grew even further as the “pressure” let out a small, stifled moan and shifted around on top of him a bit. Thunderlane grimaced. This was not what he needed right now. As much as he would have loved this to be a unique situation, it was not. There had been other times over the years, and each and every one had resulted in more awkwardness than he would ever care to admit. Well, guess I should check who the mystery mare is. After a bit of difficulty Thunderlane managed to crane his neck a bit and look downward. The first thing that arrived in his vision was a mess of electric orange hair. As his gaze shifted downward the next thing was a bright turquoise body on top of his. And finally there was… Thunderlane’s eyes widened. The whole world seemed to freeze right in that moment. Whereas before he felt awkward and ashamed, he now felt positively terrified. He blinked a few times to try to make it go away, but it didn’t. She didn’t. Lightning Dust, who was still out cold with her forelegs wrapped around Thunderlane, smacked her lips a few times. A small puddle of drool had found its way out of her mouth and onto Thunderlane’s chest. Her lips were turned upwards in a rather peaceful yet goofy smile. The stallion in question could not stop his pupils from shrinking to pinpricks. Oh sweet Celestia, not her! Anypony but her! Thunderlane’s head fell backward onto the mattress again, his sense of distress, shame, and disgust with himself only growing even further. Ok, don’t panic. It could always be worse. His head lightly turned to look at the wall, examining the big Wonderbolts poster that was plastered over the bed. Wait…Wonderbolts? Thunderlane blinked a few times before his head turned up to examine the surroundings. He saw a dresser that was not his. He saw a desk piled up with homework that was not his. He saw a room that was not his. Somehow his pupils managed to shrink even further. Why the hell are we in Rumble’s room?! His head once again slammed down on his little brother’s bed. His heart rate was slowly elevating and his breathing was increasing in pace as well. He tried to calm himself the best he could, although it was not doing much. Just calm down, Thunderlane. Calm down. Despite everything else, there is no possible way that this could get any worse. His ears pricked up to the distant sound of the front door opening and closing. Following that was the voice of an all-too familiar colt. “Thunderlaaane! I’m hoooome!” Fuck. One thing was for sure: he could not let Rumble see his room in the state it was in. On top of that was the mare that was still snoozing on his chest. Thunderlane brought a hoof up and poked her head. “Hey!” He said in a harsh, panicked whisper. “Wake up!” Lightning’s only response was to let off a groan. “Hey, bro?” Rumble called out. “Are you here?” Thunderlane bit his lip before poking her head even harder. “Wake up dammit!” Lightning did actually move a bit this time, her movement in the form of tightening her grip on Thunderlane. The stallion let out a little wheeze as she locked him in a vice grip, yet still somehow fast asleep. The hell with this. Thanks to the building adrenalin from his heightened panic levels, Thunderlane managed to summon up some strength. He began to squirm in her surprisingly strong grasp, inching his way out further and further from the mare who seemed to be determined to hold onto him. After far more of a struggle than he would have liked, Thunderlane finally managed to free himself, rolling over slightly on the bed away from Lightning. As he did he felt various wet spots on the mattress, the solid evidence of their dirty deeds done last night. “Thunderlane?” Rumble called out, his voice getting closer. “Are you back here?” Thunderlane stood up on the bed and began to walk forward, but felt himself fall face first onto the mattress again. He quickly picked himself back up before turning his head to see Lightning’s tail coiled around his like a boa constrictor. Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Thunderlane spun around and grabbed both tails, Lightning’s with his hooves and his own with his teeth. He began to pull furiously between them, trying to free the light blue strands from those of the orange ones. A few moments later he finally won his struggle, his tail coming free. Unfortunately he forgot to check his own strength and tumbled backwards off the bed, creating a loud thump. He quickly picked himself up and turned to the door, but shot one last glance back at still sleeping Lightning. The mare was now lying on her side, although her expression was different. Her eyelids fluttered a bit and her hooves reached out in a grabbing manner, searching for something to hold. A small whimper came from her throat as her lip began to tremble a bit, her forelegs still searching for the warm body that was no longer there. Thunderlane forced himself to tear his gaze away from the sight and made a mad dash for the door. He opened it up and turned to corner into the hall, nearly colliding with a grey pegasus colt. “Gah!” Tunderlane went wide eyed before reaching back and slamming the door to Rumble’s room close. He managed to calm himself down a bit, putting on a fake smile. “H-Hey there little bro! What’s up?” “Um…” Rumble looked between his older brother and the door with a cocked eyebrow. “Why were you in my room?” “Cleaning!” Thunderlane shouted suddenly. “Tidying up! You know me!” Thunderlane gave a nervous chuckle. Rumble cocked his head to the side with a rather inquisitive look. Thunderlane’s eyes darted wildly from left to right, his mouth still upturned upward in a somewhat crazed grin. After a few moments Rumble cracked a smile of his own. “Wow, thanks big bro!” Rumble said happily. “You’re the best!” Thunderlane let out a massive sigh. Thank Celestia for his adorable naivety. “I…uh, didn’t expect you home until noon today.” Thunderlane said with a smile. Rumble blinked a few times. “But…it is noon.” Thunderlane’s smile disappeared. Damn, we were out of it for that long? Must have been one helluva night. “Er…I mean, of course it is!” Thunderlane said, his fake smile still present. “Which means lunch time! What would you like? Daisy sandwiches? A fruit salad? We could even go out if you want!” Please pick the last one. Rumble grinned a big toothy grin. “Awesome! Sounds like a plan!” Oh, thank Celes- “Just let me put my bags in my room and we can go!” Rumble chirped before he reached for the door and turned the knob. The colt found his progress hampered as his hoof was swatted away and the door pulled closed again. Rumble went wide eyed as he stared up at his brother, whose masked panic look had returned. “NONSENSE!” Thunderlane shouted with a deranged smile before waving a hoof. “I mean, who needs to put bags away? Waste of time if you ask me.” “That’s fine, Thunderlane.” Rumble said as he once again reached for the doorknob. “But I actually need to grab my-gah!” Rumble found himself lifted clear off the ground and placed this brother’s back. He did not even have time to react beyond that as Thunderlane took off at a quick pace down the hall. “No need to even worry about it!” Thunderlane said confidently. “Just throw the bag anywhere and we can get going. I don’t know about you, but I am starving.” “Dude…” Rumble said as he pushed himself upward from Thunderlane’s back and brought a hoof up to his nose. “You stink!” “DO I?” Thunderlane sharply turned his head back to Rumble, the crazed grin once again present. “I hadn’t noticed!” Thunderlane gave a loud, forced chuckle but stopped as Rumble jumped off his back. By now there were in the living room, and Thunderlane turned around to see his little brother looking up at him suspiciously. “Are…you feeling ok?” Rumble asked with a cocked eyebrow. “You’re acting kinda…weird.” Thunderlane merely smiled and waved a hoof at him. “Pff, I’m totally fine. As always.” Rumble looked at him with a rather concerned look. “Well…ok. If you say so.” “Great!” Thunderlane motioned toward the door. “Now how about we-“ He was cut off by a loud thump from the other room, followed by a cry of pain. “FUCK!” Came a feminine voice from down the hall. Rumble’s ears folded down at the rather harsh language before he turned back to Thunderlane. “What…was that?” “Nothing!” Thunderlane answered quickly, his eyes wide and smile gone. “Aghh…Celestia-dammit…” Came the same voice. “Is…” Rumble’s looked shifted to one of nervousness. “Is…somepony here?” “Nope!” Thunderlane immediately answered again, the panic in his voice rising. Rumble began to take careful steps back toward the hallway. “Are you sure, because I thought I heard-“ His progress was stopped as a shadow passed over him, his brother flying and landing in front of him. Thunderlane blocked access to the hallway, putting himself between Rumble and the threshold. He was beginning to lose his composure, the nervous smile now replaced by a wide-eyed stare. “You’re imagining things, little bro!’ Thunderlane said loudly. “Just your imagination! Too many comic books!” Rumble frowned. “But reading comic books doesn’t…make…you…” Rumble trailed off as his eyes widened slightly, his look shifting to match the one that his brother was wearing. Thunderlane calmed himself a bit, seeing the panicked look on his brother’s face. The stallion’s ears fell flat, fearing that he may have scared his brother. “Uh…look Rumble…” Thunderlane began, straightening himself up. “I didn’t mean to…” Thunderlane stopped as he took a better look at Rumble’s eyes, specifically the angle of his pupils and where they were directed. It took a moment for Thunderlane to realize that they were not focused on him. They were looking behind him. Thunderlane hesitantly turned his head around… …to look straight into the face of an irritated, disheveled Lightning Dust. “Yeeek!” Thunderlane let out a rather girly sounding shriek as he jumped backwards, backing up until he was next to his Rumble. The room went deathly silent after that, with the two brothers staring wide-eyed at the mare, who merely stood in the threshold to the hallway. Lightning just stared right back, her expression unreadable. It was after a full minute that the first one to break the silence did. “Who…” Rumble looked up at Thunderlane uncertainly. “Who is this?” Thunderlane did not respond, unable to tear his gaze away from Lightning. Her eyes seemed to bore straight into his soul, and he was paralyzed with fear. He had no idea what would happen, and it terrified him. He was quite surprised, then, when Lightning turned away from him and gave Rumble a smile. “Hey there, little dude.” She said cheerfully. “What’s your name?” Rumble was silent for a moment before he returned the smile. “Rumble.” “Nice to meet you Rumble. I’m Lightning Dust.” She walked forward until she was standing next to Thunderlane, the stallion stiffening like she was about to hit him. “Listen Rumble, how about you be a sport and go chill in your room? Me and Thunderlane here have some…things to discuss.” Rumble blinked a few times as he looked between his brother and Lightning. Lightning still kept her warm smile on her, so he could not hold back his. “Alright then.” With that Rumble got up and headed down the hall. After a moment there was the sound of his door opening and closing as he entered his room. Thunderlane turned to Lightning Dust, only to find her staring straight at him with an irritated expression. Thunderlane instinctively closed his eyes and braced himself. Now that the only other witness was out of the room, Lightning had her chance to kill him. Odds were it would be painful and messy, but at least Rumble didn’t have to see. Thunderlane kept his eyes shut for a few more moments before he heard Lightning give a heavy sigh. He opened them back up to see her staring off into the kitchen before she turned to him. “I…” She began, pausing for a moment. “I don’t suppose you have any coffee here?” *** Thunderlane and Lightning Dust sat at the kitchen table, each with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of them. They had not said much to each other, other than Thunderlane asking her how much sugar and cream she liked in hers. She replied none, that she drank hers black. Just like him. Beyond that they had no other words, just quietly sitting at the table across from each other. Every now and then they would lift their cups and take a sip of the hot beverage, allowing the life-giving liquid to soothe their aching bodies and troubled minds. As the minutes passed and more coffee was consumed, the haze that was last night began to lift. They each began to remember large swathes of what had happened. From the bar to the confrontation and finally to Thunderlane’s house… And what happened in his little brother’s room… Suffice to say, they really did not have much to say once those memories came rushing back. Thunderlane looked up and saw Lightning staring into her mug with a hollow look. She in turned looked up to meet his gaze. He wanted to say something, anything. If not to curb the awkwardness then at least to try to alleviate the shame. However, he could not think of any words. They continued to work on their cups for a long while, the silence dominating the room. It was finally broken when Lightning finished hers and set it down loudly on the table. Thunderlane looked up at her from his own cup as she hopped off her chair. “Thanks for the coffee.” She said plainly before she headed towards the door and out the kitchen. Thunderlane didn’t know what possessed him to immediately jump off his own chair and head after her. He skidded into the living room to see her adjusting her saddlebags by the door. “Wait!” He said, drawing her attention. “That’s it?” Lightning cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘that’s it’?” “That’s it?” Thunderlane had a look of confusion on his face. “Get wasted, take a stallion home, fuck his brains out, thank him for the coffee…” He shook his head. “…and that’s it?” “Pretty much.” Lightning said simply. “But…” Thunderlane was silent for a moment. “Why?” Lightning shrugged. “Stress reliever. Works wonders.” “Wow…” Thunderlane shook his head with a disbelieving smile. “So I was just a piece of meat then?” Lightning cringed a bit. “Please don’t look at it that way.” “Well then how the hell else am I supposed to look at it?” Thunderlane snapped. “Oh Celestia…” Lightning brought a hoof up and rubbed her aching head. “This is not what I need right now.” “Ohh…” Thunderlane drawled out with an eye roll. “So sorry to be such an inconvenience to you.” Lightning brought her hoof back down and gave him a nasty glare. “What...the hell...do you want me to say?” Thunderlane returned her mean look. “Well for starters, how about a little more than ‘thanks for the coffee’?” “Look…” Lightning Dust gave a heavy sigh. “It’s been a rough month for me, alright? I have a lot of shit going on right now and I don’t need to complicate it.” “Ohh…” Thunderlane drawled out again with an irritated look. “So I’m a complication now?” Lightning groaned. “Don’t take it so personally. Last night didn’t mean anything. Hell, it could even be classified as a mistake.” “Don’t talk to me like I’m unfamiliar with it.” Thunderlane said with a frown. “I’ve been through it before.” “Then why are you questioning it?” Lightning asked. “I…” Thunderlane blinked. Why was he questioning it? This whole situation seemed like a mistake from the start, he had to agree with her. Now she was about to leave and the entire messed up ordeal could be over. So why couldn’t he let it? Thunderlane’s ears fell flat. “That’s what I thought.” Lightning turned to the door but looked at Thunderlane again. “It’s better this way, ok? Trust me when I say it. Last night didn’t happen. End of story.” With that, Lightning Dust turned around and approached the door, reaching a hoof out to open it up. It swung outwards until the outside was revealed, the rays of the afternoon sun lightning up the threshold slightly. For a long moment she just stood in the doorway, not moving a muscle. Thunderlane merely cocked an eyebrow at her, thinking she would have taken off the moment the morning air rushed over her. Instead she just stood there, head drooping a little bit. Lightning turned her head around to look at him, not moving from her place. There was an indescribable emotion in her eyes, one that Thunderlane had not seen from her yet. She looked between him and the door a few more times before she let her head fall with a heavy sigh. “Fuck it.” She muttered before flapping her wings and heading back towards Thunderlane. The stallion instinctively closed his eyes tight, as he had a feeling what was coming. The aura that she let off ever since she woke up indicated that she wanted to hurt him. Badly. It looked like now she was finally going to do just that. He could not help but wonder if he deserved it. Regardless of whether or not they were both flat-out wasted, he still frowned on any…amorous activities while under the influence. Not that it hadn’t happened over the years, and each and every time it had he’d been disgusted with himself. This time was not any different. Thunderlane stood up straight with his eyes still closed, waiting for her to get her hit in. A punch to the face, a kick to the gut, a full-on head-butt…it didn’t matter to him. The least he could do at this point was take it like a stallion. A stallion who was still ashamed of this entire situation. And so there he stood, the seconds seeming like eternities in themselves. From Lightning Dust he expected many things, a black eye, a broken tooth, maybe even a concussion. What he did not expect was the soft pair of lips that pressed gently against his. Thunderlane’s eyes instantly shot wide open, seeing the closed ones of the mare who was right in front of him. The shock on his face lasted only a moment before his brain processed how incredibly velvety her lips felt. The moment it did his eyes slowly closed back, with his body leaning forward into the kiss. Lightning did not really have any meaningful intentions behind it. For her it was a spur of the moment choice just for the hell of it. She only meant it as a simple gesture, one that said both sorry and thanks. Sorry for being a pain in the ass and abusing you, and thanks for putting up with me and helping me blow off some steam. Other than that, it was intended as nothing else. A gesture that was not to be taken any other way. Just a quick, casual kiss. In and out, five seconds at most. Thunderlane leaned forward, pressing his surprising warm and soft lips into hers. Five seconds. A small, gentle wave of warm air was exhaled out of his nose, tickling the fur of her face. The feeling caused her eyelids to flutter a little. Ten seconds. Lightning leaned in even further, to the point where their soft chests were pressed against each other. Both could feel each other’s heart rate slowly accelerating. Fifteen seconds. She let in a sharp intake of breath through her nose as Thunderlane brought his forelegs up and across her fur. One hooked around her torso to gently support her, while the other began to run through her mane. Lightning followed suit and wrapped hers around him as well, pressing their bodies even closer together. Twenty seconds. Lightning’s tongue seemed to get a mind of its own, snaking its way out of her mouth and prodding at Thunderlane’s lips. The stallion parted them and his own tongue moved forward to meet hers. Instead of a wild fight for dominance that they had come to expect from one another, their tongues instead intertwined and gently massaged each other. It was at that point that Lightning Dust lost count. In fact, her mind could not focus on anything else at that moment other than the sensations it was being bombarded with. Their tongues continued to slowly dance and circle around each other as their hooves ran across each other’s backs, and through each other’s manes. Thunderlane was just as lost in the action at that point as she was, gently cocking his head to get a better lock on her mouth with his. Even during the action their lips did not separate once. All of the unexpected and intense sensations…the warmth and taste of his tongue, the feeling of his hoof running through her mane, the tempo of his heart beating against hers…it was all a bit overwhelming for Lightning Dust. She showed it when she let off a small, shaky moan into his mouth. After another minute of the storm of sensations the need for air finally caught up to the two ponies. Their lips finally pulled away from each other, but just enough that they were able to take a few shaky breaths. After a few moments of doing such their eyes opened to meet each other again. They did not blink once for quite a few long seconds, simply gazing half-lidded at one another, taking long breaths to refill their lungs. Their muzzles were barely an inch from one another, every wave of warm breath running gently across the other’s face. At some point during their intimate display their wings had extended outwards, but neither had noticed in the moment. Their legs were still wrapped around each other, although no longer caressing. Just holding. Lightning could not deny it. She wanted more. The ending of such a euphoric feeling left her with nothing but want. She wanted so badly to lean back in and taste him again. Feel him again. Be held so close again. After a few seconds, she came down off the sensory high, and her eyes widened slightly. She suddenly pushed off of Thunderlane, breaking out of his grasp and jumping backwards. Thunderlane stayed right where he was, sitting on his haunches and blinking out of his stupor. A peculiar expression was written across Lightning’s face, a mix of fear, uncertainty, and confusion. She stared in shock at him for a few moments before her ears folded down and she bit her bottom lip. Her eyes darted wildly off to the sides as a blush spread across her face. Thunderlane could tell she was distressed. Clearly that little act had meant a little more to her than she intended, and it frightened her. He was a little confused as well, but did not let it shake his resolve too much. “I…” Thunderlane thought for a moment, forming a ghost of a smile. “Did…that not happen either?” It was only intended as a quick little quip to try to alleviate the distress that Lightning was showing. It did not have the desired effect, however, and she quickly turned and headed towards the still open door. Her wings extended as she stopped at the threshold, once again paralysed. After a few seconds she turned back to face him again. She opened her mouth to say something, but it just stayed that way for a moment or two. No words were formed. Her ears folded down as her eyes stared into those of the stallion across the room. Written in them was an unmistakable emotion. Sadness. Her eyelids drooped a bit before she turned back around and gave a quick flap of her wings. She quickly took off out the door at great speed, much as a sparrow might to elude a falcon. A gust of air signaled her departure, and the sound of her wingbeats faded into the distance before disappearing altogether. She was gone. Thunderlane stared out the door for a few long seconds, not really sure what to do. Eventually he got up off his haunches and approached the threshold. He looked out into the sky and could just barely make out a turquoise dot as it crested toward the horizon, headed somewhere northwest. As he stood there, two thoughts surged to the fore of his mind. One demanded that he go after her, although he had no idea why. The other merely instructed him to close the door and return to finish his coffee. Seeing as the first could present no compelling evidence as to why, he decided to go with the second. The door was lightly shut before he turned around and returned to the table. He sat down before pulling his mug back over. Although it was cool by now, he did not let it stop him from quickly downing the rest of it before setting the cup back on the table. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he sat back in the chair, his mind adrift in thought. He did not know why he was dwelling on this so much. Like she said, it was a stupid situation. It never should have happened in the first place. It was just the results of a pair of ponies who got drunk and made a bad decision. And even if it wasn’t such a bad decision, it didn’t have to mean anything. Thunderlane had plenty of one night stands before, most of the mares not being interested in a long-term relationship. The ones that were either got flat-out rejected or, at best, were dated for a while before being dumped. Thunderlane shook his head at the memories. All of the stupid, shameful memories of a wild life that he thought he had left behind. And yet here he was doing it yet again, waking up with a stranger. Or at least that’s how it should have felt. Thunderlane let off a groan as he held his aching head. Why was he dwelling on this so much? What was so different about this time? What was so different about her? The part of him that had told him to go after her spoke up again. That kiss… It didn’t mean anything. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything. But you liked it. You liked it a lot. The sex was great too, what bits he could remember. But that didn’t mean that he was ready to chase after her. Sex is one thing, in your case. But a kiss is something entirely different. How? Because of that spark you felt. Face it, you felt more passion in that short minute than you have felt in your entire miserable, meaningless love life. Thunderlane shook his head lightly, something that only caused his headache to flare up yet again. He winced before letting out a heavy sigh. Regardless of the implications that single action might have had, she was gone now, and that was for the best. Now they could just continue on with their lives. Because your life is just so fulfilling otherwise, isn’t it? Thunderlane was really beginning to hate his inner voice right now. He set his head down on the table, really wishing for something to take his mind off of the entire situation. “Thunderlaaaaane!” Rumble whined from the other room. Thunderlane winced from the high pitch that seemed to burrow into his skull. “Yeah?” “Why is my bed all wet?” Author's Note Ugh....finally. Sorry this took so long. You see GeneralLiberator had a brilliant idea. He figured that since a chapter about drunken ponies having drunken sex was written by him while he himself was also drunk, it should only be appropriate that the next chapter, one about hung-over ponies having an awkward hung-over morning after was written by him while he himself was also hung-over. Turns out that idea sounded a lot better in his head before he was suffering through on-and-off headaches over the course of several days. Let it be written in stone here today that GeneralLiberator is going to stay as far away from alcohol as humanly possible for...oh gee, I don't know...the next twenty years or so. But it's done now. Thank god. Anyway, whether or not I will visit this idea in the future is completely up in the air. I don't really know, but I couldn't help but get attached to this ship as I wrote this. It just seems to make sense to me. [INSERT STORM PUN HERE] We will see what happens. But anyway, thanks to all the readers for their support, thanks to AShadowOfCygnus for cleaning up my attempt to write while undergoing the mother of all headaches, and a special thanks to Tylenol for helping me through my first hangover. Catch y'all later. -The Liberator