”You did what?”

White Lightning flinched back as she shifted on the couch, her dad pacing back and forth in front of her.

“Are you out of your mind?” Her father shouted again. “There’s no chance you’ll compete at the byfc. But we will come back to that later. First, you let some mare we don’t even know run off with your sister.”

“I’ve known Merry May my entire life. She’s reliable,” White Lightning offered weakly. “And I could have a chance. You never know. Not like either of you have ever believed in me.”

“What? We have totally believed in your,” her mom added and White Lightning rolled her eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me.”

This is gonna be one of those days, isn’t it? White Lightning thought bitterly with a barely withheld groan as she stood up.

“Like hell you ever have. When I tried out for the buck ball team in middle school, you said I was too fat to make the cut. Who says that to a ten year old?!” White Lightning shouted and her wings spread open wide as she jabbed a hoof into her mom’s chest. “You know, you two as parents are awful. I’m seventeen. You have no right to stop me. You should be encouraging me. How does this look to Cotton Cloudy?”

“This is not about her. This is about you doing something dangerous!”

“I do dangerous stuff every day! I work at the weather factory, I fly! Do you know how many pegasi die while flying every year? I do. It’s a lot. Going outside for a walk is dangerous! I could get ran over or mugged, but I don’t see you stopping me then. I don’t see you two complaining about me going to work, knowing I could accidentally killed by a stray lightning bolt, now do I?” White Lightning scowled and stepped back. “The only thing I see are two cowards who are afraid. Afraid that you won’t be able to control me any longer like you did when I was a filly.”

White Lightning took a deep breath and forced her wings closed as she glared at the other two pegasi, Cotton Cloudy watching from the stairs.

“You think you got everything figured out in life, don’t you?” Her dad shook his head and opened the door. “Then get out of my house.”

“What?” White Lightnings mom stared at him. “This was a conversation, not us kicking her out!”

“She wants to act all tough and a know all it and raise her tone to us like that then she can go live on her own and be an adult for all I care. You can pick up stuff later tonight. Now go.”

“You know, I remember everything as a filly. All the things you said about how I’m worthless. And all the times you randomly sent me to bed days without dinner. If I can, I will get Cotton Cloudy taken away from you. If it happened to one, there’s always a chance it happens again,” White Lightning stepped out the door. “And that’s a promise.”

“White Lightning, come back!” Her mom called out as White Lightning flew off and White Lightning raised a middle feather towards her.

“Oh shit. Where am I even gonna go?” White Lightning slowed to a stop midair and hovered. “Can’t go to Sprinkles home, her parents hate me. Raindrops house is cluttered as is. Merry May is an option and so is Rainbowshine I suppose.”

White Lightning settled onto her cloud and wrapped her tail around herself as she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. It was fairly late and the sun was setting rapidly in front of her very eyes.

“Hey!” White Lightning glanced over the edge of her cloud at a unicorn. “Come down now.”

“Oh shit,” White Lightning rolled her eyes and jumped off to flutter down. “What do you want? I save you once and you’re obsessed with me or something?”

“No,” Silver Spanner shrugged and she held a bag out with her magic. “Just wanted to say thanks again. I got you a pastry.”

White Lightning sniffed the bag and inhaled the scent of blueberries as she licked her lips. She accepted the bag and started tearing into the pastry.

“Thanks,” White Lightning wiped the stains off her muzzle with a hoof. “White Lightning.”

“Like the alcohol?” Silver Spanner asked as she shook her hoof. “Silver Spanner.”

“Everypony always assume I’m named after the alcohol and yes, yes I am. My mom is a fan of it,” White Lightning traced a hoof on the cloud under her. “Me, not so much.”

“I’ve heard it’s gross but I’m only fourteen so I don’t know. My parents don’t drink or if they do, they never do it around me,” Silver Spanner trotted over to a bench and sat down. “You look sad, what’s wrong?”

“It’s complicated.”

White Lightning plopped down next to her and sighed.

“It’s just a lot of shit, you know? Life just piles it all on ya,” White Lightning swung her legs idly. “Went off on my parents, got kicked out. Probably gonna hit up the shelter if it ain’t full.”

“Feel that.”

White Lightning told her the rest of the story and Silver Spanner sat quietly listening, glancing at some birds next to her.

“Damn, that’s heavy. I don’t really know what to say except I’m sorry,” Silver Spanner rested a hoof on her side and White Lightning leaned back on the bench.

“It is what it is. My parents never wanted a filly, they wanted a colt. And well, I’m obviously not a colt. They pretty much always told me how I wasn’t supposed to be a filly. It was annoying. And when they tried again to have a colt, they had another filly. They were more accepting of it that go around. Cotton Cloudy gets treated way better than I ever did when I was her age.”

“Damn man. That’s shitty right there,” Silver Spanner commented and stretched out on her stomach. “I’m sorry. Don’t you got a friend to stay with?”

“One or two. I can’t even stay with my own marefriend because her parents don’t like me. They don’t even really know we’re dating,” White Lightning rubbed the back of her head. “My parents don’t either. Both our folks aren’t really on board with the whole two mares dating thing, if you get me.”

“I get you loud and clear,” Silver Spanner answered after a moment of thinking. That whole area wasn’t something she really cared about. She preferred to keep her muzzle down and mind her own business.

“Though it’s clear you Canterlotians don’t care about that. Not that you’re from Canterlot with an accent like that,” White Lightning glanced at the brown unicorn.

“I swear, that’s what everypony first notices about me is my accent.”

White Lightning gave a dry laugh and shrugged.

“Well, looks we got something in common. I’m known for my alcohol name and you’re known for your accent. Two peas in a pod,” White Lightning nudged her with a wing tip. “The whole fight at home started because I told them I registered to perform in the Best Young Flyers Competition.”

“Ooh, congrats!” Silver Spanners ears perked up and she grinned. “I’ll be there tomorrow, so I’ll be rooting for you.”

“At least somepony will be. Wait, tomorrow?” White Lightning sat up straight and cursed. “Shit! I gotta go!”

“Uhm where? You can’t go home,” Silver Spanner reminded her and White Lightning stopped midair. “I can sneak you into our hotel, but tell nopony. Especially not the armed police outside the door.”

“This sounds vaguely illegal and very dangerous for my safety.”

“Nah, it’ll be fine. Just fly up to the window and I’ll let you in. But Sunset might be asleep so be quiet away, kay?”

“Kay.”

Silver Spanner laid sleeping on her bed as Sunset idly sat across from her in a chair, watching the white pegasus next to Silver Spanner drap a wing over her fellow unicorn with a raised eyebrow before taking another slow sip of her coffee.

“Wakey wakey,” Sunset jostled the pair with her magic a few times. “Silver.”

“Waffles?” Silver Spanner mumbled and Sunset bit back a laugh.

“Sure.”

Sunset continued watching them with a curious expression as they both sat up.

“Good morning sleeping beauties,” Sunset teased with a smirk. “Do you care to enlighten me on how the pony who saved your life ended up in our hotel room?”

“It’s not like that,” White Lightning smoothed down her messy mane and Sunset’s smirk faded.

“What do you mean?” Sunset gave her a confused look. “That’s exactly what happened. Here you are.”

“I- never mind, you’re too young understand what I thought you implied. Anyway uh hi, I’m White Lightning.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset commented casually as she levitated her crown to her lap and started toying with it. “So how did you come to be in our room? Amuse me.”

Silver Spanner stretched out her forelegs above her head and listened to White Lightning repeat the same story she told her last night. Sunset looked fairly angry by the end, which surprised her. Sunset rarely got angry. Annoyed? Yes. But not angry.

“I don’t really know how to respond to that except wow. You’re free to stay here as long as you like then I suppose,” Sunset mused as she started to polish her crown with a rag. “Or I can get you a room of your own. Up to you.”

“I don’t know. I think I’ve gotten enough kindness for one day, I won’t ask for more. Besides, I got bits to get my own room. I should have thought about that before thinking a shelter first.”

“Meh maybe. Shelters tend to be a bit rough groundside. I’m not sure about how they are up here,” Sunset gestured around the room. “Anyway, if you signed up for the Competition, you should probably get a move on. Competitors are supposed to be there in thirty minutes.”

“Oh shit!” White Lightning cursed and shot up out of the bed, slamming her head into the cloud ceiling. “I haven’t had breakfast or taken a shower or used the restroom or stretched or-”

The two unicorns watched her have a panic attack for a few seconds before they both intervened.

“Use our shower. I’ll get a big breakfast from downstairs. I hope you aren’t allergic to anything,” Sunset and Silver Spanner started shoving her physically into the restroom. “Be quick.”

“Why are you helping me? I’m a complete stranger to you two?” White Lightning asked as she had a towel flung at her. The two unicorns looked at each other and seemingly had a silent conversation based on looks.

“We don’t know,” Sunset admitted and circled her hoof on the wall. “Me personally, something is telling me to.”

“Same. Probably because we’re good ponies,” Silver Spanner answered and she levitated White Lightning into the shower. “Shower. You’re running outta time.”

White Lightning faintly made out the sound of a unicorn teleporting with a loud pop as she turned the shower on, pausing to examine the shampoos lining the wall. She herself had a fair collection of shampoo bottles back at her house or well, her parents house she supposed. She didn’t really have a house anymore.

While she did take pride in her appearance, she wasn’t as crazy about it as her marefriend was. Sprinkle Medley spent a god awful amount of time cleaning herself up in the morning. The most White Lightning did was clean her mane, tail and coat and brush her mane followed by tail.

“Can I use any shampoo?” White Lightning called out as she pushed the curtain closed again. She waited a few more seconds and shrugged when nopony said anything back. “Well, I guess I can. At least it’s on the hotels bit.”

She picked a bottle at random and sniffed it a few times before squirting the strawberry blueberry smelling liquid on her body and started rubbing it into her coat.

Sunset stumbled as she and Silver Spanner popped into existence in the hotel cafeteria as Celestia gave them both a surprised look.

“Silver Spanner, did you just teleport?” Sunset asked with a stunned expression and Silver Spanner looked at her body. Sparks were still flying off her tail and horn as she forced her jaw closed.

“I-I guess so,” Silver Spanner stammered as she grinned. “I’ve never been able to do that before. This is incredible!”

She pranced around the room happily as Sunset and Celestia both chuckled.

Teleporting was a pretty huge step for a unicorn, especially one that doesn’t use her magic as much like Silver Spanner.

“We can celebrate later. First, we gotta get White Lightning something to eat. I don’t know if there’s anything substantial for a pegasus in here,” Sunset looked around. “A few pancakes and waffles should do. We’ll need berries too.”

“How many is a few?” Silver Spanner asked and Sunset tapped a hoof against her chin.

“Six each. You get the berries, I’ll get the waffles and pancakes.”

Good Lord Silver Spanner thought as she and Sunset split to their respective tasks as she made out Celestia and Sunset talking. Not even she ate that much in the morning and she was almost always hungry.

“This is gonna take forever,” Silver Spanner muttered as White Lightning flew down the hall. “White!”

“Oh hey. I have five minutes till I have to be there and- oh my heavens, Princess Celestia!” White Lightning dropped to the ground and bowed, idly realizing she never did the same to Sunset.

“Hello there,” Celestia glanced at her. “You can stand.”

“Hi. Running into you was not on my bingo card for today.”

White Lightning shifted nervously. It was one thing to meet her daughter again. It was another thing entirely to meet Celestia.

I am so gonna make Sprinkle jealous about this when I see her.

Author's Note

Story cover art is almost complete thanks to person i commissioned :)