Starlight Through the Stormby TwilightVanguard58ChaptersThe MeetingThe DateThe StormThe MeetingBeep Beep Beep “Mmmmm…” came a groan from beneath the covers of the bed. They shifted a bit as whoever was underneath tried to ignore the alarm. Beep Beep Beep “Ugh…” the sleepy mound of bedding let out in annoyance before a grayish purple hand reached out and shut off the alarm clock. The covers were then removed, revealing a sleepy Starlight Glimmer in her pajamas. She blinked the crud out of her eyes and slowly turned her head to the evil contraption that dared awaken her from her slumber and groaned when she saw that it read 5:30 am. With another groan she got herself out of bed to start her routine and get ready for the day. She didn’t used to be one for mornings but spending time with Applejack and Fluttershy taught her the benefits of waking up early. She could get a lot more done in the day by starting it earlier. She made her way to her small bathroom to brush her teeth and get some of the morning knots out of her purple and blue mane. Once that was done she looked into the mirror. She could see some bags under her eyes but they would disappear soon. Content with that she went to her wardrobe and changed into a pair of purple yoga pants and sports bra that exposed her midriff and a pair of blue running shoes. Tying her mane up into a ponytail, she left her home to start her morning run. Rainbow Dash had gotten her into running as exercise and it didn’t take Starlight long to realize how much she enjoyed it. She liked how calming it was in the mornings to just run through the neighborhood, all problems forgotten. The effect it had on her legs and butt didn’t hurt either. There was another reason she loved it though. Nopony else was really out this early in the morning, which meant she didn’t have to deal with anypony. She loved Twilight and the rest of her friends, they had accepted her after all she had done and taught her the magic of friendship, but that didn’t mean that everyone else liked her. In fact it almost felt like the ponies of Ponyville were afraid of her. When she had first noticed she had actually found it a little humorous. She wasn’t a large pony, only 5’3” and of a petite build, so the idea of ponies being afraid of her seemed absurd. It stopped being funny as she noticed how, unless she was with at least on of the Mane Six, ponies would avoid her like the plague. Honestly, she couldn’t really blame them. She’d be afraid too if she learned somepony who had practically enslaved an entire town had just moved in next door. As she was lost in thought she failed to notice a pegasus stallion walking toward her. He was listening to music and had his eyes closed so he also had no idea that another pony was in his path. Neither of them noticed the other until the unaware ponies crashed into each other, sending them both to the ground with a thud. "Ow. Shit." The stallion groaned as he got to his feet. He walked over to Starlight and held a hand out to help her up. "Hey, sorry about that. I should really watch where I'm going." he said as he gave an awkward chuckle. Starlight took his hand and allowed him to help her up, rubbing her sore rump as she went. "It's ok. Really, I should be the one apologizing to you. I wasn't exactly paying attention either." she said while looking down in embarrassment. She brought her head up when she heard the stallion laughing. "Well how about we just say it was a joint effort. Anyway, name's Thunderlane." Thunderlane said with a goofy grin. Starlight smiled as she took in Thunderlane's appearance. He was tall, about 6'2 she had to guess, and his coat was black with a gray mane. She also noticed his build. He was muscular but not distractingly so, the kind of build she recognized as that of somepony who did a lot of long distance running. "Uh, you ok there?" he asked. Starlight blushed as she realized she had been staring. "Y-yes I'm fine." "Well that's good. So can I get the name of the mare I literally ran into?" he said with a playful smirk. Starlight giggled. "Starlight Glimmer." "Starlight Glimmer. Now where have I heard that name before…" he said as he put a hand to his chin in thought. He then snapped his fingers in realization. "That's right! You're that cute new friend of Twilight's." He said excitedly. Starlight blushed profusely. "C-cute?!" Thunderlane's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. "Oh shoot, sorry! I didn't mean to say that! It's just I'm friends with Rainbow Dash and she's always telling me about you and how you're cute and I should talk to you because you're cute but this is the first time I've actually ever seen you and I wasn't thinking and…" the stallion kept rambling frantically until Starlight put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, calm down. I'm not mad, I was just surprised." Starlight said in a calming manner. After a couple of deep breaths Thunderlane managed to calm down and looked back at Starlight with an embarrassed look. "Sorry, kind of panicked there." he said in an apologetic tone. Starlight gave him a small smile and then giggled. "You apologize a lot, you know." "Yeah, I think it's a habit I picked up from my dad, he was always apologizing to my mom about things. Drove her nuts." he said and then started chuckling. They laughed for a bit and then an awkward silence fell. Starlight looked to the ground and twiddled her thumbs. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks at what she was about to ask. "So now that you've actually met me, do you think Rainbow Dash was right? Do you think I'm…cute?" she said the last word in a much quieter tone. Thunderlane shook his head furiously. "No." he said in a serious tone. Starlight felt her world shatter like glass. She looked back at him with a sad look. "Oh, ok." she said in a wavy voice, she could feel her eyes starting to water. Thunderlane saw this and quickly waved his hands in the air. "Wait, you didn't let me finish." Starlight gave him a curious look, though her eyes were still glistening. "Rainbow Dash was wrong, you're not cute. Cute doesn't even begin to describe the gorgeous mare currently standing in front of me." as he said this his own cheeks started to light up, which was very apparent due to his dark coat. "Thank you." Starlight said with a genuine smile on her face. She then released the flood gates and started sobbing, greatly worrying Thunderlane. "H-hey what's wrong? Was it something I said?" Starlight looked into his eyes. Her coat was stained with fresh tears but there was a smile on her face. "No, well actually yes, but it's a good thing. It's just since I've been here nopony has treated me so nicely, only with fear." she said between sniffles. She then jumped a little when he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Well they're missing out. You have been a pleasure to talk to so far and actually," he started rubbing the back of his neck, "maybe we could talk more? Get to know each other a bit better?" Starlight gave him a wide smile. "I'd love that. How about lunch?" "Lunch would be great, we can meet at that new cafe in the square." Thunderlane added. "That would be wonderful." said Starlight, her smile never leaving her face. "Awesome! Then it's a date." Thunderlane said in excitement. They then said their goodbyes and headed their separate ways, though they were both extremely giddy. He actually asked me on a date! She actually said yes! As they were lost in their thoughts they didn't notice that someone had seen the entire exchange take place. Author's Note Taking a little break from The Angel of the Everfree and decided to try something new. This story won't be too long but I'm excited to see where it goes. The DateRumble was sitting in the living room reading a comic book. On weekends like this he liked to just sit back and relax but unfortunately it was not meant to be as Thunderlane burst through the door. “Hey big bro, you seem in a good mood.” Rumble said with a raised brow. The gray colt knew his older brother to be the happy sort but this seemed a little different than usual. “Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood, I just got a date!” Thunderlane said excitedly with a goofy grin. Rumble rolled his eyes and gave his brother a smirk. “It’s actually a mare this time right?” Thunderlane narrowed his eyes while a light blush appeared on his cheeks. “It was one time! I knew going to the CMC Dating Service was a bad idea.” he muttered before his smile returned, “But yes it is a mare. Her name is Starlight Glimmer.” Rumble’s eyes widened at the name. “Wait, you mean that new mare that hangs around Twilight? Sweetie Belle and the gang have told me about her but I haven’t seen her myself. What’s she like?” “Well for one she’s drop dead gorgeous! Her coat is this muted purple and it’s obvious she takes good care of it as it almost seemed to glow, and her mane is this incredible shade of dark purple but what really got me was the blue highlight in it.” his face softened a bit, “None of that compares to her voice though. She has this mature yet friendly tone to her voice that just makes me want to sit down and talk with her forever.” Rumble gave his brother a warm smile. “She seems great for you bro.” “Yeah.” Thunderlane looked at his brother and a mischievous smirk grew on his face. He felt like teasing his brother a little. He leaned down closer to Rumble. “She also has a great ass.” he whispered into Rumble’s ear, causing him to push his older brother away and gag. “Bro, that’s gross! I don’t need to hear about that.” Rumble said as Thunderlane laughed hysterically. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” he said in between laughs though he knew it was technically a lie. She did have a great ass, especially in those yoga pants she was wearing, but he was better than to go for a mare just because they had a nice set of hips. “So when’s the date?” Rumble asked after shaking away his disgust at his brother’s lewd comment. “We’re going to that new cafe for lunch.” “Cool, well good luck!” “Thanks bro!” Thunderlane said as he affectionately rustled Rumble’s hair. He just hoped he was ready. Starlight was not ready. She only had about ten minutes before she had to leave to meet Thunderlane for their date and she was still making sure she looked good enough. She had never been on a date before and while she was excited she was also a little worried. Thunderlane seemed like such a sweet guy but at the end of the day she knew very little about him, and it’s not like she had any experience with stallions, they tended to stay away from like everyone else. That thought made her hug herself in distress. What if this was some kind of cruel joke? What if he was just stringing her along to make it hurt more. She shook her head furiously. “Get it together Glimmer.” she said to her reflection. She couldn’t psyche herself out. She was just worrying about nothing, he was so genuine this morning and she had to believe that he really was a nice guy. She found herself blushing at how he had called her gorgeous this morning. It probably seemed like a small gesture to anyone else but it meant the world to Starlight. She never told any of her friends but she was extremely self-conscious about her appearance. She thought she was very plain looking, nothing really standing out. Her coat wasn’t as vibrant as others, in fact she always thought that it looked like it was dulled on purpose. Her mane and tail weren’t anything special, at least not compared to someone like Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie. Finally, she looked at her chest, painfully aware that she wasn’t as… blessed in certain areas. She shook her head and checked herself in the mirror. Her outfit was stylish but not overly dressy. She had on a pair of ripped gray jeans, a shirt that was the same shade of blue as the streaks in her mane. Over it was a purple jacket with the sleeves cut off. She also had on a pair of black lace-up boots. She didn’t use a lot of make-up, she usually didn’t, but today she decided to put on some purple mascara that was a slightly darker shade than her coat. She took a deep breath and grabbed the last piece of her ensemble, the one she treasured the most; a purple beanie with stars covering it. With the beanie atop her head she took a deep breath. “I’m ready.” She wasn’t. Thunderlane stood outside the new cafe, The HayStack, waiting for Starlight who should be here any minute now. To say he was nervous would be the understatement of the century. It wasn’t necessarily the date that made him nervous, he had been on quite a few in his life though they never went anywhere, it was who he was going on a date with that made him nervous. Starlight seemed like such a nice mare and he wanted to make a good impression. He was dressed in his best pair of black jeans and shoes, as well as a white shirt with a black button-up over it, the buttons undone. He thought it was the right mix of style and casualness, especially compared to the gym shorts and tank top he had on this morning. He smiled as he thought about what had happened that morning and how it had led to now. Celestia must have been looking down on him to have blessed him so. “Thunderlane!” Starlight called out, bringing him out of his reminiscing. “Hey Starli-” before he could finish his jaw dropped when he saw her. If he thought she looked good before, it was nothing to how she was now. Her shirt and jacket made her coat and mane look even more luxurious than they had before, not to mention the cute little beanie. Her jeans and boots helped accentuate the curve of her hips and her well-toned legs, two things that he embarrassingly stared at a bit longer than what was probably appropriate. He could also see that she was wearing make-up, just enough to bring out her natural beauty. All of that paled in comparison to her eyes. With the suddenness of their meeting that morning he had not gotten a good look at them, a fact that he now deeply regretted as he looked into those beautiful gray-blue orbs. He figured he could have gotten lost in those eyes forever. “Um Thunderlane, are you ok?” Starlight asked worriedly, bringing him out of his stupor. “Y-yeah, I’m good. You look awesome Glimmy!” he said as a greeting, causing Starlight to smile and blush. “Thank you, that’s sweet of you.” she said. She then gave him a playful smirk and raised a brow. “‘Glimmy’?” she asked, trying to hide a giggle. Thunderlane gulped, “Yeah, i-it’s a nickname. If you don’t like it-” he was stopped by Starlight’s finger against his muzzle. She was giggling. “I love it.” she said as she took her finger away. She then clapped her hands together. “Well I’m starving, how about we continue this inside.” she said as she made her way inside. Thunderlane could have sworn she swayed her hips a bit more than usual as she walked inside. “Right behind you, Glimmy.” he said with a goofy smile. Neither one of them noticed the stares directed at them, or more specifically, at Starlight. It took them no time to grab a table and their waiter had already brought them some hay fries as an appetizer. So far they were having a wonderful time conversing, they were busy exchanging funny stories. “So Rainbow actually thought you were faking having feather flu?” Starlight asked incredulously. Thunderlane simply chuckled. “Yeah, though honestly I can’t blame her. I kind of had a reputation for getting out of work and being overall lazy.” he said while rubbing the back of his neck. He then noticed Starlight was giggling and he brightened up. He quickly found that her giggles were like music to his ears. “You definitely don’t seem to be like that anymore, so tell me Mr. Thunder, what changed?” she said with a playful smirk. Thunderlane couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, you have Rumble to thank for that. He’s my little brother. You see my parents have to travel a lot for work and they didn’t think it would be fair for him to be moving around all the time, so he moved in with me. That was when I realized I needed to get my act together.” Thunderlane explained with compassion. Starlight gave him a warm smile. “That’s wonderful, you must love your brother very much.” she said softly. “Yeah, the little guy’s my whole world.” he then looked into Starlight’s beautiful eyes. Though I’d like to add you to that world. He thought to himself as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes. Soon their waiter came back to take their orders. Thunderlane got a hayburger while Starlight got a daffodil sandwich. Their orders quickly came out and they started eating. As they ate Thunderlane looked up at Starlight and noticed a piece of daffodil on her left cheek that she apparently didn’t notice. “Um, hey Glimmy?” he said, trying to get her attention. “Hm?” she gave him a quizzical look. He decided to be a bit bold. He then leaned over with a napkin and wiped her cheek clean, causing her to blush profusely. “You had a little something on your cheek.” he said with a nervous smile. Starlight returned his smile. “Oh, well, thank you.” she then looked into his amber eyes and felt her heart flutter in her chest. “Hey Thunder?” “Yeah?” he jumped a little when she grabbed his hand. “Thank you for doing this with me today, it means a lot to me to have you here and I’ve really been enjoying my time with you. You’ve shown me a kindness that I haven’t seen in a long time.” she said in a heartfelt manner. He could see her eyes begin to glisten and he squeezed her hand a bit. “It’s no problem at all Glimmy, I’ve had a wonderful time with you too. Maybe we could even do this more?” he said hopefully. Starlight gave him a wide smile. “I’d lo-” “Well look what we have here, the brainwasher has found her first victim.” interrupted a feminin voice. Starlight looked over to find a gray-purple pegasus mare with an ice-blue mane approaching them. She wore shorts that came halfway down her thigh and a crop-top that showed off her generous bust. Starlight didn’t recognise the mare but Thunderlane did. “Cloud Chaser.” he said as he narrowed his eyes. Cloud Chaser merely gave him a smirk. “Why the hostility? I’m just trying to protect you from this brainwashing bitch.” she said in mock offense. Starlight gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. Thunderlane merely gritted his teeth. “Hey leave her alone Chaser! There’s no need for that.” he said, Cloud Chaser gave him a surprised look. “You don’t know?” “Know what?” Thunderlane asked. Clouder Chaser then walked over to Starlight and grabbed her shoulders, causing the unicorn mare to tense up. “You see, this little manipulator brainwashed an entire town to do her bidding.” she said with a smirk. Starlight could feel the tears starting. Thunderlane remained silent. “I-I-I-” Starlight tried to stutter out. She noticed that the other patrons of the cafe were starting to give her hard looks. “Why are you even here? Going to make us all your slaves too?” Cloud Chaser said, getting in Starlight’s face. “No! I don’t do that anymore!” Starlight tried to defend herself. Cloud Chaser merely scoffed at the unicorn. “Yeah, I bet you would love for us to believe that.” she said shooting Starlight a glare, causing her to shrink back. The rest of the restaurant attendants started to join in. “Liar!” “Manipulative bitch!” “Whore!” Cloud Chaser grabbed on to that last one. “Oh I bet you used that brainwashing magic of yours to turn all of those stallions into your own personal sex slaves.” Starlight’s eyes widened at Cloud Chaser’s words. “W-what?! I would never!” she screamed out. Clouder Chaser gave her an evil sneer. “Bullshit! How else would a plain looking, flat-chested mare like you ever get laid?” Starlight covered her chest as her lack of ‘assets’ was pointed out. The tears were freely leaking out of her eyes now. Then the rest of the customers started to join in. “Ugly slut!” “Ironing board!” “Rapist!” “No! I may have done some terrible things, but I’ve never slept with someone against their will! I’ve never even had sex!” Starlight exclaimed hysterically and the entire restaurant went silent. Suddenly everyone burst into laughter. “Oh my Celestia, you’re a virgin?! You really must be pathetic to be 24 and have never been with anypony.” said Cloud Chaser as she continued to laugh. Starlight was no longer able to speak as she finally broke down completely. Thunderlane, who had been silent the entire time, slammed his fists against the table. “That. Is. ENOUGH!” he yelled out, silencing the entire restaurant with the exception of Starlight’s wales. He stood up to his full height and flared out his wings. He was furious and it caused a chill to go down everyone else’s spine. “What is wrong with all of you?! Me and her came here to have a nice date, that I suggested by the way, and all of you start shouting out all of these horrible things to her. You have all broken this poor mare!” he berated everyone. “B-but she-” a mare in the back tried to speak up, but was cut off by Thunderlane’s glare. “She what? She made mistakes in her past? WHO CARES?! She’s trying to be better and that’s all that matters! Can any of you truly tell me that you haven’t made mistakes of your own? For Celestia’s sake, we forgave Discord, and yet you’re unable to forgive a mare that’s trying her best to be better? I thought Ponyville was better than that!” Thunderlane’s words caused many of the patrons to look down in shame as they realized he was right. Thunderlane then turned his gaze toward Cloud Chaser, who had lost all of her gustow and was now trembling before the angry stallion. “And you! Where do you get off shaming her for being a virgin?! There is nothing wrong with her wanting to wait, in fact I respect her for having that kind of self control. And you have no right judging her appearance, Starlight Glimmer is the single most beautiful mare on Equus and nothing you say will ever change that!” he then leaned closer to Cloud Chaser and made his voice low. “I never want to see you anywhere near me or her ever again. Am I understood?” Cloud Chaser simply gave him a frantic nod in affirmation. Thunderlane gave one last glare to the restaurant and laid down some bits for the food before walking over to Starlight. He kneeled down and softened his expression. She had stopped crying in the middle of his rant and was staring at him with wide eyes. “You ready to go?” he said in a soft tone. She simply nodded. She then let out a gasp as she was picked up bridal style by Thunderlane. She blushed as she could feel his muscles against her. As they walked out the restaurant she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his chest, causing him to blush. “Thank you.” she said in a quiet voice. Thunderlane simply gave her a warm smile and nodded. Author's Note Only one chapter to go to wrap this little story up The StormThey were walking down the sidewalk in silence. They had left the restaurant about half an hour ago and throughout the entire time Starlight hadn’t said a single word, only holding herself close to Thunderlane as he carried her. He was an endurance athlete and she didn’t weigh a lot so it didn’t bother him to continue carrying her. What did bother him was the state she was in. She was trembling. While she had yet to open her eyes, he could still see how puffy they were from all of her crying. Her pretty face was stained with running mascara. The sight of this mare in such a broken state, a mare that had become so important to him in such a short amount of time, was absolutely heartbreaking. He stopped walking and looked down at the broken mare. “Hey Glimmy, how about I bring you home?” he asked in a soft tone. He immediately became worried as her trembling became even worse. She shook her head furiously, actually scratching his chest a bit with her horn. “Hey, hey it’s ok. What’s wrong, don’t you want to go home?” she kept shaking her head before tightening her grip on him. “Please, don’t leave me.” she said, barely above a whisper, and Thunderlane widened his eyes in realization. How could he be so stupid, of course she didn’t want to be alone after what just happened. As she clung harder to him he gained a look of determination. “Starlight, look at me.” His tone was still soft but also held a note of authority. She looked up and opened her eyes. Even though they were bloodshot and puffy he couldn't help but find her blue eyes the most beautiful thing in the world. He gave her a reassuring smile. “I will never leave you. Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me now. Listen, my house is nearby. Let’s go there, put on a movie and just hang out. You can even meet my little brother.” he said with a soft chuckle, “Would you like that more?” Starlight stared into his amber eyes and found compassion as well as something else she couldn’t quite pinpoint, but she liked it. It made her heart feel warm. She simply gave him a nod of confirmation. “Good, then let’s go.” he said in a soft tone and started walking in the direction of his home. Starlight looked down and, for the first time since the restaurant, smiled. Rumble was looking out his window and watched as the clouds formed, there was a storm scheduled for tonight and it was about to begin. He then heard the doorbell ring. I wonder who that is. He thought to himself as he made his way down to the door. His eyes widened slightly when he opened the door and found his brother holding a petite mare. She was pretty but he could tell by the running mascara and puffy eyes that she had been through a rough time. Rumble looked back at his brother and gave him a hard look. Thunderlane gave his brother a forced smile, realizing that he probably came to the wrong conclusion. “Hey bro, before you say anything it’s not what it looks like. Some things went down at the restaurant and we decided to continue the date here. Starlight is probably going to stay with us for the night so be polite.” Thunderlane explained, causing Rumble to soften his expression. “Alright, I gotcha bro. How about we get her to the couch.” “That sounds like a good idea.” Thunderlane agreed. He made his way into the living room and gently set her down on the couch before sitting down next to her and putting his arm around her shoulder. She immediately scooted closer to him so they were as close as possible. Rumble walked over to them. He felt very awkward in this situation, but was eased a little when he saw Thunderlane’s soft smile. He then nudged Starlight to get her attention. “Hey Glimmy, this is my brother Rumble. Rumble, this is Starlight Glimmer.” Rumble smiled and blushed a little. “It’s nice to meet you Ms. Glimmer. You know when Thunder said you were drop dead gorgeous I thought he was just exaggerating but now that I’ve seen you myself I think he was actually underselling your beauty.” Rumble said with a mischievous smirk, getting a little payback for earlier. It helped that every word he said was true. He noticed that Thunderlane was completely red, while Starlight gave him a smile. She sniffled a little before speaking. “You’re sweet, and please call me Starlight.” she said before wiping her eyes a bit. Thunderlane looked at his brother, the blush still present on his face. “Now that introductions are out of the way, Rumble, do you mind giving me and Starlight some time to talk alone?” Thunderlane asked. His brother gave him an understanding nod. “Yeah no problem, call me when you’re done.” Rumble then made his way upstairs but instead of going to his room, he remained at the top of the stairs so he could listen to their conversation. He knew he could get into a lot of trouble for eavesdropping but he was just too curious as to what happened. Back downstairs Thunderlane was gently rubbing Starlight’s back trying to calm her down. “You can’t let what they said get to you, you know.” Thunderlane said, Starlight sniffled and nodded her head. “I-I know, and usually I don’t, but it was just we were having such a good time today and it had to be ruined because of me.” Thunderlane gave her an incredulous look. “You? It was Cloud Chaser and those other jerks that caused problems. Honestly, I wouldn’t even say the date was ruined.” he said while rubbing the back of his neck. Starlight gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?” “Well, I’m still here with the most beautiful mare in Equestria so I’d definitely call that a success.” he said with a goofy grin. She gave him a small smile before it quickly turned into a frown and she scooted away from him. He became concerned by this before realizing something. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” he asked. She simply nodded her head. He got up and crouched in front of her so that he was eye level with the petite mare. “Please tell me.” She gulped, “It’s just that you keep saying how pretty I am but I know you’re just trying to make me feel better. What they said was true, I’m just a plain looking unicorn with nothing to physically offer.” she looked down at her chest, “I know how stallions feel about mares with large breasts, so why would any, especially one as great as you, be attracted to a dull, flat chested mare like me.” she said all in a quiet voice. Thunderlane shook his head and grabbed her hands. “You’re wrong, I’m not just saying it to make you feel better, I’m saying it because I really do mean it. When you came to the restaurant today I thought I was going to faint from just how attractive you looked!” he then rubbed her hands, “And I don’t think you’re dull one bit. Your coat is a lovely shade of purple that also manages to not be in your face. It also contrasts beautifully with your dark mane, and I find that blue streak to be the cutest splash of color.” he then tapped her on the nose, causing her to giggle, “Not as cute as your laugh though. Don’t even get me started on your eyes, I could get lost in those blue orbs for all eternity and be a happy stallion.” His face took on a more nervous expression as he cleared his throat. “A-and I actually don’t mind that you have small b-breasts, never been a fan of larger ones anyway, though there is an attribute about you that I find incredibly attractive…” he said as a blush formed on his cheeks. Starlight gave him a curious look. “Oh, what is it?” she asked and he gulped in a mix of nervousness and awkwardness. Complimenting a mare on more… physical attributes wasn’t as easy as saying she was pretty. “W-well, you see *ahem* I, uh, think you have a really nice butt!” he said the last part quickly and Starlight’s eyes widened. She quickly took a glance at her rear before looking back at Thunderlane with a raised brow. “You think I have a nice but?” “Yep.” he said in a much squeakier voice. They went silent for a minute and Thunderlane started thinking that he may have gone too far. Rumble facepalmed upstairs. “Pfft… bwahahahaha” Starlight suddenly burst out laughing and Thunderlane let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “You know, out of all the times I’ve heard my friends try to say things to make each other feel better, I don’t think ‘you have a nice ass’ has ever been tried.” Starlight said as her laughter died down. “So you’re not mad?” Thunderlane asked cautiously and was immediately answered by Starlight jumping forward and embracing him in a tight hug. “Does that answer your question?” she asked playfully. He nodded and returned the hug. It was then that he noticed a flash of lightning out of the corner of his eye. An idea came to his mind. “Hey come with me real quick, I want to show you something.” he said as he brought the confused mare over to the window. “Are you afraid of lightning?” he asked her. “A little, I know it can be dangerous.” she said, still very confused. “You’re right, it is incredibly dangerous, even to pegasi. However, it’s also beautiful. Lightning can cause destruction, the most common being forest fires, and kill. But in the end all of the destruction it causes only makes the scorched ground produce even stronger trees. Lightning may kill, but it also helps lay the foundation for new life.” As he said this Starlight was enthralled, though she was still confused as to why he had gone off on this tangent. He then looked back at her and answered her question as if he had read her mind. “More than anything else that’s what I love about you Starlight. You may have made some mistakes in the past but, like lightning, you have ended up making life better. Making my life better, and all while looking beautiful.” He then did something bold. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. It was barely a second but it sent shocks down her spine. “I love you, Starlight Glimmer.” he said. She now knew what that other feeling she had seen in his eyes earlier was. It was love. “I love you too, Thunderlane.” she said as she planted her own kiss on his lips, this one for a bit longer. When they broke off the kiss they sat in front of the window and watched the storm, their minds finally at peace. Eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms. As they drifted off the storm clouds started to part, revealing the stars behind the dark clouds and bathing the new couple in the starlight through the storm. Author's Note Well that's it. My first completed story. Was that last line a bit cheesy? Yep. Do I care? Nope. Anyway thank you everybody who read this story and I hope you all enjoyed it! Now back to work on AotE.
The MeetingBeep Beep Beep “Mmmmm…” came a groan from beneath the covers of the bed. They shifted a bit as whoever was underneath tried to ignore the alarm. Beep Beep Beep “Ugh…” the sleepy mound of bedding let out in annoyance before a grayish purple hand reached out and shut off the alarm clock. The covers were then removed, revealing a sleepy Starlight Glimmer in her pajamas. She blinked the crud out of her eyes and slowly turned her head to the evil contraption that dared awaken her from her slumber and groaned when she saw that it read 5:30 am. With another groan she got herself out of bed to start her routine and get ready for the day. She didn’t used to be one for mornings but spending time with Applejack and Fluttershy taught her the benefits of waking up early. She could get a lot more done in the day by starting it earlier. She made her way to her small bathroom to brush her teeth and get some of the morning knots out of her purple and blue mane. Once that was done she looked into the mirror. She could see some bags under her eyes but they would disappear soon. Content with that she went to her wardrobe and changed into a pair of purple yoga pants and sports bra that exposed her midriff and a pair of blue running shoes. Tying her mane up into a ponytail, she left her home to start her morning run. Rainbow Dash had gotten her into running as exercise and it didn’t take Starlight long to realize how much she enjoyed it. She liked how calming it was in the mornings to just run through the neighborhood, all problems forgotten. The effect it had on her legs and butt didn’t hurt either. There was another reason she loved it though. Nopony else was really out this early in the morning, which meant she didn’t have to deal with anypony. She loved Twilight and the rest of her friends, they had accepted her after all she had done and taught her the magic of friendship, but that didn’t mean that everyone else liked her. In fact it almost felt like the ponies of Ponyville were afraid of her. When she had first noticed she had actually found it a little humorous. She wasn’t a large pony, only 5’3” and of a petite build, so the idea of ponies being afraid of her seemed absurd. It stopped being funny as she noticed how, unless she was with at least on of the Mane Six, ponies would avoid her like the plague. Honestly, she couldn’t really blame them. She’d be afraid too if she learned somepony who had practically enslaved an entire town had just moved in next door. As she was lost in thought she failed to notice a pegasus stallion walking toward her. He was listening to music and had his eyes closed so he also had no idea that another pony was in his path. Neither of them noticed the other until the unaware ponies crashed into each other, sending them both to the ground with a thud. "Ow. Shit." The stallion groaned as he got to his feet. He walked over to Starlight and held a hand out to help her up. "Hey, sorry about that. I should really watch where I'm going." he said as he gave an awkward chuckle. Starlight took his hand and allowed him to help her up, rubbing her sore rump as she went. "It's ok. Really, I should be the one apologizing to you. I wasn't exactly paying attention either." she said while looking down in embarrassment. She brought her head up when she heard the stallion laughing. "Well how about we just say it was a joint effort. Anyway, name's Thunderlane." Thunderlane said with a goofy grin. Starlight smiled as she took in Thunderlane's appearance. He was tall, about 6'2 she had to guess, and his coat was black with a gray mane. She also noticed his build. He was muscular but not distractingly so, the kind of build she recognized as that of somepony who did a lot of long distance running. "Uh, you ok there?" he asked. Starlight blushed as she realized she had been staring. "Y-yes I'm fine." "Well that's good. So can I get the name of the mare I literally ran into?" he said with a playful smirk. Starlight giggled. "Starlight Glimmer." "Starlight Glimmer. Now where have I heard that name before…" he said as he put a hand to his chin in thought. He then snapped his fingers in realization. "That's right! You're that cute new friend of Twilight's." He said excitedly. Starlight blushed profusely. "C-cute?!" Thunderlane's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. "Oh shoot, sorry! I didn't mean to say that! It's just I'm friends with Rainbow Dash and she's always telling me about you and how you're cute and I should talk to you because you're cute but this is the first time I've actually ever seen you and I wasn't thinking and…" the stallion kept rambling frantically until Starlight put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, calm down. I'm not mad, I was just surprised." Starlight said in a calming manner. After a couple of deep breaths Thunderlane managed to calm down and looked back at Starlight with an embarrassed look. "Sorry, kind of panicked there." he said in an apologetic tone. Starlight gave him a small smile and then giggled. "You apologize a lot, you know." "Yeah, I think it's a habit I picked up from my dad, he was always apologizing to my mom about things. Drove her nuts." he said and then started chuckling. They laughed for a bit and then an awkward silence fell. Starlight looked to the ground and twiddled her thumbs. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks at what she was about to ask. "So now that you've actually met me, do you think Rainbow Dash was right? Do you think I'm…cute?" she said the last word in a much quieter tone. Thunderlane shook his head furiously. "No." he said in a serious tone. Starlight felt her world shatter like glass. She looked back at him with a sad look. "Oh, ok." she said in a wavy voice, she could feel her eyes starting to water. Thunderlane saw this and quickly waved his hands in the air. "Wait, you didn't let me finish." Starlight gave him a curious look, though her eyes were still glistening. "Rainbow Dash was wrong, you're not cute. Cute doesn't even begin to describe the gorgeous mare currently standing in front of me." as he said this his own cheeks started to light up, which was very apparent due to his dark coat. "Thank you." Starlight said with a genuine smile on her face. She then released the flood gates and started sobbing, greatly worrying Thunderlane. "H-hey what's wrong? Was it something I said?" Starlight looked into his eyes. Her coat was stained with fresh tears but there was a smile on her face. "No, well actually yes, but it's a good thing. It's just since I've been here nopony has treated me so nicely, only with fear." she said between sniffles. She then jumped a little when he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Well they're missing out. You have been a pleasure to talk to so far and actually," he started rubbing the back of his neck, "maybe we could talk more? Get to know each other a bit better?" Starlight gave him a wide smile. "I'd love that. How about lunch?" "Lunch would be great, we can meet at that new cafe in the square." Thunderlane added. "That would be wonderful." said Starlight, her smile never leaving her face. "Awesome! Then it's a date." Thunderlane said in excitement. They then said their goodbyes and headed their separate ways, though they were both extremely giddy. He actually asked me on a date! She actually said yes! As they were lost in their thoughts they didn't notice that someone had seen the entire exchange take place. Author's Note Taking a little break from The Angel of the Everfree and decided to try something new. This story won't be too long but I'm excited to see where it goes.
The DateRumble was sitting in the living room reading a comic book. On weekends like this he liked to just sit back and relax but unfortunately it was not meant to be as Thunderlane burst through the door. “Hey big bro, you seem in a good mood.” Rumble said with a raised brow. The gray colt knew his older brother to be the happy sort but this seemed a little different than usual. “Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood, I just got a date!” Thunderlane said excitedly with a goofy grin. Rumble rolled his eyes and gave his brother a smirk. “It’s actually a mare this time right?” Thunderlane narrowed his eyes while a light blush appeared on his cheeks. “It was one time! I knew going to the CMC Dating Service was a bad idea.” he muttered before his smile returned, “But yes it is a mare. Her name is Starlight Glimmer.” Rumble’s eyes widened at the name. “Wait, you mean that new mare that hangs around Twilight? Sweetie Belle and the gang have told me about her but I haven’t seen her myself. What’s she like?” “Well for one she’s drop dead gorgeous! Her coat is this muted purple and it’s obvious she takes good care of it as it almost seemed to glow, and her mane is this incredible shade of dark purple but what really got me was the blue highlight in it.” his face softened a bit, “None of that compares to her voice though. She has this mature yet friendly tone to her voice that just makes me want to sit down and talk with her forever.” Rumble gave his brother a warm smile. “She seems great for you bro.” “Yeah.” Thunderlane looked at his brother and a mischievous smirk grew on his face. He felt like teasing his brother a little. He leaned down closer to Rumble. “She also has a great ass.” he whispered into Rumble’s ear, causing him to push his older brother away and gag. “Bro, that’s gross! I don’t need to hear about that.” Rumble said as Thunderlane laughed hysterically. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” he said in between laughs though he knew it was technically a lie. She did have a great ass, especially in those yoga pants she was wearing, but he was better than to go for a mare just because they had a nice set of hips. “So when’s the date?” Rumble asked after shaking away his disgust at his brother’s lewd comment. “We’re going to that new cafe for lunch.” “Cool, well good luck!” “Thanks bro!” Thunderlane said as he affectionately rustled Rumble’s hair. He just hoped he was ready. Starlight was not ready. She only had about ten minutes before she had to leave to meet Thunderlane for their date and she was still making sure she looked good enough. She had never been on a date before and while she was excited she was also a little worried. Thunderlane seemed like such a sweet guy but at the end of the day she knew very little about him, and it’s not like she had any experience with stallions, they tended to stay away from like everyone else. That thought made her hug herself in distress. What if this was some kind of cruel joke? What if he was just stringing her along to make it hurt more. She shook her head furiously. “Get it together Glimmer.” she said to her reflection. She couldn’t psyche herself out. She was just worrying about nothing, he was so genuine this morning and she had to believe that he really was a nice guy. She found herself blushing at how he had called her gorgeous this morning. It probably seemed like a small gesture to anyone else but it meant the world to Starlight. She never told any of her friends but she was extremely self-conscious about her appearance. She thought she was very plain looking, nothing really standing out. Her coat wasn’t as vibrant as others, in fact she always thought that it looked like it was dulled on purpose. Her mane and tail weren’t anything special, at least not compared to someone like Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie. Finally, she looked at her chest, painfully aware that she wasn’t as… blessed in certain areas. She shook her head and checked herself in the mirror. Her outfit was stylish but not overly dressy. She had on a pair of ripped gray jeans, a shirt that was the same shade of blue as the streaks in her mane. Over it was a purple jacket with the sleeves cut off. She also had on a pair of black lace-up boots. She didn’t use a lot of make-up, she usually didn’t, but today she decided to put on some purple mascara that was a slightly darker shade than her coat. She took a deep breath and grabbed the last piece of her ensemble, the one she treasured the most; a purple beanie with stars covering it. With the beanie atop her head she took a deep breath. “I’m ready.” She wasn’t. Thunderlane stood outside the new cafe, The HayStack, waiting for Starlight who should be here any minute now. To say he was nervous would be the understatement of the century. It wasn’t necessarily the date that made him nervous, he had been on quite a few in his life though they never went anywhere, it was who he was going on a date with that made him nervous. Starlight seemed like such a nice mare and he wanted to make a good impression. He was dressed in his best pair of black jeans and shoes, as well as a white shirt with a black button-up over it, the buttons undone. He thought it was the right mix of style and casualness, especially compared to the gym shorts and tank top he had on this morning. He smiled as he thought about what had happened that morning and how it had led to now. Celestia must have been looking down on him to have blessed him so. “Thunderlane!” Starlight called out, bringing him out of his reminiscing. “Hey Starli-” before he could finish his jaw dropped when he saw her. If he thought she looked good before, it was nothing to how she was now. Her shirt and jacket made her coat and mane look even more luxurious than they had before, not to mention the cute little beanie. Her jeans and boots helped accentuate the curve of her hips and her well-toned legs, two things that he embarrassingly stared at a bit longer than what was probably appropriate. He could also see that she was wearing make-up, just enough to bring out her natural beauty. All of that paled in comparison to her eyes. With the suddenness of their meeting that morning he had not gotten a good look at them, a fact that he now deeply regretted as he looked into those beautiful gray-blue orbs. He figured he could have gotten lost in those eyes forever. “Um Thunderlane, are you ok?” Starlight asked worriedly, bringing him out of his stupor. “Y-yeah, I’m good. You look awesome Glimmy!” he said as a greeting, causing Starlight to smile and blush. “Thank you, that’s sweet of you.” she said. She then gave him a playful smirk and raised a brow. “‘Glimmy’?” she asked, trying to hide a giggle. Thunderlane gulped, “Yeah, i-it’s a nickname. If you don’t like it-” he was stopped by Starlight’s finger against his muzzle. She was giggling. “I love it.” she said as she took her finger away. She then clapped her hands together. “Well I’m starving, how about we continue this inside.” she said as she made her way inside. Thunderlane could have sworn she swayed her hips a bit more than usual as she walked inside. “Right behind you, Glimmy.” he said with a goofy smile. Neither one of them noticed the stares directed at them, or more specifically, at Starlight. It took them no time to grab a table and their waiter had already brought them some hay fries as an appetizer. So far they were having a wonderful time conversing, they were busy exchanging funny stories. “So Rainbow actually thought you were faking having feather flu?” Starlight asked incredulously. Thunderlane simply chuckled. “Yeah, though honestly I can’t blame her. I kind of had a reputation for getting out of work and being overall lazy.” he said while rubbing the back of his neck. He then noticed Starlight was giggling and he brightened up. He quickly found that her giggles were like music to his ears. “You definitely don’t seem to be like that anymore, so tell me Mr. Thunder, what changed?” she said with a playful smirk. Thunderlane couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, you have Rumble to thank for that. He’s my little brother. You see my parents have to travel a lot for work and they didn’t think it would be fair for him to be moving around all the time, so he moved in with me. That was when I realized I needed to get my act together.” Thunderlane explained with compassion. Starlight gave him a warm smile. “That’s wonderful, you must love your brother very much.” she said softly. “Yeah, the little guy’s my whole world.” he then looked into Starlight’s beautiful eyes. Though I’d like to add you to that world. He thought to himself as they continued to stare into each other’s eyes. Soon their waiter came back to take their orders. Thunderlane got a hayburger while Starlight got a daffodil sandwich. Their orders quickly came out and they started eating. As they ate Thunderlane looked up at Starlight and noticed a piece of daffodil on her left cheek that she apparently didn’t notice. “Um, hey Glimmy?” he said, trying to get her attention. “Hm?” she gave him a quizzical look. He decided to be a bit bold. He then leaned over with a napkin and wiped her cheek clean, causing her to blush profusely. “You had a little something on your cheek.” he said with a nervous smile. Starlight returned his smile. “Oh, well, thank you.” she then looked into his amber eyes and felt her heart flutter in her chest. “Hey Thunder?” “Yeah?” he jumped a little when she grabbed his hand. “Thank you for doing this with me today, it means a lot to me to have you here and I’ve really been enjoying my time with you. You’ve shown me a kindness that I haven’t seen in a long time.” she said in a heartfelt manner. He could see her eyes begin to glisten and he squeezed her hand a bit. “It’s no problem at all Glimmy, I’ve had a wonderful time with you too. Maybe we could even do this more?” he said hopefully. Starlight gave him a wide smile. “I’d lo-” “Well look what we have here, the brainwasher has found her first victim.” interrupted a feminin voice. Starlight looked over to find a gray-purple pegasus mare with an ice-blue mane approaching them. She wore shorts that came halfway down her thigh and a crop-top that showed off her generous bust. Starlight didn’t recognise the mare but Thunderlane did. “Cloud Chaser.” he said as he narrowed his eyes. Cloud Chaser merely gave him a smirk. “Why the hostility? I’m just trying to protect you from this brainwashing bitch.” she said in mock offense. Starlight gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. Thunderlane merely gritted his teeth. “Hey leave her alone Chaser! There’s no need for that.” he said, Cloud Chaser gave him a surprised look. “You don’t know?” “Know what?” Thunderlane asked. Clouder Chaser then walked over to Starlight and grabbed her shoulders, causing the unicorn mare to tense up. “You see, this little manipulator brainwashed an entire town to do her bidding.” she said with a smirk. Starlight could feel the tears starting. Thunderlane remained silent. “I-I-I-” Starlight tried to stutter out. She noticed that the other patrons of the cafe were starting to give her hard looks. “Why are you even here? Going to make us all your slaves too?” Cloud Chaser said, getting in Starlight’s face. “No! I don’t do that anymore!” Starlight tried to defend herself. Cloud Chaser merely scoffed at the unicorn. “Yeah, I bet you would love for us to believe that.” she said shooting Starlight a glare, causing her to shrink back. The rest of the restaurant attendants started to join in. “Liar!” “Manipulative bitch!” “Whore!” Cloud Chaser grabbed on to that last one. “Oh I bet you used that brainwashing magic of yours to turn all of those stallions into your own personal sex slaves.” Starlight’s eyes widened at Cloud Chaser’s words. “W-what?! I would never!” she screamed out. Clouder Chaser gave her an evil sneer. “Bullshit! How else would a plain looking, flat-chested mare like you ever get laid?” Starlight covered her chest as her lack of ‘assets’ was pointed out. The tears were freely leaking out of her eyes now. Then the rest of the customers started to join in. “Ugly slut!” “Ironing board!” “Rapist!” “No! I may have done some terrible things, but I’ve never slept with someone against their will! I’ve never even had sex!” Starlight exclaimed hysterically and the entire restaurant went silent. Suddenly everyone burst into laughter. “Oh my Celestia, you’re a virgin?! You really must be pathetic to be 24 and have never been with anypony.” said Cloud Chaser as she continued to laugh. Starlight was no longer able to speak as she finally broke down completely. Thunderlane, who had been silent the entire time, slammed his fists against the table. “That. Is. ENOUGH!” he yelled out, silencing the entire restaurant with the exception of Starlight’s wales. He stood up to his full height and flared out his wings. He was furious and it caused a chill to go down everyone else’s spine. “What is wrong with all of you?! Me and her came here to have a nice date, that I suggested by the way, and all of you start shouting out all of these horrible things to her. You have all broken this poor mare!” he berated everyone. “B-but she-” a mare in the back tried to speak up, but was cut off by Thunderlane’s glare. “She what? She made mistakes in her past? WHO CARES?! She’s trying to be better and that’s all that matters! Can any of you truly tell me that you haven’t made mistakes of your own? For Celestia’s sake, we forgave Discord, and yet you’re unable to forgive a mare that’s trying her best to be better? I thought Ponyville was better than that!” Thunderlane’s words caused many of the patrons to look down in shame as they realized he was right. Thunderlane then turned his gaze toward Cloud Chaser, who had lost all of her gustow and was now trembling before the angry stallion. “And you! Where do you get off shaming her for being a virgin?! There is nothing wrong with her wanting to wait, in fact I respect her for having that kind of self control. And you have no right judging her appearance, Starlight Glimmer is the single most beautiful mare on Equus and nothing you say will ever change that!” he then leaned closer to Cloud Chaser and made his voice low. “I never want to see you anywhere near me or her ever again. Am I understood?” Cloud Chaser simply gave him a frantic nod in affirmation. Thunderlane gave one last glare to the restaurant and laid down some bits for the food before walking over to Starlight. He kneeled down and softened his expression. She had stopped crying in the middle of his rant and was staring at him with wide eyes. “You ready to go?” he said in a soft tone. She simply nodded. She then let out a gasp as she was picked up bridal style by Thunderlane. She blushed as she could feel his muscles against her. As they walked out the restaurant she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his chest, causing him to blush. “Thank you.” she said in a quiet voice. Thunderlane simply gave her a warm smile and nodded. Author's Note Only one chapter to go to wrap this little story up
The StormThey were walking down the sidewalk in silence. They had left the restaurant about half an hour ago and throughout the entire time Starlight hadn’t said a single word, only holding herself close to Thunderlane as he carried her. He was an endurance athlete and she didn’t weigh a lot so it didn’t bother him to continue carrying her. What did bother him was the state she was in. She was trembling. While she had yet to open her eyes, he could still see how puffy they were from all of her crying. Her pretty face was stained with running mascara. The sight of this mare in such a broken state, a mare that had become so important to him in such a short amount of time, was absolutely heartbreaking. He stopped walking and looked down at the broken mare. “Hey Glimmy, how about I bring you home?” he asked in a soft tone. He immediately became worried as her trembling became even worse. She shook her head furiously, actually scratching his chest a bit with her horn. “Hey, hey it’s ok. What’s wrong, don’t you want to go home?” she kept shaking her head before tightening her grip on him. “Please, don’t leave me.” she said, barely above a whisper, and Thunderlane widened his eyes in realization. How could he be so stupid, of course she didn’t want to be alone after what just happened. As she clung harder to him he gained a look of determination. “Starlight, look at me.” His tone was still soft but also held a note of authority. She looked up and opened her eyes. Even though they were bloodshot and puffy he couldn't help but find her blue eyes the most beautiful thing in the world. He gave her a reassuring smile. “I will never leave you. Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me now. Listen, my house is nearby. Let’s go there, put on a movie and just hang out. You can even meet my little brother.” he said with a soft chuckle, “Would you like that more?” Starlight stared into his amber eyes and found compassion as well as something else she couldn’t quite pinpoint, but she liked it. It made her heart feel warm. She simply gave him a nod of confirmation. “Good, then let’s go.” he said in a soft tone and started walking in the direction of his home. Starlight looked down and, for the first time since the restaurant, smiled. Rumble was looking out his window and watched as the clouds formed, there was a storm scheduled for tonight and it was about to begin. He then heard the doorbell ring. I wonder who that is. He thought to himself as he made his way down to the door. His eyes widened slightly when he opened the door and found his brother holding a petite mare. She was pretty but he could tell by the running mascara and puffy eyes that she had been through a rough time. Rumble looked back at his brother and gave him a hard look. Thunderlane gave his brother a forced smile, realizing that he probably came to the wrong conclusion. “Hey bro, before you say anything it’s not what it looks like. Some things went down at the restaurant and we decided to continue the date here. Starlight is probably going to stay with us for the night so be polite.” Thunderlane explained, causing Rumble to soften his expression. “Alright, I gotcha bro. How about we get her to the couch.” “That sounds like a good idea.” Thunderlane agreed. He made his way into the living room and gently set her down on the couch before sitting down next to her and putting his arm around her shoulder. She immediately scooted closer to him so they were as close as possible. Rumble walked over to them. He felt very awkward in this situation, but was eased a little when he saw Thunderlane’s soft smile. He then nudged Starlight to get her attention. “Hey Glimmy, this is my brother Rumble. Rumble, this is Starlight Glimmer.” Rumble smiled and blushed a little. “It’s nice to meet you Ms. Glimmer. You know when Thunder said you were drop dead gorgeous I thought he was just exaggerating but now that I’ve seen you myself I think he was actually underselling your beauty.” Rumble said with a mischievous smirk, getting a little payback for earlier. It helped that every word he said was true. He noticed that Thunderlane was completely red, while Starlight gave him a smile. She sniffled a little before speaking. “You’re sweet, and please call me Starlight.” she said before wiping her eyes a bit. Thunderlane looked at his brother, the blush still present on his face. “Now that introductions are out of the way, Rumble, do you mind giving me and Starlight some time to talk alone?” Thunderlane asked. His brother gave him an understanding nod. “Yeah no problem, call me when you’re done.” Rumble then made his way upstairs but instead of going to his room, he remained at the top of the stairs so he could listen to their conversation. He knew he could get into a lot of trouble for eavesdropping but he was just too curious as to what happened. Back downstairs Thunderlane was gently rubbing Starlight’s back trying to calm her down. “You can’t let what they said get to you, you know.” Thunderlane said, Starlight sniffled and nodded her head. “I-I know, and usually I don’t, but it was just we were having such a good time today and it had to be ruined because of me.” Thunderlane gave her an incredulous look. “You? It was Cloud Chaser and those other jerks that caused problems. Honestly, I wouldn’t even say the date was ruined.” he said while rubbing the back of his neck. Starlight gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?” “Well, I’m still here with the most beautiful mare in Equestria so I’d definitely call that a success.” he said with a goofy grin. She gave him a small smile before it quickly turned into a frown and she scooted away from him. He became concerned by this before realizing something. “There’s something else, isn’t there?” he asked. She simply nodded her head. He got up and crouched in front of her so that he was eye level with the petite mare. “Please tell me.” She gulped, “It’s just that you keep saying how pretty I am but I know you’re just trying to make me feel better. What they said was true, I’m just a plain looking unicorn with nothing to physically offer.” she looked down at her chest, “I know how stallions feel about mares with large breasts, so why would any, especially one as great as you, be attracted to a dull, flat chested mare like me.” she said all in a quiet voice. Thunderlane shook his head and grabbed her hands. “You’re wrong, I’m not just saying it to make you feel better, I’m saying it because I really do mean it. When you came to the restaurant today I thought I was going to faint from just how attractive you looked!” he then rubbed her hands, “And I don’t think you’re dull one bit. Your coat is a lovely shade of purple that also manages to not be in your face. It also contrasts beautifully with your dark mane, and I find that blue streak to be the cutest splash of color.” he then tapped her on the nose, causing her to giggle, “Not as cute as your laugh though. Don’t even get me started on your eyes, I could get lost in those blue orbs for all eternity and be a happy stallion.” His face took on a more nervous expression as he cleared his throat. “A-and I actually don’t mind that you have small b-breasts, never been a fan of larger ones anyway, though there is an attribute about you that I find incredibly attractive…” he said as a blush formed on his cheeks. Starlight gave him a curious look. “Oh, what is it?” she asked and he gulped in a mix of nervousness and awkwardness. Complimenting a mare on more… physical attributes wasn’t as easy as saying she was pretty. “W-well, you see *ahem* I, uh, think you have a really nice butt!” he said the last part quickly and Starlight’s eyes widened. She quickly took a glance at her rear before looking back at Thunderlane with a raised brow. “You think I have a nice but?” “Yep.” he said in a much squeakier voice. They went silent for a minute and Thunderlane started thinking that he may have gone too far. Rumble facepalmed upstairs. “Pfft… bwahahahaha” Starlight suddenly burst out laughing and Thunderlane let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “You know, out of all the times I’ve heard my friends try to say things to make each other feel better, I don’t think ‘you have a nice ass’ has ever been tried.” Starlight said as her laughter died down. “So you’re not mad?” Thunderlane asked cautiously and was immediately answered by Starlight jumping forward and embracing him in a tight hug. “Does that answer your question?” she asked playfully. He nodded and returned the hug. It was then that he noticed a flash of lightning out of the corner of his eye. An idea came to his mind. “Hey come with me real quick, I want to show you something.” he said as he brought the confused mare over to the window. “Are you afraid of lightning?” he asked her. “A little, I know it can be dangerous.” she said, still very confused. “You’re right, it is incredibly dangerous, even to pegasi. However, it’s also beautiful. Lightning can cause destruction, the most common being forest fires, and kill. But in the end all of the destruction it causes only makes the scorched ground produce even stronger trees. Lightning may kill, but it also helps lay the foundation for new life.” As he said this Starlight was enthralled, though she was still confused as to why he had gone off on this tangent. He then looked back at her and answered her question as if he had read her mind. “More than anything else that’s what I love about you Starlight. You may have made some mistakes in the past but, like lightning, you have ended up making life better. Making my life better, and all while looking beautiful.” He then did something bold. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips. It was barely a second but it sent shocks down her spine. “I love you, Starlight Glimmer.” he said. She now knew what that other feeling she had seen in his eyes earlier was. It was love. “I love you too, Thunderlane.” she said as she planted her own kiss on his lips, this one for a bit longer. When they broke off the kiss they sat in front of the window and watched the storm, their minds finally at peace. Eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms. As they drifted off the storm clouds started to part, revealing the stars behind the dark clouds and bathing the new couple in the starlight through the storm. Author's Note Well that's it. My first completed story. Was that last line a bit cheesy? Yep. Do I care? Nope. Anyway thank you everybody who read this story and I hope you all enjoyed it! Now back to work on AotE.
