//------------------------------// // Outside Troubles // Story: PonyFall: Rainbows // by Silverness //------------------------------// PonyFall: Rainbows Chapter Six - Outside Troubles Edited by TheSlorg & J_Xayph April 14th, 2012 (Noon) The first sight to greet me was a bright glare of sunlight piercing through the curtains. I grumbled about my eyes being blinded and covered myself with my blankets. My body was not yet fully awoken, seeing as it was a Saturday. Saturday and Sunday were the only days I could afford to spend time catching up on sleep, and I had to use every opportunity to do so. With the blanket sufficient in shielding my eyes from the rays, a smile appeared on my lips and my consciousness began drifting back into the dream world. That wouldn’t last long as a familiar loud, irritating, and obnoxious buzzing decided to awaken me. I elicited a groan of annoyance, aimlessly trying to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock with my hand, but to no avail. After a few attempts, I sat up from my pillow and looked over at the alarm clock, which buzzed in an effort to wake me. I slammed my palm down on the button and was rewarded with silence. “Thank God,” I grumbled, rubbing my tired eyes. My room looked the same from the previous night. Usually, it was this quiet during the weekend, but there was just one problem with that. That just wasn’t enough sleep for one person and my brain wanted more. My want for food didn’t do much to calm the the growing headache I was experiencing. “Food...” I muttered, crawling out of bed, dragging my feet into the hallway leading to the living room. From there, I could hear the loud snores of a certain guest as she lay on the leather couch. The snoring brought a smile to my face and, for the moment, made me forget about my headache. I reached the living room and looked over the couch to see the sleeping figure of Rainbow Dash covered by a blanket. She didn’t move and laid motionless with an opened mouth where a small drop of drool leaked out. Her snoring was light, and it was as if it grew lighter with each breath. I grinned at the scene, but that only worsened my headache. As I left the room and headed to the kitchen, I winced, rubbing my temples together to ease the pain. I walked over to the fridge and took out a half-filled jug of milk. Eating or drinking always manages to calm me down whenever something bothers me. Whether it’s an entire meal or a simple box of juice, it helps relieve any headache as long as I eat something later.  I brought the jug to my mouth and drank heartily, enjoying the feeling of the cold milk as it flowed down my throat. It really hit the spot. Hopefully that would do the trick, otherwise I’d have to find something else to eat. I looked behind me where Rainbow slept. She still laid soundly asleep but, considering the exhausting events of the day before, I couldn’t blame her. I guess she really needed the sleep, I thought. Fighting Discord, falling from the sky, not to mention having to knock her out to keep her from destroying the house, and the traumatic events of last night. I hoped she’s still alright from all that. I couldn’t help but chuckle as Rainbow Dash let out another large snore. I know she was a heavy sleeper in the show, but I never thought it was that bad. Maybe a good breakfast would help her out. I reached into one of the cabinets and took out two bowls and a box of Frosted Flakes. I opened the box, poured them into each bowl before retreating to grab the milk... except there wasn’t any more milk in the fridge. All of it had been in that one measly jug. Oh, well that’s just great. I took two spoons from the drawer and stuck them in the bowls. Well, you win some, you lose some. I took a bite whilst carrying the other bowl to the couch. Rainbow remained asleep, her arm hanging off the side of the couch. I sat down on the side she wasn’t covering and kept the free bowl next to me for when she woke up. She stirred from her position, grumbling about aerial somersaults and Wonderbolts while I sat there chewing on my cereal. It was a wonder how she was able to sleep this well. As I thought about that, another thought came to mind; she needed clothes. Not mine, but some that actually fit her. The shirt covered most of her body and sagged halfway to her knees almost. I guessed she probably needed a medium shirt of her choice, a new pair of jeans, and a new pair of shoes. Her shirt size could be confirmed after she woke up, speaking of which... I gently shook her shoulder and she stirred. “Hey Rainbow, are you awake?” She didn’t respond. I tried again and was rewarded with a small groan from the Equestrian. “Yo Dash, it’s time to wake up.” She opened up one rose colored eye. When she noticed me, she frowned and shooed me away in attempt to go back to sleep. I sighed and shook her shoulder even more. “Five more minutes, Mom...” she mumbled, pulling the blanket over her head. I grinned and pulled the covers from her. She scrunched up into a fetal position due to the sudden loss of warmth. After a moment, she finally lifted her head, a huge scowl on her face. “Ugh, can’t a mare get any sleep around here?” she complained, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She blinked once or twice before getting a look at her surroundings. “Huh? What are you staring at me for? Did I do something funny in my sleep?” I stifled my laugh with a hand. “No you didn’t, Rainbow,” I said, moving over so she could sit up. She sat upright and stretched her arms. “I made you some breakfast. It’s nothing too big or fancy-like, but it’s something, right?” Rainbow looked over at the bowl of cereal before taking ahold of it and tipping the cereal into her mouth. Even though it was just dry cereal without milk, she ate ravenously. “So... what’s up?” she asked around a mouthful of cereal bits, some spraying out here and there. “You know, milk would help make this better. Do you have any?” “Nothing much, I was just waiting for you to wake up,” I said, grimacing at the food still in her mouth. “Also, I did have some, but I kind of drank it all when I was trying to clear my headache. Sorry...” Rainbow shrugged, tipping the bowl into her mouth. “Eh, it’s fine. I always prefer milk with my cereal, but I don’t mind. Just as long as there’s food.” “Don’t worry, the fridge is and always will be stocked. Unless you eat everything in it,” I joked. Rainbow rolled her eyes. We ate in silence for a while before I finally spoke up. “So, are you feeling any better?” “Better?” Rainbow asked through a mouthful. “Better from what?” “You know, from last night?” “Oh,” was Rainbow’s only response. She stopped eating, looking down at her bowl as if it something had caught her eye. “Yeah... I’m cool. Just trying not to think about it, that’s all.” From her response, she sounded unsure of herself, but it was a better answer than what I was expecting. “Okay, but if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask,” I said with a reassuring smile. Rainbow nodded absently and dove back into the cereal bowl. Had I been watching the show, I might have laughed at seeing Rainbow ignoring her spoon and stuffing her face into the bowl. “Hey Dash, you know I was thinking...” “Thinking of what?” Dash asked, not bothering to look up. “You heading outside. I know you saw some of Indianapolis during the night, but how about during the day? I could show you parts of the city while we head over to buy you some clothes at Abercrombie.” “Not interested,” she mumbled. A moment later she looked up. “Wait, Abercrombie?” she asked. She swallowed the rest of her food before she continued. “What’s that?” “It’s a business chain located all around America. They sell clothes, perfumes, and other fancy necessities that are expensive. I figured that you’d like the type of stuff they sell there.” Rainbow arched an eyebrow, clearly not interested in the fancy things mentioned. “What type of stuff do you mean? Do you mean the fancy cool kind or the fancy Rarity kind?” I shrugged. “Oh you know, shirts, denim jeans, hats, awesome sports jackets, and other cool things. Then, there’s those colognes and perfumes the-” “Woah, woah,” Rainbow interjected before I could finish. “That definitely sounds like Rarity’s type of store, not mine. I can’t stand those smells or fancy frou frou clothes. It’s not really my style you know, and I only wear those type of things whenever I really have to like at the Grand Galloping Gala.” “Yeah, I figured that as much. That’s why we’re only going to buy what you want. And I mean anything you want there, Dash,” I said. “You could even get a sports jacket there while you're at it.” “A sports jacket? What’s that?” Rainbow asked, my words finally catching her interest. “Hm... Let me put it this way. Think of a Wonderbolt suit, but only covering your chest. More like the shirt you’re wearing, but it makes you look awesome and way cooler than before... probably like twenty percent cooler, I’d say.” “Twenty percent...” Rainbow started, sounding annoyed. “What are you even going on about? Anyway... like the Wonderbolts, huh?” she asked, the beginnings of a smile forming across her mouth. “If I can be as cool as them, then why the heck not? Now I can be way cooler than before.” She smiled smugly at her statement. “I can see it now. Rainbow Dash, the coolest pegasus. And you can be my sidekick.” “Wait, sidekick? This isn’t a superhero movie, Dash.” “Well it should be. After all, who wouldn’t want to write about my amazing feats?” she smiled, proudly sticking out her chest as if she had done something amazing to prove her point. “See? I’m already this awesome. Why not more?” Her movements knocked both bowls of cereal to the floor. Rainbow looked down at the two bowls she knocked to the floor, her grin turning into a nervous smile. “Uh, sorry?” “Oh, no. It’s alright,” I said, restraining myself from sighing. Rainbow bent down to pick up her own mess, but I got to the bowl first. “Don’t worry about the mess, I’ll clean it up. Just head outside and wait for me. Besides, you wanted to head outside last night, didn’t you?” “Yeah... outside...” Rainbow trailed off her words, turning her gaze elsewhere. “Dash, are you alright?” I asked. She obviously wasn’t, but I thought talking about it might help. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” Rainbow said, her voice slipping at the end. “You sure?” “Totally,” she answered half-heartedly. I raised an eyebrow at her demeanor, knowing for a fact that Rainbow Dash never acted like this unless something bothered her. That rarely happened in the show, but how else would you react if you saw someone get murdered in front of you? Eventually, I’d have to talk with her about this, preferably sooner than later. “Alright, then. Just remember that I’ll be here if you need someone to talk to,” I reminded, giving her an honest smile. Rainbow nodded, staying in her seat. I stood up from my seat to stretch my arms and legs. When I finished, I picked up the two fallen bowls and carried them to the sink. I promised myself I’d clean them later when I got back and went for a cleaning rag for the mess on the floor. I walked back to the couch and wiped up the flaky bits that were still left. The rag became filthy from the crumbs, but I shrugged it off. This place had to look sparkly clean or else Mom would have a fit. When I finished, I left the rag on a coaster and went for my dark gray jacket hanging on the hook by the door. I placed my arms in-between the sleeves, zipping it up before placing a hand on the doorknob. “So, you coming along?” I asked. Rainbow was still sitting on the couch, staring at the floor. “I uh...” she muttered. I was going to have to somehow convince her that going outside was usually safe, and that her experience the night before was just an unfortunate coincidence. “Well... okay,” I said. “You can stay here by yourself if you want to. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be able to pick out clothes that don’t make you any less cool than you are now...” Rainbow looked up suddenly. “Whoah whoah, hold on,” she said, eyeing my clothes. “No offense, but I think I’d better handle that responsibility.” Got ya, I thought. I wondered how Cowboy Appledash was doing with Applejack. He must have been having a blast if she managed to retain the strength Dash had shown yesterday. As soon as we departed from my house, I walked out behind Rainbow and closed the door, locking it with the house key in my pocket. It made a loud clink sound and indicated that it had locked. Behind me, Rainbow had her arms crossed as she took in her surroundings. A few times her eyes widened at the many houses and things layered around the community. I thought she’d show more appreciation out here for being a pegasus. “What do you think? I know it’s not the same as Equestria, but it’s better than nothing, right?” I asked her. “Hm... You’re right. It isn’t the same.” She paused for a moment. “Too many differences from Equestria and here, but...” She turned around to face me with a smile. “I’ll try to get used to it...” “That’s good. I’ll make sure to fill you in on everything else when we’re in the car,” I said, heading towards the garage on the far side of the house. “Car? What?” Rainbow asked, confused at the word I mentioned. I didn’t answer her question as I took hold the garage door, pushing it upwards to reveal a sleek, but old Honda Civic lying inside. The keys for the car were already in my pocket along with my cell phone. I took them out, pressing the unlock button; the car beeped once in response. Rainbow stepped backwards on her four legs, surprised at the sudden noise. I chuckled and opened the driver’s door. The fluffy seat greeted me as I sat on the seat and turned the ignition on. The car roared to life with its engine running smoothly as I slowly backed the car into the driveway where Rainbow would be waiting for me. A loud smack hit the car, making me slam down hard on the brakes. I gasped, taking a deep breath at the sudden sound. Before I could say anything, a series of hits began banging on the car, followed by a scowl and something jumping on top of it. I looked up at the ceiling where the person landed on and the head of Rainbow Dash popped up in front of the windshield. I stared directly at her, her eyes narrowed in anger at the windshield wipers she was trying to rip off. “Don’t worry, Cody!” Rainbow exclaimed, her teeth gnawing on the black plastic. “I’ll save you from this metallic monster!” I restrained my hand from slapping my head and groaned to make up for it. Sighing, I pressing a button next to the door, which opened the window on my side slowly. I peeked out outside, watching Rainbow’s battle with the car. Her body was sprawled across the car as she fought an unwinnable battle to presumably save my life. Ugh, this was going to be a long day...