The click of Rolling Thunder’s lighter made Lightning’s ear twitch. The tiny flame glowed brightly, as if it didn’t care for its size, before it was quickly snuffed out. “Ohhh yeah, that’s the stuff.”
“This is shit, Rolling.”
“Yeah, well I take what I can get, Shorty.”
The name was met with a shove. “Don’t call me Shorty!”
“What’re you gonna do about it? Get shorter?”
“Hey!”
Lightning tuned them out, staring up at the evening night sky. Clouds pock-marked the sky, with the setting sun’s rays poking through the gaps left behind. A few pegasi flitted about, basking in the warm glow and enjoying a change from the chilly autumn air.
“Oi, Dust.” Lightning’s ear flicked again and she turned to see Rolling offering something tucked between the feathers of her wings.
Lightning rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t do that shit anymore.”
“Pussy.”
“Because it doesn’t do jack for me,” Lightning countered. “We’ve been over this.”
“And I never believe you,” Rolling replied, retracting her wing. “You used to be fun, Dust! What happened?”
Lightning tried not to flinch at that. “You started buying shit drugs, that’s what happened. If I’m taking anything, it’s got a high bar to clear. This crap doesn’t do anything for me anymore.”
Rolling laughed, in her noisy, wheezy, loud and brash way. She took another puff, winking with a smirk. “See, there’s the Dust I used to know. Always looking for a new high.”
“Like it or hate it, I’m not any different.” Lightning paused as a pair of ponies passed them. She wondered for a second how they looked to them: three pegasi sulking in an alley, wearing identical jackets. Each one with a small white, pink and blue patch sewn onto their right sleeves.
She shuddered, suddenly feeling very self conscious.
“I could always be worse,” Rolling noted grimly as she flicked some dust off her shoulders with a wingtip. “Could be shooting. Or hooked on some truly awful stuff. Or I could be shorter than Shorty.”
That was met with a snarl and a swift kick, which Rolling only laughed off.
“Come on, morons. I don’t wanna be late.” With an impatient flick of her tail, Lightning set off out of the alley and onto the street, Rolling and Short Fuse lagging behind.
The city was slowly falling asleep around them. Shops were closing, restaurants and cafes were preparing for late-night patrons, and the bars were slowly starting to stir to life. Ponies free of work were heading home to rest, or heading out with friends to cause some chaos.
Tonight though, Lightning was expecting something a little more calm.
“Ugh, I’m freezing out here…”
“Surprised you can feel the wind from down there.”
Whap.
Perhaps it was a bigger wish than she realized.
Lightning tried her best to ignore the distant buzz of the fluorescent lights above her. She meandered around the room, passing between folding chairs and ponies. The room was well-lit and warm, a pleasant difference from the outside air.
Ponies were lounging, chatting, drinking and eating whilte soft music played from a speaker system near the front of the room. Behind the makeshift DJ station was a large striped blue, pink and white flag, adorned with signatures and messages.
It had taken her far too long to come to this place, but now it felt like a second home. Somewhere she wouldn’t give up even if the world depended on it.
Lightning swiped two water bottles from the snack table as she passed, glancing towards the back of the room where Rolling and Short Fuse were hoof wrestling. The two would doubtlessly tease her if they saw where she was heading but Lightning couldn't care less about that.
She was nothing if not stubborn after all.
With a roll of her eyes and a smirk, Lightning maneuvered herself over to the table, where a small record player was hooked up to two oversized speakers. “Howdy howdy.”
“Howdy yerself,” came the reply from the mare.
“Someone’s more feisty than fiddly today,” Lightning noted, placing the bottles in front of her.
Fiddlesticks rolled her eyes but accepted the bottle. She took off her white stetson, running a hoof through her cobalt blue mane before replacing it on her head. “So what’s goin’ on in featherbrain land, hm?”
“The usual, terrorizing you lowly earth ponies from above,” Lightning replied.
Fiddle threw a hoof over her chest. “Well I never.”
“You can’t, you don’t have wings silly.”
Fiddle gently bonked Lightning on the head with her water bottle. “Cheeky, cheeky.”
“Hit me again, they’ll hear the echo all the way in Griffonstone,” Lightning shot back.
Fiddle snorted, a sound that brought a smile to Lightning’s own face. “Said it yerself, Dust.”
“Nobody insults Lightning Dust but Lightning Dust.”
“How ‘bout me?”
Lightning tapped her chin in faux thought. “Maybe, you’ll have to pay big for that benefit though.”
Fiddle rolled her eyes. “I’ll consider it.” She pulled her mane from her eyes to look up at Lightning. “Hey. Nice to see ya again though, seriously.”
“Aw. Nice to see you too, Fiddle,” Lightning said, rubbing the back of her neck and fighting off a blush.
“How was your trip?”
“Oh yeah, it went well. Really good. Rainbow Falls has never seen a flight team like us,” Lightning said, chest puffing out with pride. “Hard fight but we stole the show.”
Fiddle clapped politely. “Well congrats. Knew y’all could do it.”
“Yeah, so did I!”
“That’s not what the Lightning who came to me shaking with anxiety about it said,” Fiddle smirked.
“You can’t prove that happened.”
Fiddle just laughed at that. “Got your postcard by the way. It looks beautiful out there.”
“It is, yeah. I guess I take it for granted with how often I go there but…. It’s great.” Lightning traced a small circle on the tablecloth in front of her. “...I’ll take you there sometime.”
Fiddle chuckled. “Shucks. Thank ya, Dusty. I appreciate that.”
A comfortable silence lapsed between them, only broken up by the soft music.
Lightning couldn’t help but remember how it was sheer coincidence that the two of them had even met in the first place. Her therapist had continuously insisted that Lightning at least pay the group a visit, and Lightning had finally decided to relent after a particularly bitter relapse.
Strange to think that Fiddle was one of the first ponies she met there. A burnt out, strung out, weary musician with the aura of a fizzled-out firework. She was beautiful, and Lightning wasn’t afraid to say it. Even if it brought her endless grief from her later friends of Short Fuse and Rolling Thunder.
It took a few more meetings for Lightning to draw the confidence to approach her, but she found herself seeking out Fiddle for every meeting after. Every encounter gave her a rush, a high that nothing else she took could.
It was part of the reason why she barely did any drugs anymore. Nothing could make her feel the way being in love did. And for a while, it was enough.
But lately… lately Lightning was missing it. Dreading the comedown, the time they had to spend apart. Feeling cold and alone. Wondering if Fiddle felt the same way.
There was only one way to put that thought to rest.
Lightning looked up, staring at Fiddle’s white hat and realizing that a certain blue, white, and pink item was missing. “Hey, what happened to your pin?”
“Hm?” Fiddle took off her hat to investigate. “Huh. Must’ve fallen off! It was there this mornin’.”
“Before you came here?”
“Reckon so. Why?”
Lightning shrugged. “So maybe you lost it on the way here.”
Fiddle tapped her chin. “It’s likely.”
A thought crossed her mind. “Wanna go find it?”
Fiddle gave her a strange look. “I can just buy another one.”
“Or we could backtrack and see if we could find it.”
“Yeah?” she asked uncertainly.
“I’ll get Rolling to watch your stuff.”
“I’d rather leave it unattended,” Fiddle replied with a scoff.
“You in or out, Fiddly?”
That earned her a swift smack. “Fine. Only if you never call me that again.”
This was a stupid idea.
That was the only thought that crossed Lightning’s mind as she sat there in that cold-yet-stuffy room, wedged between some angry red idiot and a purple scarred pegasus who kept making fun of him.
Lightning scowled, staring intently at the floorboards as ponies shuffled to their seats around her.
This whole idea was stupid. Coming to this meeting was stupid.
So what was stopping her from leaving?
Lightning thought about what she’d be doing now if she weren’t here and shuddered. Sitting in the cold, shoving things up her nose or down her throat until her eyes watered in a vain attempt to feel something…
“Maybe that’d still be better than this,” she muttered as she slouched over.
She sighed, massing her temples as Rolling-something and Short Pony bickered on either side of her. Unable to take the arguing anymore she stood and stormed to the concessions table.
There obviously weren’t any drugs here, but she hoped there’d be at least something to numb the headache that was rapidly forming in her head. Lightning was so wrapped up in her own head that she nearly crashed into the pony in front of her.
“Hey now! Easy there, partner,” came a slow voice marred with country drawl.
“Who you calling partner,” Lightning growled instinctively, finally taking her eyes off the floor.
She wasn’t expecting to see a lanky earth pony with a stunning blue mane and a comically oversized stetson hat, adorned with a small blue, white, and pink pin. “Well… ain’t it obvious?”
Lightning just rolled her eyes, reaching for a bagel.
“Geez. Whaddya want from me,” the mare muttered.
Lightning squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. “I don’t know, okay? Sorry.”
“O-Oh. I’m… sorry if I upset you,” the mare said. “Let me start over. I’m Fiddlesticks.”
“Lightning Dust.”
Fiddlesticks smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Lightning Dust. Is everything okay?”
Lightning could only stare, suddenly realizing how easy it was to lose herself in Fiddle’s eyes. “I’m working through some things,” she heard herself say.
“Aren’t we all,” Fiddle chuckled. “Do you mind if we sit together?”
“Sure,” Lightning said, head still swimming with thoughts. “By the way, I uh. I like your pin.”
“Thanks! Me too,” Fiddle laughed. “Me too.”
“My ears are cold.”
“Want me to rub em?”
“That’s gross, Lightnin’. I dunno where your hooves have been,” Fiddle said with a chuckle.
Lightning made a show of wiping her hooves on the side of Fiddle’s coat, dodging away as Fiddle swiped at her. “Then buy a beanie.”
“And lose the stetson?” Fiddle said, throwing a hoof over her heart in exaggerated shock.
Lightning raised an eyebrow. “Affirmative.”
“Eenope,” came the reply with an exaggeration on the ‘p.’
Lightning shrugged. “Then don’t complain about cold ears!”
“How about you get a lil’ empathy for once,” Fiddle grumbled.
“And lose my cool edge?”
“Eeyup.”
“Negative.”
Fiddle just stuck her tongue out at that, and Lightning laughed.
They paused at the street corner, as a taxi passed by at a leisurely pace. “I miss much from last week?” Lightning ventured.
Fiddle hummed in thought. “Not really? I mean we had some newblood speak, shared some heavy stories. I dunno, made me realize again that sobering yourself is never as easy as they say it is.”
Lightning nodded. “Take another under your wing?”
“Jealous of my wingspan?” teased Fiddle. “Nah. He can pick someone he wants to follow when he’s ready to. Actually… I think he might do best with you to be right honest.”
Lightning blinked at that. “Huh?”
“Y’all seem to share experiences. Have similar stories. I just think that you could really give him some… perspective,” Fiddle said with a shrug.
She considered that. “I… I dunno, I mean I’ve just found out what I’ve needed. And it still feels like I’ve got a long way to go. I don’t think I can possibly take the pressure when something like this all comes down to me, you know?”
Fiddle let out a low hum. “Reckon I get that. But I think you do just find me as a leader, Lightnin’.”
“Maybe. I’ll think about it.”
The two rounded another corner, coming face-to-face with tall apartment buildings and shops. “See it yet?”
“Nah, but like I said, it don’t matter much to me. I can buy more.”
Lightning shrugged, pulling at the sleeves of her jacket. “Made it this far. Might as well keep going.”
“Sure, though we’re over halfway to my place by now.”
Ahead of them, a group of teenagers passed them by, jostling and laughing to one another.
“What was it, by the way?”
“Huh?”
Fiddle pursed her lips. “Well… You said you finally found what you were lookin’ for. What was it?”
“O-Oh.” Lightning coughed awkwardly, a touch of red tinging her cheeks. “Well, it, ah…”
“You don’t gotta say if it makes you uncomfortable,” Fiddle relented.
Lightning cringed. “No, no, nothing like that. I just–”
It was difficult to find the words then, standing besides the mare who was changing her life, watching her mane billow in the biting autumn wind.
She sighed, drooping a bit. “It’s you.”
Fiddle stumbled slightly. “Me?!”
“Yeah! You.” Lightning squeezed her eyes shut, sighing. “I dunno, you just… When I’m with you it makes me feel something. Something that literally nothing else I take can, so it’s like, why bother taking those? I just like being around you.”
“I… Wow. I like being around you too, Lightnin’,” Fiddle said with a large smile on her face.
Lightning returned the smile with one of her own.
The two came to a stop outside of a five-storied apartment building. “Well, shucks. We made it all the way back,” Fiddle laughed.
“Sorry we didn’t find it.”
“How many times do I gotta tell you it don’t matter,” Fiddle said, shaking her head. “I swear, you don’t listen to a single thing I say.”
“I’m too swept up in your good looks,” Lightning said, fluttering her eyelashes at her.
That drew a blush from Fiddle. “Tell ya what. Since we’re already here, ya wanna come in?”
“Sure.” Lightning hesitated as they stepped toward the door. “Hey, uh, Fiddle. Do you…” She scuffed a hoof on the sidewalk. “You wanna go out sometime?”
“You askin’ me out?”
“I thought you were the smart one.”
Fiddle rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky I like you. Sure, I’d love that. Hell, why don’t we start right now?”
“Yeah? How so?”
“I’ve got some wine. Could cook up a fancy meal, put on some music. All you need for a date.”
Lightning smiled widely. “Heh. Yeah. Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
As they stepped inside, Lightning felt her heart flutter. A sort of excitement, a high that she knew she wouldn’t come down from for a very long time.
