A young colt with a dark green coat stepped inside a small home. As Jade set his saddle bags down he took a quick look around. Satisfied that he didn't see his father he walked into the kitchen to make himself some dinner. He hadn't gotten the chance to eat breakfast and had no money for lunch so a quick meal sounded incredibly appetizing. Celestia's sun had long since gone down. This told him his father was out drinking and it would be wise of Jade to be in bed before he got home. Despite this the need for something to eat overwhelmed his knowledge of the risk he was taking by not getting out of his father's way. After quickly putting together a relatively small salad (he wanted something hot but knew he wouldn't have time) he sat down to eat. As he began to eat his brother walked into the kitchen.

"You know what he'll do if he catches you out of bed this late." His brother was concerned for him.

"I don't really care right now. I haven't eaten all day and I'm not gonna wait to eat until tomorrow just because of our father."

"If you're generous enough to call him a father."

"Good point." Jade quickly turned back to his salad. Time was of the essence at the moment. His father could be home any minute and he needed to have finished his food before he got home. He'd clean the kitchen if it were possible. His father was something of a hoarder so the kitchen was littered with filth. As was the rest of the house for that matter. A small path had been made through the filth to the young colt's bedrooms. They were the only clean rooms in the house. Jade finished his food. As he was on his way to his room the door opened. Jade's father stepped in with a whiskey bottle dangling from his mouth.

"What're ya doin' up?" Jade swallowed.

"Eating. I haven't eaten all day. I was hungry."

"Eatin' my food? I don't recall sayin' ya could." The drunk stallion made his way toward his son. Jade attempted to run but the house was too small. His father descended on him too quickly for him to react. Jade felt a hoof hit the side of his head. "I'm only gonna hit ya one more time. If I ever catch ya raidin' my fridge again Imma hit ya four times. Got it?" As the stallion raised his hoof Jade saw his brother tackle him.

"Stay off him, he didn't do anything wrong!" The stallion threw his assailant into a pile of junk (mostly pizza boxes and whiskey bottles) and knocked him out cold with a hoof. Jade made an attempt to help his brother but was met with a hoof to the top of his head. Jade shakily got to his feet. He was still in a daze but he could see his father standing over him. His father swung the whiskey bottle he was holding at Jade. Jade dodged the attack and the bottle broke on the floor. His father swung again. The broken bottle cut a long gash in his cheek. Jade looked up in time to see his father's hoof descending toward his head.

Jade woke from the nightmare in a cold sweat. He was shaking uncontrollably. He hated it whenever he dreamed about his foalhood. His father, his brother. He always woke in a cold sweat. Worse, he felt like he didn't have control. Nothing was worse to him than feeling helpless. He got up and headed downstairs. He needed a drink. Just a little something to calm his nerves. He never was much of a drinker, only when he needed to relax. He had never endured inebriation in his life. He knew that alcohol clouded his reasoning from his time with his father. Whenever his father got drunk he lost control of himself. If Jade couldn't control himself he knew there would be no way he could control the world around him. That would be unacceptable. He pulled the bottle from the cupboard he kept it in and thought about the events of the last week of his life. As he poured himself a small dose of the calming fluid he thought back to when he lost his wife. Why she took a hit for that freak pegasus he would never understand but there was nothing he could do. Well, he could always force her back. That is if her loyalties to her new friends and her daughter weren't too strong. As he downed his whiskey he figured it was worth a try. It wouldn't be hard to find her. All he needed to do was go to the Dash home when she was alone there. Convincing her to come back would be easy after that. The next order of business was Scootaloo's coltfriend. That had to change. He would stand up for Scootaloo and give her courage to stand up for herself. If Jade could sever that relationship it would make breaking his daughter that much easier. He headed back to bed. He had work to do the next morning.

Scootaloo woke up crying. It was the same dream about Rainbow and Skyscraper. She quickly gathered her wits only to see that Aerial was standing over her.

"Are you alright Scootaloo?"

"Yeah. Just a nightmare. I've been having it since I got my first set of talons enchanted."

"Talons?"

"Yeah. So I can play guitar. The first set was Ma's when she was a filly. When Twilight enchanted them for my use she didn't remove the enchantment from Rainbow. Long story short I got stuck with a lot of her memories, and some of them I wish I didn't have."

"Like?"

"The one where I was raped as a filly." Rainbow stepped into the room. Noise traveled easily through cloud homes, so it didn't take much to wake the sleeping mare upstairs. "She got stuck with that memory. She dreams about it from time to time still. I feel terrible that I let her have that memory." Scootaloo frowned at Rainbow.

"It's not your fault ma. Don't take the blame on yourself."

"It is my fault that I never mentioned to Twilight the enchantment had never been removed from me when I had her enchant those talons to you."

"If you had told her I wouldn't be the guitarist I am right now."

"Yes you would, it just would've taken longer for you to get there."

"Ma, stop feeling bad. Now." Rainbow cocked an eyebrow at Scootaloo.

"You telling me what to do Scoot?"

"Yes I am ma." Aerial watched the exchange. She found it strangely heartwarming.

"You three certainly know how to make a lot of racket." Spitfire yawned as she stepped in the room. She wrapped a hoof around Rainbow's neck. "Come on, it's cold up there without your body heat."

"You know, we're both awake. Wanna-" Rainbow was cut off with a hoof to her cheek.

"No. Too late. As much fun as you can be I need my sleep. And so do you." Rainbow let out a small sigh.

"Yeah, I guess I am kinda tired. Well goodnight everypony!"

"Night Ma. Night mom." Scootaloo said as her parents went back to bed. Aerial chuckled as the two mares left.

"They remind me of Jade and I when we were younger." She sighed. "I miss those days." Scootaloo didn't know what to say. It was easy for her to hate Jade, she had never known that he had a good side. For her mother leaving had to be difficult despite what he had done to her. Not finding the words, she decided to settle on a simple goodnight. The two hugged and Aerial went back to bed.

Lightning woke up and hit his alarm clock. He had a peculiar love/hate relationship with the inanimate object beside his bed. He loved that it got him where he needed to be when he needed to be there, but he sure didn't like waking up in the morning. He rolled out of bed and walked to the shower. He took a quick shower and shook when he got out. The air would dry him well enough on his flight to the Dash home before school. He ate a quick breakfast and got his saddle bags ready to go. He said goodbye to his parents and stepped outside. As he was about to dive off the porch a voice stopped him. A voice that he recognized. He turned to see none other than Jade Crestfall waiting to talk to him.

"Hello young colt. I hope you don't mind if I take a minute of your time today before you go and see my daughter."