A Strange Love

Chapter 1: The Celebration

It was nearly two days after the defeat of Eris by the elements of harmony and all was well in the kingdom. Lord Solaris was holding a ceremony in the castle to congratulate the six stallions who defeated her. Dusk Shine, Elusive, Rainbow Blitz, Bubble Berry, Butterscotch and Applejack. I was there attending the ceremony and i watched as the six stepped in front of Solaris.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to commemorate our saviors, who have not only saved our fair country once, but twice with the elements of harmony. Let them forever more be known as the protecters of Equestria, and let this live on in their memory!" Lord Solaris said as a curtain opened to show the six using the elements on Eris together. The crowd broke out into a roar of cheers and applauds for the six as they looked back at us all. Everypony celebrated and congratulated the six on their bravery after the ceremony as well. I finally approached them and got a chance to speak with them.

"Greetings you six." I said and bowed to them as they looked at me.

"Hello sir. Whats your name?" Dusk asked me.

"My name is Thunder Bolt, mister Shine. It is truly an honor to meet you six. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to someone like Eris and not back down." I said and took a drink of the wine i had.

"Well its a pleasure meeting you too mister Bolt. As you know, these are my friends. Rainbow Blitz, Applejack, Bubble Berry, Butterscotch and Elusive." Dusk said and they all nodded at me.

"Yes i know of your friends mister Shine. Without the six of you we'd be living in a world of darkness and chaos right now after all!" I said and we all laughed.

"So what brings you up here Thunder?" Rainbow asked me.

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to introduce myself and congratulate you on your most recent victory over chaos." I said and nodded.

"Well thanks man. It means a lot to us." He replied.

"It is my honor to know that. Now, if you gentleman will excuse me, i'll be off." I said and bowed again as they trotted off. I chuckled to myself as i trotted off towards the balcony of the room and looked out over the country. "This kingdom is truly amazing....." I whispered to myself as i gazed across the country. I then took the time to look down at the sculpture gardens, where Eris had been placed yet again after her defeat. I sighed and flew down in front of her statue and looked up at her.

"Glad she's gone too?" I heard a voice from behind me say. I turned around and saw a tall stallion approaching me.

"Yes, very." I said as he stopped next to me.

"Names Lottery. Jack Lottery. But my friends call me Lots'o." He said and held a hoof up to me.

"Thunder Bolt. Nice to meet you." I said and shook his hoof.

"Yeah, i tell ya, its things like her that make me wanna move to the griffon kingdom." He said and looked at Eris.

"Me too. I hate how we get all the things trying to destroy us or something. First it was Nightterror and now this? Thats just sad." I said.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I've lived here for sixty long years and all my life nothin' bad ever happens to us. Then all of the sudden we get these to maniacs runnin' around tryin' to do somethin' horrible to the kingdom? Where are they comin' from! I tell ya, were probably gonna have somethin' new in a couple days. I swear it." He said and i chuckled.

"Yeah, probably. So you've lived in Canterlot all your life?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Yep. Its my home. My daddy was born here just like his daddy was before that. I was born here and i still live here. Just like my son." He said and i nodded.

"Its good to know this city still has its roots to look back to for comfort." I said and looked at the statue.

"Well, i gotta get back now. Take care ya hear?" He said and walked off as i chuckled.

"Good ponies. Good ponies." I said to myself and looked back at the statue. I hadn't realized it before now, but when i looked at her face she actually was sort of beautiful. "Aw come on Thunder. Shes crazy!" I said to myself and shook my head. But i couldn't help but look back at the statue and think otherwise. "I wonder how she got out the first time....." I whispered to myself and looked down. I read the plaque engraved onto the front of the pedestal to myself as well.

No fighting, arguing, pushing, shoving, hitting or any sort of hateful conduct in front of the statue please.

~The royal guard~

I tapped a hoof to my chin for a minute then asked a question to myself.

"Is that how she got out? By somepony fighting around her?" I asked silently as i looked at her. I shook my head violently and grunted as i looked down. "No Thunder, your not going to do that!" I told myself. I knew what would happen if i did but i couldn't help myself. "Oh fine, it cant hurt to just see, can it?" I asked and stepped back from it and composed myself. "Dude, shut up!" I told myself. "No you shut up! Im tired of listening to you complain about everything!" I replied to myself and looked at the statue. "Well all you ever do is freak out over the dumbest things!" I said to myself and looked at it again. "Well all you ever do is sit around and do nothing all day long!" I said and shot a glance upward as i heard a crack. I smiled as the stone on her statue cracked further and further until it reached her head and feet. The stone crumbled off and she fell to the ground next to me, nearly unconscious.

"..... W-Why?........." I heard her mumble before she passed out. I inhaled and exhaled as i lifted her onto my back and flew into the air. I flew above the clouds so no one would see us as i flew down to my house at the edge of Ponyville and carried her inside. I laid her down on my couch and ran upstairs and grabbed one of the medical kits in my closet then ran back downstairs. She was wounded really badly over most of her body. Burns, cuts, scrapes, gashes. You named it and she had it. I patched up her wounds and fixed her burns as best i could and sat down in a chair across from her and sighed.

"What am i gonna do now....?" I asked myself. "How am i gonna deal with this? Im an accessory to her escape..... Im a criminal....." I said to myself as i closed and locked my doors and windows then shut all the shades and turned a few lights on. I kept the ones near her off out of respect and let her get some rest. "This will not end well. Not well at all....." I whispered and sat back down in the couch across from her and turned on the t.v. I kept the volume low, but high enough i could hear it clearly. I watched t.v in silence for about two and a half hours before she moved at all. She tried to sit up but couldn't because of a wound. "Woah, take it easy." I said and trotted to her side. "You alright?" I asked her as she looked around.

"What..... Where am i?" She asked me.

"Ponyville. Your in my house." I told her and pulled a chair over next to her and sat down.

"Shouldn't i be in stone or something?" She asked me.

"Yes, you should. But i decided to help you out." I said as she raised an eyebrow.

"And why would you want to help me?" She asked.

"I see no reason not to help you." I told her.

"But im the goddess of Chaos and disharmony. Im Eris? Dont you recognize me?" She asked.

"Of course i do. Thats why i got you out." I said.

"But why? You know what'll happen if Solaris finds out about this right?" She asked me.

"Thats why he wont." I told her.

"And why is that?" She asked me as i helped her sit up.

"Because i wont let him." I said.

"Alright, why are you protecting me? You know what i've done in the past right?" She asked.

"Yes, i do. But that is the past. The effects of what you did do not linger here do they?" I asked her.

"Well, no. But-" She began but i cut her off.

"Then they do not matter. I believe that with a little effort, anypony, or anybody in your case, can change. I used to be a criminal. A thief, struggling to get by. But look at me now. I was formally invited to a ceremony held by Lord Solaris himself. If i can change, Eris, then so can you." I told her and smiled.

"You..... Really believe that?" She asked me.

"I do. Anyone can change if they want to. Do you want to change Eris?" I asked her and she looked down for a moment. She sighed as a tear dropped from her face and she looked back up at me and smiled.

"Yes..... I want to change." She said and i smiled.

"Good. That is the first step you must take. Accepting you want to change." I said and she tried to stand up. "Woah, slow down there Eris. Your in no shape to walk yet." I said and she looked over herself more thoroughly.

"I suppose your right..... But what am i supposed to do?" She asked me.

"Get better. As long as your wanted you can stay here. Just dont do anything bad once your recovered. If you need anything just ask me and i'll get it." I said and smiled. She sighed and slowly laid back down on her back.

"I feel so useless....." She said and i sighed.

"Your not useless Eris. Your hurt, its not your fault. You'll be better in no time. Dont worry. And by the way, my name's Thunder." I said.

"Well thank you Thunder for helping me. There isn't a single pony in Equestria who would do what your doing right now." She said and i chuckled.

"Probably not. But that doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you get better and that i help you do so." I said and stood up. "So is there anything i can get you?" I asked her and walked into the kitchen.

"A glass of water will be fine. Thank you." She said as i poured her one and brought it out to her. She drank it and set it on the table next to the couch and sighed happily. "Thank you again for all this." She said.

"My pleasure Eris. Try and get some rest now. Your going to need it if you want to get better." I said and she nodded. I looked outside and saw the sun beginning to set and decided to get some rest myself. "Well, good night Eris." I said and smiled as i trotted upstairs. I laid down in bed and smiled one last time. "Today was a good day....." I whispered and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning i woke up and went downstairs to find her sound asleep.

"Guess she really was tired." I told myself as i trotted happily into the kitchen. I got myself a glass of apple juice and sat in the couch across from Eris with it and started watching t.v quietly. The morning went by pretty quickly. She woke up, i got her some breakfast, she ate and then watched t.v for a while with me and everything was fine. Most of the day proceeded the same way, save for the breakfast. I got us both lunch when i went out for a very short while and then later i went and brought back dinner for the two of us. I ate across from her as we watched a couple shows on t.v. I started laughing at a joke someone made on t.v, then Eris asked me a question.

"Hey Thunder, why are you doing all this?" She asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"I mean why are you helping me? Giving me a place to stay and nurturing me back to health, all of it." She asked.

"Because i believe no one should be forced to live alone. Especially for as long as you." I said and smiled.

"Well i am truly grateful for all this. Although i do not deserve any of it." She said and sighed.

"And why is that Eris?" I asked her.

"Because. I dont understand how anyone could show me any kindness for the things i've done." She said and i sighed.

"Eris, i told you already that what you have done in the past does not matter. Forget about the past and look towards the future." I said and smiled at her.

"Alright..... I'll try. Thank you for everything Thunder." She said and smiled at me.

"It is my honor to help someone as beautiful as you." I said and smiled as her eyes widened.

"You..... You really think im beautiful?" She asked me.

"I think your one of the most beautiful woman i have ever seen before." I said to her.

"Well.......... I dont know what to say." She said and looked up at me with a slight blush on her face.

"No need to say anything Eris. Silence says a thousand words as i always say." I said and she smiled.

"Well..... Then let this suffice." She said and kissed my cheek.

"I'll suffice with that." I said and she giggled.

"Glad to know. So, what does this mean for us?" She asked me.

"I do not know. What does it mean to you?" I asked her.

"It means very much to me." She said and put her hand on my hoof and smiled at me.

"Then it means that much more to me." I said and kissed her. When we separated she smiled at me as i stood up.

"I guess this means were together then?" She asked.

"If thats what it means to you, then yes we are." I told her.

"But what will happen if ponies find out?" She asked me.

"Nothing will happen. Let them find out, i dont care. I will protect you so long as i can continue to breath." I said and she smiled.

"Thank you Thunder....." She said and hugged me.

"Anything for you Eris..... I love you." I said and nuzzled her.

"I love you too Thunder....." She said and returned it.