Mapping Manehattan

by The Red Parade


apologizing

Fiddle blinks a few times, unsure if she should fight or just take it. But she quickly realizes the pony isn’t aiming a weapon at her.

A few tears well in her eyes, but she isn’t sure if they’re from emotion or pain. Another pegasus in a yellow raincoat crouches next to her, pulling some bandages from the bag at her side. Lightning Dust looks her in the eye, shameful and worried.

Fiddle grunts as Whitey wraps a bandage around her side. Lightning says something about they ran into each other in the city. She breaks eye contact and scuffs at the ground. Underneath her breath she offers an apology.

To anyone else, it may have felt insincere. But Fiddle knows Lightning, and she knows the hesitation is from shame, not cowardice. She nods. She’s sorry too. 

Fiddle sighs, squeezing her eyes shut in pain as Whitey works on her wound. She’s sorry for not telling Lightning about what happened to her while expecting her to know. And she’s sorry for lashing out: Lightning doesn’t deserve it.

Lightning nods. She apologizes for storming off like that and letting Fiddle get hurt. She should have known better than that.

Whitey gives Fiddle some pain killers and helps her up. She tells her that it’s just a surface wound, and she’ll be fine. Lightning approaches Fiddle and pulls her into a hug. As strong as she is, she starts to cry.

They stand in the rain, holding each other and blocking out the world. Whitey smiles and lets them have their moment.

Eventually they part, rubbing their eyes and chuckling to themselves. Fiddle suggests they head back to the hotel. Lightning readily agrees with her.

The three trot down the road as the rain assaults them relentlessly. But Fiddle and Lightning don’t care. They march onwards, with tired smiles and happy laughs. They pass the convention center again, and Lightning pauses.

She watches as the battered tarps falter in the wind and gazes over the boarded up windows and broken doors. Her eyes pass over the empty crates and still vehicles, and the puddles on the ground and the graffiti on the walls.

A part of her wishes she went to Canterlot, but in her heart she knows she did the right thing. Let Spitfire and the others save what’s left of Equestria. Right now, she wants to be with Fiddle.

Eventually they pass through the gate and back into the city. Whitey spreads her wings and bids them farewell, heading back to the Precinct.

They thank her and wish the best, before continuing down the roads and streets. The moonlight reflects off of the puddles in the road, breaking through the dreary cloud cover overhead. The storm begins to waver as the rain starts to lighten.

As they continue down a sidewalk, Fiddle watches as the rainwater rushes down the gutters and into the drain, dropping out of sight. She presses herself closer to Lightning, who drapes a wing over her.