Only One Speck of Dust

by TheMareWhoSaysNi

Chapitre 25

The store was empty. It floated an odd silence there, something a little formal and solemn. The walls painted in dazzling white and the red carpeting on the floor, were not very usual in this area. The glasses of the windows more transparent than pure water in which shone diamonds, sapphires and rubies, and sparkled gold and silver… This whole in a frame of soft lights coming from the chandelier hanging at the ceiling.

Soarin glimpsed at Rainbow Dash, waiting while looking what was inside the windows, not really paying attention to it. She had insisted for him to come with her, under the excuse that she was looking for the perfect wedding anniversary gift for her parents… Obviously, she already had found it.

Maybe she only wanted to spend some time alone with him. If that was the case, she probably did not realize the not-so-subtle message sent by an outing such as this one. It was rare that couples were going to a jeweler’s together without any kind of idea, of ulterior motives. After thinking about it, he was ready to bet that she had none. But all the same, this felt… special.

The salespony and owner, a male brown unicorn with a thick creamy mane wearing a monocle at his right eye, levitated a rectangular box to the counter where they both stood, and opened it in front of Rainbow Dash. In the red-velvet box, there were two white gold pendants. At the end of the smallest one hung a small key on which a tiny diamond had been encrusted, and on the biggest one, a padlock of the same size, with the same diamond.

“Does it match with what you’ve asked, Miss Rainbow Dash?”

“That’s perfect”, she answered with a smile. “You can wrap it. In white and pink, if you can…”

Just like her parents’ coats. She had thought about the least of details. With a shoulder pat, she called in to Soarin in a whisper, while the salespony was busy levitating tissue and ribbons.

“What’s your opinion? Isn’t it pretty?”

“Well, yeah… Very much. What does it mean?”

“Ah! I’ll explain when they’ll open it. I hope it won’t sound too… sappy. Or what a shame.”

He rolled his eyes. It was her parents’ wedding anniversary, something important, and she could not help but thinking about her reputation. It to be sentimental was in agreement with the topic, there was no need to hide or anything. Although her reaction did not really surprise him.

Her wing injury was not really healed yet, and if she had held him tight in delight while he was carrying her on his back in the air, as soon as she had touched the ground and met other ponies, she had refused for him to take her wing – the one “well and able” – in public on their way to the store. In fact, he could bet it would still be this way once they would be out of the place.

Once the present wrapped to Rainbow Dash’s tastes, the salespony used his magic again to put it into her saddlebag. One minute later, they were out.

Soarin tightened his cloak around his body. The difference of temperature between the warmth of the store and the roughness of the outside was clear. Wind came to whip his muzzle, like trying to tame it, and altered his breath. Beside him, Rainbow Dash seemed very proud of herself, and gamboled with a wide smile upon her face.

The snow was still thick and spongy at the same time. The lamppost torches were all lit, and almost gave an impression of sun on the whole. Ponies were strolling through the streets, carrying baskets and bags, as if nothing horrible could happen. As if life was something smooth, a matter of course.

“Let’s have a warm cider at the Belle Horseshoe’s”, she suggested.

That was how Soarin realized two things. He only knew Ponyville by night and never really had ventured here on his own, since the two months and a half he had spent here. Days were too short for him to afford it, what made him only had a glimpse of the restless nightly life, and he had no idea how warm this place could look once you really tried to pay attention. Yes, there was a lot of risk-factors, yes, thefts and violence were daily misfortunes. Yet Ponyville contained many other secrets.

His second realization was the following… Rainbow Dash, though she did no tender gestures toward him while in front of the others, did not in the least felt embarrassed to be seen in his company. The fact that the whole city know that she had replaced in her heart their so perfect Time Stellar (at least, the impression of perfection he made Soarin feel about him) did not seem to be any kind of trouble for her. Quite the reverse.

Happy about these two topics, he followed her trotting with a pleased face that always made him look a bit stupid. Too bad. Although she refused his affection in public, it did not matter. She proved to him what she had said when they were alone were not idle words but facts.

Before they reached the bar, however, a very young orange filly, dressed in a brand new red cloak, the kind of cloaks like they sold at the Ponyville tourist information center, and supposed to show her admiration for The Militia, came to meddle up with them, trotting by their sides as if she had been their lifetime intimate friend.

“Hey, I know who you are”, Rainbow Dash told her. “We helped your mother, didn’t we?”

“Yes. Name’s Scootaloo, by the by… I wanted to thank you. Ever since, mommy has a new job, she’s taking care of things at the Administrative Office. I know it’s thanks to you.”

Soarin raised a surprised eyebrow. He knew his marefriend was kinder than what she let the others know, and that she had a lot of heart qualities which were visible through despite it all, yet he did not think she could display altruism to the extent of transforming the life of a filly she barely knew.

Young Scootaloo, with her purple mane covered by woolen knit cap with Ponyville’s acronym embroidered on it, did not let them go all the same. She kept on walking by their side, smiling from ear to ear.

“I’ve read all the books of the library about The Militia’s history and the Fratricide War. I know everything about you, you’re my heroin.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m awesome.”

“Before, I wanted to become the first mare to be Leader of the Cavalry”, she said without pointing the remark out. “But since I met you, I’ve changed my mind. I want to be a part of Ponyville’s Militia. Please, take me as a new recruit. It’s my biggest dream.”

Rainbow Dash stopped her progression. How old this filly was? Nine, maybe ten… She did not really realize what it was like to be a Member of the Militia, despite all the books she could have read on the subject.

Seen from outside and through unexperienced eyes, what they were doing could appear as exciting or gratifying, but the reality was that for as many thanks and congratulations, there was the equal parts in danger, decisions hard to take and face to face with death. Her experience within the Cavalry had showed her there were sometimes a whole universe of differences between a fantasy and rough reality.

Fortunately, there was a factor which allowed her to reject her request without harming the young pegasus filly.

“It’s a good thing to have dreams, but you know, you have no experience in the art of fighting, and you need to be at least fourteen to enlist The Militia.”

The observation was far from stopping Scootaloo. She was determined, and had decided not to let anything go until she would get satisfaction. There was a rank she could acceded to. They did not fight, and were there only to assist the Second Class Fighters and the First Class Lieutenants, like some sort of personal assistant.

“Not to be a Cadet, I know that. I’m ready to do anything. I’ll clean the floor, I’ll fix the cloaks, the wooden swords… I’ll help the new Main Quartermaster with her supply orders, her bookkeeping, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything you want.”

Once again, Rainbow Dash needed a pause for reflection. The Cadet’s rank was rather riskless, but the circumstances were complicated. She could not explain Scootaloo point blank that a threat bigger than what she had to confront until then hovered over Ponyville and Equestria. It could scare her and provoke a wave of panic if their conversation was overheard.

She glimpsed at Soarin. His soften smile suggested he had been trapped by the begging speech of the kid. It was not very surprising from him… Under the armor of redoubtable fighter lied a very sensitive heart. Alright, this was part of the things for which she cared for him – she still refused to say the four-letter word – but he should not be ignoring this was not the perfect moment to integrate so young a new recruit to their team, even if just to clean the mats of the training room.

Unless… Yes, it was a solution that would suit both of the parts. No matter if this rank did not exist in reality. It would be enough to satisfy her.

“Well, listen, kid… Err, Scootaloo. This is what we’re going to do. You’ll be my own Cadet, under my personal surveillance. Would it be okay?”

“Oh yes, yes, yes, yes!” The small pegasus cried, while jumping around Soarin and Rainbow Dash. “That’s great! When I’ll tell the others at school, they won’t believe it! When can I start?”

“Well… What about next week?”

“Sweet! You’re the best, Rainbow Dash.”

Scootaloo stepped closer and held her foreleg, for lack of being able to hold anything else because of her small height. Rainbow Dash answered by wrapping a wing around her, with some kind of tensed smile on her face.

“Heehee, I knew that already.”

Satisfied, the filly went away gamboling in the snow, under the surprised gaze of bystanders. She had been given no place to go or time to arrive but it seemed to be of a very little importance to her.

Did Rainbow Dash really intended to take her under her wing? Yes, and no. She had a lot of liking for this dynamic and promising youth, yet at the same time, she thought that if she could forget about it, it would be safer for her future. The later she would have to get to know what she knew as her daily routine; the better she would feel… Of this, the mare pegasus was sure.

Soarin and her carried on their way to the bar, but unfortunately were not able to reach the building of bricks when they were requested again, this time by a day Second Class Fighter, Berryshine.

“Rainbow Dash, Soarin, you absolutely must come… We got a problem. I know you’re not on duty but I didn’t know what else to do.”

They looked at each other, their heart like under the strike of an electric shock. It was never something good when they were called in the middle of the day. The last time it had happened, it had ended with Double Diamond’s death.

Without hesitation, they ran behind Berryshine, holding their breath. Because they had been prepared to anything, they were expecting anything. However, when they arrived in the narrow street indicated by the Second Class Fighter, they both were surprised they just saw a mare pegasus hunched up on herself, shaking from head to hooves. Her cloak had been ripped off, and one of her hind hooves displayed a wound large like a pencil but which extended on the whole sand-colored surface. She also had a complete succession of bruises on her ribs, her flank and forelegs.

Getting a little closer, Rainbow Dash noticed she had been branded. Under her Cutie Mark representing three pink butterflies was another acronym, a rose accompanied by a feather. The signature of a grinding shack renowned for its bad treatment of the mares who worked there.

“What has happened?”, she asked Berryshine.

“Two stallions have attacked her. They have tried to sexually abuse her but we came back in time to stop it. The problem is that she’s so traumatized that she refuses anyone to touch her. The physician ponies can’t even approach her. I… I don’t know what to do.”

Rainbow Dash exchanged new looks with Soarin. They both immediately understood each other. If she had suffered from a sexual abuse and that she came from a grinding shack and refused the physician ponies’ help, they bet she would not want another stallion to approach her. She had better take care of this problem herself.

With cautious steps, she stepped even closer. During days, the small paths were better lit than in the middle of the night, which did not stop the spot from being dark, bathing in a suffocating mood that gave to it appearances of a cut-throat area.

“Hello… I’m Rainbow Dash… What about you?”

The mare pegasus’ face was half-hidden with her long candy pink mane, and in her blue eyes, dread was palpable. Despite it all, she managed to looked toward Rainbow Dash and reluctantly, whispered her name… It was Fluttershy.

“Do you know who I am?”

Shy, she nodded. Even without knowing her face, it was impossible not having heard talk about her at least once. The fact Fluttershy agreed to listen to her already was a step forwards. With calm and diplomacy, Rainbow Dash had no doubts that she would be able to ensure that she opened herself a little more.

“This is Soarin behind me. He’s also part of The Militia, and he’s a really nice pony. You don’t have to be afraid. Can he come closer? I promise he won’t hurt you.”

Once again, Fluttershy nodded. If she accepted Soarin to be closer, even a little bit, it meant they were both on the right way.

This latter stepped a bit forward yet stayed in the background enough not to scare the mare too much, as she was still shaking.

“Your wound doesn’t seem deep. If you let the physician mares bring you to some free clinic, it will be healed in no time. No pony will harm you, you have my word.”

“I… I don’t want to. He… He will find me.”

“Who, ‘he’? Your grind shack’s boss?”

Fluttershy hunched up on herself a little more, and started to shake even more, her pupils dilated.

Rainbow Dash did not need more information to decipher her situation. She probably had fled after she had suffered from too many mistreatments from this boorish who was known all over Ponyville to beat the mares, and she undoubtedly thought that if he ever found her back, the treatment which was going to be in store for her would be even worse. The assault she had just dealt with would not fix it, just the reverse.

Very few solutions were available. There was no way she would abandon this terrorized mare to her own fate, and if she refused to be healed, even a small wound like this one, added up to bad life conditions, could take proportions enough to put her life in danger.

It was her duty to protect Ponyville’s citizens, with no differentiation of gender, class or age. Of course, she did not know Fluttershy, but her red-hot iron tattoo spoke for her, along with her wounded body.

They already had taken Twilight Sparkle in, and it had been a few days since Soarin slept in her bed and did not come back to the small shack he had found for rent, but Rainbow Dash thought that at this point, a pony more or less would not change a thing… And, she could not let her without help. This too was her duty.

“Here is what I propose to you… You’re going to come with me at the Royal Tavern and Inn where my friend Applejack is going to heal you. I promise no pony from your grinding shack would think about looking for you here. They don’t want to have to confront my father, trust me… and they don’t want to have to confront with me, neither, by the way. I bet they’re shaking like leaves just by hearing my name.”

Soarin could not help but to face hoof. She always had to do too much… It was to wonder even why he kept on being surprised.

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, then at her coltfriend, who smiled at her as warmly as he could. She seemed to hesitate… It was not either as if the other options were worth to envision. In her case, what was offered now was the best. She was scared, this was obvious, but there was no other solution if she wanted to do fine without too many damages.

When finally, she nodded again, Rainbow Dash sent back Berryshine, as well as the poor physician mares who had been waiting for nothing. It would not be very easy to bring Fluttershy back to the Great Weaver, particularly if she refused that Soarin, the only one of them who was able to fly, to approach or touch her.

However, the air path was the simplest. It permitted no one to spot them with her on their backs, and for the pony who was looking for her not to have suspicions. They would have to find some cartwheel, and to cover her with a cloak. It would be hard but not impossible.

There was something else about this scared pegasus which immediately made them want to trust her. An intuitive softness, something Rainbow Dash did not possess, except in some occasions, in the private sphere, and yet, she kept this face of hers to a hooful of honored ones – between them the stallion by her side, to which she had finally gave a flawless devotion, even without noticing.

Comments

[Dusk_Writer]

Fluttershy!
Now all we're missing to join Rainbow is Rarity…