//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Dust // Story: The Long Road to Normal // by scifidude47 //------------------------------// The trio searched the house for anything of use, and found just a fruit cocktail and a jar of grease. They left the grease behind for obvious reasons. With their combined strength, they removed the barricade and left the house, taking a road east. They watched as they trotted through the charred landscape. Trees white and fallen, buildings reduced to half of their height, skeletons, bloodied and broken, laid all over the road and land, and Iron Wing simply pushed his way through the ones he couldn't get around. Fluttershy stayed close to Iron Wing and the cart, while Rainbow Dash strayed a bit behind, looking for followers. When they reached the town of what they believed to be Baltimare. "Let's take a look." Iron Wing said to the two. They trotted close to the beach in search of food. The sand was dirty, the water was grey, and the sky as depressing as ever, and nopony knew why. Some believed it was from all of the ashes of the dead, but there was no way to prove it. Fluttershy scanned the beach for umbrellas or towels, or just some sign of life before, but she knew she wouldn't find tem. They had all been taken away for fuel for fires or just protection from the cold rain. Rainbow Dash also scanned the sky, hoping for a patch of blue. Iron Wing looked at the road in front of him. A wheel on the cart got stuck in a hole on the boardwalk, but it didn't break. They searched through a building nearby; titled "Beach Wear" But found nothing usable. The clothes there were too small or thin to provide any protection from the cold. "If Rarity was still alive, she could stitch these together." Rainbow mumbled. "Who?" Iron Wing asked, turning his head away from a rack for glasses. "Rarity, element of Generosity? Jeez, has it really been that long that you forgot all of our names?" She said pessimistically as she pushed past him. Iron Wing sighed and continued searching. Fluttershy, who had been keeping to herself in an abandoned aisle, trotted slowly to Iron Wing. She didn't say or do anything, just sitting and watching him rummage through the ruins. It was about ten minutes before she spoke. "... D-dad?" She said to him. He turned, surprised to hear her speak. "Yes?" He said simply. "N-nothing..." She dropped her eyes and head back down. "You ok?" He asked. "I just wanted to say... thanks." "What for?" "For coming back... for saving us from those bad guys... for... f-for..." She started to tear up, a single drop of water going down her face. "Fluttershy?" Iron Wing asked, concern showing on his face. "Thank you for being a dad." At this point, her floodgates let loose and she started to bawl. Iron Wing hugged her, letting her bury her face in his chest and just cry for a while. Every once in a while, he would tell her it's alright, but she'd just cry again. Rainbow Dash watched from the entrance, saddened that she wasn't able to show the same affection. She sighed and took the one useful thing she found, which was a lockpick, to the cart. It'd been about half an hour before Fluttershy cried herself to sleep in Iron Wing's hooves. He carried her to the cart and tried to place her in it, but Rainbow Dash stopped him. "She's not helpless. She can walk for herself." She said angrily. "Rainbow, for Celestia's sake, she's just tired." Iron Wing said as he let her down. "I don't care. If she sleeps for too long, it'll throw her internal clock off." She said in the most unforgiving way possible. Before Iron Wing could say or do anything, Rainbow Dash nudged Fluttershy awake. "Hey. We need to go." Rainbow commanded. "W-what?" Fluttershy said groggily. "We need to go!" Rainbow Dash yelled. Fluttershy yelped and got up, shaking and hugging the cart. Iron Wing had a hundred things he wanted to say at that point, but he wasn't going to let the words out. I am NOT letting that monster out again. Not after what I did to them... "You don't understand, Fluttershy. The longer we stay, the greater the chance we get attacked by cannibals or starve to death." Rainbow turned and left before either of the two could say anything in defense. Iron Wing helped her up and helped her trot along the cracked road. The found nothing in the buildings they searched silently along the way, except for half-eaten bits of food that could hardly be considered edible. They took shelter in a clothing store further inland. They ate very little that night, and had no wood to spare for a fire, so they ate their food cold. Iron Wing found them all some better clothing to wear within the place, after looking around in some of the back rooms. For himself, He got a dark-brown hoodie with a broken string, no zipper and hole-filled pockets. For Fluttershy, he found a Black jacket with a some buttons and a pair of sweatpants for her back legs. For Rainbow, he gave a completely dark outfit, a black windbreaker with yellow lines, and a pair of torn running pants. Iron Wing and Fluttershy shared a sleeping bag, but Rainbow refused to sleep, and instead took watch near the entrance. Iron Wing fell asleep with Fluttershy's mane in his face, but he didn't care to blow it off. He was too tired and didn't want to wake her. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping for a better tomorrow. Any tomorrow would be better than the last one.