//------------------------------// // More than a memory (Bonus Chapter 1 for I love this Bar - Alternate Ending through Dash's Eyes) // Story: I love this Bar // by Ron Jeremy Pony //------------------------------// More than a Memory Bonus Chapter 1 for I love this Bar Room For Rent By Draxx99 (Alternate Ending to I Love this Bar through Dash’s Eyes) I can see why Bryant wanted to go the Ned’s. It’s a fun place, and it reminds me of ‘The Little White Lyre’ back in Ponyville. I hear Bryant suggest that we leave the truck overnight, and instead catch a taxi. I shrug and nod. “Sure, that sounds fine to me,” I reply. He pulls out his little black Robotz phone and tells it to dial the taxi company. We walk outside and the night air floods over us. It’s really no different than any night in Ponyville. The air is comfortable, the sky is clear, but the one thing missing is the batponies going about their business. I watch as a white car pulls up with a yellow Taxi sign on the door and on the roof of it. The owner rolls down his window and looks at us both. “Bryant, how’s it hanging buddy?” the guy asks. “Lower than yours Hank. How’s life treating ya?” Bryant asks. “About the same. I’ve got the custody of the kids,” he replies. “Damn, glad to hear it. How are they?” Bryant asks as he opens the door for me. “Teresa’s okay, but Timmy’s actin’ funny. If’n I find out that one of Patty’s brothers did something… Well, you know,” he says. “Hey, whatever it is I know you’ll take care of it,” Bryant replies. “So, a pony huh?” he asks. I look up at him and give a half smile. “I bet y’all get the stuff about not looking like the cartoon all of the time,” he says. “Yeah, but it’s not too bad,” I reply. “No kidding. You know, if this entire multiverse thing is real I wouldn’t mind seeing if that Warrior Princess is real,” he says with a laugh. Both Bryant and I laugh as Hank kids and jokes with us. After about fifteen minutes we pull up to a house and Bryant gets out. He turns around and hands Hank a couple of bills. “Damn Bryant, I only brought to the edge of town,” he says. “Don’t worry about it. Get something nice for your kids,” Bryant says as we get out. I watch as the taxi shifts into gear and takes off. The both of us walk through a slightly overgrown yard, and up to the house. Bryant fumbles around with a key for a moment and then unlocks the front door. We walk inside and I notice the difference between his home and some of the other homes I had been in. Some of the people in San Frisco had places so polished that they would seem at home with Rarity, and then there was Louis, Pinkie’s friend, his house was so neat and tidy that it was like looking at a place Twilight would have owned. Bryant’s house was a place that was well worn and lived in. It wasn’t ugly, but I could see that this had been a house that had been lived in. The furniture was comfortable looking, the walls were clean, but it felt homey. I think about a few things, and then I wonder about his friends and if they had come over. That leads me to think about his friend Bobby again. I find myself snickering a little thinking about Bryant, Bobby, and their other friends hanging out, getting drunk, and then watching their friend get so wasted and do something that he was teased about for years. Bryant stretches and grabs the end of a futon and pulls. It turns into a queen sized bed and he kicks off his work boots. “I think that I’m gonna crash out for a while,” he says. I crawl up beside him, still chuckling lightly, and nod. He turns toward me, and I snuggle close to him. He feels so warm, and it feels nice to have his arm around me. I feel him relax, and as I hear him sleep I lay there looking across the room. The last week has been a blast, and I’ve really enjoyed every bit of it, but there’s something more here. I know that when it comes to romance stuff I’m not that good at it. I’ve always been a direct mare. So, it feels weird to feel what I feel right now. I’ve liked Gilda, I like Pinkie Pie, and I thought that Soarin was pretty hot, but I really haven’t felt this before. I haven’t felt this kind of connection, and that scares me. It scares me because of what it means. I let out a snort of uncertainty when I feel him stir behind me. “Dash something wrong?” he asks. “Bryant,” I reply. “Huh?” he sleepily asks. I turn toward him, and look into those green eyes of his. I want to tell him how I feel, but before that I want to tell him something else I’ve thought about since our trip to the hospital. “You know… Celestia could maybe help you. I don’t know for sure, but she might could do something,” I say. He smiles, and I feel his hand gently caress my muzzle. He rubs up to my ears and lightly scratches behind them for me for a moment. “I don’t know about that… but I know that I haven’t had so much fun, or felt so alive in so long. Thanks Dash. Thanks for making me feel alive again,” he says. He moves toward me, and I don’t make him wait. Our lips touch, I feel his mouth open, and everything seems to move on its own. He’s not harsh or forceful, but instead he’s gentle. Each movement is done softly, and seems to give me slight shivers that spread through my wings. I feel him moving down, his kissing gentle, soft, like small caresses, and each one feeling with shivers. Each touch seems to drive the point home of what I’ve been feeling. He moves back up and kisses me again. I can taste a little of myself on him, but it doesn’t bother me. To be honest he’s the only stallion, man, whatever, I’ve known to do this. Soarin sure didn’t. I roll us over, my wings draped around him. “Do you want to?” I ask. I feel so nervous. The last time I’ve felt this nervous was the first time I ever did anything, and I’m fairly sure it was that stallion’s first time too. Instead of an answer he leans up and kisses me again. “I’d love to,” he says. It doesn’t take that long to get him out of those clothes. His old tee-shirt, blue jeans, and boxers are gone in an instant. I take a moment to admire something that’s a first for me, and I realize that there was a good chance he wasn’t boasting with his friend. Actually, from the looks of it I’d say he’d give Soarin a run for his money. We share a kiss, and soon the two of us join together. I find myself rolled under him, but he’s not being savage. Again he’s taking time, making sure that I like this, and I find myself realizing what I had felt was right. I love him. I’m in love with him. He can be brash, and rough, but each movement he makes only proves that he can be gentle and sweet. It seems to last almost forever, and at the same time it doesn’t last nearly long enough. It doesn’t matter how wonderful it felt because I could have happily stayed in that moment for the rest of my life. He doesn’t pull directly back. Instead he rolls us gently until I’m back on top. He gives over the control and I accept. We move together like a single being again, and before long I find that I don’t want a more feverous movement, but instead I want to show him the same gentleness he gave me. After a while we collapse, and I find myself snuggling back up close to him again. His left arm is under my head, and his right is draped across my chest. We’re still for so long until I feel him kissing my neck, and I start to wake up from my near sleep. “Hey, if… if you want to talk to this Celestia, go ahead,” he says. I smile and find his Robotz phone. “Dial 555-867-5309,” I tell it. The phone does and in a few seconds I hear a voice I haven’t heard in quite some time. “Hello?” she asks. “Princess Celestia, this is Rainbow Dash. I… I have a question,” I say. “How are you doing my little Pony? What is it that you want to ask?” she asks. I explain about Bryant, and I feel his hand against my back. I turn to see him slipping off to sleep. “love you,” he says sleepily. I smile and determination fills me. “I do not know what I will be able to do, but I promise to do all that I am able,” she says. I hang up the phone and turn toward him. He’s lying there, so peaceful. I feel… hopeful. Maybe Celestia can save him, and maybe everything will work out okay. I curl up next to him and feel his arm wrap around me. It feels amazing to have him so close, and to know that I’ve found my special somepony. A soft chuckle escapes me as I lie there. My parents, both of them, would be proud, and wary at the same time. Dad had always told me to follow my heart. I loved him to pieces, but there was times that he was a little too emotional. Mom was different. She was a hard mare, and she knew when things had to be a certain way. Still, even with her being all hard and everything she loved dad like no other. I always try to act like mom, but right now, at this moment, I think that I am acting a bit more like dad. I think I’m losing myself in the prospect of building a life together with Bryant, and I can’t help but feel giddy. A few minutes later his phone rings and I answer it. “Rainbow Dash?” Twilight’s voice asks. “Twi?” I ask. “Celestia asked that I arrange some transport for you and your colt friend. I didn’t even know that you had a colt friend,” Twilight says sounding a little confused. “I do, and we need to get to the gateway,” I reply. “Okay, but what’s going on?” she asks. “I’ll explain everything later, but please, we need to do this as soon as possible,” I say. “Okay, look I’m going to call in a favor, and there should be a taxi to take you to the airport there in fifteen minutes,” she replies. Once she hangs up I start waking up Bryant. He groggery gets up, listens to me, and together we get ready to meet the taxi. He goes to the bathroom to take a shower, and leaves the door open. I hear the shower starting, and then his head hangs out of the room. “You want a shower?” he asks. I sniff myself and realize that maybe getting clean wouldn’t be a bad idea. I walk toward the bathroom and look in to see him holding his hand under the water. I stand there; studying the form I had seen and felt last night. I can see a few scars on his chest, and there are small burn marks on his arms where heavy gloves would have ended at. I trot over to him, stand on my hind legs, and wrap my forelegs around him. He leans down a little and we kiss. I feel his hands moving down my back, right behind my wings, and I wonder if he even realizes what he’s doing. The spot is so sensitive, and it can really hurt if someone doesn’t rub the place right. Instead it feels amazing. A small moan escapes into his mouth as we kiss. I feel his hands softly, gently, and determinedly moving down my back until they come to rest on my cutie marks. There’s a slight squeeze and I nearly jump. There’s absolutely no hiding my wings. Both of them are sticking straight out, and after last night I’m fairly sure he understands what it means. He breaks the kiss and I feel my eyes flutter open. I’ve never been the romantic type. Soarin’ and Gilda could contest to that. I’ve always been direct, but this time it’s different. I want to do things for him. I want to do more than just ask if he wants to bang. I want to flirt, tease, and do everything a marefriend would want to do. He steps into the shower and extends his hand to me. “Want to join me?” he asks. I smile, take his offered hand, and step over into the tub. I’ve stood on my hind legs for extended periods of time, but it usually caused my back to become a little tight. It’s different with him. I lean against him, like he suggests, and it feels more relaxed than it did before when it was just me. His tub has this shower head that can be removed and aimed lower if needed, and it is awesome. I let him rinse all of me down, and then we both begin soaping me up. I return the favor and do the same to him. It feels wonderful, it is amazing, and the shower really is helping wake both of us completely up. He tickles me and I return the favor as we step out of the tub. He gives me a towel and I begin drying my fur, then my mane, and finally I get to my feathers. It’s different for every Pegasus. Some like to start with their feathers, but I never could do that. I like to let my feathers drip a little before I start drying them. It gives me a chance to preen them better, make them look better, and feel better. Rarity always goes on about her mane, and she constantly asks why I don’t want to do something more with my own. Sure, a stylish mane is nice, if you don’t work as a weather captain. The one thing I always like to make sure looks the absolute best is my feathers. I want them looking amazing. “So, what is this Princess like?” Bryant asks. “Princess Celestia is pretty cool. We’ve helped out Equestria a bunch of times, and she’s never really too busy to talk to any of us. Although I think part of the reason is because of Twilight,” I say. “Dash, no matter what happens, You’ve made this part of my life take a turn for the better. I… I really never thought I could feel this way again,” he says. I look at him and smile. There’s a part of me that wants to kid and tease with him. That wants to play around, but another softer part of me suggests something else, and for once I listen to the softer part. I kiss him. We stay like that, holding each other, kissing each other, right until the sounds of a horn blaring away outside can be heard. He quickly dresses as I finished drying off. After a couple of minutes we walked outside to see a cab similar to the one that had drove us out here. The cab driver opens the door for us and once we get inside Bryant asks to be reminded of how much we owe when we arrive at where we’re going. “No charge sir. We were contacted by the Equestrian Government and told that your trip was to be charged to them directly,” he says. Bryant smiles and shakes his head. The night sky is still beautiful as the cab leaves. I lean against Bryant and feel his arm move around me. It feels amazingly secure like this. “Which airfield are we heading to?” Bryant asks. “Well, the town’s local one isn’t big enough to handle a straight flight. We were asked what airfield could, and it’s going to Tulsa International. The good news is that we should be there within an hour, and with the light traffic at this time of night we’re going to make some really good time,” the cab driver answers. Our trip isn’t that eventful, and to be honest once I hear Bryant’s breathing level out I decided that a little sleep would be nice. The next very next moment I could feel being lightly shaken awake. I look around to see Bryant giving me a smile before opening the door. I climb out of the cab after him and we both watch as it leaves. We walk inside and once there he walks up to the first ticket booth. I lean up against it and clear my throat. “Excuse us, but we have a question about our flight,” I say. “The only fights going out at this time of night are private chartered flights. Unless you have a private chartered jet then you’re not going anywhere right now,” the woman working the counter replies. “Do you mind to check?” Bryant asks. She rolls her eyes and begins typing. For a moment there’s nothing and then the woman’s eyes grow wide. She looks down at me and swallows as she plasters a fake smile on her face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize that you had chartered jet waiting. Take this,” she says as she hands us a couple slips of paper, “Down to gate sixteen. They’re going to help you board.” I shake my head and walk with Bryant until we reach the gate itself. The man working the gate looks at the slips of paper, scans them for a moment with a phone looking thing, and then nods to us both. He waves us through and we follow the tunnel until we’re outside of the building. Once outside I see a pony waiting. “Ms Dash, Mr. Williams?” he asks. “That’s us,” I reply. “I’m supposed to escort you to the gateway. Once there you will be meeting with Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia. I’m guessing this is pressing business, but do either of you mind to tell me what it is that drug me out of a comfortable bed with a beautiful woman?” he asks. “It’s important business,” I say. He shakes his head and leads us both to a twin engine jet. We board it and within fifteen minutes we’re leaving the ground. “How long of a trip is this?” Byrant asks. “You’ve got a few hours,” the stallion that met us says. “In that case I’m going to get a couple of hours sleep,” he replies. I nod and lean against him. After a few minutes the both of us are well on our way to sleep. Once again it seems that I had no more got to sleep then someone is waking me back up. I awoke to find my right wing across Bryant. It looks like he’s still sleeping soundly. “Ms Dash, We’re going to be landing in about ten minutes. You might want to wake your friend up,” he says. I gently nudge Bryant and slowly his eyes blink open. He looks around before letting out a yawn. “Don’t start doing that. You’re going to,” *Yawn* “make me do the same thing.” We get off of the jet and walk into a large building. I notice there are a few different sets of doors, but we’re lead down the left set of doors. Finally when we get to where we are going I see Twilight and Princess Celestia standing there with a human. The human looks at Bryant and raises an eyebrow. “Bryant, I didn’t know that you were friends with the Equestrian Government,” the other human says. “You know me Doc. So, what are you doing here?” he asks. “I was contacted by the princesses here. It seems that they are interested in your medical history, and I wouldn’t have said a thing, but apparently you gave permission to that young lady beside you to contact the Equestrian Royal Family and permit them to oversee your medical case,” he smiles and walks toward Bryant before laying a hand on him, “I’m just glad to see you doing better boy.” Bryant nods and looks up Princess Celestia. I watch as she walks toward him and gestures toward a table. He takes a seat near it. “Mr. Williams, the doctor presented us with your condition, and I’ve already forwarded a good deal of the information to my most trusted physicians. We are expecting to hear from them, but I must say that while the chance of curing you is quite good it may… take some extreme measures,” she says. “What kind of extreme measures?” I ask. “Dash, we don’t know how bad his cancer is. There’s some records from that small town hospital you had him taken to, but it really only suggests that the cancer is very aggressive,” Twilight answers. A few moments later the door opens and a pony walks through it. I can tell it’s one of Celestia’s royal guards, and he looks tired. He bows, hoofs her a scroll, and she opens it. Her eyes scan it carefully before she turns to us. “Tell me Mr. Williams, what made you change your mind? Your doctor explained that you were relaxed and actually happy to hear about your diagnosis. He also went through the trouble of explaining part of your past, and I must admit that finding out what had happened I wasn’t that surprised at why you reacted in the way you did. However, you’ve changed your mind and want to live. So what caused you to change your mind?” she asks. I feel him wrap an arm around me, and I hug myself against him. “She did. I was ready to meet my maker. There wasn’t really anything left for me. Rebecca, Tim, and Barbara were my entire world. I lived for them, but when they were taken from me.. I fell into a pit that I was stuck in for nearly ten years. I don’t know if you know what it’s like, but I wasn’t really alive then. I was existing, but not really living. Finding out that I had cancer gave me an excuse to try to find a reason to live, even if for a little while. When I met Rainbow,” he swallows and looks down at the floor. “When I met her I had decided that my last days would be spent out on that river. I was just going to stay out there, drink myself stupid, and let nature take its course. After I met her and got to talking to her I sense something I hadn’t sensed in a long time, and that was a kindred spirit. I enjoyed our time together, and as the days passed I began to feel something else I swore I would never feel again. She’s made me feel alive, and for the first time, in a long time, I want to share that feeling with someone else. I need to share it with someone else. I don’t think that I would be here right now if I didn’t feel that,” he says. She nods and leads the both of us through the door, and once through it we see the gateway. Two humans begin typing in some codes and when they finish we step through. The moment we step through I see Luna standing there. “Sister, I received word that you needed me here,” she says with a yawn. “I do Lulu, if Mr. Williams accepts our treatment. Mr. Williams, our physicians have found no fault in your physician’s findings. What they did discover, based on the details your physician’s notations was a possibility of why you were affected the way you were,” she says before she turns to Luna, “Did you ensure that Dr. Comet was contacted?” “Sister, he is on the way,” Luna answers. “Sorry that I’m late,” a voice says. I look to see a pony in a white coat. He nears us and bows. “Rise my little pony,” Princess Celestia says. “My princess, what can I do for you?” he asks. “Dr. Comet, it is my understanding that you are the most skilled at scanning spells. In fact it is because of you that we’ve had such large advancements,” she says. “I’m not one to brag, but yes I’ve helped devise ways of how to scan down to a cellular level,” he replies. “Very good. What we require of you is to scan our guest. Inform us of his condition, and if it is something that may reoccur giving the right circumstances,” she says. He nods and turns toward Bryant. I step back to give him room and watch as his horn glows red. The red aura surrounds Bryant, and I hear somepony click their tongue. I look to the doctor, and I see his face becoming more and more of a grimace as he finishes the scan. After a few moments he stops and shakes his head. “There are cancerous cells throughout his body. It’s likely even with some of our more powerful healing spells that given the right conditions the cancer he now has would return,” the doctor says. “Doctor, would you agree that a permanent transformation spell, powerful enough to change down to the cellular level, would be enough to remove the cancerous cells?” Princess Celestia asks. The doctor rubs his chin with his fetlock. “In theory it would. It should remove or rather rewrite all of those cells into healthy cells. But your highness, it’s very possible doing this would be very traumatic to Mr. Williams,” he says before turning to Bryant, “Sir, I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to go through this. A transformation spell is painful enough, but to do what the Princess is suggesting… Sir, I’m not sure it would be wise.” I watched Bryant as he took in what the doctor said. He looked around and took a seat. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thanked the doctor, and asked him to remain regardless of Bryant’s decision. I touched his arm and felt his free hand wrap around my hoof. “What Dr. Comet said is very true. This is a spell that has only been done a hoofful of times, but it is something that will save your life,” Princess Celestia states. I feel his hand tighten on my hoof for a moment. “Can he have some time to think about it?” I ask. “Of course he may, but Mr. Williams, Bryant, we need to perform this spell while you are still strong enough to handle it. If we try to perform it while you are in a weakened state there is every chance that it will kill you,” she tells him. “There is something else you should think of. My sister is offering you a chance at life, and while you have said that Rainbow Dash has opened your heart and allowed you to feel things you believed long dead, you must think about what it is that gives you purpose. A life, without purpose, is often one filled with regret,” Princess Luna says. “Sort of what was it that I was best at and enjoyed doing or being right?” he asks. She nods. “The best job I ever had. The best thing I ever was, or most likely will be, was a dad. I like to think that I was good father, and I felt like that was my purpose then,” he says. A knowing smile crosses her muzzle. “There is something else that I must say now. Mr. Williams, if we do this who you are will be gone. I am uncertain if your mind will be whole when it is finished. There is a possibility that you will be fine, remember everything, but just as likely it could fracture your memories,” she says. “He could lose who he is?” I ask. “It is possible my little pony,” she replies. “It’s a better chance than I was offered before,” he says. “Bryant, are you sure? I mean maybe they can just clear up the cancer,” I reply. “You heard them. Even if they clear it up if the conditions are met it will relapse. Besides I can handle about anything,” he says. I give him a nervous smile as he nods. A moment later I watch as both Luna, Celestia, and Twilight lift him into the air. There’s a moment while he’s surrounded by their magical aura, and then there’s the screams. It’s so painful to hear. I can hear bones breaking, reshaping, a gagging sound coming from him followed by a feral scream of pain. It hurts so bad to hear him, and right now I’m wanting to force them to stop. I need to make them stop hurting him. I run forward only to find myself restrained. “I’m sorry miss, but if you interfered while this was going on it would kill him,” Dr. Comet says. “LET ME GO! THEY’RE HURTING HIM!” I scream. I feel him holding me, keeping me from protecting Bryant, and the entire time I feel something inside of me, something savage, ripping its way to the surface. “LET ME GO!” I scream. He holds me. A moment later the aura ends and a large red furred, black maned Stallion lies on the floor where Bryant had been. The clothes he had been wearing have all ripped and are lying behind him. I step toward him, carefully. “Prin… Ummm.. Celestia, this is very odd,” I hear Twilight say. “He’s a Pegasus, but he has Earth Pony hooves. That is extremely odd,” she says. “What?” I ask. I near him and see the large wings he has. They’re beautiful, and they're huge. He’s easily as tall as Big Macintosh, but thinner. I touch his muzzle. I hear the princesses talk about how he’ll have to be taught how to fly. That makes sense since he wasn’t born a Pegasus. He won’t have the instincts that we have. Everything will have be learned over time, and now it seems that time is something we’ll both have. “Dash…” he mutters. “He remembers my name,” I say. “We should keep him under observation,” Dr. Comet suggests. “This is awesome! I mean, he’s gonna live, and plus that town he’s from is really nice. It’s almost like being back in Ponyville. It will be fantastic for him!” I exclaim. “Rainbow… It might not be a good idea for him to go back, at least not right now,” Twilight says as she looks at me. “Why not?” I ask. “My little pony, while what we did saved his life we cannot know how other humans will react. I would not want to cause unrest there because of this. At least not until I am certain that reintroducing him to his world would not cause undo chaos and unrest,” Princess Celestia says. “Oh, but I’m still a diplomat. I mean, I’ve got to be over there for a while at least,” I say. “It is true that you’ve been assigned this duty, but there is nothing that says you cannot enjoy a vacation,” Princess Luna says. I look at them and nod. I then nudge Bryant who opens an eye and looks at me. “Hi,” he says sleepily.