Only One Speck of Dust

by TheMareWhoSaysNi

Chapter 26

With her hooves, she smoothed out a fold on the blue shirt he had worn to make a good impression. If she had her way, Rainbow Dash would have chosen for no one to get dressed. Outside, with that cold, yes… But inside, warmed up by the huge central fireplace adding with the inn’s cabaret’s coal-burners… Notwithstanding, her parents had demanded it – formal dress required.

Herself had tied her long mane in a complicated braid made by Melrose, who also had created for her a hairclip in the shape of her Cutie Mark, and she had worn a dress of a deep purple called Byzantium surrounded by a cream-colored lining which reminded her of the Ceaseless Night clouds.

“Do I look presentable?”, Soarin asked with a quaking voice.

“More than presentable. Just perfect. As always”, Rainbow Dash answered, focused while replacing his crooked tie.

“Do you really mean it?”

She rolled her eyes.

“I don’t. I’m dating you because I think you’re damn ugly.”

In these moments, she might well care for him… it was no use. She always thought he was a bit stupid. At first, she had been a bit embarrassed, and by getting to know him better and more about his character, she had finally dealt with it and even accepted this goofy appearance as one of the elements of his charm.

Maybe sometimes he was a bit of a goofball, but he was her goofball. And all his immense qualities remedied it.

“Are you ready?”, she questioned him with a half-smile.

“No.”

“So, let’s go!”

Not letting him the choice, she pushed him forward, forcing him to go through the two doors which led to the cabaret.

Everyone already was here, and all dressed up. The thick red curtains of the wide stage, in the back, all were down, and a huge banner had been extended here, with the message “good silver wedding anniversary to Firefly and Uncloudy Shelter” on it, with pink and white letters. All the tables and chairs had been put on the side, and only two of them, the biggest ones, were taking center stage in the room with ivory and blue tapestries. Both were filled with food and beverages in the least corners.

Soarin could not help but to gulp. Here he was, at a few inches away from him… The Armed Weapon of Destruction in person. His marefriend’s father. For the first time, he fully realized this reality, which had not hit him until then, because he had not paid much attention to it. He was in love with this giant’s daughter, this pony who had put his life at the service of Equestria, who would have been ready to kill his own twin brother to make sure the others would live peacefully. His foalhood’s hero, no more, no less.

If he listened to his voice within, he could spend the whole night here, looking at everyone moving around, unable to believe it. It was excluding Rainbow Dash. Once again, she pushed him forward, so that they will all noticed they were arrived.

He felt all his muscles freeze. Uncloudy Shelter and Firefly turned around at the same time, and offered him a smile of a remarkable warmth which soothed a little the tension inside his stomach.

“Hey, you might be Soarin”, the pink pegasus mare questioned.

Immediately, not waiting for his answer, Uncloudy Shelter made him a hoof sign.

“Come closer. Have a drink with everyone.”

Rainbow Dash passed him by with a smile, encouraging him as well to move forward. It was simple… All he had to do was to act like before a fight, when this dread clasped his chest in a vise. He took a deep breath, and went there, since he did not have the choice to do otherwise.

Each were reunited around one of the tables, while little Apple Bloom, here as well until ten, late hour for her young age, played the bartender by pouring a bowlful of cider to everyone.

When it was her turn, Melrose took a glimpse at her two other children. Big Macintosh, since always, never had been a very vivid stallion. He spoke a little, even to her, and displayed a great discretion in many fields. However, he always had a really warm relationship with his sister Applejack. They both loved each other and were ready to do anything for one another. Tonight, though they were doing all the efforts of the world not to let their mother guess, she could feel it… There was something different in their attitudes.

It was nothing new. It already had been a few days since they were looking contented in front of her but she had perceived a distance between them. A thin wall of ice separated them and none of them both dared to cross the safe zone. Something had happened, something she ignored, but which had consumed the bound that linked together her two dearest ponies, along with Apple Bloom.

If the young filly was not her real daughter, she was all the same treated as such, and neither Applejack nor Big Macintosh made a difference. They talked about her saying “my little sister”, liked to play with her and to teach her values proper of the family. She was a loved, petted filly, glad to be a part of this big family a bit mismatched. It was verified when one saw how happy she was to act as a bartender for everyone…

Whatever, it was clear that tonight was not the right night to talk with her children, to try to solve the mystery behind their sudden disagreement, if not to try to make everything she could in order to reconcile them. It was a day of celebration… The celebration of the marriage of her two best friends. Two formidable ponies whom she considered she owed everything… and who considered they owed her everything as well. They had been through so many ordeals together.

Melrose still remembered their first encounter with Uncloudy Shelter, when they finally had got hold of him after long months of tracking. Their triumph, when they thought they had caught him. The most wanted pony of all Equestria. The one who had been accused of having destroying parts of the city of Manehattan by pure jealousy and spite, when he had been nothing but a manipulated puppet. Like many others.

They had quickly understood that, like the rest of the population, they had been fooled and he had never tried to turn against the Cavalry. It was the Cavalry which had turned against him, under the influence of Knight Shelter, at that point Head of the Web. The two mares had then decided to take up arms by Uncloudy’s side, and loved had done the rest. When Longreen Woodrow had joined them, their team had become stronger, sturdier. They had fight with valor and bravery, until the finale victory. The price of it had been very high, of course, especially for Melrose. But “good” had finally triumphed.

In a corner of the room, Knight Shelter stayed a bit in the background, and watched at all these folks performing. Their eyes met, and he outlined a half-smile, before drinking his glass down in one go. Of them all, he was the only one with who Melrose found it hard to be at ease, even after more than twenty years. The stallion she loved had died because of him. It was not something she could forget. Admittedly, he had shown to be very able to start again with a clean slate when Spitfire had stepped into his life. Yet she knew – some of his principles were still the same.

And it was too late for it to change now. Sitting on one of the tables on the side, Knight ran his mauve eyes through the room. Melrose had stared at him for a few seconds… Spitfire, incredibly alluring in her dress matching her mane, made him think about a blazing comet which would ravage everything on its way. She was talking with this young purple unicorn his niece had brought back one week ago, asking whether a bedroom free of charge was available for her.

Of all time, he had found funny to watch ponies react to this or this situation. In particular, the hardest ones to cope with. Inasmuch, his ever-increasing family never disappointed him.

Each had built a destiny that was far from the deadly boredom he had expected at first, when his twin Uncloudy had brought him to Ponyville in order to reform him, along with the two mares he had met during the Fratricide War, and who had showed themselves to be almost simultaneously pregnant. At that moment, Knight would have chosen to die, rather than to live a well-ordered and monotonous existence among them. Fortunately, the two fillies born after had raised his interest for life.

They never missed to entertain him, Rainbow Dash as well as Applejack. Offered as evidence, even during this day of celebration, they both brought a very interesting piece to this little daily puzzle. The earth mare and her older brother, Big Macintosh, this tall stallion Knight had almost known in diapers, pretended to get along, yet obviously, they were quarreled for some mysterious reasons.

As for his niece, she had brought back with her a new coltfriend, that Firefly and Uncloudy Shelter had wished to meet ever since they had learned about their relationship. A kid from Cloudsdale, his back ribbed by a scar all along his spine that was exceeding his shirt. More interesting than the first one, Knight thought, remembering Time Stellar. Many times he had hoped that the apparently perfect stallion would fly off the handle, even for a single second. What was the name of this new one, already? Impossible to remember.

He heard his brother asking him what his parents were doing for a living, and saw Rainbow Dash performing wide gestures like begging them not to talk about that. Too late. The kid which name he still could not remember reported that his parents had died in an accident, and Knight saw his niece putting a hoof against her forehead.

Entertaining. It lacked a bit of passion, but for now, things were not too boring.

A quick glance at the right side where Applejack was now talking with the purple unicorn – which name he could not remember either – and her brother was at the other side of the room with his mother, doing his best to act natural, made him understand that this second case was much funnier to watch.

Applejack felt his fig-colored eyes on her, bringing all its weight. Knight Shelter was having fun with their reactions, as usual. She swept the trouble with a shrug. He had always been this way as far as she could remember, and although his heavy glances kept on bothering her sometimes, she had learned to flout it, like the rest of them.

“It’s nice to see ya smilin’ like dis”, she told Twilight Sparkle who was watching her surroundings with a visible delight.

“I haven’t realized how I’ve missed being around ponies.”

Rainbow Dash had just joined their little circle of conversation, after she had checked whether Fluttershy, who she had decided to invite in order to take her mind off things, was not too impressed by them all.

“I also miss my own family”, Twilight kept on saying. “I haven’t seen them for so long… And my big brother…”

“You have a brother?”

“Yes. And because of my banishment, I lost touch with him as well. He’s the Leader of the Cavalry.”

With surprise, she saw the two mares spitting out the contents of their drinks. How could she have deprived them of such a high-profile information? It could be a game-changer, even if the Cavalry took action only in the case where the Head’s Council and a too vast number of Members of the Militia were killed. New perspectives were in sight.

“Is it that shocking?”, Twilight asked pouring them new drinks with her magic.

“It’s not shocking, Twilight. It’s fucking important! It’s an advantage we might need in the future.”

“If I can get in touch with him again...”

“Why couldn’t ya? It’s not yar fault what had happened after all.”

“I don’t know”, she reported, lowering her eyes toward the tablecloth. “It’s been so long. What if he held a grudge against me?”

“You have to try. For yourself… and also, a little for us”, Rainbow Dash rounded off.

She threw a glance at the table where she had left Soarin with her parents, and smiled when she observed that, like foreseen, Uncloudy Shelter and Firefly liked him a lot. It was important for her. Her parents were her biggest inspiration, her guides through the existence. The reference which she always turned to. What she was aspiring for. To have their approval meant a lot to her.

Her smile could not fool any pony… Before Applejack would spot it and take an advantage from it to tease her about this, Rainbow Dash decided she would be the one to attack first.

Like everypony else, she had noticed the sudden distance between her best friend and Big Macintosh. Until now, they both had missed an occasion to speak about it. Now was the time to fix this.

“Speak of the big brother… What’s happening with Big Mac?”

Immediately, Applejack smile fell back, and she looked down. Her wound had not healed yet, and although she knew he had said this lie to her with the only goal to protect the image she could have of him, she could not consent to forgive him that fast.

She had a burden on her heart which she wanted to get rid of, unsure who she could confess it to. Caramel had been able to listen to her, but his friendship bound with Big Macintosh had made her not taking the risk to ruin their connivance.

“In fact, I discovered him with Pinkie Pie...”

Astounded eyes from Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. It was incomprehensible. Herself had been more than surprised to see them together. If possible, she wished she had seen nothing at all… And at the same time, she knew it was a good thing. What could have happened if she had not acted?

Applejack wanted to end up her sentence in a more explicit way, but seeing Apple Bloom trotting in the direction of their own table, she changed her mind.

“He tried to force her to… play Parcheesi.”

Moment of silence. The two other mares looked at each other, frowning… before they understood. Then, they nodded together, giving themselves a scholar appearance that the young filly, perched on a high chair made for her, did not understand.

“It’s wrong to do that”, the unicorn started.

“A Parcheesi game is to get started only if the other one also wants to play”, the mare pegasus said then.

“Dis isn’t the worse. When Ah asked him what he did, he lied to me.”

So this was the whole problem. Added to the shock it might have been for Applejack to discover her brother giving himself up to this kind of liking with Pinkie Pie, who was the purest symbol of ingenuousness, the lie tagged on to this scandalous story an inflammatory scent that was not at all to the earth mare liking.

No one could ignore the stallion’s success with female ponies. Rainbow Dash herself had given in in the end. More by convenience than by attraction, admittedly… She had needed some male touch, and here he had been, ready to offer her what she had been looking for.

A pony such as he were supposed not to force mares. It took nothing for him to find one willing to satisfy his least desires.

She could not help looking behind her back. Big Macintosh was still talking with his mother. Everything seemed like usually, yet since she knew him very well she also knew there was something unnatural in the way he behaved. Out in a crowd, she could have recognized his clumsy and unconfident manners. Manners which came along with guilt.

At least he knew he had done something wrong, that was a start. This colt who had tried to trap her in the Academy’s locker room, he had displayed no regrets. Conversely, he had boasted everywhere he had been able to touch the “butch”, as he had prettily nicknamed her. Let us just say that she still preferred to be called Rainbow Mash, like the others were saying. She had always liked stallions… but before she had met Time Stellar, none had shown any kind of interest for her, always thinking she was too much or sometimes too little, that it would be exhaustive to be with a mare as bragging and uncontrollable as herself.

A smile appeared on her lips when she saw Soarin near her father. The latter had wrapped a hoof around her coltfriend’s neck, pressing another hoof against the top of his head. No doubt… He liked him.

That was a piece of luck, she liked Soarin too. More than 'like', even… And if it still was too early for her to feel ready to tell him, the fact she knew and accepted it already was a good thing, in her opinion.

“Applejack, maybe you should talk with Big Mac. You can’t stay angry like this. What he’s done is wrong, that’s for sure, but there must be a way for you guys to make it up. With this… I’m going to see Soarin, to check whether he’s not suffering too much”, she chuckled while hating herself to appear so… girly.

“Go, make the most of yar stallion”, she answered.

As soon as she had left the table, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack were joined by Caramel, who settled beside his marefriend. He had a lot of fun seeing how his friend reacted while in presence of Uncloudy Shelter, and now he had enjoyed this performance, he wanted to spend some time with the one he loved. It was a wedding anniversary, after all, a favorable moment to romanticism…

Well, yes, it also happened to be Firefly’s wedding anniversary. And like his husband had said to Soarin… She and Rainbow Dash were characteristically so alike they could be taken for twins.

Without realizing, he, Applejack and Twilight started to watch the little family together at the nearby table. Unsurprisingly, they saw Rainbow Dash climbing on Soarin’s back, to do the exact same thing his father had done to him one minute earlier.

Caramel and his marefriend could not help a synchronized laugh, an invisible ribbon linking them together to keep them connected.

“What’s so funny?”, the unicorn dared to ask.

“Rainbow Dash’s in love”, they answered in unison.

“What? How can you be so sure?”

Twilight watched them closely again… Now, Rainbow Dash was teasing Soarin, pushing him with her flank, what never missed to make him lose his balance and to spill the contents of the glass he had in his mouth.

“I can’t see where feelings are in this… She’s bullying him even more. Oh, she has just bit him!”

“That’s what we said.”

“Eeyup. In love like a lil filly.”

Her eyes returned to the couple, still without understanding. What unsettled so much was that she could not help but compare with when Time Stellar was still alive. With him, Rainbow Dash would have never allowed such a liberty. If there had not been glances speaking for themselves, their love could have been questioned.

The former Head of the Militia had been a very good strategist, with a sharp sense of organization, that Twilight in fact admired a lot. On the battlefield, he was not the best but his discipline and reflection let more than one pony appreciative… and so was it with mares. He was the kind to respect very strict training rituals, to always weigh his words and actions. It let very little room to spontaneity.

If Rainbow Dash had loved him so much, it was because he represented what she was not. Something which she aspired to, but that would always remain out of her reach. Even today, although she had learned a lot from its teachings, she knew she could never get to the ideal he embodied.

He had been the one to come to her, every time. He had poached her from the weather patrol in order to integrate her to The Militia, and had appointed her as his replacement.

Same thing for their love story. One morning after a particularly intense watch, he had confessed to her, without fuss nor embellishment, telling her he loved her and wanted her to be his marefriend. Secretly, Rainbow Dash had hoped for those words, not so confident about herself. And so she had taken the news with surprise, along with a rapture she had kept for herself.

All of her memories of him were unscathed, although the features of his face had started to erase from her recollection.

The only compliments she ever got from him had been fighting related. When they were alone, he could have seemed to ignore her completely and suddenly wrap a wing around her, without uttering a word. All he did was to smile and he never pointed it when she blushed from embarrassment.

He kept ardor for the battlefield, to exhibit his power to his enemies. With her, what he showed was of a flawless calm, when she had always burned with enthusiasm. She liked to boast of being the best… He only settled for thinking he was. It was the same this physical love. Making love with Time Stellar had always been enjoyable and nice, but deprived from delight. It was only once with Big Macintosh she could have understood what she really liked and how.

She had been very much in love, and kept a recess of her heart for him and his memories. He had been her first time in almost everything – except a kiss exchanged in kindergarten with a colt named Sunshine – and Rainbow Dash knew it, it was the kind of things a mare could never forget.

Despite it all, she had not lied to Soarin when she had told him she had no intention of crying over Time Stellar for all of her life. Seeing Melrose alone since more than twenty years, she had realized this would mean an entire life being sad, despite the cheerful attitude she tried hard to display all the time. And she did not want to be miserable. She wanted to feel free, loved, to enjoy the existence always remembering what it was able to give and to take back. It seemed to her that with Soarin, she had started to find what she was looking for…

An employee from the inn came to bring them the camera she had claimed. Impressive floor machine, it was heavy and complicated to use. That was why she had asked Twilight to take care of taking the pictures her family would keep from the celebration, as well as those she would send to Pinkie Pie, alone in her tower while the others were giving themselves over to her favorite pastime.

“Attention, everypony, we’re going to take our first picture! All gather at the same place”, Twilight ordered with a smile.

Her good mood was heart-warming. In the middle of all these ponies she did not know, she was in her element, though she had been almost an antisocial mare for years. As if complete isolation and the bitterness of these days in fact had had a very positive impact on her. And this was a good thing. Since she was back at the management of The Militia, they finally all could breathe… with all due respect from Rainbow Dash to Spitfire.

Smiling, she trotted to the place where they all were gathering, even Knight Shelter, who had yet spent a good part of the night in the background watching everyone, when she saw Fluttershy going to the back of the room.

The mare pegasus she had taken in after her assault had been very reserved until then, barely taking part to the conversations, head low and cheeks pinkish. Rainbow Dash could feel that in her timid behavior, there was a will to participate, but something held her back. Because of the traumas she had been through, undoubtedly…

It was comprehensible she did not want to appear on this “family portrait”. However, Rainbow Dash asked where she was going.

“Err… At the toilets”, Fluttershy whispered. “If this is possible, of course.”

“Of course, it’s possible. If you’re not afraid to get lost, there’s a washroom in the backstage, or else, there’s another one on the other side.”

“Thanks.”

The restroom for the costumers was easier to find, and easier to reach than the one for the cabaret’s artists, located in the backstage area, in twists and turns of ropes, corridors and doors. Yet, Fluttershy chose this one. It seemed to Rainbow Dash that she was the scared kind of mares… Strange choice.

She discreetly called one of her Spotters who was here as backup, hidden somewhere no one could see her, like only the experts of camouflage were able to do. She arrived at a surprised speed, without any pony being able to really understand how she could have appeared so quickly waking up no suspicion about her presence here.

“Please, follow Fluttershy… It might be nothing, but you never know.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her getting away as quick as she had arrived, her watchfulness in warning mode.

“Dashie, you’re the only one missing”, Soarin called her.

She would have appreciated it if he had kept this nickname for their intimacy, but she had not time to do him reproaches. She rushed up to the spot they all were, and sat between her coltfriend and Applejack.

Twilight was behind the camera, fixing the last adjustments.

“It’s ready. Say ‘filly’”.

She rushed in her turn in front of the lens in the middle of everyone, not to miss being on this picture, the first one of what would be, she hoped so, a great serial within this soul family.

Comments

[Dusk_Writer]

These scenes are just so cute! It's nice to see them have a break after everything.

I'm a bit suspicious of Fluttershy, I don't know why o.O