//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Halcyon Hearts // by TheMyth //------------------------------// “... and then he said “She looks like your mother”!” Scootaloo’s friends listened intently to her brief summary about the party as they were on their recess. They decided to spend it by playing underneath the biggest tree near the school grounds, though instead of playing they merely sat in a semicircle around Scootaloo underneath the tree. Pip, who lying on the ground with his forehooves underneath his chin, let out a whistle. “Blimey! Your grandfather’s a former Captain of the Wonderbolts?!” “Yeah!” Scootaloo replied as she nodded her head furiously, beaming proudly. “I now know where my mom gets all her talent from!” Spike tapped his chin as his eyes went skyward. “Still, Rainbow didn’t seem too keen on him being here in Ponyville...” “Well...” Sweetie Belle chimed in, but hesitated for a moment. “Well from what Rarity told me, it was all a misunderstanding... like when Rarity and I fought at the time of The Sisterhooves Social, sure I was angry at her for being mean to me but she really came through for me. Like he’s doing right now.” Apple Bloom nodded as she sat on the grass. “Right! Family always comes first! That’s the Apple Way!” Pip sighed softly and rolled his eyes. “Right...” “Beg ya pardon?” “Nothing! Anyway...” Pip looked over to Scootaloo, “What’s the story now between your grandfather and mother?” Scootaloo shrugged, blowing her hair out of his eyes. “I really don’t know...” “Well whatever happens...” Light chimed in as stood up and stretched his legs. “I hope this all works for you Scoots.” “Thanks, Light,” Scootaloo said softly as she looked up to him and smiled. She sighed and rolled on her back as she looked up to the tree’s leaves, bathed in the sunlight. “So what are we gonna do about the talent show this Friday?” “Well, I think we should-” “There they are!” Six heads turned, then fumed at the sight coming toward them. Diamond Tiara and her crew were walking toward them, looking angry. “Aw, hay,” Apple Bloom muttered, grateful her older siblings weren’t around to hear her language. “You ugly blank flanks got me in trouble!” the pink filly sneered. Silver Spoon didn’t look as happy about the whole thing as her best friend did. “Diamond, let’s just drop this...” “No! I can’t let them...” “Ah, there you are,” Cherilee broke into the conversation. She came trotting up to the group, giving Diamond Tiara a knowing look. “I see you found Apple Bloom and her friends. Good filly.” Diamond Tiara gulped. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee.” “So, I assume you were just about to start that apology to them, am I right?” Diamond Tiara looked at her rivals, who were all giving her the smuggest grins she had ever seen. “Do I have to?” “No,” Cheerilee answered. “Your father and I discussed other options. We thought maybe a few weeks of stacking shelves and scrubbing floors in his store might make you a more polite pony.” Her eyes widening, Diamond Tiara turned to the six Cutie Mark Crusaders. Through gritted teeth, she forced out, “I’m sorry.” Immediately, she turned and ran for the school, but the teacher blocked her way. “What was that? I don’t think they quite understood you.” Gritting her teeth again, she turned back to them and managed a more audible “I’m sorry.” The group laughed. It sounded like she was choking on something spoiled and rotten. “That’s better,” Cheerilee said. “Now inside. You have detention to do.” The teacher herded the foals in the door, with Diamond Tiara giving one last hate-filled glare at the six before heading inside. Light shook his head, turning to the others. “Does it actually hurt her to show some compassion to other ponies?” Spike simply shrugged as he smirked. “I dunno, though it’s not impossible. You should see what nobility in Canterlot is like.” “If she went there and started acting all high and mighty, she wouldn’t last a minute,” Scootaloo said as she looked back to the building, trying to see if she could find the tormentor in one of the windows. “Rarity said those ponies in Canterlot are so uncouth and are complete ruffians!” Sweetie Belle said, impersonating Rarity’s way of speech. The others laughed to this, until Apple Bloom stopped laughing. “We better hurry on in! Don’t wanna be late now!” “Right!” With that the six foals made their way to the classroom, starting a new lesson. “... and then Princess Celestia come up into my room and apologized to me for what she said. To be honest, that was one of the only times I have seen her cry.” Twilight sat on her pillow, sipping away on tea as she recounted her adventures to Blaze who was sitting opposite her enjoying a cup of tea of his own. “Woah... you know that makes me wonder, if the Princess knew there was a threat in Equestria... why allow a wedding to happen at the same time?” Twilight blinked and arched her eyebrow slightly. “It was really a political thing. A lot of the elite donated money and demanded it go through regardless. It didn’t matter to them if there were more important things going on, they wanted the chance to do some social climbing.” Blaze rolled his eyes. “How did you put up with that?” “The Princess protected me from a lot of it. She wouldn’t let me date anypony before I was eighteen because she knew how many of the nobles would try to manipulate me to marry their sons and get the influence.” He shuddered at that. “Are they really that ruthless?” “Celestia keeps them in line... mostly. They’re good at politics, but the Princess is better.” She looked down in her teacup for a minute. “She told me that she forgets it’s not a game sometimes. That’s what it seems to her after centuries of outwitting them. She told me she really should have just ignored them and put a hold on the wedding until it was all over, but she thought she could handle it... it was a mistake.” Blaze took a sip of his tea, and his gaze fell upon a picture of Twilight and Spike in the Crystal Empire. “So your son was also the hero of the whole Crystal Empire fiasco?” Twilight giggled softly as she placed her tea down. “Yes, surprisingly so...” “Bet he got spoiled a lot for that.” Twilight groaned as she rolled her eyes. “You have no idea! My parents and my brother spent our entire trip in Canterlot buying him everything he wanted! I think he gained about ten pounds on sweets!” She was silent a moment more before speaking. “Although, after everything he’s been through before he turned into a pony, I guess he deserves to be spoiled at least once...” “I’d imagine,” the pegasus muttered, taking a sip of tea. Twilight blushed, realizing it was probably not the best idea to expect sympathy from a pony who spent the last few years a prisoner. Clearing her throat, she went on. “So... how did you meet Light?” Blaze placed his cup on the saucer and readjusted himself on his pillow, lying on his back and looking up to the ceiling. “I met him at the orphanage... in Manehatten.” Twilight was surprised by this fact, with her eyes widening. “You’re from Manehatten?” she asked him curiously, finishing her tea before placing it on the table. “Yeah... not exactly the greatest place, especially if you had a domineering family from which you ran away from,” he muttered softly and chuckled. “Enough about me, Light and I met at the orphanage when he was still in diapers. Amazing how young ponies can be when they are abandoned...” Twilight’s mouth hung agape as she looked at Blaze in astonishment. “That young... but, how did you come to Canterlot?” Blaze rose himself from his lying position and sat on his haunches as he sighed. “Did you know that some orphanages are so broke they sell the youth to factories?” Twilight gasped and placed a hoof to her mouth. “How could they ever-” “I don’t know,” Blaze chimed in and looked down on his finished cup. “Also, if you had no name, you were assigned a number. Light had no name so he was given a number, like somepony’s property.” “So... where did he get his name?” Blaze smiled softly and looked at Twilight. “I named him, ‘cause he deserved a name. I was the one to look after him since nopony would, I literally raised him. You know how a pony sometimes questions a reason for being in a place when it doesn’t seem obvious? Since Light came into the picture, I guess I found my reason,” he said as he stood up and showed Twilight his flank. “See this cutie mark?” he asked her rhetorically, showing off his cutie mark that depicted a shield of fire. “The day I got this cutie mark was the day I protected Light from those rotten orphanage caretakers who were planning on selling him to some low life. That was also the day I ran... and took him with me.” Twilight scrunched lips as her eyes turned moist, sniffing a bit to keep the tears from coming. “You and him have really been through a lot...” Blaze dropped to his pillow. “Well, I don’t like to think of the past that much. I only care about the future, and so long as Light’s well in the future I don’t give a windigo’s ass what happens to me.” Twilight blinked in response to the sheer bluntness of the statement. “How can you not care?” “I don’t have much else to live for,” he muttered. “Haven’t for awhile. Or ever, really.” “There has to be something?” “Protecting Light from the orphanage, then from Bloodwing, I haven’t had time for much else.” “But you're free now. Don’t you want to go out and live?” “Can’t really do that until the Princesses lets me go,” he muttered. “I’m still a prisoner until they decide I can be trusted.” “Well, what then? You’re a Wonderbolt, don’t you enjoy that?” He shrugged. “It’s a job... really, anything’s better than Bloodwing.” She shook her head. “I hope that changes... and anyway, I’m surprised Princess Celestia let an orphanage like that run...” “She’s not a god,” he reminded her. “She can’t know about everything. Last I heard, that place was shut down... or somepony else took it over. Either way, it’s not being run the same way anymore.” “Well, that’s a relief,” she muttered, taking a sip. Then she thought a moment. “I take it Light got caught up on everything? Doctor’s check ups, his tutoring, everything?” “Yeah... I went through all of the requirements for me to keep Light... and I applied for his specialized education scholarships after he graduates primary school.” “Any idea what his special talent might be?” He frowned a bit. “Honestly... he says he wants to try flying... but he never learned how, really...” “I can arrange a tutor for him,” she said, “if you’re too busy... and if Rainbow Dash doesn’t want to do it.” “I can find time soon...” he trailed off. “Wasn’t there something we were supposed to be doing?” Twilight paused. Then, her eyes widening, she looked at the clock, and realized their fifteen minute tea break had lasted the better part of two hours. “Sweet Celestia, we’re behind schedule!” she grabbed Blaze and pulled him into the next room. “We have to get moving! We have research to do, papers to file...” I hope she’s on break now... Spectrum’s hot air balloon, on loan from Pinkie, landed on the floating ground of the Wonderbolt Training Camp where a number of new recruits were doing their daily routines for the Wonderbolt. His eyes squinted as he looked over the training site, trying to find a cyan pony like him. He spotted her, going through an obstacle course as though it were foal’s play. Spectrum smiled proudly as his eyes turned moist. He reached in for a locket and opened it, revealing himself and Melody inside. Melody, if only you could see how amazing your girl’s become... The sounds of sirens brought Spectrum’s mind back to the training site and he saw the recruits stopping their duties as a voice echoed across the camp. “Lunch break, one hour!” the voice called out, from what Spectrum could tell it belonged to a mare. He looked down and saw the recruits flying in all different directions, though most of them went into another building. He saw that his daughter stayed behind to train some more. Spectrum sighed and stretched his wings. When they spread, he felt jolts of pain coming from them but he ignored them. He flapped them slowly, easing the pain by a slight degree. Wish I could use them now... he thought to himself as his brow furrowed in glum. He turned to the hot air balloon that he borrowed from Pinkie and arched his eyebrow as he wondered where Pinkie got it to begin with, and where she kept it. Spectrum tucked his wings back in and marched to the entrance of the camp, where two pegasi security guards were standing post. He noticed that the two of them looked awfully bored, with one them looking drowsy as he could barely keep his eyes open. When Spectrum was before them, they stood at attention and looked with withering glares at the visitor. “Sir, unless you have a special permit to be here on these ground, we advise you to leave or be taken in for question by law-” Oh geez... they still so strict on even the training grounds? “I’m just here to see my daughter.” Spectrum deadpanned as he backed away slightly from the guards moving in closer with their glare. “Sir, I will not repeat myself! Leave or-” the one guard felt a jab in his ribs. “What, Comet?!” he asked his fellow guard, who looked as though he seen a ghost. Comet walked to his friend’s side and inspected Spectrum’s frame, until his eyes fell upon his cutie mark. Comet gasped as he dropped his spear and his wings flared. “Holy mother of Equestria!” he shouted out loud and immediately flew through the gate. “Captain! Captain! You better come here quick!” Within moments, Spitfire was front and center. “What’s wrong, cadet? Do we have a trespasser? Sir, remove yourself before...” And she then she got a good look at him. As the leader of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire was expected to constantly keep the air of a stern and competent commander at all times. She prided herself in keeping a clean record of that behavior for years. However, nopony was perfect. “...EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” she shouted out as she took hold of his hoof and shook it furiously, before her eyes glittered in stars and she clapped her hooves together. “Ohmygoshit’sRainbowSpectrum!SirIwasamajorbigfanofyoursIhadallyouractionfiguresandsawallyourshowsyouconvincedmetobecomeaWonderboltandnowyou’restandinghereinfrontofmeandit’ssoawesome!IalwayswantedtomeetyoubutyouretiredrightbeforeIjoinedandInevergotthechancebutnowyou’rehereandit’slikeadreamcometrueand...” Suddenly she stopped. She straightened herself, then calmly turned to the guards. “You didn’t see that, right?” “Ma’am, no ma’am,” the guards chanted, sounding amused. “Good, because if you went around telling ponies you saw things you didn’t see, I would have to put you on KP.” “Ma’am, yes Ma’am.” “Good,” she said simply, turning to face Spectrum. “It’s... an honor to meet you, Captain Spectrum.” “I’m not a captain anymore,” he said simply with a soft smile. “I’m just here to see my daughter.” The orange mares eyes widened. “Your daughter’s a cadet? Wait...” She turned and looked at Rainbow Dash, who was sitting some distance away, having lunch. Surprise crossed her features. “I thought there was something familiar about her...” She turned back to her idol. “But she never mentioned you. I would think that would be something she’d want to brag about.” He sighed. “We’ve... we’ve had our disagreements.” Spitfire bit her lower lip as she saw Spectrum frowning a little. “I’ll be right back,” she said to him, as she flew off to where Rainbow was eating away at her dandelion sandwich. Spitfire landed nearby and cleared her throat. “Rainbow Dash! Front and center!” she shouted out to her. Rainbow’s head jerked to Spitfire and she immediately swallowed all that was in her mouth, flying over to her captain. She landed before her and saluted to her. “Ma’am!” she said as she stood still in place. “Dash, you have a visitor today.” Rainbow arched a brow as she turned her head slightly. “Ma’am? Aren’t visitors not allowed up here?” she said as she remembered she couldn’t invite her friends to come and see her perform or do her other duties. Spitfire smirked as she chuckled slightly. “True, but this one’s an exception,” she said as she pointed her head to the gate and saw Rainbow turning her gaze to it. She saw her cadet sweat slightly, her eyes widening. “First time I met you, you told me you had no family at all.” Spitfire said, keeping her smirk and soundly eerily calm. “C-captain- I can explain-” “We’ll talk later,” Spitfire chimed in as she walked to Rainbow’s side. “First things first, spend some time with your dad in this lunch break. That’s an order.” she said as she looked back to Spectrum, who was signing an autograph for the two guards at the entrance. Rainbow sighed as she grumbled. “Yes, Ma’am,” she answered her captain and walked off. “And Rainbow,” Spitfire called out in her casual tone. “I suggest you look after him ok? His wings look rather sore,” she said as she looked back at Spectrum and could not help but flinch at the sight of his wings. Rainbow nodded and continued her way towards her father. Soarin floated to Spitfire’s side and landed next to her. “What’s going on here? I could have sworn you did a fan-filly scream.” he asked her as he looked to his captain and best friend. Spitfire blushed and giggled, placing a hoof to her mouth that soon pointed to the gate. “Cause of that,” she said as she saw Spectrum and Dash walking off. Soarin’ blinked. “Is... is that...” Spitfire nodded. “He’s Rainbow Dash’s dad!” “No. Way,” he said, his eyes widening and his mouth curling into a smile that belonged on a foal 25 years younger. “That is so cool! Why’d she never mention it?” “Apparently they had a falling out,” she said. Soarin thought a minute. “A runaway, huh? We should have looked into that more carefully. And idea why she ran off?” “No, and don’t ask her. It’s none of our business now. Besides...” She watched father and daughter talk, “I think they’re going to talk this out just fine.” “You came all the way up here?” she said angrily. “I wanted to see you, Dashie. I was hoping we could have lunch and talk some more.” “So you came into restricted airspace? You’re lucky you’re not in jail right now!” At this, Spectrum actually stuck out his chest in pride. “Luck had nothing to do with it. I’m apparently quite popular here. Spitfire’s a big fan.” Rainbow Dash tilted her head skeptically. “Really?” At this, Spectrum turned to Spitfire, who was still looking at them, and blew a kiss her way. The orange pegasi gasped, clutched her heart, and fell over with Soarin catching her, hearts appearing in her eyes. Blowing on his hoof, he wiped it on his barrell. “Still got it.” Rainbow Dash had to pick her jaw off the floor. “How... what? How...” “I was a real mare’s stallion back in the day. You should have seen how I swept your mother off her hooves...” And with that, his confidence was gone, replaced with a pained look. He looked at the ground. “She would have been proud of you.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “How’d you meet her?” Spectrum smiled slightly as he looked upwards to the clouds in the sky. “It was just an ordinary day of training for me... I was perfecting my signature move when I first met her. She was sitting on top of the hill where I liked to hang out, near Ponyville her home and-” “Wait! Mom was from Ponyville?!” Rainbow chimed as she looked her father with shocked eyes that were the size of pins. “Yeah,” Spectrum answered and chuckled. “Amazing how that town also became your home...” Spectrum shook his head slightly. “Anyway, she was very shy in front of me when I first spoke to her that day. It was also the day I asked her out on a date. From there, my life was never the same again.” Rainbow Dash listened intently to her father and she rested her head on her hooves as he continued on talking. “Your mom had one of the most amazing singing voices ever. Even though most ponies couldn’t hear her voice in the crowd’s cheering, I could always hear it when she called my name. Thought it would be appropriate too for where I would ask the greatest question in my life.” Rainbow blinked and turned her head slightly. “What kind of question.” Spectrum smirked as he looked to his daughter. “To marry me.” he said simply. “To many fans it was another show in Cloudsdale, but to me it was one of the best moments ever.” he said as he once again looked up to the sky. “I did my signature move, the Rainboom Spectrum, and wrote in the air ‘Melody, will you marry me’. I still remember how much she was crying in joy when she flew up to me and chanted ‘yes’, before she was kissing me for the remainder of the show and-” “Ok, I don’t wanna hear the private stuff please!” Rainbow said as she closed her eyes and tried to erase the images that crossed her mind. Spectrum smiled softly and took out the locket and showed it to Dash after opening it. “That’s her right there with me, and you are right there,” he said as he pointed to Melody’s belly that was swollen. Melody’s coat was orange and her mane was purple that reached to her shoulders. Her eyes were the same magenta color that her daughter had whilst her cutie mark was a musical note with birds in the back. In the picture she was being held by Spectrum as she gave the camera the softest smile that Rainbow had ever saw on a pony. Rainbow’s eyes became slightly moist as she looked at her mother. “She’s beautiful.” “She is. She was. She had me wrapped around her hoof, and she knew it, even if she never took advantage of it.” “...How’d she die?” Spectrum was silent for a moment. “She... she died in childbirth.” he said softly as he looked back to the picture and let loose a single tear. He heard the movement of grass and saw his daughter standing up with her irises the size of pins. “Dashie?” “I... I killed my mother?” Dashie whispered as she found it hard to breathe. “I-I killed my mom! I-” “No!” Spectrum jumped up and held his daughter close, stroking her mane softly. “Dashie... Dashie, please, don’t think of it like that. I never blamed you for what happened to her, and neither should you.” He spoke to her softly and felt her calm down before letting go. He could have sworn he saw tears, but he didn’t press the matter. Rainbow blinked rapidly as she breathed slowly. “...Why didn’t you ever tell me? I always asked you, and you just told me not to worry about it...” “I didn’t want to upset you,” he said simply. “I...” he sighed. “I think I ended up smothering you. After losing your mother, I couldn’t stand losing you too. I did everything I could to protect you...” he said as he looked away from his daughter’s gaze. “But I guess I ended hurting you more because of that...” Rainbow regarded his words. “Were you ever going to tell me?” “...Yes. At your cuteceñeara. I thought it would be time. But you ran off before... before you got your cutie mark,” he bit his lips, holding in to not break down in front of his daughter. There was silence for a moment. “Do you think you could talk Spitfire into letting you come back up tomorrow?” Spectrum’s ears perked and he raised his head sharply. “Sorry?” Rainbow looked away coyly as she placed a hoof to her chin. “Well, it’s just... I want you to see me perform and...” With that, he smiled. “I don’t think it would be too hard... in fact, I was going to ask her if I could use their gym to get back into shape. Flying again would be pretty nice...” “You could re-enlist,” she suggested happily. “Be back flying!” He laughed, shaking his head. “No... I’ve had my fun. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stick around Ponyville... I’ve worked enough, I’ve been through enough. I think it’s time I just enjoyed life.” She laughed in response. “Think you can’t keep up with me?” “I could,” he smiled, his former confidence returning. “I knew some moves back in the day... I bet I could be back on my wings pretty quick...” “Is that a challenge?” “...No. It’s an offer,” he said simply. “I’m going to teach you some of my moves. They got me to captain, they can get you there too.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “You know, that’s not a bad idea.” “... Alright, ponies! We got allo’ work to do if we are even gonna stand a chance to win a price this year!” Apple Bloom shouted out to her five friends who were standing before her. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and groaned. “Can we just get on with it?! I need to build the stage already!” Apple Bloom nodded. “Righ’! You and Light get snapping!” she said as she pointed her hoof to a pile of wood. “Ah’ll guide ya if you get stuck.” With that Scootaloo and Light flew off to the pile of wood, scurrying through it to find the proper pieces to begin construction. “Spike?” Apple Bloom brought the purple unicorn’s attention to her as he looked to the stage. “You got lyrics ready yet?” Spike trotted over to his saddlebag and pulled out some notes with his magic, that has improved greatly thanks to the tutelage of his mother. “Right here,” he said as he passed it over to the yellow earth pony. “It’s about half-way there, but I’m getting there.” Apple Bloom rushed through the lyrics, with Sweetie Belle looking from behind as she squinted her eyes to get a closer look. “Wow Spike! These are really great!” Sweetie Belle smiled broadly at Spike as she finished the last page with her friend. Spike’s cheeks burned brightly for a moment before shaking his head. “It’s nothing big, really. Just simple stuff.” Sweetie Belle giggled softly, seeing Spike’s blush. “Well, I’m sure this will help us win the talent show.” Apple Bloom smirked slightly before turning her attention to Pip. “Pip, Ah’m not sure what ye can do fer us at this moment but-” “I can do some painting on the stage.” Apple Bloom blinked and looked back to Light and Scootaloo working hard on the stage, noticing the lack of color. She scrunched her lips and tapped her chin in thought. “Well... ok, just say which colors ya need,” she told him as he gave a salute and walked off to the pegasi duo. “Alright girls, let’s get started!” Spike made a mental note to ask his mother if it was possible for ears to bleed as Apple Bloom tried belting out another verse of his song. Pressing his ears as far back as he could will it, he gritted his teeth. “That’s... not exactly what I was hoping to hear when I wrote it.” “You need to round your mouth,” Sweetie instructed. “Like you have a small ball in there. Try it again.” Apple Bloom sang the note again. There was some shrillness, but it came out clearer. “That was... better,” Sweetie assured. “Better than what?” Scootaloo snarked. “Scoots, just build the stage,” Spike muttered. “And this time, make sure you follow that carpentry book my mom gave you.” “Yeah, yeah, I’m following it.” “Really?” “Yes, really,” Scoots snapped. “Ask Pip and Light, if you don’t believe me. They’re helping too.” “Fine, I believe you.” She looked out into the sky. “It’s getting pretty late anyway. I think we better start heading home.” “What?” Pip said, suddenly jerking to attention. “Already?” “Afraid so,” she said. “We’ll meet up after school tomorrow. We still have a lot of work to do.” “Alright then, Cutie Mark Crusaders, today’s meeting is officially over. Everypony head home, and we’ll meet up here tomorrow after school.” With that, the group said their goodbyes. Spike and Scootaloo raced home for their magic and flying lessons, Light went to meet Blaze at the clocktower, Sweetie went to visit Rarity, and Apple Bloom grumbled about the chores that awaited her. And Pip, the last one to leave, shot a look at all his friends retreating. Sighing, he began walking away.