The First Steps of the Rest of Your Life

by Rhino

Chapter 28: Truth and Reconciliation

***Wednesday, Day 25, morning***

Well last week certainly was… eventful. At least at first it was, I finally get to give my marefriend the end results of my little project, only to have Rainbow Dash explode at me, followed by the Fluttershy equivalent, essentially a poof, of exploding back at her. At least Fluttershy calmed down pretty quick and we were able to all go to that lunch I planned for us. I'm still a bit worried about Flutters, but I’m a little worried about Dash too. Her accusations were a bit extreme, but she seemed very distraught at the end of it all… still the rest of the girls said it would be best to give her time so I guess I’ll just put it out of mind for now. It has been a week, perhaps she is in a better mood.

The rattling of the activating Gemini gem on my shelf punctuates the end of my reflection of recent events. I levitate the gem over to me to see Fluttershy’s unsure eyes on its largest face.

“Umm Rhino? I’m sorry if I woke you up but am I using this gem right?”

I chuckle as I respond, “I was already awake Fluttershy, and you’re doing great. I’ll see you at work in a bit to get you stocked up on supplies alright?”

She smiles softly in the adorable way she does, “See you then.”

I toss the gem into my bag as I walk out of my room and into the hallway-

*Bonk*

-and run nose first into… something.

What the hay? What did I hit?

I put my hoof out in front of me and tap it against whatever invisible thing I ran into, I look at it and tap it a few more times before it hits me.

Oh it’s glass… huh, now why are random glass panes in the middle of the hallway?

I gently move the pane out of my way and follow the light reflections off them down the hall. As I get about halfway I hear a small *tink* behind me, a look back shows Specter got the same surprise I did when he left my room. He shakes his head before finding the hole I made and quickly catching up to me and climbing onto his usual spot, looking down into my eyes with a look that says ‘If we’re gonna start having random invisible walls in the house, I’m gonna stay up here so you hit them first.’ I shake my head at him before making my way to Hydro’s room where I can hear some glass being shifted before the stallion in question comes out and notices us.

As I motion towards the glass leaning against the hallway walls Hydro gets an amused smirk on his face, “You ran into it didn’t you?”

I give him a not-so-amused face in response, “Well excuse me for not thinking of searching for hidden walls in my own house. What are you doing with all this glass anyway?”

“Well I couldn't just keep Schmoopy in either the belt or his small bowl forever could I? So I’m making him an aquarium.” He gestures to the box of various decorative underwater items behind him.

“You couldn’t just buy one could you?”

“Not with what I wanted to do with it.”

“And that would be…?”

“You’ll see once it’s finished later today.”

I rub my eyes with a hoof and sigh lightly, “Alright, can you at least tell me why you need the sledgehammer?” I point to the tool in question leaning up against the wall behind him.

He gives me yet another smirk, “You’ll see.”

“Frankly, the more you say that the more worried I’m getting, I’m not sure I want to know anymore.”

***In the skies above Ponyville, noonish***

Blue Breeze was winging his way through the skies on his rounds to make sure all was right with the weather. That was his official reason anyway. Unofficially he was on the lookout not for rogue weather, but for Rainbow Dash. The others may think that Dash needed to be alone, but he also knew sometimes ponies just needed somepony to listen, and Dash’s tendency to mope on clouds makes the list of those who could find her, let alone get up to her, awfully short.

Blue notices a cloud over the park, to most other ponies it’s just a cloud, but to his eye he could see said cloud was moving in slow circles, not something clouds do on their own. He flies over to the cloud to find the spectrum pony herself flopped onto it with a thousand yard stare and slowly beating wings. He alights next to her, barely making a dip in the cloud as he waits.

She finally speaks after a long silence, not looking up as she does, “What do you want Blue?”

Blue speaks to the back of Dash’s head since it’s all he can see, “Just dropping by to see how you’re doing.”

The bitterness in her voice is almost tangible, “I’m great. My oldest friend yelled and even started crying because of me, probably hates me by now too. I’m just fantastic.”

Blue closes his eyes and shakes his head, “First of all, I can tell you Fluttershy doesn’t hate you. She said so at lunch yesterday, she was actually worried about you.”

Rainbow huffs, still facing away from Blue, “Figures… not even sure why I said what I did,” She sits up and turns to Blue with a slightly suspicious look in her eye, “why am I even telling you anything? Why do you care?”

Blue shrugs, “Just thought you might appreciate an unbiased listener if you needed to get anything off your chest.”

“Whatever…” Rainbow huffs again, but lighter this time, “I don’t know Blue, I’m not even sure where I would start.”

Blue smiles lightly, “Well how about we skip the whole “Tell me about your childhood” bit and just focus on what you said and why you said it hmm?”

“I guess… I don’t know, I guess that stuff that happened with Cloudsdale shook me up a little worse than I thought it did. Fluttershy was right, I did understand why he did it but… it scared me. To think that he would have ripped that guy’s wings off and maybe even done more… and then for her to just start dating him after that? I guess it seemed almost too good after what happened.”

“You seemed to be fine with it when we were fighting Fluffers and afterwards before we got to Ponyville.”

Rainbow shakes her head, “We were fighting for Equestria again, it’s easy to just lose yourself in those thoughts. Once we got back though, every time I saw them together I’d be reminded of what happened… I suppose I still want to help her but he’s her first coltfriend, yet to see those images every time I see them… it was driving me nuts! I confronted her about my worries about him and she pretty much laughed it off saying she was fine, then he goes and gets her this new job… it’s all changing so fast and so well after what happened, I guess I freaked I wouldn’t be able to keep up and keep her safe when whatever happens to screw this up happens.”

Blue taps a hoof to his chin before responding, “Sounds like you just need to be happy.”

She gives him a deadpan look, “Really? That’s your advice? “Be Happy”?”

“Think about it, everypony else got over what happened by being happy for those two. Take that away and most of your worries are gone, and as for the rest… from what I’ve heard you usually aren’t afraid of anything.”

“Yeah, what’s your point?”

“Seems to me instead of worrying about the future, you should think of it as a challenge, not as something to worry about losing to.”

“Huh…”

“So let’s make sure you got this: your oldest friend finally found herself a colt.”

“Yeah…”

“You’re happy for her.”

“Yeah.”

“You aren’t going to let what happened stop you from being happy for her.”

“Yeah!”

“You aren’t going to worry about the future, you are going to face it head on!”

“YEAH!”

“You are going to meet me at the café for a lunch date in ten minutes!”

Rainbow thrusts her hoof into the air, “YEAH!” Her eyes widen as she realizes what she said, “Wait, what?”

Blue has a cheeky grin on his face as he flies off at top speed calling back over his shoulder, “See you in ten minutes!”

Rainbow stands there on the cloud for a moment before chasing after Blue, “Hey! Get back here!”

***On the road to Rhino’s house, afternoon***

Well that was an unexpected end to today, can’t believe Rainbow Dash came and apologized to Fluttershy on our way out of work! Of course this lead to more apologies and mutual forgiveness from both parties but all in all it gave me a warm feeling to know those two made up so quickly before things got to fester. I was probably more shocked that Rainbow apologized to me, at least the lighthearted threat at the end should I ever hurt Fluttershy was because her heart was in the right place. Plus the kiss I got from Fluttershy for having to listen to it wasn’t bad either…

I arrive at the house and stop to check the mail as I head inside, a particular envelope catches my eye and I slit it open and start to read.

My face must have given me away because Hydro came in and immediately asked, “What’s up?”

I continue reading as I reply, “I got a letter…”

He rolls his eyes, “I see that, but what’s wrong?”

I look up at him, “It’s from my parents… they’re coming to see me the day after tomorrow…”

***Canterlot, night***

*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*

The loud knocking on his door wakes the sleeping pegasus up rudely. He stumbles to the door and opens it to find two royal guards.

The pegasus tries to wake himself up as the one on the right speaks, “Atomic Vortex?”

“That’s me.” The pegasus replies.

“We need you to come with us.”

“Can’t this wait until morning? Woah!” The pegasus finds himself lifted on each side by the two guards as they carry him out.

“As I said, you’re coming with us.”

Comments

[darkironpony]

A good chapter. Can't wait for the next one. And Blue Breeze you oh so clever!

[Melancholy]

That my good sir Blue was a masterful feat. At least it would be, except that was Rainbow.
Also: SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

[Rhino]

849528 Ok I understand the reference but I'm not sure why you put the creeper sound in...

[Glare]

Ahahahahah.
New chapter

[Atomic Vortex]

As much as I apreciate a "lift", under these cirumstances no.
And I applaud your trickery Blue.