Finals came and went. My apartment had become pretty much the flophouse for the group. Made sense, was the closest, had a bit of room for everyone, since Fluttershy, Dash and Pinkie shared her room and Twilight and AJ took the living room. Rarity of course was with me. I did not really know what to call us. She never said what we were, really. We were together most of the time, save class and other things. Sometimes I wish I actually knew what was going on.
Finals week had been hell. Working into the wee hours of the morning with everyone on projects and papers, cramming for tests and writing new songs for class. But it seemed to go well, but it had to. My deal with Uncle Disc was to maintain a 3.2 gpa, so I was hoping for mostly A’s and B’s. and success had been mine. I aced my music classes, history and advanced bio, and got decent marks in math and english. Not bad for someone that 6 weeks ago was homeless and living out of a car.
Pinkie pie had brought over some cakes and wine for a little party for the end of the semester. It had been fun, but I had been distracted. Hearth’s Warming Eve was coming up, which meant everyone was going away for the holidays. That also meant that i would be alone. Rarity was late for the party, which wasn’t unusual, since she always wanted to look her best, and for her...well, let’s just say it was a process. I learned about that when she showed up an hour late for our date. Almost thought she stood me up, but there she had been. It wasn’t a bad date. I mean, I did accidentally spill ice cream on Rarity’s coat, and she did “accidentally” hit me with a mini golf putter, but all in all, wasn’t bad.
While waiting for Rarity, I holed myself up in my bedroom, cleaning while everyone else was out in the living room and patio, being loud and drunk and fun. I just didn’t feel like partying tonight. All of them were leaving tomorrow. To keep myself occupied, I started to sort out old clothes and other crap from my closet. About 10 minutes of mindless work, my hand brushed against the restraints. I had almost forgotten about them. The sight of them crumpled and tossed aside in a corner brought a smile to my face, the irony of it all. The single item that had kept me “crumpled” all these years. Picking them up, feeling the cracked leather and fraying cloth under my fingers, I knew I needed to get rid of them.
Stashing the restraints under my coat, I threw on my scarf and walked out into the living room. Getting rid of them was going to serve as a problem. I didn’t just want to toss them, I wanted to destroy them. Well, there was the barbeque pit on the roof area. There might be a couple inches of snow to remove but that was negligible. And besides, what was close would probably melt when I got the fire going. The only thing I worried about was not letting anyone see me go up there. I kind of wanted to do this alone.
As I crossed the living room, everyone was congratulating each other on stellar grades or consoling about piss poor marks. I managed to get out of the room relativily unscathed, save Twilight. Oh Twilight. She said she found the spell she had been talking about almost two months ago. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to remember something like that. She tried to talk me into giving her one of my feathers, but I just laughed and said no. Didn’t stop her from trying. It was only when Pinkie and Vinyl pulled her off of me that they decided that her drinking should be more closely monitored. Thanking the two girls for saving me, I strolled out onto the patio and closed the glass door behind me. Stepping into the corner of the patio I was sure was out of line of sight of the rest of the party, I jumped off the balcony and flew up to the roof.
It was the first time I had flown in what must have almost been two decades. I had faint memories of wind rushing through my hair as a very young kid, but that was about it. Anytime I took my wings out in public, or even in private, the restraints would come out, and after a few months, they stayed on. How long did I wear these things? I had them since I was five, and now I am twenty two, so seventeen years. I had been wearing my restraints for almost as long as Spike has been alive. Holy crap that is a long ass time. Well, best to retire this piece of shit.
I landed on the roof with a soft crunch from the snow. I was still not used to it. I had been living here for almost a year and a half and snow was always a problem for me. I lived in a desert area, almost a thousand miles away, where it was always really dry and it barely rained.
Walking over to the cabinet next to the wall, I grabbed a couple logs and the can of kerosene and tossed them into the pit. I threw the restraints on top of the pile and proceeded to pour the entire canister into the pit. Padding my jacket looking my lighter, I found something that I had completely forgotten about until now. A cigar that Uncle Disc had given me for passing all my classes. Pulling it out of my jacket, I brought it up under my nose and drew in deeply. What a fragrance. A hint of cinnamon and hickory. It was just exquisite. I couldn’t wait to take a drag off of it. As I cut the cigar and fumbled around for my Zippo, I didn’t even notice when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around my waist until someone nuzzled into my wings.
I sighed with a small chuckle following, “I should have know that I can’t sneak past you.”
I turned around and pulled Rarity into my arms, where she gladly cooed in my chest.
“Yes, darling. It is most unbecoming when you are constantly incorrect. What are you doing up here anyway? When I arrived, Dash said you had gone out to the patio, but when you were not there, I wondered where you had flown off too. That is until I heard the loud clatter up on the roof.” I laughed as she nuzzled into my chest and wrapped her fingers in the scarf.
“Oooooooh, is this a Don Rafael?” Rarity quickly exclaimed, “I have heard wonderful things about those. Would you mind if I had a draw?”
“But I haven’t even tried it yet.” I said incredulously, but she put on such a adorable face that I couldn’t say no to. I sighed and lit the cigar and passed it into her hand. She took a draw off of it, and blew a puff a smoke into the air in the direction of the woodpile.
“Now, how about you tell me what is troubling you.” Rarity never quits, does she, I asked myself. I looked down at the pile in the pit. “Aaah,” she sighed, passing the cigar back to me.
“Yea. I don’t want those around anymore. Too much pain is alongside with them, and I think sending it off with a pyre would be perfect. It might have been awful, but it was a huge part of my life.”
“If this is what you think is best for you, then you should do what you need to do. I shall be right here though. You will need me to lean on.” She said, giggling slightly.
I smiled at the small girl cuddled up in my arms, and leaned down and pressed my lips softly against hers. After a few seconds, I threw the cigar to the side and placed both arms around Rarity, embracing her closer. My wings started to flap, kicking small flurries of snow.
All of a sudden, the barbeque pit ignited from the lit cigar. The flames exploded upward and caused both of us to go flailing towards the ground, screaming like a couple of schoolgirls.
Laying facedown in the snow, I felt the warmth of the fire against my back and wings. I could also hear laughing from my left where Rarity landed.
“Never thought a man could hit that octave. Very impressive. I should let Sweetie Belle know that she might have some strong competition from someone.”
“Oh haha, very funny.” I sarcastically replied from my little pillow of snow. “I shall have you know that I am actually a baritone, so pffft.”
“Well, you did say you wanted to send them off, and I say that you have achieved just that. And how marvelous too. You almost singed all of the roof with that inferno.”
Picking myself up and turning over, I laid in the snow looking up at the fire that was removing one of the many stains out of my life. Looking over at Rarity, I held out my hand for her, which she took. As she took it, I pulled her close to me and held her close in the snow.
“Now, that that has been taken care of, why don’t you tell me what is really bothering you?”
“How do you know that we didn’t just take care of it?”
“It is because you have been in a slight mood for almost a week now, and I know you have not seen your restraints since you tossed them in the closet.”
“Well, shit. How did you know that’s where they were?”
“Please, darling. You made such a loud noise putting them in there, how could I not? And you should know that I will not let this down, so why don’t you start talking. Maybe it is something that I can help you with.”
“Fine, it’s the season. Not really a good time for me. I have made really great friends and now everyone will be gone for a long while. I haven’t gone home for the holiday in years and my uncle is going out of the country for a conference in Berlin. So I am going to be here by myself. But I guess I'm used to it. Its just going to be lonely without you.” A slip of the tongue. I had meant to say everyone, but I had been thinking about what she meant to me for some time now.
She looked into my eyes as if she knew exactly what to do. She started to circle a finger on my chest. “Well, tell you what. I’m leaving for home tomorrow, and all of us live in the same town, so how about you come home with me for the holiday.” She brought my head down and whispered into my ear, “I know it will make me happy.”
She smiled with her bright sapphire eyes. I smiled and kissed her forehead.
“So does this mean you want me to meet your parents?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Isn’t that something usually reserved for a significant other or a boyfriend?”
She giggled. Rarity looked exquisite tonight, a lovely image that anyone would be lucky enough to see. The light from the fire bounced off her pale skin, lighting up her face more wonderfully than ever before. She rolled off the snow and laid on top of me. Her hair fell around our faces, draping her face even more beautifully. I wrapped my arms around the girl now pinning me to the snowy ground, and she put her hands on my cheeks.
“Well, I thought that was obvious” she said softly, drawing my face up to hers and pressing her lips to mine.