Raising Rainbow

by Pizzema Forte


21. Wonderbolts

The pink-coated mare’s eyes squeezed tight and tears rolled down her wrinkled face. Her ears flattened against the back of her head and she let out an agonized yell. She wrapped her hoof around her pain-consumed stomach and tightly squeezed her coltfriend’s hoof. In the most stoic tone he could force, the stallion tried hard to comfort his marefriend in her time of anguish.
“I-It’ll be okay… It’ll be okay, I promise… W-we’ll get through this together… I…”
“Y-you wouldn’t understand!” Firefly cut him off. “Y-you’re not the one having to….” She sharply inhaled through her teeth. “Give birth to the d-damn thing!”
The stallion put his hoof on the belly of his beloved and gently rubbed.
“I’m sorry…” was all he said.
Firefly then felt a sharper pain in her lower abdomen. Her purple eyes went wide and she let out a whine.
The baby had been nearing closer and closer to the exit for what seemed like hours, but was mere minutes. When the foal finally started to slide out of her body and dramatically expand her exit, she screamed. The scream was high-pitched and made Rainbolt cover his ears. His heart rate increased and he wrapped his arms around his beloved. She was panting and pushing and her own, blue mane was drenched in sweat. Her eyes watered and she tried hard to compress any screams or yelps as the hard task ensued.
Within the minute, a hoof made its way out in a smelly, clear sac. Firefly bit down on her tongue and her coltfriend squeezed her hoof and rubbed her back. He wasn’t sure what to say or do, but was pretty sure physical comfort was the best option. The poor, poor mare… her screams, cries, and yelps... The stallion couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through. He only wished there was some way to make her pain go away. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a simply remedy for that sort of thing.
The mare pushed harder and harder, wailing in anguish as more of the foal came out of her. Her belly heaved in and out as she tried hard to push. The head, torso, and front hooves were already making their way out of the agonized mother. Her heart rate increased and tears continued to roll down her cheeks. The pain became unbearable and the little pony’s body gave in. She fell limp and allowed the bodily torture to consume her.
“P-please… Just pull him out…” The mare begged in defeat.
Rainbolt nodded quickly. As he moved closer to the back of his marefriend, he noticed the colors of the foal and smiled. He had a drenched, rainbow mane and little, cyan body. His hind legs were the only thing stuck in his mother. He wasn’t fighting too badly, though. No wonder Firefly had to put so much effort into it.
Actually…
The newborn wasn’t just not fighting… he wasn’t moving at all. Upon closer inspection, Rainbolt grew worried and lifted his newborn’s torso. His eyes were closed tightly and his body was limp. His father’s heart filled with dread. He placed a hoof on the chest of his foal and felt a tear trickle down his face.
No heartbeat.
“Oh, no no no no no no no no! This can’t be! This can’t be!” Tears overflowed and trickled down his face rapidly. His heart speed grew even faster as it broke in two. “No! No! No! No! No! No! No!”
Quickly, the stallion reached for his unborn son and pulled him out all the way. Gallons of smelly fluids poured out along with the foal, but Rainbolt didn’t care.
“What’s going on…?” Firefly asked.
The stallion ignored the mare and continued holding his precious gem with care. His vision of the lifeless pony became blurred with tears. He cried harder and harder as the realization burned in his soul.

Rainbolt awoke with a jolt. He was breathing heavily and drenched in his own sweat. He brought a periwinkle hoof up to his face and felt his cheek to make sure he was back in reality. His own face was covered in wet tears. His hoof went up further and lifted up his sopping, multihued mane, which was practically glued to his forehead. He let out a sigh of relief when he realized where he was.
“Thank heavens it was only a dream….”
Even as he realized the reality of his situation, he still felt dread in his heart and increasingly uncomfortable. Even if he knew it was only a dream, he wouldn’t be reassured otherwise until he saw his sweet, little daughter that morning. Rainbolt swept his blanket to the side and rose from his comfortable bed. He didn’t take a moment to stretch, check the time, or anything. He flew out of his room, across the hallway, and into his daughter’s chamber across from his. He opened her door very slowly and peaked inside. There was his daughter, sleeping quietly. She snored loudly and had her pink blanket up to her chin. Rainbolt smiled and almost felt his eyes rewetting. She was so…beautiful. Looking at her after his awful nightmare made him feel…different. The child before him was possibly the only daughter he’d ever have… Just the thought of her never being brought into his life made him want to cry. He’d given into lust and went against his morals… only to create something more meaningful than anything else. He seldom thought about how special his daughter was to him, but the rare occasions he did warmed his heart and really got him thinking. To lose her would be to lose just about everything he had.
“I love you so, so much….” He said under his breath, but maybe a bit louder than he intended. His little filly started wrestling in her blankets and groaning distastefully in her sleep. She felt the presence of her father in her sleeping state. She felt the stallion’s existence and uncovered her face from her blanket. Her pink eyes shot opened. Wearily, she turned her head to her father, who’d been standing at her door.
“Dad…?” She asked, still half asleep.
“Morning, Sweetheart…” He started with a smile. “Happy birthday.”
“Dad…” She moaned angrily. “I want to sleep.”
Rainbolt chuckled and flew over to her bed. Instead of respecting her wishes, he gently put his hooves around her and sat her up, embracing her with a smile. He rubbed her back and gently kissed her forehead.
“Why do you smell sweaty?” the little nine year-old asked.
“I had an awful dream…”
“About what?”
Rainbolt looked down at his daughter. Curiosity filled her eyes. The topic, however, wasn’t something Rainbolt wanted to discuss with his filly.
“Nothing… I mean, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Okay….” Rainbow said quietly. She looked up at her dad and saw the red in his eyes and the dimming pink in his cheeks. She noticed the bit of runniness dried under his nose and the glistening in his big, yellow eyes. “Were you crying?” She asked.
Rainbolt sniffled. “Yeah…” He admitted. “A bit… Why? Do you think I’m a wimp or something?”
“Course not.” She said with a smile. She stood on her hind legs, leaned up, and gave her father a peck on the cheek. “You just got sad. Your dream was sad, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah…Rainbow… Have I ever told you how happy I am to be your father?”
The filly’s pink eyes shot downward. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Well I am… I love you very much…” The stallion tightly squeezed his foal. “You’re a great filly and I love you very, very much…”
“Awe, come on Dad. Don’t get all sappy on my birthday…”
Rainbolt chuckled. “Sorry, Sweetheart. I just get these moments sometimes…”
Rainbow smiled. “Well, I’m awake now. Can we get some breakfast?”
“Sure thing. What would you like?”
Rainbow thought for a moment. On her birthday, her dad usually cooked anything she wanted for breakfast. She sometimes chose French toast, pancakes, waffles, or something rather unhealthy. When she was four, she even asked for cupcakes.
“Pancakes.” She finally answered with a smile.
“I figured as much. I got some ingredients the other day…”
Rainbow smiled at her father with wide eyes. “Thanks Daddy!”
With that, the little filly broke away from her father, only to tackle back into his chest and take him into a warm embrace. Although he was a bit shocked at first, Rainbolt returned the generous hug and lightly patted his daughter’s back with a chuckle.
“Alright, Cutie. I’ll get cookin’.” The stallion lovingly rubbed his daughter’s rainbow mane and exited the bedroom. He smiled at her before disappearing completely. He made his way to the kitchen and stopped as his hooves touched the tile surface. He for some reason felt… uncomfortable. It wasn’t any different than a regular morning, but at the same time… It felt different. Something in the far depths of his mind was uncomfortable. The unexplained, but seemingly obvious solution rested in his conscious brain.
“Rainbow!” the stallion called.
“Yeah?” He heard a loud, but muffled voice call from the bedroom nearly five meters away.
“Get out here.”
There was a brief pause before his young filly shouted back.
“Why?”
“Rainbow! Don’t question your father!”
There was another long, uncomfortable pause before Rainbow spoke up. Her voice was a tad bit shaky that time.
“Am I… in trouble?” She finally asked.
“No, Sweetheart! I just want to see you!”
Hesitantly, the little filly made her way out of the room. She was still rather unsure about whether she was in trouble or not.
“Hey Dad… What’s up?”
At that moment, Rainbolt heart felt at ease. All the strange tension that had built up in the atmosphere had evaporated. He smiled at his angel for a moment.
“Nothing Sweetheart…What are you doing?”
Rainbow cocked her head at her father’s strangely happy tone.
“Just…trying to wake up I guess….Why?”
The stallion smiled. “I don’t know… I just… I don’t know… It just feels nice to see you. Think whatever you’re doing you could do in here?” he asked.
“I….guess… why?”
Rainbolt proceeded to remove some ingredients from his cabinet. The first thing was a large bag of flour, and then some sugar.
“Oh, I don’t know… I just enjoy the company…”
The stallion proceeded to hum a little tune as he grabbed a few more ingredients and a large mixing bowl. Rainbow watched curiously. Her father was usually in a pretty good mood, but rarely did he seem in that great of a mood. She assumed it was because of the event, and the fact he slept in until nearly eleven.
“Okay, Dad… Need some help cooking?”
“Umm…want to help me mix some things together. If you’re lucky, I’ll let you lick the bowl.”
Dashie smiled and flew into the kitchen. Her grin grew wider as she landed on the tile floor. She always loved helping Rainbolt cook, but was never too good at it. She may have made a few mistakes now and then, but her father always told her she could do nothing but improve.
“What do I do?” was her first question.
“Just mix two cups of flower with quarter a cup of milk, two eggs, a cup of water, and-“
It was at that very moment the stallion’s ears perked up at the sound of three loud bangs. Both pegasi’s ears perked up and Dashie stared up at her father with a smile.
“Mail pony?” She asked hopefully.
“Maybe… but don’t be disappointed if it’s not. They don’t usually run this early.”
Rainbow smiled and kept her hopes up as her father trotted out of their dinky kitchen and into the living room. He hurried to the door to make sure the visitor didn’t have to wait too long. As he heard another round of knocks, he quickened the pace and opened the door as quickly as he could. The moment the entrance swung opened, the stallion was tackled to the ground by an unknown force. His body ached as it hit the cloud floor. His yellow eyes opened to reveal a beautiful, young mare looking him in the eyes.
“Surprise?” He asked in shock.
The pegasus chuckled lightheartedly. “Yeah… I mean, when I heard it was Dashie’s birthday today I just couldn’t wait to see her and wish her a happy birthday.”
The stallion stared up at the mare confused.
“It’s Saturday…shouldn’t you be at work…?”
“Well, yeah but…” The mare blushed and leaned down, placing her lips near Rainbolt’s ear. “I lied to Mrs. Skies and told her I was in heat…”
Rainbolt stared at the mare in confusion. “You mares can use that as an excuse to get off work?”
Surprise smiled with a nod. "Hey, unless you want rape to happen, then you have to be cautious!" Rainbolt's face lit up and Surprise felt awkward for bringing it up. "So..." She chuckled. "Where is the little birthday filly...?"
Rainbolt pointed to the kitchen. It was surrounded by white walls and had Rainbow’s curious eyes peaking from around the corner. She said nothing, but simply watched from the shadows.
“Oohh… I see. Special birthday breakfast, huh?”
“Yeah… We were just about to make it… together…alone… you know, father and daughter bonding?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it…” She smiled as she ignored the stallion and trotted over to Dashie. The little filly’s eyes set on her and her grin grew wider. The stallion followed closely behind the mare and landed on the tile floor when she did. Rainbow seemed beyond pleased to see her.
“Surprise!” She chimed and forcefully hugged the friendly mare.
“Rainbow Dash!” She responded and pat the birthday girl’s back lovingly.
“What are you doing here?” The little filly asked. Rainbolt was wondering the same thing.
“Oh, you know… Just to give you a surprise and wish you a happy birthday, but first….” The mare cleared her throat and took in a large breath.
She’s not going to….is she…? Rainbolt thought within his head.
Unfortunately, the mare did as the stallion had expected. She burst into the most random, spontaneous song for the birthday filly.
“Happy, happy birthday,
to the filly of the day!
I didn’t mean to interrupt,
but I just wanted to say:
Happy birthday little Dashie,
you’re finally older by a year!
You’ve made it this far,
so let’s celebrate with love
and hugs and cheer!”
With that, the mare wrapped her hooves around the smiling filly and placed a party hat on the top of her head. Rainbow returned the generous hug and snuggled her head into Surprise’s warm chest. Rainbolt watched the scene and smiled warmly. Surprise really was a sweetheart at times, even if she was awkward.
“So…anyway….” Surprise sang as she broke away. “I had a little something for Dashie today. Since it was, you know, her birthday and everything….” She chuckled lightheartedly and reached from behind her back. She pulled something out with a wide smile on her face. In her hooves, she held three small slips of paper. Rainbolt focused on them for a minute before gasping.
“You didn’t…? How could you…? I mean-“ The stallion took one of the small paper slips and examined it carefully. “You…How’d you…?”
“Easy! My cousin’s a Wonderbolt! I make their team treats for a week, I get tickets! Simple as pie!”
“But…” Rainbolt stared for a minute more before turning to the mare. He accepted what she did for them, and cautiously took the mare in for a hug. “Thanks, Surprise…this is really meaningful. Dashie’s never been to a Wonderbolt’s show before. I think she’ll like it…”
Rainbow grew curious and invited herself into the situation. Her pink eyes darted between the two pegasi.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Rainbolt smiled at his friend and nodded, allowing Surprise a moment to explain the situation to Dash.
“Well… I don’t know if you know this, but…. I just so happen to be related to a Wonderbolt, and when I-“
“What’s a Wonderbolt?” Rainbow suddenly cut the mare off.
Both pegasi stared at the nine year-old in disbelief. Was she…serious? She’d been on that Earth for a full nine years and she didn’t know what a Wonderbolt was? Hadn’t she heard of them at school? From friends? Anything?
“You…don’t know what a Wonderbolt is?” her father asked in disbelief.
“Well…no… Why? Should I?”
Surprise gasped. “They’re only like the most amazing, spectacularest fliers in all of Equestria! And I scored tickets to go see ‘em!” Rainbolt nodded in agreement.
“You…sure you haven’t heard of them?” Rainbolt asked uncertainly.
“I’m pretty sure.”
“Never heard of them from friends?”
“Fluttershy’s like, my only friend!”
“School?”
“I don’t pay attention in school.” Rainbow bluntly admitted to her father.
“Rainbow!” he snapped, before calming himself and taking in a breath. “Listen… It’ll be fun. They the greatest fliers in all of Equestria! You should feel happy to get to see one of their shows.
“So… I have to go and see some ponies fly around…?” Rainbow asked.
“It’s not just flying around…” the stallion reassured his daughter. “It’s kind of like a show. They do tricks and stuff… I thought it would be boring when I first went to see a show as a teenager, but it was pretty exciting.”
“Still sounds boring.” the stubborn pony argued. Her father let out a long sigh.
“Rainbow, come here…” The stallion started off out of their kitchen. Rainbow was hesitant to follow him in fear of being lectured. Slowly, she walked into the kitchen with her eyes towards the floor. Her father led her out of the kitchen and behind a nearby corner.
“Listen, Rainbow…” He started. “I love you, but I want to make one thing very, very clear; Surprise is doing a very kind deed for you. She’s taking you to something I can’t exactly afford to do. I don’t care if you have the most awful day ever; you still need to act entertained. Be grateful, and be happy!”
The little filly grunted. “But Daddy I-“
“No buts! Surprise is being very, very generous… I didn’t even think she’d do something this sweet…. She really is a nice pony….” His words trailed off for a moment before snapping back into reality. “Anyway… just be sweet to her is all I’m asking, okay? Act excited, and show her how grateful you are.”
Rainbow sighed. “Okay, Daddy… But I don’t see how forcing me to do this is nice…”
“Rainbow!” The stallion snapped. “You’ll like it! I promise! We are talking about the most elite fliers in all of Equestria. You may even pick up some tips just by watching them. You do want to be a great flier don’t you…?” He pointed to his daughter’s flank. “Didn’t earn that for no reason.”
“I…” The little filly attempted to argue, but felt herself go dumb. “Fine… but only because it might help me…”
Her final acceptance made a smile appear on Rainbolt’s face.
“Good girl. Now… I think we’ve kept the filly waiting long enough.”
Rainbolt headed back into the kitchen to meet with Surprise. Dashie followed sheepishly. Even though Surprise hadn’t heard a word from her father’s mouth, she still felt oddly embarrassed from being lectured. She hated being lectured…
As the two pegasi walked in, Surprise was scanning their cozy kitchen with a smile. What was going through her mind neither had the slightest clue.
“Hey…” The little filly started rather shyly. “Thanks for everything…”
Surprise simply smiled. “No problemo! Gettin’ tickets was no big deal. Plus, considering you’ve never seen ‘em will make this so, so much better!” The pony smiled. “Gosh, I just can’t believe it… my daddy took me to see them nearly five times by the time I was… I don’t know eleven or something.”
Rainbow thought for a moment. “Was it fun?”
“Oh yeah! Fun is the LAST thing you’ll have to worry about! ‘Sides, why would I take you to something if I didn’t think you’d have a blast?”
“I don’t know…” Rainbow replied hesitantly.
“Well… You can always, always trust me when it comes to this sort of thing… So… the show’s tomorrow at exactly one in the afternoon… Maybe I should come get you around noon? Pick you both up and we can head over there. I know it’s not too far off, but the place fills up pretty quick. We should probably get there before it gets too-too crowded.”
“Well… I guess… but how are you going to get out of work tomorrow?” The stallion asked curiously.
“Oh, silly stallion! ‘Heat’ lasts four to eight days! So I am good!”
Rainbolt blushed as his daughter perked her ears up at the unfamiliar term.
“What’s heat?” The innocent filly asked with much curiosity.
Her father blushed heavily and Surprise looked rather confused.
“You haven’t told her about that kind of thing?”
“Well…I…” The stallion’s cheeks lit up crimson. “N-not really but I…”
“If you want me to I can. I mean, I’m comfortable about that sort of thing, so you know. And she’ll probably start going through it a couple years from now.”
“Surprise!” He snapped. “Not now, okay? She’s still young…”
“You just can’t hide the world from her. I mean, you have to tell her eventually!”
Before Rainbolt could respond, his eager daughter interrupted them.
“What is it? I want to know!” She turned to her father. “Daddy please, please tell me!”
Daddy. Although Rainbow usually referred to her as “Dad” at her age, she did use “Daddy” if she wanted something very badly, or was trying to be cute or get out of trouble. Sometimes, it would even slip out if they were having a more heartfelt moment.
“Maybe when you’re a bit older, Dash…”
The filly tried hard to wet her eyes.
“Please, Daddy? Please…?”
“Like I said, later, okay? I just want to enjoy the day…” he quickly tried to change the subject. “So, Surprise, would you like to stay for breakfast. You know, since you’re off work and everything?”
The mare gasped and a huge smile spread across her face. “Oh my gosh! R-really? You want me to stay for breakfast?”
Rainbolt smiled and nodded. “It’s no problem, Surprise… I mean, you’re already doing so much for us…”
The mare practically sprang out of her own body. Her purple eyes glittered with joy and her smile grew wider. Her hooves wrapped tightly around Rainbolt, who at first flinched before accepting the hug, and eventually returned it.
“We’re having pancakes… Dashie’s request.”
“Can…I help…?”
Rainbolt turned to his daughter who did nothing but stare blankly at her father.
“Well…. Rainbow and I were already going to start at it…” He smiled. “Don’t stress about it… Just relax, and we’ll notify you when it’s ready. Kay?”
Surprise smiled. “Sure… No problem… May I be excused for a moment…?”
“Ummm….sure.” Rainbow stated hesitantly.
“Thanks!”
With that, the pony quickly bolted out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the restroom. Their restroom was small, but comfortable. The bathtub was small and still glistening with water. The sink was practically battling itself. Rainbolt was constantly wiping it of messes, while Rainbow continued brushing her mane in the mirror, letting her multihued mane litter the counter below her. The white mare noticed no details, however.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I’m going to a Wonderbolt’s show with Rainbolt!” She giggled and smiled widely, before quickly adding. “Oh, and Dashie!”

“Almost ready, Rainbow?” Rainbolt asked as he peeked into his daughter’s room.
As expected, Rainbow Dash was lying on her belly, moping on her bed. Her pink eyes were saddened by force.
“Rainbow…” Her father started in disbelief. “Surprise is going to be here in ten minutes! Now, please try to act like you’re excited!”
The filly sighed. “But Daddy…. I love you…”
“And I love you, too…” The stallion entered the room. “Listen, I know it’s a Sunday, and you would much rather stay at home and relax, but this is a very rare and special opportunity for you. Besides, how do you think Surprise would feel if we just rejected her like that… Some things you just can’t say no to.”
“You say no to me all the time.” Rainbow argued.
“Rainbow, you’re different.”
“How?”
“Rainbow… You ask to do things that are ridiculous!”
Rainbow huffed, and then sighed. “Daddy, I love you….I’m going, I’m just not going to enjoy it.”
“How do you know that for a fact? You may have a great time!”
Rainbow rolled in her sheets and acted as miserable as she could. “Why do this to me…?”
The stallion sighed and grabbed his daughter by the hooves, gently pulling her out of her comfy bed. She whined a little as she was separated from her one true love. Rainbolt placed his reluctant daughter on the ground below.
“Go finish getting ready before Surprise shows up.” he ordered firmly.
“But I’m already ready!” She argued and tried to crawl back into her welcoming bed.
“Did you brush your mane?” he asked, which made Rainbow stop in her tracks.
“Maybe….”
Rainbolt sighed. “I’ll go get your hairbrush. I don’t want you going in public looking like you just got out of bed.”
“But Dad! I brushed it yesterday!”
Rainbolt sighed and started out of the room. “Too bad, when you’re going out of the house you should at least try to look nice.”
Not allowing his daughter to answer, he dashed out of the room, and went across the hallway to the restroom. In there rested two hairbrushes on the back of the toilet seat. Both of them had hairs of every color tangled between the bristles. Rainbow’s however, was a soft shade of green. The stallion picked it up and headed back to his daughter’s room. There, he tossed it on the bed, where she’d already taken her place once more.
“Mane. Brush. Now.”
“Dad…” The filly started as she picked up the brush. She placed it at the top of her head and stroked downwards. The worst knots were at the tips of her mane. “Why are you acting so… you know, cranky about this?”
“I’m not being cranky at all…”
“Well sure you are…” His daughter argued. “Is it because you’re trying to impress Surprise? ‘Cause that’s what I think.”
“I’m not trying to impress her!” Rainbolt blurted out, almost shocked. “I’m just, you know… parents take pride in how well their children look. I just don’t want you looking like you don’t care…because that makes it seem like I don’t care…”
“That makes no sense…”
Rainbolt grunted. “I know, I know…You’ll understand when you have children.”
“I’m never going to have foals!” Rainbow protested.
Quietly, Rainbolt muttered under his breath, “Yeah…that’s what I thought, too…”
Rainbow winced as the brush harshly combed her tangled mane. It was then, Rainbolt heard three loud knocks at the front door.
“That’s her. Look nice and get ready, okay?”
Dash nodded as Rainbolt exited the bedroom. He zoomed down the narrow hallway, passed the kitchen, and to the front door. He landed softly and opened his door with a smile. There, the hyper mare stood with a bright grin.
“Afternoon Surprise.” The stallion greeted with a bright, cheery smile.
“Actually, it’s exactly noon, but still!” The mare welcomed herself into the stallion’s home.
“Yeah…So, ready to go? Rainbow’s almost done preparing…”
“You bet!” She smiled. “You have no idea how long I’ve been looking forward to this!”
“You’ve been planning this a while now...?" Rainbolt asked.
“Only for a while now. I mean, I have been looking forward to seeing one of their shows again!”
"Okay....So, need anything before we go?”
“Nope! I’m all ready! I even brought some water incase somepony gets thirsty!”
“You didn’t have to do that, you know…?”
Before the happy pegasus could reply, a little filly stepped out of her bedroom. She faked a smile and galloped towards the two older ponies. Rainbolt sighed. Her mane was still as much of a wreck as it was before. Surprise smiled when she saw her.
“Wow, Dash! You look great!” She ran up to the filly and gave her a quick hug. “What’s it like bein’ nine?”
“It’s kind of like being eight but different!”
The mare chuckled. “That’s nice, Sweetheart…”
“So… are we one hundred percent ready to go?” The stallion asked for a final time.
“Yep!” The two girls chimed in a perfect unison.
The stallion opened his front door, allowing the two ponies to go on after him. His daughter zoomed out, followed by a very happy mare.

A brown-coated stallion cleared his throat and spoke in a gruff, excited voice into a microphone in the middle of the stadium. He wore dark black shades and had a blonde mane.
“Alrighty, folks! Wow… We sure are having a beautiful afternoon, aren’t we?” The large crowd of ponies cheered and stomped their hooves. Surprise was no exception, but Rainbolt and his daughter simply sat awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He continued on. “Celestia’s sun is big and bright, and our Wonderbolts are ready to give you folks a good show!” He smiled at the large crowd, who smiled and roared with excitement. Rainbow Dash covered her hurt ears and growled.
“Why is everypony getting so worked up over a freakin’ show!” she whined. Rainbolt nudged her with his hoof.
“Try to have a good time!” He reminded. “I know, it’s loud, but it’s kind of rare for the Wonderbolts to do a full show like this. Getting two hours of entertainment from the greatest fliers in Cloudsdale isn’t just something that happens every day! Appreciate what you’re about to get!”
Rainbow sighed. “Okay, Dad…”
The little filly then felt a hoof tightly wrap around her torso and pull her into a warm, fuzzy chest. Rainbow awkwardly rested there.
“Dad!” she hissed. “We’re in public!”
“I know, Sweetheart…” He pulled her in closer. “It’s my job to embarrass you.”
Rainbow sighed before gently pushing away and sitting awkwardly. Her father smiled at her and blushed.
“You know…” Surprise started. “My cousin’ll be in this show.”
“Really?” the stallion asked curiously. Surprise nodded. “That sounds pretty cool. I wish I were related to somepony famous.”
The mare giggled. “You could be by marriage.”
Rainbolt blushed heavily and looked away. He shifted a little closer to his daughter and was glad when the announcer finally stopped rambling on. After a brief moment of silence, a trio of pegasi shot into the sky to introduce the show. They all wore traditional Wonderbolt attire and goggles. Rainbow watched with a blank expression as they shot skyward. They steadily grew closer to each other until they reached the top and separated as if they were a firework. They then reformed, along with several other pegasi that shot up from the area below. They did what seemed like a dance in the sky; dodging each other, looping each other, disconnecting, and reforming again. All of it seemed rather…. Strange, but somewhat intriguing to the young pegasus. Her pink eyes became glued to the show before her.
As the rest of the pegasi backed up, a solo performer got a chance to show off their skills. As the pegasus backed up, sped across the sky, and flew in a zig-zag pattern to avoid closely put-together obstacles, the crowd cheered and stomped. Even Dash had to admit, it did look very hard…
Another eager Wonderbolt got a chance to show the crowd their stuff. This one had a gorgeous white body with a sleek, dark blue mane. She had a confident smile and seemed rather cocky.
“That’s my cousin!” Surprise whispered to the stallion on the right of her.
“Wow…she’s pretty…” Rainbolt commented, admiring the mare from a distance.
“Yep!” Surprise said proudly. “You could say good-looks run in my family!”
The stallion simply shook his head with a smile and continued to watch the performance displayed before him. The mare in the spotlight shot upwards, and out of the opened stadium. The whole crowd’s focus gazed upon her as she shot back down with a veil of static around her. The crowd gasped as she stopped in her tracks, spread out her wings, and in an instant sent the lightning flying in every direction. It calmly faded into the atmosphere and Rainbow’s eyes grew as large as saucers. That was…impossible. It had to be an illusion of some kind…it simply wasn’t possible.
The little filly’s grin grew as she thought about what had just happened. Her hooves rose to her face and she beamed.
“That…Was…AWESOME!”

For Surprise, the day was turning out to be a complete success. Her crush was having a fantastic day, and her desired lover's foal was having just as much fun. Although Dash didn't seem enthusiastic about the idea at first, she couldn't keep her eyes off the fantastic fliers after only a few performances. Heck, by the third performance, she was on her hooves stomping and shouting. She even told her dad that she'd like to be a Wonderbolt one day. He told her that if she worked hard enough, she could achieve anything. Neither Surprise or Rainbolt himself had seen such vivid determination glitter in her eyes before that moment.
As much as the trio of ponies were enjoying the show, they were all glad when the announcer reentered the stadium and announced the beginning of a brief intermission. A break was something all of them needed at the moment. Especially little Dashie and Surprise, who had been aching with the desire to get up and take a moment to stretch their legs. The moment the stadium of ponies were given a break, large groups of pegasi rose from their seats and headed towards all different areas. Many were dying to go to the restroom. Rainbow Dash just happened to be one of them.
"Dad..." The filly whispered to her father. "I have to use the bathroom..."
Rainbolt rose from his seat. "Alright... I'm not exactly sure where it is, but we'll find it." The stallion turned to Surprise, who was staring off into the distant with unknown thoughts circling her mind. "Hey... Do you know were a bathroom might be?" he asked her.
The mare blinked before answering.
“Yeah… It’s just up in the main lobby, then you go to the right, down that one hall we passed when we first entered, and it’ll be on your first door to the left!”
“Thanks, Surprise…” Rainbolt turned to his daughter and took her by the hoof, then stopped. Something unusual began to brew in his stomach. An odd feeling overtook him as he imagined entering the crowds with his daughter. He felt almost... nervous.
Okay, Rainbolt…This stadium is filled with hundreds and hundreds of ponies you don’t know… I want to be able to keep a good eye on her and make sure absolutely nothing happens… I mean… She’s so sweet and innocent... I don’t want to lose her. Jeesh… When’d you get so worried about this? You take her to the restroom in public all the time! This just feels…different… Maybe it was that dream… Rainbolt tightened his grip on his daughter’s hoof. Ugh! Don’t think about it… I just don’t want to not live without her… You can’t follow her into the restroom, though… His attention then turned to the daydreaming mare who remained in her seat.
“Hey, Surprise…” Rainbolt started as he turned around. “Could you maybe take Dashie to the bathroom for me…?”
Rainbow looked confused by her father’s actions. He normally had no issues just taking her to the restroom. Even Surprise seemed kind of confused.
“Uh, why…?”
“Well… You just seem to know the place so well, and you can actually go in the bathroom with her… to you know…make sure she’s okay…”
“Dad!” the little filly protested. “I’m a big girl! I don’t need help peeing!”
“It’s not about that…”
“Then what’s it about?” The mare asked curiously.
Rainbolt gestured for Surprise to come closer. She didn’t hesitate to comply. Gently, the stallion put his lips to her ear and whispered quietly.
“I had a nightmare the other night… and its sort of been paranoid ever since…”
“About what…?”
“About…you know… Dashie…”
Surprise blinked. “Well… Okay, Rainbolt. Anything for you…”
The periwinkle stallion let go of his daughter’s hoof, only for it to be immediately taken by the mare’s. Although her hold wasn’t as firm as Rainbolt’s, she still made sure the filly wouldn’t escape her grasp.
“Remember!” Rainbolt hissed in a whisper. “Make sure you can see her at all times! Don’t let her out of her sight for one measly second! Don't even let go of her hoof!"
“You got it!” Surprise chimed with a smile and saluted the stallion.
Slowly, the two made their way down the stairs and past rows and rows of seats. Rainbolt watched very carefully to make sure the mare had Rainbow in a firm hold. He grew increasingly nervous as Surprise and his daughter turned a corner and disappeared behind a wall. He couldn’t help but think about the possibility that Surprise might lose her…Maybe he should have went instead of her. Maybe, there was enough time for him to speed ahead and catch up to the two pegasi. Maybe…
“Maybe I should just sit here and relax…” The stallion thought aloud. “I mean… Surprise probably knows what she’s doing… She can be responsible… S-sometimes…”

“Alright… Sure you don’t want a drink or snack or something before we get out of here?” Surprise asked the little filly as we left the restroom.
“I’m good!” She reiterated for the millionth time.
“Just checkin’…”
Rainbow followed the mare closely as she led her through the large crowds of ponies.
“Hey… Do you know why Dad was acting so strange about the whole thing…?”
“I don’t know, he said something about paranoia.”
Rainbow simply shrugged it off and continued to follow the mare into the large crowds of ponies. They shuffled and squeezed their way through, avoiding as many ponies as they could to get to their desired location. Surprise let out a grunt as she tried hard to move faster in the large crowds.
“Ugh! Can these ponies move any slower?”
Rainbow awkwardly tried to move through the ponies, but became impossible as Surprise held onto her hoof tightly. The little filly turned to the mare, but when she looked up noticed something skyward. Her frown turned into a smirk.
“Hey…” She started, thinking aloud. “Those ponies are flying above the crowd…”
Surprise looked up and nodded as she saw what the pony was talking about. There were small groups of pegasi that decided to take a shorter, simpler route. Surprise smiled at the filly and nodded confidently. Simultaneously, they both shot up into the air and traveled with the other pegasi. The sky traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as the ground traffic. Why other ponies didn’t do that, they had no idea!
Even as the two ponies flew above the rest, Surprise kept a tight grip on Rainbow’s hoof. Although the filly didn’t enjoy being restrained, she knew the reasoning behind it. She was a bit irritated, but knew why it was needed.
The two ponies soared as they continued flying above the large crowds. It was then the mare noticed something.
“Oh! I see why so many ponies stay on the ground! The exit’s only six or seven feet off the ground! We’ll have to land if we want to get through it!”
The filly grunted when she noticed the mare was right.
“Fun…” she said sarcastically.
The two fillies neared the exit closer and closer. They both smiled at each other, and it was then Rainbow heard something. Her little ears swiveled, trying to make sense of the odd noise. She turned her head and gaped when she saw a blue figure spiraling towards her. Whoever it was had been screaming, but she only then heard it. The large crowds of chatting ponies didn’t help her hear the sound, either.
“Surprise! Surprise!” Rainbow shrieked, struggling in the mare’s grasp.
“Wha-“
The mare was cut off as she felt the little filly practically being ripped from her grip. The sudden blur of a pony flew by, taking Rainbow with them. The ponies below gasped when they heard the two, screaming pegasi, and moved out of the way. They landed in the area cleared for them. Surprise gasped and tears fled her eyes. This was bad…
As quickly as she could; Surprise flew past the ponies on the ground. Dodging them was a challenge, but they eventually allowed her through. She flew up the staircase and zoomed over to Rainbolt, who had been waiting nervously in his seat. His heart twisted when he saw the mare unaccompanied.
“Wh-where’s Rainbow?” was his first question.
Surprise was panting, sweating, and too worried to spit out a proper answer.
“Fly! Crash! Land! Squashed! Danger! Rainbow! Now!”

Rainbolt sighed as he stared at his daughter. His eyes were swelling with tears and his heart was broken. Surprise stayed by his side with guilt consuming her steadily cracking heart. She could have gotten severely injured… How stupid was she…?
For their luck, Rainbow wasn’t injured too badly. Her left wing had been broken, her hind legs had been sprained, and she had a bruise on her nose. They were both grateful she hadn’t been hurt any worse. Both of them were in deep regret.
“I’m so, so sorry…” Surprise apologized. Her usual poofy mane had gone a bit flat. “I…didn’t mean for this to happen. I feel awful.”
The stallion put his hoof to her shoulder and held her closely.
“I-it’s okay…I’m sorry I yelled at you… I just got worried and scared and… I didn’t know how to express it… It was an accident… I shouldn’t have taken it out on you…” He sighed. “Besides… I’m sure the same thing would have happened if I would have taken her.”
Surprise slowly eased her way into a loving embrace.
“Thanks…but this really was all my fault…” Surprise blinked back tears. “Can I tell you something…? And when I do, promise you won’t yell at me…?”
Rainbolt smiled at the mare and reassured her with a gentle back rub.
“Promise.”
“I… I didn’t even do this because of Rainbow… I did this all because of my own greed… I just wanted to hang out with you guys so much that I used her birthday as an excuse to take you out somewhere… In reality I wasn’t thinking of her…I was thinking of myself…”
The stallion smiled as Surprise forced out her confession. He broke away from the embrace and smiled at her. What she said didn't shock him, but he did admire her bravery and honesty.
“You know… if you just wanted to hang out you could ask.”
The mare smiled back.
“Good.”
It was then the two ponies flinched as a pink-coated nurse opened the door to the room. She held a clipboard in her hoof and wore a smile on her face.
“How’s the little filly holding up?”
“Actually…” Rainbolt started. “I think she’ll be alright… This whole thing was just really sudden, and we’re both feelin’ kind of guilty. Rainbow passed out a little bit ago. I think she’s just exhausted from the long day.”
“Well…. As far as we know, she’ll be alright. There’s no internal damage, but I can’t say she’ll be getting off the ground anytime soon.”
Rainbolt turned to his injured daughter and smiled.
“I’m so happy to hear that… I was so, so worried…”
“All parents are…” The nurse smiled at the two. “Neither of you should feel guilty for this… It was nopony’s fault. Accidents like this just happen…”
“Thanks…” Rainbolt said, still unsure of himself. The mare smiled.
“This might shock you, but Rainbow Dash has a guest…”
“A guest…? Like, to visit?” the stallion asked.
The nurse nodded and turned her attention down the hallway.
“Come on! Don’t be shy!” Rainbolt and Surprise tossed each other unsure glances.
With some encouraging words, a light blue colt sheepishly entered the room. He couldn’t have been any older than thirteen or fourteen, and by the looks of it he was a guest of the hospital as well. His front hoof was wrapped tightly a bandage and his hind legs were both wrapped tightly in the same material. His minor injuries caused him to walk in an awkward pattern. He had bright, green eyes and a dark blue mane that fell awkwardly over his lightly bruised face.
“H-hi…” He greeted shyly. Rainbolt and Surprise both looked at him in a confused manner. “I…I’m the colt that…. Sort of… C-crashed on your daughter…” His voice was squeaking and nervous.
Both Rainbolt and Surprise were left with no words. Neither hadn’t the slightest clue what to say to him, and neither really knew how to feel. The colt took the awkward silence as his cue to continue on.
“I…I really didn’t mean to hurt her… I was just daydreaming and I… got caught off guard… My wing hit the side of wall, and I lost control from there… I’m so, so sorry…”
“I… I-it’s okay… You didn’t mean any harm, and I’m sure it was an accident…”
The colt smiled as he was forgiven by the father.
“Thank you, sir… If there’s any bills that need to be covered, I’d be more than happy to pay them. I have a part time job… I don’t make much, but I’m sure I could help somehow.”
“No, it’s fine, really… I’m just glad my kid wasn’t injured too bad…”
“Yeah…How is she holding up?”
The stallion moved to the left, allowing some room for the young colt to see. In the bed, the little filly rested. Her hooves were wrapped around a teddy bear provided by the hospital. Her eyes were twitching and her nose was scrunched up.
“Gosh… I didn’t think she’d got hurt that bad…” He examined her casted wings and sprained hooves with a sigh. “I’m so, so sorry… How could you just forgive me after this…?”
“Hey, you didn’t mean it… Besides, you seem like an honest kid.”
“Thanks….” The colts eyes never left the sleeping filly. It was then her eyelids twitched and her pink eyes fluttered opened. The smiling stallion was the very first thing she saw.
“Are you the doctor…?” she asked weakly. The colt laughed.
“No, no I’m not… I’m sort of the reason you’re here, actually…”
“You… you’re the colt that flew into me…?”
“Yeah…. Sorry about that… It was an honest mistake, and I wish I would have been paying more attention…”
“Thanks to you, I won’t be able to fly for a while!” she snapped, still angry about her predicament.
“I know, I know… I-if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, I gladly would…”
Rainbow stared at the stallion for a moment, before darting her eyes towards Surprise. She shrugged. Her pink eyes then turned to her father. He gave her a look that challenged her to try her luck. Then, for the final time, Rainbow’s eyes rested on the guilt-filled colt.
“I want tickets to the Wonderbolts.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Firefly sighed as she stared out into the cold, jeweled night.
Well… The mare thought to herself. It’s her birthday today… Rainbow’s ninth birthday…. I really hope she had a nice day… I wonder what her and Rainbolt did together. He probably got her some presents and took her to a park or something. I…I bet she had a great day. I hope she did… I’m sure Rainbolt knew how to make her feel special… That was one of the main things he was good at… She chuckled, looking back on fond memories. He really was something… I’m sure that little filly’s going to turn out great… I may not be there to see it, but… I just know she’ll do great in life…
The pink-coated mare flinched as she heard a door open behind her. She turned around and laid eyes on a light grey stallion. He had a soft, pink mane and green eyes. His smile was pure perfection.
“Hey, Babe…” he greeted quietly with a chuckle. “Did I scare you?”
The mare shook her head and smiled at him. There was something strange twinkling in her eyes that evening.
“What’re you thinking about?” he asked, closing their bedroom door.
“Nothing…” she lied, giving the bright, milk-white moon her attention again.
“You seem worried…”
“I’m not worried…”
The stallion flew over to his lover and turned her around. Her lovingly took her into an embrace and rubbed her back.
“Is this about the foal?”
“No.”
Her fiancé broke away from the embrace and looked his beloved in the eyes.
“Sweetheart, you can tell me if you’re not ready for this foal… we can take classes and stuff to prepare us if you need to…”
“No…” She said with a reassuring smile. “I promise…I’m ready to have a foal…”
This time…