Quiet Conversation

by Destiny-brave-fire

Lucky Night

It was later in the evening that Blue Jay found herself sitting towards the back of a small, quiet restaurant. The lights were dimmed low and each table there was a lone candle the gave off a little extra light and heat. Sitting in a booth, she looked over the menu trying to decide on what to order and finally settled on the hay fries and hayburger. While she waited for her dinner, she glanced around the restaurant bored since she didn’t have any friends to hang out with her, nor did she bring anything to do while she waited. Thankfully she didn’t have to wait long and was eating slowly when she caught a light blue stallion with a light amber and pale amber streaked mane walk past on his way to the little colts’ room. “Lightning Streak?” she whispered.

The stallion froze and turned before locking his eyes with Blue Jay’s and in a flash, he stood by her table holding her hoof in his. “The one and only Lightning Streak at your service.” He flashed her a smile and went to kiss Blue Jay’s hoof but she pulled it away. “Though, for the right price I can-” He was cut off before he could get any further by another stallion pushing his head down.

“Weren’t you heading to the bathroom?” A stallion with a white coat and an orange with a pale orange streak mane asked as he kept his hoof on Lightning Streak’s head.

“She called me over, bro.” Lightning Streak replied as he pushed his brother’s hoof off.

“Yeah, somehow I seriously doubt that.” Fire Streak rolled his eyes before spinning his brother around to face the bathroom and nudged him in that direction. “Go on now.”

“Fine, fine, I’m going. But I already know she wants me.” Lightning Streak finished with a grin before he was pushed away.

Fire Streak sighed and waited until his brother disappeared before turning to look at Blue Jay. “I apologize for my brother. Moron thinks he’s Faust’s gift to every mare. Are you alright?”

Blue Jay nodded as she replayed the entire conversation in her head, but nodded. “Yes, I just wasn’t expecting that.” She admitted quietly. “I was trying to figure out if it really was-”

Fire Streak put a hoof in front of Blue Jay’s mouth before she could continue. “Not to be rude, but he can hear his name coming from a mare’s lips no matter how quiet they say it.”

Blue Jay nodded and ate a couple of hayfries and offered Fire Streak some subconsciously after he removed his hoof.

Fire Streak politely declined. “So, you were trying to determine if we really were who we are?”

“Yes. I just didn’t think you’d guys would come to a small place like this.”

Fire Streak laughed. “Oh, most of the Wonderbolts prefer these places after telling everypony we’re eating someplace else. Allows us to eat in peace you see?”

“I understand” Blue Jay smiled. “Oh, please, have a seat. You don’t have to keep standing there.”

Fire Streak shook his head. “Thank you for the offer, but I do have to get back to my squad mates at some point.”

“It’s not just you and- your brother?”

“Misty Fly and Surprise are with us.”

Blue Jay looked past Fire Streak to see if she could see the other two Wonderbolts but couldn’t see either of them from where she was sitting. “Really? You mean that I’m eating in the restaurant with four of the Wonderbolts?”

“That’s correct.” Fire Streak looked back at his table to hide the amusement in his eyes in time to see Lightning Streak sit down, then looked back to Blue Jay. “None of us normally offer this, but because of my idiotic brother, I want to make it up to you. Would you like to join us?”

Blue Jay eyes widen and she froze not believing her luck. Just as Fire Streak was about to ask if she was alright, she shook her head and blushed before looking down at the table. “I wouldn’t consider myself worthy.” She couldn’t believe herself, having just been offered to eat with squad three and she was turning them down?

“Okay, that’s fine. It was nice to meet you.” Fire Streak turned and hadn’t gotten two steps when he heard Blue Jay call out.

“You really mean I can join you guys?”

Fire Streak looked back and nodded. “Yes, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.” As Blue Jay stood up, he used his wing to grab her plate and carried it back to his table while Blue Jay followed with her drink. The others looked up when Fire Streak set the plate down.
“Whoa, no fair bro, I saw her first.” Lightning Streak exasperated.

“Shut up, Lightning.” Fire Streak pushed him further down the booth and sat beside him before offering the end to Blue Jay. “Sitting opposite of me is Misty Fly, beside her is Surprise, of course you know him and I’m Fire Streak.” He went around the table introducing everypony with them waving in response. “And this is….”

“Um… I’m Blue Jay.” She introduced herself before sitting down as Fire Streak signed Blue Jay’s name to Misty Fly. As squad three spoke, Blue Jay watched the interaction between them, still not believing that she had been offered a seat with them, and how Fire Streak and Misty Fly interacted in particular. “Fire Streak… is Misty Fly…” She leaned in close and whispered “…deaf?”

“Can I get a-” Lightning Streak began but got cut off as Surprise clamped his mouth shut with two halves of a sub bun.

“Yes, though may I ask that you keep that to yourself?” Fire Streak asked as Blue Jay hoofed her necklace.

“Of course.” Blue Jay then glanced over to Misty Fly, then back to Fire Streak. “How do you sign ‘I’m sorry if I was rude, I didn’t know’?” She asked and Fire Streak showed her before Blue Jay mimicked the signs, getting it completely right on the third attempt.

Misty Fly held a wing to her mouth and extended it outwards followed by a couple more hoof and wing motions.

“She thanks you for being considerate.” Fire Streak told her. “If you repeat her first sign, it’ll mean you’re welcome. Just don’t pucker your lips unless you've taken a liking to her.”

Blue Jay did as he suggested which earned her a large smile from Misty Fly. The group of pegasi soon ordered dessert, which consisted of a hot fudge sundae, two slices of apple pie, and a few large bowls of ice cream. “You’re really going to eat all this?”

“Yep!” Surprise exclaimed as she pulled two of the ice cream bowls towards her while Misty Fly passed out the spoons and they each thanked her. “Ever wonder how we have so much energy during our shows?”

Fire Streak chuckled at Blue Jay’s wide-eyed expression. “She’s kidding. Surprise is probably the only one I know that can eat all this and not go into a sugar coma.”

As they were eating the desserts, Lightning Streak looked to his brother. “Bro, don’t forget about the party.” It wasn’t that they forgot the event, it was just they hadn’t realized how much time had passed.

“Oh right.” Fire Streak was about to relay the reminder to Misty Fly but felt Blue Jay tap his arm so he looked at her first. “What’s up, Blue Jay?”

“Before you guys leave; can I tell Misty Fly something?” Blue Jay whispered as she suddenly felt very conscious about what she was planning to say.

“Certainly.” Fire Streak smiled and patted Blue Jay’s arm that had gripped his nervously. “Surprise, brother, why don’t you two go ahead and let the others know we’ll be a few minutes late.” After he was done talking, he signed what he had just said to Misty Fly.

“Sure.” Surprise said standing beside the table with her arm around Lightning Streak’s neck.

“I sure don’t mind this.” Lightning Streak grinned but Surprise dropped him before he could get to comfortable.

“How did-” Blue Jay started looking between the spot where Surprise had sat over to where she currently stood.

“Don’t question it. It’ll just make your brain hurt.” Fire Streak offered while Lightning Streak leaned in close.

“Hey sweetie, how about a kiss for the road?” Lightning Streak asked getting closer until a cane hooked around his neck and pulled him away with Surprise holding the other end. “You sure you don’t want me, Surprise?” He asked dreamily but whatever Surprise’s response was going to be got cut off by the door shutting.

“Again, I apologize for him.” Fire Streak groaned as he shifted down the bench to give Blue Jay a little more room now that they weren’t crowding the bench.

“It’s okay, I was starting to get used to him.” Blue Jay replied before taking a deep breath. “Are you ready, Fire?”

Fire Streak nodded. “Whenever you are.”

Art by: Foxena

Blue Jay reached up and took the necklace off before setting it on the table to buy herself a couple more seconds. She figured Misty Fly wouldn’t do anything giving their conditions, but she was still afraid since she would be exposing a deep secret to a stranger. As the necklace touched the table, every sound around her became quieter. “Misty Fly, I’m deaf as well. This necklace allows me to hear normally by amplifying sounds and voices. But without it, I can’t hear a whole lot. I want to be fair to you.”

“So how I can I translate what Misty Fly says if you can’t hear either?” Fire Streak asked, not sure if Blue Jay would hear him.

Blue Jay turned to look at him. “Depends on the noise level, how well I know a pony’s voice, and how close I am to that pony. I can hear you just fine because this place is quiet enough but if I was across the room, there’s no way I could hear you.”

“Ah.” Fire Streak signed it to Misty Fly and she replied back. “She wants to know if you were born deaf or if something happened. That is, if you’re comfortable answering that.”

“I don’t mind it anymore.” Blue Jay said looking back to Misty Fly. “It’s usually the first questions ponies ask me when I reveal that.” She gave her a small smile to let Misty Fly know she wasn’t offended before shrugging her shoulders. “More than likely, but honestly, I don’t know. I was three when the doctors learned something was wrong and I’ve been wearing the amplifiers ever since. Growing up, I didn’t have many friends and got teased mercilessly by other colts all because I was different… because… I had a disability but did any of them even try to understand? No, because that would have been too difficult for them.” She angrily wiped a tear away as she recalled her fillyhood and once the memory ran its course, she sighed softly.

“My parents, brother, and sister were behind me and did their best to help me.” Blue Jay continued. “But there were times when it felt like they fell short because they didn’t truly understand. One of the things they did was to have me focus on the success of other ponies yet even that fell through. All the ponies that were successful were perfect, only two ponies in the Equestria Symphony Orchestra wear glasses, and until today, it looked like every Wonderbolt was perfect in every sense of the word –no offense, Fire–”

“None taken.” Fire Streak quietly added.

“–and I felt like I was the only one who was deaf and to be honest, I lost my confidence that I could make something of myself, to be of use to somepony….” Blue Jay hadn’t realized tears were falling down her cheeks freely until Misty Fly handed her a handkerchief –with a light blue embroidered pattern and a couple red hearts in one corner on it– and she quickly dried her eyes. “Then I got invited to sit with you guys and… and….” She tried to continue but her mind couldn’t decide how to put into words what the multiple thoughts were.

“There, there, Blue Jay.” Fire Streak said as he put a comforting wing around Blue Jay’s shoulder so he still had his hooves free. “Take the time you need to compose your thoughts.”

Blue Jay sniffled. “But you’ll be even later to your party if you stay.”

“That’s nice of you to care.” Fire Streak smiled. “There will be many more opportunities to party, but only one opportunity to listen to a fan’s story.” As he spoke, he continued to sign what he was saying to Misty Fly and she nodded. “Even Misty Fly agrees; the fans are always more important than parties.”

Misty Fly waited patiently for a couple of seconds before motioning to Fire Streak and telling him something and he signed back, liking the idea.

“While you collect your thoughts, Misty Fly wants to tell you a story.” Fire Streak said and removed his wing from Blue Jay’s back. “If it’s the one I think it is, only a few ponies actually know this.” He finished and Blue Jay nodded while still holding the handkerchief and once their drinks were refilled, Misty Fly began her story.

Author's Note:

Artwork is by Foxena.
Fire Streak and Misty Fly belong to Hasbro, but the personalities and secret belong to Calm Wind.

To be honest, this is how I feel at times with the TV shows and movies because I'm deaf as well. I wrote Calm Wind to thank him for what he did with Misty Fly but wanted to do something in return. So after a while, I decided to write this even though I was nervous because that would be revealing something that's a part of me to strangers.

Comments

[Zoljen]

Good story, also noticed a typo.

but only one opportunity to listen to a fan’s story.”

Near the end of the chapter. But otherwise very good.

[Destiny-brave-fire]

6829104 Gah, thank you for catching that. Got it fixed already.

[The Forgotten Comrade]

This is interesting.