The dark blue pegasus flew as quietly as he could, pushing the angry cloud in front of him. He tried to cover a snicker as he slowed to a stop and peered below him. Slightly lower in the sky was his target – a red haired yellow mare, fast asleep on a fluffy white cloud. He adjusted his own cloud, rose into the air, and kicked.
A bolt of lightning shot down from the cloud, straight onto the mare’s back.
“THUNDER!”
Laughing, Thunder Runner sped off, knowing his friend would be hot on his tail. After a few moments of chase, she caught up with him, biting his blue tail with her teeth. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have been able to catch Thunder, but he was laughing too hard to concentrate.
Thunder rolled over in the air, not bothering to flap his wings except to stay afloat, loud laughter escaping his mouth.
“That’s the fifth time this week, Thunder! I swear to Celestia, if you do it one more time, I will make you regret it!”
“I’m sorry, Lore,” Thunder got out between chuckles as he calmed down. “You’re just an easy target. You really need to stop falling asleep while writing.”
Fantasy Lore glared at him with her orange-gold eyes, her mane in more of a bird’s nest than usual (though that was probably his fault).
“Besides,” he continued, his laughter finally stopping, “it’s fun.”
Lore huffed. “It’s not fun for me,” she grumbled, but her anger had already gone. She turned swiftly around, and descended on a glide back to her cloud, Thunder following closely behind. As they passed Thunder’s still somewhat angry cloud, Lore spoke again.
“I thought you were meant to get rid of all those today,” she commented. “Lousy weather pony you are.” She gestured mockingly at his flank with a hoof, where his cutie mark showed his talent for clearing thunder storms, but she was smiling.
“Yeah, well,” he said casually, catching up with her as she landed. “You looked like you needed a strike of inspiration.” Lore looked at him, unamused. He winked at her.
“If I ever hear you use that joke again, I will end you,” she said seriously before turning to check her notepad was okay.
Thunder moved round to peer at the paper. “What’re writing anyway? You got a new book coming out soon?”
Lore sighed. “If only. Your joke about needing inspiration wasn’t too far off the mark. I haven’t written a word in months.”
He pointed at the words on her pad. “These look like words to me.”
Rolling her eyes, Lore shoved at him. “It’s a pitch to get one of my older works published. I edited it a lot since they rejected it, so I’m hoping I can get it through this time. Unfortunately, writing pitches is not my forte. Perhaps I should ask Twilight for help...” She trailed off, thinking for a moment.
Thunder nodded, completely understanding. While Lore’s talent lay in writing, the parchment and quill on her flank specified writing fantasy novels. Pitches were hardly anyone’s fantasy.
Lore looked out to where the sun was starting to dip towards the horizon. “I should probably get home. Despite the method, I should thank you for waking me. I might have been here well past moonrise.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lore looked at him. “I said I should thank you, not that I will.”
“Meanie.”
“You know it.”
Lore’s grin was infectious, and Thunder couldn’t pout for long. “D’you want me to fly you home?”
“I’m a big filly now, I can handle myself,” she said arrogantly, turning her nose to the sky as if she were offended. Then she giggled. “But I wouldn’t mind the company.”
Thunder gave her a nod, then went to the cloud that was still rumbling angrily. He kicked it in the right spot, making it disappear in a puff. While most thunder clouds were dangerous to use, Thunder was able to force them to his will, no matter the size or threat of the cloud (even some of the smaller and calmer thunder clouds shocked the occasional pegasus when being cleared).
Lore was waiting for him on her cloud, her notepad and pencil tucked away in the white saddlebags she now wore. Together, they flew off in the direction of Lore’s home.
It was remotely placed, but Lore liked it better that way. She was a solitary mare, preferring to stay in and write than be social with her friends. The cloud house hung low over the denser part of Whitetail Woods, not easily seen by the residents of Ponyville. It was small and modest, preferring functionality over beauty.
They landed on her front porch as the sun set.
“Oh, I love this time of night,” Lore said, looking to the east. Thunder followed her gaze – he’d never been one to watch the rising of the moon, but he was glad he did.
The glowing silvery orb gracefully slid into the sky, sending light beams of white all across Equestria. Stars began to pop into existence, forming constellations in the dark night sky. Although the stars never seemed wrong before Princess Luna’s return, Lore had realised that they’d never been right. Princess Celestia did not have the artistry of her younger sister. As the moon settled into the sky, and the last star was placed, Lore sighed.
“It’s always so beautiful.”
Thunder looked at her. With the light of the moon, Lore looked different. The light hit her fur in a different way than the sun’s did, making it appear smoother and silkier. Her orange-gold eyes shone even more, and her mane wasn’t as vivid, though the softer colour still stood out in the darkness as it would in the day.
Lore turned to look at Thunder with a smile. “Thanks for flying me home, Thunder.”
“No problem,” he replied gently.
They paused for a moment, looking at each other, until Lore bade him goodnight and went inside.
Thunder smiled to himself. He may not have gotten a kiss as he’d hoped, but he was certain there was something new between them. Flaring his wings, he took off into the night.