Chapter 8: Fit for a King
Chapter 8: Fit for a King
River’s Reach was overwhelming to Rainbow Dash. The sights, the smells, the sounds, even the texture of the cobblestone streets and gravel roads left her wings happily twitching alongside the ghosting of an awed smile on her face. Hawk Tail trotted next to her, pointing out all the curiosities of the town, much to Rainbow’s delight.
“There used to be a pair of brothers who worked a pawn shop-slash-junkyard thing in this building over here,” he was saying while he angled his wing towards a large building with an enormous vacant lot behind it. “Waste Not and Want Not were their names. If there was anything you wanted to find, and I mean literally anything, chances were Waste Not had it in his junk pile, and Want Not was always more than happy to buy something you didn’t want any more off of you. They ran a tidy business, although they usually kept the mayor in a bit of a bind when it came to dealing with the fact that there was a junkyard in the middle of the town.”
“What happened to them?” Rainbow Dash asked, peering at the ‘SOLD’ sign staked into the ground in front of the door. “Did the mayor make them leave?”
Hawk Tail emphatically shook his head. “Oh no, although he threatened it several times when the smell coming from the junkyard would start to get bad during the summers. No, Waste Not and Want Not sold their business here and moved to Mymis to start up an even larger shop. From what I hear they’re doing well, and I wish them the best of luck. They were always nice stallions, if a bit eccentric.”
The two pegasi soon left the old pawn shop behind and rounded a corner onto Mane Street. Fashionable store fronts flanked either side of a street well-paved with cobblestones and lined with neatly trimmed hedgerows. All the buildings were freshly painted and their small fences were impeccably whitewashed. Ponies of all kinds and colors shuffled down the sidewalks, while carts on freshly oiled axles glided past each other in the street. Several banners hung from the balconies of buildings, all patriotically displaying the Nymeran royal crest: a purple spear twined with olive branches and tassels against a teal shield and gold crown in the background.
“Geez, it’s really busy out here, isn’t it?” Rainbow remarked as she skirted past a few gossiping mares.
“It usually gets this way around Jubilee Day,” Hawk Tail commented. “It’s River’s Reach’s single most important holiday, and it’s totally unique. Not another town does what we do, or if they try to, it isn’t as grand. Ponies come from all across Nymera just to take in the sights and be… well, jubilant.”
Rainbow nodded even as her ruby eyes wandered upwards to where numerous pegasi were hanging banners from streetlights and cleaning roof shingles. “So what exactly is Jubilee Day all about?”
Hawk Tail teasingly raised an eyebrow towards Rainbow. “History lesson?”
The mare’s response was a less-than-favorable scowl. “How about the quick version.”
“Nopony appreciates history these days like they used to,” he bemoaned. When Rainbow rolled her eyes, he chuckled and kept walking. “It’s basically a celebration of River’s Reach’s liberation.”
“Liberation? From what?”
“From the rule of an unjust king,” Hawk Tail stated. “Several hundred years ago, there was a unicorn by the name of Righteous Might. The thing was, he wasn’t a very righteous monarch. He only looked out for himself and the nobles around him.”
They continued walking down Mane Street until Hawk Tail pulled Rainbow over towards a monument in the center of town. It was an iron statue of a unicorn stallion wearing a heavy jacket drawn across his shoulders. A flag was planted in the ground by his side, bearing the same spear and shield on its standard as the Nymeran royal crests decorating the sides of buildings all throughout town. The unicorn stood on two legs, with one foreleg wrapped around the flagpole and the other pointing towards the southern horizon.
“This stallion here is Honor Bound the Usurper. He was the one that led armies of the malcontented and infuriated ponies of Nymera against the king. He ultimately won, besting Righteous Might in a Duel to the Mark, and claimed the throne for himself. His line unfortunately came to a tragic end a few decades later, but that’s a topic for a lecture.” Gesturing to the plaque underneath the statue, Hawk Tail read aloud, “Honor Bound the Usurper, Liberator of Langell—that was what Nymera used to be called until King Regal’s ancestors took over two centuries back—Defender of the People, and Proud Son of River’s Reach. May His memory live ever on in the hearts of all of us.”
“I get it now,” Rainbow Dash said. “So this Honor Bound fella was from River’s Reach?”
Hawk Tail nodded. “Jubilee Day is the day he took up arms against Righteous Might. River’s Reach was barely a few houses nestled against the river four centuries ago, but it started here. Tartarus’ll freeze over before any of us forget that.”
“He was loyal to those he cared about,” Rainbow Dash commented, her eyes taking on a somber glow. “Loyalty’s one of the best things friends can have with each other. You lose your loyalty, you lose your…”
Her voice trailed off and she lowered her head, thoughtful. Hawk Tail furrowed his brow and lowered his head down with her while draping a wing across her back for comfort. “Do you remember something?” he asked quietly.
Rainbow Dash only shook her head. “No. I thought I had something…” she sighed and stood back up to her full height again, looking once more at the proud statue in front of her. “Loyalty’s important to me. I don’t know why, but I do know that I used to be a good friend to my friends… whoever they are or wherever they are.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever they are.”
“I’m sure they’re thinking of you,” Hawk Tail reassured her. “And we’ll get you back to them soon enough.” Then, tugging on her foreleg, he led her back into the streets. “Come on; Mayor Legislature’s going to speak today, and you should definitely hear him. He’s a great speaker.”
The two ponies merged with the flowing stream of equines heading for town square. Within a few minutes, they found themselves at the outer fringes of a large crowd surrounding a podium on a raised platform. Behind the podium stood an opulent building of birch wood and marble, with a balcony supported by several pearly white marble columns. As they tried to squeeze toward the front of the crowd, an earth pony dressed in a fine yet understated suit strode out of the doors behind him and took his position at the podium. His matte gray coat wasn’t quite groomed to perfection, but nevertheless carried about it a simple and endearing elegance that made him seem both sensible and educated. When he spoke, silence followed, and even Rainbow Dash felt herself absolutely enthralled by the pony’s charisma.
“My friends and family!” the mayor happily exclaimed with open forelegs. “How good it is to see you all again! I trust you’ve been doing well since the storm?”
He was answered with happy yeses and the stomping of hooves. Beside her, Rainbow noticed Hawk Tail smile and dip his head ever so slightly.
Legislature allowed himself a cheerful grin. “Good, good! That’s what I like to hear. You know, Jubilee Day’s right around the corner, right? Only two more weeks to go! I trust you’ve all been industrious in preparing for such a wonderful event? This is, after all, a celebration nopony else in Nymera can possibly do as we do.”
Again, cheering and stomping filled the town square, and again it only seemed to make the mayor even more relaxed and happy. “That’s the spirit! You know, this year is going to be a special year.”
Excited whispers made their way through the crowd, although Hawk Tail only tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. Rainbow mirrored his expression, although hers was more out of confusion than curiosity.
The mayor bobbed his head enthusiastically. “That’s right. Why is this year so special, you might ask? Well, it’s the entire purpose of this speech. This year, River’s Reach will be welcoming none other than our good King Regal II to our festivities!”
There was silence at first, but it didn’t last long. Almost before Rainbow could blink, cheering and wild applause broke out in the crowd. Ponies turned to each other, exchanging excited exclamations and surprised looks. Hawk Tail caught himself with his wings open in surprise, and quickly snapped them shut after blinking a few times. The only pony who wasn’t strongly reacting either way was Rainbow Dash. The mare simply stood next to him with her head cocked to the side.
It took almost all of the mayor’s effort to get the crowd to calm down. “I know you’re excited, friends; I am too! But now that you know the news, ask yourselves this; is River’s Reach ready to receive our King?”
Uncertainty replaced euphoria, and the ponies glanced at each other and mumbled their opinions. Legislature, obviously expecting such a reaction, took it in stride and pushed on with his speech.
“I tell you, it is hard to prepare for the coming of a king. No matter how hard most ponies try, they’ll never feel confident that their work is good enough for royalty.” He paused, and then decisively abandoned the podium to walk at the front of the platform. “But let me tell you something. We’re not just most ponies. We’re River’s Reach ponies! Jubilee Day started with us, and therefore there’s nowhere else that can do it better. I know that we can make this a celebration worthy of a king! If we all work our hardest, and if we all work together, we’ll make this the best Jubilee Day ever!”
The crowd matched his energy, and after pacing a few more times, Mayor Legislature returned to his podium and smiled with a proud determination. “Remember, River’s Reach: we’ve only got two weeks left. I’m going to be trying my hardest to make the most out of them, and I know that you will be as well. So go find a friend or a neighbor who needs your help, and work together. Together, we’ll be able to make this Jubilee Day one for the ages!”
With a satisfied angling of his head, Mayor Legislature smiled and waved to the ponies gathered around him several more times before eventually walking back into the capitol. The crowd quickly dispersed after that as the ponies of River’s Reach returned to their daily lives, and Rainbow and Hawk Tail found themselves walking down a side street towards the river. Everywhere they went, the residual buzzing from Legislature’s announcement filled the air as ponies spread the news with excitement.
“So, your king’s coming, eh?” Rainbow Dash asked once they were a good distance away from the center of town.
“It seems that way,” Hawk Tail answered. He blinked a few times as he slowly shook his head. “It’s just… wow. I never thought the King himself would come all the way out here. This town’s going to be insane these next two weeks.”
Rainbow smirked. “Just wait until Lanner hears.”
“Heh. She’ll do her fair share of the talking once she knows,” Hawk said. “I hope you aren’t planning on getting much sleep these next few nights.”
“I’ve had nothing but rest,” Rainbow groaned. “I’ve got too much energy and no way to burn it.” She extended her healthy wing and flapped it, but when she tried to budge her fractured wing, she was rewarded with a sharp sting of pain that made her wince. “Yeah, that’s getting annoying real fast.”
Hawk Tail quickly scooted out of the way of a couple of young children barrelling down the street, squealing in delight as they played a game of tag among the market stalls. “At least there are things to do on the ground. Go shopping, see the sights, hay, even read a book. I’ve got a few of my favorites that you can borrow if you want.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Reading’s for eggheads. I’d rather be flying any day of the week.” She yawned. “That or taking a nap, but I’ve already done enough snoozing since I’ve been here for that.”
Hawk Tail shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m just saying, it’ll be something to do.”
After walking down a few more streets, the two ponies came to the edge of the Glittering Run. They hopped down a short ledge and wound their way around several thickets of cattails and underbrush before they finally came to the water’s edge. The river flowed like a gently undulating sheet of glass across a bed of silt and pebbles. With the exception of a bridge to their right, the river seemed untouched by ponykind. Several dragonflies buzzed about the reeds, one of which landed on Rainbow Dash’s nose. She stared cross-eyed at it for a few seconds before sending it off with a wrinkling of her snout.
“I woulda thought a river going right through the middle of a town would’ve been dirtier than this,” Rainbow said as she stepped to the water’s edge. With a kick of her hooves, she flattened out a seat next to the pebbly shores and rested her fetlocks in the water.
“We take good care of it,” Hawk Tail said as he likewise settled down. With a smile, he added, “It’s in our name, after all.”
Rainbow Dash nodded thoughtfully. “You know, we used to have a little stream that went through our town. But it was nothing nearly as big as this.”
Hawk Tail raised an eyebrow. “Are you remembering something?”
Rainbow glanced down at the water. “Nothing important. Of all the things I remember about where I’m from, it’s the dumb stream. I don’t have a name or what the place looked like or where it is. I just remember looking down at the water from the railing of a bridge one day. I never thought anything of it at the time, but now it’s the first thing that comes back to me.” She sighed. “Stupid…” she mumbled as she looked back into the river.
Focusing on the water for a few more seconds, Rainbow Dash studied her reflection. In it, she saw a confused mare, a worried mare. A mare full of color but missing her spark. This mare was not Rainbow Dash. It was only a shell, an empty husk of what she once was—what she should be. She frowned at the water, immediately realizing she hated the scared mare she saw. Rainbow Dash was brave and confident and the best, bar none. The reflection she saw was not.
Like the flip of a switch, Rainbow’s face hardened, and the mare in the water was gone. She was not some shade of her former self. She was Rainbow Dash, and so what if she didn’t have her memories? She didn’t need memories to be awesome, to be herself. She just needed to do the one thing she was good at.
She needed to fly.
Hawk Tail saw the change in Rainbow’s demeanor. “Hey, Rainbow, what’s up?”
A sly and confident grin took hold of Rainbow’s lips. “Clouds. And that’s a problem.”
Hawk Tail’s eyebrow rose. “Sorry… what?”
Rainbow turned to look at him now, her face full of determination. “You know why that’s a problem? Because clouds aren’t supposed to be up. They’re supposed to be down. They’re supposed to be below me. I’m supposed to fly above them.”
Glancing at Rainbow’s bandaged wing, Hawk shuffled closer to her. “But you can’t fly yet, not like that. You need time to heal.”
“I know that, but it’ll only be a little while longer,” Rainbow insisted. “Besides, I know how I’m going to help you guys out for Jubilee Day.”
“Oh yeah?” Hawk asked, his voice filling with skepticism. “What’re you thinking of doing?”
Rainbow couldn’t sit still anymore, and with a grunt, she hopped to her hooves. She tilted her head back to look at the sky, and she spread her functional wing. “I’m going to give the king an airshow, Rainbow Dash style.”
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Want Not and Waste Not.
Nice touch.
Hm. A sonic rainboom for the king, maybe?
~Skeeter The Lurker
The king coming to a small town for a big celebration... Hmmm, sounds familiar.
This story is getting better rapidly.
I like this story, man.
I also want to see RD do something high-flying, about NOW.
Impatience is a bitch >_>
I can't wait to see Rainbow perform for the king.
I wonder when those two are gonna go back to the crash to investigate, if ever...
Looking forward to Dash getting back in the air.
Damn. What should I say, besides ultra-incredible-awesome-chapter-like-always
?
3364932 If Dash did a sonic rainboom, that would be totally awesome. If she simply does some non-rainboom stuff, that would be cool, but a sonic rainboom would be 120% cooler.
Nice to see Rainbow being Rainbow.
6710692 Yes.........
She never said anything remotely like this in the show....but....HELL YEAH! That was definitely RAINBOW DASH speaking!