Chapters The sky blue pegasus landed softly on the coarse dirt on the outskirts of Ponyville. He had a well toned, muscular body. His mane and tail were both blue with cyan stripes running through them. The stallion was carrying two brown, leather saddlebags on his bag. Inside contained all his personal belongings from his home in Cloudsdale. He stretch his wings before pressing them against his back. The stallion looked at the small town infront of him with a large smile.
"Finally, my own independant life begins today." the sky blue pegasus said to himself. He trotted off in the direction of the town.
His parents had rented him a small house in Ponyville for his twenty first birthday. They agreed to pay the first few months of rent until he settled into his job. The town grew larger as the stallion moved forward. The town was a lot larger than he had anticipated. He went in the direction of the town square. When he arrived he was greeted by the sight of multiple ponies doing their daily jobs, buying fruit and vegtables or other errands they had to attend to. The pegasus stood to the side, so he didn't block anypony's way. He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a folded letter. He read it's contents.
Dear Mister Stratosphere,
Upon your arrival to Ponyville, please proceed to the town hall. Once there ask for mayor mare, who will welcome you to the town and show you your new home. The town hall is the large, cylindrical building at the centre of town, adorned with flags at the top. Looking forward to seeing you.
Ponyville Registrar,
Silk Parchment
The stallion glanced up from the letter, attempting to spot the town hall building. He eventually spotted it, recognising it from the flags blowing in the wind on top of it. He trotted through the square over to it. He opened the front door and went inside. The interior was very plain, no patterns or designs jumping out at you. The stallion walked through the building until he came to a small desk. A mare was sitting behind it, sifting through multipls sheets of paper. The stallion cleared his throat to get the mare's attention. She glanced up from her work.
"Oh, my apologies, I didn't notice you come in." the mare said smiling at the young stallion. He smiled back at her.
"It's not a bother." he responded, rubbing a hoof on the back of his neck. He stared at the mare. She stared back at him.
"Can I help you?" she asked, realising the pegasus wasn't going to say anything. A look of realisation filled his face.
"Oh, right!" he said. He pulled the letter out of his saddlebag and gave it to her. She read through it quietly.
"Oh, I see. You're the new resident from Cloudsdale." she said standing up from her chair."Mayor Mare is in her office if you'd like to see her."
"I'll go in now." Stratosphere said. The mare nodded.
"Very well. It's the door down the hall on the right." she said pointing with her hoof. The stallion gazed at the direction her hoof was facing. He headed off down the corridor, nodding his thanks to the mare. He stopped and turned back to her.
"I never caught your name." he said. She smiled at him again.
"I'm Silk Parchment." she said.
"Stratosphere." the stallion said. The mare nodded at him.
"I know, I read the letter." she giggled. The stallion blushed and turned to head down the corridor.
"I'll see you around." he called back to her as he trotted away.
Stratosphere knocked on the door and waited for a response. He heard a mare call "come in" from inside the room. He opened the door and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him. Sitting at another desk was a hazel brown mare with a grey mane and glasses. She looked up from her papers to see the stallion. She gestured for him to sit down in one of the two chairs, opposite her desk. Stratosphere placed his saddlebags next to the chair and sat down. The mare smiled at him.
"Hello, Mister Stratosphere is it?" she asked the stallion. He nodded."I'm mayor Mare. On behalf of the citizens of Ponyville, I would like to personally welcome you to our little town. I'm sure you'll fit right in here." she beamed. She looked down at the papers."It says here you are renting one of the town centre cottages. You have paid the first six months rent in advance." she said looking back up at the pegasus.
"That's correct." he said. The mare continued reading through the papers.
"Well everything else seems in order. The only thing left to discuss is your new occupation. The openings we currently have are a gardener for the town council, an assistant to our residant teacher or a job on the weather team."
The last job caught the stallion's attention.
"Erm, I think I'll take the weather job." the stallion said. The mare smiled at him and wrote something down on the paper.
"Excellent, all I need now is your signature and you can get started on your new job by Monday morning." the mayor beamed. Stratosphere signed the piece of paper and returned it to the mare."Excellent, I'll show you around town now and to your new home. Then your free to do your own thing." she said getting up from her chair. The two ponies exited the office. As they left Stratosphere waved goodbye to Silk as they left.
***
The two ponies walked through the town, Mayor Mare pointing out all the various shops and houses to the young stallion. He tried to take in as much information as he could, but the mare simply went to fast for him. They had started at town hall, and from there ventured out to Sweet Apple Acres. After they went there, they went to Sugarcube Corner. They passed by Rarity's boutique after that. The tour concluded with Princess Twilight's castle at the edge of Ponyville.
"Well that's all the spots of major importance. If you don't have any questions I'll show you to your house now." Mayor Mare said. The pegasus simply nodded. The two ponies walked back into the twon square. They stopped outside a small cottage overlooking the town square. The mare handed the stallion a small key.
"This is your house. I'm in town hall most of the time if you have any questions. If I'm not there, feel free to direct your questions to my assistant Silk Parchment." the hazel mare said. With that she turned and trotted off back to town hall. The stallion looked at the cottage infront of him. He looked around to make sure nopony was watching. Once he was satisfied he did a small dance. As he was dancing a hoof tapped him on his rear. The stallion jumped, immediatly ceasing his dance. He turned around to see a pink mare standing right in his face. She was studying him carefully, a hoof rubbing her chin.
"Can I help you?" Stratosphere asked. The mare stopped rubbing her chin.
"I've never seen you around here before, which means you must have just moved here, which means that I never got to throw you a Pinkie Pie welcoming party, which is absolutely crazy because I throw evrypony who moves here a party, but I haven't thrown you one which is just unacceptable. Now I have to go and plan you a Pinkie Pie welcoming party. What's your favourite colour? Favourite food?" The mare somehow manage to say all in one breatb. The stallion stated at her, completely dumbfounded. The mare giggled.
"Nevermind, I think I know everything I'll need." she beamed."Go to sugarcube corner at eight this evening and don't be late." she said, bouncing away from the stallion. Stratosphere remained where he was, unsure of what just happened. He shook his head and decided it would be best to attend the event later. He then turned back to his cottage. He put the key in the door and turned it, causing a loud clicking noise. Ge opened the door and stepped inside his new home. It was cosy and quaint. The cottage had one bedroom, a bathroom and a living room that was in the same room as the kitchen. The stallion smiled gleefully as he looked at his new cottage. He went into the bedroom and threw his saddlebags on his bed. He would unpack later. He went back out into the living room. He sat down on the couch.
"Independance feels good." he said. There was a knock at his door. He got up to answer it. He opened the door to a dark grey stallion and a lighter grey colt.
"Hi there." the dark grey stallion said, extending a hoof. Stratosphere shook it politely."I'm Thunderlane, and this here is my little brother, Rumble. We live next door." the stallion said.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Stratosphere." the blue pegasus said."Please come in." he said gesturing for the two to enter. They both stepped inside."I apologise, I haven't gotten any refreshments to offer, I just moved in today. Grocery shopping is on the to do list for tomorrow." he said meekly. Thunderlane grinned.
"It's fine. We just wanted to pop over and say hey. I figured you might need a hoof since you're just settling in." the dark grey stallion said.
"That's very kind of you." Stratosphere said.
"Why don't we head over to sugarcube corner, so we can get to know one another better." Thunderlane suggested.
"That sounds like a cool idea. Let's get going." the blue pegasus said. The three ponies left the cottage.
***
The three ponies sat together in Sugarcube corner, eating a few cupcakes and drinking milkshakes.
"So you're from Cloudsdale?" Thunderlane asked.
"Born and raised." Stratosphere responded with a laugh."What about yourself and your brother?" he said.
"We moved out here after our folks passed in an accident. I thought it would be better for Rumble if we moved somewhere new." Thunderlane said grimly. Startosphere showed a look of sympathy.
"I'm so sorry for both of your losses." he said.
"Ah it's alright. We love it out here, don't we Rumble?" he said rustling the colt's mane.
"Yeah we do. Me and Thunderlane are the top bachelors of this town." the little colt boasted. The two older stallions laughed.
"So have you got a job yet?" Thunderlane asked.
"Yeah. I'm gonna be working for the weather team." the blue pegasus said.
"That's where I work." Thunderlane responded."I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
"Guess so." Stratosphere said. He suddenly remembered something that happened earlier."Is there a crazy pink mare in this town?" he asked Thunderlane.
"Oh, I'm guessing you've already met Pinkie Pie then." he said grinning."Quite the mare, isin't she?" he said.
"Yeah. She said something about my party being here at eight or something." Stratosphere said.
"Oh that's your welcoming party. She does one for everypony. I would make sure you don't miss it." he said.
"I'll try not too. Thanks for the grub." the blue pegasus said."I'm gonna head home and freshen up for this party then." he said. Thunderlane smiled and waved the pegasus goodbye.
The stallion made his way back to his cottage. He closed the door behind him as he went inside. He sat back down on his couch once again and smiled.
"I think I'm gonna like it here." he said to himself.
Stratosphere went into his room and opened his saddle bags. He removed their contents and placed them on the bed. The items ranged from clothing to toiletries. He picked up the clothes and placed each of them into his wardrobe. He then brought all his toiletries to the bathroom. Once he was satisfied that he was unpacked, the stallion returned to his bedroom. He went over to his wardrobe and looked through his selection of clothing. He wanted to pick out a smart shirt for the party later. After a few minutes of deliberation the stallion finally settled for a dark steel shirt that he had. He placed it on his bed. He went into the bathroom again to take a quick shower to freshen up. He turned the knob on the shower, starting the slow trickle of water from the showerhead. After a few minutes a large cloud of steam had accumulated in the bathroom. The stallion turned the knob once again, ceasing the flow of warm water. He stepped out of the shower and went back into his room. He dried his mane and coat with the towel, before tossing it into a corner of his bedroom. The stallion then proceded to put on his dark steel coloured shirt. He stood infront of a small mirror that hung on the wall of his bedroom. He smiled at himself, fixing one of his blue hairs that had fallen out of place.
"Sweet Celestia, I look handsome." Stratosphere said to himself. He glanced around his room to confirm he hadn't forgotten anything. He then proceded to the front door, to go to his welcome party.
The stallion walked through the quiet streets of Ponyville in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. The twon seemed a lot more quiet not that is was late into the afternoon. Many of the stalls he had seen open when he first arrived, were now closed for the day. Only a few ponies were lingering around the town square. The stallion continued on his journey to the pastry shop. As he approached Sugarcube Corner, he noticed that the shop had been done up, decorated with streamers and ballons. A large banner hung over the front entrance. It said in large writing that seemed to be written in icing "Welcome to Ponyville". The stallions topped and smirked at the sign. He didn't realise that the pink mare would go to such lengths just to throw the stallion a welcoming party. This town was turning out to be a lot better than he was expecting. When he reached the shop he opened the door and went in. Inside the shop was pitch black. The stallion reached around for a light switch. As he fumbled about in the dark he grabbed something plump and furry.
"Hey!" somepony shouted.
Suddenly the shop was illuminated in light, with a mass of ponies shouting "Suprise!". The stallion looked at them all wide eyed. They were all looking at him smiling. The stallion looked down to see what his hoof had grabbed. His hoof was resting on a pony's flank. He looked up to see who the flank belonged to. He was greeted by a familiar set of eyes.
"Silk!" the stallion said in suprise, his hoof still on the mares flank. She looked back at him.
"Hey." she said. The two stood in silence for a moment. Silk finally broke the silence."Think you could take your hoof off my flank?" she asked the stallion, causing him to blush profoundly.
"Oh, sorry!" the stallion said retracting his hoof. The mare smiled at him.
"It's fine, your not the first stallion to have done that." she said with a small giggle. Before Stratopsher could respond, his vision was shrouded in pinkness.
"Suprise!" the pink mare shouted directly into the stallion's face. He blinked a few times before his senses calmed down."Welcome to Ponyville."
"Thanks!" Stratosphere said gratefully."You really didn't have to go to so much trouble to throw me this amazing party." the pegasus said blushing. The pink mare beamed at him.
"Please, it was no trouble at all. Besides the moment I saw you earlier, I just knew you had to be new in town, which meant you hadn't had your official welcoming party yet, which everypony in Ponyville gets once they move here. It would break my solem oath as Pinkie Pie if I didn't throw you a party." the mare managed to say in one breath. The stallion stared at her before smiling softly.
"Well it's a great party, thank you very much." he said.
"I'm glad you like it. This is a great chance for you to get to know everypony in town better. My friends and I would be ahppy to show you around any time if you want." the pink mare squeaked.
"You're too kind." Stratosphere said."I guess I'll go mingle with the guests." he said. The pink mare nodded at him before bouncing off. The stallion looked around at all the ponies present. He didn't recognise anypony except SIlk Parchment, who was talking a blue stallion with a musical note for a cutie mark. As he was looking he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a dark grey pegasus smiling at him.
"Hey!" Thunderlane said, extending out his hoof. Stratosphere knocked his hoof against the stallion's.
"Thunderlane! What's up? Thanks for coming to the party. I don't really know anypony here." the stallion said sheepishly. The dark grey pegasus only smiled.
"That's the whole point of this party, for you to get to know other ponies." he said. Stratosphere rubbed the back of his neck. Thunderlane raised an eyebrow at him."A bit shy?" he asked. Stratopshere nodded."Hold on a second." the pegasus said, leaving the stallion. He returned a few moments later with two mares. They were both pegasi. He brought them over to Stratosphere."Allow me to introduce Cloudchaser and Flitter." he said gesturing to the two mares. They both smiled at him.
"Nice to meet you both." Stratosphere said meekly. The two mares giggled at him. One of them extended a hoof out to him.
"Hey there, I'm Cloudchaser." the mare said."This is my sister Flitter. We live next door to Thundy here, just two doors down from you." she said."It's always nice to meet a new face around here." she said slowly sliding beside the blue pegasus. Cloudchaser's sister scowled at her. She then proceded to copy her sister, the two mares, either side of Stratosphere, nuzzling up against him. The shade of red was clear on the blue stallions face. Thunderlane cleared his throat loudly.
"Mares, I wanted to introduce you to the stallion and welcome him to Ponyville, not scare him away." the dark grey pegasus laughed. The two mares scwoled at him."He doesn't know many ponies in town. Your not giving us a good reputation." he smirked.
"Just because you can't keep a mares attention doesn't give you the right to get jealous." Cloudchaser said, his sister and Stratospher laughing at the comment. Thunderlane got flustered. He pulled the two mares off the stallion and shooed them away. He turned back to Stratosphere.
"Sorry about that. They must have gotten to the cider quicker than I had anticipated. I promise you they're a lot freindly when they haven't been drinking." he said with a small grin.
"It's alright, I'm used to that kind of attention." Stratopshere said. The two stallions stood quitely. Then Thunderlane had an idea.
"You said you were joining the weather team, correct?" he asked the blue pegasus. The stallion looked at him unsure.
"Yes, why do you ask?" he said. The stallion smiled.
"I'll be back in a moment." he said running off, leaving the stallion alone once again.
"If he returns with more drunk mares, I might just kill him." Stratosphere said to himself. Thunderlane returned accompanied by a cyan mare with a rainbow mane.
"Allow me to introduce the head of the weather team." Thunderlane said gesturing to the mare. Stratosphere stuck out his hoof.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Stratopshere". The mare shook his hoof firmly.
"Pleasure to meet you Stratopshere, the name's Rainbow Dash. I run the weather team here in Ponyville as Thunderbutt over here already said." The cyan mare said laughing. Thunderlane scoweled at the nickname."So you just moved here?" she ask.
"Yeah, from Cloudsdale." Stratosphere said. The mare smiled at him.
"A cloudsdale pegasus, eh? I'm Cloudsdale born and raised myself. Moved out here to get away from my folks." the mare said.
"Now my idea feels a little less cool and original." Stratopshere said with a grin.
"You seem pretty chill. We should hang out sometime. Do some flying and talk about Cloudsdale." the mare said. She looked over at a group of ponies, which included the crazy pink mare."I gotta get back to my friends. It was nice to meet you." she said walking away from the stallion. Stratopshere waved as she left them. He looked over at Thunderlane.
"She seems nice." he said.
"You're one of the lucky ones. You got on her good side." the dark grey pegasus said. The two continued to chat between themselves for the rest of the evening. Eventually the party came to an end. Stratosphere thanked the pink mare once again before heading in the direction of his home, accompanied by Thunder, Cloudchaser and Flitter. The two mares went straight into their home once they arrived. Thunderlane invited Stratosphere in for a drink. The two ponies went into the living room of the cottage. Thunderlane's house was a lot bigger, despite it being next door. His house had a second floor and spread out a lot more. Stratosphere sat down on the couch. Thunderlane followed shortly carrying two glasses. As the two were talking, hoofsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Rumble trotted into the living room.
"Hey Thunder." he said.
"Hey Rumble. How was your evening?" he asked his younger brother.
"Pretty good. I just played video games the entire time." the small colt said. He looked over at the other stallion."Where did you pick this one up?" he asked is older brother. Thunderlane's face immediatly went a dark shade of red.
"This is Stratosphere, remember? He's our new neighbour." Thunderlane said. Rumble looked at the pegasus again, the memory of him returning to the little colt.
"Oh yeah. You didn't even wait a day before you started flirting with him." Rumble said, going into the kitchen. Thunderlane glared at his younger brother before turning to face Stratopshere.
"Sorry about him." they grey pegasus said.
"It's alright. I'm assumung that your bi?" Stratosphere asked. Thunderlane nodded."That's cool, I never really knew any bi stallions, only mares." Stratosphere said. Thunderlane smiled at him.
"Thanks for not freaking out. I lost a lot of friends when I came out." the stallion said. The two sat in silence. Rumble trotted back in, a glass in his own hoof and sat down between the two pegasi.
"So how was the party. Were Cloudchaser and Flitter drunk again?" the colt asked. Thunderlane nodded with a small grin."Ha! Flitter owes me five bits. She said she wouldn't get drunk." Rumble said. Thunderlane laughed at what his younger brother had said.
"Maybe losing a bet with a colt will encourage her to not get drunk so much. Might even convince her sister too." he said. Rumble picked up his controller and turned in the television. He offered a controller to Stratosphere.
"You ever played before?" he asked. Stratosphere grabbed the controller, grinning.
"They didn't call me Stratosphere the demolisher for nothing." he said to the colt. He rolled his eyes.
"Sure." he said. He handed his brother a thrid controller."So Stratopshere..." the colt paused."That name is way too long." he said."I'm just gonna call you Strats, you okay with that?" Rumble asked. The blue pegasus grinned at the young colt.
"That's fine by me." he said.
"Alright. So you ready to be demolised Strats?" the colt said.
"You're on!" Stratosphere said. Thunderlane grinned at the two. The three ended up playing video games late into the night. Eventually Stratopshere noticed the time. He told Thunderlane he should head and thanked him for the drink. Thunderlane nodded at him as he took a sleeping Rumble upstairs. Stratosphere went back to his own house. He went into his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. He was fast asleep in minutes.
Chapter 3: First Day On The Job
Stratosphere rolled over in his bed, letting out a large groan as he did so. Celestia's sun was shining through the bedroom window, illuminating the small room. The sleepy stallion glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on top of the nightstand. At first nothing clicked. Then the stallion realised what time it was. He jumped out of his bed, sending the covers flying. He ran over to the bathroom and dived into the shower. He turned the nozzle which started the flow of cold water. The stallion shivered as the streams of icey water trickled down his sky blue coat. After a few minutes of icey torture he hopped out of the shower and dried himself off. He then went back into his bedroom. He gave his mane a quick brush before heading out the door. It was his first day of his new job and he was going to be late. The stallion raced across the square to the town hall, where the weather team met every morning to discuss the day's weather patterns. Stratosphere barged through the doors into the building. He trotted hastily up to the front desk, where a familiar mare was sitting. She looked up from her work and smiled at the sky blue pegasus.
"Good morning Startosphere!" the mare said with great enthusiasm. The stallion smiled back at her.
"Morning Silk." he said. He glanced around the building, searching for his destination. The mare examinaed him as he searched. A grin formed on her muzzle.
"I take it you're looking for the weather team meeting room?" she asked the stallion, holding in a giggle. The stallion stopped and looked at her.
"Do you know what room it's in?" he asked frantically. The mare smiled and nodded.
"Second door down the hall on the right, you can't miss it." she said.
The stallion hurried down the corridor, leaving a grinning mare to return to her work. He found the room that Silk had mentioned. He knocked softly on the door before entering. Inside the room were five other pegasi sitting around a small table. At the top of the table was Rainbow Dash. She had a pile of sheets infront of her on the table, a board behind her depicting different weather patterns.
All of the pegasi looked at the newcomer. Stratosphere saw Thunderlane sitting to the right of Rainbow Dash, a large grin plastered on his face. He closed the door behind him as he stepped inside the room. He sat down in the empty seat between Thunderlane and a lilac mare. Rainbow Dash frowned at the stallion before returning to her presentation.
"Anyway as I was saying, Cloudsdale is trying out a new formula to make a new type of cloud. They want us to test out this new type of cloud for them, see how it pans out." she said with a tone of authority. The pegasi in the room nodded at their captain."So, is everypony clear on their jobs?" Rainbow Dash asked the pegasi seated infront of her. They all nodded in unison."Very well, you are all dismissed, except for our late comer." the cyan mare said. The other pegasi got out of their seats and left the room, Thunderlane grinning as he passed the blue stallion. Once the last pegasus left, Rainbow Dash stood up.
"It's not a smart move to be late on your first day." she said in a serious tone. Stratosphere sank into his chair."I thought you seemed like a pretty cool stallion at your welcoming party, but this behavior is quite the opposite." the rainbow maned mare said. Stratosphere sat quietly in his seat, waiting for the chewing out to finish. Rainbow Dash scowled at the stallion.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" she asked him.
"I overslept." Stratosphere said meekly, a small grin on his face. Rainbow Dash was on him like a hawk.
"Oh, so you think this is funny?" she questioned the stallion. Stratosphere, realising he was grinning, stopped immediatly."Look, I may be a cool and chill pony off the clock, but when work needs to be done I get it done." she said sternly."Do I make myself clear?" she asked. Stratosphere nodded repeatedly."Good." she said."Now go find Thunderlane, he'll tell you what work you have to do." she said trotting out of the room, swishing her tailed as she exited the room. Stratosphere lingered in his seat for a moment.
"Today is not a good day." the stallion said, getting up out of his chair and leaving. As he trotted through the building he was stopped by Silk Parchment. She gave him a soft smile.
"Don't take what Rainbow Dash says too seriously. She just likes ponies to know whos boss." she said. Stratosphere smiled at the mare.
"Thanks." he said, stepping outside of the town hall.
Stratopshere walked out of the town hall, his head hanging low. He had been late to his first day of working, giving his boss a bad impression. As he came outside, he saw a dark grey pegasus standing across from him, a large grin on his face. He trotted over to the saddened stallion.
"So how did it go with the old boss mare?" Thunderlane chuckled, knowing the answer would be humorous. Stratosphere let out a sigh.
"She chewed into me harsh. Then she told me to find you to get my work for the day." he said. Thunderlane patted the pegasus on the back with a hoof.
"Ah don't worry about it too much. We've all been in that position with the captain. As the element of loyalty, she's very loyal to her job." Thunderlane said. The two ponies started walking through the town."At least you got stuck with me. Inagine what would of happened if you got stuck with Cloudchaser or Flitter." the dark grey stallion chuckled. Strstosphere looked at him.
"So what are we doing today?" he asked the stallion. Thunderlane groaned.
"We have the pleasure of stopping any rogue clouds that come out of the everfree forest, which means it's gonna be an all day job." the dark coated stallion said. The pegasus fluttered his wings."Come on, let's get going before the boss sees us and accuses us of slacking off." he said, taking off into the air. Stratosphere followed closely behind him. The two pegasi flew to the edge of Ponyville that bordered the Everfree Forest. They settled down on a small cloud.
"So what exactly are we doing?" Stratosphere asked.
"Exactly what I said earlier. If we see any rogue cliuds coming from the forest that aren't part of the weather schedule, we remove them." he said.
"Seems easy enough." the blue pegasus responded. Thunderlane chuckled.
"Never said it wasn't easy. It's just boring as tartarus." the stallion said."It's gonna be a long, long day." Thunderlsne groaned.
The pair of stallions had been sitting atop the cloud all morning. Their rogue cloud encounters were very limited. The two weather ponies had gotten very bored. To entertain themselves, they started doing tricks and stunts. Stratosphere had started with a few loop de loops while Thunderlane was doing sharp zig zags. As they were messing about Stratosphere spotted a cloud drifting from over the forest. He call it out to Thunderlane. The dark grey pegasus flew over to it and gave it a large kick. As his hooves made contact with the cloud a large electic current went through the stallions body, causing his coat to go frizzy. The cloud then disappeared. Stratosphere flew over to the stallion and began laughing, nearly falling out of the sky. The shocked pegasus glared at him.
"This isin't funny." he growled.
"Maybe not from where you're standing, but from here it's absolutely hilarious." Stratosphere said. The two pegasi then returned to their little watch cloud. As they were sitting, they were joined by Rainbow Dash. She landed on the cloud beside the two. She looked at the clear sky around her.
"Good to know you can do your job Stratosphere." she said smugly. The stallion didn't respond.
"How much longer do we have to stay out here?" Thunderlane asked.
"That's why I'm here. I came to tell you you're both finished for the day. Head back to Ponyville and take the rest of the day off. But I want both of you here tomorrow. We'll be testing out the new cloud around here." Rainbow Dash said. The two pegasi nodded."Also, try arrive on time Stratosphere." she said before the two had departed. Stratosphere nodded before flying back towards Ponyville, accompanied by Thunderlane.
"Well today was a great first day." Stratosphere ssid sarcastically. Thunderlane grinned.
"It could have been worse, you could have gotten stuck with RD." he chuckled. The two ponies continued to fly theough the sky. Eventually they reached the familiar sight of Ponyville. They both landed down in the town square. It was quite busy as it was just mid afternoon.
"So, you wanna grab a bite to eat in sugarcube corner?" Stratosphere asked. Thunderlane grimaced.
"Sadly I'll have to decline. I have to pick up Rumble from school." he said."Maybe next time."
"If you want I can come with you to pick up Rumble. I don't really have anything else planned for the rest of the day." the blue pegasus said. Thunderlane smiled.
"Sure thing. You can come back to my place and we can play some more video games." the dark coated stallion suggested. The two ponies headed off in the direction of the school.
Stratosphere and Thunderlane sat patiently outside the school, along with all the other parents. As the bell rang, all the fillies and colts poured out of the school house. Rumble ran straight over to Thunderlane once he saw him. The older brother gave his younger brother a hug.
"How was school today little guy?" he asked.
"Oh it was awsome big bro!" Rumble said."We played hoofball during lunch and I got the winning point."
"Congrats little bro." Thunderlane said.
"I also got a B in that test we had." the colt said. Thunderlane smiled at his younger brother.
"Well I'm very proud of you." he said earning an extra smile from her younger brother. Rumble glanced at the blue pegasus walking alongside them.
"Why is our neighbour here?" he asked innocently.
"Well me and him just finished work. He offered to come with me to pick you up. He's gonan come back with us and play some video games." Thunderlane said.
"Alright." Rumble said."But he better be prepared for another flank whooping." the colt giggled. Stratosphere glared at the little colt.
"You did not whoop my flank, if anything I destroyed you." the sky blue pegasus argued. The colt only shook his head in response. The three ponies continued walking until they reached Thunderlane's house. They went inside and collapsed onto the couch. Each picked up a controller and started playing.
"Celestia dammit!" Stratopshere said as Rumble's character destroyed his. He looked at the colt."Best two out of three?" he asked. The colt grinned a devilish grin."This is going to be a long afternoon" Thunderlane thought to himself.
The sky blue stallion hopped out of bed, his alarm clock ringing away in the background. He had set the alarm fifteen minutes earlier than usual. He ran around his room makinf sure he had everything he needed for work. Once he was satisfied, the stallion left his house. He trotted over the the town hall, just opposite his house. He went through the front door and walked into the reception. He greeted Silk Parchment, who was sitting at her desk, doing paperwork. It was the only thing she ever seemed to be doing. The stallion walked past her in the direction of the meeting room. He opened the door and went inside. Rainbow Dash was inside writing weather patterns on board. She turned to look at the stallion who had entered. She was suprised to seem him.
"Stratosphere? What are you doing here?" she asked the stallion. Stratosphere sat down at the table, a smug look on his face. He but his hooves up on the table.
"I am here, bright and early for the morning meeting." the stallion said confidently. The rainbow mare looked at him sideways. A grin began to form on her face.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, but there's no meeting this morning." she giggled. The stallions face dropped."With the testing of the new cloud, I told everypony yesterday not to come in until after midday." she said. The stallion slammed his face against the desk. Rainbow Dash walked over to him and placed a hoof on his back."Hey, you made an effort, which is what counts. I'll keep that in mind." she said with a smile. Stratosphere smiled lightly back at her. He got up out of his chair and left the meeting room. As he passed by Silk Parchment, she waved a hoof at him to grab his attention.
"Oh Stratopshere, just a quick heads up. You have no meeting this morning." she said, immediatly returning to her paperwork. The stallion just scoweld at the mare before departing the building. He walked out into the town square. A few ponies were arriving to set up their stalls for the day ahead. Stratosphere decided to explore a bit of the town, which he hadn't done since his tour. He trotted out to Sweet Apple Acres before turning back to town. He passed by the school, Sugarcube Corner and Twilight's castle. As he was passing by the boutique a white unicorn came out of it. When she saw the stallion she gasped. She ran up to him. She went right up in his face, staring at the poor suprised stallion.
"Can I help you?" he asked nervously. The mare pulled back slightly.
"Oh forgive me darling. It's just you look like a famous pegasus that I know. He's the son of two famous pegasi from Cloudsdale." the mare said."If I can recall his name is-"
"Stratosphere." the sky blue pegasus said, extending out a hoof. The mare's jaw dropped.
"You're...you're Stratosphere?" she asked. The pegasus nodded."Oh darling you just have to come inside and try on some of my outfits. I've been dying to find the right connection to set up a chain in Cloudsdale." the mare said dragging the stallion into the boutique. The stallion went along unwillingly. She plonked the stallion infront of a large mirror."Wait right here darling." she said trotting off into a back room. The stallion stood on the spot, gazing around the shop. A few moments later the mare returned carrying multiple outfits with her magic. She also carried a small screen. She handed the first outfit to him and gestured towards the screen. Stratosphere obliged and went to get changed. He emerged a few minutes later. He now had on a light grey suit. The mare beamed as the stallion appeared.
"How do I look?" Stratosphere asked.
"You look absolutely divine, darling!" she said beaming. He walked over to the mirror and examined himself. He had to admit he did look pretty good.
"I'll take it." he said. He went to reach for his bits but was stopped by the mare.
"Keep it as a gift. Just remember to mention my clothes to your parents the next time you see them." she said. Stratosphere nodded his thanks.
"You're very generous..." he said realising he never caught her name.
"Rarity. My name is Rarity, darling." she said smiling.
"Well thank you Rarity. I will definitely recommend you to my folks the next time I talk to them." the stallion said. He left the boutique in his new outfit."I'd best head home and put this suit away." he said to himself, heading in the direction of his home.
Stratosphere placed the new suit neatly away in his wardrobe. After that he looked over at his clock. Eleven fifty. Time to head over to the town hall. The stallion proceedes to the town hall. He greeted Silk for the second time that day as he headed for the meeting room. He went inside and thankfully saw more than one pony inside. He sat down at the table. Rainbow Dash was still going through weather patters while the other pegasus present sat there silently. He didn't recognise the mare. He was just glad he wasn't the last to arrive. A few minite later the door opened, revealing Thunderlane, Flitter and Cloudchaser. The three pegasi sat down. Once they did Rainbow Dash turned around.
"Right, now that we're all here and on time." she said glancing over at Stratosphere."Let's dicuss today's plan. You all know that we are testing out the new cloud today. That means all of us. We will be flying out to the edge of the Everfree Forest to examine it and see if it has any side effects." the cyan mare said. All the pegasi nodded."I'll go into more detail once we're out there. Let's get going." she said exiting the room. Everypony got up and followed her out.
The ponies arrived at the edge of the forest shortly after. Thunderlane and Stratopshere were carrying the new cloud type. The pegasi touched down on the ground.
"Right. I want you to split the cloud in two. One half we will keep. The other will be used for the various tests." Rainbow Dash ordered. Thunderlane carefully cut the cloud into two pieces, placing one off to the side, so it didn't get damaged. The other half Stratosphere brought over to Rainbow Dash. She pulled out a clipboard from under her wing."Firstly, we need to test it's durability. Break off a piece there and take it up."
Stratosphere took off a piece and flew into the sky, placing it a few feet in the air.
"Now buck it and see what the result is." Rainbow ordered from the ground. Stratosphere lined up his rear hooves. He bucked at the cloud. It vanished into thin air. Rainbow Dash took a note on her clipboard. A few seconds later an electric charge surged through Stratosphere's body, leaving his mane in a frizzed state. The other pegasi laughed uncontrollably. Rainbow Dash scribbled out what she had written and wrote something else.
"Next is production." she said."Grab another piece and jump up and down on it. See if it produces rain."
Thunderlane took off the piece this time, flying up into the air. He slowly jumped up and down on the cloud. Nothing happened. Rainbow Dash waited before writing anything. Suddenly the cloud started to produce rain. But there was one problem. It was raining upwards. Rainbow Dash wrote another note on her clipboard.
"Final test. See if you can change it into a thundercloud." she said. Thunderlane hesitated."Don't be such a foal." Rainbow Dash called out. That got Thunderlane moving. He messed about with the cloud until it went a dark shade. He then kicked it, causing a lightning bolt to strike the ground, just infront of Rainbow Dash. She glared at the pegasus who was trying his hardest to hold back a laugh. Rainbow Dash took note of the result before storing the clipboard back under her wing.
"Alright, that's all we needed. Take the cloud sample back to town hall. I'll mail these results back to the Cloudsdale weather factory. Let them know their new cloud is a bit faulty.
"A bit?!" Stratosphere asked, still fixing his frizzed mane. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at the stallion.
"I'll see you all tomorrow morning." she said flying off.
Chapter 5: Lunch With The Team
Stratosphere rolled over in his bed, the now familiar sound of his alarm clock buzzing closely to his ear. He pulled the duvet that pinned him down in his bed, rolling over and sitting up on the edge of the mattress, giving his eyes a rub before glancing over at his alarm clock. He slowly reached over and pressed a hoof on the top of it, the buzzing subsiding. He rubbed his hooves against his eyes once more, hoping to get rid of the tiredness that came with getting up in the morning. The sky blue stallion stood up and slowly trotted towards the bedroom door, his hoofsteps banging heavily against the wooden floor. Once he passed through the doorframe he entered into the kitchen, going over to the cupboard and taking out a bowl and a small box of oats. He then carried them over to the small table and sat down, pouring the oats into the bowl. The stallion slowly began eating his breakfast, chewing the oats in his mouth. Once he was satisfied that he was full, he brought the bowl and box back over to the cupboard, placing the bowl in the sink and the box back in the cupboard. He then headed back to his bedroom to grab his satchel bag, before heading towards the front door.
Stratosphere stepped outside into the cool morning breeze that was swarming through the town. He looked from left to right, not a single pony in sight to disturb the peace of the early morning. He began to trot in the direction of the town hall, humming a little tune to himself as he trotted. It only took him a few minutes to reach his destination, which was the largest building at the centre of the town. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, shielding himself from the morning chill outside. He trotted through the building towards the meeting room, stopping to speak to his friend Silk. The mare looked up and saw him approaching her desk, smiling as he advanced towards her. He leaned against her desk and smiled at her in a friendly manner. She returned the smile to the sky blue pegasus, studying the stallion’s physique.“Good morning Silk.” the stallion said politely, nodding his head at the mare behind the desk. She grinned back at him, her eyes darting up to meet his.”Good morning yourself.” she responded, hoping the stallion hadn’t noticed her staring at him a few moments ago.“Am I the last one in?” he asked, looking around the empty building.The caramel mare shook her head.”No, the only ponies to have arrived are Rainbow Dash, Blossomforth and Raindrops.” she said. “Cool, thanks for telling me.” he said, rushing off in the direction of the meeting room.“Anytime Strats!” she called out to him as he proceeded down the corridor, standing up from her chair. Once the stallion was out of sight, she sat back down again and returned to her work.Stratosphere reached the door to the meeting room and opened it slowly, poking his head inside the room. Sitting down at the table were two mares that he recognised from his welcoming party. One had a light cyan mane and a light gold coat, the other had a pinkish grey coat and a cerise mane with emerald stripes. They were both talking to one another about something that Stratosphere couldn’t make out from where he was standing. Rainbow Dash was standing at the top of the table as usual. She was reading through pieces of paper, pushing them around on the table, making them into a complete mess. Stratosphere stepped inside the room, closing the wooden door behind him quietly. Neither of the two ponies in deep conversation noticed him entering the room. He trotted over to the table and sat down at one of the empty chairs next to the two talking mares. They broke from their conversation once they noticed the stallion sitting down beside them. The grey mare whispered something into the golden mare’s ear, causing both of them to burst into a fit of giggles. Rainbow Dash looked up at the sound of laughing. Once she saw who it was, she glared then returned to her sheets of paper. Stratosphere rubbed the back of neck with his hoof, feeling very uncomfortable in his current situation. The grey mare turned to face him.“Hey there.” she said, extending a hoof out to the stallion. He took it politely and shook it.”I’m Blossomforth and this here is Raindrops.” she said, gesturing to the mare beside her. She waved at the stallion, a large smile plastered on her muzzle.”Your the new pony in town, right?” Blossomforth asked him.Stratosphere gulped softly.”Yeah, I just moved here from Cloudsdale.” he said meekly, unsure of what to do in this situation.Blossomforth smiled at him seductively.”Well if you ever need somepony to give you a private tour of the town, feel free to ask me and Raindrops here.” she said, gesturing to the golden mare once more. Stratosphere’s cheek immediately turned a dark shade of red. He raised his hoof to his face to try and hide the fact that he was blushing.”Well I’m very flattered but-”“But he’s taken.” Rainbow Dash said, butting into the conversation. She had trotted over to the two mares while the three of them had been talking. She was now standing between the two mares seats, glaring at both of them darkly.”I would also suggest that you keep your personal lives personal and not bring this stuff up at work.” the rainbow maned mare growled. The two mares nodded at one another, Blossomforth turning back to face Raindrops, returning to their earlier conversation. Stratosphere mouthed a silent thank you to Rainbow Dash, who simply shrugged in response. The door to the meeting room opened with Thunderlane, Flitter and Cloudchaser pouring into the room. They all had a sweaty look on their faces. Rainbow Dash glared at the trio.Thunderlane trotted over to her and smiled.”Sorry we’re late Dash. We had a bit of a late night yesterday and forgot to set the alarm.” Thunderlane said, looking extremely flushed. He glanced over at the two mares, a large grin on the stallion’s muzzle. The two mares shared the exact same expression. Rainbow Dash’s expression didn’t falter. The three ponies sat down at the table without another word. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat.”Right, now that we’re all here and ready to begin.” she shouted, glaring once more at the trio that had arrived late.”I sent off the report to Cloudsdale yesterday. They sent back a letter this morning saying that they will be taking care of the issues and once they are resolved they will be sending us out another cloud sample.” she said. The ponies around the room glanced at one another, recalling yesterday’s events with the experimental cloud.”Since I was expecting the sample to be back today and I have there’s nothing else on the schedule, you all get the rest of the day off.” Everypony looked at one another with joy. Rainbow Dash grinned at their reactions to the news of having the rest of the day off.“What I might suggest is that you all meet up for lunch to get better acquainted with our newest member.” she said gesturing towards Stratosphere with her hoof. The ponies all nodded at this suggestion. Rainbow Dash looked over at Stratosphere.”And invite Silk also. That mare really needs to get out of the office once in awhile.” the cyan pegasus grinned. Stratosphere blushed at the mare’s request.Thunderlane nudged Stratosphere playfully.”I’ll make sure she gets the message.” he grinned. Rainbow Dash nodded at the stallion before gathering up the sheets and heading for the door. Thunderlane looked at Stratosphere.”Looks like you have a lunch date with the team and a mare that you fancy.” Thunderlane chuckled, causing Stratosphere to blush profoundly.“I do not have a crush on Silk!” Stratosphere cried out, his cheeks glowing a bright shade of red.Thunderlane raised his hoof and pressed it against the stallion’s mouth, silencing the sky blue pegasus.“Talk to the hoof, cause the ears ain’t listening.” he said, chuckling at his own comment. Stratosphere glared at him.”I’ll see you and Silk at Sugarcube Corner for lunch later than?” he asked. Stratosphere resisted the urge to nod but did so.”Good, I’ll see you then.” he said with a sly wink leaving the stallion.
Stratosphere departed his house for the second time today. The temperature had increased tremendously since he first set hoof outside this morning. He began his journey from his house to Sugarcube Corner. Stratosphere trotted slowly towards the bakery, giving himself a few extra minutes to think up a plan of how to play this. Nervousness swept through his body, causing the stallion to slow down even more. Eventually the stallion came to a complete stop debating on wether or not to go to the lunch. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerve, thinking about the positives. Silk would be there and it would give him a better chance to get to know her. Plus he could get back at Thunderlane for inviting her and making him look like a fool. Stratosphere started trotting again, his rhythm a lot quicker and more confident. He eventually came to the bakery and went inside to look for his team and friends. After he had entered Sugarcube Corner he scoured the vicinity for them, eventually spotting them sitting in a large booth near the rear of the building. He trotted over to them and sat down beside Silk. She smiled at him as he sat himself down next to her.“Hey.” she said to him.”Thanks for telling Thunderlane to invite me. I’m usually so busy in the office that I never get to enjoy a nice meal out with friends.” she said, beaming at the stallion sitting next to her. Stratosphere returned the smile, a light blush appearing on his face.“Well I just thought you might like to join us for a meal.” he responded, rubbing the back of his neck with a hood nervously. He picked up the menu and scanned through it looking for something to please his palate. Silk pressed her hoof down on his menu.”Oh you have to try the Zap Apple Jam cupcake, sweet Celestia it’s amazing.” Silk said. Stratosphere read the pastry’s description, and found it satisfying.“Alright.” he smirked. He waved his hoof to catch the attention of the waitress. She trotted over to him and smiled.”I’ll have the Zap Apple Jam cupcake please miss.” Stratosphere said. She smiled and nodded at him trotting away in the opposite direction. He turned back to face Silk.”I never took you for a colourful cupcake mare.” Stratosphere said raising an eyebrow at the mare.Silk smiled back at him.”It’s kind of a guilty pleasure for me.” she responded to the stallion. Stratosphere’s cheeks filled with a bright shade of red. The waitress returned a minute later. She placed the cupcake in front of the stallion. He eyes the cupcake sitting in front of him, his mouth beginning to water at the sight of the delicious looking treat before him. He picked it up with a hoof and went to take a bite but hesitated. He glanced over at Silk who was staring at him intently, or rather at the cupcake. He placed it back down on the plate and split the cupcake in half, handing one half to the mare sitting beside him. “Here.” he said offering her the piece. She accepted it and began to nibble on it. Stratosphere did the same, slowly biting into the cupcake. As soon as it hit his tongue all he could taste was flavour. The sweetness of the cupcake was too much for him. He let out a pleasured moan. All the other ponies stared at him funnily. He looked back at them all embarrassed.”Sorry, it’s a really good cupcake.” he said apologetically. The others burst out laughing. Silk smiled softly at him. She kissed him on the cheek.“Well I’m glad you enjoyed my suggestion.” she said playfully. She brushed his hoof with hers.”I gotta get back to work but it was great to have lunch with you.” she said stepping out past Stratosphere. She weaved through the tables and exited the bakery. Stratosphere watched her as she left, his eyes trailing after her flank. Thunderlane scooched over in the booth until he was next to Stratosphere.“Look’s like somepony is whipped.” he grinned. Stratosphere turned and faced at the grey stallion. He picked up the remaining cupcake and shoved it in the stallion’s muzzled. Thunderlane recoiled in response but was unable to prevent his muzzle being covered in rainbow coloured cupcake. Stratosphere got up and left Sugarcube Corner, leaving the other ponies laughing at Thunderlane, who was wiping the cupcake off his muzzle.
Stratosphere stumbled into the town hall, still tired from the night before. He staggered over to the front desk, dragging his white hooves along the soft, red carpet that covered the wooden floor. He collapsed onto the reception desk, letting out a loud sigh as he did so. Silk looked up from her sheets of paper to give the stallion a glare for interrupting her work. He grinned at the mare who scowled at him, letting out a small chuckle as he stood back on his hooves. Silk looked back down at her work, avoiding eye contact with the stallion. He stood up straight and arched his back, stretching out his body to remove any stiffness that may have accumulated during his slumber from the previous night. He went back to resting his front hooves on the desk, smiling at the mare working her way through a mountain of paper.
“So did you enjoy lunch yesterday?” Stratosphere asked the mare, trying to make casual small talk. She glanced up at him, arching an eyebrow. She placed her quill down and looked up to face the stallion, putting on a big smile.“I had a lovely time indeed.” she responded, returning to her paperwork, hoping that the stallion might move along. He remained where he was, still smiling at her with his bright smile.“So.” Stratosphere said awkwardly, not sure what to say in a situation like this. Silk looked up at him again, dropping her quill once more.“Is there something you need?” she asked him bluntly, catching him a bit off guard. He removed his hooves from the desk and stood up straight, raising a hoof to his muzzle and cleared his throat.“Well I was kind of wondering, since we had such a nice time yesterday that maybe you would like to go out with me for dinner some time?” he squeaked. The mare's eyes widened as he asked the question, leaving her at a loss for words.“I..uhh..umm.” she said looking around nervously.”I..um..don’t really swing that way.” Silk replied, glancing away from the stallion. Now it was his turn for his eyes to widen, leaving him at a loss for words. Stratosphere began to stammer and stutter, trying to formulate a proper sentence to say to Silk.“You mean..you don’t..you know..you like mares?!” the sky blue stallion exclaimed, causing the caramel mare to blush profusely. She raised a hoof to his muzzle and closed it shut, holding her hooves there to make sure he didn’t start again.“I would prefer it you didn’t go shouting it around like that.” she said, a slight hint of anger in her voice. The stallion let out a soft whine as the mare glared at him. She released his muzzle from her grasp. Stratosphere raised a hoof up to rub where her hooves had clamped his muzzle shut. He brushed his hoof against his muzzle softly.”Next time think before you go shouting things around.”He looked back at the mare, her sentence catching his attention and reminding him of what she had just said.”So you like-” Silk’s hooves clamped his muzzle shut once more. This time he pulled back from her grasp, freeing his poor muzzle.”Sorry.” he whispered.”So you like mares?” he asked quietly, as so no nearby ponies could overhear them. The caramel mare nodded at him, the redness still visible in her cheeks.”That’s cool, I’m actually bisexual myself.” the stallion said proudly. The mare looked him up and down and snorted softly. Stratosphere frowned at her.”What’s so funny?” he demanded.Silk raised a hoof to her muzzle to hide her grin.”Sorry, it’s just that you seem a bit too butch to be bisexual.” she said through her hoof. The stallion looked surprised at her.”I just can’t imagine you taking it up the tailhole.” she giggled through her hoof. The stallion frowned, while his cheeks became a bright red colour.“And just what makes you think I would. I’m quite the dominant stallion you know!” he lashed back. The mare could only stifle a laugh, her breathing betraying her.”I’m serious!” Stratosphere said. “Okay, okay I believe you. There’s no need to get your panties in a twist.” she said bursting into a fit of laughter, leaving the stallion to blush profusely.“I gotta get to my meeting.” Stratosphere said, attempting to storm off only to be grabbed back by the mare. She pulled his face close into hers, kissing him softly on the lips. The stallion’s eyes widened in surprise from the mare’s action. A few seconds later she released him, a thin strand of saliva still connecting their mouths. Stratosphere stared blankly at the mare, unable to respond with words.She blushed heavily at him, smiling slightly.”Sorry.” she said.”I realise that you really like me and I’m sorry that I’m not interested. If I did go that way you would definitely be my first choice. I just thought I’d give you something since you had the courage to ask.” The stallion just nodded slowly at her in a trance like state. He shook his head from side to side, snapping him out of his daze.”Umm..thanks..I guess.” he said hesitantly.”I guess I’ll be going, I’ll see you around Silk.” he said trotting off in the direction of the meeting room. Silk smiled and waved as he went on his way.
Stratosphere entered the meeting room, still a bit shook after his encounter with Silk. He trotted over to the table and flopped down beside Thunderlane. The dark grey stallion smiled at him apologetically, after he noticed him sitting down. Thunderlane rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof.”Sorry about yesterday.” he said.”I didn’t mean to embarrass you or anything. It was just a bit of friendly banter.”Stratosphere turned to look at the stallion. He studied his physique until he came to the stallion’s eyes. He stared into them, getting lost in their golden colour. He didn’t really pay attention to what the stallion was saying and cut him off.“If it makes you feel any better I-” Thunderlane said before being interrupted.“Will you go out with me!” Stratosphere exploded. The dark grey stallion froze up, his feathers rustling. Thunderlane stared at the stallion in front of him, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red. The stallion rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of what to say to him. Stratosphere raised his hooves to his muzzle, clamping it shut as Silk had done earlier. He sat in silence eyeing the stallion, wondering what could possibly be going through his head right now.“Yes.” Thunderlane said. Stratosphere nearly fell out of his chair after hearing the stallion’s response. He fixed himself up and face the stallion, who was giggling heavily at the stallion’s reaction.”Yes I will go out with you.” he said once more to remove any doubts the stallion might have had about what he said. Stratosphere’s face was now as red as Thunderlane’s. Thunderlane leaned forward and gave him a small peck on the lips. Stratosphere’s wings shot up immediately, forcing him to try and desperately lower them. Once he managed to nestle his wings back in place he turned back to the stallion. They gazed longing into one another’s eyes. They were snapped out of their daze by somepony coughing. They turned to see everypony in the room looking at them. They both blushed profusely. Rainbow Dash was grinning at the top of the table.“Well if you two are quite ready, I was thinking we could begin this morning’s meeting.” she said with a chuckle, earning a laugh from the other pegasi present. She cleared her throat once more to bring silence to the room.”Okay, so we got the new cloud sample back from the weather factory with the correct calibrations this time I’m told. We will be taking it out for testing tomorrow. Same rules as before apply. The schedule for today is basic cirrus cloud pattern. Cloudchaser and Flitter I want you to handle it. The rest of you have the day off.” she bellowed. The two mares assigned a job let out a large groan while everypony else shouted in joy.”I suggest you make the most of it.” she said eyeing the two stallions and grinning as she left the meeting room. Thunderlane and Stratosphere both blushed.“So what did you have in mind for our date?” Thunderlane asked with a sly grin, catching the sky blue pegasus off guard. He thought furiously for a moment.“Umm..well I don’t really have anything planned. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing.” Stratosphere said meekly. Thunderlane chuckled at him.“I think I have an idea of what we can do. I have a few errands that i need to run today. How about you call over to mine at seven and we’ll work our way from there?” he asked the stallion. Stratosphere nodded politely.“That sounds like a plan.” he said.Thunderlane beamed.”Good, just make sure you’re not late.” he said. He gave the stallion another quick peck before getting up and leaving. Stratosphere watched him as he left, before getting up and following in the direction the dark grey stallion went.
Stratosphere fumbled about in his bedroom, trying to get himself to look at least half presentable for his date with Thunderlane. The stallion’s calmness towards the question had slightly put the stallion on nerve as he was afraid that he would mess the evening up. He had three of his shirts laying on his bed, unable to decide which one to wear. The choice was between the grey one he had worn to the welcome party, a blue one that matched the darker shade of his mane or a bright red shirt. After staring at each of them for what felt like hours, he decided to wear the blue one, putting it on and going over to his mirror to examine himself. He stared at the reflection that greeted him, a white stallion with a two toned blue mane and a blue shirt. He felt pleased with his choice and trotted back over to his dresser and pulled out a small bottle of cologne. He splashed some of the strong smelling liquid onto the collar of his shirt, and then onto his hooves. He placed the bottle securely back in the draw, closing it slowly as not to disturb the contents. He walked over to his mirror one last time, making sure he was ready to leave.“Okay, let’s do this.” he said to himself, exiting the bedroom and heading next door to his date’s house.
Stratosphere trotted up to the front door of the house beside his. He knocked his hoof against it three times, each bang making the stallion flinch, giving him to urge to run back to his house. He paused for a moment, guessing if the door would open or not. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal the face of a familiar stallion. Thunderlane beamed at the stallion standing outside his front door, gesturing for him to come inside.“Come on in.” he said, his hoof directing the blue pegasus into the house. Stratosphere stepped into the house while Thunderlane closed the door behind him. The grey stallion eyed the stallion’s rear as he entered further into the house. He gave his lips a quick lick. Stratosphere turned around to face the dark grey stallion. Thunderlane quickly moved his gaze up to meet the stallion’s eyes. They sparkled slight, causing Thunderlane to chuckle. Stratosphere stared at him, raising an eyebrow at the grinning stallion.“What’s so funny?” he asked, eying the stallion up and down, waiting for a response.“Nothing, you just look really cute. I especially like the shirt.” he said, glancing at the stallion’s choice of clothing. Stratosphere smiled and looked down at his shirt, modelling it off for the stallion to view.“I’m glad you like it, I wasn’t sure if I picked the right shirt or not.” he said with a small giggle. Thunderlane pushed forward and kissed Stratosphere on the lips, the blue pegasus pushing back into the stallion, returning the kiss. The two held the kiss before Thunderlane broke it to get some air. A small strand of saliva connected the two stallions mouths. “So, what have you got planned for this evening?” Stratosphere asked the stallion, who was still taking in a breath or two.“Why don’t I just show you.” he said with a knowing smirk. He turned and trotted in the direction of the kitchen, the blue pegasus following closely behind catching a glimpse of the stallion’s plump rear, causing him to blush slightly. The two ponies entered into the kitchen, which had been decorated for the occasion. The table a had red velvet table cloth covering it, with a lit candle at the centre. On either end of the table was a plate of food and two mugs of what looked like cider. Thunderlane grinned at the stallion and gestured for him to take a seat. The two ponies both sat down at the table facing opposite one another.“You definitely know how to treat a stallion.” Stratosphere said looking into the stallion’s eyes lovingly. “For somepony like you, it’s worth it!” he said with a small chuckle. The blue pegasus grinned at the stallion’s comment, swishing his tail back and forth while sitting in the chair. The two began to eat their meals, each taking their first bite at the same time. Stratosphere closed his mouth around the food, letting it melt on his tongue. He let out a pleasurable groan to show his satisfaction with the meal. Thunderlane grinned at the pegasus, continuing to eat his own meal groan free.“Sweet Celestia, this is really good!” Stratosphere moaned, taking another bite of the meal Thunderlane had prepared.“Well I’m glad you liked it.” Thunderlane said, his face beaming at the stallion. Stratosphere gobbled down the food on his plate, never pausing to take in air. He looked up at the stallion sitting across from him.“You have got to teach me the recipe for this meal.” he said, continuing to swallow down the delicious food before him.“It’s got a very special sauce in it.” Thunderlane said with a smirk. Stratosphere stopped eating and glanced the stallion, who had a devilish grin plastered on his muzzle. He looked down at the food once again.“By special sauce, you mean?”“A good chef never reveals his recipe.” the dark grey stallion said, leaving Stratosphere to ponder what he had meant. The stallion shrugged slightly and went back to eating the meal. Eventually both of the stallions plates had been wiped clean. Stratosphere sat back in his chair, giving his belly a small pat.“Well that was absolutely delicious.” Stratosphere said, letting out a small belch afterwards, grinning at his reaction. Thunderlane smiled at him and brought the two plates over to the sink, leaving them there to wash in the morning. He returned over to the table and gave the stallion a quick peck on the lips. Stratosphere’s wings rustled at the sudden contact of their lips. Thunderlane then turned and headed in the direction of the living room, motioning for the stallion to follow. Stratosphere did so obediently. The two stallions went into the living room and sat down on the couch. “So are we gonna play some videogames?” Stratosphere asked curiously eying the stallion. Thunderlane grinned and shook his head, telling the stallion he had other plans.“I was thinking we could get to know one another better.” he said slyly, moving closer towards the stallion and wrapping a wing around him, pulling him in closer. Stratosphere giggled as the dark grey stallion pulled him closer towards him. “I think I like that idea very much.” he said leaning into the stallion. Their lips met one another forcefully yet playfully. The two stallions roamed around the insides of one another's mouths. Stratosphere moaned into Thunderlane’s mouth as he kissed the stallion passionately. While the two stallions were kissing, Rumble entered the room. He stopped and stared at the two stallions. Stratosphere noticed the smaller stallion out of the corner of his eye and immediately broke from the kiss. Thunderlane looked at him in confusion, wondering why he had stopped until he noticed his brother standing there, staring at the two of them. They both blushed profusely at the sight of the younger colt. He shook his head and let out a sigh.“You two are so gay.” he said, leaving the room, allowing the stallions to return to their interrupted action.
Chapter 7: A Trip To Cloudsdale
Celetia’s sun shone through the small rectangular window of the large bedroom, illuminating two stallions cuddling together on a king sized bed. The two were holding each other in a tight embrace, barely giving one another room to move. The sky blue pegasus nuzzled softly against the dark grey pegasus wrapped between his hooves, causing him to purr softly.
“Good morning.” Stratosphere said softly, continuing to nuzzle the stallion craving his attention. Thunderlane struggled to turn and face the sky blue stallion who had him in a tight grip. Eventually he managed to shuffle about until he was muzzle to muzzle with the sky blue pegasus. He planted a kiss on the stallion’s soft lips, holding it there for a minute. He then pulled back and gazed lovingly at him.“Morning.” he responded to the stallion, cuddling him.”How was your sleep?” he asked Stratosphere. The pegasus grinned at the stallion’s question.“I can honestly say that was the best sleep I have ever had.” he said, smiling at him.”What about you? Did you get much shut eye?”. Thunderlane nodded his head in response. He placed multiple kisses along the stallion’s chest, slowly working his way up. Eventually he came back to the stallion’s muzzle, placing an extra long kiss on the stallion’s lips. The two stayed in the kiss for a few moments before breaking. Stratosphere attempted to roll over in the bed but was quickly grabbed by the second stallion in the bed, who clung on to him with great strength. He glanced over at the stallion who had a small smirk on his face. Stratosphere once again attempted to get up out of the bed but found himself being pulled back by Thunderlane. He turned back to face him again this to find him pouting.“What are you doing?” he asked the dark grey pegasus.“I don’t want you to get out of bed.” Thunderlane pouted. Stratosphere raised an eyebrow.“And why not?” he asked.“I want you to stay and cuddle with me.” he said, gripping the stallion more tightly. Stratosphere grinned and kissed the stallion gently on the cheek.“We can cuddle later Lane, right now I’m gonna make some breakfast.” he said getting up to go make breakfast. For the third time Thunderlane grabbed him and forced him back onto the bed. Stratosphere glared at the pegasus in the bed.
“Alright this is getting slightly annoying now.” he said, a hint of anger in his voice. Thunderlane whimpered softly. Stratosphere let out a small sigh.”Look if you keep this up I’m going to have to carry you with me into the kitchen.” he said. Thunderlane’s eyes suddenly lit up. He jumped onto the stallion the moment the words left his mouth. Stratosphere fell back in surprise, taking Thunderlane with him, causing both of them to fall to the floor. Stratosphere glared at the stallion who fell on top of him. Thunderlane grinned sheepishly, planting a kiss on Stratosphere’s cheek.
“Sorry baby.” he said smiling.“What the hell did you do that for?” Stratosphere asked.”First you won’t let me leave the bed and now you’re knocking me out of it.”. He glared at the stallion.“I just wanted you to carry me into the kitchen.” Thunderlane mumbled, rubbing his hoof against his leg. Stratosphere raised his eyebrow.“What did you say?” he asked.”Did you just ask me to carry you into the kitchen.” Thunderlane nodded sheepishly. Stratosphere grinned at the stallion and in one swift movement picked him up in his forehooves. Thunderlane let out a gasp in surprise. “Does my little colt need me to carry him to the kitchen?” Stratosphere asked playfully. Thunderlane pouted and crossed his hooves.“I didn’t mean it in a coltish way.” he grumbled. Stratosphere chuckled.“I know, I just love winding you up.” he said kissing the stallion. He then proceeded down the corridor towards the kitchen, carrying his stallion in his hooves, both of them giggling as they went along. Stratosphere tried his best not to fall over as he carried the stallion. As soon as they entered the kitchen, Stratosphere toppled over, landing on the stallion he was carrying. The two laughed as they got to their hooves.“Alright, are you happy now?” Stratosphere asked Thunderlane who smiled and nodded back at him.”Good, now what would you like for breakfast?” he asked the stallion. Thunderlane attempted to protest but was halted by a hoof pressed against his muzzle “Ah ah ah, I don’t want to hear it. Since you went to so much trouble last night to make dinner, it’s only fair that I make breakfast.” the sky blue pegasus said. Not seeing any point in arguing, Thunderlane nodded in acceptance and went to sit down at the table, swishing his tail from side to side as he made his way over. Stratosphere followed him with his gaze before his view was blocked by the stallion sitting down. Stratosphere then turned his focus to the kitchen and it’s many cabinets and cupboards. He rummaged around through each one, grabbing pots and pans as he found then as well as taking out a selection of food from the fridge. He set everything up and got to work immediately. As he cooked the kitchen soon began to fill with the delicious smell created by the cooking food. As he was cooking, a little colt wandered into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes as he had just woken up. He looked around the kitchen to see what was making the delicious aroma that was filling the house. He looked at the stallion who was working away, stirring food and preparing plates. He then went over to the table and sat down beside his brother who was busy staring at the cook. The dark grey’s head was resting of his hoof as he stared dreamily at the sky blue pegasus. Rumble waved a hoof in front of the stallion’s face to get his attention, which failed miserably. The smaller colt giggled at his distracted brother. He decided to take more drastic action. He pushed his brother’s hoof out from underneath his head, causing his head to fall and smack against the table. Thunderlane gasp as he face planted into the table, causing Rumble to burst out into a fit of laughter.“Why you little-” Thunderlane grumbled but was cut off by Stratosphere carrying two plates.“Here we are, some hay bacon strips, fried tomato omelets and some waffles.” he said placing a plate down in front of each of the stallions. Rumble’s face lit up at the sight of the delicious meal. He looked over at his brother in confusion.“How come you can never cook this good?” he asked his brother with a puzzled expression.“What are you talking about little bro, I’m a great cook. Did you not see the meal I prepared last night.” he said confidently, crossing his hooves. Rumble raised an eyebrow at him.“What are you talking about, Cloudchaser and Flitter made the meal from last night.” he said, causing Thunderlane to go bright red in the face. Stratosphere raised an eyebrow and smirked at the stallion.“Is that so?” he asked, the grin still plastered on his muzzle.“Of course not!” Thunderlane responded, giving his brother a heavy glare. Rumble didn’t say a word, and began to eat the breakfast that had been prepared for him. “Mhmm! This is amazing, you’re a really good cook. I hope Thunderlane keeps you around.” Rumble said, chowing into the food. “Doesn’t matter if he doesn’t Rumble, I’ll still be next door.” Stratosphere said, returning to the kitchen to grab his plate.“Does that mean you’ll still make me breakfast?” Rumble asked in excitement.“Maybe.” the sky blue pegasus said. He joined the other two stallions and sat down at the table. Stratosphere and Thunderlane followed Rumble’s example and began to tuck into their meals.“So what are guys doing today?” Rumble asked. Stratosphere glanced over at Thunderlane.“I honestly don’t know, any ideas Lane?” Stratosphere asked. Thunderlane thought to himself for a moment.“We could take a trip to Cloudsdale, I know Rumble is always pestering me to take him.” he said looking over at his brother who stuck his tongue out him.“Sounds like a plan. We can get everything ready after breakfast.” Stratosphere said.“Yay! We’re going to Cloudsdale!” Rumble shouted in excitement.“This will be a good opportunity for you to meet my parents.” Stratosphere said casually, nearly causing Thunderlane to choke on his food.“Your parents?!?” Thunderlane asked.
The trip to Cloudsdale wasn’t very far from Ponyville and the weather was perfect for flying. The two older pegasi flew while Rumble rode on Thunderlane’s back. They flew in silence as they made their way towards the city in the clouds. As the approached the clouds structure it quickly overshadowed them. They landed at the east entrance of the city. They made their way through the large cloud streets that were packed with other pegasi and the occasional unicorn. Eventually they reached the city centre.“So what do you wanna do first Rumble?” Thunderlane asked his younger brother. Rumble thought for a moment before answering.“Oh I know, I wanna go see the Wonderbolt Academy!” he said bouncing up and down. Thunderlane grinned and nodded at his brother.“Okay we’ll go to the academy first and I’ll give you a small tour okay?” Thunderlane said. Rumbled beamed in response to his brother. The three pegasi continued to navigate their way through the packed streets of Cloudsdale until they arrived at the Wonderbolt Academy. Thunderlane presented his ID to the stallion at the gate which gave the three of them access to the grounds. After Rumble was satisfied that he had seen everything the academy had to offer the three pegasi head off in the direction of Stratosphere’s parents house. The house was located on the southern part of the city, which was in the more wealthy district. As they arrived at the house both Thunderlane and Rumble stopped and gawped at the large mansion that stood before them. The cloud mansion was incredibly large, almost the size of Princess Twilight’s castle back in Ponyville. A royal guard stood watch at the gate to the mansion. He saluted as he saw Stratosphere approaching. “Sir Stratosphere” he bellowed. Stratosphere nodded back at him.“Good to see you again Shockwave.” Stratosphere responded.”I’m just dropping in to see my parents.” The guard nodded and glanced at the two other ponies with him.“Are they both with you?” he asked the sky blue pegasus. Stratosphere nodded.”Very well, I’ll open the gate for you know. He went inside his guard post and pulled a lever. The large golden gates slowly began to open. Once the gap was wide enough Stratosphere squeezed through the gap, followed by Rumble and then by Thunderlane. The three ponies trotted up the large driveway, which had a large fountain at the centre of it shooting out rainbow coloured water. The three of them made their way to the front door where Stratosphere knocked gently three times. A few moments later the door was opened by an elderly looking pegasus wearing a black suit.“Master Stratosphere!” he said.”What a pleasant surprise, please come in.” he said gesturing the ponies inside. They entered into the mansion. Thunderlane and Rumble were left in awe once again after seeing the size of the foyer.”I’ll inform your mother and father of your arrival.” he said trotting off through one of the doors. Stratosphere turned to face the two ponies who had accompanied him.“So what do you guys think?” he asked sheepishly. The two could only stare in awe.”I’ll take that as you like it.” he said. Before he could speak again one of the doors flee open and a mare trotted out.“Darling!” she shouted trotting over to Stratosphere, hugging him and planting little kisses all over his face. The sky blue pegasus struggled to get out of the mare’s grip, but his efforts were futile.”We weren’t expecting you home so soon. How is everything going in Ponyville?” she asked him.“Everything’s going just fine mother. I actually brought somepony home I would like to introduce to you both.” he said shyly. His mother stared at him, then turned to face the stallion behind him, before looking back at her son.“No!” she gasped. Stratosphere just nodded in response.”Ohh I’m so happy for you darling!” she said pulling her son into another bear hug.“Thanks mother.” Stratosphere said, this time returning the hug.”So where’s father?” he asked.“Oh he had to go into town for a meeting. He should be back for dinner if you would like to stay.” Stratosphere’s mother said. Stratosphere glanced over at Thunderlane and Rumble. “Do you guys mind staying over for dinner?” he asked the two ponies. Thunderlane looked at his brother to confirm he didn’t mind. After a nod from the younger colt Thunderlane turned back to his coltfriend.“We would love to stay.” he said politely. Stratosphere and his mother both beamed.“Excellent!” she said trotting over to Thunderlane and taking him by the hoof.”By the way I’m Diamond Cloud, Stratosphere’s mother.” she said as she led the stallion towards the kitchen.”Now why don’t you tell me all about yourself.” she said. Thunderlane glanced back at his coltfriend and his brother for help. They two only laughed as they followed behind at a distance.