A few minutes translates to almost four hours that Thunderlane spends alone, and when the doctor returns, the dark colored pegasus is not happy or relaxed. He is grumpy and tense, but thanks to the medication he can't do much since it gives the room a slow spin that leaves him nauseous.

While Thunderlane pokes at one of the sensors strapped to his hoof, the doctor approaches him, using his magic to levitate the notepad he has for easier reading. When the doctor is next to Thunderlane he coolly clips the notepad back on to a necklace with the appropriate slot as its pendant.

“Airstallion Thunderlane Hurricane, my name is Doctor Heartbeat,” says the unicorn.

“Hi,” mumbles Thunderlane without looking up from his poking.

“Do you know what today is?”

Thunderlane stops his poking and barely lifts his eyes to look at the doctor, silently questioning why he asking such a stupid question.

“Monday,” he says flatly.

Dr. Heartbeat lifts his pad and scribbles something down. “I see, and do you know what you were doing?”

“I was at a job fair with my brother, Rumble. He’s a light gray colt with a two-toned gray mane, and-”

“Yes, I know, he’s in our care. And it is actually Tuesday.”

Thunderlane feels his blood drain from his face upon hearing the news of Rumble. The lines on the sheets rolling out of the sensors spike with his racing heart, and his vision blurs as salty tears roll down his cheeks.

“What?” gasps Thunderlane. “That... No, that can't be right. It's still Monday! We couldn't- I couldn't-"

“It's Tuesday,” says the doctor firmly. “You were on and off for the past twenty four hours, and-”

“Is Rumble okay!?”

“He's in critical care. You are free to go, but-”

“What do you mean he's in critical care!? I was next to him! If I came out fine, he should be fine, too, right!?”

Dr. Heartbeat wordlessly stares at Thunderlane with a grim expression. Thunderlane's eyes are frantic as they search the doctor's face, hoping to see some light in the dark outcome.

“Right?” says Thunderlane.

Dr. Heartbeat sighs. “There is no way to sugar coat this, so I'm just going to say it as it is. You were in a bombing. You were among the two dozen injured, but your injuries weren’t as extensive as they could have been.”

“I know I was in a bombing! I saw the explosion and was bleeding all over the place! Where’s Rumble!? I need to see him!” says Thunderlane, trying yet again to get out of the bed, fighting down the urge to vomit that comes with the sudden and painful jerking.

Dr. Heartbeat puts his hoof against Thunderlane’s chest and shoves him back down to the bed; not hard enough to cause any form of pain, but enough force to warn Thunderlane not to test him.

“Stop moving. Yanking out those sensors improperly will give us a good reason to send a bill your way,” he says sternly. “As for your claim, we didn’t find any injuries that pointed towards your claim. You came in scratched and bruised, but you healed remarkably fast and I think you are physically well enough to leave.”

“But-But the blood and-and the broken bones and-and what about... What about me almost dying? What about Rumble? Where is he?”

“As I said earlier, your injuries were not very severe,” says Dr. Heartbeat, completely dodging Thunderlane's question about Rumble. “It is possible that you faced a stress induced panic attack that led to mild hallucinations.”

“That doesn't make sense! I know what I- You know what? Forget it. Take me to Rumble.”

“I don't think that is a good idea,” says Dr. Heartbeat.

“Take me to my brother.”

Dr. Heartbeat shakes his head. “I don't think you are ready to see him. His condition is-”

Thunderlane slams his hooves on the bed, yelling as loud as he can. “Doctor, please!” He swallows his tears and sniffles as he looks down at the flimsy blanket. Then he takes a deep breath to break the bubble suffocating him and looks up with glazed eyes and begs in a low, wet voice. “Please... Please, take me to Rumble. I... I need to see him.”

Dr. Heartbeat stares at Thunderlane and he looks back at the doctor, silently pleading with his eyes for him to heed his request. This staring contest does not last long before the unicorn sighs and nods in agreement, much to Thunderlane’s relief. The doctor proceeds to work on the machinery to allow Thunderlane to be unplugged without causing a ruckus. Once the charcoal pegasus is free of the sensors, he is led him out of the room.

As the two walk down the hall, Thunderlane sees a group of crying fillies and a stallion trying not to cry watch a couple of doctor push a bed away with a white sheet covering a body. One of the doctors offers his condolences, and the stallion only nods and ushers the children away. Thunderlane averts his eyes after that and continues his silent walk with Dr. Heartbeat. A couple of minutes later, after weaving past the rushing medical personnel and shuffling patients, they enter an area of the hospital labeled: Critical Care Branch.

Unlike the rest of the hospital, the Critical Care Branch devoid of any bustling activities. The steps of the two stallions bouncing off the walls is as clear as the mare over the intercom calling a doctor to another section of the hospital. They round the corner and Thunderlane spots an elderly pegasi couple sitting on a bench, both of them are weighed down with grief. Thunderlane can hear the mare's sniffles all the way down the hall, and his steps slow when she leans her head against the stallion's shoulder. The stallion, dressed in a General's uniform, pulls her in for a hug and rests his head on top of hers, and Thunderlane's breathing becomes tight when the General looks at him. At first he is dazed, but when he lifts his head up and his face wrinkles with a hateful scowl, Thunderlane's heart becomes heavy and his steps slow to where he can barely move.

Noting Thunderlane's reaction, Dr. Heartbeat glances over his shoulder with concern in his expression. “Are you okay?”

Thunderlane nods and reluctantly picks up his speed, lowering his head when General Hurricane's eyes narrow. With the hatred churning in his father's eyes, Thunderlane is afraid that if he gets too close, he will be beaten until he is nothing more than a bloody pulp on the tile. The look reminds him of all the times he would find out about Thunderlane's failures. Whether they be on a failing grade on a test or becoming the punching bag of a school fight, the deep, unforgiving scowl had been there to remind him of the disappointment. The lectures always came after about his weakness and embarrassment to the Hurricane Family, and his mother would silently watch or move Rumble to another room so he wouldn't have to hear the verbal onslaught.

Thunderlane knows this will be worse this time, though. He didn't flunk a Language Arts test or return to the family cloud with a swollen eye and messed up feathers. He walked out of a bombing with no physical injuries while his brother, the colt he has been tasked with protecting, lies in critical care. The disappointment, shame, and regret are roiling inside him, making him ill to where he feels his throat clog with bile. Not even the relieved, teary eyed smile of his mother can save him from this feeling.

“General and Mrs. Hurricane, I am happy to say that your other son has made a remarkable recovery,” says Dr. Heartbeat as he comes to a stop just a pace shy of the two, with Thunderlane standing not too far behind him.

“Why am I not surprised?” sneers Gale, forcing Thunderlane to look at the floor, swallowing, when his glare becomes more intense.

Dr. Heartbeat frowns. “Usually, parents are happy to see their child is okay after a bombing, General.”

Amber Grain nearly pushes Gale aside when she rushes up to Thunderlane and Dr. Heartbeat steps aside so she can get to him seconds quicker. When she is in range, Amber Grain wraps her hooves around Thunderlane with the same choking hold she gave him just days earlier. However, Thunderlane doesn't mind the strangling hold, and his whole body feels weak when he drapes his hoof around her neck.

“I'm sorry,” says Thunderlane quietly with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Thunderlane tilts his head against Amber Grain's when she nuzzles him, and he closes his eyes when she starts rubbing the back of his head and neck in gentle strokes with her hoof.

“It's okay,” says Amber Grain gently as she rubs the back of his head and neck with the same love and care as her voice.

Thunderlane knows it's not okay, though. He saw how wrong everything was when the ibex blew himself up and took so many innocent ponies with him. He saw it when he woke up to see all the injured and their loved ones crowding the halls, trying to recover from the terrible experience. Or losing their fight and leaving their friends and families behind. He can even feel the hate in his father's voice when he and the doctor exchange words.

It is not okay.

First Ponyville. Then Glorieta. Now Canterlot. Nothing is okay. Nothing.

“It's okay,” repeats Amber Grain softly in Thunderlane's ear, her voice now cracking and tears dripping down her face. “Everything will be okay, I promise.”

Dr. Heartbeat and Gale continue their conversation, but Thunderlane doesn't listen to their words. Instead, he is now hugging Amber Grain as she sobs into his shoulder.

Amber Grain's sniffling and weeping becomes louder, and Thunderlane gently lowers her to the ground so that they are sitting against the wall when she chokes for air.

With Amber Grain clutching Thunderlane tighter, quivering and crying louder into his shoulder, he forces himself to stop crying so that he can be strong for her. Strong like a proper Hurricane.

Soon Thunderlane finds himself rocking her in his grip and rubbing her mane, fighting a losing battle to keep himself from crying.

“I promise it'll all be okay,” whimpers Amber Grain, now barely able to hold Thunderlane in her broken state. “I'm glad you're okay, Thunderlane. I'm glad. I'm glad.”

Thunderlane keeps his eyes closed and continues running his hoof through his mother's amber mane, putting her comfort above his. She repeats her relief of Thunderlane's recovery in low mumbles that mix with her sniffles and whimpers, and her shaking hoof awkwardly claws at Thunderlane for a tighter grip.

Thunderlane does not want to let her go. He wants to keep holding her, to be the one that comforts her, until she stops crying. It is the least he can do after allowing Rumble to be crippled by the blast. But no matter how much he wants to remain as her source of comfort in contrast to Gale's rocky demeanor, he knows he has to see Rumble.

He takes a deep breath and gradually pulls away from Amber Grain so he can look into her eyes. Her whine is low when he does this, and she lifts her glistening eyes to meet his. Thunderlane swallows the accumilating spit and tries to relax his heart, which thumps loudly in his chest and ears, wary of what his request will bring.

“Mom... I... I need to see Rumble,” says Thunderlane

Amber Grain looks up and nods, and they both turn to Gale when they hear him walk up to them.

“Do you really want to see him?” snarls the General.

Thunderlane gulps, nods, and stands up and follows Gale to the observation window. At first Thunderlane is too nervous to look, but when he glances at the curtains covering the window, Gale orders Dr. Heartbeat to move them.

With a glow of his horn, the curtains are drawn aside and Thunderlane takes a step back with his hoof to his mouth and a fresh wave of tears soaking and choking him.

Rumble is lying on a bed, destroyed from head to tail. A breathing apparatus is strapped to his muzzle, pumping in high concentrations of oxygen through a bulky device. What isn't covered by the device is wrapped in gauze, save for his eyes, which remain shut. His front hooves are also wrapped in gauze, and have numerous IVs feeding liquid medicine into his veins. With every strained breath that Rumble takes, the oxygen machine clicks, wheezes and fills back up with air, and the machines around him beep and print off tiny peaks to show his heart is barely working properly.

“Thunderlane, your incompetence just about nearly got Rumble killed,” growls Gale. “My son is lying in there, crippled because of some double horned freak. You were supposed to be with him to protect him. And now look where he is.”

Thunderlane stares at Gale, stunned. His watering eyes have trouble focusing on his father, he cannot form words to make a defense, and he releases a small, terrified yelp when Gale tugs him close so that they are nearly touching snouts.

“I. Said. Look!” snarls Gale.

Gale grabs Thunderlane by his neck and forces his face against the observation window, ignoring the terrified yelp and shaking coming from his son.

“That's my son! His wings are gone! His hooves are bones! And he has no face because of YOU!” shouts Gale, his mouth now frothing rabidly and chest heaving as his bloodshot eyes glisten in the hallway lights.

Thunderlane pushes Gale away from him hard enough to make the old stallion stumble back and stare at him with a flicker of shock.

“Do you think I don’t know that!?” screams Thunderlane with tears drenching his cheeks and his body quivering with his tortured breathing. “That’s my brother in there! He’s my blood, too, Dad! He’s my... We’re...”

The tears continue and Thunderlane slides to the cold tile, eyes squeezed tight and body shaking. He is no long able to speak as his lungs burn from suffocation, and he does not have to open his eyes to feel the resentment his father has against him; he can feel it all. Every ounce of hatred and the desire to break every bone in his body can be felt like a resonating aura. Not even the gentle hoof wrapping around his shoulder and pulling him close to a warm body and nuzzle can bring him comfort.

Thunderlane reluctantly opens his bloodshot eyes, sniffling and hard of breathing, he sees Amber Grain next to him and Gale staring down at him. His mother gently forces Thunderlane to rest his head against her shoulder and she lays her head on top of his, with one hoof rubbing his gray mane while the other holds him in place by pressing against his shoulder. Thunderlane is limp in her embrace and can barely lift his hoof to return the hug, all without taking his eyes off of his father.

The hardhearted General continues staring at Thunderlane. At first the Airstallion thinks he sees some sympathy in those eyes, but they harden to the cold stone and disgusted sneer he has known all his life. Thunderlane closes his eyes and lowers his head while Amber Grain gently rubs his mane and tells him everything is going to be alright. Something that he and everyone else knows is a great lie.

Gale snarls and shakes his head as he looks away from his son. “Pathetic.”

Amber Gale shoots a look of pure disgust at her husband and hugs Thunderlane tighter. “Gale, stop this! You aren't helping!”

“Shut up!” snaps Gale, then he points at Thunderlane, who has the misfortune of peeking and seeing the returning wrath of his father being restrained by a thin string. “As for you, if you really want to be a Hurricane, if you really want my forgiveness, then you better make this right.”

It is at that moment that Dr. Heartbeat's jaw tightens and he steps between Gale and Thunderlane and Amber Grain and points at the General with his hoof and a dangerous look in his eye.

“I don't care what your rank is or what your deeds are, but your behavior is completely unacceptable. So I am giving you five seconds to leave the hospital on your own. Any longer and I'll call security and have you thrown out, are we clear?” says Dr. Heartbeat in a threatening tone that surpasses the fire in his eyes.

Gale growls and ruffles his feathers, and Dr. Heartbeat stomps his hoof. “Now.”

Gale snorts, flaps his wings hard and looks at Amber Grain. “I'll be outside.”

Gale walks next to Thunderlane and stares at him until Thunderlane looks down with drooped ears and swallowing his spit. When that happens, he snorts and continues walking, ignoring the glare that Dr. Heartbeat is giving him. Once he rounds the corner, the doctor looks at Thunderlane and Amber Grain.

“Take your time,” he says, and then he leaves without uttering another word.

Silence grows between the two pegasi, and Thunderlane leaves his mother's side to look at his brother. He puts his hoof on the window and bows his head, keeping his jaw and eyes shut tight as he trembles from Gale's words.

As harsh as his words had been, the old stallion is right. Rumble is his responsibility, and he allowed him to get hurt to where he is crippled for life. No amount of apologies will fix this and nothing he does will make this right. What happened is unforgivable, and he knows this as much as Gale and Amber Grain do.

He flinches when he feels a hoof go on his shoulder, and he opens his eyes to see Amber Grain looking at him, eyes red and cheeks shining with tears.

“This is not your fault,” she says softly, and then she pulls Thunderlane in for a hug and rubs his mane. “I'll always love you, Thunderlane, and your father will, too. He just has to remember it.”

“He should have never forgotten in the first place,” says Thunderlane quietly. “Tell Dad I'm sorry for everything.”

And with that said, he gently frees himself from his mother's hug and starts down the hallway, but he stops when he hears Rainbow Dash call him. He turns around, surprised as much as Amber Gale is when he sees the Element of Loyalty walking towards him with brisk steps and looking relatively unscathed, save for a few small scratches on her face.

“Rainbow?” says Thunderlane as he walks towards her, heart feeling lighter from relief while curiosity fuels the speed of his steps.

Amber Grain follows Thunderlane, but he stops himself from going too far from Rumble's room, and he watches as his wingmate approache him, still keeping her steps quick.

“I was going to stop by your room to see if you decided to drop the lazy-itis act, but you weren't there and the nurse I talked to said you went here. So, yeah, you're walking around, looking pretty sharp, and ... Um... Yeah. So, what's up?” says Rainbow Dash when she is in front of him.

Amber Gale switches curious looks between the two ponies, and the situation only gets more strange for Thunderlane when Rainbow Dash flashes a nervous smile. Thunderlane stares at her wearily, but slowly inspects himself, worried that sudden movements might cause a sprain of some sort. Much to his confusion, he appears to be perfectly fine. He does not see any signs of bruising, any scabs or cuts, and he does not feel anything that points to any bone damage.

“Um, Thunderlane, what are you doing?” asks Rainbow Dash.

Thunderlane stops his self inspection and looks at the mare in front of him. He is glad to see that Rainbow Dash is okay, but he also feels weird about having this encounter outside of Rumble's room, and when he looks at Rumble, his demeanor devolves into sadness. Amber Grain looks down, swallowing tears and Rainbow Dash turns her focus to the hospitalized young stallion, shaking her head at his condition.

“Those assholes,” growls Rainbow Dash. “I can't wait to get my hooves on them. They're as good as dead.”

“Please don't talk like that,” squeaks Amber Grain, her hoof going over her mouth. “I don't want to hear about any more death.”

Rainbow Dash scowls at her, then looks at Thunderlane with an angry rise of her brow. “Who's the hippie?”

“My mom,” replies Thunderlane flatly.

Rainbow Dash's expression snaps to shock, then she looks at Amber Grain out of the corner of her eye without moving a muscle. Amber Grain looks at her, sniffling, and Rainbow Dash breaks down into a heavy sigh and turns to her, hoof extended.

“I'm sorry. The name is Rainbow Dash. I'm Thunderlane's wingmate.”

“Amber Grain Hurricane,” says the older mare as she touches hooves.

Rainbow Dash lowers her hoof. “I'm going to apologize in advance for this, but don't you want to see the guys who did that to Rumble hang? I know I do!”

Amber Grain looks down. “I know the one who did this to my boy is already paying, and no one else should get hurt because of he choice he made,” she says quietly.

“Wow, what kind of mom are you?”

Amber Grain gapes and Thunderlane scowls and steps between her and Rainbow Dash with his hoof around her shoulder, hugging her tight.

“I mean, use your head! That guy was just a pawn! It was those damn goats and their fucked up government that sent him here to blow up everypony! And they won't stop until Equestria is a smoldering wreck, just like how that Roar Shock guy wanted!” rants Rainbow Dash.

Thunderlane's eyes snap wide for a moment from the terrifying memory of the ambush set up in the small town of Glorieta by Roar Shock's troops. His body shakes and his breathing becomes unsteady with the recollection of the rubble and bullets bouncing off his armor from the strategically placed explosives and firing nests that slaughtered the Guards in the convoy. Every dying scream, every frantic order, every pop of gunfire and earth shaking explosion resurfaces with as much clarity in his memory as if it has happened only mere minutes earlier. Though, Thunderlane does not dwell long in reminiscing on the terrifying event because the fury in Rainbow Dash's voice and the whimpers of his mother snaps him out of it.

Thunderlane blinks the unpleasant memory away and sees his wingmate verbally assaulting Amber Grain to the point where she is ready to collapse on the ground. His mother's eyes are bulged and soaked in tears like her cheeks, and her whimpers and weak begs are barely heard past the hoof that covers her mouth. Then there is Rainbow Dash, who's wings are fully expanded, her face is wrinkled from her snarl and her eyes are locked on, burning through the elderly mare's skull with hatred and disgust.

Rainbow Dash jabs at Amber Grain, sending her backpedaling. “Is that what you want!? More nuts coming in here to blow us up and turn more ponies into vegetables like Rumble!?” she screams..

Thunderlane's wings flare and the his narrowed eyes darken as he stomps the tile with a stentorian shout. “Rainbow Dash, that's enough! You do not talk to my mom or my brother that way, EVER!”

Amber Grain and Rainbow Dash both recoil and stare at Thunderlane, equally shocked by his unexpected outburst.

Thunderlane's feels his vein throbbing and his face burning from the rush of hot blood, and despite the chatter and ambient noises of the hospital, his panting is still vivid enough to draw some attention. Passing nurses and doctors alike give the three questionable looks, and when Thunderlane looks at a particular pair, they hurry away and pretend to talk business. It is at that moment that he looks back at the two mares and sees their expressions, and the shock and fear in their eyes.

Thunderlane swallows and backs away with his head down. “I'm sorry,” he whispers.

He looks up again when Amber Grain approaches him and puts her wing across his back. She sniffles and offers a comforting nuzzle, but Thunderlane ignores that and looks at Rainbow Dash, who has her head lowered. Her wings and ears are drooped as well, and tears are pooling in her enlarged, shocked eyes as the pain of shame and regret crush her down to pathetic pieces.

Thunderlane extends his hoof. “Rainbow-”

“I should go,” interrupts Rainbow Dash, her voice cracking and tears dripping off her cheeks. She sulks past Thunderlane and Amber Gale with her wings and tail dragging behind her and head lowered. She stops next to Thunderlane and barely lifts her eyes to look at him and his mother when she speaks in a wet, low voice. “I'm sorry about Rumble.”

She barely travels two paces when another voice calls out. This time it is Twilight calling for Rainbow Dash, and Thunderlane and Amber Grain have to turn around to see Twilight hurrying towards them with Fuller close behind. Twilight's good eye has a shining trail going down her cheek as she trots towards Rainbow Dash in a near gallop state.

Thunderlane is not too surprised to see Fuller's neutral expression, but he is surprised to see that the aged unicorn is keep up with Twilight, despite the fact that he looks like he is walking heavily rehearsed steps. Another thing that catches Thunderlane off guard is seeing Rainbow Dash's sullen demeanor shift into murderous aggression in a matter of seconds, complete with her wet eyes narrowing and her wings flapping as her whole body tenses.

Twilight hugs Rainbow Dash, but she refuses to break eye contact from Fuller, even when she drapes a hoof around Twilight's shoulder to return the hug.

“I'm so glad you're alright!” says Twilight with relief. Then she sees Rumble and she gasps and steps away with her shaking hoof over her mouth. “Oh my goodness!”

Fuller silently shakes his head, and Rainbow Dash ignores him and puts her focus on Twilight.

“Where were you?” says Rainbow Dash, her voice quivering with rage.

Twilight looks at Rainbow Dash, confused. “What?”

The tears return and Rainbow Dash slams her hooves on Twilight's shoulder, making her buckle under her strength. “Where the hell were you!?”

Twilight into her fiend's eyes, terrified. “What are you talking about!? I was running back and forth between the hospital, but they wouldn't-!”

“No, not that! Why weren't you at the Stadium!? You said in your letter that you wanted to meet and you never showed up!”

“Would you rather she be hospitalized with you?” comments Fuller.

That earns him a sharp glare from Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, but their combined heated looks hold no sway over the unicorn. Thunderlane looks at Rainbow Dash when she sniffles and shakes her head as she wipes her lowered eyes. He looks at Twilight when she starts speaking, though.

“I-I-I never sent you a letter,” she stammers. “It must-Somepony must've forged it!”

“If that's the case then you may have been the target of the attack,” says Fuller. “And it seems by luck you have lived since the bomb was powerful.”

Thunderlane looks at Rainbow Dash worryingly, as do Amber Gale and Twilight. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, furrows her brows and her eyes turn to slits as she focuses on Fuller. Thunderlane looks at her curiously, but he looks back at Fuller when the older pony speaks.

“We'll look into this with the EIB's assistance,” assures Fuller. “And the CDA will be sure to keep an eye on you, Airmare Dash. But before any of this is done, it is important that you two answer this question truthfully. Did you see anything suspicious before the bombing?”

Rainbow Dash sniffles again and shakes her head while Thunderlane racks his brain for recollection of the events, and when he remembers a crucial moment, he looks at Fuller and nods.

“Sir, I have something,” says Thunderlane, prompting the Director to look at him. “A stallion, white with a green mane, probably in his mid twenties, let the bomber in through the maintenance door. He was dressed as a CDA agent.”

Fuller stares at Thunderlane without giving any signs of his emotions shifting. No curiosity or relief of a lead. Nothing. His expression remains stoic. And coupled with his unblinking eyes staring straight into Thunderlane like he is trying to read his very thoughts, the pegasus gets an uneasy tingle up his spine.

“Is there anything else?” asks Fuller seconds later.

Thunderlane swallows. “I'm certain he was an earth pony, but that is about all the information I can give, sir.”

Fuller scrutinizes Thunderlane for another few seconds before a thin smile graces his muzzle and he gently puts his hoof on the pegasus's shoulder. Thunderlane looks at the older stallion quizzically as his muscles stiffen from the odd gesture.

“Get some rest, Hurricane,” says the amber unicorn. “You have been through a lot and will need your strength for later.”

Thunderlane nods and gently escorts his mother away, leaving Rainbow Dash behind.

Rainbow Dash watches Thunderlane with Twilight until he and his mother disappear around the corner, then she turns to Fuller, growling with her feathers ruffled when he speaks.

“I meant it when I said you were lucky,” says Fuller without taking his eyes off of Thunderlane. “It is quite clear that whoever wants you dead does not value life.”

Rainbow Dash looks at Fuller, growling quietly through gritted teeth, and Twilight walks up to Fuller, a pleading look in her eye.

“You're going to find this guy, right?” asks the Element of Magic.

“Hurricane gave us a big lead,” replies Fuller, his eyes still on the dark furred stallion. When Thunderlane disappears around the corner, he turns to Twilight and offers a reassuring smile. “With his information we will find the perpetrator quickly and will be dealt with accordingly.”

“You're going to kill whoever this guy is, aren't you?” says Rainbow Dash with a sneer.

Fuller returns to his normal, stoic expression as he brings his eyes to the pegasus. “If I have to, then I will. Just as you if you were put in a similar position.”

Rainbow Dash's feathers ruffle as her face wrinkles with the vicious snarl, but it holds no visible impact on the older unicorn.

“Get some rest, Airmare Dash,” says Fuller. “These last couple of days have been hard and you never know when you'll need your energy. Especially after something like this.”

“Come on, Rainbow Dash, let's get you home,” says Twilight gently.

Rainbow Dash snorts and reluctantly follows Twilight out, but as she walks, she glances over her shoulder to see Fuller staring at Rumble, only breaking away to speak to Dr. Heartbeat. She snorts again and exits the hospital with Twilight, but not even the cold winter air or the Element of Magic's company can quell the hot hatred inside her.

Thunderlane steps into his apartment after dropping Amber Grain off at the luxury hotel she and Gale are staying at. He and his father did not exchange any words, and Thunderlane made sure to stay to the skies because on the trip back to his apartment, he heard a lot of sirens and saw multiple smoke columns coming from the bad part of Canterlot.

Thunderlane tries not to think about the large fires or the cold air between him and his father when he closes the door behind him, but the dim apartment only worsens his mood. It feels like a tomb to him with how silent and dark it is. The place looks dirtier than before with unclean dishes, wadded up blankets, scrunched papers and take-out containers. Add in that that the electric lights are off and the sun is being filtered through the gray clouds and thick curtains, and his home seems like a place where light is forbidden.

Thunderlane sluggishly walks towards the radio and turns it on to hear something that might cheer him up, even if it means listening to Rumble's awful taste in music. What he gets instead is the exact opposite. The disk jockey is not playing music, rather he is giving a colorful news announcement.

“Alright, we got ourselves some crazy shit goin' on in the Canterlot Southsides, right now,” says the DJ stallion in a completely gangster wannabe voice. “We got ponies and goats buttin' heads and tearin' shit up like it ain't nopony's business. In fact, I swear to Celestia's ass some dipshit threw a solar cocktail at my crib like not even five minutes ago! So, homies and hos, do ya-selves a favor and keep your doors locked and your rides in your garages til the po-pos get this shit under control!”

Thunderlane changes to the AM signal in a snap in the hopes of coming to a comedy station. He is sorely mistaken.

“It is quite clear that we should not have been worrying about the griffins or zebras, but the ibexes instead,” says a mare heatedly on the station he turned to.

Thunderlane changes the channel again, this time with furrowed brows and a tight frown.

“...The nation of Bernese has gone on lock down, and a coalition is forming between them, Ibexia and Germaneigh. In response, the Crystal Kingdom and Prance have pledged military assistance to Equestria in what could possibly be the first global war. And with Altai descending into civil unrest from their economic collapse-”

Thunderlane growls and almost knocks the radio off of its perch when he changes the channel again. His anger dissolves into curiosity, though, when the new station features someone who isn't angry, but instead saddened by the events, and he recognizes her to be Mother Glory of the Church of Solaria.

“Please, I beg you, citizens of Equestria, do not condemn a nation or a race for the acts of a few,” says Mother Glory emotionally. “We cannot give in to fear and hate, for that is only fuel for this cycle. We must not take arms against those who have wronged us, but instead fight their hatred with kindness. Their sorrow with love. That is the only way to stop the cycle. Only kindness can save us from this.”

Thunderlane sneers and clicks the radio off, completely giving up on finding a cheerful tune. It is obvious that no one wants to hear anything good right now. They don't want to be distracted from the enemy that has ruthlessly taken the lives of so many innocent, unarmed people. He can't blame them and he hates Mother Glory for saying that they should not fight back. Kind words and charity cannot stop an enemy like the one Equestria is facing, only force can, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.

“The pen is not mightier than the sword. The pen is lazy. It will not move unless the sword tells it to,” is what Gale had told Thunderlane before he went off to the Cumulus Air Guard Base in Neighvaho for training. At first, Thunderlane thought his father said that because he loathes those who believe that the pen and words can solve every problem of the world, but now that Thunderlane thinks about it, his father is right.

History is a story of warfare, and while Equestria is facing its first war in a thousand years, the rest of the world is no stranger to it. Borders, treaties, alliances, all of them are determined by the outcome of the sword's actions and the threats of the opposition. And the pen is only as strong as the one who guards it, to ensure that the parties abide by its rule. Without the sword, the pen is weak, but without the pen, the sword is stronger.

Thunderlane shakes the thoughts of his father's words from his head and goes to his kitchen to observe the mess. The dishes are stacked poorly and the garbage can still has all of the expired food his mother had thrown away.

Thunderlane sighs, closes his eyes, and runs his hoof through his mane. Then he opens his eyes to look at the rising smoke from outside his kitchen window. His ears twitch when something that sounds like gunshots echoes over the sirens, and with that, he lowers his eyes and starts washing dishes.

His name is Whistle Blower. He is a white earth pony stallion with a green mane and a whistle for a cutie mark, and once upon a time he worked for the Bernese Branch of the New Yoke Times, doing what he does best. Investigative journalism.

It is the one thing loved more than anything and anyone else because the adrenaline high he got from lurking in the shadow to document everything about his prey. The hobby had beaten out everything in his life, from drugs to significant others. In the end, drugs left him depressed or filthy and mares left him tired or broke. But seeing his target reduced to a symbol of ridicule and watching them beg for forgiveness has never left him emotionally worse off. It has always left him feeling like a king.

It is true that his skills have left him with a trail of enemies, both outside and inside the walls of the Bernese Branch, and that eventually led to his dismissal by the big boss of the area. However, Whistle Blower did find the light at the end of the tunnel just a few days after when he met the legendary, now passed, Quill Pen. He remembers how the conversation went, from laughing at her about her proposition, to a full on apology complete with a dinner when she brought him to meet the Painter. And convince the enigma to let him join the ranks of their organization.

True, he does not fully understand what Perfect Harmony is, even after reading the Shining Path. But with pay being under the rug and using his self taught espionage skills to the fullest have led him to know that working for the Painter is way better that answering to the elites of Equestrian society. He is his own stallion and the Painter respects that, but with the passing of Quill Pen, Brisk Wind and Lock N. Key, he has worried about the fate of their ambitions. It is more important now than ever that he pulls his weight for the grand future that awaits civilization.

Perfect Harmony needs him.

Equestria needs him.

And he is showing support for the cause by breaking into an apartment. With the bombing that took place at the Stadium, he doubts that the occupant has survived and that the Civilian Defense Agency and the Royal Guard are too busy with the riots to notice a simple break in. But that does not mean that someone else could be watching, and when the lock clicks, he cringes and glances out of his peripheral vision for signs that he has been spotted. He sees nothing, and for that he goes inside.

He quietly closes the door behind him and he snakes his way through the carpet of old newspapers, take-out food containers and wrappers of varying brands. The screaming sirens are all he hears until he nears the apartment's bedroom.

He holds his breath upon hearing shuffling in the pitch black bedroom. He tightens his muscles and keeps his eyes focused as he pushes the door open the rest of the way, ready to pounce on whoever is on the other side.

Whistle Blower doesn't see anything in the room except for a large unmade bed with a Wonderbolts blanket and pillow, a nightstand with a lamp and a Daring Do book, and a tortoise. He looks around the room, searching for the pony he swore he heard, and the whole time the tortoise watches him, its frown about as lazy as its eyes. When Whistle Blower realizes that the reptile is what he heard, he sighs to mask his embarrassment and offers it a sheepish smile.

“I'll be out of your scales in just a minute,” he says.

Then he turns around and takes a step back, eyes widening and jaw going slack at what is before him. The wall is covered in clumps of pictures, articles and photos, all connected to a photo of Director Fuller with red strings. Surrounding his photo are x'd out pictures of Brisk Wind, Lock N. Key, and Quill Pen, and taped over half of the CDA Director's face is a crude drawing of the Painter's mask.

As Whistle Blower stares at it, he sees that the resident has somehow figured that Fuller had visited Altai after getting special permission from the Stalliongrad ROTC. Another that he notices is an article talking about Fuller and Shining Armor competing for the role of Captain of the Royal Guard, and another announcing Shining Armor's victory. He also sees a lot about Fuller's admittedly poor marksmanship scores and the photos of Blueblood's assassination and a shooting competition in Appleloosa. His focus then goes to the college transcript, and he sees that Fuller had majored in Political Science, which connects to Brisk Wind, Lock N. Key and Quill Pen holding the same degrees at varying levels.

He would look longer because of raging curiosity, but he has his orders. Collect everything and deliver them to the Painter.

“Never mind. This is going to take a while,” says Whistle Blower to the tortoise.

The tortoise blinks, and Whistle Blower takes a deep breath and starts collecting the evidence.

Whistle Blower runs around a corner in the slums of Canterlot, panting heavily and skidding to a stop in front of the Painter close to two hours later. He had been very careful in gathering every shred of evidence, from the photo to the news articles, and education records to personal notes.

“Do you have them?” asks the Painter.

Whistle Blower smiles proudly, unclips his saddle and tips it over so the notebooks and papers so the Painter can see for himself how much he gathered.

“I got them all,” says Whistle Blower. “And, boy, did she get a lot. It kinda makes me wonder how she got all this stuff.”

The Painter's horn glows and the evidence is levitated off of the ground in green magic. He observes them carefully, and flips through the notebooks, expressing his disdain with a simple grunt.

“You were supposed to do this yesterday,” says the Painter.

Whistle Blower snorts. “Well, I would have if the security wasn't so beefed up. But I got it and that's what matters, right?”

The Painter's horn glows and all of the evidence disappears in a blinding flash of light, forcing Whistle Blower to shield his eyes with his hoof. When he lowers his hoof, the Painter is standing close enough for the white stallion to see his reflection in the tinted goggles.

“When you failed deadlines at the newspaper, did you shrug it off as carelessly as you did now?” asks the Painter.

Whistle Blower gulps. “Kinda.”

“And yet you and Quill Pen told me you had talent. Talent in investigative journalism, which is a form of espionage in itself. You must be losing your touch or took the credit for the work of others.”

Whistle Blower sneers, taking personal offense to the Painter's statement. “Look, here, Painter, you took me on because you needed me. I got your goat bomber in and I got all the stuff you wanted. What else do I have to do to prove to you that I can be the next great member of this club?”

“We are not a club,” says the Painter.

Suddenly, Whistle Blower's throat closes and he collapses on the ground, wheezing and trying to pry off a green mist that surrounds his neck as the Painter towers over him. His vision starts to fade to black and his heart thumps loudly in his ears, but that doesn't stop him from hearing the Painter's voice.

“We are revolutionaries that are leading civilization down a shining path,” says the Painter, his voice bouncing around inside Whistle Blower's head like a demonic entity. “And your carelessness has cost you the right to live in the new world.”

“Who... Who...” is all Whistle Blower can say between his gulps for air.

The Painter raises his mechanical baton, and Whistle Blower's tear filled eyes bulge when the gem on its tip sparks to life. Then the Painter raises it above Whistle Blower's chest and the terrified stallion holds up his hoof with the other still trying to get the magical aura off from around his neck.

“Wait! Wait!” wheezes the stallion, gagging in pain when the mist crushes his voice box.

The Painter then stabs Whistle Blower in the chest, shattering his ribs and simultaneously ripping apart and burning his lung. Whistle Blower tries to scream, but nothing comes out between his collapsed lung and destroyed voice box. Bright green electric bolts shoot out from the stab wound, burning him his skin until it is black and cracked and his lung is ash. The whole time Whistle Blowers thrashes on the ground, wheezing in agony, the Painter stands over him, watching him without remorse.

When Whistle Blower stops moving, the Painter yanks out the weapon and stares at the smoking rising from the hole, completely neutral with his emotions. After he checks to make sure no one is around, he uses his magic to levitate a manhole off of a sewer covering and toss the body into the filthy sludge. With the thick splash in the darkness below, he casually tosses the dead stallion's saddle down with him, puts the manhole back in place and walks away.

“Can you trick magic?” asks Rainbow Dash suddenly, hunched over at Twilight's coffee table with a cup of coffee between her hooves, blanching at the disgusting taste of the king of caffeine drinks.

“What do you mean?” says Twilight, also appearing to be getting sick from her coffee.

Both mares look at each other, and with a unified nod they pour their cups' contents into the nearest potted plants. Rainbow Dash swears she hears her flower hiss in pain, but shakes it off as a side effect of Twilight's inability to make drinkable coffee.

Rainbow Dash shakes the awful taste out of her mind and looks out the window at the rising smoke from the chaos in the Canterlot Southsides. If it had not been for the burst of violence then she would have been home by now, doing something other than poisoning herself. Twilight is shaken by the sudden violence, but Rainbow Dash has expected it and is actually hoping that a few goat shops are burned down. It will teach them a thing or two about bombing Equestrian civilians.

However, after the encounter at the hospital, Rainbow Dash is certain that Fuller paid off the terrorist to have them try to kill her and mark her as an unfortunate victim of the attack. This leads to her seeing the stay at Twilight's as not a total waste. She figures if she is at Twilight's loft she can ask the living embodiment of magic the critical question for her continued investigation of Director Fuller.

Rainbow Dash casually says: “I mean, I know you tried teaching Rarity teleportation -and you completely failed at that- but what if you taught teleportation as a kind of defense spell for those guys with shield cutie marks?”

Twilight thinks for a moment. “I suppose it can work if it the teleportation is short range. In fact, the only reason why I tried teaching Rarity was because she insisted because she wanted to hop between places quicker for shopping or work.”

Rainbow Dash snickers. “Yeah, and probably to get to the spa after a hard day of sewing.”

Twilight rolls her eye, unamused. “That might be another reason, but it didn't work because it had nothing to do with her cutie mark. And besides, it wouldn't be 'tricking', it would fall on the category of manipulation since magic is just energy and only living things can be tricked. It is through subtle tweaking, conscious or not, that enables a unicorn to use certain spells. Take Trixie for example.”

Rainbow Dash gags.

“Her magic is based around lights and electricity for show magic, but as a defense mechanism she is able to create intense static electric discharge because it generates both,” explains Twilight.

“Okay, stop. You don't have to go egghead on me. A simple yes or no would have been just fine,” says Rainbow Dash.

Twilight frowns. “You asked.” Then her frown deepens and she points an accusing hoof at Rainbow Dash. “This is about Fuller, isn't it?”

“Uh, yeah. Why else would I ask you this stuff?”

Twilight groans angrily and slouches on her couch, rubbing her head with her hoof while Rainbow Dash remains casual in her seating.

“Why are you doing this to yourself? To him?” asks Twilight, hoof still against her head.

“Because he's an evil douche bag and I'm going to take him down one way or the other,” answers Rainbow Dash swiftly.

Twilight slams her hoof down, glaring at her friend. “No, you want him to be evil!”

Rainbow Dash sighs. “Looks like its lecture time.”

Rainbow Dash extends her hind legs fully on the couch and her forehooves cross over each other on her barrel. When Twilight growls in frustration, she looks to her side and sees that her friend is now pacing in circles.

“You want him to be some kind of omen of destruction!” continues Twilight angrily. “You want him to be your adversary because you need a challenge! That is who you are! That is what the Element of Loyalty is! It needs to be tested because that is the only way it can feel alive! Just like you! But he is not a bad pony and you need to stop this now!”

Rainbow Dash silently taps her hoof against her chest, eyes closed as if in deep thought, but really she has them shut so she can restrain herself from smacking Twilight over the back of her head.

“Did it ever occur to you that I may be doing all this Fuller snooping stuff to protect you from a sociopath,” says Rainbow Dash evenly, eyes still closed. Then she slowly opens them and turns her hostile gaze to Twilight. “Or are you so caught up in wanting a coltfriend that you just don't want to see the kind of asshole he really is?”

“Do not turn this on me! This is about you and-and your obsession with Fuller!” cries Twilight, smoke now rising from her mane and a little shimmer of tears sneaking down her eye. “He's trying to find the one that not only ruined my brother but is trying to kill you, and this how you repay him!? Why do you want him to be a villain!? Why don't you want to see me happy!?”

Rainbow Dash looks at Twilight firmly, trying not to let the sadness get to her from seeing her friend crying. Rainbow Dash averts her eyes with a deep inhale, and she gets up, exhaling, and walks to Twilight, putting her hoof on her shoulder when she is next to her. Rainbow Dash tries to say something, but her mind draws a blank, so she just sighs once more, pats Twilight's shoulder and leaves the loft without saying a word, letting her friend cry alone.

By the time Rainbow Dash reaches her apartment forty five minutes later, the race riots have been quelled immensely. She doesn't know what methods they used, but she figures it has something to do with the convoy of firefighter and armored mini-trains. She would have gotten a closer look, but in a nutshell, the Civilian Defense Agency and Royal Guard quarantined the area and told her to get los unless she wanted some jail time.

And now that Rainbow Dash is back home without a new mark on her record, she feels ready to plop down on her couch and enjoy some Daring Do. But all those hopes of relaxing are ruined when she spots faint scratches around the keyhole of her doorknob.

Rainbow Dash's heart almost jumps into her throat and she takes a step back, shaking slightly. She looks down both ends of the hall, sweating and heart thumping heavily, and when she doesn't see anyone, she takes a deep breath and unlocks her door.

The door squeaks open and Rainbow Dash ruffles her feathers and keeps her eyes focused like scopes when she steps inside. The apartment is dark and when she flicks on the lights, she sees that everything appears to be the way she left it before nearly being blown to Hell. That does nothing to alleviate her paranoia, though, and she carefully treads through her apartment. During her rounds, she checks behind and underneath the furniture, the hall closet and bathroom, and the stove and cupboards of her kitchen. She is only mildly relieved when they all come up empty, but that still leaves her bedroom.

Rainbow Dash's eye twitches and her ears and tail flicks when she hears shuffling coming towards her from her room. She ruffles her feathers and spins around with a cheap war cry and body curled to a pounce to strike down the ferocious opponent known as Tank.

Tank's smile spreads like molasses across his beak as he inches towards her, and Rainbow Dash's body relaxes and a smile graces her lips. She sighs with relief and zips to her beloved pet to scoop him up.

“Hey there, Tank, did you miss me?” says Rainbow Dash like a mother to a toddler as she rubs her nose against his beak.

As she does this, she keeps an eye on the bedroom, just waiting for someone to come out with a gun or knife and try to kill her. She gently lowers Tank back to the floor and cautiously goes inside her room. She peeks inside her closet and under her bed, again sighing with relief when she finds out that she is alone after all. She is still shaken up, though, and tries to calm herself by getting her beloved pet some food.

After pouring the proper portions into the tortoise's special dish, she goes to her fridge to grab a much needed drink. However, her body sulks when all she finds is old take out food and expired milk. She sighs and is about to close the door when a certain piece of paper catches her eye.

Rainbow Dash tilts her head, drags the paper out and reads it with piqued interest. It does not take her long to realize that in her hoof is the forged letter telling her to meet Twilight at the Stadium. She does not remember how the condemning letter ended up in her fridge, but she is still glad to see it. So glad, in fact, that the Element of Loyalty can't help but giggle deviously and flash an evil, toothy grin.

“I got you now,” says Rainbow Dash to herself, prompting Tank to stare at her questionably.

She ignores her pet and flutters to her room, heart light with joy and the desire to praise all good things at an exploding point. Then she goes to her wall of evidence and deflates instantly.

Her wings and ears droop, all the color drains from her face, and she collapses on her haunches in complete disbelief of what she is seeing. The wall she had with all of her gathered evidence on Fuller over the past year after Glorieta is completely bare.

Not a single shred of paper or string remains. Only a collection of tacks piling on the floor and dozens of dirty tape strips hang on the bare, punctured wall.

“No,” whispers Rainbow Dash in disbelief, then she goes to her desk and yanks open her drawers to find them completely empty as well. “No!”

She yanks out her drawers and throws them across her room, hoping that by doing so her evidence will magically reappear. As she does this, Tank retreats into his shell and she whimpers incoherent words furiously. When all the drawers are scattered across the floor, she falls to the floor, pressing her ears and mane with her hoof, failing to stave the tears.

With her eyes squeezed shut, tears falling to the floor, and body scrunched, she punches the floor, screaming. “That son of a bitch!”

Thunderlane has finished cleaning his apartment almost like a recruit waiting for his Military Training Instructor to come in and give him his final grade. All of the dishes are cleaned, towels are dried and put back in place; his counters are spotless, as is his tile and the refrigerator and freezer, both inside and out; his floor has been vacuumed and his coffee table has been polished. Thunderlane even cleaned off the ceiling fan and gave his room and the bathroom a complete overhaul in cleaning. The only room that he has not touched in his entire cleaning spree is Rumble's.

He hasn't even dared touch his younger brother's door. He would fail without a doubt if an MTI decides to show up to grade him since he knows Rumble is a slob, but he doesn't care. Rumble's room is off limits as long as he is in care. He wants to keep it preserved as much as possible and vows to keep it that way until his brother is back. When that day comes, he will clean his room and put up all the posters of alluring mares and buy him all the sexually immoral comics the kid wants.

Thunderlane is telling himself that such a day will be soon, but his pessimistic side is telling him the opposite, even going as far as saying that Rumble may die in due time. It is a miserable thought, and he tries to keep that part silenced by listening to the radio's comedy station with his body stretched out and head resting lazily on the couch arm with his hoof dangling off the edge. He finds the position to be very relaxing, and that, combined with the sleeping pills, brings him to the brink of sleep.

“You know the ultimate way of looking like an idiot is when you walk into a spider web, right?” says the stallion comedian over the radio.

The audience laughs in anticipation.

“Because nopony else sees that spider web,” continues the comedian. “They just see you walking off in the distance and suddenly flipping out for no reason whatsoever. You're just walking along, everything's fine, and all of the sudden: NO!”

The audience bursts into laughter and the first smile of the day graces Thunderlane.

“DON'T!” yells the comedian in such a way that it is easy to see him flailing on the stage. “Did you see that guy? He just snapped! He was just walking along when he just went nuts by that tree. Look, he's still doing it!”

Thunderlane chuckles with the laughing, clapping audience on the radio, wishing he could be at the show live so that way he can see the antics the comedian is doing.

“I don't know what happened to him,” finishes the comedian with phony sadness.

The comedian goes on to something else after that, but Thunderlane loses what little focus he has because he hears a frantic knock on the door.

Thunderlane mumbles to himself as he slides off of the couch and approaches the door, which is still being knocked on by whoever is outside. When he reaches the door, he looks through the peephole and sees Rainbow Dash with a tortoise and some pet food on her back, as well as a saddle stuffed with what he is guessing is her military uniform.

Thunderlane wipes his eyes and opens the door, being greeted instantly by her energetic voice and poorly aimed hoof bump.

“Hey there, Thunderlane, how ya doing?” asks Rainbow Dash lightly.

“Tired,” replies Thunderlane as he brushes the spot on his barrel that Rainbow Dash punched for her greeting.

Rainbow Dash nods. “Cool. Cool. Hey, listen, I was just wondering if I could spend the night here? Or until we get paid? Strictly platonic,” she says casually.

Thunderlane's heart spikes with his perked ears and bulged eyes. “Why?”

“Some jerk broke into my apartment and stole a bunch of my stuff. So I figured we could hang out for a little bit until I get enough money to buy one of those anti-lock pick lock things.”

Rainbow Dash flashes a nervous smile at Thunderlane, and he looks back at her with dinner plate sized eyes and sealed lips.

Rainbow Dash rocks a little on her spot, eying the stallion curiously. “Sooo, can I-?”

“Did you call the CDA?” interrupts Thunderlane.

Rainbow Dash frowns. “No.”

“Why not!?”

“That's none of your business! Can I stay or not!?”

Thunderlane scowls at her tone. It is the same tone she used against his mother at the hospital and he does not appreciate that. He has half a mind to tell her off for using the tone with him, but when he looks back at her, he realizes how pale and shaky she is, despite the cool appearance she is trying to pull off. His expression softens, but Rainbow Dash still looks down and mutters an apology.

“You used that same tone when you made my mom cry and called Rumble a vegetable,” points out Thunderlane. Despite his wingmate's appearance, he still does not find her tone acceptable.

“I know and I'm sorry about what I said earlier, okay?” says Rainbow Dash quickly. “I was out of line and it was uncalled for.”

“Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Rumble and my mom.”

Rainbow Dash shrinks back, eyes darting side to side nervously. “You mean like right now?”

Thunderlane facehoofs. “No, in a few years when we forget about everything.”

Rainbow Dash straightens up, sneering. “You don't have to be an ass about this.”

Thunderlane's frown returns. “Well, maybe I do since that was my family you insulted.”

“And I'm sorry! But can I please stay just for the night? I don't-” Rainbow Dash swallows and looks at the floor, taking a breath before lifting her wet eyes to meet Thunderlane's. “I don't want to be alone tonight.”

Thunderlane looks at her intently. He is still upset about the hospital incident and the tone she used on him. But he also knows that something has spooked her, and seeing as how she never really had any self control with her words, it makes for a poor filter.

With that in mind, Thunderlane's not-so-friendly side is telling him that those are not good reasons, only poor excuses, and that he should leave her in the hall and make her check into a hotel. However, what he is seeing most of all is a mare he has known a very long time coming to him, terrified and begging for company. She made a mistake and he can forgive her, but he can't leave her out in her current state. He won't be able to forgive himself if he did.

Thunderlane yawns and steps aside, opening the door the rest of the way so Rainbow Dash can enter. She looks down both ends of the hall before quickly thanking him and zipping inside. Thunderlane cocks a brow and looks down the hall as well, not really sure what he is expecting to find, but not too surprised to see it bare.

Thunderlane shakes his head, closes the door, and when he turns around, he sees Rainbow Dash gaping in amazement about the cleanliness of his apartment.

“Looks like the cleaning standards stuck, huh?” says Rainbow Dash.

“I was mourning,” says Thunderlane tiredly as he goes to the hall closet.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Rainbow Dash's body droop, and when he returns to the living room with a blanket and pillow, Tank is off of her back and she is putting his food on the kitchen counter. Thunderlane puts the blanket and pillow on the couch and Rainbow Dash approaches with a curious look on her face.

“Is the couch comfy?” asks Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, but it hasn't been the same ever since Flitter used bug spray on it,” replies Thunderlane, his mind so tired that it is going to strange places.

“Hmm, you and those twins have a very weird history.”

“I know.”

Thunderlane adjusts the pillow and blanket to his liking and plops down on the couch, about ready to fall asleep from the combined exhaustion of massive speed cleaning and the power of sleeping pills. However, right as his eyes shut-

“Um, are we sharing the couch or something?” asks Rainbow Dash.

Thunderlane snaps into the sitting position, ears and wings perked and eyes bulging with his face burning red while Rainbow Dash steps back, cringing with embarrassment.

“Not yet!” blurts Thunderlane.

“What?” says Rainbow Dash.

Too late to go back, Thunderlane's blunder has cost him dearly and now his tired, drugged up mind is playing things that it should not be playing. Full on panic has been initiated.

“We get my bed!” says Thunderlane loudly. Then he cringes at his second big blunder and facehoofs to hide his apple red cheeks. “I mean, you get my bed! It is impolite for a mare to sleep on a couch, so you get my bed. Its bigger, has a better blanket and-”

Rainbow Dash silences Thunderlane when she puts her hoof on his shoulder. He looks up at her, heart racing and twitching from the feeling of wanting death to spare him the embarrassment. Everything about what has happened feels wrong since his brother is hospitalized and his parents are a wreck, and here he is, fantasizing because of a couch statement.

“I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't want to be alone,” says Rainbow Dash.

Thunderlane looks at her, his eyes becoming increasingly more heavy as the drugs go in full effect to put him to sleep. He then looks at his shoulder because he can feel Rainbow Dash vibrating enough to shake it slightly, and when he looks at her eyes, he sees that they are having trouble focusing. There is no mistaking that she is terrified and wants company for reasons more than just the robbery, and Thunderlane cannot blame her. After what happened the past two days, he wants comfort as well, and while his mother had provided some, he ended up becoming the shoulder for her to cry on.

“So the bed or...” starts Thunderlane awkwardly.

“The couch is fine,” says Rainbow Dash, her tone suddenly nervous.

Thunderlane nods and shifts his position to allow Rainbow Dash on, figuring that a night of cuddling won't hurt anyone. Besides, they both need this. They both need someone who understands what they had been through to help them cope. Even though Thunderlane is certain that Rainbow Dash has never had a member of her family hospitalized like Rumble, he is almost without a shred of doubt positive that she had seen someone very close to her hurt badly. He remembers the look in her eyes when she realized what she said about Rumble, and there is not faking that kind of pain and shock. He knows she is sorry, and that is enough to earn forgiveness in his book. Thunderlane would still like it if Rainbow Dash actually apologized to his brother and mother for what she said, though, and makes a reminder to tell her to do so first thing in the morning.

Thunderlane's thoughts go no further when Rainbow Dash suddenly gets up and pokes his chest. Even though the colorful mare's brows are furrowed, she still has a hint of playfulness in her demeanor.

“If you tell anypony about this I'll knock your teeth out,” says Rainbow Dash in a feigned threatening tone.

Thunderlane nods and adjusts his position on the couch, welcoming the sleep that is coming to claim him for the night.

“Don't worry, I won't tell,” says Thunderlane, yawning soon after.

Rainbow Dash stares at Thunderlane as the charcoal stallion closes his eyes and lets himself melt into the overused couch cushions, and when he looks comfortable, she lays down, too. Thunderlane feels the Element of Loyalty snuggle up next to him and it is at that moment he remembers when the Painter nearly took her life at Glorieta, and how he almost lost her at the stadium.

He had failed to protect her that day and yesterday, just as he had failed to protect Rumble. He wants to believe that there was nothing he could do in both occasions, but both times he could have done more. He could have hit his target, he could have ignored the agents, told Rainbow Dash to leave out the back and shielded Rumble from the blast. He could have done more and yet he didn't, and the weight of this mistake is suffocating his thoughts with endless turmoil and the screams of his father.

Shutting his eyes tighter, Thunderlane drapes his hoof around Rainbow Dash and he pulls her in closer to him, swearing he won't let any more harm come to her. And he swears on his life and his place as a Hurricane that he will get the one responsible for crippling Rumble. No matter what.

Off in the distance, a few blocks down, the two pegasi are observed through a scope, with the back of Rainbow Dash's head on the cross-hairs. When she lays down, the scope follows her to where her head will most likely be on the couch, and the sniper is about to pull the trigger with his hoof when he sees Thunderlane grip her tight. Not out of a sense of possessiveness, but as a silent vow to protect her.

The Painter pauses his pull, but continues observing the two. He cannot see what they are doing very well, but from the lack of motion he is guessing that they are just lying on the couch together for the sake of comforting one another. There are no signs of foreplay or anything else to take their moment to the next level. It is the purest form of intimacy between two victims of a bombing coming together to seek solitude in each other in a quickly unraveling world.

“You'll be the death of him, of that I can assure you,” says the Painter as if talking directly to his target.

He sees Rainbow Dash stir on the couch like she had heard him. Seeing that, he pulls away from the scope, skillfully packs up his rifle and silently leaves the rundown floor, choosing to let his rival live another day.