Chapter 9
It's now or never, Rusty thought to himself as his hooded form stood outside of the old bar with Azure by his side. He looked over the old structure, still hidden away from the public eye, yet known by enough to stay in business. So many memories here, most of them blurry and filled with all sorts of shenanigans. He pushed those memories to the side for now and took a deep breath before turning to face his daughter. It was hard enough even thinking of a way to tell her that she couldn't come with.
Azure's hand was still glued to his own, her small fingers locking him in her surprisingly strong grip. She looked back up at him, knowing that she couldn't go on with him, despite her wanting to be present for the reunion. Knowing this, she released her father's hand and let her arm fall back to her side. Even though she was upset that she wouldn't be able to witness their meeting, she was more eager to get it over with so she could have the family she always dreamed of. With that in mind, the filly smiled up at her long lost dad, angling her head to the door as if to tell him to hurry up.
Rusty smiled back at her, moving his hand to her shoulder and giving her a quick side-hug. "I'll be back soon. Hold down the fort while I'm gone, alright?"
Azure responded with more force, wrapping both of her arms around his waist. "I won't let you down, dad."
The filly's words sent a pang through his chest, and a rather uncomfortable one at that. He was reminded briefly of his own father and the resentment he held for that worthless excuse of a human being. He wouldn't make the same mistakes his dad did. Rusty took a silent oath to be better than that of Ryan Jr years ago and ended up going down the same path anyway, up until Steel came into his life.
"I know you won't." Rusty released his daughter and she did the same in kind, giving the human all he needed to walk through the front door.
This outta be interesting
Rusty closed the door behind him and scanned the area from under his hood, taking in the familiar scene. Nothing had really changed in the time he had been gone. The counter top looked new, there were a few ponies off to the side playing on a dart board he didn't remember being there. Other than that, this place was exactly how he remembered it. Very few of the ponies within paid him any mind, which made him feel a lot more at ease as he looked around. It didn't take long to spot the rainbow colored locks of the mare he was so hell-bent on finding.
There, at the very end of the counter, sat the cyan mare who had mothered the filly Rusty didn't even know he had. Rainbow sat atop of a black leather bar stool, both arms on the counter with one hand holding a bottle of hard cider while the other was being used to hold her head up. Her eyes were lidded with bags along the underside, giving him the impression that she hasn't exactly been sleeping well. This only served to hurt him more, yet make him that much more determined to put an end to all of this.
Rarity's feet moved faster than she could even bother to take note of, her legs carrying her to the large castle standing just a few dozen feet out of her reach. She breathed heavily as she sprinted for the entrance, beads of sweat beginning to form on her head and lightly trickling down the side of her face. Without breaking her pace for even a second, the mare sailed up the stairs, skipping several steps as she finally reached the entrance and all but crashed into the castle. The doors swung open hard, meeting their respective walls with a loud smack from the impact as the unicorn finally came to a stop.
Stopping just a few feet in front of the entrance, Rarity dropped her her knees and lurched forward, her hand meeting to floor to keep her from falling any further. Her breaths were deep and rapid, her body desperately trying to get its wind back. "Tw....Twi-!" She began, unable to finish her call as she struggled to take in enough air to form the word. "T-Twili-!"
I'm getting too old for this...
Rusty's feet tapped lightly against the wood floor as he closed the distance between himself and Rainbow, taking slow, cautious steps as to not draw too much attention to himself. As luck would have it, there was a seat open beside the mare who seemed oblivious to the rest of the world. He carefully made his way to the open bar stool and claimed the seat, turning on it until his body was facing the counter. Before he could so much as think of his next move, the bartender entered his vision.
The familiar looking stallion regarded Rusty with curious eyes, but didn't seem to keen on prying. "Can I get you something to drink."
Rusty looked at the bartender, his face still hidden from view by his hood. "I don't-"
Shush! Now, I'm sure you know that I don't want anything to do with this, but there is no virtually no right way to go about it. At the very least, just follow my lead and maybe we can walk out of here without a broken jaw.
As much as he would like to ignore the voice, Rusty had no idea what he should do. Every scenario he played out in his head ended horribly. If it thinks that it knows a way to avoid all of these potentially disastrous outcomes, then who was he to argue. His arm seemed to move on its own as he raised it up and pointed a thumb in Rainbow's direction. "I'll have what she's having."
The bartender nodded and keeled down, opening something under the counter. When he stood back up to his full height, he was holding a bottle of hard cider. With a flick from his finger, the cap popped off and landed on the counter. The bartender then set the now open bottle down in from of Rusty before walking to the other end to tend to the other patrons, leaving the man and the mare in peace. Then again, the mare looked like she half asleep as is. Rusty eyed the open bottle for a second before reaching out and grabbing it by the neck.
It's your rodeo from here asshole. Don't fuck it up.
Figuring he might as well go all in, Rusty reached up with his free hand and pulled down his hood before turning his attention to Rainbow, who was staring blankly at the wall on the other side of the counter. Taking a breath, he lifted the bottle up and stretched his arm out toward the mare, setting the beverage down in front of her. "Here." He said as he released the bottle and pulled his arm back. "You look like you need this."
To his relief, and slight horror, this gesture pulled Dash out of her daze. She glanced down at the drink before look over at Rusty. Her eyes rested on his furless face and she smiled. "There you are...I was wondering when you were gonna show up."
The bang that echoed through the castle could have woken an ursa major. Luckily, the only ones it seemed to disturb were a princess and a small dragon, both of which were running down the hall to investigate the noise. Before long, Twilight and Spike were on the scene, quickly spotting the collapsed unicorn barely holding herself off of the floor. There was a pause on the princess' part, but the small dragon was quick to get to her aid.
"Rarity!" Spike called out as he waddled to her side, grabbing onto her arm in an attempt to help her back up. His short stature however only allowed him to help her sit up straight, still on her knees as she rested in place, still panting. "Are you okay?"
Twilight snapped out of her moment of shock and joined Spike by her friend's side. "What in the wide, wide world of Equestria is going on?" She asked with some concern in her tone, wondering why Rarity of all ponies would just come slamming through her front door. On one hand, this could be an emergency, on the other, she could just be being dramatic again so the alicorn was unsure on where to stand on this.
Rarity looked up at Twilight, her eyes widening as she reached out and grabbed onto the mare's shoulders and pulled her close. "Twilight!" She called out breathlessly, taking a deep breath to help her speak properly. "Rusty! Dash! Help!"
Twilight stared at her friend with wide eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. "Calm down, Rarity!" She yelled out, pulling out of the unicorn's grasp. "What's going on? What happened to Rusty and Da-" She paused as the realization dawned on her. There were an uncountable amount of scenarios, but it all boiled down to one thing. Somehow, someway, Rusty and Rainbow Dash are now together. Panic quickly started to fill the mare as she focused back on Rarity. "Where are they?"
"I don't...I don't know!" Rarity managed to get out between breaths. "Azure...she's taking him...Need to-!"
That was all Twilight needed to hear to form a plan. Her horn lit up as she grabbed onto Rarity with her magic and pulled the unicorn back to her feet. "Spike, go out and assemble the girls. Rarity and I will start looking for Azure."
"I'm on it!" Spike said as raised a claw to salute Twilight before he ran out of the door to get all of Twilight's friends together for the search party.
Twilight nodded as she look on at Rarity, "I'm going to get Starlight. Wait here, I'll be right back."
Rusty raised a brow at Dash, begin genuinely confused by her reaction. "You were expecting me?'
Rainbow simply nodded, her drunken smile never wavering for even a second. "Of course I was." She said, leaning forward and pulling the human into a gentle hug. Rusty slowly returned the gesture, still perplexed by the mare's reaction, which was only made worse as she began to nuzzle his neck. "I've had this dream before. It took you a little longer than usual, but I knew you'd come wandering in sooner or later."
Releasing her grip on the human she once called her coltfriend, Rainbow leaned back in her seat to get a good look at him. "You look a little different than usual too; Older...and a bit hairier."
...She is FUCKED in the head...
As disturbing as this was, it was probably the best way for him to convey things. At least with her thinking it's a dream, for now, he would be able to say his piece without too many issues. Still, he didn't want her thinking this was all in her head either. That just felt wrong. Unsure of how to approach this issue in a delicate manner, he simply responded as he felt was the most natural way. "Well...It's been a little over ten years. Ponies age."
Dash giggled a bit at that, leaning toward him slightly and poking his nose. "But, you're not a pony." She said, still laughing quietly to herself. Her eyes locked onto his, staring at him with calm intensity. "You're still very handsome though...you're eyes are really pretty too. They almost look real." She blinked a few times, keeping her gaze on him. "I don't think it's ever been this vivid before. I feel like I'm actually in control here..."
Rusty was frozen in place as her hand slid from her nose to his face. Her fingers glided across his skin, her palm coming to a stop once it was placed to his cheek. He could see how hurt she was, despite her smile. It showed in her watery eyes. "I think about you all the time, you know. Every minute of every day." The water in her eyes began to build up until tears started running down her cheeks, her smile now starting to fail. "I never got to tell you in the other ones...I want to say it now."
"Say what?" Rusty asked, reaching up to hold her hand in his own, trying to be as comforting as possible.
Rainbow Dash paused, struggling to hold her composure. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry." Unable to hold herself up any longer, she collapsed into Rusty, her face pressing into his chest and her wrapping her arms around him as if she were scared he would simply fade away. "I'm so sorry!" Her sudden raise in tone drew in the attention of several patrons, many of which went wide eyed as they witnessed, not just the scene unfolding in front of them, but also as they spotted the human. A small number were confused as to who or what he was, others recognized him and they were shocked; Stunned silent and motionless.
Rusty put his arms around Dash in return, glancing around at the many eyes now watching them. He felt so out of place, so alien. That hardly mattered at the moment though as he looked back at them, silently pleading for peace while he tried to salvage what was left of the mare clinging to him. He turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash, "Why are you sorry?"
"I killed you..." Rainbow 'confessed' sniffling as she finally spoke out about something that had been bothering her for so long. "If I wasn't such a bitch...If I didn't make you feel so trapped and afraid, you never would have jumped. We would still be together. You'd still be at home with me." For a brief moment, Dash looked up at Rusty, her eyes bloodshot and soaked. "You would have seen Azure..."
Rusty wrapped an arm around her head as she returned to his chest, holding her in place as she quietly cried into him. What he felt right there was unlike anything else he had felt, even upon returning, seeing his old friends, finding Azure. All of it was a blur compared to this. As if it wasn't bad enough he left his friends thinking he was dead and his child fatherless, but this whole time Dash had been blaming herself for his suicide. This realization created a gaping hole in his stomach, his heart, his head. He couldn't even bring himself to cry about it. Everything just felt so wrong.
Jesus fucking Christ, dude...
This has to end.
"Look at me." Pulling up on her, Rusty yanked Rainbow out of his sternum and forced her to face him. Rainbow, look at me!" He stared into her eyes, witnessing the agony behind them first-hand and only hating himself more for being the cause of such pain. "What I did was not your fault."
Sure as shit didn't help though.
SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH, YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKER!!!
...
Rusty's expression was determined as he stared down the anguished pegasus. "I did it to myself. What happened was my choice and mine alone." He continued, keeping her head locked in place with both hands so she couldn't turn away or hide from his gaze. "I did it...I was so fucking stupid. I got caught up in feelings that I didn't understand. And like a fucking idiot I panicked and I did something even more stupid thinking that it would solve all my issues. I was weak, Rainbow. I did it because I was too much of a bitch to face my problems head on, and instead of solving them, I chose to run to an early grave just to avoid dealing with them how I should have."
His words pierced Rainbow's heart like a spear, it was all made worse by just how real this all felt. For the last ten years, her mind had been her worst enemy. It held onto Ryan's death like a snake coiled around a mouse, strangling her with guilt. She started to wonder; Why now is she hearing this? After all this time, why is this all coming to her now? Why is this dream so real?
Her glazed over eyes and soft expression told Rusty that she was deep in thought. He softened his hold on her face, rubbing her cheeks with his thumbs as his gaze softened. "Dash...This isn't a dream. I'm real...I'm alive and I'm right here in front of you."
Do you hear that?
Rainbow Dash slowly pulled herself out of Rusty's hold, sitting back in her chair as she tried to process all of this. It seemed real, but it couldn't be. Her mind was just tricking her again. It had to be. "I'm sorry, Ryan. But, I can't believe that." She said in a pained tone. "You've told me this before and I believed it for years. It only hurts to think that-"
"Hear me out for a second." Rusty interrupted, "I want you to look around this room. Look at all the ponies in here and tell me what they're doing."
Rainbow was reluctant to comply with his request, but did so. She noticed that all eyes were on them. Everypony in the room was dead quiet and, minus a strange commotion coming from outside, virtually nothing could be heard as they simply watched them. "They're staring at me..."
"No," Rusty began, reaching out and grabbing her hand firmly. He squeezed the appendage hard, enough for it to actually hurt. "they're staring at us."
Rainbow looked down at her hand, feeling the jolt of pain that shot through it as his grip tightened. She yanked her hand out of his, holding it to her chest as she suddenly got out of her seat and stood up. Her eyes danced between her hand and Rusty's face, occasionally wandering to the surrounding ponies that were watching in silent curiosity. The pegasus started to breathe heavily and began backing away from the crowd, feeling strangely cramped in the rather spacious room.
Rusty rose from his seat and followed Rainbow, keeping his movements slow and predictable as to not startle the poor mare. Her sights soon rested on him as she continued to back away until she hit the wall, causing her to come to a stop. Not wanting to make this any more stressful on her, the human came to a stop as well, allowing her to have her space.
"I know this is a lot to take in, Rainbow." Rusty began, keeping his voice low and his tone as delicate as possible. "I promise you, I'm real. A lot has happened and I-"
Incoming!
Rusty fell silent as he heard something akin to a crash behind him. All eyes went to the front door, or at least where it used to be, and spotted a group of colorful mares, along with a filly being suspended in the air. The mares all had a look of panic while the hovering child look defeated and disappointed.
Azure looked over at Rusty while she dangled in the air against her will. "I'm so sorry, daddy!" She called out, feeling as though she had failed him. "I tried to stop them, I swear!"
Starlight is O.P!
Rarity charged out of the group, stopping just a few feet shy of the human as she noticed the pegasus standing on the other side of him. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest as Rainbow looked back at her. Much to the unicorns surprise, Dash didn't look like she was ready to rip the world in half. In fact she look like she was about to- "Rainbow!"
Azure's eyes went wide as she stared past her father and started reaching out in a desperate attempt to grab the mare. "Mom!"
Rusty's head snapped back to the pegasus just in time to see her eyes roll into the back of her head and he knees buckle. He quickly shot forward and grabbed onto the cyan mare, stopping her before she could fall to the floor. "I've got you!" He said, mostly to assure himself that she was safe as he lifted her up in his arms. "I've got you, Rainbow. You're alright."
Stats
Page generated in 0.02 seconds
Total duration
717 users online
1,246,779 hits today, 2,571,732 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Omg!!!
I'm sorry about the lose of your friend. And I understand that you need more time to take care of your life. Trust me. I got stories that haven't updated since 2015. So a free more months won't mean much to me
Oh...that's rough. No worries, real life must come first, and things happen. Take your time, get things squared. I hope things get better for you, and I'm sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was a hell of a friend. Sucks the way she went out...
My condolences man, losing a friend or family member is never easy.
You've got my condolences Twisted. Losing someone close is hard enough but in that way too? Makes it even worse since it wasn't something you really think of or can plan for. It just happens.
Take all the time you need, the story can wait. Your mental health and getting everything in order is the major thing right now.
Thank you so much for the awesome update
Oh god, I'm so sorry that happened.
Thank you for the chapter. It's been a very sweet story so far.
oh
Yeah, I know the feeling.
dude keep up the great work. This story just hits me in the soul!