//------------------------------//
// Strike's Story (Extended) 
// Story: The Long Lost Rainbow 
// by Ribe_FireRain 
//------------------------------//

After being at Sweet Apple Acres with Rainbow's friends, Strike had learned about what they do for a living and found out most about their personality. Pinkie told him about her job at Sugarcube Corner and some of her stories from the past, including the one when the donkey called Doodle came into town and how she befriended him. Twilight told him about what else? Books and magic and of course, how she once used to be before finding friendship for the others. Applejack on the over hoof told him about how the Apple Family brews and harvests apples for the markets and what they had been through in the years, earning laughs and giggles from the family and her friends at the memories, even Strike on some parts. Fluttershy didn't say much, and unusually, she couldn't stop staring deeply into 
Strike's green eyes. The others, including Strike even noticed it at times, and every time they'd turn their attention to her, she would instantly stop.

Strike found all of their stories interesting, but the only thing flowing in his mind is how they would all react when he tells his. Just the though of their reactions and who they'd take him for made him scared, not to mention petrified. He even had a nightmare about it once, and from that night, he still couldn't forget it. It was where he told them about it and in the end, they thought he was an uncontrollable fiend who likes to-no, loves to murder for fun and entertainment with his gang friends.
That dream was permanently burned to his mind, rendering it unforgettable.

Before leaving the farm, Strike asked if Applejack wanted to tag along with them, to which she agreed, and then the group of friends went for Rarities boutique to meet her. As they walked they told Strike some more about who they were and Strike even told them things about himself, stuff that mattered. 

'Hey, Dash?' Strike looked over to Dash who was hovering beside him.

'Yeah, Strike?'

'About this thing, I...I dunno if I should tell you all, let alone our parents. I don't know what they'll even think of me.' He kept his voice quiet so the others behind him and Dash couldn't hear.

'Well....Strike...that's your choice. If you don't want to tell us you don't have to. Your free to not tell us about it if you don't want to.'

'I know, but at some point, your all going to need to know the truth anyway. I just have a very bad feeling they - and you - will get the wrong impression of me. I mean, I'm not a gang member anymore, and I'm definitely not a killer or a thief.'

As they talked quietly so the rest wouldn't hear them, Applejack took notice about their whispering.

'Hey, what are them two whispering about?' Applejack nudged Twilight's shoulder and motioned her hoof over to Rainbow and Strike.

'Hmm. I dunno, AJ. Think they're talking about something they aren't telling us?'

'Huh. I dunno, Twi. Looks like something other than that. S'pose they're just making up for lost time?'

Before they had another chance to talk, they had already arrived at the boutique. Rainbow Dash looked at Strike for a mere second and pushed the purple door open, the door hitting and ringing the bell that let out a welcoming chime as she came in, only to see Rarity talking to...her parents? Her mother had a pink coat and a beautifully combed mane and two blue lightning bolts on her flanks. Her dad had a light purple-tinted coat and golden eyes, and his cutie mark had a shooting star with a trail of rainbow coming out of it coloured in red, yellow and blue.

'Dashie!' Firefly said happily as she trotted up to her with a smile and hugged Rainbow warmfully. 'I've not seen you in ages!'

'He.' Dash chuckled softly. 'Hi, Mum. What are you doing here?'

At the question, Firefly looked down at the floor in silence and looked back up to Rainbow's magenta eyes with a happy yet saddened look.

'Well, Dashie...you see, we came here to browse Rarities selection of formal and bridal clothing because we were...going to get married in a few months time and thought it would be best to get the things we need now before it's too late. Sorry for not telling you, Sweetheart.'

Dash froze for a second and trying to find her voice, she began to mumble and stutter. 

'W-W-What?!' She yelled out of shock. 'Married?! You and Dad?!' 

Firefly looked up to her daughter and placed her hooves to Dash's cheeks. ''Rainbow.'' She stated sweetly. ''Calm down, please. It's not for a few months yet.''

''Um...Mum?''

''Yes, Sweetheart?''

''T-There's somepony you need to talk to since you're here already...'' Dash looked over to the door of the boutique and shouted enough that Strike could hear. ''Strike! They're here, you can come in now!''

At that name, her mum and dad froze. Strike? They both thought. Did they just hear Rainbow say ''Strike''?. Their thoughts were ended as a certain pony entered through the door, confirming who they were thinking of.

''STRIKEY?!'' Both of them exclaimed out of shock.

''Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad.'' He said quietly and nervously as he gave a wave to his parents whom he hadn't seen for as long as he could remember.

''Strike?! Huh?! How?! I thought we'd never see you again for as long as we'd live! When did you get here?!'' Firefly yelled.

''Mum.'' Is all he said before charging into her sweet, pink hooves for a hug along with Rainbolt.

Tears were forming in both of their parents eyes as they hugged him like they never had before. It had been years since they'd seen one another, and he could already tell they were gonna be slapping all kinds of questions at him when they had the chance.

''Where have you been all this time?! We'd thought you were dead after all these years! You scared me and your father dead!''

''Mum...Um.'' He hesitated as he pulled out of the hug and stared at his mother's deep and cute purple eyes. 

''What is it, Strikey? You seem like your troubled...Everything okay?''

''If you and all of you want to know, I think it would be best that we went to the library first so I can tell you all without having to repeat it...''





Once All of the ponies were together at Twilight's library, they went downstairs and sat together in a circle to listen to Strike's story.
All of them were eager to hear where he'd been and why he'd gone off, not to mention what he's been doing while he was gone.
The ponies sat together quietly, while Strike was finding where he should start with his story of the past. The only thing that bothered him at this moment is what will they all think of him once he's told them. Would they hate him? Think he's a monster? Or would they think he was just as cruel hearted as the gang his was in?
Nonetheless, he knew he had to tell them.

His mother and father were sat next to him and Rainbow, Fire Fly on Dash's side and Rainbolt on Strikes'.
He took in a dee breath and sighed through his nostrils as he was about to speak.

Strike looked at them all, including his parents and Rainbow with a look of sadness in his eyes. 'You are really going to hate me once I tell you this...Especially you, Mum and Dad. You raised me to be perfect, but you're going to be disappointed, maybe even mortified.'
Rainbow looked at Strike and placed her hoof on his back and gently rubbed up and down. 'Strike, we won't hate you for what happened, no matter how terrible, I promise.' She smiled at him, but all Strike did is still hold his frown and expression, knowing that wasn't going to be the truth of the matter.

'Okay...I guess it all started when I first left home as an 11 year old and flew off into the hillside and past the sight of view from Cloudsdale, I don't suppose you two got my note?' He looked up at his Mum and Dad who nodded shly, letting him know so he could continue with his story.
'I flew off from Ponyville and far to the edge of Equestria, and well...I found a medium sized settlement called Stockholm, the one town I will never forget for what it did to my life and how it changed me and my personality.'

'I entered it after what seemed like months and flew into the streets were I instantly saw nothing but crime, grime, burning and smoke, and above all than worse, crime scenes and bloodshed. It was more than a massacre by the look of it, to me it was a blood bath, and because of all of that, I tightened the strap on my saddlebag, trying to keep my things safe and staying cautious of the dangers around me.'
'I trotted down the debris covered paths, and before long, I ended up in a firefight between two of the gangs; one of them being the one I became a part of, The Elements of Crime.'

Rarity interrupted, curious of what that meant. 'Excuse me, Darling, what was that? The Elements of Crime? What are those?' 

Strike could easily tell she and the rest wantd to know what that meant, especially his parents.'Well...It was technically all the elements that make up crime. For an example, for my insanely fast speed, I became the Element of Speed. It means as a crime maker, you gotta get things done fast and effectively, Whipper saw I was perfect for that sort of stuff, so he and the rest took me on.'
'Not surprisingly, Whipper was the Element of Cruelty. Suits him just right, especially for what he did to my marefriend...the rotten sod. He was just a murderer and a fiend.' Strike said sourly as he recollected what Whipper was like in the past.

'So, moving on. When I got into the middle of it, I was partly walking to my death and dreadful future as a crime lord. Swarms of bullets were flying everywhere, and again, before I knew it, even more bullets came by me and splattered one of the Elements of Crimes heads and I was completely covered in blood and bits of brain mixed with even more gore than I could of imagined. As his body fell, Whipper turned his head and saw me drenched in his friend's blood.'
'He stopped firing his machine gun and came towards me and knelt down to my level. Celestia...I was in for it now...'

'You lost, colt? What's somepony like you doing here anyway? Run away from home to find a new meaning of life?' 'Whipper said to me, but christ, did he smell as though he had a few shots of whiskey too many. I'm surprised he wasn't drunk.' Strike scoffed at remembering that moment. Oh, how could I forget?

'I simply nodded as a response and he gave me a smug look. I already knew something was up with that look he was giving me, and knew it wasn't going to be good either what was about to happen next.'

'The next thing, he asked me if I had no parents around in town, to which I shook my head, and oddly enough, he seemed kinda pleased with my answer and once the fight ended, which left behind nothing but bits of guts and blood pools everwhere, he and the gang took me back to their hideout, the shithole that I won't ever forget anything about other than the fact that it had a bunch of weapons lying around in crates and racks, just as well as their gang jackets hanging on pegs on the walls. The place practically smelt of nothing but beer and blood.'

Fire Fly was already looking shocked at Strike's story, even before the actual bad parts. 'Strikey...you didn't...actually do anything bad did you? Like...something you shouldn't of done?' His mother spoke quietly and softly as she looked at Rainbow Strike who had his head hung down in shame. 'Yes...I did. But it wasn't my fault, that ass of a criminal forced me to do it! You actually think I wanted to do something as bad as that?! I didn't want any part of it!' Strike cried as he held his hooves to his eyes, shocking everypony in the room at his outburst. He could already feel tears of regret coming to his eyes as a wave of sympathy came over the other ponies in the room.

'I should of just stayed at home...Then none of this would of happened! For all I know, they could be plotting to kill me now! I just don't care about it anymore!' 

'STRIKE! Calm the buck down, will ya? Nopony will kill you!' Rainbow reassured as she looked into his pained and watery eyes. 

'Rainbow, you don't understand. None of you understand what they are like! They have more technology than we have down here, which means they have more links and witnesses to our whereabouts, and Whipper already knows where I am, even you, Rainbow! Remember? He was threatening you for my location, and I got nopony else to blame than myself for coming back here and dragging this hell with me...'

'Now Strike, that isn't true.' Fluttershy told him, but Strike still objected to believe it. 'You all have no idea what they actually did to me, though. You have no idea what they are all capable of!'

'Well...what did they do to you?' Fluttershy quietly asked, worry filling her cute voice. 

'I was trained in the way of initiation, also created by Whipper, and honestly, it hurt a lot to do what it had in it. The sick stallion was more of a mass murderer! When I was 14, he sent me into a room alone with a mare strapped into an electric chair, consequently, I knew her...it was Granny Pie.' 

Pinkie Pie's ears shot up as she heard her gran's name. 'WHAT?!?!' She yelled as loud as she could out of shock and terror.

'Pinkie...I really, really didn't want any part of this. I didn't want to do anything to her...You gotta believe me, I'm not a mass murderer.' Strike said with guilt flooding his voice as he looked at the disgusted pink mare. 'You...Killed Granny..?!' Pinkie sobbed as she stared at Strike with tears flowing freely from her eyes. 

'I was forced to do it...One of the other gang members, Slash was also in the room too. He's the Element of Brutality, and I knew the meaning of that once he shown me what I had to do. He's the one who set up the devices in the room in the first place.' Strike began as Pinkie cried openly, being comforted by Applejack. 'Every time I'd reject the motion to activate the power switch to the electricity or other machinery, Slasher would stab me in the hoof until I did, until he got bored and forced my hoof to the switch. According to the gang, it was to prove I was tough enough to be apart of the criminal world and join them in the life of crime, and personally and honestly, I really, really hated the feeling. Wasn't worth doing.'

Applejack looked as though she couldn't take anymore, same as Pinkie who was now soaked in tears. 'Pinkie? C'mon, les'just go upstairs. You okay with that?' Applejack asked, earning a broken nod from the even more broken mare, and without saying anything, they both went upstairs and out of the room.

'That's what I mean when I say I ain't proud of what I've done. You probably must think I'm terrible. I don't blame you for thinking that of me.' Strike quietly deadpanned as he again hung his head low with tears dripping from his eyes.

Rainbolt looked at his son, as did Fire Fly and Rainbow. Rainbolt caresed Strike's mane with his hoof as Dash wrapped her hoof around him in a warm embrace. Fire Fly on the other hand looked just as broken herself as she was crying over what had become of their perfect son. Why did he choose to become a criminal in the first place? Why didn't he back out of the idea? 

'Dad, Rainbow, Mum...I'm just sorry for all I put you through. You...you just don't know much about why I chose this path and not a good one, like you always thought of me as. I'm just...so,so,so sorry for what I did..' Strike cried in his regretful sorrow as he hugged his parents and Rainbow tightly. 

Strike's heart was literally broken at this point. He already knew the meaning of loss and pain, and unfortunately, now did Pinkie also. What he felt like inside was indescribeable.

'It's all okay now, Strikey. It's okay...' Rainbolt reassured Strike, but he only cried more, so did Rainbow Dash. 

'Strike, It's okay. Your life was just as bad as it was when you were living here, remember? Your friend and school?' Dash sobbed as Strike perked his ears and looked at her sweet, magenta eyes. 'M-My friend who was murdered..? That was nothing like my life of crime. I just didn't want to do anything like that, I don't know why I even accepted becoming a member and going through initiation..If I didn't, maybe Granny Pie would still be alive and nothing would of happened to her...'

They all held each other close as they all cried, Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight nearly crying openly themselves as they took in what happened in his past. They all couldn't help but be sorry for him, even if he did do bad from what was right. 

'I just wish there was some way of making things right, but now, I know there isn't any way possible to make up for the bad things and mistakes I've done.' 

'Strikey, don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you, I promise. Your still my son and nothing can change that. Not even if you became something you hate or becoming a crime lord.' Fire Fly said as she kissed Strike's fore head and petted his rainbow mane.

'Well...*clears throat* should we go back upstairs, or is there anything else we should know?' Twilight calmly asked Strike, catching his attention for a brief moment and tried to think about it, weather if he wanted to tell it or not.

'Yes there is more..But listen, it isn't as gruesome as the first part, it's the start of where I became a band member and met my now dead marefriend. I promise it isn't a story full of murder, are you okay with that?' He looked back at Twilight who nodded her head along with the others, telling him they approve of hearing it. 'Alright, good. Should we get Applejack and Pinkie back down here? I hope she's alright about earlier.'

'Oh, right. I'll go see where they are.' Twilight pulled herself onto all fours and trotted up the steps of the basement and entered the main room of the library, where her voice was still audible to those who were still in the basement. 'Applejack? Pinkie? Where are you?' She called out but got no answer. The room was even more silent than a library should be, which worried Twilight a little bit. Where was they? Did they leave? Are they outside? First she poked her head outside for a quick peek, but didn't see them, just the usual residents of Ponyville trotting around with each other. Next she checked upstairs, but had no luck there either, so she checked the bathroom, and there she saw them. Pinkie was still crying hard and had a box of tissues beside her, along with Applejack who was stroking her mane gingerly as she tried to comfort her.
She couldn't blame her for the way she was, neither could Applejack. Hearing that your friends brother did something terrible to somepony she loved dearly practically tore her heart to a shower of confetti. Twilight sat beside her and hugged her.

'Pinkie? Are you alright? You look terrible.' Twilight asked in a concerned tone as she placed a hoof to Pinkie's shoulder. Pinkie glanced up to her, meeting her worry-filled purple eyes with her own sore eyes from all the crying and looked back down with a short sigh.

'No, Twilight. I'm not alright...Granny Pie was like a second mother to me, and what Strike said...he admitted that he killed her! How could he do something so horrible? Especially to Granny Pie?' She looked back up to Twilight with a tear sliding down her face. 'Pinkie...I know you're upset about it, heartbroken, even, but Strike said that he was forced to do it. He wanted no part of it, that pony called Slash made him do it. I'm sure he's more than sorry about what happened that day. Believe me.' 'Now, will you come back downstairs with us? Strike is about to tell us about after he left the crime life and moved on.' 

'Twilight, I can't. I just want to go back home. I don't want to hear anymore of that dreadful life he once lived.' 





Twilight came back down the stairs of the library, Applejack and Pinkie not behind her. She went to where the rest of her friends were sitting and took her place in the circle, looking down at the floor all the way.

''Twilight? Are you okay? You don't look too good.'' A concerned Fluttershy asked as she put a hoof to her shoulder.

''Yeah...I'm fine. Don't worry about me.'' Twilight replied dryly.

Strike sat there, looking at Twilight, immediately sensing something is wrong.

''Twilight. You sure you're okay? Because you sure as hay don't look it.'' He asked her, his voice still a little broken from crying and horrid memories.

''They just won't come down.'' Twilight told them. ''But still, you never told us exactly why you left home. Did something happen to you?'' She raised a brow at Strike, her easily noticing the bullets of sweat coming down his forehead.

''Do you...really want to know the reason I left? For real?'' He asked slowly and cautiously.

''Well...yeah. I guess.''

''Fine. As long as you know, I don't have to worry or think about it anymore. Whats done is done.''

''Even though I'm not comfortable with this topic, you still want to know, so...fine. I'll tell you about it.''

At his words, all the ponies in the room looked at him with cautious yet curious eyes, including Rainbolt and Firefly and Rainbow Dash.

''First off, I left because I was ridiculed mercilessly for it day in day out, not to mention that those pricks of a bully killed my friend and almost killed me, and I don't know why. Maybe because he hated my talent and I could always do things better than him?''

''Well anyways, to the part that I should really tell you. I was at Stockholm with my marefriend and the Elements of Crime at a bar where we were all just relaxing and talking about some plan. The reason my marefriend was there is because I introduced them, but now I wish I didn't. They are just cruel and heartless excuses of a pony. However, the plan involved me...typical, like always...and we heard a shipment was coming in by Pegasus delivery and my job in this was to get some explosives and my gun and take the cargo by any means necessary. And no, I'm not the violent type, so don't even go there...''

Strike took a quick glance at Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy who flinched a bit at his gaze.

''I'll be honest with you all, like I always have: I didn't want to do this, but I had no choice. If the person got the supplies to do it, he does it or suffers consequences, and I knew what they were...thats what the one of those rooms I went in during initiation was about. Electrocution.''

Strike wiped a stray tear from his eye with a hoof. Rainbow Dash rubbed his back with her own cyan hoof.

''I did what I was supposed to do. Went to a weapon shop, bought what I needed to get whatever those heartless killers wanted then did the job for them, as they were too lazy to see fit.'' Strike continued. ''I went flying between Stockholm and Cloudsdale, and when I did...I...planted the C4 explosive inside the carriage after I took what was important and detonated it. There were flames and bits of shrapnel everywhere. The two ponies who were flying it to Stockholm for a shipment,I let go. I didn't want to kill them.''

''Strike?'' Rainbow said softly. ''You can stop telling us if you want. You don't have to tell us about it.''

''I know, sis. I know that I've done bad and made a lot of mistakes, and I want to make things right. And it is only right you know about it as friends and family.''

Strike hugged Rainbow, Rainbow gladly returning the friendly embrace.

''So...um..Strike?'' Fluttershy asked quietly in her sweet voice. ''You...mentioned you had a marefriend?''

''Yeah, I did.''

''Well...what happened to her? You told us that she's dead.''

''Yeah...S-She is..''  Strike responded with a sad tone.

''Do you want to talk about it, dear?'' Rarity asked, feeling a little guilty about asking it.

''Well...alright.''

''About 6 weeks after the heist on the carriage, I started to lose my good side and I honestly nearly went mad with my life decision. Apparently, Whipper and Slash were saying how useless and soft I was with their gang as a member, and one day when I got back to my penthouse, I called to see if she was there, but got no response from her. I just assumed she went off somewhere and when I got into the next room, I literally died.''

Everyone gasped, including Rainbow.

''What happened when you got in the next room?'' Dash asked, curious like the rest of the group.

''I..I..I found her...l-lying in...a pool of blood; her own blood...'' Strike began to break as his voice cracked. ''She...She had knife marks, bruises and open wounds covering her. She was barely conscious, and by time I rushed with her to hospital...she died by my side...''

Everypony in the room was crying now, moved by his story and tragic loss. Rainbow caressed his back while Firefly had tears crawling down her face, Rainbolt's expression the same.

''What was she called?'' Twilight asked with a sad curiosity.

''She was called Remedy.''