Fauna of Mirrors

by Eggtaro

Trying To Light Up The Dark?

Author's Note:

Hello folks! It's good to be back writing after such a looong absence I've made this chapter extra long to make up for the long hiatus of this story. I hope you folks will enjoy this chapter!

After what seemed like forever, Creme finally reached Sonata's apartment. Sonata was still fast asleep on his back, her snores getting noticeably louder with each passing minute; what started out as a funny thing quickly turned into an annoying one, not to mention that there was something damp that could be felt behind his neck, where Sonata was resting her head at.

"Sonata," Creme said, turning his head around to look at her. "wake up, we've reached your place."

Sonata mumbled something, but did not move. Creme gave his body a little shake, hoping to jiggle the sleeping girl awake. But his efforts were fruitless; Sonata was still in slumber-land. A sigh of defeat left Creme's lips. He thought of just leaving her here in front of the door. But that was a stupid idea. He gave another shake. Nope, still nothing.

"You sleep like the dead, Sonata." If it wasn't for her snoring, she might as well be.

Creme considered his options: he could either stand here and continue shaking until Sleeping Beauty opens her eyes, or bring her back to his apartment and think of another solution there. Standing here and shaking will only make him more tired than he already was; Sonata wasn't really as light as a feather. Due to the impending approach of fatigue and muscle cramps, Creme chose the latter.

He gave one final shake before turning around to make his way down towards his apartment floor. The trip down was uneventful. Only the sounds of Sonata's snoring can be heard in the quiet, empty hallway.

Reaching for the key in his pocket, Creme fished out his apartment key with some difficulty; one hand was busy supporting Sonata. As he tried to insert the key into the lock, the key slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor, earning a hushed curse from Creme.

"Just my luck." he mumbled, squatting down slowly to retrieve the fallen key. Grasping the key tightly in his hand, Creme stood back up and was ready to give the door another go when suddenly, his front entrance magically opened itself.

"C-Creme?" came a shaky voice from within his apartment. "Is that you?" A familiar pony's face revealed itself to Creme. It was Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash?" Creme asked, startled. "How did you...?" he shook his head, deciding to ask about the matter later. The sooner he got into his apartment, the better. "Never mind, can you step back a little? I got a sleeping princess on my back."

Rainbow nodded and took a few steps back, making room so that Creme could enter. He pushed the door shut with his foot and headed for the couch.

"Is that Sonata?" Rainbow asked, following behind him and staring at Sonata.

"Yup." Creme replied. He gently laid Sonata down on her back on the couch, making sure not to let her go until she was properly placed in what Creme believed to be a comfortable position. "She fell asleep on the way back from work."

"Oh." Rainbow gave Creme a glance, but quickly averted her eyes when he turned to look at her.

"So, how did you open the door?" Creme asked, glancing at Rainbow's hooves. "Isn't my world's doors a bit...complicated for you?"

Rainbow shook her head, staring at the couch. "I-It was no biggie, o-our doors back in Equestria are almost the s-same as the ones you have here." the slight tremble in her voice was obvious; she was probably still agitated by the morning's episode. Creme sighed. He owes Rainbow a huge apology.

"Rainbow Dash," he started, crouching down on one knee so that he was at eye level with her. "there's something I want to tell you."

Rainbow looked at him, her eyes slowly widened and her lips began to tremble. But before Creme could continue, she interrupted him. "W-Wait! B-Before you say anything else, p-please let me say something first."

"But, Rainbo---" Rainbow placed a hoof on Creme's lips.

"I'm sorry, Creme." Rainbow said, pulling her hoof away. "For what I said this morning." she looked away. "The things I said this morning was very rude. And I want you to know that I'm very, very sorry." she peeked at Creme, afraid to look at his expression. "And that if you want to chuck me out, I totally understand your decision for doing so."

"No, Rainbow Dash." Creme said. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry."

Rainbow stared at him. "W-what?"

"I want to apologize for my actions this morning." Creme sat on the floor. "I shouldn't have lost my temper at you. It was unfair, and very selfish of me."

"B-but..." Rainbow struggled with her words. "I was the one who was being unfair to you! My tongue just slipped, you know? I wasn't thinking of your feelings when I---" she gasped.

Rainbow stopped because Creme suddenly ran his hand through her mane, gently stroking the soft and multicoloured hair "I'm sorry." he said softly to Rainbow. "I'm very sorry."

"I...I'm sorry, too."

They both said nothing. At this point, Creme wasn't sure who was the one supposed to be apologizing. But it felt like their relationship was back to normal. Or at least, getting there. He continued stroking Rainbow's mane, enjoying the texture of her hair; there was a rather, calming sensation coming from the action. She didn't seem to mind him stroking her either. Rainbow had her eyes closed, and she was gently pushing her head against his hand. Creme let out a chuckle.

"What made you think I was going to chuck you out?" he asked her, pulling his hand back. For a brief second, he was pretty sure he saw Rainbow looking disappointed, but he didn't bother to figure out why.

"You did ask me to leave, you know." Rainbow said, looking at Creme. "And I almost did, but I couldn't just leave without saying sorry. So, I thought that if I stayed here, you might get rid of me yourself." Rainbow sat on her haunches. "But, at least that will give me a chance to tell you how sorry I was."

Creme sighed. "You do realize that if you did indeed leave this place, you'd cause even more trouble for me?"

Rainbow shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that? You sounded pretty convincing when you asked me to leave."

"I didn't ask you to leave. I said you were welcomed to leave at any time."

"Oh."

They stayed silent for a while, and then suddenly broke into laughter. Sonata grumbled, having been rudely awoken by the sudden sounds of loud laughter, and shifted on the couch. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing her eyelids.

"Where's the taco?" she asked sleepily. She was greeted by another round of laughter from Rainbow and Creme.

"There is no taco, Sonata." Creme chuckled, "But I'm glad you're finally back with us."

Sonata yawned. "Where am I?" she asked, looking around. "Is this...your apartment?"

"Yup."

"What...what am I doing here?"

"I tried to wake you up." Creme explained, standing up. "But all you did was snore and grunt." he headed for the fridge. "My arms were cramping up too. So, I thought I might as well let you rest at my place and figure out a way to wake you up from there." he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "Want some water?" he asked, giving the bottle a little jiggle.

Sonata nodded her head. "Yes please." she stood up from the couch and went over to Rainbow's side, sitting down beside the pony and giving her a friendly hug. "Hi, Rainbow." Sonata breathed, snuggling her head against Rainbow's soft and warm fur. "You're so soft..." Sonata closed her eyes.

"Let go of me, Sonata." Rainbow said, trying to remove herself from Sonata's hug. "Why do you always have to give me a hug whenever you see me?"

"Because you're so fluffy," Sonata mumbled, "and warm."

Rainbow rolled her eyes at Sonata. "Urgh."

"Just give it up." Creme said, carrying with him a glass of water. He handed Sonata the glass. "Here."

Sonata accepted the drink and finished the contents in two large gulps. "Have you apologize to Rainbow yet?" she asked Creme, handing him the empty glass. Rainbow took the opportunity to put as much distance between herself and Sonata.

"I did. Why else would we be laughing together?"

"Did he tell you he was sorry?" Sonata asked Rainbow, who was standing behind Creme. Rainbow nodded.

"So where's my apology?" Sonata pouted at Creme. "I'm one of the victims too, you know."

"You fell asleep, remember?"

"Well, I'm awake now."

Creme smiled. "Yes you are, and perfect timing too." he turned around to look at Rainbow. "I want to make it up to you for today. To the both of you." he glanced at Sonata.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't really have to, right?" she asked. "You already said you were sorry."

"But I want to." Creme said. "Just...go along on this with me, okay?"

Rainbow and Sonata stared at each other for a moment, both with looks of confusion painted on their faces. They nodded their heads. "Okay," Sonata said, returning to sit on the couch. "what's the plan then?"

Creme smirked at them. "First, we'll have to wait until three in the morning."

* * * * * *

"Remind me again why we have to climb all these stairs again?" Rainbow panted, wiping away the sweat on her face. "And why do I have to stay hidden under this blanket?"

Creme stopped to catch his breath. "Because, Rainbow Dash, we need to go all the way to the top of this building. And the elevator's broken."

"But why?"

"You'll see."

"I can't see with this blanket covering my whole body and face."

"The reason you're hidden underneath that is because we wouldn't want to cause a panic among the tenants."

"But wouldn't the blanket make people even more suspicious?" Sonata asked from the rear. "I mean, a blanket that moves and talks? Creepy."

"That's why we waited until three in the morning." Creme hissed. "To avoid any unwanted eyes." he resumed climbing the stairs. "Now come on. Just a few more floors to go."

"This better be a good make up plan." Rainbow groaned, following after Creme.

"It will, trust me."

A few more flights of stairs later, the trio reached the entrance to the roof of the apartment building. Creme placed his hand on the door handle and spun around. A huge grey blanket was following him, hiding Rainbow underneath it. He could hear her panting. Sonata was behind her. Compared to Rainbow, she didn't seem to be affected by the numbers of stairs they just climbed.

"We're here." Creme said, keeping his voice low. "Are you ready?"

They both nodded. Or, in Rainbow's case, the blanket went up and down a few times. "Finally." Rainbow mumbled.

Creme opened the door and stepped outside. The night sky was a sight to behold. Stars of different sizes and brightness twinkled in the black sky, like drops of white paint on a black canvas. Just above Creme, the Moon stared back at him, its craters clearly visible. The Moon illuminated the darkness, its natural light danced gently upon the buildings and lands beneath it.

"Oooh, it's so pretty!" Sonata cried, spinning around on the spot where she stood. "There are so many stars!"

"I---can't---see---anything!" Rainbow called out from under the blanket. "Somepony get this off me!"

Sonata giggled and help pulled the blanket away. As the blanket slipped off her face, Rainbow's eyes immediately widened at the sight before her.

"Whoa..." Rainbow took a step forward, gawking at sky above her. "This...this is..." words failed her.

"Cool isn't it?" Creme asked, standing next to her. "Our world's skies are much more different than Equestria's. The Moon isn't raised by a princess. And the stars are millions and millions of miles away. Each twinkling light you see before you right now is a star that is far, far away. But they all reside in the same galaxy, my home, The Milky Way."

Rainbow said nothing, she was too busy staring at the Moon and stars. Creme grinned.

"It's so beautiful." Rainbow whispered. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"That's because you've never been on Earth before, silly." Sonata said, skipping over towards them. "I've seen stars before, but never this many, or as bright."

"That's because our field of view is obstructed by artificial light. You need to be either in a secluded area, like the countryside, or, standing in a tall place to have a terrific view of the wonders above us. The timing of when you go see the stars is also important. That's why I chose three in the morning."

"So the Moon is not raised by Luna?" Rainbow asked, her eyes not leaving Earth's natural satellite.

"Nope. It orbits around us." Creme answered. "Give it a few more hours and you'll see it moving on its own, without the magic of a princess."

"And those stars, can't we reach them?" she pointed at one of the stars with her hoof.

"It will take you a few hundred years, Rainbow Dash."

"Wow." Rainbow stretched her wings. "I really wish I could take off right now. Earth's night sky seems so...awesome."

"That's the best part." Creme said, grinning. "You can."

Rainbow quickly looked at Creme, her eyes twinkling as bright as the stars above her head. "Really?" she asked excitedly. "You really mean it?"

Creme nodded. "Yup. Knock yourself out. Just be careful not to get hit by any aer---" Before Creme could finish his sentence, Rainbow took off into the sky, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

"---oplanes." Creme shook his head. He gazed at the soaring pegasus in the sky. "You really wanted to fly, didn't you?" he asked himself quietly. Even in the night sky, Creme could make out the blur which was Rainbow, flying higher and higher above him, and then suddenly falling back down only to rise again.

"Woohoo!" Rainbow yelled, enjoying the cool wind rushing against her. It was good to fly again. She did a few loops and turns in the dim, open sky. She flew through several clouds, amazed and surprised by its texture. She gazed at the Moon, wondering to herself if she could get close to it.

Rainbow halted in mid-air, and took a deep breath. The air was cool, and refreshing. She looked below at her, staring at the buildings and streets. Never before had she seen anything like this her entire life. Never before had she experienced flying in a sky such as Earth's. It was an alien yet wonderful feeling. A feeling that she enjoyed.

It was indeed good to fly again. Rainbow dived, shouting "YEEEAAAHHH!" as she went down.

"That pony is going to wake up everyone within five miles of us." Creme smacked his forehead.

"She's just really happy to be flying again." Sonata said, standing next to him. "It has been a while since she took to the sky."

"I know, I know. But still," Creme sat down. "she really needs to shout less."

Sonata tried to spot Rainbow. "This is really sweet of you, Creme." she said, giving up her search and joining Creme. "Brining us up here to watch the night sky."

"It's nothing. I'm just doing what I can to make it up to you two."

Sonata smiled. "You might have made it up for Rainbow." she looked at Creme. "But not me."

Creme chuckled. "I know, Sonata. I still owe you a proper apology, right?"

"Mmhmm." Sonata nodded. "And I'm still waiting for it."

Creme smiled. "I'm sorry, Sonata." he apologized. "For how I treated you this morning and during work as well." he looked at Sonata. "Will you forgive me?"

A giggle escaped her. "I've already did, Creme." she said softly.

The both of them continued to stare at the sky. Appreciating and enjoying the view. A few minutes later, Rainbow landed on the roof with a soft 'Thump!' beside them.

"That---was---awesome!" she exclaimed, trotting around the roof. "You have no idea how good it is to fly again."

"Must've been amazing." Creme guessed.

"You said it." Rainbow sat down on the other side of Creme. "The clouds in your world is so different than ours. I wasn't able to grab hold on any of them. And the Moon? It's just so cool!" Rainbow rattled on, describing in short details about her flight.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Rainbow Dash." Creme said, when she was done.

Rainbow glared at him. "You know you could just call me 'Rainbow', right?" she asked Creme. "Calling me by my full name all the time sounds so" --- she made a face ---"formal."

"I thought I was being polite."

"I don't hear you calling Twilight by her full name."

"I guess it depends on the pony in question."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rainbow asked, giving Creme a light push on the shoulder with her hoof.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out, Rainbow."

The three of them continued to chat, with most of the talking done by Creme, as he pointed out each star and constellation and telling them its names.

"You really know a lot about stars, don't you?" Sonata asked, after Creme pointed out the position of the Big Dipper.

"It's a hobby." Creme said. "My Dad and I used to stargaze a lot when I was younger. He'd teach me the names of the stars, and tell me stories of how people in the past used them for navigation and such."

"Do you still stargaze together?" Sonata asked.

"No."

Rainbow and Sonata both stared at Creme. He was looking at the ground, suddenly quiet.

"Creme?"

"We no longer stargaze together." Creme said, not looking up. "We no longer can."

The two of them silently watched Creme, neither of them sure of what to say to him. A minute passed before Rainbow decided to speak.

"Are...are you okay?" Rainbow asked. "Is everything alright?"

Creme sighed. "I'm fine. Just...just some bad memories."

"I'm sorry!" Sonata said. "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you!"

"It's not your fault, Sonata." Creme said, smiling weakly at her. "It's just..." his voice trailed off.

"Did something happened between you and your dad?" Rainbow asked, getting a disapproving look from Sonata, who was waving her hands frantically at Rainbow.

Creme said nothing. He wasn't sure if he should tell them about it. But he remembered what Ord had told him. Besides, he owes the two of them an explanation for his sudden lost of temper. He took a deep breath.

"Back when I was ten years old, my parents filed a divorce." he started, staring at the ground. "They got into this huge fight because my Mother went to find another lover. The day my Dad found out, he got really mad, and started shouting and yelling at her. Asking her why she betrayed him. Betrayed our family.

"My Mom told him that she no longer loved him, and wanted to find someone better. When the divorce was finalized, she just left us. Without a goodbye, without a single word. My Dad was devastated. Hurt. Betrayed. He took to drinking alcohol to free himself from the pain he felt. Life back then was difficult. It wasn't easy; I was still a little kid, oblivious to the happenings around me. Most of the time my Dad would come back drunk, and he would start crying for hours, calling out my Mother's name.

"As I grew older, money became a big issue. I needed to be fed, educated, and taken care of. But without a mom, My Dad needed to be both my father and my mother. He stopped drinking when I was thirteen years old, and took many jobs to provide income for the family. We were poor, and had to live in this small apartment. It was terrible, and I hated the place. But I hated my Dad more.

"You see, I blamed him for everything: My Mom leaving us, our poor living conditions, everything. At school, I was always bullied and made fun of by the other students. They called me names because my family was poor, and that I was motherless, left to be raised by a former drunk who can't even keep his job. I took out all my anger on my Dad.

"He never shouted at me, nor got mad at me. He would always listen patiently to my outbursts, and would always say that everything's going to be alright. That he would make everything better for the two of us. But I never believed him, for I was blinded by my own naivety. He was struggling so hard to keep our family surviving, and all I did was blame and shout at him. Such a stupid, stupid thing to do.

"Two years later, when I was fifteen. I could no longer take it. I wanted to run away, to be as far away as possible from that life of poverty. To be far away from my Dad. One night, I got into an argument with my Dad, with me doing most of the arguing. The last thing I said to him before running away was "I fucking hate you.". I just ran after that, not even bothering to close the door behind me.

"Running away was the single biggest mistake I've ever done in my entire life. I had no money, and no where to go. I had no friends or relatives. I only have my Dad. After a few hours of 'running away' I returned to the apartment. I was still mad at him, but I also needed a place to stay, at least till I had some money with me."

Creme looked up and gazed at sky. "When I got back...there were several police officers and paramedics. My apartment, my home, had been broken into. The place was a mess. But the one scene that shook me more than anything was the sight of blood. My Dad's blood. He had been assaulted by the robbers. He took a few stab wounds to the back, and suffered several heavy blows to the head.

"I cried. I watched the paramedics carry him away on a stretcher, and I followed them to the hospital. I waited at the emergency waiting room for several hours before I was allowed to see him. The doctors told me that it was a miracle my Dad survived the assault. But that was not the only news. My Dad had went into a coma."

Creme sniffed, but no tears came out. "For the past several years, even till now, my Dad is still in a coma. The doctors are unsure when he would wake up, or if he would wake up at all. And I've been waiting for him to wake up all these years. I want to tell him that I'm sorry. I want to tell him that I was a stupid, useless boy who couldn't appreciate what was in front of him. I want to tell him that I regretted all my past actions. I wanted to beg for his forgiveness, to ask from him for a second chance. I want to tell him that I love him. For he is the only Dad I would ever have for the rest of my life." Creme suddenly punched the ground with his knuckles as hard as he could.

"But now...I'm not even sure if I would ever get that chance." Creme whispered. "For all I know, I might never get the chance at all."

Creme was met with silence as he ended his story about his past. Sonata let out a whimper.

"I...I didn't realize---" she started.

"That I was such a horrible person?" Creme asked, raising his voice "That I was selfish, stupid and irresponsible?" Creme wondered why he was suddenly getting angry; he didn't get mad when he was telling Ord about it. But then again, he didn't tell Ord the entire story about his past. But what Ord told him was starting to feel more like a lie. Telling others didn't make Creme feel better; it only made him feel much worse.

"No! I---"

"That I was such an unappreciative little fuck? Tell me!" Creme shouted, not bothering to keep his voice low.

Sonata suddenly threw herself on Creme, hugging him tightly with both her hands. A pair of hooves hugged him from the other side. The act startled Creme.

"What are you---"

"Just shut up, Creme!" Rainbow said, tightening her grip around Creme. "And let Sonata finish!"

Creme obeyed her, and shut his mouth. He turned to look at Sonata.

"I...I didn't realized you had been through so much suffering." Sonata said, lifting her head up to look at him. "You must've been in pain for so long."

"I can't say I understand how you feel." Rainbow said, her voice soft. "But I want you to know that we're here for you."

Creme was speechless. Here he was, expecting them to tell him how disgusted they were by his past. But instead, they were hugging him, and offering their support. Support he never had before in the past. Support from friends he once dreamed of having when he was a teenager.

"I...Aren't you shocked by how I acted in the past? That past was a part of me! It's who I am!" Creme exclaimed. "It still is." he added quietly.

'Creme." Rainbow said. "I'm going to tell you this once. Cause it kinda sounds like something Twilight would say: Your past does not define you, cause your past is not today."

For the first time in forever, Creme cried.

Comments

[Fresnor]

And elsewhere a certain red and yellow haired female sneezes.

[Crafty Arts]

Really? Had to take a line from Sunset Shimmer's song? I mean, it wasn't BAD, but it could have worked better if it was more subtle haha
Anyway, aside from the usual errors, it's still good

[Eggtaro]

5974403 thanks for the tips brah! I really gotta work on my grammar and writing.

[Eggtaro]

5974482 i know right? i should try making it more subtle next time i plan to add stuff like that. Anyway, for the errors, is it mostly punctuation? Or grammar? Or both?

[ThatBatJess]

Creme stopped to catch his breath. "Because, Rainbow Dash, we need to go all the way to the top of this building. And the elevator's broken."

Hmm.. I bet Penny, Sheldon, and Leonard all live in this building too.

[Crafty Arts]

5974752 grammar, lots and lots of grammar, just like the other chapters. Not too distracting, but plenty. Most are just words in the wrong tense.

[Eggtaro]

5975981 oh my stars thanks dude! Will improve on this (i really really do)

[Night_Striker]

finnaly a upp date XD and i like how this is proggresing. now is it just to wait an see what happens next and keep the good work upp and dont you leet pepole say adder wise XD

yay cookies
pnkie how did you iven ....
[/what? this is a good story and i'm a haker and gasp my cookie!!color]
-_- dont ask it's just pinkiepie dont ask dont ask

[nightwalker]

for this not being dead! Was certainly interesting, and I liked the parts centering around Rainbow.

So now that we've got the domestic issues out of the way (largely, anyway) let's see where we're off to now.

[amiamera]

I'm not sure what to make of this story so far. The problem for me is this story just doesn't feel real. At some point my suspension of disbelief was busted and it doesn't want to come back and I don't know when or why.

On a side note: didn't getting into an argument with his dad potentially save his life? If he'd been there he could have been hurt just as bad or worse than his dad, hell his dad could have played hero and actually died for him. There's nothing to indicate that the robbers would have done anything different if he was there. It's implications like these that make me less sympathetic.

[A random person]

'your past is not today' i see what you did there....

[Headlock1_0]

I think this story needs a 'sad' tag now. Oh, man, that was a real tear-jerker.

Edit: also, I forgot to mention: nice use of the title of Sunset Shimmer's song. I like it.

[mycarhasaMoustache]

6001550 Well there is the fact he left the door open when he left.
If he had not had the argument and still been at home he would have had a chance to talk to his dad before he passed out and was taken to hospital. He also wouldn't be worried that the last thing he said to him was

"I fucking hate you"

[keaton-furman-prower]

Oh wow... I did not see that coming

[thetinybrony]

5975183
Probably not, or else we would see Sheldon barging in saying there is no such thing as magic to Penny. Only they walk into Creme's apartment and see Rainbow Dash.