A Strange Love

Chapter 2: First Day Out

The next morning i woke up and went downstairs to find Eris watching t.v. I sat down across from her in silence for a moment before saying anything.

"Your up early." I said to her and she looked at me.

"You are too." She said to me and i smiled.

"I always wake up this early. Its kind of habit since i was a kid." I said.

"Wo what do you want to do today?" She asked me.

"Not sure. I was going to try and see if your legs are healed enough for you to walk. But that can wait until later." I said.

"So what else do you have in mind?" She asked me and i tapped my chin.

"Hmm.......... I really have no other plans. I usually just go along with whatever happens throughout my day." I said and shrugged.

"I suppose i could try and walk a bit now. If only to pass some time." She said and sat up.

"I see your healed enough to sit up on your own. Thats good. Now then, lets try this again. Take it slowly." I said as she inhaled and slowly tried to stand up. She shook around for a second before getting a good grip and taking a few steps around the room. "Excellent work Eris! Your recovering quicker than i thought you would!" I said as she turned around and smiled at me.

"It feels good to walk again. Its like being a little filly who hasn't seen one of her toys in a long time." She said and continued walking around the room. As i looked closer i could actually see some of her more minor wounds healing over as she walked. It was slow, but steady, and noticeable.

"Thats amazing!" I said out loud and she turned around.

"What is?" She asked me.

"Your healing abilities are astonishing. Look, as you walk, your injuries heal over." I said and pointed a hoof at her side.

"That is amazing actually." She said and chuckled before sitting down on the couch again.

"Do you want to see if you can fly?" I asked her.

"Well, its really not flying. I use the wings i have to sort of glide while i just fly through the air naturally." She explained and i nodded.

"I see. Still though, do you want to try?" I asked her.

"I dont see any harm in it." She said and stood up. She stretched her wings out a bit and lifted into the air and flew around the room at a leisurely pace. "This is wonderful! I cant remember when i last had this much fun flying was." She said and landed again on the couch.

"It seems you've made a near full recovery from when you first arrived here Eris. Although, i shouldn't be surprised. What with your abilities i thought you'd have been better yesterday." I said and laughed.

"Very funny." She said and frowned playfully. I laughed again as i stood up.

"So, i heard from Dusk Shine that you can change your form?" I asked her and she grunted.

"Thats a name i dont want to hear. His or any of his friends." She said.

"Eris, i know what they did to you. But come on, can't you forgive them?" I asked her.

"I could try. It wouldn't be true that i forgive them, but i could try." She said and crossed her arms. "But yes, i can shapeshift. Why do you ask?" She asked me.

"Because i figured we could go out into town for a little while and i didn't want ponies freaking out when they see you." I said and she sighed.

"Yes, i suppose that would be a problem." She said.

"Dont worry, soon enough i'll make sure your able to roam around as you please. I promise you. But for now we'll have to keep you in disguise." I said.

"Its alright. Here, hows this?" She asked me as she changed her figure into that of a pegasus mare. She had a light brown coat with orange-ish red colored eyes. Her mane was long and white as well as her tail.

"Thats perfect. Very well done. I dont think anyone will recognize you for who you really are besides me." I said and she smiled.

"Glad to hear it." She said as i unlocked and opened the door. "So, where do you want to go?" She asked me as i shut the door behind us and trotted next to her.

"I was thinking we could head down to the sweet shop in town. Sugarcube corner, i think it was." I said as we went.

"Sounds like fun." She said.

"Believe me, it will be when we get there. This place has the best sweets in the area. Probably all of Equestria." I said as we walked down the road toward the shop.

"This place sounds delightful." She said.

"It is. I come here all the time." I said to her as i pushed open the door. We walked in and the bell above us rang as the door shut.

"Welcome to sugarcube corner, how may i help you?" Bubble Berry asked as he walked into the room behind the counter.

"Uum, Thunder? Why is he here?" Eris whispered to me.

"Because he works here. Come on Eris, just play along and be nice." I whispered back and she sighed.

"I hope you know what your doing....." She said back.

"Hey Bubble." I said to him as he smiled.

"Hey there Thunder! Good to see you again. Its been a couple of days." He said.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Can i get the usual thing please?" I asked him and put a small bag of bits on the counter.

"Sure thing Thunder! Be back in a couple minutes." He said and trotted into the back.

"So, what is the usual you get here?" Eris asked me.

"Just two cupcakes i always get. Chocolate frosting and white cake itself." I said and she smiled.

"Why two?" She asked.

"I always save one for later. This time its different though. This time i have someone with me." I said and smiled.

"And im glad to be with you Thunder." She said and smiled back as Bubble bounced back into the room with a small tray on his hoof.

"Here you go Thunder!" He said and gave them to me.

"Thanks Bubble. I can always count on you." I said and took the tray and sat down with Eris. She sat across from me and picked p hers and looked at it. "Everything alright?" I asked her.

"Yes, yes fine. Just examining it." She said.

"For what?" I asked and chuckled.

"Just interested. I haven't had one had one of these in a long time." She said and took a bite as i did. "This is amazing....." She said.

"Yeah, Bubble makes the best sweets in the country." I told her and took a bite of my own.

"Well tell him i said they were delicious." She said and finished hers.

"Dont worry, i will." I said and finished mine. "So where do you wanna go now?" I asked her.

"Hmm..... Im not really sure. The only time i was in Ponyville was..... Well, you know when." She said as we got up and walked out of the shop.

"Yeah, lets just try and forget about that." I said as we trotted down the road.

"Gladly. So, do you have any ideas of where to go?" She asked me.

"Hmm.......... I really have no idea. How about we just head back to my house and wait for something to happen?" I asked her and she shrugged.

"I could use some time out of this disguise. Alright, lets go." She said and smiled as we trotted down the road. We passed by quite a few other ponies who smiled and waved at us.

"I told you that disguise would work." I said quietly to her as we trotted.

"I never doubted it." She said and laughed. We trotted along the road in silence as other ponies passed us talking to one another until we reached my house. I unlocked the door and we walked inside and sat down after i turned the t.v on.

"Now we leave our decision up to time." I said and sat back as she returned to normal and stretched.

"Aah, it feels good to be back to normal." She said and curled up on the couch across from me and started watching t.v. We sat there for a good half hour to about forty five minutes before i heard a knock at the door. Eris changed into a pony again as i stood up and opened it, only to see three royal guards standing there.

"May i help you gentleman?" I asked them.

"We were wondering if we could ask you some questions, sir." The shorter one on the right said and i nodded.

"Of course, you ask and i will answer." I said and smiled. Inside i was really feeling a deep knotting sensation in my stomach. I knew why they were here.

"Alright. Where were you two days ago?" The bigger guard asked.

"I was in Canterlot castle attending the ceremony for Dusk Shine and his friends." I replied calmly and he nodded.

"Alright, do you know anything about why we might be here?" He asked me.

"No, i was watching t.v with my girlfriend. I would have no idea why you would be here." I lied to his face as i spoke those words, but i was a great lier.

"Hmm, alright, you two have a good day now." The third guard said and nodded as they walked off. I shut my door with a sigh of relief and sat back down as Eris returned to normal.

"Your a really good lier." She said to me and i chuckled.

"I've had a lot of practice." I said and sighed as i unpaused the t.v.

"So Thunder, tell me more about yourself. What has gone on in your past?" She asked me. I sighed and looked over at her before speaking.

"My past is not something i like to remember. But i'll tell you. When i was a child life for my family was tough. I had two siblings, and brother and a sister. My brother was the oldest of us three, his name was Silver Ash. He was always the one keeping me out of trouble and playing with me and my sister. My father got into an accident when i was little and he didn't make it. It was just me, my mom, my brother and my sister then. Shortly after my fifteenth birthday my mother died of a sickness she had and it left us alone together. We needed money so my brother started working as a miner. It made good money, but it took too long to get. So i took up being a thief, to help my siblings. I would steal from ponies homes, food stands, shops, anything i could steal from without getting caught i would. I stole jewelry, food, money and even cloths. I had never been caught before in my entire life. But one day, i made my way into a jewelry shop and got to the back where the safe was. I unlocked it and stole about a hundred thousand bits worth of jewelry and gems. I was about to make it out of the store..... When i was caught." I said and stopped.

"What happened?" Eris asked.

"I was caught..... By Lord Solaris." I said and sighed. "The guards began to drag me away when he told them to wait and looked at me. He told them to let me go and began questioning me himself, right there. He asked me what i was doing and why i was there. I told him i didn't know, i was helping my family. He asked me how stealing was helping our family and i told him my parents were both dead and what was happening to us. He offered me a large sum of money shortly after and gave my brother a job as a guard in the castle. When i got older i took the same job and my sister got a job as a jeweler in the city up there. I still have yet to own a house in Canterlot but im close. My sister and brother both live up there now." I said and looked out my window.

"My, thats..... That truly is a sad story." Eris said to me and i sighed.

"Yes, it is. I haven't spoken to my brother or sister since then, but i know it may be for the best." I said and smiled at her.

"And why is that?" She asked as she sat up and flew around the room slowly.

"Because my brother is a guard. I know he's my brother but he probably wouldn't keep you a secret. And i dont want to lose you." I said and sighed as she circled around me.

"I dont want to lose you either Thunder." She said and stopped in front of me and kissed me before curling back up on the other couch again.

"Im glad we feel the same way Eris." I said and smiled at her. She returned it and we continued watching t.v. the rest of the night went by about the same way. We'd have a conversation with each other about what was going on in the show if one of us didn't understand it. We just watched t.v for the rest of the night until we got tired.

"Good night Thunder." She said and laid down on the couch.

"Good night Eris. Sleep well." I said and trotted upstairs and went to bed.