//------------------------------// // The Past Always Catches Up With You // Story: All Rainbow And No Colour // by Ribe_FireRain //------------------------------// When morning came, Strike awoke next to Remedy, his hooves around her barrel as she snuggled with his neck. He smiled at her, stroking her mane. She smiled at the touch as she slept. Times like this reminded him of why he would never stop loving her the way he did. As long as she was a part of his life, he would always stay by her side. The wedding was in a week and things were already looking up. Would things change though? Will it stay normal? However their future, he wouldn't have it any other way. Remedy moaned softly in her sleep and moved a hoof up and rested it upon Strikes cheek, cracking an eye open as she smiled up at him. ''Morning, sleepy.'' She said as she kissed him on the cheek. ''Morning, beautiful.'' He smiled as he returned the kiss, chuckling at her small blush. They both looked each other in the eyes, and Strike pulled Remedy closer, kissing her passionately on the lips, making her giggle. Braking away from the kiss, Strike got out of bed, soon being followed by Remedy to the living room. Their usual morning routine was get up, get breakfast, check schedule, relax. Although being in the music business was putting a spin on that, because it usually meant more time being taken from your routine to do checks on equipment and various other band-related things. Now that he had done most things as planned, Strike found himself with his guitar, staring at its polished red figure. He loved his guitar as if it were a child. He was with it most of his time, he polished it and replaced the strings whenever it was required to do so, and of course, he played it often, that being the reason behind his talent with it. Its hard to believe that a young, troubled Pegasus colt was once a nobody and then became a famous band member, known miles around. He loved his life to say the least, even though there have been some bad parts in that time before he met Remedy. Even Strike doesn't know how he ended up with her. It was like a never-ending romantic dream. Each time he was with her, every second, his heart was even more sore than sore. It was melting with passion and affection. ''Strike?'' Called Remedy's voice from outside the room. ''In here.'' He called back, Remedy soon coming through the door, a small, questioning look on her face. Seeing that look, Strike frowned a bit. He knew pretty much every expression she had. He could easily tell that something was bothering or worrying her. ''Hey...what's wrong?'' ''Strike, I need to talk to you.'' She sat down next to him, and Strike could feel the cold on her. ''Strike, love, why did you go off the other night? You really, really worried me.'' Strike sighed, knowing where this was going. ''Remedy, I already told you about it. I had some things happen to me and it just gets to me more than I'd of wanted it to. Can we never talk about it again? Please?'' She held his hooves, her soft touch being comfortable in his own hooves. ''No, Strike. I love you, and I'm not just gonna let you get eaten by the wrongs that have been done to you. I actually think there may be something more to it that you haven't told me, Strikey. When you gave me that Silver Baller, you acted so...different...'' ''Remedy...please, can we not go into this? I really, really, really do not want to talk about this right now.'' He looked her dead in the eyes, knowing that she could sense the pain behind them. She pulled him closer, hugging him gently as she rubbed her cheek into his, now feeling how cold he was. She knew him that much that she knew that if he was cold as he was now, something was up. She hated seeing him like that...not being happy. It hurt her to see him so glum. ''R-Remedy?'' ''Yes, love?'' ''Please let go. Please?'' Strike said softly as he tried to move away, but to no avail. There was simply no getting out of this one. ''Strikey, please, I just want to help you. I know your hurt and upset, but you've gotta get past this. For me? Please?'' ''Remedy, I love you, and you know that, but I won't always be around to protect you. I just don't want you getting hurt. Ever. I want you by my side all the time. I just don't wanna lose you.'' He felt her grip loosen as he pulled away and he saw a small tear run down her cheek. He sighed softly and wiped it away with a hoof before leaning in and kissing her on the lips. ''I love you so, so much, Remedy.'' ''Is that what it is, Strike? You think that I'd be killed someday because you weren't there to protect me?'' She asked him as he hugged her tight and close, snuggling with her. Strike only responded with a 'Mmm, hmm' as he kissed her on the cheek and pulled away, locking eyes with her. ''I'm scared of losing you, Remedy. You're everything to me. Without you, I'd be lost forever.'' *** *** *** Night had come and Strike had gone out for a while to get a few things, leaving Remedy alone in the suite. Although he insisted she go along with him, she chose to stay home. At the moment, she was in the bedroom, looking over a few things of hers and Strike's. More specifically, pictures and momentos from their time together. She was currently looking at the picture on the wardrobe door - the one with her and Strike sat snuggling together at the bar with blushed visible on both their faces. Remedy always smiled when she saw it. How they always stayed close together no matter where they went. Next she looked at something most precious to her - a mahogany wooden box with golden trims around the edges. She would put things in there that she would like to keep safe, and right now it housed a few things from her past when she was single and when she was with Strike. She turned the lock on the front, a small click being heard before she opened the lid. The newest addition to the box was the pistol Life's Blossom given to her on her birthday. True, she didn't like weapons of the kind that it was, but for Strike, she accepted the gift. She took the Silver Baller out of the box and looked at it for what seemed like forever. Gently, she pulled back the slide with a hoof, and to her surprise, it was loaded. The clip held around seventeen bullets and from what she could tell, the sights had been adjusted so it would be extra accurate. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it, but for both hers and Strike's sake, she might have to someday. THUMP! A loud bang came from the living room, startling her, causing her to drop the pistol. She turned, calling Strike's name, but got no response, making her worry. Going towards the door, she opened it a crack and saw nothing. She opened the door fully, entering the living room. Still nothing. All the lights were out and Remedy could barely see anything in the darkness. ''Strike...?'' No response. And then the lights flickered on, blinding her in the brightness of the sudden burst of light, causing her to shield her eyes with her hoof. ''Hi, Remedy. Nice to see you again.'' A deep, stallion's voice called to her in a semi-menacing tone. As Remedy's eyes adjusted to the light, she lowered a hoof and her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks as she saw who it was. A large, strong-looking white stallion with a black mane and hunting jacket and sunglasses looked at her with a a devilish grin, his eyes seeming to pierce her soul. Whipper. The stallion who leads the Elements of Crime. Beside him stood a midnight blue stallion in a jet-black cloak, his eyes and mane not visible. Panicking, she ran back to the bedroom, thumbling around with her hooves to grab the Silver Baller from the floor. Eventually getting it in her grasp, she turned and pointed it at Whipper whom was now directly behind her with the cloaked pony by his side. His smile just widened as he saw the barrel of the weapon be pointed at his head. She pulled back the hammer, and was about to pull the trigger, but before she could, the cloaked pony hit her in the side of the head with a blunt object, knocking her to the floor like a rock, dropping the gun and making it fire a round that went into the wall beside Whipper's hoof. The last thing she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was the evil laughter of the two stallions. *** *** *** Strike had returned to the building in which his suite was, and when he took the lift up to the top floor, he couldn't help but sense something. He couldn't explain it, but something was definitely off. He continued down the end of the hall, and when he got to where the suite was, his eyes widened a bit in shock. The door had been torn from its hinges, the smooth, wooden door now laying inside the living room with an enormous crack dented into the middle of it. Inside the living room was dark and smelled strangely like iron instead of a sweet essence of roses and chocolate like it usually did. As Strike continued towards the bedroom, he saw a line of light spilling from underneath. Cautiously, he opened it and immediately froze at the sight in front of him. Remedy was on the floor, lifeless and blood oozing from several wounds and slashes across her barrel. Beside her lay the Silver Baller, smeared in blood across the slide. Tears invading his eyes, Strike rushed up to her, holding her limp for in his hooves, looking at her emotionless face. ''Remedy?! Remedy! Can you hear me?! Remedy?!'' He held a hoof to her cheek. Remedy didn't respond for a moment but instead groaned weakly and painfully, her eyes flickering softly before closing again. ''Remedy! No, don't die!'' As carefully as he could, he placed her on his back, running from the room as fast as he could, flying from the building and towards the hospital. *** *** *** Flying as fast as he could, Strike landed at the hospital in the middle of Manehatten. Being as late as it was, the hospital wasn't all that busy, and for that, Strike was glad. After about halfway from the hospital, Remedy had stopped breathing, and that only pushed Strike to go faster, over fear of her dying. Strike's back was stained with her blood, drying on his light cyan coat. Quickly, he ran to the reception desk, the mare behind it looking startled and shocked at the condition of Remedy who now seemed lifeless, as well as pale. ''Please, you have to help me! She's going to die if you don't help her!'' Strike said through tears as he kept his eyes on the mare in front of him. The mare nodded a few times before running off to get help, Strike following her. Luckily, Strike was led to an operating room that still had a couple doctors in it, being just as startled as the mare at the desk when they saw Strike run in with Remedy, still bleeding heavily on his back. The doctors worriedly came up to Strike and examined Remedy, looking over her wounds before picking her from his back and placing her on the operating table in the middle of the room, and they wasted no time in applying sedatives and hooking her up to heart monitors and various machines that Strike thought would be used to help keep her stable. From how pale she looked, Strike was fearing the worst. *** *** *** Strike had been waiting for any news on Remedy's condition for at least a few hours, but not a thing had been said. Doctors were now mostly focused on Remedy and Strike was sat in the waiting room of the hospital, crying uncontrollably. Doctors who passed by just let him be, deciding that it would just be best if he could get over it on his own, but they knew that he would never get over what had happened. Most of them even looked incredibly shocked at the condition of both him and Remedy when they came in. The doors of the waiting room opened and the mare from the reception desk entered, a brown stallion beside her who wore a very worried expression on his face. ''Mr. Strike? You've got a visitor.'' She said softly as she motioned to the stallion beside her before leaving. ''Blaze!'' Strike said, suddenly feeling happier inside as he got up and hugged his friend tightly. ''How'd you know I was here?'' ''Some civilians saw ya and Remedy fly here. Said something was wrong?'' To that, Strike's ears plopped down on his head, sniffling. ''Blaze...something terrible happened. Remedy's hurt. Badly. I...I don't know if she'll be alright or anything! She's been in the operating theatre for four hours! You should of seen her, Blaze! She had so many cuts and wounds all over her body!'' ''Whoa, whoa! Simmer down, Strike! She's hurt? By who?'' Blaze asked, concern and worry evident in his eyes. ''I-I-I dunno! But I got a pretty good idea. I just want her to be safe...'' ''Strike...she'll be fine. I know she will. She's a tough girl, I'm sure she'll pull through.'' He smiled at Strike reassuringly, but he could tell Strike didn't believe him. ''Blaze, you don't understand! By time I was half way here, she wasn't even breathing! See this blood on my back?'' He turned to show him the blood covering most of his back and trickling down his sides, to which Blaze gasped, ''That's from Remedy!'' ''Strike, calm down! Celestia, you sound as though ya'll are gonna melt...'' The doors opened again, and a doctor came in, wearing a white jacket and carrying a clipboard in his magic. ''Strike?'' He asked, to which Rainbow Strike stepped forward, eager to hear what he had to say. ''How is she, doc? Please tell me she'll be alright...'' The doctor just sighed, looking down at the floor and back to the clipboard being held by his magic. Strike knew what he was going to say, and he immediately fell to the floor, staring at the floor. ''She didn't make it...did she...?'' ''No, I'm afraid not. I'm truly sorry Strike. We did all we could for her, but her wounds were too severe. She had a couple counts of ligament damage and she lost too much blood. She died when we were nearly halfway through treating her.'' Strike's lip quivered as he felt more tears invade his eyes. The second thing he felt was Blaze's brown hoof being wrapped around him, holding him in a comforting, friendly embrace. ''Oh, Strike...'' He said, allowing him to cry on his shoulder. ''And one more thing...'' The doctor said, making both stallion's ears perk up as they both made eye contact. ''...Remedy...she was pregnant...'' And then Strike fainted.