//------------------------------// // Ep4: Rainbow Road // Story: Friendship Hearts // by Silver Letter //------------------------------// I am arming myself, perched with my hind legs wrapped around the thick branch of a tree. I fill the last of my ordinance with the green watering spout coated at the end by colorful rubber. I look at the red plastic skin expanding in my lap. It stretches until I take it off and tie it up. I then wait for my unassuming victims. Two fillies skip along the dusty road towards the lake. The sun is roasting today but this is a very good tree. Great for shading me and hiding me from sight. Until it’s too late anyway. I put the red balloon in the sack tied around my neck. “Oh, this is so much fun!” They giggle and laugh. I’ll show them fun. I hold them in my stretched hoof then release them like bombs, each hitting them square on the tops of their heads. They pop, reducing their manes into matted messes. It shocks them. It causes them to holler. One even knocks the other over and they roll on the dirt. I slide my leg and drop down to the ground and pelt them with more as quickly as they can lift the hair from their eyes. The two filthy and wet fillies run off, wishing they had never drenched me on the way to a picnic again. I fall to my side and laugh until saliva drips down the side of my mouth. My side hurts and the last of the balloons break. I hadn’t done that in so long that I’ve forgotten how fun it could be to hit somepony with water balloons. No better classic foal fun than this. I only wish that Sweetie could have been here to get them back but she’s been busy so often that I find myself going out alone. I’m unemployed again now that school is out. I guess hitting my former students will have to suffice as far as something to do is concerned. I notice that a pony is coming down the road. I get up and brush some leaves off my coat casually. I recognize the mayor and I wave at her as she stops next to me. She looks down at my soaked bag that I put vegetables in at market, the nice one with an embroidered tomato on it and spent water balloons inside. She has a disagreeable look on her face. “Is this how you choose to spend your time, Miss Twist?” she says, pointing her hoof at my bag. “Is there really no better activity you could be pursuing this afternoon?” I shift the bag uncomfortably over my shoulders. “I am not sure. The school’s out now and I’ve been looking for something to do. Is it a bad thing to be playing with our neighborhood foals?” Mayor Mare is an old pony. I don’t know her personally except that I see her grey haired face on posters. Her familiar wrinkled brow tightens when she gets annoyed, like she’s doing now. “Yes…playing with foals.” She adjusts the glasses that embed themselves in her cheeks. “Be that as it may, our water shortages excludes such activities from grown mares like yourself. I wish for you to refrain from it and to take a more sensible outlook towards our resources.” “Aren’t you going to the lake?” I ask candidly. She lifts her nose slightly. “Yes. I am going to photograph the water levels. I do this once a week and have been since early spring. Now, I must go. I assume that you’ll be going to town hall this evening. It is imperative that the towns ponies attend and I insist that you in particular don’t miss it.” She just has to emphasize those last words; I absolutely have to go. I nod. “Sure.” “Good day to you.” She hurries off down the road on her stupid water quest. I mock her elderly voice in an admittedly childish manner. Those politicians are all the same. Not that I know many of them though. I hope that she gets replaced in the next election. A few younger ponies have been campaigning around. I might even help out. Anything to get that sagging pile of bones out of office. I walk back to town. Its familiar sight comes into view. I’ve gotten used to seeing a brown smear like dirty water on the horizon near the south by the hills. It’s so ugly that I think the sky has been burnt. But at least it looks far from here. I shouldn’t have to worry. I’m not going to act like Lily. The sky isn’t going to fall. The Sugar Cube Corner café is open for business. I push the door open, ringing the bell. A few ponies are sitting and chatting at their tables. I see the tall and lanky Mr. Cake rolling a large cake on a metal tray elsewhere. The air is sweet in here; it’s just the way I like it. I sit down and look at their clock. The air conditioner makes my coat feel cold so I take off the damp bag. I tap my hooves on the table until Mrs. Cake sees me. “Hello, dear,” the pudgy mare chirps. “Hey, Mrs. Cake. How are things?” She wears an apron with chocolate stains on the edges. “It’s business as usual around here. You want to see Sweetie Drops?” I nod. “Yes, please. And also, may I have a soda?” “Of course. What kind?” “Uh, make it cherry vanilla.” “Kay.” She winks then heads to the fountain drinks. She talks to Mr. Cake for a second and he goes into the back. By the time Sweetie comes out, I’ve been sipping the soda in that tall glass for a minute already. My straw dips in and out of the rich cream that floats on top. I like soda. It makes my muzzle scrunch up sometimes. “What’s up?” she says. Her mane is rolled up in a ball and covered in a white net that makes it look like a nest. A fine layer of flour rests on her coat except for the ends of her forelegs. She wears an apron like Mrs. Cake. Neither of us are wearing our pendants. Mine is safe at home. Hers probably where she keeps her stuff while she works. Her body sinks into the black metal chair, her foreleg draped over the back. She looks relaxed even after hours of work, packing up cakes and sometimes restocking dough. She is so much tougher than me. I hardly believe I could work like that for long. What I do in Peppermint Drops is something else, more like art through sugar and love. “I’m well,” I reply. “I wanted to come and say hello. I was bored at home today.” I sip the drink through my straw and let the nectar run down my throat before picking the straw out and licking at the end. She giggles. “Enjoying your drink?” “Yeah. It’s my favorite soda here at Sugar Cube.” “Yes, right. So anything new?” I shake my head. “Not so much.” “Why is your bag wet? Is it me but do I smell tree sap on you?” I didn’t know it was so easily noticeable. I guess I got used to it. “Well, I was playing near the lake. Got some fillies with a water balloon. Then that Mayor Mare came and bothered me. She’s so hung up about water these days.” Sweetie shrugs her shoulders. “That’s what I’ve heard too. Don’t know a lot about it though. Some businesses are taking steps to improve their water usage though.” “That’s cool.” My voice is flat because I don’t care. “I am not sure if it’s true but Mrs. Cake might be considering using cleaned wastewater for her business.” From hearing that, I shut my mouth hard but red soda threatens to spill out like a breached dam. I swallow and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Seriously?” She tilts her head back and laughs at my confusion and the trails of soda on my muzzle. “I think stuff like watering lawns. Not sodas, silly.” “Whatever. Let’s talk about something else.” I put my head on my hooves. She sighs. “I know we’ve not hung out as much as we should but I got work and all.” “They sure do need you around here.” I can’t help but feel a little bitter even with her voice trying to sweeten me. Summers used to be a time where Sweetie and I would spend our afternoons together sipping tea and telling stories. But moving to our new place has changed all that. This first summer feels like a first summer apart from her. “We should go do something later. After I get washed of course.” She reaches over and squeezes my hoof. “It will be good for us.” “That will be lovely.” Sweetie checks her mane in her flip mirror and gets up. “See you soon,” she says. She goes and pushes the swinging door to return to the back. I notice in the corner of my eye that Mrs. Cake is watching, yet pretending to be doing nothing but sweeping the floor. I have no idea why but I feel awkward. I stare at my red soda and the bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass. I drink it then leave. Most grasses are fading these days. Green turns to dark yellow and I see more patches of dirt that looks like a diseased pony’s coat. The skies are unusually clear. They have been for a month for most days except for the lingering and ominous brown at the horizon. Where are all the clouds? Did the weather ponies take them away? I wear my umbrella and dark sunglasses on the way to town hall. The withered grasses crumble under my hooves. Town hall square looks so thirsty; it was hit hardest. It’s not as pretty as it used to be. Sweetie and I walk up to the government office. Other ponies are here as well. Diamond Tiara and her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Cake too with their two foals playing tag on the grounds. Other ponies from our street where all the good shops are. I recognize most of the bigger business owners. The Apples aren’t here. I didn’t expect them to be. They’re technically out of town so this little meeting or whatever Mayor Mare calls it won’t apply to them. I feel both honored that me and Sweetie are considered to be big enough to call with the other businesses but also annoyed that we’re being talked to at all. Surely we don’t need to be talked down to about water of all things. I try to walk around the Rich family to get inside but Spoiled Rich lightly reaches and taps Sweetie on the shoulder. She turns around. “Miss Sweetie Drops. It’s so nice to see you again,” the mare says, grinning smugly. “Likewise, Mrs. Rich.” My Sweetie offers a genuine smile back. I roll my eyes and look away. “I do hope there is some chance that you can sell my daughter some more of your delicious red velvet candies. She has run out of them already, as she shares them sometimes with friends. I would pay double for it.” Sweetie sounds unsure. “It’s possible that it could be done. I would have to check my schedule and such. You know how it goes.” I am focused on looking inside at the group of ponies that are assembling. The mayor is inside, adjusting the microphone. I am suddenly pulled back to Sweetie by a touch on my arm. “Why don’t you find us a seat? I’ll be in shortly,” she tells me. I nod and agree. I don’t need to be told twice. Better to go in than listen to her talk to Spoiled and Filthy Rich. I remove my umbrella then I go up to the front row of folding chairs and secure a couple seats. Town hall is a large open space with several balconies overlooking the main auditorium. There is a small stage where ponies often speak. After the ponies finish coming in, it is the mayor’s turn. “Thank you all for attending this important meeting. All of you are influential ponies, those that provide our town with services and are truly the backbone of this community. However with such importance comes enhanced responsibility that the average pony doesn’t have. Today, an important community leader will help you to fulfill your role in these uncertain times.” After her little speech, she gives the microphone to a pony that comes out from behind the curtains. I recognize her rainbow mane immediately, the beautiful colors of none other than Rainbow Dash! The mare is wearing a shimmering vest that looks like it’s made of gems. But those are the medals she wears on her chest, the ones she earned as a Wonderbolt elite flyer. She is one of the most famous ponies in our town. One almost never sees her just walking around. She’s always somewhere in Equestria: at a parade, lecturing to young Pegasus ponies, or just being the awesome pony I’ve always known her as. I am rather struck by her presence and I can’t contain my widening smile. She taps the microphone and gazes at the crowd seriously. “Thank you for the introduction, Mayor Mare. My name is Rainbow Dash.” As if she needs an introduction. Her voice is rougher than most mares and she needs no help projecting it even to the back of the auditorium. She is an amazing motivator. I bet she would make for a fine mayor. “I am afraid to say that I do not speak to you all under pleasant circumstances. What you hear may also be difficult to accept. It is because to overcome our water shortages, the ponies of this town will have to face the situation head on. Our very lifestyles are going to have to change and that goes for most ponies in town.” I grow concerned and when I look at Sweetie, she looks the same. I grasp her hoof like I used to when I was a foal and we went on dates at the theaters watching scary movies. Rainbow Dash points to the crowd vigorously. “Each and every one of you will have to do your part. Conserve what little we have left until Celestia sees fit to undo this drought herself. I am just a simple pony and I have faith in her wisdom as do we all.” “Why do we have to do anything? It’s not that bad really!” Spoiled Rich complains loudly, ignorantly. “Says the pony with the greenest and largest lawn in town,” Rainbow retorts. She looks back at the audience. “I have a video to show you all so you can understand that this is no small matter.” Dash signals the city hall staff to lower the projector screen. A video flashes on the white fabric. The video is very shaky as it was shot from the air, possibly by a Pegasus pony in flight. Below, long lines of fire shoot up from dense forested hills like lines of massive candles. Ugly smoke climbs into the sky. I’ve never seen anything like it before. But it’s not something fake. It’s very real and it’s quite the downer to see all those trees go up in flames. “We’ve not seen wildfires like this in generations. This is happening because of the perfect combination of not being prepared, not having enough water to make clouds and waste. I believe that if we conserve, we will be able to counter this harsh summer and recover through the winter. This is why you all must do your part and reduce your personal consumption. After all, it’s your businesses and homes that use the most. I am personally counting on you.” Despite the scary scene of destruction I saw, Rainbow’s speech still manages to inspire a desire to do what I can to help. What little a pony like me can do anyway. The ponies are leaving after it has concluded. I see her talking to the mayor so I tell Sweetie to wait for me outside. I walk up to Rainbow Dash. She notices me. I do know her but she is still a Wonderbolt and everything she does reminds me of that from her rigid posture to her golden emblem on her uniform. Talking to ponies of substance always makes my heart pound harder. I hope my voice doesn’t crack. “Rainbow Dash, your speech was very good. I just know that the ponies of this town will listen to you,” I say. I bet I come off like a fan but she doesn’t appear to be annoyed but pleased to hear what I have to say. If anything, Rainbow is still very down to earth unlike the rest of her peers. “Thank you, Twist. You and Sweetie Drops alike are going to be an important part of this. We’ll solve this problem together because this town can never be divided.” “You’re right. I’m willing to do what I can.” After that, I leave her alone to continue her chat with the mayor. They look like old friends. It makes little sense except that they are in fact older and way more important so I guess that is how it is. I rejoin Sweetie and we begin walking back home. The sun looks reddish behind smoky clouds. It reminds me of a torch in a cave. As I look at the business owners dispersing from town hall, I think about what I can do to help Rainbow like I said I would. Peppermint Drops isn’t running so that’s a start but I’ll have to cut back on the water balloons at least. I don’t need to be a psychic like Crystal Wishes to know that the rest of summer isn’t going to be so great. At home, we eat a light dinner and read books for a while. I don’t take my evening bath like I normally do. Whenever my hoof goes near a spigot, it is stayed like it is a thief, stealing water somehow from ponies that really need it. I hate being so uncomfortable about my own water usage. I go out for a walk the next morning. There are no clouds in the sky. I don’t expect any. I don’t hear the sounds of water sprinklers. A sign at Sugar Cube Corner announces an additional water “surcharge” for all drinks effective immediately. I walk past the brick wall that borders the Flower Fillies’ property. I open the iron gate below a brick arch. Inside, a path winds to the left towards their architecturally Ponyville style house and their half acre of arable land that even has a greenhouse at one corner. It’s a lot of land in our town but unlike Spoiled with her manicured lawn and flowers she never touches, the Flower Fillies use every square cm of soil to grow vegetables and flowers. Lily lies low on all fours, still as a garden statue, and digs in the soil carefully with a hoof shovel. She is tenderly touching a small flower, cupping it in her hooves. My shadow falls over her and she looks up, her eyes squinting and slowly blinking as if they’re scratchy. “Hello, Twist,” she says. Her voice is shaky. “I was just in the neighborhood. You’re gardening?” A gust of wind comes and brushes some of the dry topsoil into the air. I have to shield my face to prevent some from getting into my eye. It doesn’t bother her. “My life is a horror show. This plant won’t make it.” Her voice falls to a whisper barely audible over the wind. “But plants die a lot, don’t they?” “It’s different,” Lily says. “In my hooves, they always survive. I know all the plant species by name. Each flower native to this region, I’ve grown before. But things are different now and the soil isn’t safe for them anymore.” She takes me to the greenhouse, a rectangle structure of glass and plastic not much bigger than Zecora’s hut. I’ve been here before and I never really cared for this sweaty green light filled place that’s like the forest in summer. One can choke on the concentrated scent of pollen in here. Climbing plants go up metal pipes and rows of plants lie on the floor in various sized plastic pots. “These are my best plants, the ones that should survive,” she says. I sense that she’s like a mother to those plants. A proud flower mother. I see a metal claw shaped device and ask about it. “It’s a pruner. It’s for flowers.” She demonstrates it by removing a petal from a tulip with all the delicacy from an expert like her. “It’s a great idea to keep sensitive plants in here,” I mention. “Certainly. We are not called the Flower Fillies for nothing. We know our trade but this is way beyond the normal. I never had to rely on the greenhouse like this.” I look around and I can start to see what she’s talking about. It’s like a hospital for plants and the pots incubators for those too weak to live on outside in the sun. It’s saddening to see it all happen in front of me and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not the sun’s fault. One can look at the same plants I see as I leave her house and determine that it’s killing plants, those that are withering in the soil. But the sun’s the same. It’s our world that’s slowly changing. The mare that I caught up to is perhaps the best at growing flowers in town. She’s who we look to when it comes to the prettiest parade floats, our town’s lovely landscaping, and flowers for our loved ones. I just don’t understand. Rainbow Dash said that she doesn’t question Celestia’s wisdom. But where is the wisdom in letting flowers die for the sake of changing the weather? I have to know what the Wonderbolt would say about it. Something beyond some speech she wrote. I’ll be able to tell Lily why all this happened and maybe then we can talk about other things like how she’ll display the flowers at my wedding. Anything would be better than drooping out here. I have some money in my saddlebag so I pay to take a hot air balloon for the day. It’s rather easy for me to use and it will get me in the air if I have to. Rainbow Dash has one of the most isolated homes in the Ponyville area. I haven’t been there in years but I remember Apple Bloom’s friend, Scootaloo, taking me there once when we were little. Scootaloo was one of those ponies that had Rainbow Dash on posters and stuff; I actually think she was the first. Their relationship was pretty unique, even going so far as competing together in the Sister Hooves Social even though they’re not actually related. I don’t talk to Scoots much anymore so I don’t know if that’s still the case. I turn my head and see more of the south beyond the close mountains. The sky looks uglier the further I can see. Brown turns near black like dragon territory must be. I almost want to crouch down and hide from it. Dash’s home is beautiful, modeled after her home city of Cloudsdale, the Pegasus cultural capital of Equestria. It’s where flowing clouds and pillars look elegant and capture the beauty of the sun. Rainbow waterfalls tops it all or at least it used to. I don’t see a trace of the former splendor as I touch down near her front door. Tying the rope down, I jump on the cloud. For some reason, these clouds are infused with some kind of magic that allows an Earth pony like me to walk on them. I have no idea how. I knock on the door. I wait patiently for a few minutes. Rainbow opens it and sees me. She looks a bit perplexed to be visited by me all of a sudden but she relaxes and gives a warm smile. “Twist, what are you doing here?” she inquires. “May I come in?” “Yeah.” She opens the door and steps aside. I go inside. Her house is open and cold like a museum; fitting since there’s not much in there besides photos of herself and proof of her life’s work: trophies glittering in the sunlight, photos of her racing, and a blue guitar set on the wall over her couch. She goes to an ironing board and presses an iron into her blue uniform with a low hiss. “Want anything to drink?” she offers. “Not right now. I kind of came to talk.” She looks at me. “I don’t have much time to chat”, she says almost dismissively. “I have to fly elsewhere.” I sit on the couch. It’s pretty comfortable but cold. Rainbow should put blankets on it. “I am sorry for coming unannounced but I just need a little bit of your time.” I am distracted by her statement that she is leaving so I ask where she’s going. “Towards Cloudsdale,” she says, lifting the iron. I see. That’s why she’s going to look presentable. “I have to ask. Is it about the drought? I bet the Cloudsdale ponies can really provide aid to us.” “We are all doing our part,” she says firmly as if trying to convince me. “I even shut off my rainbow falls because it uses water. I am directing Ponyville’s efforts to overcome this dry season more than anypony else. Cloudsdale has no part to play.” “What about the princess? Can’t she do anything?” I say. “It was the princess which granted me this task. She knows what’s best for her kingdom.” I can’t help but think that none of this makes any sense. So many ponies puts so much faith in others that it clouds their judgment. Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Mayor Mare, Celestia. And the ponies trusts them. They’re the ones with the shiny metal crowns and rows of medals. Rainbow Dash sets aside her uniform. “Any chance you’ll reconsider the drink?” My head hurts. “Maybe. What do you have?” “Lemonade but the kind I don’t like. Fluttershy makes it.” “Alright, I’ll have some. Do you have an aspirin?” Rainbow strolls to her kitchen. “I’ll check.” All in all, I enjoyed my little visit to Rainbow Dash. She took out a photo album from her last Wonderbolt flying circuit in southern Equestria. There were so many of the blue clad flyers in a row with their excited fans in the background. I asked her why she wouldn’t move back to Cloudsdale or somewhere else with more Pegasus ponies. She said that ponies that grow older put down roots sooner or later. Only a few ponies out there are comfortable just drifting from place to place as migrating birds do forever. The places that ponies live in become a part of who they are, something to be loyal to. I return the balloon and walk casually down the street. It is late afternoon and Sweetie should be home by now. I consider picking up some food to go from one of the local shops but the sound of galloping seizes my attention. Lots of ponies I recognize are going in the same place. Usually that means something interesting around here so I decide to go. Maybe Sweetie is there. I join the rear of this crowd which coalesces into a large pony mass where I can hardly distinguish individuals out of. Sweetie isn’t here as far as I know. It stops at the massive doors of the Friendship Castle. Its shadow falls over the crowd and the wind that rushes between it and the homes behind penetrates my coat. There is a balcony above where Princess Twilight looks down at her ponies. Her friend and loyal companion, Spike the Dragon, stands by her side. He’s still young and has barely changed in these years but they live for centuries so that’s no surprise. Even from here, I can see the worry on the princess’s face. Spike however, isn’t scared or else he is very good at masking it with youthful courage. Several ponies at the front which must have started this whole thing are shouting at the princess. I have a hard time hearing what they are saying. I go and nudge a nearby pony, Miss Derpy Hooves. She’s a grey Pegasus mare with lopsided eyes and a crooked smile. “What’s going on here?” I say. She shrugs her shoulders and smiles. “I don’t know. I just love crowds.” I turn away from her awkward eyes and try to edge around the crowd. There are large royal guards to our sides, ponies with muscles like rocks, and they gaze at us menacingly. Suddenly the crowd begins to chant about water over and over again. Many of them stomp their hooves and there are signs raised too. My stomach knots up and I sweat. I have no business at a protest of all things. I want to turn and run when I hear the powerful voice of the princess. “Ponies, we accomplish nothing together by making these demands of me. I am in a difficult situation as you all are. Don’t lose faith that I have your best interests at heart.” The ponies are angrier than I thought. They shout but I can’t understand their words. There are screams further away and I can’t see why but the result is a wave of fear and pony bodies. Many bolt in my direction and I scuttle away. Derpy brushes past me and takes off. There is a pony which strikes me but I see nothing but a fast moving blur. My body lights up in pain as I roll on the ground, losing all sense of direction. Whatever this protest is about is forgotten. My right hind leg is on fire. But a sweet smell enters my nostrils. I want to keep smelling it so the pain would be kept away but strong hooves pick me up. My vision is blurry and my ears are flat so I can’t hear. I don’t fully fade away but time moves in an uncertain haze. I don’t remember much. My leg was hurt and a cast forms a shell over it, a hard piece of plaster as white as sugar. But inside, it’s not sweet but bloody and metallic and broken. In the last several days, I’ve had to get used to the whirring of a metal fan keeping me cool. I don’t open the window much because the air is so dry. I look outside and still see no clouds or even birds. Maybe the weather ponies took them away to lakes full of water. Getting injured has made me tired. I take pain medication that tastes the opposite of sweet. I sleep even during the day. I may as well since I can’t really get up yet. I dream of Rainbow Dash’s house and its rainbow waterfalls which once spilled to the earth. She told us that the rainbows first came from Cloudsdale. Each one was unique but had the same colors that never changed. I craned my neck and looked up in awe then. The memories of that day at the castle are painful so sleeping means I think about it less. Ponies yelled for help. I remember my lips moving. The words “Sweetie….help…shit, no!” were uttered but whether it was me or not which said them is unclear now as I lay in bed. Ponies talk about bad words because they’re unlike our true selves. They don’t come from our sugary hearts at all. If my lips did speak them then they were put there like the medicine I force myself to take that tastes like sickness itself. Sweetie wakes me later and brings me tomato soup. It looks like a red lake. She thinks I’m lucky to rest every day and calls me strong. She doesn’t really know that I would gladly switch places. Although, I would never wish such pain on her. I would rather bear it so I would have to take that prior thought back. At least we’re spending time together. The Cakes are giving her more time off to help me. “Any visitors today?” I say. I swirl the soup with my spoon absentmindedly. “Do I not count?” she asks playfully. The Flower Fillies came earlier. Sweetie must have told them to be easy because they barely asked about why I was injured. They came bearing roses, cards and pens to sign my cast and drew happy faces. Other than them, nopony came to see me. Sweetie helps me into the tub one day. I sit in there alone. The water is lukewarm bordering on cold and I do little but think. Does Twilight bathe like I do? Is her tub made of gold? Is it as big as a swimming pool? I’ve never been there but I hear it’s vast and the walls are freezing as they’re made of pure crystal like the Crystal Empire. I am foolish to hope that she would care about me. I have to nearly beg to get the papers every day from Sweetie. She doesn’t want me to burden myself about the problems in town in my condition but that’s just too bad. Several ponies besides me were hurt in the stampede. Some say the guards started it and others say the rioters did. I didn’t see one article about the princess visiting the injured. All she’s good for is standing, waving and giving worthless speeches. After Sweetie helps me back to bed, I read a book for a while. Sometime later, I hear voices from downstairs. My ears flatten and I scowl. It better not be her, I think. I’ll hobble to the door and lock it first, in pain the entire way. But I know I don’t have to when the name “Rainbow” reaches me and a knock at my door comes after that. “Twist, may I come in?” Her gruff voice has never sounded lighter. “Yes, you may.” She sits in a chair. “How are you coming along? When I heard about what happened, I came back to town as fast as I could,” she says. “Sweetie saw me and told me that you were in here.” “It hurts sometimes but I’ll recover.” Rainbow grins. “I know you will. Take it from me, things never stay broken forever. You know, I have an idea. How about I add a little something to that thing?” She has a gold pen with her and I watch as she signs it near my friend’s hoof writing. It’s a lot more professional looking. My cast suddenly shoots in value. “There, that ought to do it.” She puts the cap back on the pen. “Thanks so much, Rainbow Dash.” “You’re welcome, pal.” I smile. I’m her pal now. Sweetie enters the room with a small bowl full of chocolate malt balls. “Rainbow, would you like to try one? I’m sure you would love it,” she offers kindly. “That sounds great. I love chocolate,” she says excitedly. She takes them and pops one in the air like a coin and it lands on her tongue. We both grin as she does that to a few more. She does miss one and it falls to the floor. “Whoops…sorry.” “I’ll clean it. Don’t worry,” Sweetie assures her. “Well, I guess I ought to be off. I should go and see the princess while I’m here,” Rainbow says, getting up. “Hey, Rainbow,” I say nervously. “Would it be possible for you to come and see us tomorrow?” Rainbow rubs the back of her head and frowns. “I’m not sure. I have to fly to Cloudsdale in the morning. You know how that goes.” “I know. But how about just a few minutes?” “Can you both have coffee here for me?” “I’m sure we can,” Sweetie says. “Then sure, I’ll stop by. I hate the morning rush for coffee.” She says bye then goes downstairs with Sweetie. I get my reaching stick, a thing that allows me to grab objects further than my arms, and pick up the small chocolate that fell to the floor. It’s small like a marble. I put it on my nightstand and roll it with my hoof. She touched this chocolate, the pony that calls herself my pal. Later, I use a wheelchair for the first time. Sweetie was finally able to pick one up today which came at the right time. I am able to use my forelegs to walk with my hind legs suspended so that two large wheels takes their place. I look like part pony, part machine. I call Scootaloo and ask her how to use rainbow in cooking. I vaguely recall that it could be done but I don’t remember how and I don’t have much experience with it. She tells me that the essence of a rainbow can be isolated from its airy form but it’s rather elusive and she can’t find any more. When I press her further, she admits that she does have one jar left that Rainbow Dash gave her. I ask for some but she refuses. At least not until I offer 50 bits for just a smidgen. I tell her to give it to me right away. I look at the stuff. It’s barely anything at all, a swirling glob of layered color. It’s not much larger than one of my Peppermint Drops but unlike most things that size, it lasts. I work like a chemist, using a needle to inject rainbow into little spheres of white sugar mixed with a little gelatin. I throw them into the oven and let them set. I go to bed late. Sweetie doesn’t mind and helps fluff my pillow for me. There, I relax and fall into my spot. I don’t sleep right away. I think about Rainbow Dash, Cloudsdale so far away and candy that I don’t even have a name for yet. I drift to sleep, comforted by the sound of Sweetie’s snoring. Sweetie and I are up early. My hooves scrape on the floor as I move around in the wheelchair. The yellow light of morning coats the kitchen as I put the hard candies in a glass bowl. They look better than I thought they would be. The kitchen is great too. Sweetie cleaned up after me with a solution smelling like lemon. I look at the clock as time passes slowly. I am resting my forelegs on the island, giving them a reprieve from moving me around by themselves. Sweetie is next to me and smiling as Rainbow Dash grabs one of my new candies. I am pretty anxious. I have this meticulous procedure when it comes to candy like I’m making medicine. If ponies came back telling me that their candies were too sweet, hard or if the flavor was bad then we would be like any other business that’s failed. I have to paint a picture in my mind of what a candy will do. It’s so special for all ponies. Rainbow is especially particular. Beneath her proper Wonderbolts exterior, she is finicky as to what she likes and dislikes. I can imagine a surge of flavor going at Rainbow’s tongue like a succession of waves: fruity red, acidic yellow, cool blue. I thought she would let the candy sit and melt slowly but instead, she chomps down and I hear a hard crunching sound. She demands satisfaction from her candy. Her eyes look energized. “Now this is something else,” she says. Her right cheek is full. “So you like it?” Sweetie says. “I love it. I’m impressed that you know my favorite is hard candy, Twist.” I go and give her a paper towel to wipe her mouth. I don’t want a drop of rainbow dye to fall on her uniform. “It’s what I do best. Is there anything about it that I can do better?” “I don’t think so. The taste reminded me of the Cloudsdale factories where I grew up with. The taste just put me back to when I didn’t even have my cutie mark,” she says. As she talks, her tongue is visible and there are colorful blotches smeared on it. It looks like patches of oil and it makes me giggle. She is confused for a moment. Sweetie points to her own tongue and Rainbow picks up a spoon, looks in it and chuckles. “Wow, that’s amazing. I thought only real rainbow could do that.” “It’s because it is rainbow,” I say. “It’s so expensive but I managed to get my hooves on some. I didn’t stop until I did because I knew the candy would be perfect for you.” “You are definitely something, Twist.” She goes and pats my shoulder like a real friend does. She has the firm touch of a Wonderbolt. She doesn’t stay long but I tell her to take all the candies. She is grateful and promises to come back to visit after her trip. When she is gone, my stomach growls and I ask Sweetie to make me some breakfast. I’m definitely not used to the wheelchair. Forget making food with my two hooves. In the middle of the night, I can’t sleep. Sweetie is quiet as she lays beside me and the moonlight falls through the slits in our blinds. I use the reaching device to turn them open until I can see the moon, silver and full. I notice that there is a strange sound falling on the roof like pebbles. It distracts me and I can’t close my eyes. I look outside. I don’t know what’s out there but there are fast moving objects streaking across the sky, their silhouettes crossing over the stars. My heart beats faster. I don’t know what’s out there. When they fly away, the sound of pebbles ends and it’s quiet again. When Sweetie’s arm falls over me, I relax. I close the blinds. My heavy eyelids are shut. I try to force some normalcy into my life after my injury. I go out with Sweetie at least once every day after Rainbow’s visit. A week has passed since then. And another week after that. We go and eat ice cream. It’s expensive these days but Sweetie and I don’t care about that. I think about other things. How I am so self-conscious of everything I do, every action I take. Some ponies stare like they know I was hurt in the stampede and that makes me some kind of novelty, a pony that all the papers are talking about. I just want to go home. I think about the night that was so strange. Everything is still vivid and real. The sound of rain that was right over my house. But the clouds went away and they don’t do that on their own. The only ponies I knew that could do that are Pegasus ponies. I’ve never seen them working at night either. Eager to learn more about this, I call Rainbow’s personal phone. I leave a message, telling her to call me back. It’s very important. Still, who knows when she’ll ever receive the message? She’s such a busy pony after all. I can only hope that she’ll take the time to talk to me. No rain comes back since then. No letter from the princess ever arrives in my mailbox. Instead, Rainbow stops by when I’m napping. I am woken one afternoon after a lunch of soup and a sandwich. My belly is still full and my vision is still foggy when I go into the shop area. Rainbow is seated on one of the stools. She has a cup of tea. Her coat is clean and smooth but her posture is anything but comfortable and her eyes are droopy. She is staring into space as I wheel myself to the table. I am surprised to see her but I don’t want to ask too many questions. I don’t know if being too nosy will cause her to shut down or not. I’m just grateful for her being here in my house. We do small talk for a bit; but instead of the weather, we talk about celebrities and the latest movie to come out. Me and Sweetie went and saw the romantic comedy, Pretty Please, about a mare that’s a doormat in the big city. I snacked on candy while it played. It’s not really Rainbow’s kind of movie. She uses her spoon to turn her lemon slice over. “I never came up with so many roadblocks in my life back at Cloudsdale. Here I am, a Wonderbolt, and I feel like I’m just a random Pegasus off the cloud. The factories make rainbows but sometimes I feel like red tape is all they got,” Rainbow says, recalling what happened. “I can’t believe even you are having trouble in your own city,” I reply, frowning. I sort of know what it’s like to be in her shoes with the princess not contacting me. The crown probably doesn’t want ponies to talk about the drought. She smirks suddenly. “Well, they can always try. But I’m Rainbow Dash and if I want something, no stupid bureaucrats are going to stop me.” She pulls a file from her saddlebag. “Like this. I was looking through it and there’s so much I didn’t know.” “How did you get that?” Sweetie whispers as if she’s worried that the file is bugged and ponies are listening into our conversation. She watches too many spy movies, I think. Rainbow crosses her forelegs. “I took it from a high ranking politician close to the city council. The council has a bunch of ponies on it who are responsible for various things. One of them used to work on behalf of a large factory that develops rainclouds. One of his jobs now is being responsible for storing water for the city in case of emergencies but he also works with the council to distribute water as needed to cities throughout Equestria. If it sounds like a big job, well, it is.” “They just let anypony do it?” I ask. “Not at all. It’s so important that the ponies vote them in and they serve terms like a mayor. They can’t be fired. Only recalled. That’s where it gets tricky since the ponies of Cloudsdale are notorious for getting upset with their council members for not doing their jobs to their liking.” I drink my tea. “They would know a lot about the drought, I would imagine.” Rainbow nods. “Certainly but the guy in charge kept his lips sealed. But he didn’t count on my security clearance. I went to the records they keep at the government facility and after a bit of digging around, I found this. Turns out that the town is reporting drought too which is why they can’t give out as much water to the rest of Equestria. I assume they conform to Celestia’s plans more or less but the town has a lot more unaccounted water supplies. It means they are hoarding.” “I think they are stealing water too,” I add. I look at her very seriously. Her eyes widen in surprise. “That’s a bit much even for them. Do you really think they’re doing this?” she says, alarmed. She taps her chin thoughtfully. She is rather suspicious. I hope I am not wrong about this. “I know it might be a lot to hear but I did see strange movement really early like ponies flying but trying to stay quiet.” “When did this happen?” “Like one in the morning or something.” “That would help to account for them having so much water.” Her voice rises. I can tell she’s pissed. “They’re so arrogant. What they’re doing to my town makes me want to pound their faces in.” She turns to me, her posture apologetic. “Sorry, that’s my old self talking. Still, they would deserve it.” She scowls. “You should go to the princess and tell her about it,” Sweetie suggests. “No, not yet,” Rainbow says. “I need more evidence so to speak. The mayor has a lot of basic information on file about water and precipitation but not much about ponies in general except the town’s water usage. If I can get a closer look at individual ponies then I can prove that the effects of the drought are made far worse than Celestia had desired. If Twist is correct then it will only implicate Cloudsdale as being part of this without a doubt especially if it’s done without my knowledge.” I come up with an idea and I know it will help her a lot. I ask her to come with me to the Flower Fillies. She tells me that she’ll do anything I request so we can get to the bottom of it. At Lily’s house, I am unnerved by the lack of sound. There would always be somepony out here working on the soil but there’s a silence like the place is a graveyard. I look between the bars of the gate. There is nothing but an ugly brown where a garden used to be. I ring the small bell and Roseluck comes out. Roseluck opens the gate. She looks at my wheelchair. “Hello, Twist. Feeling better?” “I’m not bad. I was wondering if we could take a look at your property for a moment. Rainbow Dash is here to survey the damage done to our town.” She lets us in right away. “I thought the mayor was going to do this but she never came. The town only cares about the lake or the rivers. Not about ponies like us.” I feel sad for her. The Flower Fillies must be just desperate. I can even hear it in her voice, the kind that just asks for help. Rainbow clicks her tongue. She is agitated. “I can’t believe Twilight will do nothing as this goes on. Even with Celestia’s influence, the fact that she’ll sit here and let this happen is just awful.” “It’s possible that neither took into account the water hoarders at Cloudsdale,” I say. “True but even so, she should have done something by now. I ought to confront her about this. Perhaps you should come along and say something to her?” I immediately shake my head. “I can’t. I don’t want to talk to her right now.” I stare at my dry hoof as it pokes at the hard and cracked soil. She comes up to me and puts her arm around me. I let her comfort me in this barren place and I even do the same, giving her a hug with my muzzle burrowed in her blue coat. With how badly my princess has failed me, I just want to cry. Ponies would expect that weakness. I’m a weak mare, aren’t I? Still, that’s not how I’ve been in the last week. I’m not lying in bed, moping about what happened to me. I’m up and about, even in a wheelchair. I’m haven’t even stopped making candies. But I refuse to see Twilight. If she can’t be bothered to make the effort than neither shall I. Rainbow breaks away from the hug. Her normally rigid self softens and she looks remorseful. “It might take time but someday you might see that Twilight isn’t like those ponies in Cloudsdale. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive her. Even a princess can’t be perfect.” She opens her wings and before she flies off, looks at me. “I’ll see you soon.” I am reading the paper in bed the next morning. The sun gives me plenty of light to read. Sweetie’s honey tea is really good today. It always makes me focus on things. The fire is being subdued at last. There’s not much left to it. It’s sputtering its last gasp and its remains can barely be seen from our town. The commanders of the local Pegasus squadrons is interviewed. She goes on about the “tough fight” as she calls it and is proud of her ponies and their victory. Then she thanks Princess Celestia and I close the paper, folding it on my lap. I push the blanket aside. I need to be focused for a reason. Today is the day. I feel fine. I reflect on what it was like, those days when I was like a prisoner in that cast. But I touch my hoof alongside where it was signed by Rainbow Dash; the gold stands out in the light. It dawns on me that my imprisonment in this cast could have been far worse. Without a pony such as she that can speak on the same level, I may have never wished to leave, afraid of what ponies may think. I would I be? Just a victim of some tragic circumstance. I unlatch the cast down the side where it’s bound together. It cracks like a walnut because it’s very tight. It submits to my hooves and my leg flexes. Soon, the pieces fall and I can see my leg again. The coat there is a darker shade than the rest of my body. Makes sense. When I took a bath, I would have to seal the whole leg off with a strong bag like device that we ponies use. It wasn’t too comfortable but I could at least bathe with it. Better than a sponge bath I guess. The doctor told me that my leg would still be weak even after it’s healed. I press down on it just barely, enough for me to stand on all four legs. My weak leg does its best to mimic a very young foal that can barely stand. I look at the wheelchair in the corner of the room. Sweetie and I are going to donate it to the hospital. I tread down the stairs as slow as I can. It takes forever, mostly out of worry, for me to get down there. I don’t want Sweetie to interfere. She may be my future wife but this is something for me to do alone. I smell muffins and chocolate. Without even thinking, I find myself walking to the kitchen as if it is just another normal day. We eat together. She doesn’t cease to praise me for my ability to move around again and has barely touched her muffin by the time I’ve finished mine and drank the milk in front of me. I feel like it’s my birthday. Then I hear it. The sound of pebbles on the roof. “It’s rain!” Sweetie exclaims. I look out the window. I thought there were no clouds in the sky again but I see the brilliant drops out there fall to the earth, each one a beautiful diamond. We both go outside and there are the Pegasus ponies. The white clouds casts shadows over town hall and the Friendship Castle. They kick the clouds and more rain falls. Foals run outside and try to catch the rain on their tongues. Mayor Mare is in the middle of the road with her gaze upwards, not caring that her clipboard is wet. I get wet too but there’s nothing bad about it. I see Busy Besy with the foals and I go to her and we end up splashing around in the deepening puddles. Then a great whooshing sound comes from above, followed by a gust of wind. The water sprays into my face and whips everypony’s manes into a mess. But I shake my head to get the red strands out of the way and scan the sky. A blue pony, faster than all the others, flies upwards and goes into a dizzying circle around the sun. As she climbs, there is an explosion of color and a rainbow trail which forms a circle around it. Rainbow’s display probably looks very beautiful to all, a display of love from Cloudsdale to the ponies of Ponyville. I see the hard candy I made, a sphere of light with something very bright in the center. It makes me proud to see it. Whatever has bound us together has made our friendship whole.