Her Frontier

by FromTheMoon

Reality Check

Chapter 18: Reality Check

Rainbow Dash felt giddy when she woke up. She had always told her friends that she never giggled but the universe thought otherwise that morning as she giggled like a school filly when she thought back to the previous night. Putting on a straight face she made her way down stairs to the kitchen where she caught sight of Top Notch fidgeting at the table with two empty bowls in front of him, a bottle of milk, and a plate what Rainbow Dash believed to be burnt toast.

"Hey." Rainbow Dash said as she made her way across the room and took a seat across from Top Notch.

"Hey to you too Rainbow. Wanted to wait till you woke up to have breakfast this morning. Thought about changing things up a bit since I usually wake up earlier than you and eat alone." He pointed to the bowls and plates across the table. "I took the liberty of setting the table and making pancakes."

"Pancakes?" Rainbow looked down at the table but didn't see anything that resembled the fluffy texture of pancakes. "I don't see them."

Top Notch nudged the plate of burnt toast towards Rainbow Dash. "Right here, just like my mom used to make."

Rainbow Dash felt sorry for the stallion and his father if they truly had to live with burnt cooking. Despite this the last thing on Rainbow's mind at the moment was offending Top Notch. Slowly she picked up one of the burnt pieces and brought it close to her mouth. She hesitated for a moment when her eyes began to water. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and took a mouth full of her ashy, flakey, discolored breakfast.

"I know I'm not the best cook but I manage every now and then to prepare something edible." The work 'edible' and Top Notch's pancakes were two things that Rainbow Dash would never put together in the same sentence. "Whisky even gave me some lessons once, he said I did really well even though I almost burned down his restaurant. Did you know that tomato soup supposed to be served cold?"

Rainbow hadn't been paying tom much attention to what the stallion was saying due to her chugging down a bottle of milk. Once the burnt taste was off of her tongue she turned her attention back to Top Notch. "You have to burn down a building to serve tomato soup on a cold day? Seems a bit weird to me."

"Yeah I'll say...wait what?"

"I dunno know you said something about burning down a building and tomato soup. Wait, you're telling me you don't have to burn down a building to serve tomato soup?"

The mare sitting across from Top Notch was definitely a strange one, but then again he figured that was one of the reasons she was so special to him. "You know what? Never mind. Remember last night when you were telling me about how you used to be friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle. You know, before we..."

"Before we kissed?" Rainbow Dash stated putting as much emphasis on 'kiss' as she possibly could.

"Yeah before we kissed. I was wondering if you know, maybe you could tell me some more about what happened between you two? I mean if you knew her from when she was just a unicorn then you two must of been close right?"

A familiar uneasiness began building up inside of Rainbow Dash. "I guess you could say we were best friends. We used to hang out a lot and go on epic adventures or secret missions to save Equestria."

Top Notch's found his interest rising. "You haven't talked to her in year also right? Have you ever thought about sending her a letter or something?"

"Yeah I've thought about doing that but...I dunno it's kinda of complicated."

"Seems like there's a story behind all that. Mind telling me sometime about your friendship with her?"

"You really wanna know?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

"Of course, I mean after last night I definitely want to get to know you better."

Memories of the previous night flooded back into Rainbow's mind. She began to smiling unconsciously at the very thought. "I'm cool with that but don't we have a lot of work to do again today?"

Top Notch thought for a minute before smiling at an answer he had just come up with. "I know, how about after we finish today's work we head into town and grab few drinks over at Whisky's?"

"I'm down with that."

"So now that we got a plan how about we..." loud knocking from the front of the house interrupted Top Notch. "I wonder who that could be this early in the morning." The knocking seemed to increase. "I'm coming just hold on a second will ya?" The knocking persisted to the point where Top Notch thought the wooden door would splinter. "Hey buddy you break it and you're buying me a new one." Whoever this visitor was they were doing a good job of ruining what was perfectly good morning the stallion.

Top Notch reached the front door and opened it quickly. "Listen buddy, its too early to be making this much nose so what..." The stallion froze at the sight of the mare in front on him. "Clover? What..." Before he could finish the mare leaned against him, her sobbing muffled by his shoulder. Without thinking Top Notch did the only thing that came to mind. "Rainbow Dash get out here! Hurry!"

A few seconds latter and the pegasus appeared next to him. "Top's whats happening....Clover Leaf? Why is Clover Leaf here and...is she...why is she crying?"

A worried look was all Top Notch was able to give Rainbow Dash. "I don't know! I opened the door and she just started crying on me!" He began to move Clover Leaf into the house and closed the door. "Rainbow help me get her to the couch in the living room."

The two moved to get the distressed unicorn and let her rest on the couch. Top Notch offered her something to drink but she denied the offer. Despite this he went into the kitchen to get Clover Leaf a glass of milk while Rainbow Dash remained and attempted to calm down her friend. "Clover just relax and tell us whats wrong." The unicorn simply shook her head and continued to cry. "Damn it I was never good with this kind of stuff...uh...how about you start by taking a deep breath? Does that sound like something you should do?"

Clover Leaf continued to cry but she did attempt to take deep breaths. Just as Rainbow Dash was about to head into the kitchen to see what was taking Top Notch so long she heard Clover's shaky voice. "It hurts...it hurts so much." Without any hesitation Rainbow ran back to Clover Leaf's side.

"What hurts? Clover, come on, you got to tell me more for me and Top's to help you."

"The pain..." Clover responded in between sobs. "...the pain hurts so much...I can't stand it. Please...please don't let it be true."

Rainbow Dash had enough to make her start worrying as well. "Top's! Drop what you're doing and get back in here now!" Top Notch rushed back into the room and looked at both mares.

He took a seat next to Clover Leaf on the couch. "What? What happened? Did she say anything?"

"Yeah she said something about the pain hurting so much and wishing that it wasn't true. She's really starting to creep me out now." Rainbow Dash caste a glance over the distressed mare. "Top's, whats going on?"

Top Notch ignored Rainbow Dash and Clover Leaf by the face forcing her to look at him. "Clover, tell me whats wrong. What happened?"

Clover Leaf let out a few more sobs before taking another deep breath. "It's Whisky..."

"What about Whisky?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh please let this all just be some horrible nightmare!" Clover Leaf began to wail again and buried her head in Rainbow Dash's shoulder this time."

Pain started to build up in he pit of Top Notch's stomach. He got up from the couch and knelt beside Rainbow Dash and Clover Leaf. "What happened to Whisky?" Rainbow Dash noticed the somber tone in the way the stallion had said that.

"Whisky...he's..."

"...he's dead."

---

The rest of that month passed by in silence. Rainbow Dash and Top Notch stood dressed in black on the outskirts of the town. They waited until finally it was their turn to walk up to the casket and take one last glance at the peaceful stallion that lay inside of it.

The two fought back their tears as they looked at Whisky. To one side of the casket sat Clover Leaf, her eyes swollen from the amount of crying she had done over the past weeks. She sat next to the elderly mare that was Whisky's mother. The whole crowd that was gathered at the ceremony remained silent as they each said their goodbyes to once cheerful stallion.

Mayor Bouvardia said a few final words before signaling for the casket to be closed and lowered into the the ground. Once it was lowered Top Notch along with a few other stallions that had been friends with Whisky began shoveling dirt until the grave was completely sealed. A number of those in attendance left soon after that and went back to town with solemn faces to attend to their businesses.

The Mayor stayed for a little while longer before even he too had to leave to finish writing up the town's damage report. He said his goodbyes to his daughter and took his leave. Clover Leaf and Whisky's mother remained until the sorrow overwhelmed the elderly mare, she along with her son's love walked back to town together.

Finally only Rainbow Dash and Top Notch remained at the grave site. "He's really gone." Top Notch mumbled. "I wish I could of..." The stallions voice began to tremble. Rainbow Dash draped her good wing over his back. Over the last month her right wing had healed to the point where a caste was no longer required. Despite this the doctor advised her to take it easy and not to put much stress on her wing. Rainbow was alright with staying on the ground for a while longer, currently she didn't feel like flying at all. "I wish I could of....could of told him that...I was sorry for all the things I said about him. I wanted to tell...him that...that I didn't really mean any of it."

"I wanted him to know that I was thankful that he found you and brought you back to me. Some friend I turned out to be."

Rainbow Dash couldn't stand to hear anymore. "Don't say things like that Top's. He knew you were thankful for finding me. He always remained your friend till the end. I promise you that he never thought any less of you."

Silence. The two remained at the grave for a while longer while before even they too decided to head back to the farm. As they made their way back to the farm Rainbow thought back to the day Clover Leaf had told them the news. Rainbow Dash had looked at Top Notch and could barely make out that the stallion was fighting back tears through her blurred watery vision. Rainbow Dash and Top Notch had agreed on that same night to put any relationship they had on hold.

"I noticed the Sheriff didn't come to the funeral." Rainbow Dash said as they walked back from the graveyard. "I bet I know where he is."

"Rainbow, you know as well as me that he's been working non stop to find the bastard that did this. Whoever did this better pray that Sheriff Silver Point finds him before I do."

"Top's do you know what you just said?"

Top Notch eyed the mare at this side with a grim look. "I know what I said...and I mean it." He spat on the ground to put further emphasis. "I'm not some young colt anymore that can't save the lives of his own parents. I'm a full grown stallion and I intend to make the one responsible for this pay. How does that saying go? An eye for an..." Rainbow Dash slapped the stallion hard across the face. He looked back at her and saw that she was trembling. "Why?"

"Why? WHY!?"

"You honestly have the gull to ask me why I did that!?" Rainbow Dash stared daggers at Top Notch. "I can't stand to see ponies out of character. An eye for an eye? Really? Do you really think that's what Whisky would of wanted? I did it to smack some sense into you."

"I'm not taking back what I said Rainbow Dash. If I find who ever did this to Whisky, heck not even just to Whisky, but to Clover Leaf and his mother...frontier justice. Plain and simple."

Rainbow Dash stood dumbfounded in front of him. A large pain began to build up in her chest. "Right then, looks like I'm going to have to hit you again cause you're still not thinking straight. I'm sorta glad Whisky isn't around to see you like this." She pulled back her hoof and let it go straight at him.

The hoof never hit it's intended target. Top Notch grasped Rainbow Dash's hoof with his own in a firm hold. "Don't you ever think for one second that you knew him better than I did! Who do think was the FIRST PONY HE MET when he arrived in EverGlade? ME! THAT'S WHO! I was the one who showed him around town, I was the one who helped him get his restaurant started, and I was the one who introduced him to Clover Leaf! He was my BEST FRIEND damn it! You expect me to believe that some peagsus who just shows up out of no where and gets to know him for a few months is going to know more about him than me!? Actually, now that I think about it..."

Rainbow Dash tried to break away from him but couldn't. Her efforts to move away only caused the stallion to tighten his grip. Finally she gave up and looked at him wincing slightly. "Top's, you're hurting me."

In a moment of confusion and grief Top Notch looked down at her and let go off his grip. Rainbow Dash brought her hoof back to her and examined it. "Sorry." Top Notch muttered under his breath. "Come on, lets get back to the farm house. There's some things we need to talk about."

Without saying a single word more they walked back to the house in silence barely looking at one another. It was only when they stepped in through the front door that Top Notch spoke again. "Let's get upstairs and get these cloths off of us then meet me down here in the living room. I need to ask you a few things.

---

Unbeknownst to Rainbow Dash and Top Notch they had been watched the entire way back from the funeral. Two ponies lay down on their stomachs on the hill overlooking the dairy farm. Both had binoculars in their hooves.

"Hey chief, what do we do about those two?"

Thatcher put down his binoculars and ran a hoof through his mane. "Oh I don't know Specter, to be honest with you I'm actually quite satisfied at the moment. The little pest of the restaurant owner is finally out of my mane so to I'm content to call it a week." The earth pony let out a content sigh. "Unfortunately its not up to me anymore to decide what we do next, isn't that right boss?"

Both Thatcher and Specter looked back at the unicorn that was standing behind them. "Correct Thatcher, while one pest may be out of the picture, be it by accident, we still have to deal with an Element of Harmony. When I arrived here I thought that Ms. Rainbow Dash would be more of challenge. It seems however that getting her out of the picture will be easier than I imagined." The unicorn signaled for the two earth ponies to stand up and follow him. "We will make our next move on her as soon as there's an opening to get her or that stallion she's so fond of alone."

"Hey boss, its not like I'm questioning you or anything but wouldn't it be better to wait a little longer?"

"No Thatcher, I believe I've waited long enough for this town to be mine. EverGlade is the launching point for my plans across Equestria. In a months time Princess Celestia along with the rest of her entourage will be serving me."

---

Top Notch sat in the living room with a genuine rigid look on his face as Rainbow Dash entered. "Have a seat Rainbow, I think there are some things we need to talk about."

"What kind of things?" Rainbow Dash made her way to the couch and sat down next to Top Notch leaning against him slightly. "Is it about Whisky?"

A bit of tension left Top Notch feeling Rainbow's body against his. "Well first off I want to apologize for hurting your hoof earlier today. I didn't mean it. I guess I was just angry and upset over..." The stallion took in a deep breath. "...over Whisky." Rainbow Dash nuzzled him lightly which tore at Top Notch's emotions. "The second thing I wanted to talk to you about something more personal to me. I need you to tell me the truth Rainbow."

"Tell you the truth? The truth about what?" Rainbow Dash looked up at him with inquisitively. "I mean I really don't see what you mean by the 'the truth'."

"It's alright Rainbow Dash, I really wasn't expecting you to go first any way. Let me go first and tell you the truth about how I feel about you." Top Notch leaned more into Rainbow Dash and played her mane a little. "Rainbow Dash, I told you that I honestly can't imagine how my life was before you arrived all those months ago with my cousin Apple Jack. I know I may have joked around about you being together with her but that's all that was. At first glance you seemed like a swell mare to be friends with. At second glance I saw a tortured soul."

Top Notch chuckled to himself. "Then came the time when I took a third glance at you. The day when the town's water tower was in danger. When the I saw the water tower leaning towards me I thought for sure that I was dead. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was sorta happy cause I'd get to see my folks again. With my eyes shut I waited for my death but it never came. When I opened my eyes I saw the most beautiful thing in my life, I saw you flying above me holding the water tower up."

Rainbow Dash blushed slightly at the stallions words. "It was nothing really, Top's I would of done it for any other pony plus its not like I was about to let my one of best friend's cousins get crushed in front of her."

"But still it meant a lot to me that day. I mean heck you even volunteered to stay with me after I was injured and you're even still staying with me right now after I've recovered. Once my injuries were gone I began thinking to myself how lucky I was to a have a pony this special stay and help me out."

"I already told you Top's that I'm more grateful to you after all you've done to..."

"But recently I've started to think about some stuff you told me Rainbow Dash. Early on you told me when I took you to Horse Shoe Bend that you left PonyVille because of an issue you were having with a friend. A few weeks ago you told me that the friend you were having an issue with was Princess Twilight Sparkle. You said you and her had a fight that caused your friendship to end but then what?"

"Top Notch I don't really see where you're heading with this."

"Oh you will Rainbow Dash, trust me you will." He looked at her almost accusingly. "How long was it that you stopped being her friend before you came to EverGlade?"

Rainbow Dash didn't like the tone the stallion was taking with her but she decided to play along. 'I dunno something like eleven months?"

"Eleven months? So you lived in PonyVille for eleven months after that before you came to EverGlade. So my question to you is, if losing her as a friend was such a big deal to you then how come you waited so long to leave PonyVille and get away as far away from her as you could?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide with realization once she realized what Top Notch was getting at. "Top's look I can explain!"

"I knew it! I didn't want to believe it but I knew that you were still hiding something from me! I don't know if I was stupid or ignorant for ignoring such an obvious detail for so long." The stallion got up form the couch suddenly and stood in front of Rainbow Dash. "Now you're going to tell me exactly why you came to EverGlade."

Fear began seeping into the pegasus's mind. She felt the need to jump through the window and run as far away from the stallion as possible. Rainbow Dash realized however that she had to stand her ground and be honest with the pony that had taken care of her. "Fine, you're right Top's. I didn't just come here to get away from Twilight. I guess I should start from the beginning though."

"After Twilight's coronation life was great for a while. Me along with everyone else was happy that life in Equestria seemed so perfect. That was the problem though, life in Equestria was too perfect. Me and Twilight along with the rest of our friends would save the world from evil and all that stuff. We were treated like heroes after each adventure we had. All that ended after she became a Princess. Life got boring, dull, and repetitive for me as time went on. I was stuck doing the same old crummy weather jobs around PonyVille with nothing exciting happening. To top it all off Twilight decided to disband the WonderBolts which I always dreamed of joining. So pretty much my life was at a stand still and I hated it. I wanted so badly to relieve the glory days of when I was a hero. One day Apple Jack invited me to come with her to visit you and I accepted because I didn't know what else to do."

Top Notch closed his eyes as he took in everything that Rainbow Dash had told him. "So, what you're saying is that you came here seeking glory."

"I guess you could say that."

"That's the real reason why you risked your life to save a stallion you barely even knew from getting crushed wasn't it?"

"What!? No! I saved you because...well...I already told you why I saved you!"

'"Its also the reason why you risked your life getting rid of the changelings wasn't it?"

Rainbow Dash remained silent and stared at the ground.

"Top's, I used to believe that that in order for my life to be fun I had to be in danger or saving the world from something. Living here on the farm with you these past months made me realize just how awesome life can be without all that danger." She stood up and made her way over to him nuzzling his chest. "You made me realize just how awesome you could be."

Without warning Top Notch moved away from the mare's touch. "Please...don't do that right now."

"But...Top's..."

"Don't...please just don't call me that either. Look just stay here in the house. I'm going to go for walk alone into town. If you really meant what you just said then you'll stay here and not follow me." Top Notch made his way to the front door, opened it, and looked back briefly at Rainbow Dash. "I promise I'll be back soon."

Rainbow Dash watched as the door closed perhaps not just to the house but also on another part of her life. She stared at the door for sometime before she closed her eyes and mentally screamed at herself.

Comments

[Aqua Shimmer]

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOP NOTCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!