Seeing Rainbows

by Android


Chapter 10. Confessions

“Twilight! Open up!” Rainbow Dash yelled pounding on the door.

Twilight opened the door, “For Celestia’s sake Rainbow! The door was unlocked.”

“Whatever. Can I come in?”

“Of course.”

Rainbow strolled in.

“So what’s on your mind?” Twilight asked as she closed the door.

“Storm,” Rainbow sighed, “I haven’t seen him since the party last Saturday. I’m getting worried.”

“Well did you visit his house?”

“Yeah, but he either wasn’t there or didn’t answer. I even went to the cliff he likes to hang out at but he wasn’t there either. He didn’t show up for weather patrol on Monday or today.”

“Hmm, that is a tough one Rainbow,” Twilight said perplexed.

“What do I do Twilight? I’m supposed to be the element of Loyalty but I’ve probably bucked up our entire friendship,” she sighed as she flopped down, “He’s a nice guy and I don’t want to lose him.”

“Would you feel responsible if you do?”

“Yeah I wo-Hey! How would I be responsible?”

“You kind of unmasked him and made him reveal his biggest secret in public,” Twilight sighed.

“How did I do that?”

“You backed him into a corner Rainbow. You gave him no way out.”

“No I didn’t, he could have come to me in private and told me.”

“But then there’s the other side to it. When Spike knocked his glasses off in the library, that’s how I learned he was blind. He made me swear not to tell anypony, especially you.”

“Me? Why me?” Rainbow asked defensively.

“He was afraid of your reaction. He didn’t want to lose his job at the weather patrol, he didn’t want you to think he was a freak; he didn’t want his condition to ruin his relationship with you.”

“Why would he be afraid of my reaction? Or losing his job or any of that other stuff? I think it’s pretty cool that he’s blind yet can fly so well. I don’t care that he’s blind.”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should ask him.”

“How? I have no clue where he is?”

Twilight nodded out the window towards the cloud houses, “You’ll figure it out. And when you see him, give him his goggles back.”

“Heh heh,” Rainbow blushed, “Yeah I probably should,” she said, pulling the blue goggles off her neck.

***

You hadn’t left your house in days. Without your goggles you’ve tied a blindfold around your head. You were probably the laughing stock of the town. A blind pegasus! Oh that’s rich!

You’d been unmasked. And by her! Out of anypony in Ponyville it had to be her. She probably thought you were a freak. She probably didn’t want you returning to weather patrol. She was probably humiliated to even be associated with you.

You were sitting on your parent’s couch. The shades were down and the lights were off. Not that you cared. You couldn’t see them anyway. Would your parents understand? Should you write them? Maybe you should just leave and go to them in Las Pegasus.

There was a knock at the door. This was the fifth time. Clouds were soft so you couldn’t use your hooves to see who was behind the door. You never bothered to answer the door.

“Storm? Are you in there?” It was Rainbow Dash.

Should you answer the door? What do you do?

“Storm, are you there? I…I…I’m sorry for what happened Saturday.” She’s sorry? What is this? Some kind of joke?

“If you’re not here then I’ll wait until you get back. If you are and don’t want to talk, I understand,” she sighed, “After the kind of friend I was I wouldn’t want to talk either. I don’t want you to hate me.”

Is she serious? Should you open up? What do you have to lose? You walk up to the door and remove the bar lock. You open the door. Rainbow Dash is lying on the door mat just outside your door. She perks up.

“Storm! You’re here! I…I…Uh…how much of that did you hear?”

You face remains stolid, “Enough.”

She stands up, “Can we talk please?”

You move out of the way and let her in. She walks in and lies in an armchair. You lay back down on the couch. It remains silent but there’s enough vibration in the air for you to see. Rainbow is turning her head, looking around, never looking at you.

“You don’t have to avoid looking at me. You wanted to talk?”

“Oh right. I…Uh…listen rook, I’m really sorry for what happened on Saturday. I made you give up your biggest secret in front of everyone. I…I…I know sorry won’t cut it here. I…I…I don’t want to lose you as a friend,” she sighed hanging her head low, “Can you ever forgive me?”

Should you? After what happened? You already know the answer. You will but not for all the reasons she thinks, “I…I…I forgive you, Rainbow Dash.”

She looks up. This was the answer she wanted to hear but not the one she expected, “Really? You’re serious?”

“Holding grudges was never my style. I always thought holding grudges made you die faster.”

She jumps off the chair and grips you in a bear hug, “Thank you! thank you! Thank you! I’m sorry again. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“Stop…Trying…To…Kill…Me,” you gasp. Sheesh she’s strong. She lets go and sits back the couch. She stares at you.

“Can I see your face?”

“What?”

“I want to see your face. You always were wearing those glasses or goggles and now a blindfold. You don’t have to wear that. I don’t care that you’re blind. I just want you to be yourself.” She reaches up to your face and begins to untie the blindfold. She pulls it off to reveal your colorless eyes. She gasps but continues to remove it.

You turn your head away from her but she tilts it up so she’s looking into your eyes.

“What happened?” she asks. There’s sincerity in her voice. She’s asking as a friend, someone who cares.

You begin to talk, “It was seven years ago. I was only thirteen. I was coming back from a summer training program with the Wonderbolts…”

***

Seven Years Earlier.

“That was the best summer ever! I can’t believe we met Spitfire! Spitfire!” you yelled.

“I know, that was so cool! Spitfire is the coolest,” Featherfoot said.

“No, Soarin is the coolest. Who wouldn’t want to be Soarin?” Smash said.

“Me,” you say, “I don’t want to anyone else other than me. I’d rather be cool for being me not someone else.”

“I guess you’re right, but still-” He was cut off. You turn around in your seat. There was a thump. The train was rocked by another thump. Ponies gasp. There was a screeching sound now. Sparks fly past the window. The train begins to shake violently. Another boom and screech and the car is sideways. You’re smashed against the window as the ground approaches. Impact.

You get up. You’ve been thrown clear of the train. You stumble onto your hooves. You stare at the sight before you. The train is a wreck. Cars have been thrown off the track. Ponies are climbing out of the wrecked cars. You try to spread your wings. Pain. You look towards your left wing. It’s broken. You stumble back towards the wreck. You hear a hissing sound. It’s the engine. Steam is pouring out of a crack in the side. You see the conductor. He’s unconscious. You run towards him and pull him clear. With all your strength you toss him clear of the wreck. The hissing gets louder. You turn back towards the engine just as it explodes in a burst of steam…

***

“I was in the hospital for six months. The doctors fixed the burns on my skin but…they couldn’t do anything about my eyes. I’d lost the ability to see as I knew it forever.”

Rainbow listens intently, her hoof over her mouth. Finally she finally finds her voice, “How do you fly if you can’t see?”

“When I was recovering I learned I could hear extremely well. It turned out I could use my ears to detect vibrations in the air and use them to see. I also learned to feel vibrations in the ground with my hooves. With those I can fly and do normal things for the most part. I can’t tell time like others, I can’t read like others, I can’t see the faces of others; only their body positions. I have to listen to the tones of their voice to detect their mood. But being blind gives me some advantages. I had to practice harder to re learn how to fly. Eventually I got to train directly under Spitfire during the summer. Eventually I entered the Wonderbolts Dark Races. The night time races put everyone on the same level as me.”

“Wait. The Wonderbolts Dark Races? That means…” She let out a girlish scream, “You’re Solarstorm!? The champion of the Dark Races for the past five years?!”

“Yeah,” you smile, “I never go out or really tell people my name because…of well that type of reaction. Those signature shades I wore were to hide my eyes.”

“So the only reason you were at Twilight’s was she wanted to do experiments with your ears?”

“Yeah, she found out when Spike knocked my shades off. I didn’t want her telling anypony, especially you.”

“Me? Why not me?” she asked.

“I was afraid of your reaction. I…I…I didn’t want you to think I was a freak. I didn’t want to lose my job at the weather patrol or mess up my relationships with anypony. Especially you.”

“Why would you be afraid of my reaction? I think it’s pretty awesome that you can do all those things you do without your eyes. If I couldn’t see I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s pretty cool. But why didn’t’ you want anypony to know about your blindness?”

“I didn’t want anypony’s pity. I didn’t want to be seen as different. I don’t need to be pitied. I’m no different than anypony else. I just see the world differently. That along with…other reasons.”

“What other reasons?” she asks perplexed.

“I didn’t want…my condition…to ruin my chances…with a certain somepony,” you rub your hoof on the back of your head, “But she already knows now so it’s kinda pointless.”

“Who’s the lucky mare?” Rainbow asks.

Shit. No backing out now, “Well she’s nice…kind… a little blunt sometimes and a little rash…but she’s loyal...and well…” you sigh, ‘staring’ at the floor, “Well…she’s you.”

“What?” Rainbow gasps.

“I really like you Rainbow Dash,” you manage to gasp.

You can feel her eyes staring at you. You continue to stare at the ground. Your face feels like it’s on fire. You feel a hoof lifting your head up.

“That’s the nicest thing anypony’s ever said to me,” Rainbow says, her voice is soft.

“Oh Celestia I shouldn’t have said that! I mean I’m in love with my own boss an-” your silenced. There’s something on your lips. It’s warm and moist. Rainbow is kissing you! You have to be dreaming. Something this perfect only happens in dreams. You’re finally able to breath.

“Ah wha? I mean. Uh I uh-” she puts a hoof to your mouth. You’re blushing like mad.

“You’re funny when you don’t what to say,” Rainbow laughs, “I’ve never had somepony actually like me for me. No pony’s ever fallen for me without even seeing what I look like before. And…I…I like you too. You’re the coolest guy I’ve met before. Not to mention you’re cute. Never been one for the mushy stuff but…” She puts her hoof to the back of her head. Though you can’t see, you can tell she’s blushing.

“I would return the compliment but I don’t know what you look like,” you say.

“Come on rook,” she says handing you something. It’s your goggles! You’d left them at the party, “You’ve been coped up inside for too long.”

You pull on your blue goggles and smile, “Thanks.”