//------------------------------// // The truth // Story: Racing Hearts // by Lazzari //------------------------------// After Fluttershy told Soarin about what had happened with her parents, it was easier to understand why she had him as primary contact for emergencies. But he now had a new question. Why? Why did she trust him so much that she would put him as primary contact? Why didn't she just keep Fluttershy as the primary contact and make him a secondary? They hadn't been together very long. 'Does she really love me that much?' Soarin thought to himself. His thought process was cut off by something bumping into his leg. He had been sitting on the couch in Rainbows' house watching TV for about three hours after Fluttershy left after finishing up Dashs' room, which was already on the bottom floor. He looked down to see a... turtle? No, right, tortoise. Dash had corrected him enough times about it. He smiled down at Tank and picked him up gently and placed him on his lap, and gently rubbed his neck. "Heh, hey Tank, don't worry, Dash will be home soon." He said, continuing to pet Tank and watch TV. It seemed weird to him that the tortoise loved being pet like a dog or a cat would, but he wouldn't question it if that's what he liked. He had also remembered that since dash couldn't do a whole lot that he would have to take care of Tank as well. Fluttershy had been looking after him while Dash was in the hospital. Soarin looked around the room he was in. It was Dashs' living room, decorated with rainbow-themed items. Despite Dash being a very brash and tomboyish woman, she had many girly things. One of them being A huge pink mirror in her bedroom. Rainbow was the last person he expected to like girly things when they first met. He smiled as he remembered a more recent memory. ***six months earlier*** "Okay Soarin, you have to promise not to laugh when you walk in..." Rainbow said, blushing a bit. Soarin smiled at her and gave her a quizzical look. "Dashie, why in Equestria would I laugh at your house?" He asked, a bit confused. 'What could possibly be so embarrassing to her?' He thought. "Just promise, OK!" She shouted, giving him an angry pout. Soarin chuckled and nodded. "Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Soarin recited the pinkie promise, making Dash giggle. Feeling content Dash turned to unlock the door. Soarin watched her movements carefully, this was the first time Dash was letting him in her house. He had dropped her off here multiple times before after she had gotten drunk at parties. She always protested though when Soarin asked to come in and help her to her bed. So, needless to say, he was very excited to see his girlfriend's house for the first time. As the door opened she led him in. His eyes widened when he looked around. Dash had her back turned to him, so he quickly shoved the knuckle of his hand into his mouth and bit on it to help him stifle laughter. Dashs' walls were pink! Many girly colorful picture frames and decorations adorned the walls, all in the colors of the rainbow. Her house was extremely hectic, seeing as you couldn't look at one thing for too long, as your eyes would be drawn to another thing in mere seconds. Suddenly he felt a punch on his arm. It hurt, but it didn't move him at all. He looked down to see Dash glaring very angrily up at him, pouting and puffing her cheeks out, all while an angry red blush spread across her face. He bit down harder on his knuckle, trying to stop the laughter but it didn't stop from a few snorts coming out. "Oh, come on Soarin! I know it's bad but you could at least pretend it's not that bad!" She said pouting even more at him. Soarin chuckled and get up behind her and picked her up, face to face, and smirked at her. "Dashie, this is probably the craziest mish-mash of colors I have ever seen. But it fits you to a tea." He said, giving her a devious look. Dash smirked and gave him an equally devious look. "You callin' me crazy?" She asked, giving him a smarmy look. Soarin didn't hesitate. "Yes, but your the best kind of crazy and you're my type of crazy." He said, kissing her neck gently. Dash shivered and sighed happily. She gently threw her arms around Soarin's neck and her legs around his waist, holding onto him as he kissed her. Soarin gently guided them to the wall behind Dash and began kissing her neck more and running his hands all over her. He could hear Dashs' soft moans of delight as he did. He felt her hand guide his chin up to look at her. She smirked and gave him the most lust-filled bedroom eyes as she could. "Bedroom is over there." She said pointing to a purple door behind the couch. Soarin smirked and moved them off the wall. He shifted to held her bridal style as he walked towards the door with her in his arms. *** Soarin Blushed and chuckled goofily as he remembered the day. After their fun, he offered to help her redecorate her house. She had agreed but only requesting the change of the walls to a cyan blue color, and shifting around some furniture to help make the house look less cluttered and hectic. The house now had many of the items he had seen, scattered about the house. Making it appear more open and appealing to the eyes. The cyan blue was also a nicer touch. He'd be lying if he said he didn't absolutely hate that pink color she had before. Soarin flinched as he felt something soft suddenly brush up against his neck. He turned his head all the way around and saw nothing. "What the... Eh, must have just been my hair or something." He turned to look back at Tank, who was still sitting happily in his lap. He smiled as he continued to pet him. He then felt the softness against his leg. He looked down and had to blink a few times to see it. He would have missed it for sure if it not for the white wooden floors of the house clashing against the black fur. Laying on the floor next to his leg, was a very dark black cat. The cat looked up at him and just stared. "Huh? When in the fuck did Dash get a cat?" He said out loud to nobody in particular. He stared back at the cat's bright green eyes as he continued to try and contemplate what he was looking at. Dash would have told him if she had gotten a cat, right? What the hell was it doing here? And why the hell hasn't it stopped staring at me? Suddenly the cat got up and jumped up on top of Tanks shell. It sat straight up, practically showing off its collar. Soarin hesitated to touch it, fearing that the cat was aggressive to intruders. But he held his hand out gently to the cat, it didn't respond so he took that as a sign that he could touch this new feline in front of him. He gently pushed the tag to his eyesight with his finger and looked at the name. 'Cherished' He blinked as he looked at the name. "Cherished, Huh?" He turned the tag over to reveal the pet license and vaccination tags behind it, it was a male cat. Along with it was a tag with Rainbow's name on it along with her phone number. He looked back cautiously at him. "Wonder what your story is." He spoke out loud again. Strange, Dash had gotten another pet and hadn't told him about it. Fluttershy had also failed to mention this to him while they were setting up her room. He sighed as he looked at Cherished. 'Oh well, guess I'll just have to ask her when she wakes up.' He reached his hand up again, slowly and steadily, moving it towards Cherisheds' ears. He gently scratched behind his ears and he purred softly and curled up on Tanks shell. Soarin smiled as he began to pet him gently. Soon the three of them were fast asleep on the couch. *** RING RING RING "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUCK!" Soarin was awoken by a loud ringing in his ears. He quickly reached for his phone and turned down the volume. He looked to see an unknown number calling him but he decided to answer it, just in case, it was the hospital. He put his phone on speaker and answered. "Ugh... Hello?" He said groggily. He looked at the clock in the living room and saw it was 5 a.m. "Hello, My name is Doctor Light Step, I'm Rainbow Dashs' doctor." Soarin perked up immediately and listened carefully. "Yes, hi, how can I help you?" He asked. "Yes, I'm calling to let you know that Rainbow Dash is awake. We have to monitor her for a few days but please feel free to come visit her. The first thing she asked for when she woke up was you." Soarin felt his heart swell. She had... asked for him? Not water, not something to eat, not what happened. She asked for him. He smiled and looked back to the phone. "Uh ok, Ill be there in about an hour. Let her know for me please." He said, not really asking. Alright. I will speak with you when you arrive." With that, the line cut off. Soarin quickly sprang up. He looked around for his shoes and found them by the door. He quickly made sure Dashs' pets had food and rushed out the door. *** Soarin rushed into the hospital, getting a few displeased looks from the other workers, but he didn't care, he had some pink eyes to look into. Once he got up to the floor dash was on he rushed into the hallway and towards her room. He went to open the door but froze as he heard voices inside. He listened through the door, trying to catch what it was that was being said. "What happened to the other people involved?" Soarin heard a strained and scratchy voice that to most would think sounded like a dying bird, but to him, it sounded like sweet harmony. It was Dash's voice. He continued to listen in, only catching little bits at a time. "-it. I'm sorry..." Soarin heard another voice that sounded gruff and masculine. It wasn't her doctor or a nurse. He sat there and tried to listen in for a few minutes, but he couldn't make much out due to the density of the door. Suddenly he heard keys jingling and footsteps coming towards the doors. He quickly backed away and got a few feet from the door before it opened. Soarin's eyes widened when the door opened. A male police officer stepped out with two other officers and a woman in a suit, behind him. All their eyes landed on Soarin and the woman in the suit cleared her throat. "Parden us, we had to ask Miss Rainbow Dash a few questions about the accident. Please carry on, there is nothing to worry about." She said, motioning the others to follow her. As they walked away Soarin watched them. They all had somber looks and looked as if they had seen a puppy be kicked. His thoughts were cut off as he heard a scratchy and hard-sounding wail come from Dashs' room. He snapped his head around, quickly rushing into the room to see Rainbow sitting up, and crying. She had a metal brace around her hip, meant to keep it in place. Her broken arm in just a cast and sling now, and her lower right leg in a cast. Her nose was no longer covered but it was red and still tender looking. Her eye still had the remanence of a black eye but it was hardly there. Most of her major injuries were now visible, mostly the large scar on her upper arm where the glass had dug itself into her skin and removed after. But what drew Soarin's eyes the most was her left wing. It was in bandages now being held outstretched with a brace and the large scar at the base of her wing extremely visible. Finally, he looked at her as a whole. She was crying. using her right hand to try and wipe tears away but failing as they continued to fall. He quickly rushed over to her going to her right to avoid her still broken arm. "Dash. Hey, it's ok, I'm here." He said, grabbing her hand gently and holding it tight. Dash jumped slightly at the touch but softened once she felt the familiar and soft touch of her lover. She looked up at him and stopped crying for a moment, pure shock stretched across her face. Soarin gently reached his other hand up to her head and gently ran his fingers through her prismatic hair, smiling warmly at her. He saw that her expression had remained unchanged as she looked at him. "Dash? Are you ok?" He asked, gently rubbing her back, being careful to avoid her left shoulder and wing. "S- Soarin..." Her voice was heavily strained and scratchy, probably from her hitting her throat on the steering wheel and not having talked for four weeks. "Do you want some water?" Soarin asked rubbing her right shoulder gently. Dash stared for a moment, but then slowly nodded. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently and glanced around the room. He found the small bathroom attached to her room, now he just needed a cup. He walked into the bathroom and found a stack of disposable styrofoam cups in the cabinet below the sink. He grabbed one and filled it with water and brought it back to Dash. Her hand shook as she tried to reach for it. Soarin quickly grasped her hand and shook his head. "Dash, I'll help you. just relax, it's ok, I'm here." He looked to her for approval, and to his surprise, she quickly caved and let him help her. He tilted the cup to her mouth gently, helping her drink. Once she finished, he set the cup down on the table beside her bed and pulled up a chair to the bedside, and grasped her hand gently in both of his. He watched as she leaned back down to lay in her now reclined bed. They didn't break eye contact at all for a few minutes and said nothing. Not breaking the silence, Soarin pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed her hand gently. He gently ran his thumb over the top of it and smiled at her again, this time with smugness. "So, when did you get a cat?" He asked, keeping the smug expression. Dash smiled and chuckled a bit. "About a month ago. It just never came up and I kept forgetting to show you pictures of him. Heh, I'm assuming this means you went to my house." She said, Her voice still a little scratchy and giving him a soft smile. He chuckled and nodded, continuing to rub her hand. "Yeah, the doctor told us that you would probably wake up soon, so he sent me and Fluttershy to make your house up to be wheelchair accommodating." Dash groaned once he finished. Soarin chuckled and rubbed her arm gently. "What? Don't like the idea of being cooped up in your house in a wheelchair for however long it'll take you to recover?" Dash groaned again, louder this time. "No, not one bit. I also don't like how I'm gonna need a shit ton of physical therapy to even walk straight again." Dash paused, looking towards Soarin and giving him a quizzical look. "Say Soarin, it's Tuesday. Aren't you like, supposed to be at practice?" She asked. Soarin shook his head and gave her another kiss on her hand. "No, I filed for a leave of absence until further notice and I'm using my vacation time for it, so it's a paid leave of absence. I had a whole year's worth saved up anyway, so it's not like it's going to hurt to use it. Vacation time is paid out every 5 years so I needed to use it anyway." He said squeezing her hand gently. "I'm going to take care of you, Dash." He said, giving her another warm smile. Dash just stared wide-eyed at him. Soarin chuckled and leaned over and kissed her forehead again. He stared into her bright magenta eyes. Those eyes... To him, they sparkled and shined like gems. But... suddenly, a thought crossed his mind again. She hadn't told him anything about her childhood outside of Fluttershy. "Soarin?" Soarin looked back to Dash, who was now looking over him with concern in her eyes. She had seen his expression change and gave him a very worried look. He sighed and let go of her hand and looked at her again in the eyes. "Dash, Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me about your parents?" He asked. He quickly saw her expression change from worry to fear and terror. she stammered to try and say something. "M-my parents?! They aren't here are they?" She asked choking up a bit. Soarin quickly shook his head and grabbed her hand again. "No, Dash, it's ok they aren't here, you're safe. Besides, after what Fluttershy told me, I wouldn't be letting them even remotely close to you." He said, glaring at the scar on her right arm. Dash relaxed quickly, turning her arm to conceal some of the scar. Dash knew how protective Soarin was of her. He would go to any lengths to protect her. Dash looked away from him and sighed. "I'm sorry... I probably gave you the biggest heart attack of your life. If I had just woken up on time that day...." Dash trailed off, shutting her eyes tight trying to stop the tears again. Soarin quickly reached forward and tipped her head up slightly. "Dash, it's ok. You're alive and that's all that matters to me now. Sure it freaked me the fuck out, and I'm sure it was weird for the others to see me crying and acting terrified for the first few weeks. But once your condition started to improve it made me relax. Heh, I even left the waiting area to go down to the pediatric wing and meet some kids." He smiled as thought back to the memory of meeting Summer. Dash smiled warmly at him and used her good hand to tug at his shirt gently. He looked at her to see her tugging at his shirt, indicating she wanted him to lean down. He did so and she pulled him in for a kiss. He quickly returned the kiss, stroking her cheek gently. He pulled away, smiling at her warmly. Then, again the same thought came to his head. he pulled further back and glared. "DASH! Don't try to change the subject like you always do! I want answers, now." He demanded. Dash reclined a bit and sighed. "I guess I can't avoid it anymore... I just... didn't want you to think I was weak or broken... I wanted you to see me for who I am today. I never wanted you to find out because it's too important to me...You're too important to me. And I didn't want you treating me like some charity case like the other guys did when I told them..." Dash looked away, a bit embarrassed. Soarin stared at her a bit confused. He had known that he wasn't her first boyfriend, she had told him she had tried with a few other guys before she met him and none of them had lasted more than a month. Mostly due to her breaking up with them. "Well... at least one of them didn't treat me like a charity case... but..." She trailed off again, looking hesitant to continue what she was saying. Soarin looked at her to continue, but when she didn't he flattened his expression and scoffed. "Dash, seriously. I want the truth and all of it. If we have to sit here for hours then we will." He said in a stern tone. Dash sighed and shivered as she recalled the memory and began to explain. ***6 months before Dash joined the Wonderbolts*** "Stop! Look you feather brain, I do not, repeat, do not want to do anything with you. Especially not after how you've been treating me lately!" Dash screamed at the man in front of her. He growled under his breath and glared at her. "Dash, come on. We have been together for like four months! You'd think you'd be more willing to let a man be gentle with you after what you told me about your parents. Especially about your dad!" He yelled, grabbing her arm as she tried to walk away. Dash turned and pushed his hand off her roughly and she glared at him. "ONYX! How could you even say something like that! I'm not some delicate little flower! You can't just treat me like I'm some broken little girl!" Dash yelled, getting up in his face. Onyx growled and stood up straight, making himself tower over her. He was tall. 6'2 to be exact. He wasn't a weakling either. He was much more build than the average man but wasn't pumped up. Dash panicked and started to back away, but with every step she took back he got closer. She had to think fast. She tried to fly out of the room but Onyx grabbed her leg and pulled her down. In a panic, Dash screamed as loudly as she could and for as long as she could until he covered her mouth. But before Onyx had the chance to even do anything, the door swung open. *** "Fluttershy and Discord were coming over to have lunch with me that day. And I had forgotten to tell Onyx about it. So when they heard me scream outside the door, Discord broke it down and got him off of me. I dumped him right then and there and screamed at him until he left my house. I never pressed any charges cuz he didn't really hurt me and he didn't get the chance to do anything. So I left it at that. He moved out of Ponyville the next day to go back home to Cloudsdale." Dash finished. She couldn't muster the courage to look at Soarin. She waited for a response from him, but never got one. In an attempt to see what might be wrong, she looked up at him. Soarin was gritting his teeth very hard. His hands were clutching his pants as hard as he could grip them. And he looked angry... Very angry. Dash quivered and reclined a bit. When Soarin didn't stop she whimpered and made an audible squeak sound. Soarin flinched when he heard the sound. He took a deep breath and calmed himself and looked at her. He gave her a reassuring look that he had calmed down and she relaxed. "Sorry Dash... That was just really hard to hear... especially coming from the woman I love and wish to protect at all costs." He said, huffing a bit. Dash smiled warmly at him. His protective nature is what drew her to him in the first place. Hell, he did a pretty good job of intimidating men away from her when they started hitting on her. Soarin was, by no means, a tall bean pole. He was very muscular and proportioned evenly. His larger frame and body made it easier for him to control lightning in their shows, it also made it easy to catch and throw the other teammates in routines. His height made him just that more intimidating when he was angry. So when he got defensive of her she found it incredibly sexy. But as a consequence of this, he was very scary in her eyes when he was angry. He could easily hurt her on accident if he wasn't careful. She was a tough girl and could take a lot of pain, but it didn't mean that she wasn't suceptabul to being hurt by blunt force from something much larger than her. She wasn't skinny or frail either. She was quite built herself but maintained a much more aerodynamic physique. But like she had thought before. Soarin was about five times her size and height. "So now that that explained, and I have another guy on my 'beat if he comes near you again' list, care to explain why you listed me as your primary emergency contact?" He asked, looking at her again. She smiled and grabbed his hand. "Because I trust you. You've proven to me that you would do anything for me and would never dream of hurting me in any way." She said squeezing his hand. Soarin smiled at her and leaned in closer to nuzzle her. A nuzzle she happily returned. "Thanks, Dash. That means a lot to me... You mean a lot to me..."