//------------------------------// // The Eyes of Sherastol - Chapter 3 // Story: The Eyes of Sherastol (Title in Progress) // by Twysted //------------------------------// Rainbow had to keep herself from just flying off at the sight of the gray pegasus that was standing next to her eldest brother. She shrunk herself into the couch. A billion thoughts were going through her mind. She might have been able to handle admitting what happened to Star Strider. He was always level headed. Never got angry. Thundercloud, on the other hand. He would let his anger and emotions get the better of him. “Thun... Thundercloud... What... What are you doing here?” she managed to squeak out. She managed to recompose herself, if only by a little bit. The gray pegasus looked confused. He had never seen his sister like this. Back when she was still home, she was always full of energy. But now, now she didn't even seem like herself. “Looking for you and dad. Same thing as Strider.” Rainbow shot her head towards Star Strider when Thundercloud said this. “What...What's he talking about.” Star Strider shut his eyes solemnly and walked over to his crying sister. He nuzzled her mane again to comfort her. Then backed away, layed down, and looked his sister in the eyes. “ Rainbow Dash...” Star Strider heaved out a sigh as Thundercloud plopped onto one of the couches. “Rainbow, I... I might have lied to you.” “What... What do you mean.” Tears were running down the young pegasi’s face. “What do you mean you lied to me?!” Rainbow yelled through the sobbing. The words stung Star Strider. “Rainbow you know I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally.” Star Strider kept his tone calm. He didn't want to upset his sister anymore than she was. She nodded in agreement, sniffing. She was still crying, but not as hard. “I... I didn't come to Ponyville to visit you. I didn't even know you were here.” “Then... Then how did you find me?” “Wild guess. Luck. Pick one or the other.” Thundercloud chimed in, with a rather aggressive tone. He was getting annoyed with Star Strider. Thundercloud didn't fly all the way from Trottingham to sit here for hours while he listened to his sister bawl like a filly. Strider shot his brother a look. A look that said 'What the hay was that?' Strider turned back to his sister. “We've actually been looking for you for quite some while.” “But... but why? Strider! Thundercloud! What's going on?!” Star Strider sighed. He'd been dreading this moment. Thoughts went through his mind a million miles a second as to how he could break the news to Dash. “Rainbow Dash...” Star Strider heaved out another sigh. “I need you to sit there okay?” “O... Okay.” Rainbow's ears went back. She saw a tear run down Star Strider's face. She looked over at Thundercloud, who was listening, but his eyes were shut, as if holding back tears. “Rainbow... Dash... Mom... Mom passed away.” Rainbow's eyes went wide. She let out a loud gasp. “No...” She said under her breath. She looked into her brother's eyes. Tears were running down his face. She knew he was telling the truth. “...How?” she said very quietly. “What?” “How did it happen?!” This time she yelled, startling her brothers. Her hooves were clenched, but she remained on the ground. She didn't have enough energy to get up on her own. She wanted this to be a nightmare. A horribly vivid dream. She just wanted to wake up, safe and sound, under her covers. To go hang out with Pinkie Pie and Ditzy and the rest of her friends. Reality slapped her in the face when her brother put his hoof on her shoulder. She was quivering. Mostly out of fear. The same fear she experienced when she was a filly. She was now an orphan. Her, Star Strider, and Thundercloud. They were all orphans. Tears welled up in her eyes as she began to sob again. Something fell on her snout, and she realized that Star Strider was crying too. She managed to see him through the tears that fogged up her eyes. She looked over at Thundercloud to see that he too was crying. She had never seen her brothers cry. She'd never even seen them shed a tear. “I'm... I'm sorry for yelling,” she squeaked out. “It's fine Dash,” Thundercloud said. “We're all a bit shaken up right now. There's no need to apologize.” Thundercloud stood up and walked over to his sister. The three siblings shared a group hug, and went back to where they were sitting before. “It... It was about a week ago.” Star Strider said, recounting the memory. “I was working at the weather factory, when the boss told me I had a visitor.” Star Strider's eyes glazed over as he began the story. Rainbow listened intently, while Thundercloud looked at his brother, also recalling the events of that day. “It turns out that the visitor was Thundercloud here.” He motioned to his younger brother. “He was out of breath. I asked him what was going on, he said 'You need to come home. Now.' It was one of the only times I'd seen him so serious. I tried to talk to my boss, but he wouldn't let me go. Then Thundercloud, whispered something into his ear, and his eyes went wide.” “He told me I could have the rest of the week of which I thought was strange. Thundercloud and I flew back home, to find mom laying on the floor in the kitchen. Thundercloud told me he found her like this and flew off to get me. She wasn't in a good state. Her breathing was heavy, and she could barely stand. We helped her into bed and stayed with her all night. She spoke to us a couple of times, but a lot of it was incoherent.” “Why... Why didn't you take her to the hospital.?” Star Strider bit his lip a little, then sighed. “Because she wouldn't have been able to make the trip, and neither of us wanted to leave her side. Even if we tried to make the trip to the hospital, the exertion would have only...” He trailed off. “We helped her up to bed. We stayed with her overnight, and when we woke up, she wasn't breathing. Thundercloud left to go to the hospital, while I stayed with mom.” “Oh...” Rainbow had tears flowing out of her eyes like a faucet had been turned on. She knew what was happening. She heard about it before. Depression taking a toll on the pony body. She assumed that's what happened with her mother. It was her father's fault her mother had died. No. It was Rainbow's fault. She could have just as easily not left with her father. “So... that's it? She passed away peacefully in her sleep?” Rainbow stood up, very shakily. “Yes Rainbow.” Star Strider comforted his sister. Thundercloud also stood up and walked over to his siblings. He opened his mouth, but Star Strider shot him another one of those looks. Rainbow didn't see it though. Her eyes were shut. She felt horrible for what had happened. “It's... It's all my fault...” “What was that, Rainbow?” Thundercloud asked. “It's all my fault that mommy died! It's my fault that we're orphans!” Star Strider winced when she said this. He had suspected that their dad was no longer alive. But to have his suspicions confirmed broke his heart. “Oh Rainbow...” A look of utter confusion overtook Thundercloud's face. “What do you mean... orphans? Rainbow...where's dad?” “It's all my fault... Thundercloud, Strider I'm so sorry!” “Rainbow. What's going on.” Her second oldest brother demanded. He put one hoof forwards, as if he was going to attack Rainbow. “I... I...” Rainbow squeaked. She was beginning to sound like Fluttershy. She had only felt this helpless once in her life. She tried to push the thought of that day out of her mind. Thundercloud looked as if he was about to blow. He was glaring at Rainbow Dash. “What's going on?” he said harshly. “Enough!” Her oldest brother stepped in. He stepped in between the two ponies. Rainbow had shrunken back in fear, and Thundercloud looked like he was about ready to charge. Star Strider turned to his sister. “Rainbow, we can talk about this in the morning?” he said this with a very kind tone, that reminded Rainbow of her father. Before he made her leave her home. “Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep. It's really late.” Rainbow didn't even bother arguing with Star Strider. She nodded and sulked up her stairs to her bedroom. Star Strider whipped around to his brother. The two locked eyes for a minute until they heard a door close. “What in the hay was that,” Star Strider said through gritted teeth. “You heard her, she said we're orphans.” Thundercloud angrily said. “Which means dad's dead. Don't you even care?!” “Of course I care! He was my father! But you saw the way she was. She was sobbing! She blamed herself for her own mother's death!” The brothers managed to keep their arguing down enough as to not wake up their sister. “Well if she and dad hadn't left, mom wouldn't have gone into a depression, now would she? So in a way, it is her fault. You and I both know that she was never the same after dad and Rainbow left.” Star Strider stared his brother down when he said this. It took all of his strength not to buck Thundercloud through the wall right then and there. “Don't you EVER talk about Rainbow like that!” He said this a little louder than the rest of the argument had been. “Don't you blame her. You know darn well that it was the loss of both of them that affected mom! And I can't believe you questioned her! Right after I finished telling her that her mother died, you bring up dad's death?” “Like you weren't going to ask her. And that's another thing. You lied to her. The honest Star Strider lied to his own sister. You said she was ill. What in the hay was that?” Thundercloud said in a mocking tone. “It was for her protection...” Star Strider lowered his voice. Thundercloud leaned in and did the same. “For her protection? You think sparing the details of her mother's death is protecting her?” “She's seventeen years old, Thundercloud. She doesn't need to know. She doesn't need that image in her head.” “We saw it...” “I'm twenty-three and it haunts me. You're twenty one and i'm sure it still haunts you.” Thundercloud tensed up at this, Giving Star Strider his answer. “A seventeen year old doesn't need to know that her mother was torn apart by Rocs.” Star Strider snorted. “She's too young to know how it happened, and I don't plan on telling her anytime soon. Now, we both should get some sleep. Goodnight.” Star Strider climbed onto one of the couches and lay down while Thundercloud did the same across the room. They closed their eyes and let themselves drift off to sleep. Neither of them heard or saw a young mare slipping back into her room and gently shutting her door. Rainbow Dash flopped onto her bed in tears. She wished she hadn't snuck out of her room. When Star Strider went into the part about protecting her... she should have just gone back upstairs. Her stomach turned at the thought of her now departed mother. Fluttershy had told her a Roc was a giant eagle. The same thing that had attacked her. She looked at her wing, remembering how much damage just one of it's claws caused. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her mother must have looked like after the attack. She repressed the urge to vomit. She cuddled up to Stormy Skies, whom she had grabbed when she was listening to her brothers argue. She felt like a filly again, and she hated it. I'm Rainbow Dash! Best flier in all of Equestria! And I've been crying like a little filly!, she thought as she pounded her hoof on her bed. Tears began to form in her eyes again. She shook her head to clear her mind of all of the recent thoughts she had, but it didn't work. She just curled into a ball and began to cry. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Star Strider! What did I tell you about having family visit while you're on the job?” Star Strider's boss, Lightning Rod, said to him in a harsh tone. “I don't care if it is his day off, he can't just come here thinking that he can distract my workers. You either tell him to leave now, or I will make him leave. Permanently ” Lightning Rod was usually easy-going, but hated it when his workers were interrupted. “Will do sir.” Star Strider said as he left his cloud making station. He grumbled some things to himself about a lazy pegasus. “What is it this time Thunder.....” Star Strider trailed off when he saw the horrible shape his brother was in. His black mane was a mess. It looked like it had little read spots in it. He was out of breath and looked like he was about to pass out. “Thundercloud?” “You have to come with me. Now.” “What are you talking about?” “I'll tell you on the way. You just have to come with me now.” “I can't just leave work.” “Strider. It's mom.” Star Strider's eyes widened at this. He knew his mother was ill, but it didn't seem that bad. “Let's go.” Star Strider unfurled his wings and took off, his brother flying close behind him. “You're just leaving? What if you get fired?” “I don't care. My family is more important.” Thundercloud shook his head at his brother's devotion. “Well, you're flying in the wrong direction. It's this way.” Thundercloud made a sharp left turn, and Star Strider followed right behind. “What is?” Star Strider asked. But Thundercloud stayed silent. He just kept flying. Tears were running down his face. They landed on a blood-soaked cloud. The pegasus they found was a sight they would never forget. The normally cherry red mare’s coat was stained a deep crimson, and her yellow mane was streaked with blood. One of her wings was nearly torn off. The other wing was broken and bloody beyond recognition. Her cutie mark was marred by a haphazard series of deep gashes that were oozing blood. She tried to stand but collapsed; her leg had been slashed open. “S-Star… Strider…” she moaned, barely audible. “Mom... no. No, this can't be happening.” Star Strider had to keep himself from vomiting. Scarlett Skies' breathing was ragged and shallow. She managed to say a few words. He knelt down by his mother. “We're here for you. Me and Thundercloud, we're here.” The mare reached up with her one good leg and stroked her oldest son's mane. “Star Strider. I'm so... Proud of you. You've... grown into... s.. s... such a fine... stallion.” Star strider had knelt down to his mothers mangled body. She was smiling, oddly enough. “Mom... no... First Rainbow Dash and dad, now you? Please don't leave us.” He was panicking. “Please, Mom! We can't lose you!” Tears were streaming down the stallion's face. “Mom! Don't go! Please...” Scarlett Skies turned her attention to Thundercloud. “And you Thundercloud.” Thundercloud walked over to his mother. “I'm here.” Tears were running down his face also. “I'm here mommy.” He nuzzled his mother's mane. The mare stopped stroking Star Strider's mane and put her hoof onto Thundercloud's shoulder. “You... b...blame yourself...don't... you?” Thundercloud nodded. “Yes...” “Don't... It's... not... not your fault. You... You did... what you could. And... if either... of... you two... see Rainbow...” Her breaths were becoming farther and farther apart. Both brothers knew she would leave soon. She coughed, and blood dribbled from her mouth down her lips. “Tell her... I am so... proud of... her. Also... tell her... The Eye... is in... the storm... Protect the... Eye of Sherastol... At all costs...” “Mom, don't worry we'll get you back home! They can take care of you at the hospital!” Star Strider was panicking, but knew it wouldn't help. He knew that there was nothing he could do for his mother. She was doomed to her fate. He nuzzled her affectionately. Scarlett Skies' breathing stopped and she closed her eyes. Star Strider nudged his mother gently. “Mom.. C'mon. Please... get up.” He knew she had left this world. He closed his eyes to hole back the tears. “Goodbye mom. I love you.” “What...What happened?” Star Strider quickly turned to his brother. Tears were running down both of their faces. “We... We were flying... quite a few miles from Cloudsdale. Mom... She... She was helping me practice some maneuvers.” Thundercloud was shaking. He had tried to push this memory out of his mind, unsuccessfully. “Then... this... eagle thing showed up out of nowhere... It screeched, as if...as if it was hungry. Mom's eyes went wide... She and I flew forwards...back towards the city... But... But it managed to catch up with us.” It was getting harder for Thundercloud to tell the story. His words were filled with chokes and sobs. “It... It caught up to mom and...” He paused for a long while. “Thundercloud...” Star Strider put his hoof on his brothers shoulder. “...Are you sure you want to tell this?” Thundercloud nodded, slowly. “It... It slashed her flank, and... the... blood hit my mane. She kept trying to out maneuver it... To lure it away... but it was too fast for her. It slashed her multiple times.” Thundercloud had more and more trouble trying to tell the horrifying memory. “Then... for no reason... it just... took off, as if nothing had ever happened... I think it saw that we were getting close to Cloudsdale. I... I... helped mom land here, and took off as fast as I could to get you.” Star Strider held back tears. The two brothers stood silently for a good five minutes. Their heads were hung low. Star Strider glanced at his mother's body. “Thundercloud... you know we have to find Rainbow and dad.” “Why? What have they ever done for us?” Strider noticed the anger in Thundercloud's voice. Obviously, the events of the day took a toll on him too. “It's not like we can't tell them Thundercloud! They have a right to know,” Star Strider yelled through his tears. “We don't even have a clue as to where to look!” Star Strider calmed down.“We'll just check the major cities first, then go with the small towns. We'll find 'em. Don't worry.” He could tell his brother's bitterness towards their father and Rainbow Dash was easily surfacing. He was never the same after they woke up that day. Thundercloud and Rainbow were as close as two siblings could get. Star Strider always called Rainbow the female version of Thundercloud. Then she left, leaving Thundercloud alone. Thundercloud saluted, then stopped in his tracks. “What.. What are we going to do about...” He couldn't even say mom. They were both shaken up by the sight before them. Star Strider let out a sigh. Tears were making their way out of his eyes again.“We tell someone, it's all we can do. I'll stay here. You go get help.” Thundercloud saluted again. and then took off. “Goodbye, Mother,” Star Strider said quietly. He nuzzled his mother's blood-matted mane. Tears dripped from his eyes onto the clouds. “I'll always love you.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The morning sun shone in through the windows of Rainbow's cloud home. The rays were bright and cheerful, exactly the opposite of the way everyone in the house felt. Star Strider and Thundercloud barely got any sleep the night before. They just kept replaying the memory of that day over and over in their heads. Rainbow had cried herself to sleep, and even then it was only a light sleep. Every little noise she heard woke her up. Star Strider was the first one to actually wake up. One part of that memory stood out. 'The Eye is in the storm.' He looked around the room, just checking his surroundings. He noticed that Dash actually had one picture of the family up. It warmed his heart to see them. Everyone together as a happy family. Their parents were on the sides, he was in the middle, Thundercloud was kneeling in front of him, and Rainbow was on top of her oldest brother's head. The family was smiling, laughing, sharing a moment. He sighed, knowing that any moment's like that were now only part of history. He stood up, when he heard a door open upstairs. “Rainbow,” He said quietly. “Is that you?” “Yeah...” She wasn't herself and she knew it. Normally, she would have answered with some snappy comeback. She was clutching Stormy Skies under her wing. She ran up to her brother and hugged him. “Hey,” Thundercloud said as he sat up and held his little sister. He didn't sound nearly as angry as he did the night before. “I remember getting him for you.” He pointed at the stuffed toy under her wing. “Yeah... Remember Strider? It was the last one at Mall Of Equestria.” “How could I forget. The mom that also wanted him just about gave me a bloody nose.” The siblings shared a laugh. For a moment, all the tension in the room had disappeared. “What did you name him again Rainbow? Starry Blaze?” “Stormy Skies. And he'll always be my best friend.” She squeezed the little Wonderbolt. Rainbow was only sentimental around the stuffed toy, and nothing else. She looked at her eldest brother. He was smiling, but the smile soon disappeared. He shut his eyes, not wanting to do this now, but he couldn't put it off forever. “Rainbow...we still need to talk,” he said. Rainbow let out a sigh. She knew this was coming. She managed to keep herself composed, somehow. She figured she drained all of her tears last night. She told her brothers everything. Not leaving out one detail. The lions. Her father's sacrifice for her. The promise. The eagle, which she told them was a Roc. She ended with Fluttershy and her cottage. “And I’ve been living in Ponyville ever since.” Tears were streaming down her face. She had broken down halfway through the story. Star Strider a look of solemnity on his face, while Thundercloud's expression seemed more disappointed than sad. “So... you never came back? What about the Best Young Fliers competition when you did the second sonic rainboom?” Star Strider brought up. “That! That's... Different! I didn't... I didn't mean to... break my promise... Wait... you were there...” She shrank back and spoke the last part quietly Rainbow began to break down even more. This was one subject that always made her feel horrible. Star Strider noted the change in her tone. He knew this was a touchy subject. “No. Mom wasn't doing well that day, so Thundercloud and I had to stay home. We heard a BANG and looked outside to see a rainbow. We all smiled and said 'Way to go Dash.' We all wondered why you didn't come home...” Rainbow hung her head down. “I'm so sorry...” He walked over to his sister. “She was so proud of you when you did that,” He whispered to her. He straightened up and resumed talking in normal tone. “But... why didn't you ever come see us and mom?” “I...couldn't face you... I thought if I told you what happened, you would hate me...” “Rainbow. You're our sister. We could never-” “So you just floated there and watched our father be torn apart by lions!?” Thundercloud finally spoke up. He floated up and landed a few feet from his sister. Rainbow clutched Stormy Skies harder and shrunk back. She knew this would happen. “Thundercloud... I'm sorry. I... I...” “You what?” His eyes had a fire raging in them. “There wasn't... Wasn't anything... anything I could do.” She was all but sobbing now. Suddenly, Star Strider appeared in front of her. He glared at his brother. “What did I tell you. You don't EVER talk to our sister like that!” Rainbow felt like she was reliving the scene with the lions again. Shuddering behind someone's legs, too scared to do anything. “She could have done something!” “She was six years old. Your letting your anger get the better of you. Calm down and think, if she would have jumped into the fray, the only thing she would've succeeded in would be getting herself killed. We wouldn't have her or dad.” Rainbow whimpered. She didn't want to see this. It reminded her of her parents fighting. She whimpered and squeezed Stormy Skies harder. “Ow!” The two brothers turned to see that Rainbow had dropped her plush toy, and was rubbing her right front leg. “What happened? You okay sis?” Star Strider asked, trying to be gentle. “Stormy... poked me...” Star Strider had a skeptical look on his face. He walked over to the small toy that was in front of Rainbow Dash. Sure enough, the stuffed Wonderbolt had a small golden triangle sticking out where his left wing would be. “What in the hay?” Star Strider bit down on the golden triangle and pulled. There was a ripping noise and Rainbow let out a squeal. She began to cry seeing her real best friend ripped apart. The entire left wing of the toy was now split open. The object that had caused it was in Star Strider's mouth. It was in the shape of a diamond with a round center, that looked like a cat's eye. The jewel was about as big as Rainbow's element of harmony jewel. Suddenly, a realization shot through Rainbow and Star Strider's minds. They both realized what this was. Rainbow finally knew what her father meant all those years ago. This was the Eye. The Eye of Sherastol. “Rainbow... I'm sorry I didn't mean to...” Star Strider said as his sister walked up to the plush toy. She looked at the toy. His stuffing was sticking out of the large hole in his left side. “It's... It's fine.” Tears were still slightly running down her face. “He's just... It's just a stuffed toy.” She picked up the doll in her mouth and went to take him up to her room. Star Strider knew she was lying, but a knocking on the door stopped him from speaking up. The knocking was frantic. Rainbow tucked Stormy Skies under her wing and turned around. All three siblings went to the door. Rainbow opened it to find Fluttershy in tears. Her mane was frazzled, and she was panting heavily, like she had just flown a 10k race as fast as she could. Rainbow dropped Stormy Skies at the sight of her disheveled looking friend. She wiped the tears out of her eyes. “Fluttershy? What's going on?” “Rainbow,” Fluttershy managed to pant out. “It's Twilight.” Star Strider perked his ears up at this. Though Fluttershy failed to notice that either of Rainbow's siblings were there. She was focused only on her pegasus friend. “She... She was...” She had to take deep gulps of air in between almost every word. “She was attacked by something.”