All Rainbow And No Colour

by Ribe_FireRain

Remourse

''Strike? Hey, Strike, you alright?'' Asked a rather concerned looking Blaze as he gazed at the lifeless form of his friend. He didn't even know why he asked if he was fine. Of course he wasn't. He had just lost the mare he loved to a gruesome murder and later found out she was pregnant. After passing out in the hospital, Blaze had brought Strike back to Appleoosa with him. He would of doubted Strike would want to go back to the suite, especially after what had happened to Remedy.

At the moment, Strike lay on a bed in Blaze's house, still looking as lifeless as before. He had been out for a while, and by the time he had woken up, it was in the early hours of afternoon. ''W...Where am I?'' Strike asked, sounding weak.

''You're in Appleoosa, Strike. I brought ya back with me. You look terrible.'' Blaze said in a sad tone with a glum smile.

''Remedy?'' Strike said quietly in a sad tone, sounding desperate to see her again. ''Is she okay?''

Blaze puffed a little at that, knowing what he had to say. He knew that Remedy had been murdered, but being as depressed as Strike was now, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it. Blaze couldn't imagine what his friend must be feeling right now, but he had a rough idea of how it felt - losing someone you loved, whom you were going to marry, but was killed days before it could happen.

''Strike....Remedy...'' Blaze began, going quiet, not knowing how he would respond to the news.

''What? Where is she?'' Strike asked slowly, nearly begging, ears perking a bit.

''...She's gone...'' Blaze rubbed his eyes, wiping away small tears, ''She's dead, Strike. I'm sorry...''

''Remedy? Dead?'' Strike curled up, hugging his head in his hooves as he lay on his side, feeling the tears coming. Blaze sat down next to him, holding a hoof to his friend's shoulder. ''I'm sorry, Strike. I truly am.''

''I failed her...I promised her I'd protect her! I should never of left her on her own...'' Strike cried, now sobbing uncontrollably as Blaze hugged him lightly.

''There was nothing you could do, Strike...I know you wish you could of been there for her, but you wasn't...''

''I know that, Blaze! Because of me not being there for her, she was killed! Remedy is gone, and nothing can change that! NOTHING!'' Strike yelled, shocking Blaze, taking him aback. ''If only I stayed with her that night, then maybe she would still be alive! Without Remedy in my life and by my side, I'm nothing!''

''I know you're upset, but all I can do is offer sympathy over what happened. You loved Remedy, and she loved you. Even though she's gone, her love for you won't ever end.'' He smiled reassuringly at him, and this time Strike smiled back, though the hurt in his eyes stayed. ''Listen, Strike, why don't you stay with me in Appleoosa for a while? Could do with some company around here. And I ain't so sure you'd be willin' to go back to that fancy suite of yours.''

''Thanks, Blaze. That'd be nice.''

*** *** ***

When night came, Strike soon found himself at the bar, drowning his sorrows in the yellow glow of whiskey. The good thing about Appleoosa was that the people who lived there knew how to brew alcohol of different varieties, from cider to scotch to whiskey. To Strike, whiskey was like a sedative for forgetting problems and cider was the drink of a apple-based alcohol lover - a nectar for them to drown themselves in with bursting flavour.

He had left Blaze's house around four hours after waking up and took a walk through the town, marvelling its glory. It may of been a small town, but it was definitely a very important part of Equestria, one that attracts newcomers and tourists from miles around. Eventually, he found himself at the bar, drinking by the hour. The bar wasn't all that big or too fancy - just like a big shed with a few tables and chairs arranged around the centre of the building, with a stage at the back of the room.

By now, Strike had had about a few bottles of whiskey in the past hour, and that alone had already gotten him drunk. Even though the bartender could see it, he didn't stop him from buying more and more whiskey by the gallon, he just obliged to help him with getting more - his only interest making more bits as he drowns his misery in the alcohol. The bar wasn't that full, the only occupants being a quarter dozen ponies sat at different tables, talking and drinking. Beside the stage stood an old-fashioned jukebox playing on random. The primary type of music that it played was that of classic country music, but what really caught Strike's attention was the song that followed:

If you love me as much as much as I love you,
if you dance and swing as the way I do, darling, keep on moving, don't drop the beat...

It made his insides churn at hearing that beautiful, female voice play over the speakers in a slow rythm, almost as if teasing him, torturing him with her voice, the sweetness of it filling his ears. It was Remedy's voice. That song - If You Truly Love Me - was one of her first masterpieces as a singer, more specifically the one that she is most know for. Her voice was nearly an alternative to the whiskey Strike was drinking. How he missed that sweet voice of hers...

''Hey! Don't you think you've had enough, buddy?'' The bartender asked Strike as he looked on at him, leaning on the bar surface.

''N-N....*hic* No...N-No I do not think I've had enough...'' He slouched in his seat, nearly losing his balance, but regained it before dropping to the floor. ''Another Wild Pegasus...'' Strike dropped his bits on the counter before the bartender handed over the whiskey. He took a sip of it, followed by another, the strong taste of the drink intensifying as it mixed with the previous bottles he had consumed.

Keep on swaying, darling, keep on moving...

''Here's to you, Remedy, my love...'' He sniffled as he drank down a mouthful of the strong drink. ''I love you, sweetheart...''

It wasn't until then that Strike noticed that he was talking to Blaze, who was sat across from him, looking a bit uneasy. Weather that was from Strike saying what he just said or the strong smell of whiskey on his breath, he couldn't tell.

''Nice to see you too, Strike...'' Blaze said slowly, Strike being startled as he realized that he had just said that about Remedy to his best friend.

''I...Um! Erm...uh! Hey...I mean...Hey, Blaze...'' Strike blushed. ''Wait...why are there...*hic*...three of you?''

''Strike, come on, you've had enough for one evening, I think.''

''N-No...w-wa-*hic*-wait...just wait for the song to finish...''

Blaze listened to it, recognising it immediately. He smiled sympathetically at Strike as he closed his eyes, presumably trying to picture Remedy singing it. Seeing him like that, he let him be. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, weather that be permanent or temporary. Strike sat there for a while, Blaze just watching him sorrowfully. As the voice of Remedy faded from the air, Strike collapsed onto the bar top, landing with a loud thud and clanks and crashes of glass as the empty bottles of whiskey shattered on the floor.