Her Frontier

by FromTheMoon

Loss

Chapter 16: Loss

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Rainbow Dash sat straight up breathing heavily and sweating profusely. She immediately clutched the right side of her head with a hoof as a throbing pain forced her to shut her eyes again.

"Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow's eyes shot open as she recognized the voice. She turned to face the source of the voice. At her side were both Whisky and Clover Leaf. "Rainbow Dash?" Whisky asked again. "Are you alright or...OW!" Whisky winced in pain as Clover delivered a quick punch to his shoulder.

"Well of course she's not 'Alright'! You where there when they found her. You saw the condition she was in. Heck just look at her right now and tell me if she's "Alright'? Honestly Whisky sometimes I worry about goes on in the little skull of yours."

"Hey um guys..." The couple seemed to ignore Rainbow Dash.

"Well EXCUSE me Clover, before you punched me I was going to ask if she wanted me to go get the doctor. Also of course I know she's not 'Alright'! What do you think I am blind? A pony just has to take one look at her wing and see that she's doing good!"

Rainbow Dash looked to her side and saw that indeed her right wing was not in the best of conditions. It was bandaged and set in a caste. It didn't take an egg head to realize what had happened to her wing. "Um guys?"

"Well no duh Whisky, I know you ain't blind cause a blind pony wouldn't of bumped an unconscious pony's head four times as he was carrying her up towards her bed!"

A quick glance and Rainbow Dash noticed that she was indeed sitting in her bed at Top Notch's house.

"Well maybe I wouldn't of bumped her head if a certain unicorn hadn't been pushing me from behind to hurry up!"

"Oh, so this is all my fault now is it?"

"Seems like it."

"How in Equestria did I ever get the idea that you were a gentle colt?"

"How in Equestria did I ever hire such a hot headed mare to work at my restaurant?"

The couple stared furiously at one another in silence before their glares without warning suddenly disovled into loving glances at each other.

"I love you." Both said at the exact same time before leaning into to each other.

They failed to lock lips on account of Rainbow Dash holding them apart with her hooves. "GUYS! Okay first off please don't 'do it' in front of me right now. I'm already pretty beat up and confused so I really don't need to see that." Both Whisky and Clover blushed heavily before apologizing and moving a apart from each other. "Moving on, why were you guys screaming when I woke up?"

"Honey we were screaming because you suddenly sat straight up in bed with your eyes open and screamed at the top of your lungs. Gave me and Whisky a good jump and we just couldn't help but scream. Also um sorry about me and Whisky preparing to get more 'intimate' right in front of you. It just that a lot has happened in the last few days and I guess we sort of got caught up in the heat of the moment and..."

"Clover, don't take this the wrong way but I really don't care about that right now. You and Whisky just go get a room or a closet later." Clover Leaf and Whisky nodded. "I have a couple questions for you two."

"Go ahead and ask us anything you want Rainbow Dash." Whisky replied.

"Okay so how did I get here? Last thing I remember was taking a steep nose dive in Horseshoe Bend with a hoard of changelings behind me."

Whisky rubbed the back of his head his with hoof before answering. "Right well after you took off to go find the device that Thatcher told us about Top Notch came down stairs and told us what you were planning to do. Top Notch wanted to head out immediately and follow you but we stopped him and reasoned it would be best to wait until the changelings left town and followed you. So we waited some time and after we agreed it was safe we headed out with a group of towns folk towards Horseshoe Bend to go look for you. Top Notch and Sheriff Silver Point took one group North of the river and me along with Clover Leaf took another group South of the river. Once we finally got to the river we searched the rest of the day for you. We were just about to call it a night and come back in the morning when suddenly a pegasus saw you brushed up underneath some reeds at the shoreline. Your wing was pretty messed up but you were still breathing. Clover levitated you onto my back and we made our way back here as fast as we could."

"Honey you got lucky. When the doctor finally arrived he said that it was miracle that you were alive. He began to explain how given the current conditions your nose dive into the water would of killed any other pegasus."

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile at that. "Well i'm not just any other pegasus." A sudden thought appeared in Rainbow Dash's mind. "Wait, what about Thatcher? What happened to that asshole?"

"Yeah about that...we really don't know how it happened but he managed to get away." Whisky looked over to Clover who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"It's like this honey, when we split off into parties to go look for you we left the little weasel tied up back at the Sheriff's Station with two ponies guarding him. The two guards heard some noise in the alley next to the station and went to investigate but found only an over turned trash can. When they got back inside they saw that Thatcher was gone."

Whisky blew some his mane from out of his face. "If you ask me the coward ran off in order to avoid a trial in front of the Princesses. I'm pretty sure we'll never see his ugly face around these parts again." Rainbow Dash tried to get out of bed but Whisky put a hoof up to stop her. "Easy there Rainbow Dash. You don't want to over exert yourself right now seeing as you've technically been out for about a whole day."

"Where's Top Notch?" Rainbow Dash asked in a low voice.

Both Whisky and Clover looked at each other. Whisky looked quizzically at Clover Leaf and she simply nodded her head. "After we found you we sent a pegasus to go tell Top Notch and his party to meet us back at his home." The stallion tilted his head and smiled for a brief second. "I'm not lying when I say that he got back here before us. He must of ran at full gallop to accomplish that. When the towns doctor finished bandaging you up Top Notch stayed at your side all never left you for those two nights and day that you were out. I swear that stallion was really worried about you Rainbow Dash. I mean the whole town was worried for you but you could tell that he really cares about you...you're real special to him."

"I don't get it." Rainbow Dash despite Whisky and Clover attempts to keep her in the bed got up and slowly stood on all four hooves. "If he never left my side then how come he's not here right now and what do you mean that the whole town was worried for me?"

"Well to answer your first question Rainbow, the reason why he's not here is because me and Whisky told him to take a breather and grab some chow. He barely ate the whole time he was at your side. It took a few hours of convincing but we finally got him to go outside and take a break. As for the whole town being worried about you, how about you step over and open your window?"

Rainbow Dash looked at both of them confused as to why they had smile on their faces. She walked over to the window and pushed it open sticking her head outside. As soon as her head out she was barraged by cheers and applause from a few dozen ponies standing outside. They whistled and stamped their hooves in celebration upon seeing the pegasus awake. Rainbow was taken back by the display. "What...what's going on?"

Whisky walked up and put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "They're happy to see that you're okay Rainbow. The whole town knows what you did. Rainbow Dash...you're a hero to this town."

Hero

It was all too much for Rainbow Dash to handle as she brought her head back inside the house and closed the window before sitting back down on the bed. "I'm a hero to this town. I'm a hero again...a hero."

"You sure are honey! Heck even Sheriff Silver Point won't doubt it. In fact when we brought you back here he gave us strict orders to make sure that you were taken care of. I'd say you definitely won him over!"

Rainbow Dash contemplated what she just heard. Despite all she had been though over the past few years she managed to prove that she still had what it took to be a hero. "Then how come I don't feel like a hero?" She said to herself in a low voice so that Whisky and Clover wouldn't hear her.

The realization dawned on her and she turned to face the two ponies in the room with her. "Where's Top Notch?"

It was Whisky who answered her. "He said he was going out for a walk and that he'd be back in an hour but..."

"...but that was six hours ago." Clover finished. "We don't know where he is right now. We sent out a few ponies to look for him but no one has been able to find him."

Rainbow Dash suddenly gt off the bed and made her way to the door. "I'm going to go look for him."

With out a moments hesitation Clover Leaf rushed over and blocked the door. "In your condition? I don't think so. Besides if we don't even know where he is then what chance do you have of finding him?"

"Well actually that's not entirely true." Both mares turned to look at him. "I might have an idea about where he is."

---

The sun was beginning to set as Rainbow Dash slowly walked in the direction that Whisky had pointed to her. She had turned down their offer of accompanying her stating that it would be best if she went alone to find Top Notch. Rainbow had been walking for what seemed like an hour before she finally came to a landmark that Whisky had described to her. There in the middle of the scrub land were stunning pink and yellow flowering tree's surrounded by beautiful green grass.

Rainbow Dash carefully made her way into the grove and stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Top Notch sitting still in front of what seemed like two curved polish stones. Rainbow just stood in her spot silent for a few minutes watching him as she mustered up the courage to speak. "Top Notch..." She finally spoke.

The stallion quickly turned his head to face Rainbow Dash and rushed over to her embracing her in a tight hug. "Rainbow Dash! Thank the heavens your okay! I thought for a moment back there we had lost you."

Tears fell on Rainbow's coat which surprised her. She patted Top Notch on the back trying to calm him down. "Hey...it's not like I wasn't going to be okay. Don't you remember who I am? Rainbow Dash, the most awesome flyer in all of Equestria! A girl's got to keep her reputation you know?"

Top Notch let her out of the embrace and looked at her with a dismayed look on his face. He stared at her and she stared right back. He wiped his eyes and turned away from her making his way back to the two stones. "You act like what you do doesn't affect those around you. Tell me, did you ever stop to think about what you family and friends would go through if you didn't come out alive from that stunt you pulled?"

Rainbow was taken back his sudden change in attitude. "Top Notch I..."

"Why did you do it?"

"I did it because the town was about to be destroyed by a hoard of changelings! It really was a no brainer..."

"NO!" Top Notch shouted. He turned back to look at Rainbow Dash, anger mixed with confusion visible in his eyes. "No, I mean why did you forgive Whisky back at the Sheriff's Station after what he did behind our backs? Even though he's the one that brought you back I haven't fully forgiven him for what he did. How come you did?"

Pain

Turmoil

Ire

These were all things that Rainbow Dash saw looking at Top Notch. She slowly walked up and put him in a hug. "The reason I forgave Whisky for what he did is because back there in the alley when you were telling me about how angry you were at him I saw something. The way you were acting was the same way that I had probably been acting myself a few years ago. You said I have no idea what's it like to feel betrayed by a best friend but I do and I know what could happen if that anger at a friend is left to boil over time. I forgave him because I didn't want you to lose your friendship with him the way I lost one of my best friends."

Any anger that Top Notch felt evaporated in an instant. He pulled Rainbow Dash into a tighter hug and let himself cry again. "I've been a fool haven't I?"

"No, you were just looking out for me. I don't need other ponies doing that for me but it doesn't hurt to feel cared about." Rainbow Dash again began patting the stallion on the back in an effort to calm him down. She looked around the grove and then at the two stones in the middle. "Top Notch, what exactly in this place?"

Top Notch took a deep breath to calm himself and then spoke. "This is where my mom and dad are buried."

"Your mom and dad?"

"Yeah."

"So those two stones are their..."

"Yeah."

Rainbow Dash got out of the embrace and nudged her way towards the two headstones. She noticed that their was something noticeably missing from the polished stones. "What were their names?"

"My dad's name was Wrought Notch. As you can probably guess i'm sorta named after him. My mom's name was Gilliflower Apple. I think you can put two and two together and figure out which one of my parents came from the Apple side of the family."

Both ponies stood there in the middle of the orchard for some time in complete silence after that. Rainbow had another question she wanted to ask but didn't get the chance to ask. "I bet you're wondering why these trees are here in the middle of the scrub land or how they're growing here in the first place." Rainbow Dash silently nodded her head. "Well these tree's are actually two different type of tree's. The ones with yellow flowers are Sassafras trees and the ones with pink flowers are Red bud trees. They were always my mom's favorites so I decided to plant them here. There's an underground spring that my dad discovered here when I was a little colt. Next to the base of the tree's a little stream of water so they don't dry up, I come by every couple of months and tend to the trees to make sure they're doing okay."

"Top Notch, I don't mean to sound rude but..."

"I know you weren't really wondering why these trees are here or how they're here. It's just that I prefer to tell that story to the one that I'm about to tell you right now. You were going to ask me how my parent died right?"

"Yeah."

"Not a lot of ponies know about this cause I don't really tell any one about it. Those who know already I have no reason in telling again and those who don't know wouldn't really care. I guess you deserve to hear this story though since you technically fall under a special category of pony."

Top looked over and saw that Rainbow Dash was looking at him with sympathetic look on her face, he smiled at that. "It happened a few years ago when there was an EVA pandemic going around the North West..."

---

***

---

Nine Years Ago...

"Please you have to let me speak to her! I've already waited four days, I can't afford to wait any longer!" The young stallion stared at the line of royal guards that blocked Canterlots throne room. They looked at the colt unflinching in their ranks. When he got no answer Top Notch attempted to push his way through the guards but was violently thrown back onto the palace floor.

One of the guards broke formation and went to stand in front of pony splayed out on the ground. "Sir, you've already been informed numerous times that you must wait until it is your turn for consultation." The guard raised a hoof and moved it through the air across the room. "As you can see there are still a significant number of ponies that came before you that are also wishing for consultation with her highness."

The guard now looked down at Top Notch. "How do you think it would look like if I, a Lieutenant Commander of the Canterlot Royal Guard, let some hot headed colt just jump to the front of the line? Wouldn't sound very good or seem very fair would it? Now how about you head back to your designated area. We will retrieve you when it is your turn for consultation."

The Lt. Commander turned around and made his way back to the formation of guards. Top Notch picked hims self off of the floor and with out thinking rushed the Lt. Commander. "I already told you that I can't wait any longer!" The guard without warning spun around and smacked Top Notch onto the ground with the blunt end of his spear.

"It is ill advised that continue down this path young man. Any further act of aggression with result in your banishment from the palace grounds. Consider this your final warning."

Just as the guard turned around he felt a hoof on his back. "Please...I have to see the Princess right now. It's my parents, they're dying." Top Notch's eyes were swelling up with tears and his whole body was shaking. "I promised them that I would get help no matter what it took."

"Please...please...let me see Princess Celestia. I beg you!" The young colt broke down in sadness on the floor sobbing quietly.

Not knowing what to do the Lt. Commander looked back at his subordinates, they all looked at the crying colt on the floor and shrugged their shoulders. A minute passed before the Lt. Commander spoke again. "Wait here while I fetch my superior to decided what to do with you." The pony left the room and after some time returned with another stallion in gold and purple armor.

The new pony had something whispered into his ear by the Lt. Commander and nodded his head before making his way to Top Notch. "I am Regal Lance, Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. As I understand it you wish to speak with Princess Celestia right now because your parents lives are in danger?"

"Yes."

"I'm afraid that I can not allow you to proceed in front of those that came before you..."

"No, you have to make an exception! It took me five days to reach this city by train! I've already wasted enough time waiting for my consultation! If you won't allow me to talk to her then I'll just break into her thrown room myself and..."

Regal Lance put a hoof up to silence the young stallion. "As I was saying, I can not allow you to proceed in front of those who came before you without the Princess's approval first. I shall speak to her and if she allows it then we will let you speak with her ahead of schedule. Is this to your liking?"

"Heck yeah...I mean yes, that is very much to my liking. Thank you."

The Captain left and entered through the large double doors into the throne room and disappeared as the doors closed behind him. For Top Notch minutes felt like hours as he waited for the Captain to reappear. He felt light headed and his breathing was shallow as he stared at the large double doors.

Finally the doors opened again and the Captain stood in between them. "I have talked to Princess Celestia and she has agreed to a priority consultation with you. You may proceed into the throne room." The line of guards broke and made an opening in their ranks for Top Notch to pass through.

Top Notch got off of the floor quickly and hurried into the throne room. As soon as he passed into the room the doors closed behind him. In the room

"Greetings young colt." Celestia smiled at him as she sat on her throne .

"Er um...greetings to you too your majesty." Top Notch cautiously made his way towards the throne. "Thank you so much for meeting with me Princess Celestia."

Celestia's smile seemed to widen even more. "Of course I would meet with you. My Captain tells me that you wish consultation for your parents. I will gladly hear you out but please come closer, you will find that I do not bite." She giggled a little at her own joke before her face took on a more serious expression. "Now tell me, what is causing so much turmoil for you and your parents?"

"My parents are dying Princess, they've both been diagnosed with the EVA disease and the doctors said that they'll die without the proper treatment."

"The EVA virus, yes a most deadly disease if left unchecked. I am aware that there is an epidemic of the disease in the North West of Equestria. Tell me young colt, are you from the North West?"

"Yes Princess, I live in a small town called EverGlade with my parents. We run a small dairy farm and..." Top Notch didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. Celestia rose from her throne and began walking toward Top Notch.

She stopped in front of him and gave him a curious look. "Are you not aware that medication and vaccines exist to combat that virus. I made it priority long ago that all settlements, towns, and cities in Equestria have access to the best medical supplies available."

"That's just the thing though Princess! This EVA that my parents have contracted, the doctors say it's a new strain of the virus that they've never seen or heard about before. The virus is immune to all the medication that they've given my parents."

"I see, this I was not aware of. Thank you for bringing this to my attention however if the doctors can not help your parents then what do you wish to gain from a consultation with me?"

Top Notch steadied his nerves and took a deep breath knowing that what he was about to say would probably sound blasphemous. "The doctors say that they can't combat the virus normally in time to save my parents. They reasoned though that powerful magic could boost the potency of the medication that they have. They said that only an alicorn's magic would be strong enough."

"You wish me to personally save your parents from death? Is that correct?" Top Notch quickly nodded his head. Celestia looked at him and frowned. "If that is indeed the case then I am sorry but I can not fulfill your request."

The world suddenly disappeared for Top Notch. He felt his stomach fall into his stomach and his head began throbbing in intense pain. Anger began to build up inside of him. "WHY!? Why can't you use your magic to save my parents? It would be easy for you to do it! Is it because we're just a bunch of nobodies? I bet if we were a family of Canterlot snobs you'd help us out but since we're just some dairy farmers we're not worth your time!"

Celestia turned away from Top Notch and began to make her way back to her throne. "As I said before I can not help you young colt."

"WHY!?"

"My reasons are my own but if it will calm your mind then I shall tell you. I do wish to help your parents, really I do but I can not for the sole reason of principle. I can not heal your parents because if I would then others would flock to me wishing for me to cure their sickness. I am the ruler of Equestria but I can not fix all of the problems that plague our world. I would be giving false hope to others if I were to help you. Now go, be by your parents side in their final hours. Give them both all your love and ease their passing into the next world."

Top Notch was left speechless. He slowly began to back away from the throne and then began running to the doors wanting to escape. He reached the doors but hesitated for a moment. "I hate you." He muttered.

Celestia closed her eyes and frowned. "I understand and accept your hate. Please realize this though, I understand the pain of having to lose a beloved family member for the greater good of others."

---

***

---

"By the time I got back to EverGlade the doctor had told me that my dad had passed away the previous day. I didn't even get a chance to day good bye to him." Top Notch turned to look away from Rainbow Dash. He could feel his eyes burning and droplets streaking down his face.

"I'm so sorry Top Notch. I never would of guessed that it would have been like that." Rainbow put a hoof on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "What about your mom? Did you at least get a chance to..."

"My mom stayed alive for about a week longer. I stayed by her side the entire side thankful that I was at least there for her in her final moments. Before she finally moved on she told me not base my whole life on their deaths. She wanted me to live a happy life like all good mom's do. The doctor couldn't explain how my mother managed to live longer than my dad. It was a nurse that told me that the only thing keeping my mother alive was her fear of leaving me alone."

Rainbow Dash felt her face grow warm except this time she knew it wasn't from embarrassment or awkwardness, it was from the grief and sadness she felt in her heart. "Sounds like she was an awesome pony, your dad too."

"They were so special to me. I guess you could say all parents are special to their kids but for me it felt different. I dunno I guess I just wish I could of spent more time with them or treated them better. I know I wasn't always the greatest son. I guess I didn't know what I had until it was gone and by then it was obviously too late." Top Notch quickly spun around and put Rainbow Dash in a tight hug. "Which is why I was so scared after you left town with those changelings behind you. I couldn't bare the thought of losing another pony that was special in my life and that I wouldn't get the chance to say goodbye."

Now Rainbow Dash began tearing up at Top Notch's words. She tried to fight back her emotion but eventually lost. Both ponies now sat in the grove embraced in a hug and crying. They stayed like that for a few moments before Rainbow Dash cleared her voice to speak. "Hey, wanna know what I was thinking when I came up with the idea to have those changelings chase me?"

Top Notch sniffled a little. "What?"

"I thought about something a pretty cool pony told me a while back. It was only then that I realized what it means." Rainbow Dash looked into Top Notch in the eyes. "All in all of the time. I thought about what you told me all those months ago Top's."

"You know you're calling me that name again right?"

"I know. I want to." Rainbow Dash nuzzled his chest lovingly and continued to do so as the sun set over the horizon and all that was heard was the quiet silence of a gentle breeze rustling through the tree branches.

Author's Note:

EVA is also known as the Horse Flu and is deadly to our Equine friends. The more you know...

Comments

[Rainbow87dash]

MOAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BronyPonyMan]

so, they're being shipped then? or is this just a super close friendly relationship? cause i'm reading a couple of stories that are like that, so i just decided to be sure.

[FromTheMoon]

3022974 It'll definitely become clearer in the next chapter. Originally I was going to post two updates this week but stuff happened.