//------------------------------// // Part 6: The Best that I Can // Story: Poison Whiskey // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// “Innocence is wasted And I'm so sorry that you never can replace it The darkest road ahead, you're gonna have to face it Cause I can't always be there For now I'll do the best I…” The Best I Can: Miracle of Sound: Level 3: 2013 Cloudsdale: Shy Family Home: Mrs. Shy gaped wordlessly at the legendary flier who was at her doorstep. Quickly regaining her composure, she gestured for Spitfire to come inside with a hoof. “I...I wasn’t expecting you to drop by, what a surprise. Don’t mind little old me. O-Oh, d-do please come in,” Mrs. Shy stammered out and flushed in embarrassment at how awkward she must have been making herself look in front of the mare. She then asked politely as she could: “Would you like some tea, I can put some on the kettle if you want?” “Coffee would be good,” Spitfire answered simply. She smiled slightly at the mare’s kindness, despite being here for business reasons. As Mrs. Shy walked off to the kitchen, Spitfire took off her signature sunglasses. The home seemed enough, it actually reminded her of those old family suburban homes you saw on those black and white television programs. She sat down next to Fluttershy on the couch. “I assume you’re not here just to be a good neighbor?” the stallion who Spitfire could only guess to be Fluttershy’s father asked. She raised an eyebrow when she saw his sweater. “Yep, definitely like one of those old black and white programs,” Spitfire thought to herself. “Not as shy as I was expecting. From what that idiot Zephyr told me when he tried out for the Wonderbolts, they were supposedly doormats. Course, he was about as unreliable as they came, and always was trying to hand off his duties to anypony he could find. And then there was the flirting… Celestia above…” Spitfire continued to think to herself as she tried to relax and stop looking like she was here to deliver grave news or get angry at somepony. However, thinking about Fluttershy’s idiot of a brother never failed to get her angry. And it was showing, as both Mr. Shy and his daughter flinched from the expression on her face. “Small wonder we had to let him go, and that’s putting it nicely. Half the time I wanted to strap him to the Dizzitron and just set it to its highest level and see how far he flew and how badly he crash-landed.” Spitfire let out a small growl, and Fluttershy inched a little farther away from the Wonderbolt Flight Commander. Mr. Shy tried to sink as low into the couch as he possibly could. It was admittedly a comical sight really. Of course, it was about this time Spitfire finally noticed how uncomfortable she was making everypony. “Sorry, just thinking about something.” Spitfire admitted, slightly flushing red. Fluttershy gave her a half-lidded, deadpan stare. “Zephyr?” Fluttershy asked flatly, knowing exactly the kind of reactions he could generate from anypony who’d ever met her layabout of a brother. Sometimes she wondered how she was even in the same gene pool as him, much as she hated to admit it. “Yeah, how’d you guess?” Spitfire asked, admittedly surprised at how her accurate her guess was. “I know my brother, and the kind of anger he can stir up in anypony.” Fluttershy said dryly. “Dear,” Mr. Shy said, trying to defend his son. “Zephyr’s… just trying to find his place in life, that’s all. Not his fault he constantly goes through constant job changes.” “Wouldn’t go that far…” Fluttershy murmured to herself while Spitfire rolled her eyes. It was about then her mother returned with a cup of coffee which she placed in front of Spitfire. Mrs. Shy noticed the awkward silence permeating the room. She flushed red in embarrassment again, knowing exactly what, or rather who could have caused this. She sighed to herself and whispered “Oh son, what’d you do this time…?” quietly to herself in an almost inaudible tone of voice. Almost. “So, looks like even Mrs. Shy admits her son has a… Problem.” Spitfire mumbled to herself, not knowing Zephyr's mother had heard. “Subject change! Subject change!” Mrs. Shy thought to herself rapidly. “So, what brought you here Mrs. Flare?” “Please, don’t call me by that name,” Spitfire requested. “Makes me think my mother’s in the room with me.” “Er… Yes, sorry,” Mrs. Shy laughed nervously. “So, why are you here again?” “Been looking for your daughter-in-law. Hasn’t shown up for flying practice today, and she always, and I mean always shows up for that,” Spitfire stated. “I’ll admit, I am getting a bit worried. Just wanted to come around to see if you know if anything’s happened to her.” “Er… Actually, I can answer that,” Fluttershy replied, and Spitfire turned her head to her at once. As much as Fluttershy hated to be put in the spotlight, she knew she had to clear things up at once. She didn’t want to chance her wife losing her dream job after all. “Something’s come up, something a bit more important than the Wonderbolts.” “That’s surprising, I thought nothing was more important to her than the ‘Bolts or you,” Spitfire said in a surprised tone of voice, eyebrow arching itself again. Fluttershy’s head turned, and Spitfire followed her gaze along with it, to a certain orange filly playing with a soccer ball in the front yard. Both of the pegasi were rather surprised Scootaloo hadn’t taken notice of Spitfire actually flying up to the Shy Family Home’s doorstep. “Oh… Is that…?” Spitfire trailed off, vaguely remembering this little sister of hers that Rainbow often bragged about. Fluttershy confirmed Spitfire’s suspicions with a nod. “So, what’s the problem?” “It’s… complicated, and some of it Rainbow wants to keep secret for the time being.” Fluttershy admitted. “That bad huh?” Spitfire asked and Fluttershy nodded again. The Captain of the Wonderbolts let out a long sigh. “Alright, tell me what’s happened, all of it.” “Alright, but first I need to know that I can trust you with a secret,” Fluttershy said in an unusually firm tone of voice. “What I’m about to say cannot, and I mean cannot leave this room, understand?” “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Spitfire replied. Fluttershy sighed sadly. “Scootaloo… She’s more than a little sister to my wife. She’s her daughter.” She said. Spitfire’s jaw dropped a considerable amount. “Wow, can’t say I was expecting that…” Spitfire muttered after regaining the function of speech. “Does she know?” When Fluttershy and her parents shook their heads, Spitfire muttered to herself quietly “You gotta be kidding me. Like a Spanish Telenovela here…” “Still doesn’t explain Dash’s absence, though,” Spitfire stated. “There’s more to this isn’t there?” Fluttershy nodded. “Yes… About that…” She said sadly before explaining everything as best as she could. As soon as she was done, Spitfire had a look of absolute fury on her face that probably could quell a raging Manticore and send it packing back towards its den. “If I ever meet those… bastards, I’m going to slap them on the Dizzitron whether they like it or not and set it to its highest setting and send them flying. See how they like it when they’re the ones getting hurt for a change,” Spitfire thought as she took a long sip of her coffee. “And I assume Dash is doing… something relating to this?” “Yeah, trial’s been on her mind, gnawing away at her really, ever since Princess Luna told her about it,” Fluttershy replied. “She’s been researching everything she would need to know as part of the prosecution. Throwing herself into law-books, anything and everything that might help her.” “Now there’s something I never thought I’d see coming, Rainbow throwing herself into books,” Spitfire joked, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Can’t say I blame her though. Princess Twilight’s helping her I assume?” Fluttershy nodded again. Spitfire’s gaze once again found itself wandering to the small filly outside. Or more specifically, her wings. She noted that while they buzzed and Scootaloo could hover for a few seconds, that was about it. She never seemed to achieve real flight. Spitfire frowned in worry, she knew that Rainbow never drank in her life but she also knew that anypony carrying a filly while drinking risked the possibility of the filly’s wings coming out underdeveloped. Spitfire also knew that given what Fluttershy had told her, Rainbow might have been extremely worried about turning out like her father and may have gotten anxious and turned to the drink just to calm herself. She was young and foolish as well. Combine those factors, and you got yourself a frightening possibility. “No, no, that makes no sense whatsoever,” Spitfire chided herself. “If Rainbow was so worried about turning out like her father, she never would have even turned to the drink at all. I’m no shrink, but even I can figure that out. You’re just being overly paranoid Spits, that’s all. Scootaloo may simply be a late-bloomer, you were yourself you know.” Spitfire took one last sip of her coffee, before getting up off the couch to leave. She turned her head back towards Fluttershy just as she headed for the door. “My advice, secret’s going to come out sooner or later,” Spitfire stated. “Best Scootaloo hears it from either you or your wife instead of her adoptive parents. Tell her, and the sooner the better.” With that, she stepped out the front door and flew off into the skies leaving Fluttershy to think on her words. “Yeah, how hard can that be…?” Fluttershy mused to herself as her mother wrapped a wing around her in support and pulled her in closer for a hug. Ponyville: Castle of Friendship: “C’mon, there’s got to be something in here that can help me!” Rainbow growled mentally in frustration as she flipped through the pages of various law books in hopes of finding what she was looking for. Behind the armchair she sat in, lay piles of books Dash had already rejected. A lavender hoof set a cup of tea beside her on a nearby table. “Rainbow, why don’t you take a break?” Twilight’s voice asked kindly. “You’ve been going at this for hours.” “No, I’m not taking a break!” Rainbow snapped, making Twilight flinch. “Not until I can find something that’ll help me win this damn court case!” For once, Twilight didn’t even chide Dash for her cursing, understanding how much stress her friend was under. “Keep chomping at the bit like that, and you’ll wear yourself out,” A familiar voice said as the sound of claws tapping against the floor, followed by a pair of hoof-steps made themselves known. “The egghead’s right. You need to just sit down and relax for a bit.” Rainbow looked up, and her eyes widened as she saw a familiar set of white and lavender tinged feathers on a face she knew all too well with a sharp yellow beak at the end of it. But that wasn’t the only familiar face as well. Following her was a mare with Rainbow’s coat color, but with a short cropped scarlet mane style. “Gilda, what are you doing here?” Rainbow asked in shock. “No, actually a better question is what are you doing here with my mother?” “...No offense Dashie, but I was expecting a warmer greeting.” Windy said. “Well, considering I haven’t seen you in the past… Oh, what was it, fifteen years since you walked out on me and dad and then just show up out of the blue you should have expected something like this.” Rainbow growled. “Y-You have to understand,” Windy stuttered out, as Twilight quietly stepped out of the room knowing this was a personal matter and she had no business being here. “I was scared of your father, we all were! I… I just couldn’t take it anymore!” “But you could have done a better job of protecting me, instead you just walked out!” Rainbow snapped. “Listen, Dash, your mother…” Gilda began. “She’s here for a reason, and not just to catch up on old times.” “Yeah, what’s that?” Rainbow grumbled. “Dashie, you’re not going to like this, but Scootaloo’s adoptive parents…” Windy began, being careful not to say their real names as she knew Rainbow would get even more furious if she did. “They asked me to be their defendant in the court case.” Rainbow’s jaw dropped. “...Please tell me you’re joking.” She muttered, hoping she’d fallen asleep from boredom and that this was all a bad dream. “Sadly, it isn’t a joke Dash,” Gilda stated. It was about this time Rainbow noticed she and her mother had their tails intertwined. “No, it couldn’t be… I know Gilda always had an eye for the older mares, but this… This is beyond ridiculous.” Rainbow thought to herself. “Windy here, she’s a lawyer, and evidently, those bastard parents you placed your daughter with are thinking that because she’s Scootaloo’s grandmother, she’ll sway in their favor,” Gilda growled out, and Rainbow noted the accusing tone in her voice. Her ears fell flat in guilt at the tone. She deserved that. “Believe me Dashie, I know what I’m doing here is wrong, but I’d rather have me defending them than some slimy lawyer would love nothing better than to win this court case and get all the money he’s getting paid,” Windy stated. “I should point out, even if Windy does win,” Gilda said quickly, noting the look on Rainbow’s face, “She won’t get a lot of money anyways. Those assholes aren’t exactly the biggest money-earners you know. She’s doing this for you, making sure you have the best chance of winning as possible.” It was a long time before Rainbow spoke again, but when she did, she let out a small and softly whispered: “Thank you.” Windy smiled weakly before Rainbow shared one of her own before it turned into a smirk as she looked towards her old flight camp buddy. “So, you and my mom huh? You shacked up I assume?” Rainbow teased. “S-Shut up!” Gilda snapped, blushing red. “I-It just happened, okay! It’s just one of those things, y’know! We’re not serious! Just a fling, that’s it!” “Yeah, sure,” Rainbow teased. “Those tails of yours, that’s not saying you’re in a committed relationship at all.” Gilda could only grumble something quite rude as Rainbow laughed her flank off.