//------------------------------// // Loss // Story: Rainbow's Parents: The Truth // by Songbrony //------------------------------// There was a pounding in my head as I regained consciousness. I was laying on my side when I tried to open my eyes, but the light from the lamp made me shut them instantly. I rolled over onto my back, which turned out to be a big mistake. I shouted in pain as my fractured wing was crushed by my back. I jumped up on my bed and winced as my head began to pound and my body screamed in pain. I was a total mess, but still kicking. "Ah, you're up." I heard a voice say next to me. "You know, next time I call your name and ask you to wait, you'll listen. And maybe when I say run, you'll run." I looked over to him. "I see you're still as rude as ever." "And still not ginger." he said with a smile. "You feeling alright?" I gave him an exasperated look. "Yeah, I'm fine. You know, only fractured my wing." "And you got a slight concussion. But if you think about it, you're lucky those are the only things that happened to you." he told me. I rubbed my head. "How long have I been out?" I asked. "I'd say about two days. Her mother gave you a nasty hit." he said. He started to say something else, but I interrupted him. "Where is she?" I asked frantically. "Who? Her mother? I don't know. She disappeared after-" "No, Fluttershy! Where's Fluttershy?" "She's in the room next door. But don't worry, she's fine. She's asleep right now, so let's not wake her up." he said, suddenly serious. "Now, you probably have some questions you would like to have answered?" I remembered what her mom had said about my parents. How my dad had corrupted her and took her away from the Shadows. "My mom. Is it true that she was once a part of the Shadows?" "Yes. She was one of the highest ranking in their order. She knew most of their plans, where to fight, who to abduct, who to kill." he said. "One day she went in to start a torture session with a new prisoner. However, she couldn't go through with it." "Was it my dad?" I chimed in. "No. It was me. I had been friends with your mom for years. We were the type of ponies who knew everything about the other. But I was wrong. I had known she was part of the Shadows, but I didn't know how strongly tied she was to them. That's how secretive they are. You may think you know a certain pony to their very core, but there's always that one thing that they keep hidden away." he trailed off. "So...what happened?" I asked. "Ah, yes. Well she ordered them to stop. This threw a few of them off and they were unsure what to do. She was never afraid to begin a torture session, even with her own family members. That's how far down she had gone. But for some reason, when she saw me, she forgot all that. She had them take me back to my cell and await further orders." he said. I could see the memory flying through his head. "After awhile, the guards suddenly dropped, as if their legs had suddenly disappeared. Your mother had stolen some sleeping darts that the Shadows used when abducting someone. She opened my cell, let me out, and we ran all the way back to Canterlot. Celestia already knew your mother and what she was because of her spies. However, when she saw me there and I explained what had happened, she was willing to hear her out." "How did the Princess know you?" I asked. "You see, while your mother was part of the Shadows, I was part of Celestia's spy agency. She had assigned me to watch your mother so that she might be able to learn what the Shadows were doing. They were very elusive and hard to find, so when we did find one, information was crucial. So I would report everyday what I had found about your mother and the Shadows. And when your mother rescued me, Celestia was willing to use her for her own spy agency." he said. I saw something in his eyes. Something that I always saw from another pony. "Doctor?" I asked. "What was my mother to you?" "A friend. Nothing more." he said quickly. I stayed quiet for a little while. I know what I saw in his eyes wasn't friendship. "What did my mother feel for you?" "She felt more for me than I did for her. It was an assignment, not a date or any workings of a date." he said, his tone rising. "But why would she stop the torture for you and not her family?" "Because she knew who I was and what I was doing!" he yelled at me. "You remember when I said we knew each other to the very core? I trusted her with knowing that I was a spy. A spy who not only worked for Celestia, but also one who had to spy on her. Now you tell me, how does it feel when the person you love betrays you and helps to torture you or end your life?" I sat there, shocked. I had always seen the Doctor very calm that it was scary. But now, seeing him angry, well that was even scarier. "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." I started but he raised a hoof to quiet me. "You're mother loved me for a much longer time than I loved her. But it still hurt knowing that she had done that. Even afterwards when she swore she didn't know anything about my capture, it still hurt." he said, lowering his tone and regaining his composure. I sat there thinking about how I felt when I saw Fluttershy standing next to her mom. Why would she do that? She hated her mom almost as much as she hated her dad. What did her mom say to make her want to join them? The Doctor must have known what I was thinking about. "Fluttershy did what she did because she didn't have a choice. You can't feel mad or upset at her for it." "But why? Why did she?" "It was probably because her mother made a threat against you. In order to protect you, she joined sides with her mother. The scene at the Wonderbolts show must have been her first warning or sign about what may happen if she didn't join them. She was doing it to protect you, Rainbow. When her mother was standing over you, she tackled her to the ground and started wailing on her. She had shocked her mother, who hadn't decided to kick her off and disappear until after your mother and I had shown up." he recalled. I didn't know what to feel. I was still royally upset with her for joining her mom, but knowing that she was doing it to protect me and not because she wanted to hurt me, it kind of made it a little better. "Can I talk with her when she wakes up?" I asked. He seemed to hesitate when he answered. "I don't think-" he was caught off as an orange pony walked in. "Oh, sorry. Am Ah interruptin' something?" Applejack said. "No, no of course not!" the Doctor said. "I was just leaving actually. I need to go see how Fluttershy is doing. Great work with hitting that Timberwolf with those rocks. You must have some very strong hind legs to be able to kick them that hard." he said as he walked out the door. "Uh, thanks?" Applejack said as she walked in. "Hey, AJ." I said, trying to figure out what the Doctor was about to say. "Hey, Rainbow. How ya' feelin'?" she asked as she took a seat where the Doctor had been. "Pretty good. Considering what had happened." I said. "Yeah, what was all that about? All Ah saw was Fluttershy standing in front of some Timberwolves while that one mare monologued." she said. "And don't tell me that you two are sisters. Ah already know that ain't the truth." "Yeah... about that." I told her everything. Well, almost everything. I left out the part about her parents being abusive and what they were a part of. "Ah see. Well, Ah've met your mother. She's very concerned about ya'll." she said. "And don't you worry your little rainbow colored head. Ah won't tell a soul." "Thanks." I said. "I don't want my reputation being skewed by all this." She gave a short laugh. "Dash, Ah'm sure your reputation will be fine. Ah gotta get back to the farm. Ah was only given a few minutes to stop by an' check on ya'. Ah'll see ya' later." she said and walked out. There was a knock on the door as she left. "Hey there, Rainbow." Felix said. "Felix!" I exclaimed, happy to see him. "I came by as soon as I had heard, but you were out cold. How you feeling champ?" he asked. "Great!" I said, trying not to move my wing too much. "That's good. No bad headaches?" he asked. "None." I said as I felt my head throb. I could tell he was hiding something by the way he leaned against the door and rubbed his hooves together. "Have you seen mom?" I asked. He took a deep breath. "No I have not. But she did leave me a message at home. She doesn't want Fluttershy living at our house anymore." he said quickly. I sat there, unmoving. "What?" I asked quietly. "She can't be serious?" "She is. She thinks that with her mother there, she'll be putting you in danger." "But what about her!? She's in more danger than me!" I shouted at him. "I don't know. The Doctor did something and she's been asleep for the past day. Whatever it was he did though, it means that she can't live with us." Felix said. "Wait...you did talk to mom. You saw her and she told you that?" I asked, enraged. "Did she also tell you she had a thing for the good ol' Doctor? That they were inseparable and that they lay together for hours!" I was spewing out lies left and right. Who did she think she was saying that Fluttershy couldn't live with us? Because her precious Doctor did some weird 'sonicing' and made her fall asleep? "Rainbow I don't have all the answers. All I know for a fact is that she can't live with us. You both will be in more danger if she does." he said calmly. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care if she was asleep, I had to see her. I jumped out of my bed and, despite my injured wing, and ran out the door past Felix and straight into the Doctor. He picked me up and placed me back on my bed while I thrashed around, which did little more than cause my head and bruises to feel even worse. "Let me see her!" I shouted. "You can't! If you do you might get both of you killed!" he shouted back at me. "Why can't you guys just let me see her?!" "Because she doesn't remember you like she used to." he said. "What do you mean? Of course she'll remember me! The same way she always has!" I exclaimed. "No, Rainbow. She won't. She doesn't know that she loves you or that her parents are part of the Shadows." he explained. "She thinks that you are a good friend and that you will always be a good friend to her." "Why? Why would she think that? Yes I will always be here for her, but why in the hay barrels would she not love me?" "Because I had to wipe those memories." he said. I paused. "What? You wiped her memories?" I said not knowing how to react, or even if he was telling the truth. "Yes. It's a price I pay for what I am." "And what is that? What makes you so special that you can supposedly wipe memories?" I asked. "I'm a Time Lord. I have this ability that allows me to 'absorb' memories and make the owner of them forget them completely, but only as long as they aren't reminded of them." he explained. "Then why not just take all the bad memories away from everypony?" I asked, still not believing what he was saying. "Because it's an invasion of privacy and against my morals. I only do it when I can save lives." He went on to explain how he was over 900 years old and that he was on his 13th regeneration. Yes, he doesn't die, he just changes his appearance. I sat there not looking at him or Felix. I just stared at the wall, holding back my tears. I'm not crying in front of this monster. Not after what he did to Fluttershy. "I'm going to see how she's doing. I hope you understand someday." he said. "Why?" I asked before he left the room. "Why did you make her forget how she felt?" He looked back to me. "Because it's the only way to keep you two safe." he said and walked out the door. Felix walked to my side and sat down, putting a hoof on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dash." was all he said. I didn't cry. I couldn't cry. I just sat there staring at a white wall.