The Long Lost Rainbow

by Ribe_FireRain

Bad Dreams and A Promise

''Rainbow!'' Strike yelled as loud as he could as he ran after her as the Elements of Crime carried her off with them.

''Strike! Help! Stop them!'' She cried back as the blood trickled down her face from her forehead.

Rainbow stuck out her hoof to Strike who before he got her, got shot in the back with a shotgun.

''AGH! Rainbow...No..''

---

''AHHH!'' Strike shot up in bed, cold bullets of sweat climbing down his face as he panted heavily.

He climbed out of his bed and went to Rainbow's room, cracking open the door slightly to peek in only to see Rainbow sleeping and breathing softly under her covers. Strike exhaled quietly in relief through his nostrils and closed the door again to let her sleep in peace.

''Just a dream...phew...just a dream..'' Strike shivered as he dreaded the thought of losing his younger sister. As an elder brother, it was his responsibility to look after her when he was around. Strike went into the kitchen and turned on the faucet, running cold water into the basin. He dipped his hooves in the cool liquid and splashed it into his face and rubbed it around. As he did so, he heard a noise behind him that sounded like hooves clapping on the soft cloud layer.

''Strike?''

Strike jumped around with a quiet scream only to see it was Rainbow Dash with a bedraggled mane and pale black bags under her eyes. Her magenta eyes shone beautifully in the moonlight. It actually reminded him of Remedy when he'd see her eyes glisten with the moon.

''Celestia! You scared me!''

''Sorry about that, Strike. You okay? You don't look too good..'' She went up to Strike and placed a hoof to his shoulder, looking deep into his eyes as she did so.

''No, Rainbow...'' He sighed deeply through his nostrils. ''Nothing's alright. Just...''

''Just what?'' She asked cutely.

''..Nightmares...'' He stated tiredly and quietly.

''Nightmares? At your age? You're 24..''

''Rainbow, I know I'm 24, you're 22. I'm pretty sure at your age you had nightmares. It's just ever since I left Stockholm to come back home I've been experiencing horrors mostly every night for like 6 years. Since Remedy was murdered.''

''Strike, I don't like it when you're like this.'' Dash said with concern.

''Dash, I'm your older brother, it's my responsibility to protect you, especially if those murderers come back to town like he said he would. He'd kill everyone just to find us. Me mostly, but then he'd come after you. I don't want to see that happen, Rainbow. I've lost too much, I don't want to lose my sister.''

Dash hugged him in reassurance and kissed him on his cheek and looked directly in his emerald eyes.

''Listen to me. Nopony is going to kill me or you. No matter what.''

---

In the early morning, Strike was sat on the porch of Rainbow's cloud palace with Rainbolt's old guitar, playing to himself along with the chirping birds as Celestia risen up the sun over the horizon. He was playing a sad, jazzy tune as he plucked at the strings slowly and gently.

''That's the way, oh that's the way our pony's are. When I was young like you. He ain't gone long, as he shines on in our hearts, and just so we know, right where you are, Celestia lets the light outlive the star. The light we see in the stars at night, they're there all day, but they are lost in the sunlight. Just so we know right where you are, Celestia lets the light outlive the star.''

He sung quietly, still being audible to Rainbow Dash inside the house if she were awake. He stopped plucking the strings and placed the guitar down on the porch step next to him as he looked at the rising sun over the mountains in the horizon and said aloud.

''Rest in peace, my love.'' He wiped a stray tear from his eye and was about to get up. As he got to his hooves and turned to the door, Rainbow was stood in the doorway. She looked at him in awe, a tear of pride in the corner of her eye.

''That was beautiful...'' Is all Rainbow said, earning a weak smile from Strike.

''Thanks, Rainbow. I thought you were in bed?''

''Nah. I'm always up at 6 in the morning. What was that you were playing?''

''The light outlives the star.''

''By?''

''By me.''

''You wrote that?'' She asked in awe.

''Yeah. I performed it on one of the tours with the band I was part of. Earned myself quite a few bits in those tours, too.''

He picked the guitar back up and put it back in the casing it came with, zipping it up to ensure it's safe to carry and threw it on his back, strapping it around his body.

''Hey, Rainbow?''

''Yeah, Strike?''

''Is Pinkie doing alright after I told you guys everything?''

Rainbow tapped her chin
with a hoof, trying to think, but couldn't think about it.

''I dunno. I haven't seen her since we all heard your story. She's probably okay and back at work at Sugarcube Corner. Wan't me to go see later?''

''Nah, I'll go myself. I need to apologize to her about...you know...''

''Oh, of course. Just be careful, brother, okay?'' She wrapped her hooves around Strike, nuzzling his cheek.

''Don't worry, I will.''

---

As noon passed, Strike was down at Ponyville just outside of Sugarcube Corner, going to see Pinkie Pie so he can check on her. He opened the door and saw the place was empty, apart from one pony near the counter who had a pretty pink mane, a royal blue coat and green-bead-earrings dangling from the lower half of her ear. Her eyes were a glistening purple, much like Firefly's.

''Can I help you?'' She asked Strike in a sweet, inviting voice.

''Oh, Hi. I thought this place was empty. Do you work here?''

''Yeah. I'm Mrs.Cake. I run this sweet shop with my husband.''

''I see. Does Pinkie Pie work here? I'm trying to find her.''

''Pinkie? Hmm. No, can't say I have seen Pinkie. Come to think of it, I've not seen her since yesterday. She was meant to come in for work today, but as you can see she hasn't turned up yet. I hope she's okay.''

''Pinkie's not here? I thought she'd be here all the time, seeing as it is a candy shop.''

''That's what I thought too.'' She laughed. ''But she's not here. I don't know where she could be.''

''She's definitely not here? Well, thanks for your time, Mrs.Cake. I best go look for her. If I find her, I'll tell her that you were expecting her to be at work.''

He shook Mrs.Cake's hoof and left the candy shop, out to begin the search for Pinkie Pie.

''Pinkie Pie, where could you be?''

---

''Pinkie, calm down will ya? Whats wrong?'' Rainbow said calmly as she tried to calm down her friend who was sobbing and barely containing any of her hot, streaming tears.

''He...he...he killed Granny Pie!'' Pinkie cried. ''He killed my granny!''

''Pinkie, he said he was sorry. He never wanted to hurt her! He told us about it, remember?''

''He's a murderer! MURDERER!''

''He's not a murderer, Pinkie.'' Dash helplessly reassured as she passed Pinkie some tissues. ''He was forced to do it, he told us so.''

''Rainbow...Why do you trust him so easily? He told you he's been gone 13 years and claims your his sister! Why would you trust him? He's never seen you before in his life! He could be one of them!''

Rainbow froze. Why would Pinkie think that? She may have a point, but why would she think so horrible of her brother?

''Pinkie...how...how could you think that? He has evidence of it, and how could he not be my brother when my parents know him? He's my brother, and I know he may of done bad things, but I assure you, he never meant any of it.'' Rainbow defended Strike.

''Rainbow...why don't you talk with him? He may not be telling you everything...''

Pinkie Pie may be stubborn at times like these, but she did have a point. Strike did come back on short notice and was acting kind of weird, himself saying it was for a good reason, but was it..was it to earn her trust? It may be about time to have another chat with him. Not to find out the truth, but for both their and their friends sake.

---

Rainbow Strike was searching up and down the streets of Ponyville when he came across to the park near the bottom of the town. The grass was lush and thick, the trees all had birds chirping in them with their young, but what caught his eye the most was something pink coloured behind some shrubs.
Curiously, Strike approached it, and as he got closer, he could easily make out what looked like a rainbow mane, obviously Rainbow Dash's, seeing as he and her were the only ones who had that mane in Ponyville, with the exception of their dad's. He noticed that the pink colour he saw was none other than Pinkie Pie. He eyes were glistening with tears and her cheeks were also wet.
Just seeing her like that made him feel sad too. He trotted past the shrubs and farther towards them to the point where he not unnototiceable to them, causing Rainbow to turn her head.

''Strike?'' Rainbow gasped softly as she looked into his emerald eyes, not once breaking contact. ''Everything alright?''

''Rainbow. Pinkie.'' Is all he said flatly. ''I've actually been looking for you both. I've been around town, going up and down and couldn't find you, so I went to Sugarcube Corner and ran into Mrs.Cake. And well...she wasn't too pleased Pinkie didn't show up to work today.''

At that, Pinkie's eyes went wide. ''Oh, my gosh! I forgot I had to work today! See ya, Rainbow!'' And in an instant Pinkie was off, not giving either of them a chance to respond to her immediate leave.

Now it was just them. Sister and brother, alone.

''What?'' Rainbow asked softly, herself looking quite sad.

''Rainbow...I can't help but notice you look sad...is everything alright?''

''Uh...erm...yeah.'' Rainbow lied. ''Everything's alright.''

''Well, you sure don't sound like it is.''

''Ok. Fine. Nothing's alright. Strike, we need to talk.''

''About what?'' Strike raised a brow.

''Me and Pinkie have been talking, and...''

''And what? Is she alright?''

''No, Strike, she's not.'' She sounded more serious. ''Because of you telling us where you were the past years, and said you killed Granny Pie, she thinks you're one of them.''

At that statement, Strike's eyes went wide and his mouth fell agape.

''She what? Thinks I'm one of them? Those...murderers?'' His tone went sad. ''Rainbow, I'm not! I'm not a murderer, I never was!''

''Strike...''

''Just...don't...alright? Don't ''Strike'' me...I knew it was a mistake coming back...I'm a fucking monster! I should of just stayed back in Stockholm!''

''Wait, what?! You're not serious, are you?''

Without response, Strike took to the skies and flew off into the distance, Rainbow watching for a moment before taking off after him. For an older brother, he surely was quite fast, even for her.
She chased after him, not once taking her gaze off of his body shape in the distance.

''Strike! Stop! Please stop!'' Rainbow called out to him, trying to get his attention to make him stop, but he simply ignored her. ''Strike!? STRIKE!''

He turned his head, looking at her as he continued flying forward. ''Leave me alone! Don't follow me, Rainbow!''

''Just stop! Please stop, Strike!''

''I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!'' He yelled fiercly, shaking his own voice box, causing Rainbow to freeze, and in an instant, Strike darted downwards, aiming for the forest below him, going insanely fast, disappearing from Rainbow's sight.

''Strike!'' Rainbow yelled at the top of her lungs, right before charging after him, soon dropping into the damp forest. Underneath all the thick trees surrounding her, it made it harder for her to see in the darkness it created. She couldn't see Rainbow Strike anywhere.

''Strike?'' Rainbow called out, but got no response. ''Strike, I know you can hear me. This isn't funny.''

Then she heard something. Something that sounded like faint crying in the distance, catching her attention almost immediately. Rainbow cautiously approached the noise, taking cover behind a tree and peeked around the corner, to only see Rainbow Strike slumped against a tree, crying and covering his eyes.

Rainbow quietly trotted toward him, trying not to make any noise as she did so, however, he did notice her presence, but pretended not to know. Within a few moments, Rainbow was beside him, thinking about what to say. Before she could speak, Strike said something first.

''Just...L-Leave me alone, R-Rainbow.'' He whimpered, not once looking at her. ''You'd be b-better o-off not knowing m-me.''

Rainbow could only tell what he was feeling, making herself want to cry.

''No. No, I won't.'' Dash reassured. ''You're my brother, and I won't let anything happen to you. I can't leave you like this, Strike.'' She rubbed his back with a hoof.

''Don't.'' Strike responded in a cracked, sad tone. ''Rainbow, I should of just stayed home when I was 11, then maybe none of this would of happened. Whipper was going to try to kill you for information on me, because you're my sister. He went for you because we're easy to pick out because of our mane colour. Only our family have it. If he ever hurt you, I couldn't ever find it in me to forgive myself.''

''Don't worry about me, big brother. I can take care of myself.'' She smiled at him, yet still maintaining her sad look.

Strike looked back, his emerald eyes glistening from his tears. Rainbow held his hooves with hers and leaned in to hug him tightly, rubbing her cheek into his mane.
It did seem to comfort him, however. It's the first time in a very long time he has ever felt this comfortable that made him feel a little warmer inside.

''I love you, Strike. Remember that. I don't ever want to lose you.'' Dash told him with a loving smile, along with a kiss to his cheek.

''Love you too, Rainbow. I wouldn't ever want to lose you, either.'' He returned the kiss with a soft peck to her cheek.

''Rainbow?''

''Strike?''

''I just want you to know something.''

''What is it?''

''You're the best sister I could ever ask for, and I mean that.'' Strike smiled at his sister, who smiled back with a tear rolling down her left cheek.

''Why are you crying?'' Strike asked her in wonder.

''It's just...you...you're just so sweet...''

''Rainbow, I also think that you are sweet. You're pretty, you're smart and funny, and you're just like me; fearless.''

''Strike? Hold me.''

Strike cuddled with Rainbow, resting his chin on her head, Rainbow soon becoming relaxed. She rested her head on his leg as he caressed her back with a hoof as he planted a gentle kiss to her forehead.

''I'll never leave you, Rainbow. Never. That's a promise.''

Comments

[ConEditor]

AwEsOmE. Just like you!

[Ribe_FireRain]

3936388 javascript:smilie(''); You too.

[Ribe_FireRain]

4237997 I know. I think this was my...third(?) story I wrote, and I admit I didn't have a very good writing skill at the time.

God, I can't believe I'm even saying that.... javascript:smilie('');