Loveless in Ponyville

"I can't believe it," Thunder grumbled out loud to himself as he walked along a dirt road that led to Golden Oak Library. "28 years old... I can't bucking believe it." He despondently kicked over a rock with his front hoof. He was 26 when he had that talk with Pinkie and Twilight on Hearts and Hooves day. Now he was 28 years old, and little had changed aside from the fact he was a little older.

Oh yeah, that and ponies he knew when they were foals were now getting dates and finding love. He knew ponies who were seven years old when he was eighteen who now had beaten him to it. Silently, he wondered to Celestia what it was he did to deserve such a fate.

From the corner of his eye, he watched a young mare with a tall, burly, rugged stallion, cuddled up close as they walked, Suddenly, Thunder didn't wonder anymore. He was sure of it: he was alone because of how he was: thin, shy, and short. Things that stallions weren't supposed to be. It was no wonder to him that mares opted for more confident, attractive and masculine stallions. It seemed to make sense, after all.

He'd always considered himself a gentlecolt, but he also called the definition of a "nice colt" he'd read one time: "A colt who doesn't know how to be a stallion, can be beta or omega. Weak willed, quiet and nurturing. Probably out of shape and have no desirable qualities that a mare would look for in a partner." In other words, the opposite of the supremely attractive alpha-male.

Other ponies he passed were oblivious to his inner turmoil, probably none of whom went 28 years without a date. Like another couple he spied lying in the grass together just ahead. As usual, the stallion was taller than him with a decent stubble. Thunder couldn't even grow in a proper beard! He hung his head and closed his eyes tight to block out the image he so desired to one day have his own, hoping that not paying attention would block the pain.

It didn't.

How was he supposed to be confident and at ease with himself when there were stallions like that all around him? The question gnawed at him like a squirrel's teeth.

Thunder stepped up to the door of the library and opened himself in. A violet unicorn was there, organizing the books with the help of her dragon assistant. At the sound of the door opening, she turned around and smiled at her guest.

"Oh, hi, Thunder!"

"Hey, Twilight," Thunder replied with less than a little enthusiasm.

"Looking for something in particular?" Twilight Sparkle asked, turning her full attention to Thunder instead of her work. "Had any luck finding a partner?"

"As if," Thunder retorted. "I was wondering if you might have any books on dating advice."

"I might," Twilight said. She walked over to a shelf and skimmed the books. "I wouldn't put too much stock into what those books say, though."

Inwardly, Thunder chuckled. He never thought he'd see the day where Twilight would tell somepony not to follow the advice of a book.

"Just be yourself!" the unicorn continued.

"That hasn't worked!" Thunder said as he looked through a different shelf. "If just being myself was good enough, I wouldn't be looking for a book on dating."

"I've looked through a couple of those books myself. They're all shallow and try to steer you in the direction of an alpha-male."

Gee, imagine that! Thunder thought. "Yeah, tough break for shy, sensitive nerds like me. That would mean completely changing the way I am. They tell you that you can't be sensitive or shy. They treat pickups and dating like it's a game, especially flirting. 'Say this,but don't say that. Watch your body language. Do this, not that.'"

"I think you're putting too much thought into it," Twilight replied.

Thunder stamped his hoof in frustration. "Of course I think about it all the time! I mean sheesh, I'm 28 years old! I could have started a family of my own by now!"

"'Could have' is the past. Look forward to tomorrow. That's what Celestia told me once," Twilight said.

However, her behavior struck Thunder as somewhat odd. She was still looking through her shelf, though Thunder knew that Twilight Sparkle knew her library like the back of her hoof. Then it hit him.

She was stalling. But why?

"But if my future is anything like my past, I'll wind up spending the rest of my life alone while I watch everypony else find love and start families. I'm sick of being alone. I'm sick of hurting all the time."

"I'm sure there's some mare out there who would melt for a sweet, gentle stallion."

Thunder scoffed. "Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it." Then his hoof stopped on the spine of a particular title. "Oh give me a break." How to go from Loveless to a Mare's Macho Stallion in 30 days. Thunder tilted his head to read the author's name: Iron Will. Well that figures.

Twilight giggled a little as she looked across the room to Thunder and the book he'd seen. "Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that one. He's got some interesting theories, but I don't think they're for you."

Sighing through his nostrils, Thunder continued his search. "I think I need to find one called 'Giving Up: How to be Single and Happy.'" After a few more seconds, something struck a sharp blow to the back of his head. "Ow!"

As he rubbed the sore spot, he noticed a book lying open on the ground, and Twilight now deviating from her own distraction to shoot him a glare. "Now you stop that! And don't ever make me do that to a book again."

"Book?" Thunder snapped back as he rubbed the throbbing back of his head. "What about my skull?!"

"This self-defeatist attitude isn't getting you anywhere. It's time to stop it. Now."

"Well what do you want me to do? I've tried everything!"

"Repeat after me." Twilight assumed her typical lecture pose: head held high and eyes closed with a smile. "I'm a sweet, likable stallion and a mare would be lucky to have me."

Thunder grumbled audibly. Sensing that he was fighting a losing battle only made his pain and frustration worse. "I'm a lonely, pathetic loser and mares are smart to avoid me." Instinctively, he ducked what he thought would be another tossed book. It never came.

"If you still need some sense beat into you, I'll gladly turn you over to Rainbow Dash," was Twilight's reprisal instead of more projectile literature.

That was Thunder's cue to get serious. "Ok, ok. I'm a sweet, likable stallion and a mare would be lucky to have me." The pain persisted.

"Very good," Twilight replied, looking very pleased with herself. "Every time you start getting down on yourself, I want you to say that."

"Even if I don't believe it?"

"Yup." Twilight's eyes were not joking.

"Saying it didn't make the pain go away."

"Your thoughts are like muscles. The more you exercise them, the stronger they get." Now Twilight seemed more like a teacher, something she obviously reveled in. "You've been training your negative muscles for so long. It's time to start exercising your positive muscles."

Thunder let out a sigh. "Ok, I'll try it. For whatever good that'll do."

"AH!" Twilight shouted. "See? Right there. That's what you need to stop doing!" Her horn sparkled with magic energy, and the book she'd tossed lifted itself from the floor and hovered over to Thunder.

He read the title out loud: "The Principles of Positive Thinking"

"Read it," Twilight ordered. "One chapter a day."

"Okay, thanks," Thunder said as he took the book into his hooves.

"Once you finish that book and get your negativity down a little," Twilight continued. For some reason, her voice started to crack as if she was nervous. "And once you do, maybe then," she continued, fidgeting with her front hoof, "we can... see about getting you... a fillyfriend."

Thunder nodded understandingly. "Ok, one chapter a day. Positive thoughts. Thanks, Twilight." With that, he turned and left the library.

Oblivious to the fact that Twilight Sparkle was blushing.