//------------------------------// // The one and only... // Story: The Wicked Stepmother // by DreamWings //------------------------------// The one and only... "Come on, we've got to get everything ready." A stream of rainbow shot over the top of Ponyville. The ponies on the ground shook their heads with a smile and carried on with their daily activities. Their friend had been panicking a lot this week; ever since she had recieved a letter in the post. The rainbow came closer to the ground and a blonde mare reached out to catch it. Out of the sky came the blue pegasus. "Omph," she cried as she hit the floor. "What'd you do that for AppleJack?" The mare above her titled her stetson hat and helped her friend back onto her hooves. "Just trying to stop you worrying so much sugarcube." Rainbow Dash laughed nervously and brushed her mane franitcally. "Worrying, who's worrying?" "Honestly darling, there's no need to be so overdramatic," piped up the white unicorn nearby. The other ponies all smirked to themselves. If anypony could be too overdramatic it was Rarity; yet she never seemed to notice it herself. "Overdramatic! This isn't just any visit, this is my Dad we're talking about. My Dad!" The blue pegasus skipped on the spot, squealing with delight and terror. "It has to go perfectly. Oh no, my house! I have to clean my doorstop again." She shot back into the air and straight through the sky. Her friends watched her go, puzzled. "What's up with Dashie?" asked the pink bouncing pony tying balloons to a banister. AppleJack shrugged. "Well, it's the first time her Father's coming to see her in Ponyville," a small voice muttered. Nopony paid her too much attention. They all went on discussing what they thought could be wrong with their friend. Fluttershy tried to get her voice heard but still there was no reaction from the other mares. "Maybe he was captured by zombies years ago and this is going to be their big reunion. Wait, what do zombies eat? Do they eat cake?" "Pinkie, ah somehow doubt he's a zombie, but there sure must be something special about him." AppleJack turned to the yellow pegasus sweeping placidly next to her. "Fluttershy you've known Rainbow longest, don't you know?" The mare nodded. "Then why couldn't you tell us?" Fluttershy said nothing. "So why is Rainbow Dash so particular about this event?" Rarity pondered. Fluttershy remained sweeping, silent. Her pet rabbit knocked against her side and pointed to the ponies in front of him. She drew some breath, garnering the courage she always felt she needed when assisting in a conversation. "It's the first time her Father's come to Ponyville," Fluttershy told them, still sweeping, avoiding eye contact, "she barely ever saw him when we were at flight camp together. I remember, he was her hero." The others looked at one another astounded. They didn't even know Rainbow could have a hero that wasn't herself. It explained a lot though. Especially the whole being-over-dramatic behaviour; it was much the same way that AppleJack had often seen a certain young orange pegasus behave around her own cyan idol. Sort of cute really. But only if it didn't harm anypony else in any way. Imagine if your hero was a nasty pony or monster-- then you'd be in for some trouble. "So Fluttershy." Rarity stepped closer to the shy mare. "What's this ruff-- I mean Father like?" "He's--- nice." "That's it? Just nice?" Fluttershy blushed. "I've only met him once, and even then only in the distance." "So how'd you know it was Dash's Father then eh?" AppleJack questioned. It was in these types of moments the other ponies struggled not to remark on the similarities between the apple farmer and the soon-to-be-Wonderbolt's vocal patterns. Creepy. "He looks a bit like her. He had the same mane." Angel prodded her. "Oh yes-- well-- he did look nice, but very lonely. Yes, very, very lonely." "What about Dashie's Mom?" Pinkie Pie asked before swallowing a slice of cake which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "As far as I know she died just before Rainbow Dash came to Flight School. Then again-- like I said-- I don't really know. You'd have to ask Rainbow about it." "And what-- get kicked in the flank? No thanks." Silence fell around the square and all of them moved off to do certain tasks. They grumbled to themselves if the task was too hard but tried to finish the job anyway. Honestly, they were looking forward to meeting one of their close friends' relative. It was their oppurtunity to see if Rainbow had gained any of her characteristics from somepony she knew and loved. A carriage pulled up near the large tree in the centre of town. An old broken down sign stood on top-- the remnants of what it once was. The wind whistled omniously on the clear-skied day. 'No, seriously,' thought a gardener, 'where has that breeze come from? It's almost as if its arrival was to froeshadow some kind of oncoming traumatic event'. To which Roseluck had merely shrugged and carried on her usual duties. Elsewhere Rainbow Dash brushed at the corner of her welcome mat, desperately trying to clean the scuff put there after many incidents of skidding onto her landing. 'Oh, it would never do for her Father to see her house mat in such a state. He wasn't happy with her choice to leave Cloudsdale and go to Ponyville as it was. She had to prove that he'd made the right decision in letting her go and live her dream-- to be a Wonderbolt-- something else he thought was unsutiable'. Rainbow's heart had almost died when her Father had told her she mustn't waste her life on her dream-- then again, his heart hadn't done too well when her Mother had died, so she forgave him for his lapse in judgement. He was still her idol. A knock came on the door next to her, making her jump. He was early. And this mat clearly wasn't shiny enough. She scrubbed and scrubbed as fast as she could until she had to admit defeat. There was no way she could just leave her Father, Blitz, out on the doorstep like a common pony whilst she cleaned a tiny bit of dirt. How would he take that? He certainly would think her manners had left her when she'd left Cloudsdale, and then Ponyville wouldn't look too good to him. Nervously, yet bravely she pulled open the door handle with a big smile. Outside a blue unicorn sneered back at her, her eyes wide and bright. The pegasus jumped backwards and struck up a fighting pose. "You? How'd you get here? Get out! Get out!" She shut her eyes and boxed her hooves, trying to ward away the danger at her door. "Now Speedy, is that any way to talk to your old stallion?" Her eyes opened. There 'he' was. The stallion she had devoted a lot of her heart to growing up-- holding hooves with-- TRIXIE?