The Life in Ponyville series: Thundering Rivers, Rivers of Flame

by SeaBreeze173

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance, Original Character
Length: 5083

Thunder Bolt and his sister,River,have been best friends since foalhood. Fast-forward many years, it’s Bolt’s 18th birthday.River comes home from college to celebrate with her little bro,only she brought some unexpected news along for the ride.

Thunder Bolt and his older sister, River, are as close as two siblings can be. Whereas most fillies would think younger brothers as being annoying creatures, River adored her little bro, almost to the point of being a second mother.

When River left home to attend college in Manehatten, the down trodden look on Bolt’s face nearly made her want to fly off the train and cling to him for dear life, so when she returns home after four years of being apart, save for special occasions, the two siblings are beyond overjoyed. But River has two surprises for her parents and brother; she is moving to Baltimare.

And she is getting married.

Her husband-to-be is no other than Flame Warden, the stallion Bolt hates more than anything.

Can Bolt overcome the ten years of built up hatred he has for Flame or with the two stallions forever be at one another's throats?

Previous fics:
Note: Prior reading of Books 1 and 2 needed for Thundering Rivers, Rivers of Flame

Book 1: New Town, New Beginnings
A Life in Ponyville side story: A Blast to the Past
Book 2: Forever Love
A Life in Ponyville stand-alone: Love: Reassessed

Published 2015-09-24 20:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-10-13 15:59:31 UTC

Thundering Rivers...

Thundering Rivers…

“Thunder! Don’t put that there,”

“You said to put it there five minutes ago,”

“But now I’m telling you not to,”

“So where do you want it?”

“I don’t know.”

Thunder Cloud stared at his wife, Ocean Light, as she struggled to put up streamers for their son’s eighteenth birthday party. Despite Thunder Bolt begging his parents not to put up a big fuss about his birthday as they had every year, they still worked hard, making sure that their colt had a wonderful birthday. Ocean was more insistent on it than Thunder Cloud, who was content to just give his son a gift card and let the almost-grown stallion have at it.

“You did ask the Cakes to have the cake ready by today, right?” Ocean asked as she fluttered around the living room. She was a teal and cyan pegasus with blue eyes and a wave cutie mark.

“Yes, I did,” Thunder chuckled at his wife. Thunder was a large brown and black pegasus with dark blue eyes, his cutie mark being a cloud with a tornado descending down from it.

“Did you buy the candles?” Ocean called from the kitchen.

“Yes, dear,” Thunder said, trying to hide the little groan he did after. He couldn’t wait for five o’clock to arrive.

“It’s late. The train is late. How can it be late!?” Bolt walked to the right.

“Bolt—” Sea Breeze lazily lounged on a bench while she watched her coltfriend pace. It was fine an hour ago. Now, she was bored.

“What if she isn’t on the train?!” Bolt frantically walked to the left.

“Bolty—”

“What if she decided to stay in Manehatten?!”

“THUNDER BOLT!” Sea Breeze shouted at her pacing coltfriend.

“What?”

“You’re worrying for no reason. The train will get here when it gets here. She will be on the train. Calm yourself,” Sea yawned. “Besides, you’re wearing a path into the boards.”

Bolt sighed and sat down beside Sea. The grey pegasus wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck.

“Happy birthday, by the way,” she nuzzled his cheek. Bolt nuzzled back.

“Thanks,”

“How does it feel being eighteen?”

“Feels just like being seventeen. I don’t see the point in celebrating. Age is just a number; it’s how you are on the inside that counts,”

“Look at you, being all philosophical,”

“I have my moments,”

“You’re such a dork,” Sea laughed.

“But I’m your dork,” Bolt pulled Sea in for a kiss just as the Manehatten train came in.

“Yuck, get a room,” Bolt and Sea jolted upright on the bench to see a bright cerulean and navy blue mare standing in front of the open doors of the train.

“River!” Bolt jumped off the bench and embraced his older sister. River was a pegasus, like her brother and parents. Her eyes were the same blue as Bolt’s. Her mane was up in an elegant style, as it had been for the past few years whenever she came home from Manehatten.

“Happy birthday, little brother!! Though, I guess I can’t call you ‘little’ anymore,” River laughed as she looked up to her brother. “You’ve grown since I saw you last Hearth’s Warming.” River’s eyes landed on the grey pegasus still sitting on the bench.

“Is that Sea Breeze?” River asked her brother. Bolt nodded.

“Sea, come here,” Bolt smiled. Sea hopped off the bench and trotted to her coltfriend.

“Sea, I’d like you to meet the best sister ever,”

“But Junie always said that I’m the best sister ever,” Sea laughed. River laughed too.

“Nice to meet you, ‘Best Sister Ever,’” River extended her hoof. Sea shook it.

“Nice to meet you as well, ‘Best Sister Ever,’” Sea smiled.

“Hey Babe! A little help here?” River turned and saw her coltfriend struggling with their luggage. He was a grayish-blue pegasus with a light and dark red mane and tail. His eyes were a light green.

“Sorry Flame, just reuniting with my bro,” River said as she took several bags, placing a light kiss on Flame’s cheek as she did.

Sea felt Bolt stiffen up beside her. “Bolt? Are you okay?” Bolt continued to glare at Flame.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Sea Breeze, this is my coltfriend, Flame Warden. Flame, this is Bolt’s marefriend, Sea Breeze,” River smiled as she introduced the two.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Flame smiled politely. “How are you today, Thunder Bolt?”

“Fine,” Bolt grumbled. “I was better before you showed up,” he growled under his breath.

“That’s good,” Flame said, not hearing the last part.

“Well then,” River glanced back and forth between the stallions. “How about we head home,”

“Sounds good to me,” Bolt said as he turned and began walking home. Sea and River glanced at each other and followed, Flame coming up behind.

“Bolt, what’s wrong?” River asked several minutes later. She had caught up with the brown pegasus, leaving Sea Breeze to talk with Flame Warden.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing him?” Bolt growled.

“Well, he is my coltfriend. And Ponyville is his home, too, you know,” River retorted. “Maybe he wanted to see his family?”

“But—”

“Stick it,” River glared. “I came home so that I could be with you on your eighteenth birthday. I missed both your sixteenth and your seventeenth
birthdays and I want to make sure that today is awesome.” River sighed. She continued.

“Look, you know I love you,”

“Yeah,”

“And I know you love me,”

Bolt laid his ears back. “Yeah,”

“Then please try to get along with Flame. He’s been trying to get on your good side for years. He really wants to be able to have a brotherly relationship with you and you aren’t making that easy for the poor guy,”

Bolt grumbled again.

“Pleeeeeaaaaaassssseeeeeee?? Please please please with a cherry on top?” River hopped on Bolt’s back and gave him a noogie.

“Fine,” Bolt laughed as his sister continued to assault his mane.

“So, how did you and River meet?” Sea asked Flame Warden as the followed behind the siblings.

“I moved to Ponyville with my mother when I was fourteen. River and I just hit it off. And in our junior year of high school, I asked her out. Been together ever since,” Flame smiled.

“That’s so sweet,”

“What about you and Bolt there?”

Sea blushed slightly. “It’s kind of a long story. We ran into each other on the train, flew into each other later that afternoon, and then my dog tried to eat him…”

“Wow, you could write a book about that,” Flame laughed. Sea laughed with him.

“Yeah, our beginning was right out of fairytale. But we’re still together eight months later so I think everything is okay.”

Sea and Flame caught up with River and Bolt. Sea Breeze shuffled up beside Bolt and leaned into his shoulder while River fell back beside Flame.

“It’s been nearly eleven years, Riv. I don’t think he’ll ever like me,” Flame said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get him to come around,” River smiled. “One day.”

“I don’t get why she had to bring him,” Bolt grumbled as he and Sea Breeze left his house after dropping off River and Flame Warden. Thunder Cloud and Ocean refused to let Bolt in, so the two decided to go to Sugar Cube Corner.

“I don’t get why you don’t like him. Flame seems to be a pretty cool guy,” Sea said.

“That’s just it! He’s too perfect. Everypony has a flaw. This guy doesn’t. He’s hiding something, I’m sure of it,”

“Are you sure you aren’t just being an overprotective brother? Shining is like that with Twilight. You should have seen the interrogation he gave Twi’s new coltfriend. And Flash is in the royal guard,”

“It’s my job to look out for River, Breezey,”

“No, it’s not. River’s what, seven years older than you? She can take care of herself,”

“You’re just saying that because you’re a mare, too,”

“And what if I am?”

“I—” Bolt raised a hoof, then set it down. “—I got nothing,”

“I thought so,” Sea smiled in triumph.

An hour later the two returned to Bolt’s home.

“You know my parents are doing a surprise party, right?” Bolt asked.

“Wasn’t it obvious by the way they shoved us out earlier?”

“Yeah, I’m sure they have half of Ponyville in there hiding,”

“If they hired Pinkie Pie, it’s probably all of Ponyville,” Sea deadpanned.

Bolt nodded as he opened the door, revealing the pitch black house. The lights switched on and everypony jumped out, shouting an enthusiastic “SURPRISE!!” Bolt feigned shock as Thunder and Ocean trotted up, smiles on their faces.

“Happy birthday, Bolt!” Ocean embraced her son.

“Thanks, Mom, Dad,” Bolt returned his mother’s hug. He looked over his shoulder at Sea Breeze. Sea smiled lovingly at her coltfriend before being dragged away by Sweet Heart, Phoenix and Moon Glow.

River trotted up to her brother once their parents left the room.
“Happy birthday, again,” River laughed.

Bolt chuckled with her as Thunder and Ocean came back into the room holding between them a large cake in the shape of a soccer ball. If Bolt didn’t know better, he would think that it was a soccer ball. On the sheet pan the cake sat on was an icing replica of his cutie mark with the words “Happy 18th Birthday, Thunder Bolt!” written out beside it. Bolt starred speechless as his parents carefully sat the cake on the table.

“So, what do you think?” Sea asked as she shuffled up beside her coltfriend.

“Did you have a hoof in this?”

“I may have given your parents the idea,” Sea giggled. “Pinkie Pie and the Cakes figured out the details.”

“It’s amazing! I’ve never seen a cake with this shape,” Bolt admired the pastry. “I almost don’t want to eat it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell you how it tastes,” Sea smirked.

“I said ‘almost’,” Bolt smirked back.

“You’re what?!” Ocean shrieked from the kitchen. Bolt, Sea and their friends all froze, Skye’s hoof hovering over the board game they were playing.

“Mom, relax, please,” River’s voice could be heard soothing her mother.

“River, this is a big step,” Bolt heard his father say. “I mean, this is wonderful news, but, are you sure?”

Bolt and Sea glanced at each other. Bolt stood up from his laying position on the carpet and trotted to the kitchen.

“Yes, Daddy. I’m—”

“Um, what’s going on?” Bolt asked. River flinched and turned to see her brother standing in the doorway.

“Oh, hey Bolt,” River chuckled nervously.

“Riv, you’re hiding something,” Bolt said knowingly as he stepped into the kitchen.

“Yes, I am, but I don’t want to tell you right now. It’s your birthday and today is all about you, not me,”

“River, you can tell me anything, you know,”

“Promise you won’t freak out,” Bolt raised a brow, but nodded anyways.

“Okay. Flame asked me marry him and… I said yes. We’re also going to be moving to Baltimare in the winter—Bolt! You promised! Oh my gosh, Flame are you okay?!”

“I can’t believe you punched him,” Sea glared at Bolt as they sat in the empty waiting room of the Ponyville Hospital.

“It wasn’t that hard,” Bolt grumbled, an ice pack wrapped around his right hoof.

“You nearly broke his nose!”

“That’s what he gets for taking my sister,”

“Oh geez, this again?”

“It’s true!”

“You’re being a foal about this whole ordeal. Grow up!”

“You don’t know how it is!” Bolt shouted.

“Oh I don’t, do I?” Sea stepped forward aggressively.

“No! You don’t. Flame Warden has ruined my life! He convinced River to leave me here for four years so that they could go to college together. I didn’t even see her for a big part of three years! Now he asks her to marry him and they’re moving to Baltimare!”

“Well at least she isn’t moving to another country. She’ll just be a train ride away,” Sea said.

“But—”

“It’s her life, Bolt! You’re not your sister’s keeper,”

“It’s my job to protect her!”

“No! It’s not!” Sea and Bolt glared at each other. Sea huffed and turned around to leave, her tail smacking Bolt in the face as she did. She stopped when she got to the doorway. Not looking at him, she said,

“When you decide to grow up, you know where I live,”

“Sea, please wait,” Bolt stood. Sea continued on, pushing through the revolving hospital doors. Bolt sunk back onto the chair and rested his head in his hooves.

River trotted into the waiting room, having heard the whole thing.

“Bolt, I—”

“Don’t. Just, don’t,”

...And Rivers of Flame

…And Rivers of Flame

1 week later

“OW! That’s tender!” Flame howled as River took the bandage of his muzzle.

“Quit whining,” River giggled. Flame huffed and crossed his arms.

“How does it look?” Flame asked anxiously. River gasped.

“Oh no,”

“What! Give me a mirror!” River hoofed a mirror to her fiancé. Flame tentatively raised the mirror until he saw his face…that was perfectly fine, save for a small scar over his muzzle.

“Huh?” Flame glanced up at River, who burst out laughing.

“That’s not funny.”

Bolt laid on the couch, listening as Flame and River laughed in the adjoining room.

It had been a week since Sea walked out on him after their argument in the hospital. They had ran into each other several times, what with them having the same friends, but each time Sea would glare at him and trot away, the girls following after her.

Ocean Light walked passed the doorway of the living room, paused and looked in the room to see her son on the couch.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Ocean sat down beside him. Bolt stayed silent.

“Is it about you and Sea?” Ocean asked knowingly. Bolt only nodded.

“Maybe if you apologize—”

“Apologize?! To her?” Bolt said. “It’s Sea who should be apologizing. She just blew up for no reason! I should have seen it coming. It’s always the quiet ones,” Bolt crossed his arms.

“Oh thank goodness,” Ocean said, trying to—and succeeding at—hiding a smirk.

“Huh?”

“I never liked that mare,”

“You didn’t?”

“Celestia no! I always knew there was something fishy about Sea Breeze,” Ocean continued. “She’s from a class higher than us. She is personal friends of a princess and the former Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, knows another princess quite well and her parents are famous. That mare is no better than those Canterlot snobs. Only she’s living here in Ponyville,”

“Wait a minute!” Bolt rose up from the couch. “Sea is wonderful. She’s kind, sweet, gorgeous, funny, an awesome cook, she has a beautiful voice, and she’s my marefriend,” Bolt’s ears perked.

“I have to go to her! Tell her I’m sorry!” Bolt galloped out of the living room and out the door, the door slamming shut behind him. Ocean still sat on the couch, hooves on her lap.

“Mission accomplished.”

Bolt landed in the front yard of Sea’s home and galloped up the steps two at time. Ringing the doorbell, he stood back and waited. Sea Breeze opened the door, a smile on her face.

“Hey Girls—Oh, it’s you,” Sea’s smile turned into a frown. Leaning against the doorframe, she crossed her hooves. “What do you want?” she spat. Bolt deflated slightly at the way her eyes were glaring angrily at him.

“Sea, I came to apologize,” Bolt lowered his ears. Sea’s eyes widened slightly. Uncrossing her hooves, she raised a brow.

“I’m listening,”

“I’m sorry for what happened at the hospital. It was wrong of me to get mad at you when I was really mad at River. And myself, really. I just needed someone to take my anger out on and you were there. I’m sorry,” Bolt gazed at Sea, watching for a reaction. The grey pegasus’ glare softened slightly, but she kept her face stern. Sighing, Sea said,

“I’ll forgive you,” Bolt smiled, but it disappeared when Sea continued. “But, you have to tell me why you hate Flame so much,”

“Okay,” Bolt nodded. Sea’s glare completely disappeared, a look of surprise replacing it.

“Okay? I was half-expecting some long drawn out stalliony description of extreme dislike,” Sea smirked.

“Don’t worry. There’ll still be plenty of that,”

Sea rolled her eyes, but her lips curved into a small smile. She grabbed Bolt’s hoof and spread her wings.

“C’mon, I know where we can talk in private,”

Sea landed in a field, a lone oak tree in the middle. Bolt touched down beside her and looked around.

“I have to admit, it is pretty private,” Bolt commented as the two walked to the oak.

“Yeah. I bring Angus here a lot to play ball with him. It also just has this calm feeling to it. I don’t know why. It’s a just a field with a tree in the middle,” Sea sat down in the shade of the giant oak. The tree had to have been around for at least one hundred years, maybe two hundred.

Looking up expectantly at Bolt, Sea said, “I believe you were going to tell me a story,”

Bolt chuckled and sat down beside the grey pegasus. “Yes, I was,”

“So, tell me, why do you hate Flame Warden?”

“I don’t know,”

“What?” Sea deadpanned.

“I’m being honest here,” Bolt looked down at his hooves. “I really don’t know why I hate him. Like you said, he’s nice. He always has been. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him angry or heard him utter a single curse word.

“Flame and River have been friends since he moved to Ponyville eight years ago. I guess that’s when my resentment towards him began. Before he came along, River and I hung out a lot. Sure, I had my friends, but I almost always chose spending time with my sister over spending time with them. I looked up to River. She was always so wise and she always encouraged me to do what I thought was right and not to conform to society’s standards,” Bolt pointed at his cutie mark. “Without Riv, I wouldn’t have gotten this. If you can believe it, as a colt, I had no interest in soccer,”

“You’re kidding,” Sea lifted a brow as Bolt shook his head. “I mean, I knew that you got your cutie mark while playing with River, but didn’t know that part of the story,”

“I wasn’t a very sporty colt. I actually preferred doing academic things, particularly math and science,” Sea snorted and burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe you never told me this before! This is gold!” Sea flopped over on her back. “I can just see it! Thunder Bolt, the math nerd!”

“I rather like math and science, thank you very much. It’s much more interesting than history,” Bolt faked a vomiting motion as he said the word. Sea shot up and playfully glared.

“Oh, you did not just go there,”

“I just did,” Bolt glared back. The two glared at each other for several more moments before Sea started laughing again.

“Thunder Bolt, the math nerd!” Bolt rolled his eyes.

“You’re a hoot,” Sea giggled one last time and sat up. “Okay, I’m good now. Please, do continue,”

“As I said, I enjoyed math and science,” Sea snorted again, but covered her mouth when Bolt looked at her. The mare put on a stoic face and made a zipping motion over her lips and acted as if she threw away a key. Nodding, Bolt continued.

“River was the more outgoing one. She liked sports and doing out-doorsey things. Once day when I was eight, she convinced me play a game of soccer with her. I realized that I had a knack for it. It’s all strategy and patterns, kinda like math. I was able to almost predict River’s movements before she made them. After getting the ball into the goal past River, my cutie mark appeared. I quite surprised at having at a sporty cutie mark. I had been certain that I would have a talent for mathematics or science.

“I was actually a little sad that I had a soccer ball on my flank. But River came through again and made me realize that soccer was my talent. She also said that an algebra formula mark wouldn’t look that awesome,”

“She was right,” Sea stuck her tongue out

“You’re just saying that because you hate algebra,”

“Don’t forget calculus, trigonometry and geometry. Basic math is okay, kinda. It’s when you start adding in letters. X plus B divided by Z minus H multiplied by A equals Y over W. That’s when I’m out. Seriously, why are there letters in math? It’s already complicated without them!” Sea waved her arms in exasperation.

“It’s not that complicated. You just have to find the pattern,”

“Patterns are for dress making. Who do I look like, Rarity?” Bolt stared at his marefriend, her words going right over his head.

“You look nothing like Rarity. I was just explaining—” Bolt was interrupted by Sea groaning and face-hoofing.

“Just get on with the story,”

“Okay, okay!” Bolt put his hooves up. He began once more.

“River was my cheerleader, the one who was always there for me. She hugged me close when I was upset, kissed my cuts and scrapes when I got hurt. She was my best friend. A few weeks after I got my cutie mark, Flame moved to town. River was fifteen. It was like, one day my sister did everything with me, the next she was spending almost all her time with this other colt. She and I still spent time together, but it wasn’t the same anymore. Whenever her friends came over, she was always talking about Flame Warden. ‘Flame Warden this, Flame Warden that.’ ‘Flame’s so handsome.’” Bolt impersonated his sister, gagging when he finished.

“I wanted to puke every time I heard his name. Then in their junior year of high school, he asked her out. Then they went to college together. Now they’re getting married. And moving away,” Bolt sighed and lay down on the grass. Sea lay beside him and nuzzled his cheek.

“It just really stinks. It’s felt like I’ve been loosing my sister for ten years and now she really is leaving me,”

Sea smiled gently and raised Bolt’s head so she could see his eyes. “Bolty, you’re not loosing your sister. River will never leave you behind. Even when she’s in Baltimare, she’ll still be with you. She’s always been there for you and she always will be, just like how I’ll always be there for Striker and Junie when they need me. Even when apart, siblings will always be together. You’ll never have a better friend than your sibling,” Sea kissed Bolt’s cheek. Bolt smiled and nuzzled his marefriend.

“You’re right. I have a sister to talk to,” Bolt stood up and reached his hoof down for Sea. “And a future brother-in-law as well,”

River nuzzled Flame as the two sat on the front porch of her home. The next day Flame would be on the train to Baltimare to start at his new job while River stayed in Ponyville to begin planning their wedding and so the couple wanted to spend as much time with each other as possible.
“I’m going to really miss you these coming weeks, Flame,” River sighed.

“It’s going to be weird not seeing you every day like in Manehatten,” Flame responded, tightening his grip around River’s shoulders.

“You’re going to come at least every other weekend, right?”

“That’s what I’m hoping for, but it may change sometimes,”

“I can’t wait for our wedding day. Six months is too long,” River pouted.

“It’ll be here before we know it, Riv,” Flame placed a soft kiss on the blue mare’s cheek.

“Oh I know you can do better than that,” River smirked. Flame chuckled and placed his lips on River’s, his soft touch making the mare melt in his arms. They didn’t notice Bolt and Sea landing in the yard.

“Is this a bad time?” Sea said. River and Flame jumped in surprise and quickly pulled away from each other.

“Oh!” River gasped, than smiled at the grey pegasus. “Hello, Sea Breeze. How are—” River’s smiled faltered as Bolt came into view from around the porch.

“Hey, sis,” Bolt looked up sheepishly at the older mare.

“Hi,” River glanced back and forth between her brother and fiancé. “Bolt, I, um,”

“I need to talk to you,” Bolt said. He glanced over at Flame. “And Flame,”
Flame’s eyes widened slightly and he nickered nervously. “You aren’t going to sock me again, are you?” Before Bolt could respond, Sea spoke up.

“Bolty wants to apologize to you and River. He told me what’s gone on between the three of you for the past ten years. He feels that he’s been slowly loosing River and now that you and her are getting married and moving away, he is going to loose her,” Sea turned to River.

“I’ve known about your and Bolt’s relationship for awhile, but I didn’t truly know how much he looks up to you until today. I love Junie and Striker with all my heart, but I don’t have a close sibling relationship with them. I wish I did, but they pretty much do their own thing these days. I guess I missed my opportunity,” Sea sighed and shuffled her hooves.

River studied Bolt for a long time. Her eyes began to tear up slightly, but she sniffed them back. At that moment, she didn’t see the Bolt who was now a full head taller than her. She saw the little colt with an unruly mane and black ink blotched coat that she had to bribe to come outside with her.

“Bolt, is this true?” the brown pegasus only nodded.

“I’m so sorry. I just thought you really didn’t like Flame. The whole “protective brother” thing. I—gosh I was so stupid. How could I not see what my relationship with Flame was doing to the first colt I ever loved?” River wiped the tears from her eyes and covered her face with her hooves.

Bolt slowly made his way to River and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m not going to lie, Rivvy. It hurt me,” Bolt wrapped his arms around River and hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry, too, River. I should have told you a long time ago. I guess we were both stupid, huh?”

River giggled and hiccupped. “Yeah, I guess we were,”

She released him from the hug and held him at arm’s length. “I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you. No matter where you are, no matter where I am, no matter how many miles are between us, whenever you need me, I’ll be there. You’re my baby brother and you always will be, even when you are old and grey, you’ll still my baby brother Bobo,” Bolt blushed at his foalhood nickname. “Get it?”

“Got it,” Bolt smiled.

“Good,” River ruffled Bolt’s mane with her hoof and hugged him tight once more. Flame walked up to the siblings and hung his head.

“Hey, Bolt,” Flame said.

“Yeah?” Bolt turned to the fiery-maned stallion.

“Your sister is very lucky to have a brother as caring as you. I didn’t mean to come between the two of you. I guess we all act pretty stupid when we’re in love,” Flame chuckled, gazing lovingly at River. “I promise I’ll take good care of her,”

“I know you will, Flame,” Bolt smiled.

Epilogue

Epilogue

Six months later

“Do you, Flame Warden, take River to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, until death do you part?” Mayor Mare said.

Flame Warden smiled lovingly at the cerulean mare standing in front of him. She wore an ivory wedding dress and had bluebells braided into her mane. How she had gotten the flowers in the middle of winter was beyond him, but they made the already beautiful pegasus look all the more breath-taking.

“I do,” Flame nodded, his voice a higher pitch than usual. He cleared his throat. “I do,” Flame lifted a necklace with River’s ring and placed it around her neck.

River giggled and grinned up at the handsome pegasus. She saw her little brother Bolt standing behind Flame, smiling encouraging at her. In the audience sat her parents, family and friends. Her mother continuously patted her father’s hoof, who appeared to be failing at holding back his tears.

“And do you, River, take Flame to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, until death do you part?”

“I most certainly do,” River placed Flame’s necklace around his neck.

“Then by the power vested in me by Princess Celestia, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the mayor beamed. “You may kiss the bride,”

Flame pulled River to him and kissed her with all the passion and love he had for her, River returning it.

After the now husband and wife made their way down the aisle, the bride’s mares and groom’s stallions followed. Bolt stopped at the third row and offered his hoof to Sea Breeze. The grey mare, clad in a burgundy dress her grandmother Sapphire gave her, tilted her head in confusion, but at Bolt’s smile, she took his hoof and stood

As the two pegasi walked down the aisle side by side, Bolt bent his head down to Sea’s ear so only she could hear.

“One day it’ll be me and you up there,” he whispered

“Are you sure Angus will allow it?” Sea smirked.

“I’ll get on his good side eventually,” Bolt countered. Sea laughed airily.

“Good luck with that,”

Sea nuzzled the brown stallion. “I love you, Bolty. Even if Angus never will,” Bolt smiled and returned the nuzzle.

“I love you, too, Breezey. More than you’ll ever know,”

Author's Note

The End!

I hope everyone enjoyed Thundering Rivers, Rivers of Flame. Be sure to keep an eye of my blog for the announcement of my next fic. The "Great Reveal" will be next Monday (10/19/15) and the first chapter is set to be published November 28th!