//------------------------------// // Desperate Times // Story: Lightning's Bolt // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Lightning was sitting in the grass atop a hill. She didn’t speak, she didn’t move. She just sat and stared. Keen kept glancing between her and the cloud house that hovered several dozen feet in the air near the bottom of the hill. Lightning's eyes were locked on that house, eyelids low and lips pulled back in a sneer. Fine was crazy. There was nothing else for it, he was just plain off his rocker. There wasn’t a chance in hell this would work, and he had to have known it. Lightning figured she might as well just turn around and head into town in search of an alternative. Keen eyed the house, brushing her long mane from her face. “How… How do you live in it?” Lightning blinked and cast a slow look at the filly. So she’d never seen a cloud house before. No surprise; Lightning hadn’t seen one until she’d left the wild weather of Foal Mountains. She watched as Keen sat and tilted her head, clearly trying to puzzle out this new mystery. Lightning had other issues in mind, like how much she didn’t want to be here. There had to be some other solution… She reached into her pack and pulled out the note she’d written, staring at the number on it. It was a lot of bits. If this job would give her the money she needed to take care of Keen and keep the house… She turned away with a fresh grimace. Damn that Fine! What was he trying to do, teach her humility? The bastard wasn’t going to get away with this. Every time she came close to walking away she reminded herself that she needed the bits, and this might be the only way. But to work for that blue goody-four-hooves… Keen slipped between her hooves and stared up at the sky with wide eyes. Lightning caught on quick and looked up to spot four pegasi flying towards the cloud house, the sound of laughter surrounding them. Lightning tensed; one of them had a rainbow wake. She sucked in a deep breath and fought to keep from walking away. She tucked her note back in her pack and stepped aside, patting Keen’s mane as she dropped down. “Don’t worry, kiddo, it’ll be okay.” Her eyes remained locked on the approaching pegasi. “Hop on.” Keen hesitated, but did as she was told and climbed on Lightning's back. Lightning nuzzled her for comfort. The filly returned the motion, though her small frown didn't fade. “Are you sure they’re not monsters?” Lightning opened her mouth, paused, then glanced up at the four ponies. She peered at Rainbow Dash, who lead the group. “Well... mostly.” Rainbow and the others stopped at the front door to her cloud home, chatting about stunts and weather duty. Lightning took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Alright, here goes nothin’.” As they approached, one of the pegasi spotted them. Her eyes went wide and she grinned, flying down to meet them on pink wings. Lightning paused halfway down the hill, patting Keen on the head at her whimper. “Lightning! Is that really you?” The pony asked, hovering just above her. Lightning blinked and studied this stranger for a few seconds, tapping her chin. She did look vaguely familiar… “You’re… You were at Appleloosa…” The pegasus drooped, though she had an understanding smile. “I’m Airheart! We were on the same emergency weather team, remember?” “Oh, right!” The memories from that morose time came flooding back, but Lightning couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, I remember, now. You were the nice one.” She turned her head away to mutter under her breath, “Unlike those other buckers.” She noted Keen between her wings, who’s eyebrows rose at the term. Lightning silently cursed and whacked herself on the forehead a couple of times; she had to watch her language, now! “It’s great to see you.” Airheart landed before Lightning with a beaming smile. “I heard how you’d disappeared after that terrible fire. I was kinda worried.” “Yeah?” Lightning leaned back, an inexplicable sense of guilt running through her mind. “Really? I didn’t mean to… Look, I had a lot of stuff going on then. I mean—” Airheart waved a dismissive hoof. “Oh, don’t worry about it. The important thing is that you’re okay! So what are you doing in—” “Well, there’s a face I never expected to see around here.” Lightning looked up and glowered at Rainbow Dash, who looked no happier than Lightning felt. Rainbow crossed her forehooves with an ominous frown. “What the hay are you doing here?” “Oh, do you know one another?” Airheart, oblivious to the heated looks Rainbow and Lightning were sharing, turned to Rainbow with a grin. “You should see Lightning fly, Rainbow. She’s awesome!” “Believe me, I know.” Rainbow's eyes were cold as ice. The two pegasi hovering just behind her exchanged wary expressions. “Alright, Lightning, what are you doing here?” Lightning’s simmering anger disappeared quickly. She glanced at Airheart and the other ponies, her chest suddenly going tight. “I… Well…” Rainbow raised an eyebrow and set her hooves to her waist. Lightning took a tentative step back, surprised at her own anxiousness, but then remembered Keen. She glanced back at her little rider, who was sunk low between Lightning’s wings and eyeing the three ponies overhead as if they might pounce at any second. The sight reminded Lightning of her needs and gave her some courage. She turned back to Rainbow with head held high. “Can we talk? Alone?” Rainbow’s frown deepened and she glanced at the other ponies. She considered for several seconds, but finally turned to the others. “Go ahead, guys. I’ll see ya tomorrow.” “I dunno what this is all about,” Airheart admitted, “but I guess ya gotta do what ya gotta do. We have to talk later, though. I can’t wait to hear where you’ve been for the past four months.” Lightning eyed Airheart, not sure how to take the pony’s pleasant attitude. “Umm… Yeah, I guess.” Airheart beamed and flew off with the others, waving merrily. Rainbow Dash dropped to the grass, peering at Lightning with wings half-opened. She appeared ready to launch at a moment’s notice. “Alright, LD. What’s this all about?” Lightning glanced about to make sure they were alone. She sucked in a deep breath, opened her mouth… and couldn’t speak. She grimaced, swallowed a few times, worked her jaw. “I… I need a job.” Rainbow’s eyes went wide, her suspicious nature fading in an instant. “You? You’re asking me for a job? You want to be on my weather team?” Lightning cringed, but it was too late to change her mind. “No. No I don’t, but I don’t have any other options.” “Oh, yeah, that answer really inspires confidence." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Don’t tell me there aren’t other options, I’m sure there are plenty of other jobs in Ponyville.” “But this is the job I need,” Lightning insisted. “I’m good at one thing, Rainbow, and you know it.” Rainbow shook her head. “I don’t trust you, Lightning. You’re not a team player and you’re more likely to hurt anypony I pair you with than help.” Lightning ground her teeth, cheeks burning. “Don’t you think I’ve heard that enough times already? I know I have issues! How the bu—” She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, barely recalling Keen’s presence on her back. She gave herself a second to think on her words… which wasn’t easy, all things considered. “Look, I just need a chance. Let me prove to ya that I can do this.” But Rainbow sat and scrutinized Lightning only more intently. “You could have gone to join any weather team in Equestria. Why come to mine?” Lightning sniffed and glanced away. “Believe me, it wasn’t my idea.” She reached into her pouch to grab the note, offering it to her old rival. “This is what I need to make in a month.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow, but took the note. She needed less than a second to throw her hooves up in exasperation. “Are you kidding? It took me three years of hard work to earn that kind of pay, and you wanna be payed that much starting off? No way, it’s not gonna happen!” Lightning raised a hoof as if to stop Rainbow from leaving. “I know I’m asking a lot. You don’t have to give me a raise or anything till I hit the proper rank. I’ll be a team player, I’ll play nice with the others!” “No way!” Rainbow turned away with head held high. “You’re barking up the wrong tree.” “But I need this!” “You need the bits that badly? Get two jobs. I know plenty of ponies who have done it.” “I can’t do that,” Lightning snapped. “I don’t have the time. I’ve other responsibilities!” Rainbow shot her a scathing glance. “Like what?” Lightning thought her teeth might file down to the gums if she kept grinding them. She turned and grabbed Keen, who let out a surprised squeak as she was pulled from Lightning’s back and set between the two pegasi. She looked up at the glowering Rainbow Dash and immediately retreated behind Lightning’s legs, wide eyes gazing out from beneath strands of white mane. Rainbow scowled at Keen for a few seconds, then turned the look upon Lightning. “And that is?” Lightning opened her mouth to answer, but paused. Her frustration faded as she glanced down at Keen. What was Keen to her, really? Daughter sounded… weird. She couldn’t see herself as a parent. Sister? No, that didn’t make much sense in her head either. “She’s… my kid.” Rainbow’s jaw dropped. She looked down at Keen, then at Lightning, then at Keen again. She shifted, rubbed her chin, glanced around. Her mouth opened, then closed as she leaned back to think some more. At last she was able to get something out. “Who’s… Who’s the father?” Lightning sneered and leaned forward to hiss, “She’s an orphan, and now she’s my responsibility. Is that good enough for you?” “Oh!” Rainbow waved her hooves as if to ward off an attack. “Sorry! It’s just, when you said she was your kid… I mean, I thought... y’know?” Then she paused, eyes dropping to Keen once more. “An… An orphan, y’say? Huh…” She lowered her head a bit, eyes shifting as she considered this information. “LD, you’re really gonna try this? I mean, raising a kid?” Lightning tried to hold back her frustration, rubbing her forehead with a grimace. “Look, I’ve got a house to pay for, furniture to buy, an extra mouth to feed. I can’t take two jobs, I need to be able to spend time with her! Are ya gonna give me a job or not?” Rainbow thought on the question, brow furrowed and a hoof under her chin. “I… I dunno. We need to talk about this a bit more. Come on, let’s go inside and talk.” Lightning shifted, diverting her eyes as Rainbow turned away and opened her wings. “I… I can’t.” A growl emitted from Rainbow's throat as she turned back to them. “What do ya mean, ya can’t?” Thinking fast, Lightning gestured to Keen, who was still hiding between her legs. “Keen here can’t exactly stand on a cloud.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You can carry her, right? And I’ve got furniture she can sit on.” Lightning took a step back, chewing her lip as she eyed the cloud house above them. She flexed her left wing and could feel the uncomfortable tightness in her side from the motion. Her head sank with her heart. “I can’t… Not yet.” Rainbow let out a frustrated sound with her head leaning back. “Oh, come on. Why not?” Lightning studied her old rival, but couldn’t meet Rainbow’s eyes. She knew the truth might seal her fate… but it was not something she could hide. So she turned so her left side was facing Rainbow and raised her wing high. “That’s why.” Lightning didn’t bother to look. Her cheeks burned with shame at the sound of Rainbow sucking in a deep breath. “Yeow, that had to hurt! How’d you get that?” Lightning lowered her head and tried to keep the memories at bay. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” A brief pause passed between them before Rainbow asked in a bemused tone, “You tried to pull some ridiculous air stunt, didn’t you? Like the tornado.” Lightning’s anger flared and she turned on Rainbow with a vicious snarl. “Listen, I was bucking lucky! How would you like if a pony you thought was your friend came up and stabbed you with—” Too late she realized she’d lost her temper, her words quickly dropping into strange noises as she fought to halt her lips. Damn it, she needed to control herself! She jerked away, clenching her teeth and huffing out breaths that were supposed to be calming, even if they came out as snarls. Something brushed against her leg. She looked down to find Keen rubbing against her with big eyes. Lightning chewed her lip and fought down the urge to shout her frustration, instead dropping to hold the filly in her hooves and nuzzle that thick white mane. They maintained the embrace for several seconds, and Lightning could feel her anger fading. She didn’t understand why, but Keen just had a pleasing effect on her. It was as if her anger and stress melted away when she focused her attention on the filly, and she appreciated it more than she could say. “I don’t believe it.” Rainbow's voice caught Lightning’s attention. “This is actually happening. You’re gonna raise a foal!” Lightning, still holding Keen close, gave the weather team captain a firm look. “I can’t fly right now, but give me a week.” Rainbow hesitated. “Five days. Four! I’ll make this work.” Rainbow shifted, rubbing the back of her head with averted eyes. “I dunno… I gotta think on it.” That wasn’t good enough. Lightning studied Rainbow for a few seconds, but she had no way of knowing for certain if she had the job. She couldn’t take any chances, but what else could she say? She eyed Keen and realized she couldn’t let her pride get in the way. But if she resorted to that, what would she have left? Sighing, she stood and patted Keen on the head. “Give me a couple seconds, kay?” Keen nodded with a wide smile that made Lightning feel strangely good. She turned to Rainbow and approached, knowing that she was about to do something she'd probably regret. Her old rival took a cautious step back, but Lightning did nothing save stand close. Heart heavy, chest tight, she lowered her head and spoke in a whisper. “I’ve still got my pride. Don’t make me beg, Rainbow. Please, not in front of my kid.” Lightning closed her eyes and waited. She hated that she’d said that, but she knew she had to make this happen. If it came to begging she’d do it, because deep down she really was that desperate. She silently prayed that it wouldn’t come to that. So she stood still, stomach churning. It seemed like an eternity before Rainbow emitted a long sigh. “All right.” Lightning raised her head, eyes opening wide. “Really? I’ve got the job?” The weather team captain nodded. “I can’t guarantee the paycheck, but I’ll see what I can do about it. You show up next Monday, if your wing’s good, and we’ll get started.” Lightning grinned and hoof-pumped. “All right! You won’t re—” Rainbow raised a silencing hoof, lips set in a grim frown. “I have conditions. Two of ‘em.” Lightning took a wary step back. “Conditions?” “And a warning,” Rainbow added with a nod. “You’re starting at the bottom of the pack. That means you have to learn to be a team player, look out for the others. I’m gonna be watching you closely, LD. Screw things up and you’re gone, ya got me?” Lightning bristled. She knew she was probably going to make the other ponies look like foals in comparison. She was an ace flier, for Celestia’s sake! Yet she held her tongue; she would do whatever she had to do to make this work. “Yeah… Yeah, I got it.” Rainbow leaned forward to peer at her with one eye, but after a couple seconds seemed to accept the answer. “Alright then. First condition: the Academy.” Lightning tilted her head. “What about it?” Rainbow fixed Lightning with her darkest, most critical expression. “I want to hear you acknowledge the truth. I want you to tell me that you were booted out because of what you did and not me.” Lightning tensed. For a long time she could only stare at her old rival, struggling to keep her anger down. “What good is that gonna do?” “I want you to acknowledge that you have a problem.” “A pro—” Lightning clamped her jaws closed, cringing at the effort required to keep from exploding. She breathed through clenched teeth for a short time, shoulders shaking at the effort required to keep her emotions in check. At last she had enough control to say, “You realize I won’t believe it, right?” Rainbow didn't appear at all alarmed by Lightning's anger. “Think of it as a first step. You want the job, or not?” Lightning chewed her lip; she really had to say it, didn’t she? Curse that pony, she wasn’t making this easy. For Keen. Lightning kept reminding herself: this was for Keen. She took a moment to calm herself and, struggling to keep her voice steady, said, “It was my own arrogance, my drive to be the best that got me booted out of the academy. "There!” She turned her face away from Rainbow with a jerk, cheeks burning. “Ya happy now?” Rainbow considered the statement for a few seconds, lips set in a tight frown. “Is that really the best you can do?” Lightning shot her a venomous look. “Ya told me ta say it, so I did!” Rainbow sighed and shook her head. “This is gonna take some real work… but I guess it’ll do.” Thank Goddess! Lightning sagged, head leaning back on her shoulders. “Finally! Now I can—” “Hold it.” Lightning tensed at Rainbow's interruption. “Did ya forget? There are two conditions.” Lightning dropped to her belly with a moan. “Oh, come on! What more do ya want from me?” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Chillax, ya drama queen. This one’s easy.” She pointed behind Lightning. “How old’s the kid?” Lightning raised her head, eyeing Rainbow with raised eyebrows. “What does that have to do with anything?” Now that she thought on it, though, the truth was Lightning had never thought to ask Keen her age, not once. Abruptly curious, she turned about to find Keen ducked in a low position at the sudden attention set upon her. “Keen?” The filly hesitated. “Um… I’m…five?” She cocked her head towards Rainbow. Lightning would have guessed a year or two older than that. Keen was a tiny filly, but she seemed very mature for her age. But then, considering what she’d been through already in her short life… Rainbow, her voice abruptly much nicer than it had been with Lightning, asked, “When’s your birthday?” Keen chewed her lip as her eyes darted to Lightning, who nodded. “J-July. The fifth.” “So ya just turned five, then,” Rainbow observed. “Yep, that’s what I thought; you need to get a foalsitter.” Lightning blinked. “A foalsitter? Really?” Rainbow nodded. “She’s got another year before she can start school. Somepony’s gotta look after her while you’re working, y’know?” Lightning hadn’t even thought of that… and she didn’t like it. “H-hold on… I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Keen was a nervous wreck around other ponies; how would she respond to having to be with a foalsitter? “Surely there’s another option?” Rainbow considered the question. “Daycare?” “Hell no!” Lightning resisted the urge to snatch Keen up in a protective hold, though she did walk over to the filly and wrap a wing about her. “She wouldn’t last five minutes! I’m not putting her in one of those places.” Rainbow leaned back with a sour expression. “What’s the deal? You act like it’s a dungeon.” Lightning looked down at her charge, and Keen returned the glance with wide, pleading eyes. The desperation in them was heart-wrenching. “It’s… hard to explain. Look, there’s no way Keen’s going to be cool hanging with other foals.” Rainbow shrugged. “Fine, then go with the foalsitter. Ya can’t well take her with you ta work, and she shouldn’t be left alone while you’re with us.” “But… But we don’t know anypony, yet.” “And I don’t want a foalsitter,” Keen added, ducking her face behind Lightning's wing. Rainbow noted the filly’s behavior and sighed. “I don’t know what’s really going on, but if you wanna have a job, you gotta get a foalsitter. That’s not just me talking, LD; I promise ya, every other place ya go to for a job will tell ya the same thing.” Lightning considered this, shifting anxiously as she tugged Keen just a little closer with her wing. She looked down at the filly, who returned the gaze and shook her head with a fretful, “Do I have to?” Yet for all her uncertainty, for once Lightning actually understood Rainbow’s position. She tucked a hoof under Keen’s chin and offered a smile. “We’ll be very careful about who you’re with, alright? I promise, Keen, it’ll be safe.” Keen shivered and clutched at Lightning’s leg, as if afraid she might be taken away at any moment. “W-what about Mr. Fine? He could…” Lightning cringed. At this point she had no doubt Fine Crime was at least trying to look out for the two of them – in his own strange way – but for the life of her she just couldn’t trust him. Keen might like him, but that wasn’t good enough for Lightning. “No, Keen. We need to find somepony else.” The filly sagged and held on even more tightly. “Hey, don’t worry,” Rainbow said with a grin. “You might not know anypony in town, but I know plenty! And I think I’ve got the perfect group of ponies for the job.” “Really?” Lightning cast a surprised look at her. “You’d introduce us?” “Sure!” Rainbow gestured to herself smugly. “I’m an upstanding pillar of the community, after all.” Lightning hesitated, but slowly gave her little unicorn a smile. “Ya hear that, Keen? Everything will be just fine.” Keen didn’t seem at all convinced. “I better take her back. Why don’t we meet up tomorrow and meet those sitters?” “Works for me.” Rainbow eyed Lightning for several seconds, as if expecting something, but Lightning only stared back. Eventually her smile dropped. “Don’t you have something to say?” Lightning tilted her head, not understanding her rival’s meaning. No, not just her rival; her new boss. She barely contained a groan at the thought. Rainbow sighed and facehoofed. “Yeah, this is gonna take some work.”