Still a Family

The next day at the Hay Burger, Ponyville's number one fast food restaurant ever, was clean and delicious as it can be. Rumble, Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, and Flitter were were sitting at a table, getting ready for lunch. "I'll get the food for us." Thunderlane volunteered

"Thanks, brother." Said Rumble happily.

The elder sibling went to get their food and Rumble was happily waiting for Thunderlane to bring it here. He loved the smell of hay burgers, especially in the morning when it is too early to eat one. The two sisters noticed that he was having a little case of the jitters, like he was nervous about something beyond them.

"You okay, squirt?" asked Cloudchaser curiously

"What? oh yeah. I'm just fine, Cloud." the colt replied. 'Why?"

"Well, you're leg is kinda shaking about something like you're feeling shy about something." Flitter asked

Rumble looked at his leg, realizing that she was right, so he stopped his shaking and tried to look casual and normal like nothing's wrong at all. "I... didn't know that My leg was twitching." he said. He kind of looked away from the sisters.

"Rumble? are you okay?" Cloudchaser asked once again. "Please tell us. What's going on?"

"Okay. I... I have a thought about something." the colt looked around the interior of the restaurant. "It... it involves you guys, me, and Thunderlane."

"What about us?"

"Yeah little buddy, what about us?" said Thunderlane, who came back with the food already. Rumble was surprised, and was right on the spot. Thunderlane promptly sat the bags down, and looked at Rumble realizing something might be up with him, or worrying him silly. "Is everything alright?"

"It's fine, Thunderlane." the boy replied. "I... I want to talk to you about something, but... not here, because it involves...." he moved his mouth close to his brother's ear "Me and Cloudchaser."

"Oh, i understand. Okay, for now let's just eat." his stomach growled. "I'm hungrier than a hippo eating a timberwolf."

"Hippos don't eat timberwolves." Cloudchaser remarked

"I know." then they all laughed and ate the food, really enjoying the taste of the burgers and fries.

***

After a good lunch from the Hay Burger, the four were back at Thunderlane's house.

He remembered something was bothering Rumble and since they were back home, now would be a good chance to talk a out what was bugging him.

"So, Rumble, now that no pony is here but us, can you tell me us what's the matter now?" Asked Flitter.

"Yeah. Sure." The colt replied. "Thunderlane?"

"Yeah?"

"Since you know about me and Cloudchaser being.... More than friends, I was starting to think if you still love me as a brother."

"Ah, Rumble." Thunderlane said sympathetically. "It just caught me by surprise. That's all."

"I know you said you're okay with it." Said Rumble, remembering how he and Cloudchaser got caught yesterday fooling around. "But are you really okay with me and Cloudchaser together?"

"Of course, Rumble."

Cloudchaser walked up to the colt and sat next to him, gently petting his back with her hoof. "Thunderlane is okay with it, Rumble. I promise you he is cool with us being together, right Thunderlane?"

"Totally. I just want you and Cloud to be careful, because.... Not alot of ponies are understandable like me or Flitter."

"We know that." Said Flitter. "Sorry for trying to hide it from you yesterday, by the way."

"It's fine." Then Flitter went up to Rumble, also to comfort him. "Listen Rumble, not matter what you do, or what you say, I will always love you as my little brother."

"Really?"

"Of course. I ain't lying about that."

Rumble made a sad smile, knowing that his big brother was still alright about his new relationship. He couldn't be any more relieved about how he was handling this. "You will promise to keep this a secret from everypony else, right?"

"Of course. Rumble. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake through my eye." He Pinkie promised to him.

"Thank you, big brother."

"Anything for you, little brother." The elder sibling smiled.

"And I love you, Rumble." Cloudchaser added, then she gave him a kiss on his cheek, making him flush a tomato red.

"So do i." Flitter added. Sh also gave him a kiss, but it wasn't so affectionate like Cloudchaser did, but it was still a gift of love.

"So, now that this little problem has been taken care of, how was your hay burger, Rumble?" Cloudchaser asked, bringing in a new conversation to shoot the breeze with her sister and friends.

"It was delicious. Please don't be mad at me if I say this but.... it was a little better than hime-cooked ones."

The three laughed. "Aw, isn't he so cute?" Cloudchaser remarked, gently rubbing his head.

"It's okay, Rumble. We feel that same way as you do. The restaurant has way better hay burgers then regular ones." Flitter remarked.

"Yeah, home-cooked hay burgers are good, but nowhere near as good as in the restaurant. They have more... deliciousness." Thunderlane licked his lips just thinking about a juicy burger.

"I think we should stop talking about it." Cloudchaser said. "I think Thunderlane is getting hungry all over again."

"Oh shut up." Thunderlane smirked.

Flitter giggled. "You're right, sis. You should have seen the way he looked on his face."

"Okay, okay, fun's over." Thunderlane chuckled. "It will make me hungry already just thinking about it."

"Did you have a good time with us, Rumble?" Flitter asked

"Yep."

"That's good. If you are happy, then we're happy." Said Cloudchaser

"Me too."

"Well, i think me and Flitter should be going now. We got to meet Blossomforth at the spa."

"Right. See you boys later." Flitter added

"Bye Cloudchaser, bye Flitter." Said Rumble.

"Oh, and one more thing." Cloudchaser then went up to Rumble again and gave him a kiss on his lips, then he returned the favor by kissing her lips back after a few long seven seconds of lips locked to one another, the sisters exited the house and went to the spa.

The two brothers were alone, just the two of them together. "So, Thunderlane, you promise you're okay with me and Cloudchaser in love?"

"I promise, squirt." The elder sibling replied. "Your secret will be safe with me."

"Okay. That's good."

"So, what would you like to do now? Just the two of us together in the house? Huh?"

"Hmmm, I think we should play a little game." Thunderlane replied

"Yay! What kind of game?"

The bugger brother had a sly smile on his face. "It's called running away from the tickle monster!" He pounced on Rumble on the floor and was mercilessly tickling him with his hooves and wings,making Rumble laugh uncontrollably

"No! Hahaha! Please stohahahap!" Rumble exclaimed. He tried to escape from his clutches, but to no avail,for Thunderlane is bigger than him after all. "I'm begging you! hahaha! please!"

"What's that?" said Thunderlane stopping for a second. "You want more? okay." then resumed his merciless tickling on his little brother. Rumble kept on laughing raucously until he had tears streaming down his eyes. Thunderlane saw that he couldn't take it any longer and decided that he had his fun.

Rumble slowly stopped his laughing and wiped his tears. Isn't there anypony like Thunderlane he can ask for as a big brother? Apparently not, and was one of Rumble's best things ever to him. A good brotherly tickling was all that he probably needed to worry less about him and Cloudchaser. "That was fun."

"Yeah. I know."

"So what now?"

"Well... I got a new movie about the third Daring Do book that just came out a few months ago."

Rumble gasped with excitement. "Yay!"

"here, let me put the DVD in." Thunderlane pulled out the movie and put the disc in his DVD player. Rumble promptly sat on the couch, already pumped for the movie, then Thunderlane sat next to him, and wrapped his arm around him, both watching the beginning as brothers would do.

Later that night

Rumble was fast asleep in his bed, ever so peaceful in his dreamland. All of that was halted when he heard a loud banging on the door. "Open up in there!" said a really tough voice. He bolted up on his bed. He never felt so scared before in his life.

"Umm... come on in." he replied weakly, hiding in his covers with only his head showing.

The door burst open and a small group of soldiers came rushing in his room, to his surprise, Celestia was with them, and what shocked him even more was Cloudchaser in hoof-cuffs and binded in rope, looking guilt-stricken. And Thunderlane was there too, looking quite stern

"Rumble." said Celestia firmly. "we heard from Thunderlane that Cloudchaser and you are in love with eachother. is that true?"

"Ummm." he gulped.

"Rumble." said Celestia more firmly.

"Okay yes! we are." Rumble confessed at the top of his lungs. "It's all true, everything he said is true!" he looked at Thunderlane with tears in his eyes. "Thunderlane I... I thought you said you liked me and Cloudchaser together."

"I lied." Thunderlane said "For your own good."

"Let's go, Cloudchaser." Celestia said. She and the guards exited the room with Cloudchaser in custody

"I'm sorry, Rumble." Cloudchaser said.

Rumble tried to run after her, but was restrained by his brother. "No! please Cloudchaseerrrr!!!!!" he screamed. he felt this weird turning and felt that something is touching his sides like tossing him over.

"Rumble wake up!" said his brother's voice. He awoke with a fright, and realized that everything was all a nightmare. he panted heavily, his face covered in his sweat.

"Wha? what? happened!? Where's Cloudchaser?" Rumble panicked.

"Relax." said Thunderlane. "She's fine. It was only a dream."

Rumble realized that his brother was right. It was all just a horrific, hellish nightmare. He began to have tears of his eyes. Never has he felt this afraid since he first learned to flap his wings at a very young age.

"Are you okay?"

"No." he replied. He cried in his brother's stomach. "You- you- you told Celestia on me and Cloudchaser about us being in love, and they took her away from me!" he exclaimed, then he weeped louder

"What? no no. Rumble," said Thunderlane. "I would never do that. I know how much this relationship means to you. It is... kind of unusual, but that doesn't mean I hate it."

"You promise?"

"Of course." said Thunderlane. "It's okay pal. It's okay." he sighed. "Would you like to sleep with me in my bed tonight? will that make you feel better?"

"Please."

"Okay." Thunderlane smiled warmly. "Come on, buddy." He carried Rumble in his bedroom and kept on gently shushing the colt's sobbing.