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// Chapter 1 
// Story: Kydo & Slick 
// by Slick Dash 
//------------------------------//

-1-

Rainbow dash lazily glided through her cloud home from her bedroom. Still fighting of the haziness of sleep she decided to wake herself properly before she continued with the routine she followed usually on this day of the year. Bobbing outside into the dawning sun, dash hovered next to one of the cascading waterfalls outside, flipping upside down she quickly thrust her head under it. The almost liquid substance was cold on her face and shocked her body into waking up, sure it was a horrible thing to do to yourself every morning, but it meant that Rainbow could just immediately get on with what needed doing during the day not just stumble around until her body decided it was ready. She was in charge not her stupid legs, wings and whatever else complained and ached whenever she did this. 

Turning back around dash returned to the comfort of her living room. The house never had been heavily furbished, too much stuff meant that the clouds would begin to strain under the weight. But that didn’t bother dash. This place was special to her, it had been for 10 years now, and on today of all days, dash found the place far beyond 20% cooler than usual. A frame sits on the cloud table next to dash’s favourite arm chair, it shows her as a Filly smiling and looking up at another Pegasus, this one far older, male, and blood red. Although the frame was completely whole, the picture itself was torn, only showing the lower half of the Stallion with which the young Rainbow looked up at with love and warmth in her eyes. The face was never far from her mind, and the blank dark back of the frame almost seemed to shimmer and glisten as dash visualized his face. That same little goofy smile on it, those huge blue eyes looking back her. She could almost see it as though the picture was complete once again. She didn’t cry. 10 years following the terrible accident rainbow had finally stopped being a blubbering mess every time the anniversary came along. All she felt now was cold and guilt, “My fault.” That’s all she ever thought nowadays. Her actions had most likely killed her brother, and now all she had was this picture left behind in the vast gorge she had created in the mountains with her tremendous speed all those years ago. 

The mountain path was used every now and then all those years ago. When it was discovered that there had been an avalanche, ponies reported the accident to the great Celestia. So she sent her best unicorns to use their magic to clear the way. Once the rubble had been moved only then was the true tragedy revealed. Broken and rotten supplies were strewn all across the valley floor. Torn paper pages, carrots and apple chunks and this picture, half buried in the wreckage. Only once they discovered that these must have belonged to somepony also trapped in the rubble. A search party was sent out, however with the rushed removal of the boulder’s so that travellers would not be hindered huge masses of rocks had been moved at once, taking anything vital to the investigation with them. He had never been found.

Dash looked at the picture, no longer seemed to be glimmering. No longer shining. Only a colourful piece of paper in a frame as always. She lifted a hoof, and gently brushed the place where her brothers face should have been. She closed her eyes, “Slick” she whispered “I miss you big brother.” She kept her eyes closed, she had heard how some ponies pray to those they’ve lost. Dash still wasn’t sure how to do it and felt stupid asking anyone. So every year she said those same words in the hopes of hearing something back, a laugh, a shout of his nick name for her “Kiddo!” Even just the beating of his huge strong wings. But as ever the world was silent. 
No one had ever blamed her for what had happened (Except for herself of course.)
“You don’t know that you caused that landslide!”
“What god would make it so a little sister’s grand moment would take away the brother? That’s right none!” They had all been the same empty words, the same needless protests to how rainbow felt. She knew in her heart that she had made it happen, that stupid legendary sonic rain-boom. She found herself thinking-like every year- that even if she forgot her brothers face after losing him and half of this picture after so many years. If she ever found him-miraculously alive that is- she would know him by that cutiemark, a great blue eye. Signifying his amazing talent of sight, he had been able to see far further than any other pony. He could see for miles, which made him such a great asset to Aquestria. Search expeditions for rare items or substances, giving directions for travelling ponies lost and unable to see as far ahead as he, all of it was nothing to Slick. 

“Ooohhhh Rainbow dash!” Called the familiar voice of Twilight sparkle from outside. Dash jumped a little at the surprise appearance of her close friend. Down below on the ground the magenta pony waited patiently for her friend to answer her call. There was no response. So she shouted again, this time slightly louder. “Daaaaaash! Come on hurry up!” with this she saw the vibrantly coloured head of her friend pop out over the side of her cloud homes ledge. She smiled at her friend who just looked perplexed to see her friend here so early in the morning. 
“uuuhhhh Twilight... what’s... uhhh what’s up?” she said perplexed.
“Come on! You said you wanted to be first in line to get those concert tickets for this weekend didn’t you? Well they open in about 10 minutes, and I myself can’t wait to see what they sound like! I’ve never been to a rock concert before, so I really want to make sure I get a ticket too!” Rainbow Dash looked on for a moment staying silent. 
“They... come out today?” she asked exasperated. “But...” she straightened her head up looking back into her home. The picture was in plain view through the open door. She turned back to Twilight, torn between what to do.

“Whats wrong rainbow?” Twilight queried. At the question Dash seemed to come to a decision. 
“Nothing!” she said quickly before zipping out of view for a moment, she swooshed through the house to her bedroom, and diving under the bed she took a small shoe box out from under it. Opening it she rummaged through until she found a small leather pouch, which jingled as she moved it. She had been saving up her pay for odd jobs around Ponnyville for 4 months since she heard these tickets were going to go on sale. Tossing the purse into the air she moved with lightning speed and took the black and red shirt in the box and put it on in a blur of dark colour. She then jumped backwards through the air, catching the bag in her mouth before it fell to the ground, and proceeded to blast out of the house leaving the usual rainbow slipstream behind her. As she passed out of the living room and through the door slamming it closed with the wind following her, she unknowingly knocked the little framed picture next to an arm chair. The picture tipped forward and landed face down onto the cushion of the chair.

Completely unaware, Dash streamed straight to the ground and scooped up Twilight in her forelegs and arching through the sky, headed for the huge newly erected canopy just outside of Ponyville. Yes it was the anniversary of his disappearance, but Slick wouldn’t want Dash to miss something she loved because of him. And anyway buying the tickets on the anniversary wouldn’t be all that bad; it wasn’t like it would make Dash hate herself anymore than she already did today. 
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