//------------------------------// // Lunch // Story: A Day With Dad // by MyOpinionIsSuperior //------------------------------// “How about a nice big smile from the father and son?” “Soarin’! Soarin’! Give your son a big hug and a smile for the camera!” “Smile little rainbow cutie!” The flashing lights from the pony paparazzi were a crushing pressure for Rainbow Blitz. The colt covered his eyes with his hooves, attempting to block out the light and hope they would go away. While scheduled family photo shoots were not uncommon, his solo flights to visit friends in Ponyville were relatively peaceful and free from the blinding camera lights. He had always envisioned his future fame to include the photographers, but he had never pictured them to be so invasive and, he hated to admit, scary. What am I gonna do? Everypony is gonna see me freak out just because I’m not used to having my picture taken! I’ll be a laughing stock! My life is over! I-I- Rainbow Blitz’s panicked thoughts were interrupted by a sudden sensation of darkness and… safety? Or was it security? Or both? Blitz didn’t dwell on specifics. Cracking one eye open, he was greeted by a faint glow of pale blue plumage. The sun and camera flashes glowed harmlessly through Soarin’s protective wing. Rainbow Blitz realized he wasn’t even walking anymore; his father had been carrying him on his back, shielding him from the cameras with his wings. Clinging to Soarin’, Blitz could hear the words reverberate through flesh and fur. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask everypony to either put their cameras away or leave. The flash is hurting my son’s eyes, and quite frankly I don’t find it pleasant either. There will be plenty of time in the future to take Blitzy’s photograph, but today is not that time. All we ask is for you to leave us in peace so that we can enjoy a nice father-son lunch together.” The crowd was silent. Rainbow Blitz could feel his father holding his breath, before releasing a groan as the flashes continued again. Soarin’ galloped from the paparazzi, powering his way into a local diner. Blitz clutched to his father’s back, his eyes closed and his muscles tense. “……..” “You can open your eyes now, Blitzy.” Rainbow Blitz’s eyes snapped wide open. Jumping off his father’s back, he stuck his landing and feigned a calm demeanor. “Heh, nothin’ to it. I could’ve-“ His father’s smug smile and raised eyebrow suggested otherwise, causing Blitz to hesitate. Rainbow Blitz’s smile fell and his ears pinned back as he dropped the act. “… made a big joke out of myself in front of all of Equestria. …. Thanks Daddy.” Soarin’ gave his son a sympathetic look. “Now now Blitzy, nopony would’ve made fun of you.” “Oh yeah? What about Golden Delicious?” “Well, she may have-“ “And Gizmo?” “He uh-“ “Pure Connoisseur?” “Yeah… she-“ “Capricorn?” “Hey! Cappy wouldn’t make fun of you for that.” Soarin’ interrupted Blitz as he opened his mouth to speak. “And Surprise wouldn’t make fun of you either. The point is, your friends would have stopped after a few days or until one of them did something embarrassing. Like it or not Blitzy, kids are mean, but at least they forgive and forget easily. Now let’s eat. I’m starving!” Soarin’ and Rainbow Blitz walked over to the diner’s barstools, each taking a seat. White blinds covered the windows as the diner’s employees twisted their holdings to block out the camera flashes. The gruff shouting of a pony could be heard even over the crowd of paparazzi ponies. “GET OUTTA’ HERE YA VULTURES! NOPONY IS STEPPIN HOOF IN HERE UNLESS YA BUY A MEAL. GET ON, SCRAM!” A bulky beige pony with light brown hair walked towards the celebrity duo from the diner’s entrance. He shook his head as he made several audible ‘tuts’ in Soarin’s direction. “Soarin’ ya careless bum! Wadduh ya think you’re doin’ trottin’ around in broad daylight like that? And bringin’ your son too? Kid sticks out like a rainbow hoof. Least you coulda’ done is bought ‘im a cap ta hide that firework display he’s got goin' on toppa’ his head.” “Who you callin’ fireworks, grease trap?!” Rainbow Blitz piped up. “Rainbow Blitz! That is no way to talk to anypony!” Soarin’ rapped Rainbow Blitz on the back of his head and gave an apologetic look to the stallion. “I am so sorry, Pony Joe. My son needs to learn that he doesn’t always have to say the first thing that pops up in his little head.” Pony Joe chuckled and reached a hoof out, ruffling Rainbow Blitz’s hair. “Aint a problem, Soar. Kid’s got spunk; I can appreciate a little firecracker like this one. Better for him ta have some spark to him than ta be a dud.” Blitz pushed Pony Joe’s hoof of off his head and scowled. “Keep makin’ firework jokes and I’ll tell everypony your cutie mark is a bagel.” “You wouldn’t da-… I mean, kid’s got some spirit there, Soarin’.” Pony Joe cleared his throat.” Now then, what can I get ya two lugs?” “I’ll have the glazed apple friMPPPHH!” Rainbow Blitz squeezed his front legs around his father’s muzzle, silencing him mid-order. Turning his head towards Pony Joe, he corrected Soarin’. “He’ll have the green salad with low fat dressing.” Blitz ignored the mumbled protests his father emitted. “We wouldn’t want a certain mommy to find out a certain daddy tried to cheat his diet twice in the same day.” Soarin’ became completely silent. “And I’ll have the grilled cheese kids meal. Can I get chocolate milk, Daddy?” Rainbow Blitz asked, a wide fake grin adorning his face as he still clamped onto his father’s muzzle. Soarin’ gave a rough sigh as he rested his chin on a front leg. “Chocolate milk, Pony Joe. Iced tea for him, with two of those sugar free sweetener packet thingies. I think he deserves a little treat.” “Sure thing, kiddo. Sorry Soarin’, but I aint takin’ the risk of gettin’ on your wife’s bad side. I’m surprised you was willin’ ta take that kinda risk for an apple fritter.” As Pony Joe trotted to the kitchen to deliver the order, Rainbow Blitz released his hold and took a seat next to his father. Awkward silence hung in the air as the two avoided eye contact, waiting for either to start conversation. Blitz alternately swung each back leg in rhythm, while Soarin’ tapped a hoof on the counter. Rainbow Blitz cleared his throat and interrupted the silence. “I uh, didn’t know you were so good with words, Dad. Where’d you learn to talk to a crowd like that?” “What? You think the only thing we do is fly around all day? Wonderbolts are constantly under the paparazzi; you gotta know what to say so that something you didn’t mean doesn’t end up in a tabloid magazine,” Soarin’ replied, a slight chuckle following. “Those are the gossip magazines that print a bunch of horseapples, right?” Blitz asked. “Watch your language young colt. But yes, you’re right. They print a bunch of lies, and ponies believe it anyways because every now and again one of them will wind up being true. Luckily, your mother and I only have to deal with the paparazzi outside of practice. We’re usually so busy all day long until we get home that they don’t get to start many rumors about us. I’m really happy you’ve managed to avoid them for the most part.” Soarin’ paused, thinking about what he had just said. “How do you manage to avoid them?” Rainbow Blitz squirmed on his barstool. Stuttering, he struggled to fabricate a lie. “Oh… I have school Daddy!” Soarin’ raised an eyebrow and frowned at his son’s lie. “You’re in kindergarten Blitzy. School gets out at one in the afternoon. What do you do for five hours?” “I-uh, I practice my flying!” “For five hours everyday? Your wings aren’t developed enough to last that long.” “Visit my friends…” “That’s enough lying Rainbow Blitz. That trip takes almost two hours to fly, and when you do go to Ponyville, we always pick you up. Now tell me the truth!” Rainbow Blitz turned his head, mumbling down at the floor. “Iwmmmnnnmmmmmnnoo.” Soarin’ gave his son a puzzled look. “You do what now?” “Iwmmmnnfmmnymmmnanmmmmtmmmgmmmnhmmm” Soarin’ lost his patience. “For the love of Equestria, speak up Blitzy!” “I SAID I WAIT FOR YOU AND MOM TO GET HOME OKAY!” Blitz’s cheeks were flushed in anger as he hovered in midair. Landing back on his barstool, he avoided making eye contact with his stunned father to hide any straying tears. Soarin’ could barely squeak out a reply. “You what?” Rainbow Blitz wiped his eyes and turned his head towards Soarin’. “Look Dad, not everypony wants to be friends with the celebrity kid. Nopony in my class will talk to me unless it’s asking for Mom’s autograph. They think I’d be as stuck up as Prince Blueblood or somepony from the top of Canterlot. Just because I was born into greatness or something, they won’t even talk to me. And I don’t go into town cuz, well, you already saw what happened. I’m not ready to handle all those cameras… yet.” The dead silence that followed was agonizing for Soarin’. He tapped a front hoof on the bar to break it, his ears pinned back in discomfort. Say something Soarin’! You have to do or say something… anything! Your son needs you… but what do I say? Oh man, what am I gonna do? If only Rainbow Dash was here, she’d know what to say. This is all my fault; I should’ve spent more time asking him how his day was instead of just taking ‘good’ for an answer. No! Can’t beat myself up over that. It’s too late now. I gotta fix this, the poor kid needs… he needs…. “Say Blitzy,” Soarin’ began, rubbing a hoof behind his head. “How about I talk to Spitfire about getting you a pass to the Wonderbolts’ training stadium? You could come after school and watch our routines. Maybe get a mini private lesson from your mother and me on our breaks,” He’ finished with a wink. “Really?!” Rainbow Blitz squealed. Soarin’ smiled in relief at the ecstatic grin plastered on his son’s face. The sentimentality was shattered by the sound of a gruff voice. “All right ya bums! Green salad with iced tea and a grilled cheese kids meal with the good stuff. Chow down!”