Chapter 11; Surprises
Chapter 11
It was front-page news by morning.
Doctor Stable sighed as he peered at the newspaper headline over the edge of his morning cup of coffee. The aromatic steam drifted and swayed past his snout, and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, hoping the peaceful serenity of the moment might last, and that the terrible words might be gone by the time he opened them again.
It was a sudden bang and flash of light, however, which thrust him unceremoniously from his reverie. In a flailing jolt of limbs, the doctor jumped at the noise. His eyes flew open, and a stray hoof caught the side of his mug, dumping the liquid contents onto his desk and soaking the paper. Flustered and sputtering, he jerked out of the way just in time to prevent some of the scalding liquid from dripping onto him. And in the very same instant, a lavender face materialized in his doorway.
“Doctor? I hope I’m not… disrupting anything.”
Doctor Stable gasped. “Miss… Miss Sparkle.” He stammered, finally seeming to get his breathing under control after a long pause. “Make another entrance like that and you’re liable to give an old stallion like me a heart attack.”
Twilight cringed. “I’m so sorry, Doctor! I didn’t mean to startle you.” She rushed into the room, pausing at the sight of the soaked contents of his desk.
“No, no. That’s quite alright. I’ll have this cleaned up in a jiffy.” With a quick application of magic, the extraneous coffee was gone, and his desk returned to its prior sheen. “Now, what can I do for you this fine morning?”
Twilight took a few seconds to get her bearings. “I assume you’ve seen the news already?”
The doctor sighed, glancing back down at the paper, which lay in a damp, crumpled heap beside his now-empty mug. “Unfortunately, yes. It’s a shame—some low-level Royal Police pencil pusher spills the beans and suddenly it’s the Equestria Daily’s newest scandal. Disgusting.” He shot a glare at the offending newsprint before casting it unsympathetically into the trash. “Worthless rag anyway.”
Twilight shifted uncomfortably on her hooves. Her eyes darted about the room, flicking from the metronome on the stallion’s desk to the doctorate hanging framed upon his wall—looking anywhere but at the pony himself.
The doctor furled his brow, his interest piqued. “Something bothering you?”
Twilight finally returned her gaze to the kind doctor’s face. She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry I teleported in here unannounced. I probably should have gone through the lobby instead, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to be too careful.”
The elder waved a dismissive hoof. “Don’t worry about it. I need more excitement in my life anyway. If I may ask, though, what are you hiding from?”
Twilight took to the seat nearest the desk and sighed. Doctor Stable noted for the first time the bags under her eyes—it was clear she hadn’t slept the night before. “The rest of the town, mostly. Now that they all know what happened to Rainbow Dash, they’ll realize she’s missing. If anyone sees me walking into the hospital, they might get suspicious. I don’t want to risk it.”
“I take it only a select few ponies know Miss Dash’s whereabouts?”
Twilight nodded. “Only those who need to know. That won’t stop others from guessing, though.”
A dubious frown set upon the stallion’s face. “I should think it won’t be too long before that happens.”
“I know.” Twilight deadpanned. “That’s why I’m being extra careful. I’ve already told the girls to make sure they stay home today, just to avoid every pony on the street pestering them.” Twilight paused and seemed to sit up just a little straighter, blinking some of the weariness from her eyes. “Except for Rarity, of course.”
The doctor’s eyes briefly registered surprise and concern. “Then what is she doing?”
“She’s been out since word spread feeding false stories to the rumor mills around town. I figure as long as we can give ponies the idea that Rainbow’s still up in Cloudsdale, or that she’s been taken to a hospital in Canterlot for treatment, or something, it’ll keep them off her actual trail.”
“Do you really think that’s wise?”
“Well, even she acknowledges that she’s one of Ponyville’s foremost sources of gossip. If anypony could steer ponies in the wrong direction, she could.”
“That’s not what I mean. I worry that, once ponies realize she isn’t in Canterlot or Cloudsdale, they’ll have the idea of her being treated in a hospital on their mind, and they’ll immediately start prying around here.” His voice trailed off, and he was left staring apprehensively at his visitor, who did not flinch. “They’ll come here with questions sooner or later. It’s almost inevitable, really.”
Twilight Sparkle’s response came in a quiet, yet resolute voice. “I have a plan. I want to get her out of the hospital; tonight, if she’s able…. She will be able, won’t she?”
The doctor drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, nodding to himself in pensive deliberation. “Hm… yes. I should think she’s more than ready by now. She may even be wondering why she’s been kept so long. I can drum up some paperwork for release as soon as you need it.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Doctor Stable. Tonight, if you will. I’d rather move her under the cover of darkness than risk scaring or hurting her with another dual long-distance teleportation spell. Tonight should work just fine—I want her out of the public eye as soon as possible.”
“I understand. I’m happy to be of any help I can.”
“Thank you.” She stood up, prompting her companion to rise as well. She smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, I do have a few more errands to run before I’m ready to make this move. I have to make sure everything is set up perfectly.”
“Of course. Best of luck.” He nodded to her as she bowed out of his office. “Oh, and Miss Sparkle?” He called just as she left, and her head popped into the doorway. “Would you mind telling Nurse Redheart to come see me when you get to the lobby? I’d be much obliged.”
“Certainly.” She left without a further word. Doctor Stable returned to his work, the soothing tick of his metronome bade him company as he lingered, shuffling a few papers on his desk.
Within a few steady beats of the rhythmic device, Nurse Redheart arrived at his door. He stood to greet her. “You asked for me, Doctor?”
“Yes, and I‘ll cut right to the chase. I assume you’re aware of the news this morning?”
“I only wish I wasn’t. Dreadful. Absolutely dreadful.”
“Well, Twilight Sparkle only just paid me a visit, and due to this development, she wants to move Rainbow Dash to a less public location, and she wants to do it tonight.”
“That seems reasonable.”
The doctor nodded once before continuing. “I’ve already cleared Miss Dash for release, but I still worry. I don’t believe her mental state is yet strong enough to withstand a curious general public, so it remains absolutely imperative that she be shielded until then. It’s unlikely that anypony will guess her location before nightfall, but in the event they do, we need to remain watchful until nightfall. Nopony, aside from Miss Sparkle, one of her close friends, or the detective and his men, can be allowed back to see Rainbow Dash unless they have a damn good reason. I need you to make sure of that.”
Nurse Redheart nodded slowly. The doctor seemed to visibly relax, and settled back further into his big armchair as she did so. Unbidden however, the mare felt a twinge of unease attack her subconscious, and she frowned. “If I may ask, what would constitute such a reason?”
Her boss looked up at her and scratched his chin in thought for a moment, before finally shrugging. “I’ll trust your better judgment to make that decision, Redheart.” He paused, concern alighting on his features for a brief instant. “There’s another thing, too. I’d like you to take a closer look at the blood work and samples taken from Miss Dash the day she was admitted.”
Nurse Redheart paused, surprised, but nodded once more all the same. “You mean the toxicology report sent back from the labs in Canterlot?”
“Yes. That one. I fear we may have missed something.”
“Is there anything specific you want me to look for?”
“I don’t know. I just feel as if there’s something eluding us, something important, but for the life of me I can’t fathom what it may be.”
“Do you think she was drugged?”
“It’s a definite possibility. I know we didn’t see anything in the chemical analysis the first time… but that was a chaotic, confusing day. I’ve been wrong before, and I’d like a second look. At the very least, look for anything unusual. Report your findings to me by tomorrow, if you please.” He leaned back and looked pensive for a moment, clicking his front hooves together just in front of his chin before mumbling quietly, as if only to himself. “I always wonder if we’re not missing something. This is such an important case… such a very important case…” Nurse Redheart coughed, but drew no reaction. She wondered briefly if he had forgotten she was even there.
“Sir?” She probed, raising an eyebrow, but he did not respond.
His eyes caught the rhythmic motion of his metronome and followed it closely for a few ticks, before they shut suddenly and he yawned loudly.
Nurse Redheart sighed and shook her head. “You should take some time off, Doctor. You know what happens when you overwork yourself.”
“Hardly matters now. I’m getting so very old.” He chuckled.
“You hardly look a day over forty.”
“You’ve always been too kind to me, Nurse.”
She rolled her eyes before departing. “Get some rest, Stable.”
“Can do.” The unicorn leaned back and closed his eyes, settling his rear hooves upon the desk. Nurse Redheart merely let slip a dry chuckle before returning to the lobby.
=====================================================================
A patchwork sky of lazy white clouds and the carefree chirping of many birds betrayed the onset of another crisp, beautiful fall day. Twilight Sparkle took the time for peace and recollection as she strode along the quiet, secluded path through Sweet Apple Acres. She could afford to take her time out among the rows and rows of trees, knowing full well that it was unlikely any curious pony might see her in the isolated stretch of orchard. Still, though she would have preferred to have her preparations completed as soon as possible, she enjoyed the few precious, peaceful moments alone that the walk afforded her. It gave her time to think, time that had lately become more and more valuable to her heavily taxed mind.
She was whistling a nameless tune by the time she arrived at the farmhouse door, and knocked quickly. A hushed voice spoke form beyond the door. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Applejack. May I come in?”
“Me who?”
“AJ, it’s Twilight. Let me in.” The unicorn deadpanned.
The earth pony chuckled as she swung the door open to a frown from her friend. “Why didn’t ya say so the first time?”
“You can recognize my voice.”
“Ah reckon so. Ya can never be too careful though.” Twilight just sighed. Applejack peered at her friend, her joking expression replaced quickly with one of concern. “Somethin’ got yer bonnet in a bunch, Twi?”
“I guess it’s just stress from, well… everything.”
“Anythin’ Ah can help with?”
Twilight shook her head as the pair ventured further into the house. “I don’t think so. It’s just this trial, and now the newspapers, and the rumors going around, and everything else that’s going on at the same time. It’s all happening so fast and I don’t know what to expect.”
Applejack laid a comforting hoof across her friend’s back and led her into the kitchen. “Ah can’t say Ah blame ya. Ah s’pose Ah’m feelin’ a might bit nervous too, and Ah’m not even the one who has ta learn all that fancy lawyerin’ business.” She smiled as she reached towards the counter for a pot of coffee and poured out a mug in one smooth motion. She turned back around and moved towards her friend, clenching the saucer below the mug deftly in her jaws. Twilight shook her head meekly; Applejack frowned and set the hot drink onto the kitchen table. She turned and fixed her companion with a serious expression, her eyes hard-set yet warm, and her demeanor both grim and determined yet somehow reassuring, as if she knew everything was going to turn out right in the end. “Look, Twi, Ah can’t tell ya how much we all appreciate all the work you’re tryin’ ta do. Honestly, we’re all so grateful to ya, but believe me when Ah say that ya don’t have ta do this alone. We’re here for ya, and we want ta help ya. Just tell us what we can do.”
A small smile alighted upon Twilight Sparkle’s features before being lost to the strain of uncertainty. “Thanks, AJ. I know you girls want to help, but I can’t even begin to imagine how right now. This is something bigger than even I know how to deal with, you understand that, right?”
“That still don’t mean ya have ta face this alone.” Applejack stared at her friend. “Ya sure ya don’t want a nice hot drink? Somethin’ to help ya focus?”
“I’m fine, AJ.” Applejack’s concerned gaze didn’t shift. “Really, I’m fine.”
Applejack shrugged. “If ya say so.” She turned back to the table and took a quick swig, sighing deeply as she set the mug back down. “So, how’s she holdin’ up?”
“Doctor Stable says she’s been improving this past week. He also cleared her for release tonight.”
“Well that’s some good news. Did ya get ta visit her?”
Twilight felt a pang of guilt snap unbidden at the edge of her conscience, and she frowned. “No… I was too preoccupied with getting all my plans set in stone that I didn’t even think to stop by.”
“Ah wouldn’t think nothin’ of it, Sugarcube. B’sides, we’re goin’ ta see her tonight, and then everythin’ will be right as rain.” She took another sip of her drink. “So, what time are ya thinkin’ of bringin’ her over here?”
“That’s another thing, AJ. I’ve done some thinking, and I’ve decided to move Rainbow to Fluttershy’s cottage, and not the farm.”
Applejack fell silent for a few long moments. “Well, Ah can’t say Ah’m not disappointed Twi. When ya came around earlier this mornin’ ya told me that Ah had to stay away from town all day and that Rainbow’d be comin’ ta the farm tonight. What changed?”
“It’s nothing personal, Applejack. I just think she’d be safer at Fluttershy’s.”
“Ah’m not sayin’ she wouldn’t be safe there, but Ah am just a bit confused. Ah mean, no disrespect ta Fluttershy, but Rainbow is mah best friend, and Ah know Ah can protect her if Ah need ta.”
“That’s just it, AJ. Think about it this way. You two have been close friends for years, and other ponies know that—other, curious ponies, the same ones who will come looking for Rainbow Dash after reading their morning paper. And I’m willing to bet that the farm might be one of the first places they’ll think to come knocking. Plus we have to look at the fact that there are other ponies living here as well. Granny Smith and Mac may not pose a problem, but what about Applebloom? She still has to go to school, and do you really think she wouldn’t let slip to Scootaloo that Rainbow Dash is staying at her house? I mean—Dear Celestia, we haven’t even thought of how to tell those three what really happened yet! And now they’re bound to find out with the rumors circulating town! This is bad, this is really, really—”
“Twilight?”
“—I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before! This is going to be a disaster, oh—”
“Twilight! Ah’ll take care o’ it.”
“What?”
“Ah’ll tell ‘em. Knowin’ Miss Cheerilee, Ah know she wouldn’t let stories like that spread in her classroom. Ah’ll collect those three from school this afternoon and bring ‘em here. Then Ah’ll tell ‘em the truth. Simple as that. Ah might even catch up with Rarity on the way there. We could tell ‘em together,”
“Are you sure you’re—”
“Now don’t ya worry yer pretty little head none about it. This is a big sister problem. We’ll take care of it.”
Twilight blinked a few times, and then seemed to visibly relax. “Th—thanks, Applejack.”
“An’ about movin’ Dash to Fluttershy’s, instead o’ here, Ah guess Ah understand. Ah’m not gonna say Ah’m happy ‘bout it, but Ah trust ya and yer decisions.”
“Ok. Well, in that case, I should probably get going. I need to see Fluttershy and make sure everything else is ready. Thanks for understanding, AJ.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Sunlight streamed in through the kitchen windows, illuminated the surrounding woodwork and giving the whole room a luminous, almost magical quality. As the two friends exchanged a brief embrace, Twilight felt a smile alight upon her face, and she yawned loudly. In an instant, she drew back, prompting a curt, understanding nod from Applejack. Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Do you think I could get a cup of coffee after all?”
Applejack simply gave a knowing look as she reached towards the counter and pot once more.
====================================================================
Nurse Redheart pored over the long lists of chemical compounds and percentage figures that made up the litanies of Rainbow Dash’s blood work for what seemed the umpteenth time. To her tired eyes, each entry in the impossibly long data table seemed to blur into the next, and she caught herself reading the same line several times in a row. She shook herself, taking a deep breath before returning to peruse the figures once more. She suppressed a groan as she did so; the little, nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her that every compound listed seemed increasingly familiar grew ever more persuasive. The nurse felt on the verge of finally having to admit to herself that, aside from a copious amount of alcohol, there had been nothing out of place in Rainbow Dash’s bloodstream.
Nevertheless, reaching the bottom of the parchment again, her gaze once more flicked to the top of the toxicology report and she began scrolling down anew, watching for the ever elusive, single compound of dozens that might signal something out of the ordinary. But to her well-practiced eyes, every protein, every plasmatic chemical, every miniscule percentage point seemed in its proper place.
She did not even look up when the ringing of a bell and the sound of two distinct sets of hooves announced the arrival of a pair of visitors. Still the nurse pored on, her mind set on the faint hope that she might yet find something worth reporting.
When one, a stallion, she guessed only by half-listening, cleared his throat, Nurse Redheart sighed, yet still failed to look up, remaining engrossed in her work. “May I help you?”
A mare’s voice answered. “Good afternoon. We’re here to see Rainbow Dash. Could you schedule us a visit?”
Nurse Redheart felt her pulse quicken, yet she did not miss a beat in feigning disinterest. “I’m sorry, but Rainbow Dash has not been admitted to this hospital for many months.”
“I was told she was undergoing treatment here.”
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Rainbow Dash is not—” Nurse Redheart felt her heart stop when she finally looked up, and the sight of the two ponies fell upon her eyes for the first time. She was suddenly struck by their appearance, so much so that she had to catch her own jaw as it fell. The mare raised an eyebrow at her.
“Well?”
Nurse Redheart found herself faltering. As she stared, her words dying uselessly, she felt her façade of apathetic indifference crumbling around her. Her lie now seemed wholly impossible to maintain. Under another moment spent under their withering gaze, she gave in. “She—she isn’t accepting any visitors today.”
Finally, the eerily familiar-looking stallion spoke up from his relative quiet. “I’m sure, in our case, you might reconsider.” From a pouch hanging by his side, he produced a card and quickly hoofed it over the desk. As if she needed any more evidence, Nurse Redheart threw a cursory glance at the card, were the information only confirmed her already rapidly sinking suspicions.
Her work now entirely forgotten, her mind flashed back to her earlier conversation with Doctor Stable. Another quick look back up at the two visitors and their resolute gazes was enough to drown out the part of her mind telling her not to give in. She gulped; swallowing whatever weak protest had been at the ready and resigned herself to action. After all, she had been instructed to deny access to ponies without a good enough reason. And if her instinct was good for anything, she could see that if ever a pair of ponies had a good enough reason for her to defy her superior’s orders, these two did. “Right this way, sir and madam.”
====================================================================
Feeling refreshed and energized, Twilight Sparkle trotted quickly along the pathway leading towards Fluttershy’s countryside abode. Although teleportation was surely the quicker route, the unicorn was almost painfully aware that appearing quite suddenly in her friend’s home might very well drive the pegasus into the ceiling. Bearing that in mind, and confident that she would scarcely meet anypony else on the secluded walk, she continued along the forest trail.
She slowed as she neared the cottage, stopping just before the entrance. “Fluttershy?” No response sounded, and she frowned slightly. “You in here? I need to talk to you.” She paused, but after several moments, still received no answer. She raised a hoof to knock gingerly on the wooden surface, only to be surprised as the door swung easily open after one touch. Warily, she called out once more into the darkness. “Fluttershy?”
Twilight pushed the door open the rest of the way, causing a few odd animals to scamper as the light shifted across the floor. She strode into the living room. In the darkness, three half-drunken cups of tea sat forgotten on the coffee table. She looked around nervously again, paying mind to the shifting shadows on the walls, though reason told her it was probably only many animals scurrying about. She swallowed a dose of apprehension to call out again. “Fluttershy?”
“Twilight…? Twilight!”
At the distant sound of her name being called, Twilight Sparkle rushed from the cottage and out onto the front lawn. She looked all around her frantically, feeling as if she could sense the very blood pounding in her veins.
“Twilight! Thank goodness!”
She looked upwards just in time to see Fluttershy descending from above a low layer of clouds, an agitated look on her face. Twilight immediately felt her concern pique as the mare settled in for a landing, coming to a shaky halt in front of her. Her wings twitched at her sides, seemingly unwilling to rest. Twilight felt unease prick at the back of her neck. “Fluttershy? What’s wrong?”
“I’m so glad I found you I flew to the library but you weren’t there and I needed you because oh my goodness we need to go!” The normally timid pegasus grabbed her friend by the hoof and started forcibly dragging her down the path. Stunned by the sudden, unprecedented action and the fast stream of words more usually associated with somepony like Pinkie Pie, Twilight had no choice but to let herself be dragged along.
“Fluttershy, are you ok?”
To her credit, the other mare didn’t let up her force even as clouds of dust became kicked up from Twilight Sparkle’s dragging hooves. “I’m sorry I didn’t know what to say and now something bad’s happened and it’s all my fault.”
Twilight finally gave in and set about trotting alongside her friend, whose hoof falls suddenly increased from a steady trot to an all-out gallop. Surprised, Twilight had to hurry to keep up. “Slow down! I’m confused! What’s going on?”
The anxious pegasus shook her head vigorously. “No time to explain! We need to get to the hospital quick!”
====================================================================
A soft smile broke out on Rainbow Dash’s face as she sat up in her bed, looking over the array of get-well-soon cards, flowers, and other mementos arranged upon her bedside table. There were some from each of her friends, professing their love and support for her, and even a card from the Princesses themselves stood proudly, front and center. Each one was special, each spoke volumes to her about the wonderful, accepting friends she had. Several sported the colorful, loopy hoof writing of Pinkie Pie, who had taken it upon herself to write one such card every day since the bed-stricken pony’s big revelation.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile to herself, despite her woes. As she thought back on the preceding week, all her worries, her unnecessary fears, all seemed so insignificant in comparison to the freedom of finally telling the truth. There had really been nothing to worry about, after all. Coming out had instead become one of the most liberating experiences she could have imagined.
The hugs, the tears, the support and the love of her friends on that day became one more happy memory. Another piece of courage to add to the store she used to fight—to fight back against the dreams that still haunted her.
Every night, those dreams would come, preying upon her vulnerable, unconscious mind. They kept her thrashing about and ripping the sheets off her bed at night. They saw her jolt awake in the darkness, drenched in cold sweat and unable to breathe. The dreams of darkness surrounding her, choking her, holding her down and sponging away the light. Nightly, the walls would close in on her, compressing her and denying her the chance to breathe, and every morning, a throbbing head, pounding heart and desperate gasps for air came with the slow realization that there were no walls; the room was not getting smaller. And then she could fight. Then, she found the strength to resist in the love of her friends, and then she would push the walls outward, little by little, every morning, and then the darkness would slowly begin to recede.
Each card, each flower, each token of well wishes was a soldier, standing guard by her side, ready to fight back against the gloom that plagued her dreams. And so she smiled, and she held close the happy memories, because with a smile, the darkness couldn’t touch her. Behind a smile, she was safe.
“Rainbow Dash? You have some visitors here to see you.” Nurse Redheart’s voice brought Rainbow’s mind squarely back into focus. Her face brightened at the thought of seeing her friends once more, and it seemed for all the world that her worries were as far away as possible.
That train of pleasant thoughts, however, was doomed to be brought to an ungainly, abrupt crashing halt as soon as the two ponies walked into the room—the very two ponies she had least expected to see, especially not here, especially not now, after the blur of so many years. Rainbow Dash felt her breath catch suddenly in her throat, and she could only manage to choke out two words as the walls started to close in upon her again.
“Mom…? Dad…?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.024 seconds
Total duration
716 users online
1,036,900 hits today, 2,364,530 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Oh shit. The parents.
That will not be pleasant. Not at all.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Damnit, Fluttershy...
I hope your finals went well or what ever has been keeping you from writing this stuff...because I NEED MORE OF THIS ASAP!!!
YOU BRING IN ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER WHY I BETTER..
IVUNEICNB3OINDJNJWNJOCNC9UNCWOIDJNCWJND2KJWEMNDWKJFNLWJNSCWNFUWEDN9DNWDNWLJW
MOAR!
2646569
Did Soarin add some "spice" to Rainbow´s drinks?
2785711 or my guess is cause rainbow is scared that means they dont get along and will blame it all on her
Ooooh...this should be good.
And the parents enter the scene... //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Spitfire_dayum.png I honestly am thinking this may go good, but... with the vague details of her past in coming out to them (as I skimmed a couple chapters back again, even though I read it when it came out or sometime after); it probably won't, at least for Dash. Since it seems like they really hurt her.
But hopefully, if it doesn't go well and they try to forcibly take Rainbow Dash away from her home or whatever, Twilight chases them away before they do any damage to Dash's progress in getting better, since the rape occurred... 
I do wish we'd get to the actual trial that was in the Prologue, if you'll be covering that; but I understand this is all necessary for plot development and showing how Dash and her best friends are handling this whole situation and so on. Just am curious to see how this will end is all, no offense.
Well, looking forward to seeing how the current confrontation goes, with either way it's possible to go... //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Fluttershy.png
Oooo, I hope Firefly is gonna be Rainbow's mamma!
Man, since the beginning, this story has been hitting me HARD in the gut.
And looking the character tags something tells me that this story won't have a happy ending.
I just hope that Soarin gets linched for his actions.
2787197
Well, getting to the actual trial really is going to be the central piece of this whole story, and that whole series of courtroom scenes will also, by necessity feature at least the main climax.
To let you in on a secret, the buildup is very nearly complete. By my estimates, RD and Co. will arrive in Canterlot by Chapter 13.
2788837
Due to the note you left at the bottom, about throwing in ANOTHER twist into this story...
Oh, I didn't doubt that it would be the central focus probably, given the Prologue... but still. I do like a good buildup of things and story still (I think), but sometimes with waiting... I dunno, can just get to you, even if I'm guessing you haven't been writing this by ear (as I might, since I don't have a lot of my stories, pony or non, mapped out exactly) and are writing when you can. And also, have more or less mapped out the events intended... I assume, not sure about the latest twist you threw in after last chapter's (Soarin's rape of Dash being leaked by some SOB) and before that, with Dash being gay and hiding it.
But I WILL continue to read until this is done, even though I haven't exactly reviewed before (this is my first on this story, as I checked earlier to see if I had or not (as I just felt like had to comment on the appearance of Dash's parents for some hopeful clarity among some of the vague details in past chapters), and maybe on ANY of your stories I've read (but a few I haven't finished for whatever reason
)) and if getting there continues a little bit longer still, despite what you said. 
Even if I haven't been reading much from several tracked stories or overall, for a while now... just saying. 
2788918
Well, actually, therein lies the main problem I've been encountering.
I've actually had the entire courtroom thread planned out for months now, since at least before starting chapter 2. The rpblem is the amount of setup I required in order to get various elements of the courtroom montage line up in a realistic manner.
First off, I needed Rainbow Dash to be gay, and had to drop that bombshell in a meaningful way before it becomes part of the trial. Then I also needed her to be estranged from (and then unceremoniously reunited with) her parents for a reason I will not reveal here. This required her parents to have a means of finding out what happened to their daughter without being in direct contact with her (this is where the newspaper article comes in).
So, everything so far has been complex setup for a courtroom drama that I already have mostly planned out. And yes, in order to achieve that setup in a manner satisfactory to myself, I've been playing this long sequence of rising action by ear.
2788982
...oh. Well, I wasn't exactly asking you to explain yourself, as I figured there was likely reason behind everything even if I couldn't see it (I'm not sometimes a big picture kind of guy when it comes to stories like these or in general, or usually for that matter even) and if I wanted to, I would've. As I'm curious enough a lot of times about things I don't need to know... but it's fine. I did sometimes watch judge shows when I was younger, but... haven't in a number of years and not really familiar with a real courtroom setting (only been called for jury duty once, and wasn't even picked to serve). And while I didn't understand some things (or read some chapters more than others), didn't stop me from liking the story for its originality from the beginning, in my opinion anyways.
Well, I will wait for the next chapter to see how meaningful or how much of a fool Dashie's parents are over what they did, what she's going through now... and everything in-between? //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Rainbow_Dash.png And to see what's going on with other things that've been subplots to the main one (so far, all I can think of is Spitfire and maybe Rarity's point last chapter about one of the cops, if it's a valid one) that've also been vague until the time is right, I imagine. But imagine those will become more obvious in a bit, if it's not supposed to be already (I have ideas, from thinking about it now and others' comments I recall on past chapters, at least about Spitfire's role in this story in regards to the rape) and hope you'll indulge me by not revealing more than you have.
2789066
Thanks for understanding! And no, I won't be revealing any cliffhangers.
Mixed feelings at the end... That cliffhanger
, but at least you mentioned who the ponies were. I might have ripped my hair out if you ended the chapter without mentioning the two ponies who talked to nurse Redheart.
Also any chance we're going to finds what the title of the newspaper was that disgusted Doctor Stable, Twilight, and Nurse Redheart so much? I'm not going to lie my curiosity is driving me insane over what the paper's title was
2786108
Toxicology reports say no, though I do notice the author was very careful not to directly rule it out.
2789740
Probably something along the lines of "Fearless Flyer Fornicates For Favors."
2789740
I think the disgust was more about the fact that the paper was reporting on the subject in an extremely callous and/or presumptuous manner than the wording of the title itself.
Loose lips sent this ship to the bottom...
Silver out!
Damn it all... I was so hype about a new chapter... and yet another twist
I think this needs to be updated more frequently.
Is this a typo or do you use man/men in your headcanon?
2831770
whoops... I suppose that word can't be used as species-neutraly as "girl" or "boy" can...
Every time i read this i expect an appledash shipping and for some. Also for fucks sake anouther plot twist.... Aaaaaaah
PLOT TWISTS! PLOT TWISTS EVERYWHERE!
2785566 euyup. The shit just hit the fuck
3341258 yep
I..... didnt c that comming
I thought it was going 2 b some members of the wonderbolts or news ponies but nope and am I right Dashies parents planned a corrective rape right
right
2786265 but he already explained they dont get along after dashie tells them shes a fillyfooler and I already said what happened Dashies parents planned a corrective rape on Dashie 2 fix her
Oh snap it just got better
I've got an odd feeling that somehow Spitfire is going to somehow save the day... not sure why
Maybe the court is going in Soarin's favor until Spitfire decides to say that she heard Rainbow Dash saying "No... no... no" or something...