//------------------------------// // Chapter 24: The Long Road Ahead // Story: A Rainbow of a Different Color // by The 24th Pegasus //------------------------------// Chapter 24: The Long Road Ahead The creaking of old hinges woke Rainbow that morning when the sun was just a frail golden glow in the east. She yawned, sitting upright in her bed and rubbing her tired eyes. Strands of her rainbow mane hung at random in front of her face, and she grumbled as she tried to swat them aside with a clumsy hoof. At her sides, her wings stretched to their full blue brilliance, her healing wing now only a dull, stiff ache that seemed exhausted by even that simple motion. “Ready?” Hawk Tail asked from the door, leaning against the jamb. His red mane and tail were all neatly in order, and his wings freshly preened; Rainbow could tell at a bleary glance that he’d likely been up for an hour already. Yawning and stretching her legs, Rainbow rolled out of bed and unceremoniously flopped to her hooves. “Yeah, I’ve got my things,” she said, pointing in the vague direction of a fully packed backpack and two saddlebags. “I just…” Another yawn. “…just need a moment to freshen up and eat and stuff. Then I’ll be good to go.” Hawk nodded and took a step back from the door. “Lanner should be making something in a bit. Flurry and Wrangler should be over soon.” Rainbow blinked. “Wrangler’s coming too?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah, she apparently has business she wants to deal with in Mymis,” Hawk said. “Food shipments to the capital and that sort of thing. She has the land to grow enough crops to fill a barge and send it down the river. Probably wants to negotiate with distributors there.” After a second, he smirked and shrugged. “Or maybe she just wants to get away from her granny. I’m sure Mrs. Grain is driving her crazy with stories about the good ol’ days. You can only take so many of those before you just lose it completely.” “Oh, don’t remind me,” Rainbow said, remembering the few instances she’d found herself trapped alone in a room with Wrangler’s grandmother. The old mare certainly had a knack for telling stories that went nowhere. “I wouldn’t blame her if that’s the case.” A blue-gray bundle of feathers and hair brushed past Hawk, stopping long enough to poke her head in Rainbow’s door and wave a wing. “Mornin’,” Lanner half-mumbled, half-yawned at Rainbow, before turning around and bumbling her way to the kitchen. Feathers curved in the air as the young mare arched her back and stretched. “Mmmff… Who wants eggs? Because that’s what you’re getting.” Hawk chuckled and turned around, following her into the kitchen. “You seem pretty tired. Need an adult? Somepony to make sure that you don’t set your mane on fire?” “I’m fine,” Lanner grumbled from somewhere in the kitchen, out of Rainbow’s sight. As the colorful mare made her way to the washroom, she heard a quick yelp and a clatter of pans against the floor, followed by cries of “Hot! Hot! Hot!” and the splashing of water. She paused, one hoof held to the door, wondering if she should help, before she heard the smack of a hoof against flesh. “Hawk!” “I was putting out the fire!” “Now I’m wet!” “Better than hot!” “Shut up!” “Fine, put yourself out, next time.” Snickering, Rainbow shook her head and shut the washroom door behind her. Siblings. They went so well together. Shuffling in front of the mirror, Rainbow rested her hooves on the counter and blinked at her reflection. She looked about as tired as she felt; her mane was a mess, going this way and that, and bags had formed under her eyes. Just looking at herself made her yawn, and she slowly blinked one eye, then the other, before shaking her head and slapping her cheeks. Hawk had been kind enough to leave a bucket of water from the well for Rainbow to use, and she splashed her face with the cool water to wake herself up. Using the crests of her wings, Rainbow leaned forward and ruffled her mane back into some semblance of its usual self, then gave her head a good flick to settle everything in place. At least a messy hairdo was easy to keep in order. Satisfied that her mane was in order, Rainbow sat down in front of the mirror and held both wings out at her sides, wincing once at the slight pain in her left wing. She could certainly move it as she wanted, even if it was a bit stiff—thank… somepony… for pegasus healing. It would still be a while before she could put any sort of loading on it, though. It’d be good for a flutter or steering a fall, but it wasn’t strong enough to provide much lift without breaking something again. She’d ask Lanner first, but hopefully the trip to Mymis would give her enough time to work on rehabbing the wing and make up for muscle lost from disuse. Rainbow didn’t really want to preen, but she figured it’d help her wake up, so she set to work on her wings. It was slow work—preening always was—but it was relaxing. The slow pull of her flight feathers between her teeth, zipping up the barbs, occasionally using her tongue to get a troublesome feather back into place, dropped her into an almost meditative trance. A tiny pinch at the back of one of her wings made her snort as she plucked out a broken feather, letting the blue thing fall to the ground by her side. When she was done with both wings, she’d made a neat little pile of discarded feathers at her hooves, and her wings didn’t feel itchy or scratchy anymore as she settled them against her sides. Dumping the feathers into a little basket filled with discarded brown, gray, and blue-gray pinions, Rainbow stood up and followed her nose back to the kitchen, where the smell of cooking eggs hinted at breakfast. When she got there, she found Hawk already quietly eating his eggs, and another plate full of them at the spot next to him. Seeing Rainbow come around, Hawk swallowed the food in his mouth and pointed to the plate. “Eat. Lanner made some for you.” “Looks good, Lan,” Rainbow said, sitting down at Hawk’s side. Her utensils made quick work of the scrambled egg in front of her, and she began to shovel it down her throat. She sighed as she did so; Lanner’s cooking was always fantastic. Like Pinkie Pie’s, though with less sugar. A moment later, Lanner sat down at the table, dropping her own plate of eggs in front of her. Rainbow nearly choked on her eggs when she saw the charred black end of the mare’s mane and smelt the faint odor of burning hair. Lanner just pointedly frowned at her, daring her to say anything, as she stuffed the first bite of her eggs in her mouth. Rainbow didn’t take the bait, and instead quietly ate her meal; her mouth was too busy devouring the food anyway to spare a moment for talk. A few seconds later, Rainbow heard the stairs creak, and after a moment’s delay Red Tail came around the corner. “Morning,” he deadpanned to the pegasi at the table as he walked past them and into the kitchen, where Lanner had left an extra plate full of eggs. “Good work, Lan.” Lanner smiled and dipped her head, and after a moment, Red Tail joined them at the table. “Big day today, right?” he asked them as he methodically dissected his food into bite-sized morsels. “Yeah,” Hawk said, nodding. “We’ll be camping on the trail tonight, but with a little bit of luck, we’ll hit Crystal Falls by tomorrow morning. Then it’s on to The Glens and Waterwood before we get to Mymis. If everything goes well, we should be there by the end of the week.” “Quite the journey,” Red observed. “At least it’s easy enough. Just follow the Run all the way south.” “That’s what we were planning on doing,” Hawk said. His fork clattered against clean porcelain as he stuck the last of the egg in his mouth and set his silverware down. “As soon as Wrangler and Flurry get here, we’ll be heading out.” “I’ll keep the post office running while you kids are gone,” Red Tail said with a small nod. “It’ll be good to go down to the capital. Especially for you,” he said, turning his eyes to Rainbow. “Mymis is the wonder of the world. You’ll never see anything like it. I doubt where you come from has anything like it either.” Rainbow just shrugged. “I certainly wouldn’t know.” “It’s actually very interesting,” Hawk assured her. “I was there once when I was a kid. Trust me. It’s something you have to see to believe.” “You guys are really hyping this place up,” Rainbow said, smirking. “I hope it’s not a letdown.” “It’s cool!” Lanner said, fluttering her wings. “It’s been forever since I was there, but still! I remember it! Just wait until you see the Grand Arcanum! Or the Stone Mausoleum! Or—!” “Don’t spoil everything for her, Lan,” Hawk said, gently chastising his sister. “Wouldn’t want to ruin the fun.” Rainbow felt her wings twitching at her sides. “Well, I’m certainly excited.” “Good!” Lanner squawked. “Because it’s awesome! Trust me, it’s the best!” Shoveling the rest of her meal down her gullet, Lanner burped and practically launched herself out of her chair. “I can’t wait to get on the road! When do you think Flurry and Wrangler are going to get here?” “They should be here by now,” Hawk said, shrugging. He opened his mouth to say more, but a resolute knocking on the door cut him off. Smirking he stood up and began to walk to the door. “And I suppose that must be them.” The stallion opened the door, revealing Wrangler’s big, beige frame, and Flurry’s small white body standing next to her. “Hey guys,” Hawk said. “We were just wondering when you were going to get here.” “Heya, Hawk,” Wrangler said, craning her head around the pegasus to see into the house. “Lan, Dasher, Mr. Tail.” Rainbow and Lanner waved back as they began to clean up the table, and Wrangler turned back to Hawk. “Sorry, we got a little bit distracted on our way. But not without good reason!” Taking a step to her left, she pushed forward an orange unicorn with her right hoof. “Look who wants to come with!” Dawn shot Wrangler a glare that promised immediate and excruciating pain if the earth pony ever shoved her again before clearing her throat. “Heard from Flurry you were going to Mymis. Exciting. Want to join.” Hawk blinked, then blinked again. “You want to go with us to Mymis? The largest city in Nymera? Home to thousands and thousands of ponies?” Flurry offered Hawk a sympathetic smile and a shrug of her wings. “That’s what we tried to tell her…” “Yes,” Dawn flatly stated. “Mymis. Marvel of Nymera. Home to untold magical artifacts. Masters of spellcraft. Grand Arcanaeum. All there.” Her eyes narrowed at Hawk. “Always wanted to see. No better chance than now. Especially with you. Lanner. Rainbow. Would be… comforting. Better than alone.” After a second to process Dawn’s words, Hawk smiled and opened the door wider. “Well I can’t possibly say no to that. You have supplies for the journey?” “Yes. In the cart.” She spun around and gave Wrangler and Flurry a single nod. “Thank you for the assistance. Glad there was room.” “Ah, it ain’t nothing,” Wrangler said, grinning down at Dawn. Then, shifting her attention to Hawk, she gestured over her shoulder to where a large two-pony cart sat on the hill. “I borrowed the family cart for the trip. Figured it’d be a tad more convenient to load all our supplies up in it instead of hoofing it down the road with all our packs on our backs. It’s got a second harness and everything so two can pull it.” Winking at Hawk, she added, “And I reckon the only stallion in our little party is more than happy to help pull it for his friends.” “What kind of pony would I be if I didn’t?” Hawk asked. Beckoning them inside, he pointed to the couch. “Come in; we’re just cleaning up here, and then we’ll be ready to go. Have a seat in the meanwhile; no sense standing outside when we’re going to be on our hooves all day.” The three ponies made their way into the living room, giving Red Tail their greetings as they did so. Flurry threw herself down on one end of the couch, sighing, only for that sigh to turn into a squawk as Wrangler flopped on the other end, nearly launching the pegasus out of her seat. Dawn instead opted to stand near the corner, eying the open space between the two ponies with distrust, and ignoring Wrangler’s attempts to get her to sit. It only took a few minutes for Lanner and Rainbow to get everything cleaned up and put back in order before their trip. After one last look through her things to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything, Rainbow trotted out into the living room with her bags on her back. Wrangler snickered as she entered and pointed to them. “You need any help carrying all that junk? Don’t want little old you to get crushed on the trail, you know.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. Just because I’m a little shorter than you doesn’t mean I can’t carry my weight.” “A little?” Wrangler asked, a teasing glint in her eyes. “You’re the littlelest outta all of us. Even Lan’s got you beat.” “Hah!” Lanner laughed as she trotted up behind Rainbow, balancing her own bags on her back. “Eat it, shorty!” “Don’t get too excited, Lan,” Flurry said, smiling softly at her. “Rainbow can probably beat you in the air even with a lame wing.” Rainbow met Lanner’s frown by puffing out her chest. “You were there for my airshow, right? If you want, I could teach you a thing or two.” “And I can teach you how to fix your own damn wing the next time you break it,” Lanner grumbled. “Language,” was all Red Tail said from the kitchen table, making Lanner fume even more while the rest of her friends quietly snickered. The five mares stood in semi-awkward silence for a few minutes until they heard Hawk’s hoofsteps on the creaky staircase. A moment later, the brown stallion emerged, likewise carrying his things on his back. Nodding to his friends, he pointed a wing to the door. “Shall we?” A chorus of yeses answered him, and the mares began to shuffle toward the door, Dawn hastily darting outside and away from the claustrophobic doorway. Wrangler and Flurry followed her, but the squeak of wood against wood stopped Hawk, Lanner, and Rainbow from joining them. Red Tail stood up from his chair and paced over from the kitchen, nodding to his children and Rainbow as he did so. “Remember what I said. Stick close to the river, and rest at inns when you can. The roads are safer now than they used to be, but it’s better to sleep somewhere safe when you can help it.” Hawk nodded. “Yes, Dad,” he said, leaning in to give the older stallion a quick hug. “I’ll keep them in line.” “Hmph,” Red Tail replied. “I don’t envy you. Surrounded by five talkative mares. The scholars don’t lie when they say there are worse fates than death.” Lanner frowned and swatted her father’s shoulder. “Dad!” Red Tail made a raspy chuckle and turned to his daughter, wrapping a wing around her. “Your brother’s in charge. Got that?” “Yes, Dad…” “Good.” Releasing Lanner, he took a step back. “Try not to fly too far ahead of them. I know you.” Lanner giggled and waved a wing. “Yeah, yeah. Seeya!” And then she was gone in a clumsy blur of bags and feathers. Finally, Red Tail turned toward Rainbow, and the two ponies stood in awkward silence for a moment. Eventually, however, Red Tail offered his hoof, which Rainbow cautiously took. “While you’re in Mymis, it might pay off to go with Dawn to the Arcanaeum. Maybe one of the mages there can help you out. Whatever you do, I wish you the best.” Rainbow was momentarily taken aback by the kind words, but she forced a smile to her face and shook his hoof. “Thanks, sir. I’ll certainly look into that.” Red Tail nodded and stepped away, ushering Rainbow and Hawk toward the door. “Good to hear. Take care, all of you. And when you get to Mymis, send a falcon. Maybe you can find Ricky.” “Will do, Dad,” Hawk said as he stepped through the doorway and into the morning sun, Rainbow right behind him. In the yard, the other four mares stood around Wrangler’s cart, where Dawn used her magic to carefully load everypony’s things inside. Rainbow and Hawk joined them, and Dawn’s orange magic made short work of the loads on their backs. “Y’all ready to hit the road?” Wrangler asked, fiddling with her harness and rolling her shoulders to get it comfortable. “Are you kidding?! I was born ready!” Lanner exclaimed from the top of the pile of stacked bags. “Onwards! To Mymis and adventure! Hooooooooooo!” Hawk Tail harnessed himself next to Wrangler and tested the straps to make sure they weren’t going to chafe his wings before waving to Red Tail, who stood on the porch. “See you soon, Dad!” “Bye Dad!” Lanner practically screeched from her perch. “Goodbye, Mr. Tail!” “Farewell.” “‘Til next time!” “Seeya!” Rainbow said, waving a hoof as she fell into rhythm beside the cart. From the porch, Red Tail merely waved, then stood there, almost motionless while the cart descended the hill. In a few minutes, they’d left Hawk’s home behind, and before long, the sleepy town of River’s Reach was behind them, with nothing but the flowing river and wide, wide open fields and hills before them. Far, far to the south, Rainbow could just barely make out the peaks of distant mountains. Somewhere around there, Mymis stood, and with it, the next big adventure. She might not remember her home; she might not remember who she was or where she came from, or why she couldn’t remember anything in the first place. But in that moment, listening to her friends happily chatter with each other, supplemented only by the sound of birds and the running water, Rainbow knew one thing. There was no place else she’d rather be.