The quiet murmur of conversation in the Wonderbolts’ showers had an excited, expectant air you wouldn't expect from the subdued discussions. Mares and stallions alike sat or stood anxiously, towels across shoulders or laying nearby, none willing to enter the showers without first hearing the news they were expecting.
Thunderlane exhaled slowly and leaned against the cold metal of his locker. He was intrigued as much as the next one of his squadmates, but they were really starting to smell after such an intense workout. His muzzle scrunched up in annoyance as he took an accidental whiff of the collected stench of every Wonderbolt, minus Rainbow Dash.
He stuck out his tongue in disgust, drawing an amused snort from High Winds. “What? Don't like the scent of a sweaty mare?”
Thunderlane blew a raspberry at the other Wonderbolt. “Not particularly, and even less so when it's mixed with so much stallion sweat.”
She snickered and slapped his flank with a towel. “Why don't you hit the showers then, tough guy? I think we all know what Rainbow Dash is going to say.”
“It's either going to contain an exorbitant amount of the word awesome, or disappointed rambling.”
The mare giggled, glancing quickly to the door out of the showers. Seeing no cyan pegasus she leaned in close to the stallion. “Either that or she's going to spend ten minutes talking about how awesome she is again.”
The stallion snorted and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a rainbow blur that flew into the room and came to a screeching halt on top of a bench at the centermost point of the locker room. Instantly’ every member of the Wonderbolts spun and saluted their returning captain, whom had the most manic grin any of them had ever seen.
“We did it! She loved it! Not only that, but Luna herself will be assisting the selection process!” Rainbow pumped her hoof in the air triumphantly.
The rest of the Wonderbolts threw their towels in the air in jubilation. They had thought it was a sure thing, but there had always been the chance that their little stunt had not gone over well with the royalty and it if it hadn't been a problem for them, it still had to go through the aristocracy, which was never a sure thing.
Thunderlane breathed easier and wiped the sweat from his brow with a hoof. Getting the okay to form a complementary squad of fliers more suited for the night had been a great idea, but it had also met a surprising amount of resistance. Now that it was officially okayed, it would mean longer hours, but ultimately a good chance that Thunderlane could nab the training position he had been eying since the birth of Swift Snow. Flitter was able to stay at home to care for the young foal, but he didn't want his kids to grow up without ever seeing their dad.
“Tonight we party! Pinkie Pie is hosting the biggest celebration any of you have ever seen! The festivities will commence at the party palace in one hour, so let's hit the shower and get ready to partaaay!” Rainbow Dash yelled, spinning into the air and raising her hoof in celebration.
An even greater peel of celebration met this announcement and more than a few of the younger members were already running for the showers, intent on not missing a moment of one of Pinkie Pie’s famous parties.
The older members slowly filed into the showers behind their juniors at a slightly more sedated pace, having experienced more than a few of the famous mare’s get togethers. Thunderlane took up the rear, grinning despite the pungent aroma that continued to assault his nostrils. Just as he was about to turn the corner to the showers, a cyan hoof gripped his shoulder.
“Hey, Thunderlane can I talk to ya?” Rainbow Dash asked, a small smile on her face.
“Sure, what's up, Cap?” he replied.
“Well, I been thinking and we decided that you would make a great instructor.” His sudden enthusiasm disappeared when he noticed the wince on the mare’s face. “But it wouldn't be for another year. Something about the last instructor having tenure and firing her would cost us like a bajillion bits.”
His smile returned, though not as big as before. “That's fine, Dash, in a way that kinda works out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well instructors make a little less, so this gives me a chance to save up and maybe put in the order to build another room on to the side of my house.”
The mare’s eyes lit up and some of the guilt bled from her features. “Well, that's good to hear. We will talk details in a few months, until then feel free to share this news with the family, but keep it on the downlow from the squad for now, alright?”
Thunderlane clasped Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “You can count on me, Cap’n.”
They exchanged a smile and the stallion entered the showers, quickly found an empty stall, tossed his towel over the door and began running the water. Nudity may not be a faux pas in Equestria, but there was something nice about having one’s own stall and the Wonderbolts were allowed a little more luxury than most, something the stallion enjoyed immensely after he got married.
He turned the shower head so the water hit his back and wings, letting out a slow sigh of relief as the water cascaded over his tense body. His relaxation was not to last and a familiar mare pulled herself up on top of the divider and smirked down at the stallion. “So, are you going to join us at the palace later or do you have old pony’s stuff to do again?”
The stallion smirked. “I will have you know that this old pony has to get home to his wife and kids.”
The mare blew a raspberry at him. “You are so boring Thunderlane, what are you, ninety?” The mare frowned and dropped back down into her own stall, leaving the stallion to merely shrug and laugh it off.
He probably would have said the same thing at her age, but that was before he had met Flitter. After that, everything changed and despite what his younger self might have thought, he loved the married life.
He quickly lathered himself with shampoo, his mind already wandering to thoughts of home and his family. Time flew on wings of love and soon enough Thunderlane found himself once more where he belonged.
Thunderlane leaned down and pulled the covers a little higher so they covered Swift Snow up to her chin, smiling softly at the sight of her softly slumbering. He had missed the chance to tuck them into bed and say goodnight, only the knowledge that soon such a thing would never happen again kept him from despairing about that fact.
He turned and slunk to the other side of the room where Cloud Thunder lay within Luna’s embrace. The soft blue blanket had fallen low on the foal’s body and the child shivered every few seconds. Thunderlane tsked and pulled the blanket back up, smiling softly to himself when he noticed the shivering had stopped.
With his job done, he slowly slipped back into the hall, closing the door behind him silently.
“They are so cute when they are asleep,” the sweet, feminine voice of his wife remarked.
Thunderlane couldn't help but smile and slip a wing around her. “Like little angels. Cloud Thunder still tosses and turns though, is something bothering him?”
Flitter tensed slightly, the smile on her face becoming a frown. “I think he got bullied again today. He won't talk to me, but he tensed up when I mentioned Silver Shadow’s name.”
Thunderlane growled and stomped a hoof. “Is that good for nothing is bullying him again? I am going to have to have a serious talk with the principal.”
The mare softly pressed her head against his neck, nuzzling the pegasus and easing his worries. “We will worry about that later, for now let's try and enjoy the night, okay?”
Thunderlane sighed, feeling his tense muscles slowly relax under the downy softness of his wife’s gentle touch. “I suppose you are right.”
Together they silently slipped down the hall to their room, silently save for the heavy thud of their hearts. It had been too long since they had a private moment and both of them knew what was coming next.
No words needed to pass between them, they simply slipped through the door and onto their bed and finally into each other's tender embrace. Nothing could match the feeling of relief as Thunderlane felt his wife bury her face in his neck, his forelegs wrapping around her and holding her tightly.
He squeezed her tightly, breathing in the subtle smell of her shampoo, lilacs, her favorite. “I missed you, Flitter.”
She tensed for only a second before pulling her head from his neck and meeting his gaze, smiling softly. “I missed you too, my big sexy stud.”
She giggled, the blush that came to his face making him look even more handsome than before. What little light was left from the setting sun spilled from their bedroom window, and though the light was meager at best, they did not need sight, they did not need words, only each other. Their lips came together and in their contact all the stress and fear and worry that had built within their hearts disappeared and the start of a long night of fevered lovemaking began.
Hours later Thunderlane lay on his back, his forehooves beneath his head and a massive smile spread across his face. He breathed in deep the potent aroma of sweat and lilacs. Even now he couldn't help but become slightly aroused by the smell. Lilacs and his Flitter were so interconnected that when he saw them, when he smelt them, all he thought of was her.
In the next room he could hear the soft pitter patter of the shower running, his wife no doubt in the midst of cleansing herself from their night of lovemaking. He would join her but she had always been so shy about showering together and he didn't want to ruin the good mood.
It was at that moment that a different urge overtook him. A tightness had grown above his crotch and he pushed his way out from under the covers and sauntering over to the bathroom. He slipped inside quietly, the door having been left open. He glanced over to the shower, hardly able to see anything through the thick layer of suds that seemed to fill the stall.
He stifled a giggle and made his way over to the toilet and quickly relieved himself. The relief felt good, though it couldn't hold a candle to the view. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the occasional snippets of his wife’s body shifting as she ran a hoofful of shampoo across her flank.
She hummed a soft and gentle tune, he couldn't quite place it but it almost sounded like a song she sung to their kids when they were having trouble sleeping. He smiled and finished up, not wanting to ruin her good mood by frightening her. As he moved to the door he cast one last glance back at the shower, hoping to catch another glimpse of his sexy wife.
The plentiful bubbles parted for a moment to reveal a shooting star on her flank and then, just as quickly as it happened, it was gone, the seemingly endless bubbles obscuring what Thunderlane had seen.
He blinked, swallowing hard. What was that? Was her cutie mark… no, that couldn't be. The stallion shook his head and slipped out of the bathroom.
The softness of the bed did not alleviate his worries and he couldn't help but think back to that moment. “That couldn't have happened, right?”
He shook his head and pushed his face into the pillow. It was probably just the bubbles obscuring things or perhaps he had seen one of the many shampoo bottles his wife had bought. Yeah, that sounded way more possible than his wife’s cutie mark being replaced by her deceased sister’s.
He squeezed the thoughts out of his head and rolled over onto his side. Whatever had happened, he would deal with it tomorrow, he was tired, it was late and there was no way he was going to think of anything constructive while exhausted from his day.
He restlessly tossed back and forth until eventually his wife joined him, stealthily creeping into their bed when she noticed he was not moving. Once she had returned, the stallion eased into a restless sleep, plagued by paranoia.
Many years ago.
Thunderlane breathed deeply, pushing the sounds of sadness from his mind. He placed a hoof on the bathroom door but wavered at the last moment, suddenly unsure of himself. Regardless of his feelings, he had to keep going, Flitter needed him now more than ever and he was helping no one by hiding in the bathroom. He gulped down the last of his anxiety and pushed through the door, quickly making his way back to his place by Flitter’s side.
“Sorry about that. Did I miss anything?” he whispered, opening a wing and wrapping it around her.
Flitter choked down a sob and shook her head, accepting the wing and wiggling a little closer to the stallion.
The service had ended over an hour ago, but still a few ponies lingered. Flitter’s parents had left reluctantly, pulled away by the coroner who had unfinished business with the couple. Leaving only Thunderlane, Flitter, an aunt, an uncle and somepony else whom Thunderlane didn't know.
He had done his best to comfort the mare, but curiosity had been burning in the back of his mind for the entire service. Just one word had been bouncing seemingly endlessly in his mind.
Why?
She had lived a good life, she seemed happy and had even been accepted to the school she had wanted. Why would a mare with so much to live for choose to end it all?
The stallion looked up to the cloud altar, where the body rested, only to immediately look away. He was proud to be a pegasus, but some traditions were not his cup of tea. He much preferred the closed casket tradition that some of his earthborn friends and family practiced. Having the body up there so all could see just seemed so macabre.
He squeezed Flitter tighter, using his strong wing muscles to pull her close and keep her there. She reached out, fumbling to grab his hoof. Acting quickly, he placed his hoof over hers. Though her tears still stained her cheeks, her heavy sobs subsided slightly, taking solace in the male’s presence.
If he was going to ask, it would have to be now, but should he? He looked around, no one else was looking at him. His mind made up, he squeezed her hoof. “Flitter, can I ask you something?”
The mare turned, wiping her tears away and meeting the stallion’s eyes. He flinched slightly, her beautiful eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks matted from her tears and her lips quivered, obviously holding back another sob.
“I was just going to ask why... you know, she... uh, did it?” He winced, he could already see fresh tears beginning to form at the edge of her eyes.
This was a terrible idea. “I-I-she-” The mare surged forward, wrapping her hooves around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder.
He wrapped his own forelegs around her neck and ran a gentle hoof down her back. “Shh, you don't have to answer, that’s okay. I’m sorry.”
Thunderlane could feel his fur becoming damp from the fresh surge of tears and he silently cursed his own curiosity. Eventually he would find an answer to his question, but it wouldn't be now, and it wouldn't be here.
The day after his bizarre discovery, Thunderlane lay in bed, thinking of the night before. It had been relatively dark, the bubbles obscured almost everything, but still he couldn't shake the image of her having the wrong cutie mark from his mind.
He rolled over and squeezed a pillow in his hooves, the thought was driving him mad, and he couldn't shake the image or the damning implications. Was it all in his head? If it wasn't, what did that mean? Was Flitter actually… no that's impossible.
The stallion rolled onto his back and lay there. He wanted to get up, to start his day and to see his kids, but his mind continued to race with what-if scenarios and terrible questions.
A voice from down the hall broke him from his train of thought. “Honey, kids, breakfast is ready!”
Thunderlane sighed, Flitter had always been an amazing cook, if it even was Flitter. He hopped out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, halfway there a grey blur zoomed past him. “Hey Dad!” Cloud Thunder said as he whizzed past Thunderlane.
A white blur zipped past him on the other side of him a second later. “Morning, Dad!”
“Hey, no flying in the halls!” he called out.
The two blurs landed and sprinted the rest of the way to the kitchen, giggling all the way. The stallion sighed and ran a hoof down his face. He was not looking forward to having another talk with his troublesome kids over going too fast, especially considering his job as it made him feel a bit hypocritical. He couldn't really blame them either, growing up seeing so many Wonderbolt shows had left its mark on the foals and they endlessly raced and tried to learn the tricks their father knew.
The intoxicating aroma of eggs and hashbrowns mixed perfectly with the scent of freshly toasted bread and, despite his dire thoughts, the stallion couldn't help but grin. He walked into the kitchen to see his wife’s flank shaking as she hummed a tune, holding a pan with more eggs on it over the grill.
At the table his kids ate noisily, Cloud Thunder wolfed down a piece of toast in lightning speed. While Swift Snow ate slower, she was still plowing through her breakfast with gusto.
“What's the rush? Slow down there, kiddos,” Thunderlane said.
The two children’s breakneck pace slowed slightly, and they watched as their father made his way over to the kitchen and past the dining room. Once out of sight, they continued to eat as fast as possible, wolfing down entire pieces of toast and eggs in one mouthful.
Thunderlane tilted to the side and twisted his neck, getting a good view of his wife’s flank and noting that her cutie mark had returned to normal. He blinked and checked out her other side, sure enough it was back to normal as well, which drew a frown to his lips. As the strange thoughts began to circulate in his mind once more, the mare turned and smirked at him.
“Are you going to spend all day staring at my butt or are you going to bring the next batch of eggs and hashbrowns to the table?”
The stallion shook his head and blushed slightly. “I can do both, you know.” He shot her a wink and slipped in beside her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.
His body was strangely tense when his lips touched her cheek. “Something wrong, hun?” she asked.
“Slept funny, is all. Weird dreams,” he lied.
The mare eyed him a second longer before shrugging. “Well, maybe if you hadn't eaten so much before bed, you would have been fine.” She blushed and wiggled her butt at him.
“I didn't…” He gulped, remembering one of the more vivid memories of that night. “I should probably grab that.” He took hold of the plate piled high with food, and made his way back to the dining room, trying to ignore his wife’s teasing giggle.
He plunked down the food and took up his spot at the head of the table, piling a plate high for himself before digging in. Breakfast went by swiftly, the two foals were intent on eating as quickly as possible so they could get back to a race they had apparently started before being called down for breakfast. Eventually Flitter had joined them, carrying one last heaping plate of food and a jug of orange juice on an outstretched wing. They ate in relative silence, the kids too busy wolfing down food, while Thunderlane found himself once more lost in thought, leaving Flitter to eat without saying a word.
After breakfast was done and cleaned up, a quick glance at the clock indicated it was almost time for school. After some prodding and threatening to take away a few of their toys, the foals were brought before the front door, their bags packed and ready for another day of education.
Thunderlane smiled down at his two grumpy kids. “Now remember to hurry home after school. No more challenging any of your classmates to races, okay?”
The pair groaned and shuffled awkwardly. “Okay,” they droned.
“And no more trading your lunch for cards again, Cloud, you have to eat,” Flitter added, staring down at the colt with a firm gaze.
Cloud Thunder mumbled something and kicked the ground. “What was that, young colt?” Flitter asked sternly.
“Yes Mooom,” he replied.
Flitter rolled her eyes and leaned down and kissed them each on the head in turn, followed by Thunderlane, who did the same. It drew a chorus of groans from the foals, who were by now way too old for such mushy stuff. The pair quickly slipped out the door, hastily retreating lest their parents get any other mushy ideas.
“Bye!” they shouted back to their waving parents.
The two ponies stood at the door until their children were long out of sight, only retreating inside once they were sure they were gone. Flitter sighed happily. “They grow up so fast.”
Thunderlane snorted. “It's just another day of school.”
“I know, but it seems like just yesterday we had to fly them there. I miss those days.”
Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Well I don't, Swift Snow always fidgeted.”
Flitter giggled and ushered her husband inside. “Come back inside, big boy, I think I might be able to whip up something delicious for desert.”
Thunderlane followed inside, but hesitated to go any further. She was as sexy as always, swaying those hips and flicking her tail seductively, but the image of her cutie mark being wrong stifled those thoughts and killed any arousal he may have had.
“Hey, why don't you join me in the shower?” He slipped next to her and pulled her close. “We can get clean while we get dirty.”
Flitter giggled and gently pushed him away. “You know what I think of that and my opinion hasn't changed.”
“How about we go swimming later, I heard they opened up a fancy new cloud pool.”
“You know I can't swim, Thunder.” She raised an eyebrow and turned to him. “What brought this on all of a sudden?”
Thunderlane shrugged. “Nothing, I just thought it would be cool to check it out. Maybe bring Cloud and Snow down there on the weekend.”
“Good thinking, I’m sure they would love that.” She smiled and continued walking to their room, leaving Thunderlane behind.
Why was she so dead set on not getting wet? Unless her cutie mark was fake and… It was becoming harder and harder to shake the clinging thought and Thunderlane stared at her flanks as they walked down the hall.
“You really are fixated on my butt today, don't tell me you want to do that again.” She smirked.
Thunderlane frowned and turned towards the front door. “I just remembered that I forgot about some paperwork for the ‘bolts. I’m going to fly out and do that before I forget again.”
“Hey, wait a second. What's going on, dear? You seem… off today.” She caught up with him right as he was about to leave, gripping his shoulder with a hoof.
“I, well…” He shuffled nervously before turning to his wife. “I am getting promoted, sort of.”
She cocked her head slightly, lifting an eyebrow. “Sort of?”
He sighed, he didn't really like lying, but this wasn't really a lie, was it? “You know that trainer position I mentioned would be opening up if Luna and Celestia gave the okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, that was about the lunar bolts or something, right?”
“It's a working title, but yeah. Well, it turns out they said yes.”
Her eyes lit up and she wrapped her hooves around her husband’s neck and squealed in joy. “Does that mean you will be home every night and no more travelling?”
“Yeah, well, it turns out the current trainer has tenure, so we have to wait that out, so in the meantime I’m getting…” he waved his hoof in the air, searching for the right word to complete his lie.
“Trained?”
“Yeah, that's it. I just wanted to get that and the paperwork out of the way quickly, so when he does leave, it will be an easy switch.” He smiled, hoping it looked more genuine than it felt.
Flitter’s smile slowly grew. “So, how long until you get the job?”
“A year.”
She frowned. “That's quite a while but hey, the job is yours, right?”
“Yeah, Dash gave me the news. Oh yeah, keep this on the downlow for awhile, okay? Technically I’m not supposed to tell anyone yet. Other than you, of course.” He winked.
“That's great to hear, honey! You are going to make an awesome instructor.” She suddenly let go of him and took a step back. “I better let you get to your paperwork, I wouldn't want to make Dash wait.” She giggled.
“I’ll be home by the time the kids are back from school. Do we need anything while I am out?”
“Nope, have a safe flight! Love you!”
His back stiffened, through gritted teeth he replied back, “I love you too!” then before she could ask anymore questions, he leapt from the edge of his cloud house and pumped his wings, unable to see the frown of worry that creased his wife’s face.
Wind whipped the stallion’s face and his eyes stung from the speed, but he was a Wonderbolt, and this was nothing more than a light warm up compared to his usual speed. His wings pumped hard and he dove into a quick dive, slipping around an errant cloudhouse that had drifted out of position.
He rolled back onto the other side, disregarding the stunned looks from a pair of foals standing at the cloud’s edge. Usually such admiration and awestruck expressions would bring him a modicum of joy, but now he hardly even noticed it. His mind was elsewhere, locked in the seemingly endless cycle of thinking about his wife and what he had seen the other night.
He frowned, noticing a lazily flying pegasus that was drifting into his flight path. Not wanting to slow down and slightly annoyed that the other pegasus wasn't paying attention, he buzzed around the other pony, flying dangerously close to the lazy flier and sending him into a spin.
The cries of shock as the other pony was forced to catch himself from his sudden fall would have given him pause, but just like the smiling faces of the awestruck children, he hardly noticed. His goal was far too important right now, he had to know for sure.
Cloudsdale Memorial Preserve was only two short kilometers ahead, the small gravecloud was located at the edge of the city and though it would have been less distance to go directly through the city itself, it was more or less open sky if he went around. Perfect for blowing off a little steam.
He pumped his wings hard, spying a break in the cloud clutter that floated out from Cloudsdale proper. Tucking his legs and wings in, he sped through the cloud break and spun when he emerged through the other side. Once through, it was a straight shot to the memorial and finally, answers.
Several minutes later and he landed with a soft thump at the entrance to the memorial. Above him stood a sign indicating he was in the right place, before him was the memorial building itself. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pushed through the front door and into a reception area.
To the right and left were several uncomfortable looking chairs, while before him was a long desk with a single aged mare sitting behind it. Her mane was almost completely white while her fur was an aged grey, like the color of steel. The instant he entered the room, her eyes were upon him, appraising him.
“Do you need something, young one?” she asked, not kindly but also not rudely.
“Yeah, I was wondering if I could see my sister-in-law. She was interred here some years ago, but I can't remember where.” He scratched his head awkwardly, his confidence waning beneath the mare’s stern gaze.
“Name?”
“Oh, uh, Cloud Chaser.” She raised an eyebrow at the stallion, who looked at her, dumbfounded. “You mean my name? Thunderlane.”
She nodded and looked back down before closing what sounded like a heavy book. “Needed a name for the visitor logs. Follow me.”
The old mare clambered out of her chair with great difficulty, stepping down and making her way to the back of the reception and pushing her way through a large set of double doors. Thunderlane was close behind, easily keeping pace with the aged mare with ease. The hall they entered was filled with doors, hundreds of them it seemed, lining the walls. Each would enter into a small family room where the bodies of the deceased were encased and able to be viewed. Small plagues beside each door indicated who was interred within and a larger plague over the door indicated the family.
Thunderlane usually looked around, reading the names and seeing if anyone he knew was interred within, but not today. Today he was on a mission, one that occupied the entirety of his mind.
As the number of steps he took increased, so did his anxiety. Here he would see definitive proof if what he had seen was true, and the implications therein terrified him to the very core of his being. If there was even the slightest chance that the cutie mark was what he saw… He didn't want to think about it. He stared at the mare before him as she sauntered down the hall, never checking the plagues or turning her head, obviously knowing exactly where to go.
Finally, at long last, they reached the correct door and after a quick turn of a key, they were inside. Thankfully the divider was drawn between all of the deceased and him, he wasn't sure if he could take all of his extended family staring down at him. Despite there being no recent deaths on Flitter’s side of the family, the room was still well-decorated with cards of well wishing, flowers and numerous other mementos that probably meant something to the deceased.
The mare stretched her wings and flew up to a point high up on the wall, she reached out and parted the veil between them and the body. Thunderlane bit his lip and tapped his hoof anxiously, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the answers he sought. Slowly the mare carried down the glass coffin that contained his answers and stepped back.
“I will be at the front when you are done. Do not try to lift the case back into the spot, simply let me know when you are leaving and I will do so.” The mare nodded once and left, leaving Thunderlane alone with the body of what might be the mare he married.
Thunderlane watched the mare leave and the door close behind her, then he waited for a few seconds until her hoofsteps disappeared down the hall. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to the body.
He gulped and slowly made his way over, as if it could jump to life and bite him at a moment’s notice. When he finally made his way to the viewing altar without being attacked, he relaxed slightly.
Before him lay the body of Cloud Chaser, exactly the same way it was when they had held the funeral all those years ago. She lay peacefully on her side, her eyes closed and her mane still done up the exact same way it had been on the day of her death. She looked serene, as if she was merely asleep. Thunderlane suppressed a shiver, the magic they used on the body was clearly strong and whatever they had done to ensure the body didn't rot even went so far as to remove the rope marks that should have been along her neck.
Thunderlane shook his head and reminded himself of why he was here. He was on a mission for answers and this was no time to be squeamish. He looked down towards her cutie mark and breathed a sigh of relief. It was exactly the same it had always been, the same shooting star with the same colors and the same slight discoloration at the edge.
He chuckled to himself and hopped down from the altar and turned towards the door, only to stop. Wait, what was that last thing he had seen? It had looked the same color as the trail the shooting star left but it was… lumpy?
He hopped back up and scanned the cutie mark once more, instantly finding the spot now that he was looking for it. There, near the end of the shooting star’s tail, was a slight bump that didn't quite fit.
Thunderlane gulped and slowly reached toward the blemish with a hoof, only to stop and shake his head once more. Water would be needed to reveal the truth of the matter, plus touching a corpse felt… disrespectful, even considering the dire circumstances he found himself in.
He looked around, trying to find one of the several vases of flowers he had seen earlier. He quickly found one only to frown as there wasn't a drop of water on it. Thankfully it didn't take long for him to find another, this one nearly full to the brim with water and a tall proud rose sticking out the top.
Frowning, the stallion plucked the rose and placed it in the first vase he had found. “Owch.” He looked down at his hoof just as the first bead of crimson blossomed from his skin.
A little prick wouldn't be enough to stop him now and he made his way back to the coffin with the vase of water in hoof. He reached out, ready to find out the truth, but hesitated at the last second. What if he was wrong, what if this was all in his head? Would it be worth defiling the corpse just for his own paranoia?
He shook his head. No, this was worth it, he had to know. If he was wrong, he would clean up the mess he had made and he would go out and buy a fresh bouquet of flowers as an apology to the dead.
With his mind made up, he tipped the vase over and poured water across the corpse’s flank. Initially nothing happened and the water simply cascaded over the side and came to a rest within the clear casket, but then the water grew muddy. The trickle of water changed color, becoming the same shade of grey and blue of the fake cutie mark.
The vase fell from Thunderlane’s grip, bouncing off the edge of the casket and shattering on the ground. He took a panicked step back, nearly stepping on a shard of glass. “No, this can't be. This is impossible… Flitter?”
He stepped closer, tears brimming at the edge of his vision. “Flitter is that you? Oh stars above, why?”
The stallion fell to his hooves, leaving him at the eye level of the corpse. His tears fell, but his sadness vanished, replaced by a wash of anger that threatened to burn through him. Pounding a hoof against the coffin, he let out a strangled cry of anguish.
It could only mean one thing, there was only one answer for this and it darkened his very soul with its presence. Flitter had died, killed by her own sister, who had replaced her. The mare he loved had been dead and gone for years and her sister had replaced her. No, that couldn't be, there had to be another explanation, he thought desperately.
But it was the only thing that fit, the only thing that made sense. It was why she had avoided water for all those years, why she had gone out of her way to never get wet. Why she never spoke of why her sister had killed herself, why there was no investigation into her death and no clear motive as to why. It had never been a suicide, it had been a murder.
Envy? Was that all it took to twist a mare to the point that she would murder her own sister and replace her, stealing the life she had? Thunderlane didn't know the reason and he didn't have to, all that was left was to decide what to do with this information. This revelation demanded action, it demanded confrontation, but what?
The door behind Thunderlane opened to admit the aged receptionist, who was now witness to the mess he had made. “What have you done? You will pay for that and what is this? Did you desecrate the body?”
She would have continued her rant, but Thunderlane was already gone, bolting out the door. Once in the hall, he opened his wings and flapped hard, leaving the receptionist and whatever she was yelling far behind him.
He knew what to do, but first he had to make sure his kids were in capable hooves.
Hours later, Thunderlane landed with a thump at the entrance to his house. The grim look of determination was forced away, replaced by one calm, he couldn't let on to what he had planned, there was too much at stake.
Opening the door silently, Thunderlane made his way inside, glancing about for signs of his ‘wife’. Finding no one, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, reminding himself to refer to her as Flitter in order to keep up the charade. Only a few more hours, he reminded himself, he wouldn't have to keep this up for long, then it would be over, this whole sordid affair would be over once and for all.
“Flitter! I’m home!” He called out, walking down the hall towards their bedroom.
“I'm in the living room, honey!” came ‘Flitter’s’ voice.
Thunderlane stowed away all the emotion churning within him and replaced it with a large, plastic smile that came slowly to his face. He breathed in, then out, forcing his ragged breathing to become uniform once more. Now wearing the disguise of an untroubled version of himself, Thunderlane walked down the hall and into the living room.
“Hey honey, how was your day?” she asked, enthusiasm brimming.
He shrugged. “Not bad, paperwork sucks.” His wife lay on the couch, reading a thin novel of some kind, probably another one of the fantasy novels she was so fond of. He hesitated, considering sneaking in beside her, but thinking better of it. He couldn't bear to be close to her anymore.
He plopped down on the chair across from her. “Hey, so I thought we could have a date night. The kids are over at Rumble’s place and I got two tickets for that show you wanted to see.” He tapped his lips with a hoof. “What was it called again, started with an S. Sec, something?”
Her eyes lit up and she dropped her book. “Secretariat?”
“Yeah, that's the one.”
She jumped off the couch and hugged him suddenly. “Oh my gosh, that is so romantic! And you took care of the kids as well.” She pulled back, a huge smile spread across her face. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
He forced his tense muscles to relax. “I don't know.”
Her smile fell slightly. “Are you sure the kids will be fine over there? When should we pick them up?”
“Oh, they will be fine, I gave Rumble some bits for food and I was thinking we should pick them up tomorrow sometime.” He leaned in close and winked. “Make this an all night type of date.”
Flitter giggled into her hoof. “Oh, you charmer you. Okay, but no wine tonight! You know how tired I get and I do not want to fall asleep before we get to the real fun.”
Thunderlane dawned his biggest, most adorable puppy eyes. “Not even just one glass with your hubby?”
She chewed her lip for a second before smiling once more. “Oh okay, but just one!”
“You won't regret it.”
“Are you sure you don't mind me going to sleep a little early? I know you had big plans in store for me.” She tossed him a wink while walking towards the bed, only to trip on the edge and land facefirst in the soft mattress with a womp. “Oopsies.”
Thunderlane rolled his eyes and helped his ‘wife’ into bed. “I’m sure, besides we will still have tomorrow morning, right?”
She nodded. “Thanks, honey.” She pursed her lips and leaned towards him.
Thunderlane moved to kiss her but something held him back, he stuffed it down deep inside, it was too late to ruin everything with a moment of hesitation. He leaned in and gently kissed the mare on the lips before pulling back and smiling fakely. “Have a good sleep, dear.”
“I love you, Thunderlane.”
He nearly choked. “I-I love you, Flitter.”
The mare giggled and wiggled further into the bed before sighing happily and laying still. At the door Thunderlane stood silently, he was vaguely aware of the fact that he should probably join her in bed, to ensure that she knew nothing was the matter, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Between kissing her and saying those words he had lost what little patience he had left.
He had to end this, and soon. There could be no half-measures here, tonight this charade would end and he would be with the real Flitter once more. He stepped outside, gently closing the door behind himself. Moving swiftly, he trotted into the kitchen and poured himself the last of the wine they had shared. He had no doubt he could finish his plan without a little liquid courage, but it didn't hurt, right?
He downed the small glass in a single gulp, sticking his tongue out at how dry it was. She didn't know why that mare liked such dry wine, to him it just tasted awful. He looked down the hall towards his bedroom door, only to shake his head. It had only been a few minutes, she wouldn't be asleep yet.
He dropped the empty wine bottle into the recycling bin and made his way over the fridge to retrieve a beer. With the cool tin can in hoof, he made his way over to his favorite seat and pushed back the recliner. Swiftly he popped the top with a talented flick of his wing and sipped the suds that rushed to the top.
As he waited for his beer to settle, he looked out over the living room. Foals’ toys cluttered one corner of the room, culminating in a small mountain of building blocks that had been Thunder Cloud’s favorite when growing up. Beside that was the ancient radio that his parents had given them for a wedding present. It was enormous and could easily fill the entire house with sound when they wanted. All the good times had dancing with his wife or making his kids gag with embarrassment as he sang along to his favorite songs.
A tear crept to the corner of his eye, which he swiftly wiped away. He took a large mouthful of beer, feeling his sadness morph into anger. He had done it again, referred to that thing in his bed as his wife. It had never been his wife, and it never would. He chugged a few more mouthfuls before putting it down.
His eyes scanned over the rest of the room, the small bookcase that continued that... thing’s... collection, his own meager assortment of flight oriented books and an overwhelming number of foals’ books drew a snarl to his face. He wanted to tear her books out of the case and toss them out the window, but he couldn't do that, not while his mission was uncomplete. He looked over to the hall once more, his eye catching the familiar glint as a ray of light shined off a prominently displayed family photo.
The picture was taken just over a year ago when Thunderlane had taken the kids and the thing to the park for a picnic. It had been a warm summer day, a few puffy clouds had flittered overheard, creating enough shade so the summer heat was little more than a pleasant warmth. By chance, a wandering photographer had been taking pictures in the same park and had offered to take their picture to which they accepted. It had served as a pleasant moment to all he had accomplished in life, sure the job had been something he took pride in, but this, this was his real pride and joy. His kids, their happiness, and his supposed wife.
He snarled before tossing back the rest of his beer. He may not be able to throw out her books, but that picture had to go, right now. He grabbed the frame and lifted it from the wall before gently placing it in the trash where it belonged. It was a victory, small though it may be.
As the slight burn of alcohol touched his throat, he glanced up at the clock. It had been over twenty minutes since she had gone to bed and though he knew he should probably wait longer, he could do no such thing.
Silently, the stallion creeped down the hall, using a gentle flap of his wings to make his already light steps to become nearly soundless. Once he reached the door, he stopped and leaned close, pressing his ear against it.
At first he couldn't hear a thing save for his own beating heart, but slowly he heard something. The soft, rhythmic breathing of someone in a deep sleep was like music to the stallion’s ears. That wouldn't be enough for him though, he had to make sure she was asleep in order for him to make his next move.
Pushing open the door slowly, Thunderlane continued to walk as lightly as possible. Now close to the bed, the stallion spoke softly, “Flitter?”
Nothing, the mare’s ears didn't so much as twitch at the sound of ‘her’ name. He stood there nervously, waiting for a sign. Nothing. “Flitter?” he whispered, louder now.
Nothing, again. A devilish grin spread across his face and he gently placed a hoof on the bed, then when she didn't move he put another and was about to get onto the bed when she moved.
“Rmm, Thunder,” she mumbled, before turning onto her side and laying still once more.
The stallion tensed, counting down the seconds while watching her closely. After nearly a minute of staring at her unmoving form, he sighed and hopped the rest of the way up to the bed, stopping once more to ensure she hadn't woken up. Still nothing, she hardly even moved, a trait he had liked up until this moment for a completely different reason than he did now.
Slowly, he pulled down the blanket, exposing her throat and shoulders. Next, he positioned one leg on her waist, just barely touching, but easy to apply more pressure to. At the moment of truth, he did not hesitate and with both hooves he pressed down on her exposed throat.
In that moment he knew what had to be done, there would be no talk, no excuses or lies passed between them. He knew what had happened, he knew how he had been tricked and that his life was a lie. This was the moment he took it all back.
He had timed it just so, when she had breathed out and had yet to breathe back in. He was intent on ending her, but he was not a monster, he did not wish her to truly suffer for he knew that for the murder of her sister and replacing her, she would suffer for eternity.
The mare’s eyes went wide and she tried desperately to pull in another breath of air. The stallion applied more pressure on her waist, ensuring she could do little to fight back. Shock was the first thing to run through her mind, tears instantly running down her cheeks. Precious seconds ticked by as she gaped uselessly at the stallion looming over her, unable to process the situation or begin to understand what had happened.
At five seconds her mind caught up with her and she began to flail, exerting all the force she could with every limb, in all directions. Unfortunately, she had never bothered to exercise, sure she kept her wings fit and did cardio every other day, but when she was up against the finely tuned machine of a Wonderbolt in his prime, that hardly even mattered.
By seven seconds she realized flailing would not accomplish much and she swung her legs, aiming for the stallion’s crotch or face. With her head facing the ceiling and her body turned to the side she could hardly reach her target, her limbs unable to bend as far as they needed to.
Ten seconds, she realized her plan would not work. She tried to knock aside his back right leg as the awkward position meant he only had his back legs for stability. Her flailing hooves smacked against the rock hard leg of the stallion, unable to do much of anything in the face of such strength.
For three seconds she pounded away at his leg, desperately trying to dislodge him and failing utterly. He was too strong, his will ironclad and there was nothing the feeble mare could do in the face of such obstacles.
With the last two seconds of consciousness she had left, she cried soundlessly, looking up at him and mouthing. “Why?” over and over.
The last thing she heard, the last thing she would ever hear, left the last moment she had on Equestria a confusing one. “Goodnight, Cloud Chaser.”
Her limbs weakly fell to the bed, her mind gone, numbed by the lack of oxygen and now shutting down. Thunderlane knew that she wasn't dead yet, he had heard of rare cases of flight suits choking their user if improperly sized or if they got caught on something. He knew that after they were unconscious that it would be another minute or two before death occurred.
Without her judgemental eyes and desperate defence, the stallion stood silently, strangling the life out of the mother of his children. Seconds crawled by painfully slowly and finally when they bled into minutes a hint of regret wormed into his mind.
What if?
No, he thought sternly.
There was no excuse, no words that could change his mind. She had done the unthinkable and now so had he.
After two minutes became three, he relaxed his muscles, not enough to stop the stranglehold he had on her throat, but enough to check her pulse. It wasn't the best angle though and he doubted he was on a major vein. Shaking his head, he resolved to stay the course for another three minutes just to be sure.
Minutes passed and he ground his teeth together. If only he had used a knife or perhaps a crossbow or something, maybe then it wouldn't have taken so long. Then at least he wouldn't have had to spend all that time staring down at her empty, cold eyes.
Finally when he had counted for five minutes, he lifted his shaking hooves from her throat. Other than the ragged sound of his own breathing, all was quiet. He blinked and looked down at the body, wincing and looking away from the mare’s bulging open eyes. There was no accusation, there was no anger, only confusion.
He stumbled off the bed, tripping over one of her legs and falling to the ground in a heap. Breathing hard, he pushed himself back up, and looked back to the bed. It wasn't supposed to feel like this, he had done the right thing.
He had avenged his true love’s murder, he had sought justice where there was none. If that was true, why did he feel so hollow? He slammed a hoof against the floor and cursed. The feeling he was supposed to have was one of peace, tranquility and accomplishment, not this.
Looking over at her body, he didn't feel the anger that had welled inside him ever since he had first seen her cutie mark was different. He didn't see the pony that murdered her sister and replaced her. No, all he saw was the mother of his children.
“Oh stars above, what have I done?” he muttered to the empty room.
His children would never again know their mother’s love, how could he have done this to them? Despite all of Cloud Chaser’s sins, he had never once seen her hurt their foals. She had been kind, patient and an exemplary mother in every way.
Stumbling into the hall numbly, Thunderlane careened into the wall across from his room and crumpled to the ground. His love was gone, he had killed the mother of his children and now he was a disgrace to his family and when someone found the body, he would spend the rest of his days in prison or worse.
“No, I can't, I won't,” he mumbled, stumbling back up to his hooves.
Blundering into the kitchen, he fumbled for the handle under the sink and yanked it open. Underneath were the few tools and odds and ends he had used to do a few repairs around the house and near the back, was what he was looking for. He pulled the rope out, gripped both ends and tugged. The thick rope held, easily resisting his attempts to pull it apart.
It was long enough, and strong enough for what he intended.
This time there was no dragging of his hooves, no resentment in his steps, he trotted back to his room at a brisk pace. Once there he gripped the rope and pushed it up and through a support built into the ceiling of his cloud house. Now secure, he quickly tied the rope properly and slipped his head through the noose, his wings keeping him aloft as he did the deed.
He tightened the noose around his neck and glanced down at the body of Cloud Chaser. Wrenching his eyes away from her body, he forced himself to think of all the good times he had with the real Flitter, back before that cruel day.
He remembered their first kiss, their first date when she had proposed to him. He held onto that last image as it was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. She was down on her knees, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
“Hurk.” The rope cut off his air supply instantly and he had to force his wings to stay tucked against his back, lest he accidentally undo everything.
Keeping his wings locked was a difficult task as his body wanted nothing more than to flap them wildly, pulling him up and off the rope. He persevered, his entire mind focused on that one image of the mare of his dreams, speaking the words that had changed his life.
Soon enough he slipped into unconsciousness, his wings stopped twitching and eventually his body grew still. Thunderlane was gone.
Rainbow Dash was not known for being good with words, she had always said that actions spoke louder, and she was good at that. So, why bother, right? Well, what do you do, what do you say to children, who had just lost their parents suddenly?
She gulped, forcing herself to look away from the two crying faces of Thunder Cloud and Swift Snow, who sat a few rows back from her. The funeral was filled with ponies, Flitter’s family and friends filled the majority of the room while Thunderlane’s were small, anger drawing many away from the funeral. Having seen the fact that a murderer had been granted any funeral at all, never mind one along with his wife whom he had killed as nothing more than disgraceful. Regardless, it had fallen on Flitter’s parents to decide and they had chosen to allow it, though Rainbow Dash knew not why.
The Wonderbolt captain turned to her right, where High Winds sat unmoving, her eyes straight ahead and her ears flat against her head. Rainbow bumped the mare gently. “Hey, High Winds?”
“What is it, Captain?” she answered back, without so much as flinching or looking away.
“Did they find out why he did it? Maybe he left a note or something.”
High Winds shook her head. “Nothing, they think he thought she was a changeling and after she didn't turn back he couldn't take the guilt.”
Rainbow Dash gulped and looked back towards the front, where somepony she hardly knew spoke of all the good times he had with the couple. Tears ran down his face and he shivered as if standing knee deep in snow.
She clamped her mouth shut, alone with her thoughts. Would they ever know why? Did it even matter anymore?
She cast one last glance over at the two crying children behind her. What would happen to them? Rainbow forced the thought away and looked back up to the front where the pony had stepped down and was making his way back to his seat.
Sometime later, after the service was complete a small group had gathered near a table where coffee was being served to any who still lingered. Rainbow Dash usually hated the stuff, it was way too bitter. Today though, today it seemed fitting, the bitter drink mixing well with the bitter emotions that swirled inside her.
Flitter’s parents were engaged in hushed conversation with a professionally looking pony with a coffin for a cutie mark. Dash couldn't help but shiver at the sight, pitying the poor stallion, who was cursed with such a grim mark.
She made her way over, picking up the last few words of their conversation on accident. “... remember to paint their marks back, it's what they would have wanted.”
The stallion nodded grimly. “As you wish, madam.” He turned and quickly vanished into the small crowd still gathered.
Dash coughed awkwardly, bringing the attention of the two ponies who seemed to have aged ten years in the last few days. The stallion smiled politely at the captain. “Sorry about that, just wrapping a few things up with the coroner. Did you need something, Captain?”
“I well, I was just wondering where Thunder Cloud and Swift Snow were going to stay,” she replied awkwardly, fidgeting silently.
“They will be staying with us until they are old enough,” the old mare answered before cocking her head slightly and asking, “Why do you ask?”
“Well, I was just curious. I well, had a friend who grew up in an orphanage and it was… less than ideal, is all.”
The stallion shook his head sternly. “We would never put them through that, we have plenty of relatives who have offered and though we are a little older, we have more than enough money to support them.”
Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. “Good, if you two ever need anything, the ‘bolts would be happy to help in any way we can. Just give the word.”
“That's very generous of you, Miss Dash. Thank you,” the old mare said with a smile.
“Now if that’s everything, we really must get back to our preparations,” the stallion added.
“I was just curious about one thing. Why did you ask the coroner to change their cutie marks?”
The old mare chuckled. “Well that's a bit of a story, so I’ll tell you the short version. Back when Cloud Chaser and Flitter were foals, they were very close. So close in fact that they were curious what it would be like to switch bodies.” The mare laughed. “They were convinced that if they switched cutie marks, then they could switch bodies as well. So when a travelling unicorn came around, they convinced her to switch their cutie marks with magic. It worked, but they didn't switch bodies, obviously.
“When we found out about this, we were furious, but they just thought it was funny and over time they decided to keep it. Even when we found another unicorn to undo the spell that changed them in the first place. They just painted their original cutie mark over top until they worked up the nerve to tell their friends.” Her smiling face fell and she grimaced at the memory. “That all changed when Cloud Chaser passed, after that Flitter was determined to keep it. Seeing it as a part of her sister that she would keep with her forever.”
The stallion wrapped a foreleg around his wife and squeezed her gently. “Wherever they are now, I know they are together again.”
Rainbow Dash wiped a tear that had formed at the edge of her eye and sniffed hard. “I-I’m sure they are, sir.”
After everypony had left and the preparations were complete, the bodies of Thunderlane and Flitter were placed in their caskets and lifted into a specially prepared part of the mausoleum. One with two names on their plaque instead of one.
There they were laid to rest next to each other, so never again would they be apart.
Author's Note
Commissioned by an anonymous individual.
Edited by the everwonderful EverfreePony
Join me over on patreon and get instant access to exclusive content and early looks at new stories, patreon only stories and other great stuff! Check it out now and snag a discount commission slot among other goodies!
Or just join the discord to ensure that you dont miss an update. https://discord.gg/6NCNYzt
