Rainbow Dash looked to the man and landed. Hard.
James turned to her and smiled. “Evening, Rainbow Dash.” His smile faded as he looked at her face, she was furious and it looked like her anger was directed at him. “What's wrong?” Had he done something to her that he didn't realize? Had something happened to Scootaloo?
Rainbow Dash was furious, and as much as she just wanted to attack him, as much as she wanted to see him dead right now she couldn't let herself not say her peace. “You! You're what's wrong!” She accused, her voice dripping with venom.
This couldn't be the Rainbow Dash he knew. At least he really hoped it wasn't. He moved his arm behind his back and carefully typed out a message on his omnitool to send to Lucca and Tali. They were the top contacts in his messages so it was either them or Tali and Liara he was messaging or even an invalid address, he didn't know. He hoped it came out as “keep clear handling incident will contact when over” but he couldn't be sure as he wasn't able to check the message. “Please, tell me what I did to make you this angry.” If this was going to come to blows, as it looked like it would, he wanted as much information as possible before hand.
“Tell you what you did?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “You murdered Pops, that's what you did!” Her jaw clenched as she tried to calm herself. “You took Pops from me. I'll never speak to him again. I'll never play games with him again. I'll never hug him again. I'll never even see him again.” Her breathing was getting heavier and her eyes were burning. The pain she felt that day had returned tenfold. “You bastard!” She managed to spit out weakly.
James knew who this was. He knew that this was possible, though he would have thought more than just Rainbow Dash would have come. He was just grateful that it wasn't Sara or Amber. “I don't know what you're feeling, but I've been down the road you walk Rainbow Dash. Please, let me help …” He said before being cut off.
“Shut up!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “Just shut up! None of that matters now!” Rainbow Dash screamed as hot tears rolled down her face. She didn't want to cry, but it was happening anyway.
James calmly looked at her, his face sympathetic.
“Don't you dare look at me like that!” She blinked away her tears as she focused on him. Why wasn't he moving?
James closed his eyes for a moment, he thought about who was standing in front of him, about what could happen. “Do what you must.” James patiently said. “And so will I.”
***
Rainbow Dash was pushing herself to get to Twilight's Castle as soon as possible, she hadn't even bothered to change out of her Wonder Bolts uniform in her rush. The letter for her arrived just before dawn and she had to get back. Fortunately Spitfire understood the urgency and told her to check it out and contact them right away if the problem was serious.
If that copy did anything to her friends there was going to be trouble. As fast as the castle came into view she was inside, flying towards the throne room.
***
This is suicide! Rainbow Dash reminded herself. Remembering the aftermath of Pops' battle she knew there was no way she could win, but if he killed her too at least she wouldn't be in pain.
Her heart pounded, but if it was from fear or anger she didn't know. She'd never been in a fight she wasn't excited for before and she hated the feeling now that she didn't have any confidence in it's outcome. With a scream she lunged at James, ready for oblivion at the hands of the monster that took Pops from her.
***
Twilight's fears were confirmed by Rainbow Dash's arrival, but it was just as well that she had come. If there was trouble they would need all the help they could get. “Rainbow Dash. I'm glad to see you. We're already trying to find her just to make sure nothing happens.”
“I'll get out there too.” Rainbow Dash offered as she turned around.
“No.” Twilight quickly said. “She looks just like you, no strange cutie mark even. So if we lose sight of you we could make a mistake and let her go.”
“I'm in my Wonderbolts uniform, you'll know it's me.” Rainbow Dash said, eager to get out and handle the situation.
“Unless she has one too. You'll be with me so we can keep sight of you while we look.” Twilight said as she got up. Without further delay they flew out over Ponyville.
***
Her strike connected on James's face and his sympathetic expression did not change. She continued to beat on him, hoping that he would soon hit back but he didn't move. Didn't stop looking at her with pity. He never even tried to defend himself.
***
In the center of town the girls tried to think about where they may not have checked yet. Each idea being shot down as it was offered.
“So we've totally lost her.” Rainbow Dash moaned. She had come out here because this was important but it seemed that she was too late.
“Not exactly.” Rarity chimed in. “I may know where she is.”
“Really, where? Did you see her?” Twilight asked. This was big, if she had seen her why hadn't she told anyone.
“No, I haven't seen her.” Rarity admitted before she began to explain her position. “But I thought more about those clues we found the other day. She's using New Guardian slang, and humming a song from James's favorite opera. She must have gone to New Guardia. And I don't believe she's a copy, she must be from another world.”
“Why would I know anything from an opera?” Rainbow Dash asked, latching onto the wrong part.
“How would she even get here then? And why?” Applejack asked.
“Maybe she knows how fun it is here with all of us and came by to be our friend?” Pinkie Pie happily offered.
Twilight's eyes opened wide as she realized there may be one group that would come, and why. “I don't think there was anything happy about this visit.” She said, the fear of her realization easily heard in her voice.
“Why do you think she came?” Fluttershy timidly asked. She didn't really know if she wanted the answer but not knowing would be even worse.
“I think she want's revenge.” Twilight quietly said, more to herself than as an announcement. She looked to the group and stood up. “Girls, we have to get to New Guardia now! Maybe we can help her before she makes a huge mistake.” Twilight's horn glowed as they vanished and appeared in front of her door to James's world.
***
Rainbow Dash's relentless assault had continued without rest for nearly an hour, but eventually even she began to tire. A cry of frustration escaped her as she unleashed her last attack. A great explosion rang out as a rainbow radiated from where she had broken the sound barrier. She knew that if this hit landed at her speeds it would likely kill her too, but she didn't care.
It never came.
She felt as though something were holding her in place no matter how she tried to move. She could see the glowing edges of the light surrounding her that originated from a small emitter in the wall, stopping her while keeping her inertia from tearing her apart as it did. The tractor beam that used to lower the chandelier to be cleaned still had a few uses apparently.
She looked at James helplessly as the light vanished and she dropped like a stone. Her best attempt hadn't even made contact. She could now only muster the strength and will to sit up as she dropped her head in defeat. “Just get it over with.” She just wished it would be quick, she was done with it all. Despair consumed her.
She listened to the steps as James approached and she waited for the killing blow. She trembled as he knelt in front of her and reached his arms around her. Any moment and it would be all over, she could hopefully see Pops again or if not at least she wouldn't be in pain anymore.
She knew this was the only possible outcome, but now that it was here all she felt was regret. Regret for coming here, regret for how she had treated her friends, regret for locking herself away. She just wanted to go home and apologize for everything, but she couldn't now. Some lessons are learned too late.
“It's alright Rainbow Dash.” James whispered as he gently held the mare trembling in both fear and anger. “I'm here for you.”
Rainbow Dash's chest heaved as she nearly began to cry as she heard Pops gently talking to her once more, holding her as she tried so desperately to understand what she was now feeling. She had hated this man for what he had done. But here he was, no different than Pops.
James silently held her for a moment longer before speaking again. “It's okay to cry Sweetheart.” He quietly said.
Rainbow Dash couldn't contain herself any longer as she clearly heard Pops' comforting words. She was home again and everything was alright. She cried harder than she thought she could as her anger gave way to relief and she could finally face her pain. Face what her friends had been telling her, that the monster that had taken Pops from her had been Pops himself.
She tried to talk at first, but every breath she took came out only as another wail as she buried her face in James's chest. Eventually she stopped trying and just held on, happy to have him back.
Minutes passed cradled in his arms while she wished she could hate him again. But she didn't, she couldn't now that she knew who he was, even if he wasn't really.
***
Rainbow Dash was the first to see James holding her counterpart as she cried like a child in his arms. It was really embarrassing. “Uh, let's give them a minute.” She said awkwardly to the rest of the group. It was obvious now that the confrontation had either already occurred, or she didn't have the heart to do it.
“Can't you hear that, Rainbow Dash? The poor thing is suffering.” Rarity said as she picked up her pace towards the pair.
Twilight realized that she never needed to worry. Now all that she felt for the visitor was sympathy. “Rainbow Dash.” She said as she walked past. “My friend is out there crying. And I'm going to her just like I would for you.”
Pinkie Pie was already crying as she ran past the rest and joined in the hug. Followed shortly by Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head as she looked back to the scene. “I guess it's just a little weird from this angle.”
Applejack shook her head as she looked to her friend. “This is James. Weird is something you should be expecting by now.” Rainbow Dash agreed as they walked to be with the group.
It wasn't long after the girls arrived that Rainbow Dash's counterpart finally managed to let go of James. As she looked to the man she had wanted to kill, or more accurately have kill her, she saw only the man that she had lost. “I'm so sorry Pops. I just miss you so much.”
“I understand Sweetheart.” James said calmly. He could be a surrogate for now, just so she could say what she needed and get some closure. He had hurt her too much already.
“Uh, could you explain the whole Pops/Sweetheart thing. It's really weirding me out here.” Rainbow Dash said as she looked to them. She preferred the crying over this, and couldn't help but blush as she listened.
Her counterpart smiled as she looked to herself. “I've always called him Pops.” She said as if it were the only possible answer.
“And I sometimes call my daughters Sweetheart.” James added with a shrug. “As I understand it, her Pops was like a second father to her so I figured he called her that too. Just letting her know that I care too.”
“Yeah Pops, you would. A lot.” Her counterpart laughed and smiled as she looked to the gathering. All of her closest friends were here. “But you weren't really like a father to me, you were my best friend. I think it was everyone else who thought of you like another dad. Speaking of, I guess this must be how Twilight feels with two of her around.”
“There's two Twilights in your world?” Rainbow Dash asked, surprised.
“Yeah, the princess came from another time line and decided to stay. I guess you didn't stay and that was the big difference between us.” Rainbow Dash looked to Pinkie Pie and seemed to be looking at her ears. “I keep expecting to see your flower Pinkie.” She added with a smile.
“My flower?” Pinkie Pie asked, not understanding at all. “Does my Pinkie Sense not work in your world? Do I always have a flower pot on my head? Do flowers grow out of my ears?!” She continued with increasing intensity, making Rainbow Dash's counterpart laugh.
“Pinkie, I think she means you've usually got flour on you. You are rather messy when you bake.” Rarity said with a grin.
“No, the blue silk flowers Pops gave her.” Rainbow Dash's counterpart laughed. The more she thought about it the more she realized just how different things were, no matter how similar they seemed to be. “She got her first one from him when they met and he would give her another each year. It was only recently that I actually saw her wearing the original.”
Rainbow Dash's counterpart refused to let James go as they moved their conversation to the den, forcing him to carry her. Not that he really minded, she'd been through a lot and he was happy to help her feel better in any way he could. This really embarrassed Rainbow Dash as she followed behind them with her wing over her face.
***
The day slowly turned to night as they talked about their respective universes. Rainbow Dash's counterpart sharing stories of her Pops and her friends, occasionally forgetting that this was his first time hearing them too.
As they spoke another pony arrived, one Rainbow Dash's counterpart certainly didn't expect. “Here you all are.” Starlight said with a smile as she walked into the den.
Rainbow Dash's counterpart's jaw dropped as she saw the unicorn. “Starlight Glimmer?” She asked, amazed. She knew something had happened and James had taken in a unicorn foal that looked just like the full grown mare standing in the doorway. But he had never said what.
Starlight laughed as she saw the look on her face. “I guess you're surprised I'm not a foal.” She said as she walked in. “Well, fortunately James has never been that mad at me.” She said as she nudged James with her hoof.
“Wow, I knew something terrible happened to you but I never thought …” Rainbow Dash's counterpart stated to say.
“That I was responsible?” James offered as Rainbow Dash's counterpart looked away.
Starlight nodded. “I was lucky that this James was the one to find us, and that Twilight gave me a chance to become a better pony.” She had been disturbed by the news of what James had done to her in that world, but she couldn't hate him for what he could have done under different circumstances. She had to believe the James she knew was different.
“What I don't get,” Starlight said as she looked at the two. “is why you didn't take my filly self back to my father.”
James shook his head. “I can't really speak for him, but I know it would devastate me to know something like that had happened to Amber or Sara and I wouldn't want to put your father through that.” He also assumed guilt at what he had done had played a factor but that wasn't much of an argument.
“You don't know my dad.” Starlight chuckled. “He'd be overjoyed to find I was a filly again.”
James shook his head again. “Speaking as a father who often wishes his little girls would stay just that forever: Thinking about what that means is horrifying.” James sighed, this evening had turned upside down in a hurry. And judging by how this Rainbow Dash was hanging off him, it was going to be a challenge to convince her to go home. That was possibly going to end up being a rehash of his conversation with his counterpart's daughters.
“Everything alright now?” Lucca asked as she opened the door.
James nodded as he turned to his wife. “Yeah, just dealing with a little fallout.”
Lucca looked around the group, her eyes fixing on Rainbow Dash who was pressed so close to his side as to practically be on his lap. “What kind of fallout?” her tone was just a little too calm.
James's blood ran cold for a moment at Lucca's tone. He was aware of how this may look given that Lucca wouldn't be able to see the other Rainbow Dash in his chair from her perspective. “Rainbow Dash here lost a good friend recently and needed to vent her frustrations.” He explained, rubbing her shoulder slightly.
Lucca's tone softened as she spoke again. James would always lend an ear to those in pain and the two were already pretty close. It had just been a knee jerk reaction. “I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?” She immediately thought that Rainbow Dash had come to the conclusion so many others had, that James could bring back the dead. He couldn't, any soul that lingered too long even in a false body would eventually suffer and turn into a monster. At best he could give them some time. Other universes could bring back the dead, but no matter how he may try, James did not have that power.
“Thanks Big Sis, but I'm doing much better now.” Rainbow Dash's counterpart said.
This caught Lucca's attention immediately. Rainbow Dash never called her Big Sis, even Scootaloo wouldn't call her that.
“Big Sis?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Let me guess, like when you call James “Pops” it's just how you know them.”
Rainbow Dash's counterpart nodded. “Yeah, she's had me calling her Big Sis since I was a filly.”
Lucca walked forward and found the second pegasus in her husband's chair. “Okay, I think you're going to have to start from the top.” She had no idea what was going on, the closest to a clue was that a couple years ago James had gone to kill a version of himself that was seriously abusing the power he had received from the ponies. But that didn't offer a good explanation for all this.
James shook his head. “I think I'll tell you later. Is that alright?” James said as he gave a weak smile to his wife.
It didn't take any more than that for Lucca to realize that James was trying to spare Rainbow Dash's feelings by not openly talking about it. Only now did she have any guess as to just what the hell his message to her and Liara had been.
“I'm sorry for all of this girls.” Rainbow Dash's counterpart said as she looked around the room. “I … I just missed Pops.” She took a breath before she continued. “I know that doesn't make up for anything I've done, but I hope you can still forgive me.”
Her apology was met with acceptance as the girls brushed it off. They could see that she was hurting and desperate. Though the tone of her apology did catch them off guard.
“That sounded a lot like you apologizing, James.” Starlight said as she looked to the two sitting on the couch. James must have had a much bigger impact on her life than they thought.
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “I mean it was a good apology. Just seemed more like something you would say.”
Rainbow Dash's counterpart shrugged. “Do it right the first time and you don't have to do it again.” She said with a smile. “And I make sure to learn my lessons.”
“Now that's not my influence.” James said with a laugh. “I just keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Think maybe she got it from you Applejack?”
***
The alternate Rainbow Dash stayed behind as the rest of the ponies went home. She had smiled more in that one day than she had for the last few months. “So Pops” She started to say before catching herself. “… I know you're not Pops, I just …” She closed her eyes and sighed. “May I keep calling you Pops?” She asked.
James shrugged, he didn't particularly care what she called him. Though if she started calling him a bastard again he may get concerned. “Fine with me. What can I do for you?”
Rainbow Dash's counterpart looked around a bit before saying anything. She didn't want to impose on him, especially after trying to kill him, then crying on him, then finally treating him like Pops. “It's just … I don't really want to go home yet.” She hesitantly said. “Would it be alright if I stayed here?” She asked with a smile. “Just for a little while.” She hastily added.
James nodded and showed her to one of the empty guest rooms. “You can use this room. Just until you feel better about things.” James started to walk away before he suddenly stopped and turned around. “Oh, one thing. I need you to give me the Epoch. I trust you, but I'd rather not have a time machine floating around unaccounted for.”
“Sure thing Pops.” The alternate Rainbow Dash happily said as she collected the capsule with her mouth and gave it to him.