Start of a New Life
Just hours earlier...
The wonderbolts were like machines. With the choreographed loops, barrel rolls, dives, spins, and other aerobatic maneuvers were chiseled into their brains and muscles, they truly became the magnificence that brought ponies from all over Equestria. Their reflexes were perfect, their elegance was unmatched, and their skill was incomprehensible. The ponies 'oohed' and 'awed', stomping their hooves in pure appreciation for the incredible sight that flew above them.
The wonderbolts performed their shows weekly, sometimes completely mirroring their previous routine or occasionally throwing in a minor change or a huge crowd pleaser. Today's performance was nothing new, but like always it was exciting. The crowd roared their approval, their cheers overwhelming the stadium. The show had run its course, and was rising up to the incredible finale featuring the favorites: Wonderbolt Captain Spitfire, and Vice Captain Soarin. For the other wonderbolts, this was a typical show day, still with its fair share of nervousness and excitement.
But for Spitfire and Soarin it was different.
The finale began as the two wonderbolts flew straight down into the opposite sides of the stadium, leaving thick trails of the thunder clouds behind them. They spun before sharply turning to one another, charging at a ridiculous speed. The crowd gasped, anticipating what was going to happened next. If the two wonderbolts hit, the impact would be horrific.
But the wonderbolts were too incredible for such a small flaw to happen.
Except Soarin and Spitfire couldn't help but be a little off today.
From the crowd's point of view, the move was flawless. The two pegasi suddenly turned up before hitting each other, spinning around one another like a timeless dance climbing into the sky. Fireworks exploded around them, the other wonderbolts raising up with them in a pyramid shape, with Soarin and Spitfire at the very top. The crowd was ecstatic, stomping and screaming their approval. After the incredible performance, Soarin and Spitfire immediately dove down, heading straight for the doors to go back to the locker rooms.
Soarin and Spitfire landed as quickly as they could, quickly shoving open the heavy steel doors to disappear inside. The doors were connected to a long, concrete hallway that lead to their locker rooms. The air was musty, and the humidity was nearly unbearable. For a multi-million bit stunt team, their stadium could use a bit of an upgrade.
"Ow... " Soarin seethed, nursing the left side of his forehead with his blue hoof. "I think I'm bleeding... " He pulled his hoof away, frowning at the smears of the thick red liquid on his suit.
"Yeah?" Spitfire grumbled, dropping her goggles to the floor. "Well, you clocked me right in the eye. Anyways, we should sit tight. I'm pretty sure the paramedics saw and are on their way." True to her word, a band of ponies in white outfits were scrambling down the hallway with large red crosses on their saddlebags. The doors to the stadium opened up behind them, and they could hear the hoofsteps of the other wonderbolts cram into the hallway to see what was up.
"Oh my gosh!" A white maned female wonderbolt gasped, lifting her goggles from her eyes. "Soarin, you're bleeding pretty bad!"
"Don't worry Fleetfoot, " Spitfire rubbed her eye, "He'll live." The paramedics were now on the scene, immediately taking a look at the two wonderbolt leaders.
"Let's get you two to the locker room, " One of the paramedics grimaced. "Walk slowly. You guys took quite a hit back there. I'm going to ask you a series of questions to make sure you don't have a concussion, alright?" Soarin and Spitfire groaned in response, the concerned group of wonderbolts following closely behind.
The wonderbolts locker room was in much better shape than the hallway leading to the stadium. The room had a fuzzy blue carpet floor with the insignia of the wonderbolts symbol at its center, along with the occasional lightning bolt sewed into it. The lockers, painted white, had a great deal of space that was often too much, but nopony complained. Soarin and Spitfire were carefully lead in by the paramedics.
After their uniforms were carefully removed from their bodies, Spitfire and Soarin were seated on a long bench that sat a few feet from the lockers. Their manes, usually slicked back for the shows, were now draping over their faces and eyes from the sweat, leaving the paramedics to pull away the bangs to get a good look at the injuries.
"How did you two get hit?" One of the paramedics asked, taking a white cloth to dab at Soarin's leaking head wound.
"We slammed into each other mid air during the finale, " Soarin stated, wincing at the pain, "Luckily, we managed to not make the contact obvious... I think. Am I going to need stiches?"
"You're going to be fine, Soarin." The paramedic chuckled, "Head wounds tend to bleed quite a bit, but your injury is small. I'll just slap a little patch on it and you'll be right as rain!"
"Of course that's what you ask first." Misty Fly, a wonderbolt with a dual-toned blue mane smirked. "I don't think it's that bad, Soarin. Who knows, maybe if you're lucky it'll scar... and mares love scars." She winked, gripping her suit with her teeth to take it off.
Soarin rolled his eyes and looked over at Spitfire. Her right eyelid was swelling, and when she turned to meet his gaze he couldn't help but let out a little chuckle.
"Please tell me that you're getting an eyepatch... " He smirked, "Maybe I'll finally start calling you captain!"
"Whatever, Soarin." Spitfire grumbled, turning to find her locker, "And no, we are not having going to dress like pirates for a show if I do." Soarin let out a little yelp when the paramedic literally slapped the patch right onto his head. He trotted over to his own locker, which was conveniently located right next to Spitfire's.
"Hey, " Fleetfoot turned, packing her uniform into her locker, "what exactly happened out there? You guys, like, never mess up that routine. Did a bug get into your eye or something?"
"No, nothing like that." Soarin waved, snatching a water bottle with his hoof. "Just... " he looked over at Spitfire, "well... never mind." Spitfire was fussing with her locker before finally getting it open.
"C'mon, guys. " Misty Fly frowned, grabbing a towel. "Every year you're like this. You fly flawlessly, and then on this particular day you guys screw something up. Luckily, the crowd barely notices, but for us its as clear as day. What the heck is going on?"
"Yeah, " Rapidfire, a sleek red wonderbolt nodded, just emerging from the showers, "I've been with you guys for three years now, and you still haven't said anything." Soarin opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp glare from Spitfire immediately shut him up.
"It's just something personal." Spitfire frowned, "We'll be alright tomorrow. Nopony was hurt seriously today, so let's drop it." When Spitfire shoved her locker shut, a small object fluttered away. It appeared to be a small sheet of paper, and it landed directly in front of a curious Fleetfoot.
"Hm?" The wonderbolt blinked, "What's this?" Fleetfoot reached down a hoof, grabbing the small paper. It was actually a small picture, its worn edges showing its age. The picture was faded slightly, but it was pretty easy to make out the three ponies that were in it. A noticeably younger Spitfire and Soarin were smiling and standing on both sides of a taller pegasus stallion with a rainbow mane. His hooves draped over their shoulders with a grin, and it appeared that the picture had been taken somewhere in Cloudsdale. Their manes were stylized differently, with Spitfire looking much more feminine with her fiery bangs.
"Aw!" Fleetfoot smiled, "Was this when you two were teens?! You guys were so cute!... wait, who's this guy?" She squinted, "He looks... sorta familiar?" Spitfire immediately snatched the picture away with her mouth, depositing it into her locker before slamming it shut. An angry look from the captain sent cold shivers up their spines.
Soarin waited until all the other wonderbolts besides himself and Spitfire left for the showers. Sighing, he grabbed a towel from his locker to throw it over his captain's head.
"You know, " He frowned, "It's been ten years already. You can let it go." Spitfire grumbled, yanking the towel off with her hoof.
"You're not the one living with this regret, Soarin." She muttered, "I was a terrible pony back then... and I never got the chance to apologize."
Soarin rolled his eyes, "It's Sky Strike we're talking about, . I'm sure wherever he is, he's definitely not angry. You need to let him go, Spit."
"Oh, and you have?" Spitfire shot back, "Today you were off just as much as I was, Soarin." Soarin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before stumbling past his captain, his towel draped over his back.
"Maybe so, " He shook his head, "But I try not to let it weigh me down. Your only flaws, captain, is that you shoulder too much responsibility and that you let the past hold you back. And I remember Sky Strike saying something like that to you too." Spitfire watched Soarin slowly disappear into the steam of the shower room.
"Come on, Spit." Sky Strike smirked, ruffling the fiery mare's mane, "You take too much onto your plate. If you wanna be a wonderbolt, you've gotta learn to let things go and to trust your teammates more. And once you do that, you'll be a better flyer than I ever was."
"Yeah, right." Spitfire grumbled, "Easier said than done."
Rainbow groaned, her muscles burning in protest of sitting up from the bed. She had definitely overdone it, and her wings felt like they were made from solid lead. Bending her neck until hearing a crack, she stumbled off the mattress and onto her hooves. Grunting, she shoved her bedroom door open to make her way to the kitchen.
She shrieked at the sight.
Sky Strike stood in the center of the living room, chugging a carton of milk, his wings at an embarrassing full mast. Hearing the shrill cry, Sky Strike turned to smile at his daughter, waving a hoof to greet her.
"Mornin', Dashi!" He smirked, "Have a good night's sleep? I'm energized and ready to roll!" Rainbow reached up her hooves to cover her eyes, looking away while flushing a blazing red.
"D-Dad!" She whimpered, "Y-Your wings! Do something about them!"
"Wings?" He glanced back with a smile, "Why? It's just reminding me that I'm a healthy, full grown stallion! Besides, we're family!" Despite his words, he brought his hoof back to pull them down softly until they stayed dormant at his sides. Rainbow gave out a sigh in relief, smacking her hoof against her forehead. She still couldn't figure out his trick on how to get rid of those so quickly.
"I forgot that you just walk out with those... " She mumbled to herself, "I was too young to know what that was... and mom never complained about it." Sky Strike didn't hear her and instead walked back into the kitchen, tossing the now empty milk carton into a trash can.
"Dash, " He started, opening up her fridge, "I can understand that you're still after your dream of being a wonderbolt, but... " He looked through its contents, a frown hung on his lips. Rainbow blinked, moving over behind her father to see what he was talking about.
"What do you saying?" She asked, cocking an eye, "It has something to do with my fridge?"
"Dash, " He gave out a chuckle, "Your fridge is filled with nothing but cupcakes, muffins, a few daisies, apples, and cider." He closed the door and rose to his full height, "Work out all you want, but if you aren't eating properly, there's not going to be much of a difference. We're going to have to go into town and get you some real food." He smirked at her, "Which includes vegetables."
Rainbow Dash grimaced, "But Dad- "
"No buts, kiddo!" He laughed, slapping Rainbow on the back, "You're an extraordinary flier Dash, but when I'm done with you you're gonna be the new definition of a wonderbolt." His daughter rolled her eyes with a pleasant smile gracing her lips.
"Anyways, I'm gonna hit the bathroom." He stated, "My stomach is reminding me that I should of checked the date on that milk... " His face turned a little green and he sprinted away, much to Dash's amusement and cackling laughter. It's been ten years since she had to act like a daughter, or be scolded lightly by her father. It was definitely something she would never expect to have at this point in her life.
And she loved it.
A series of knocking brought her attention to the door. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash pushed past her groaning muscles to reach the doorknob. When she finally managed to pull it open, a smiling Fluttershy greeted her at the doorstep.
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy looked concerned, "Are you doing okay? That storm yesterday sure was brutal, and I was worried that you had gotten hurt... " Rainbow Dash gave her friend a smile, opening her mouth to speak.
"BLEARUGH!" Sky Strike's voice echoed throughout the house, causing poor little Fluttershy to give a little jump.
"O-Oh my!" Fluttershy gasped, "I-Is there somepony else here? Are they doing alright?" Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered that her father was in her home. She couldn't help but give a little giggle, opening the door wider for her friend to come in.
"Yeah, he'll be fine... " Rainbow smirked, "Actually, you should come inside to meet him!" Fluttershy blinked, embarrassment flaming her cheeks from within.
"O-Oh, b-but I wouldn't want to intrude or anything... " Fluttershy stammered, "I-I didn't know you were seeing a stallion, Rainbow Dash... " Rainbow Dash shook her head, opening her mouth to reply.
"BLEAUGHAGH! SWEET CELESTIA - BLERAAUGAH!"
"No, its not like that!" Rainbow Dash laughed, "He's somepony from my family. You've actually met him before. He drank some expired milk, so he's feeling a little... green? It'll be fine, Fluttershy!" The yellow pegasus had turned to leave, but Rainbow Dash gripped her tail with her teeth, pulling the panicking mare into her home while ignoring the cries of her sore muscles. Rainbow tossed the poor mare into one of her cloud chairs, turning when she heard Sky Strike emerge from the bathroom.
"Um, Rainbow... " Fluttershy blinked, "Why are you looking at me like that? J-Just asking... "
"I just wanna see your face." Rainbow smiled creepily, "Don't mind me!" Fluttershy heard hoofsteps coming from the hallway and she nervously turned to see who it was. She heard mumbling, and for some reason she could faintly remember that voice... and then the stallion came into view.
Fluttershy's eyes shrunk like pinpricks and she pushed herself back into the chair. Her jaw dropped as low as it could, her body trembling from the overwhelming shock. Sky Strike was rubbing his belly, his face grimacing from what he just tossed into the bathroom just moments earlier.
"Ugh, " He grumbled, "That spoiled milk... is surely going to spoil my day!" He laughed, his horrible pun causing Rainbow Dash to smack her hoof onto her forehead.
"Dad, " She mumbled, pointing at the still-in-shock pegasus mare, "Meet older Fluttershy. Older Fluttershy, this is my dad from exactly ten years ago." Sky Strike finally noticed her, gasping in surprise before rushing to tackle the petrified pegasus.
"Fluttershy!" He exclaimed, scooping her up in his hooves to give her a crippling hug, "Wow! You were so small the last time I saw you! And that was less than a week ago!" Fluttershy squirmed against his chest, trying to desperately push away the bigger pony. He finally held her at hoof's length, looking her up and down.
"Wow!" He smiled, "You're beautiful! Rainbow, you see how pretty she is?!" Fluttershy, despite her state of shock, still managed to have a blush grace her cheeks.
"Yeah, dad... " Rainbow rolled her eyes, "I see it... "
"Wow!" Sky Strike smiled, spinning the scared pegasus around in a circle, "You were so cute before, but now you're gorgeous! I wish I could say the same thing about Dashie!" Rainbow growled, chomping down onto Sky Strike's tail and yanking him off of her friend. Fluttershy landed with her face on the ground, her limbs giving out an occasional twitch.
"Give her some space, dad... " Rainbow tossed Sky Strike onto his haunches, "You could be a zombie for all she knows." Fluttershy stumbled back onto her hooves, watching Sky Strike with a nervously wary expression.
"Oops... " Sky Strike laughed, rubbing the back of his head, "I should of thought of that first... which reminds me that I need to see Twilight." He glanced around, moving into the kitchen. Rainbow blinked, following her father and leaving Fluttershy back in the living room.
"Why do you need to see her?" Rainbow asked, watching her father check her cabinents, "Is it about that weird storm yesterday?"
"Something like that." He replied, snatching a pencil and a piece of paper in his mouth. After he dropped the paper onto the kitchen table, he took a few moments to scribble a few words onto it. Rainbow cringed, recognizing it as a shopping list.
"There we are." He smiled, turning back to his daughter, "Twilight wanted to go through a few tests on me. You know, to try and find out exactly why I'm here." He gripped the paper in his mouth, and trotting back over to the living room. Fluttershy still shrunk away at seeing him, but it was noticeably less than before.
"Here, " He held out the sheet with his mouth to Fluttershy. The yellow mare blinked, her cheeks lighting up like two suns. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reached forward to pull the paper from his teeth, avoiding eye contact.
"How about you and Fluttershy go into town and get everything on the list?" He smiled, not feeling embarrassed from that awkward situation, "In the meantime, I'll head over to Twilight's for a little bit." He turned around to see his daughter giving him a disbelieving look.
"What?" He asked, cocking his head.
"You're just going over to Twilight's so that she can run tests." Rainbow frowned, sitting up to cross her hooves, "You're not thinking of doing anything funny, are you?" Sky Strike paused for a few moments before bursting into laughter.
"Nah, " He shook his head, "I just found out yesterday that the love of my life is no longer married to me. I don't think I'm going to try anything like that for a long while."
Rainbow Dash's ears drooped, her eyes casting down to the floor, "Oh... " She muttered, "I'm... sorry... " Sky Strike sighed with a smile, reaching his hoof to ruffle Rainbow's mane.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo." He chuckled, "It hurts, but I can't let it get in the way of my time with you. When you guys are done, meet me back at Twilight's. There's a lot I'm going to have to catch up on." He gave Fluttershy another smile before making his way over to the door. Opening it, he looked back at his daughter and gave her a gentle smile and a wink before leaping off of the cloud, his long wings spreading to catch the chilly morning air.
"Leaving with a wink and forgetting to shut the door... " Fluttershy whispered, a grin crossing her lips, "I don't know if its really him, but its convincing."
"Yeah, " Rainbow nodded, "I had a hard time believing it too. But I've got a gut feeling that it's really my dad."
The excitement from the previous day still had Twilight completely exhausted. Waking up had been difficult, but she was happy to smell the breakfast that Spike was cooking from the kitchen. Sighing to herself, the purple mare shoved her blankets off her body. She swung her legs to the edge of the bed, clumsily dropping off to land on her hooves. She shook her sleepiness from her head and turned to approach her mirror.
Her mane was a messy clump. Sighing, she lifted her brush using her magical telekinesis and worked on brushing them out. With her mane straight and proper, Twilight set off for her daily tasks. She spotted a small mess of books on the floor while she climbed down the stares, letting out a little bit of a chuckle. She would normally scold Spike for not cleaning, but she could let him off the hook this once. The excitement from last night had certainly left a powerful memory.
"Soarin and Spitfire?!" Rainbow freaked, her hooves waving wildly through the air, "You taught the Soarin and Spitfire?!"
"Um, " Sky Strike blinked, "Yeah... is... is that big?"
"Big? Big?!" Rainbow Dash screeched, jabbing a hoof at her father, "Dad, they're wonderbolts! Not only that, but they lead the wonderbolts!"
"They're wonderbolts now?!" Sky Strike gasped, nearly falling off of his stool, "Little Soarin and Spitfire... they're the captains of the wonderbolts... " He quivered slightly, with visible moisture building from his eyes.
"Yes!" Rainbow Dash nodded, "And... and you taught them?! I... I can't believe my father taught the wonderbolts!"
"They're wonderbolts!" Sky Strike exclaimed, "They've made it... They've made it! By Celestia's sweet fretlocks, they did it!"
"Yes!" Rainbow Dash hollered, "My... my dad taught the wonderbolts!" She started laughing hysterically, her wings flapping in absolute glee. Rainbow turned to Twilight, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her friend like mad.
"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash panted, "My dad... he taught Soarin and Spitfire! He taught them! Did you hear?! He taught them!"
"I heard!" Twilight screamed, her mane flopping about on her shoulders, "Now stop!"
"Dragon!" Sky Strike foamed, shaking the dragon from his shoulders, "Soarin and Spitfire are wonderbolts! They made it! Did you hear?! They made it! They're captains!"
"Spike!" The dragon yelled back through the constant shaking, "My name's Spike!"
Twilight frowned. She would rather forget that memory.
Finally making it to the ground floor, Twilight hurried to clean up the mess before Sky Strike arrived. She had been up late the rest of the night preparing the tests to run. She didn't want to use up too much of Sky Strike's time since there was much to spend with his daughter, but she also knew this was very important. There were a lot of questions but very few answers.
After placing the books back onto their rightful shelves, Spike walked in with a tray of toast and orange juice. The dragon set it onto the middle table, watching Twilight go about her business.
"Sky Strike should be on his way by now." Spike guessed, taking a look at a scroll in his claws, "And there's not much else on your checklist besides his visit. You sure we should do this so soon? I mean, the guy went through a lot yesterday. I don't want him to break down or anything."
"Relax, Spike." Twilight replied, lifting toast from the tray with her magic, "It's all under control. And I don't plan on catching him up on current events until the tests are all done. Rainbow said she'd be here for that, and I'm sure she'll help him out."
"That's true..." Spike shrugged, "But I have one more concern."
"Hm?" Twilight asked, a mouthful of toast muting her words.
"I'm going over to Rarity's today, which means it'll just be you and Sky Strike." Spike raised an eye, "And you're going to be alone... with a stallion."
Twilight spit out her toast, "Spike!" She wiped at her hoof with her mouth and turned to her assistant, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you worried that something's going to happen?! He's Rainbow's Dad for Celestia's sake!"
"That's not what I'm worried about." Spike shook his head, "Remember that last time you were all alone with a stallion who wasn't your brother or your dad?"
"Of course I do!" Twilight snapped, "I was with... um... I was with... "
"Exactly." Spike nodded, "You never were. And the last few times with Sky Strike doesn't count since I was back in the kitchen. Face it Twilight, you've never been alone with a male pony."
"What are you trying to say, Spike?" She frowned, "I don't understand."
"Look, Twilight... " Spike scratched the back of his head, "How did she put it?... Oh, right!" He cleared his throat to begin, "Twilight is a blossoming flower, " He said in his mock Rarity voice, "Spike, I worry for her sometimes. I rarely see her talk to stallions, and if any of them show interest she blushes and backs away. Now, if I can imagine her being alone with a strong, healthy stallion, I worry that her inexperience will give her much discomfort and embarrassment. And if a stallion manages to swoon our little gem, well I hope she won't go into one of her little 'crazed states' about him."
"Wow... " Twilight stepped back, "You remembered everything Rarity said?"
Spike laughed, "Oh, Twilight... I remember everything she says."
"Well, " Twilight rolled her eyes, "You don't have to worry about me. Now that I think about it, I've been with Sky Strike alone before in Sweet Apple Acres."
"Yeah, " He shrugged, "But I heard Applejack and Applebloom had been there for a good while too. Plus the mood was different since he was practically breaking down." He squinted his eyes at Twilight, making the purple unicorn awkwardly shift her hooves.
"W-What?" She asked, "Something wrong?"
"I faintly remember you coming back looking extremely happy, " Spike scratched his chin, "What was the reason for that, huh? Did he say anything to you in particular?"
"Wow... you're responsible, kind-hearted, and have a great head on your shoulders. I'm sure you'll make a great mother someday."
"N-No!" Twilight shook her head, her cheeks flushing a light red, "N-Nothing! Nothing at all! I-I was just glad that he was going to see Rainbow Dash! That's all!"
"Hm, " Spike inspected, "You sure? He didn't make some sort of heartwarming comment that you've never had a stallion say to you before?"
"S-Spike!" Twilight huffed, "J-Just go to Rarity's! I'll be fine, I swear!"
"If you say so." He smirked, "I was just teasing you to be honest. Just try not to look so flustered around stallions... they think it's cute." There was a soft knocking at the door, and Spike flashed Twilight a devilish smile. Twilight shook her head and took in a deep breath.
"Come on in!" She hollered. The door opened, and in walked Sky Strike. He looked completely energized, a gentle smile on his face.
"Hey, dragon!" He chuckled, reaching over to pat Spike's head, "Going somewhere, buddy?"
"It's Spike." He frowned, "And I am! I'm going to hang out with the most beautiful mare in Ponyville!" He glanced back at Twilight with a smirk, "So I'll be leaving you two all alone... " Twilight glared harshly at Spike, watching him stifle a laugh before running out the door.
"Fun kid." Sky Strike laughed, waving his hoof over at Twilight, "So, here I am! Have those tests all set up and ready?"
Twilight smiled and nodded, "Yep! I have a few stations set up in the basement below. Let me grab a few things before meeting you down there, okay?" Sky Strike nodded, prancing over to the steps that led to the lab.
"Pft, what was Spike talking about?" Twilight said to herself, "I don't feel funny around Sky Strike at all!" She trotted on over to her shelves, selecting a few books to take down with her. She glanced through, taking out anything that had a topic on magical essence.
"Let's see here... " She thought aloud, "Clover the Clever's Theory on Magic, Magical Essence and Equestria by Starswirl the Bearded, Magic in a Nutshell by Stephony Hawkling, How to Take a Stallion Home and Make Him Feel - " Twilight pulled back, a red blush glowing from her cheeks. She shook her head, desperate to get Spike's words out of her mind.
"Nothing will go wrong... " She gulped, "Right?"
"Please, Fluttershy... " Rainbow sweated with her quivering hooves, "Don't do this... "
"I-I'm really sorry, Rainbow... " Fluttershy whispered, "B-But I have to do this. It might be unpleasant at first, but I bet you'll get used to it in the long run."
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow whined, "N-No way! You can't!"
"I'm sorry, " Fluttershy shook her head, "There's no other way around this... " Fluttershy reached into her saddle bags and neatly set numerous bits onto the shop counter.
"A dozen brussels sprouts, please." Fluttershy nodded to the shopkeeper, "A-And if it's not trouble, could you bag them for us?"
"Nooooo!" Rainbow yelled, stomping her hooves in protest, "Fluttershy! I can't believe you just did that!"
The yellow pegasus politely thanked the shopkeeper and quietly slipped the vegetables into her filling saddle-bag. Fluttershy turned back to her friend to give her a sad, yet brightening smile.
"Oh, don't worry Rainbow Dash, " She comforted, "I'm sure that you won't even be able to taste them since your father's going to be cooking." Rainbow Dash reluctantly followed Fluttershy down the busy marketplace and grumbled angrily in response.
"He's not that great of a cook, " Rainbow muttered, "Just the master at making the most healthy, disgusting foods known in Equestria. If there's one thing I don't miss about him, it's that."
"Well I'm just happy to see him again, " Fluttershy giggled, "It's still quite a shock. I can't imagine how my own father will react when he hears the news!"
"Oh yeah, " Rainbow blinked, "How's your dad doing? I barely saw him when I was a filly, and I rarely hear about him from you."
"Oh... " She shrugged, "Well, he's doing alright. He's been working at home like usual. You know he doesn't like to go out."
"Yeah, " Rainbow rolled her eyes, "I remember the last time he did was when my dad disappeared. It was only for a little while, but it really did mean a lot to me." Rainbow smiled, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"Um, Rainbow... " Fluttershy looked over at her friend with concerned eyes. "I know your mother remarried and started another family on her own. Did you tell him about that?"
"Yeah... " Rainbow sighed, hanging her head. "It hit him pretty hard when I did, but he bounced right back. I'm sure he's still feeling it, though. I know I would."
"Oh, I hope everything turns out alright." Fluttershy sighed hopefully, "It's just heartbreaking for Sky Strike to find out that your mother had moved on from him. It's going to be terrifying when she finds out he's back... "
"It's definitely going to be weird, " Rainbow frowned, "You saw how she was when he was gone. I've never seen her laugh or smile since. She didn't even look happy in her weddings pictures!"
"Do you think she'll be mad?" Fluttershy inquired, "I've seen her angry once, and it was horrifying... "
"No kiddin' " Rainbow Dash snorted, "Imagine being at the end of that inferno! Only pony that could settle her down was my dad... and the only pony who could set him straight was her." Rainbow sighed, "Man, I don't wanna think about this right now."
"Neither do I." Fluttershy responded, "A-Anyways, I think we've covered everything on the list. Should we go see Twilight and your father at the library?"
"Yeah, why not?" Rainbow shrugged, "Besides, we're going to have to catch up my dad on everything that's happened. You know, like Princess Luna's return and us being the Elements of Harmony and stuff. There's a lot that's happened, so it's going to take a while."
"Oh yes, " Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "You also need to tell him about the sonic rainboom. I'm sure he'll be so proud of you!"
"Um, " Rainbow frowned, scratching her head, "I'm not so sure about that... "
"Oh?" Fluttershy looked shocked. "W-Why not?"
"It's... complicated." Rainbow Dash sighed, "I'll tell you later. First things first, I wanna meet up with my dad and Twilight soon. My dad's a big flirt, and I don't wanna know what'll happen. If she lights on fire when she's angry, I'm scared to see what she'll look like embarrassed."
Rarity's description of her workroom as an "Organized Chaos" fit Twilight's lab perfectly. Massive clumps of papers and books littered her desk along with quills and empty ink bottles. Her alchemy table was covered in strange herbs and liquid vials of varying colors. The book shelves in the corners of the lab were filled with journals of Twilight's research, each labeled accordingly and in alphabetical order.
"Whoa... " Sky Strike blinked, reaching the bottom of the staircase, "This is a surprise... the library is all neat and tidy, but this place is like Dashie's old room. Actually, I think it's worse." He gave a light chuckle and made his way over to one of the bookshelves.
"Gee, " He smirked, "This seems all too familiar."
"What is?" Twilight asked, coming down the stairs with a stack of books in the air. Sky Strike turned to smile at her, pointing his hoof at her mass of journals.
"You like your research, huh?" He asked, "How much time do you spend just analyzing or observing things?" He looked back at her journals and took a closer look at the titles, "You filled up three books of research notes on modern equestrian society?! Wow! That's dedication!"
"Oh, heh... " Twilight brushed a few papers off of her desk to open a space for the books. She plopped them down onto the empty space and laughed nervously.
"I'm... well, to put it in your daughter's words, a bit of an Egghead." She blushed, rubbing at the back of her head, "I know it sounds a bit dorky and all, but... "
"Not at all!" Sky Strike laughed, "I knew you were smart, but I didn't know you were this smart! I bet if I was half the intellectual you are, I could easily get into Canterlot University!"
"O-Oh!" Twilight stammered, "I-I um... t-thank you, b-but I... um... w-well I... "
"I'm not joking!" Sky Strike smiled, "And I don't think it's dorky at all since my wife - " He stopped himself. The warm mood that hung in the air instantly turned cold, and Twilight's blush quickly faded.
"I'm sorry... " Twilight hung her head, "I didn't mean to- "
"Nah, you did nothing wrong." Sky Strike sighed, a sad smile crossing his lips, "I was just going to say you remind me a lot of Dash's mom. She was studying to be a professor when I knew her, but Dash told me she finished her schooling and now teaches in Canterlot."
"Really?" Twilight blinked, "I didn't know that... Rainbow Dash doesn't really talk about her mother."
"Figures, " Sky Strike shrugged, "They were so alike, but they never got along. They both have a bit of a hard time showing their true feelings but in different ways. They both have tough exteriors, but even those have a breaking point. I know Dash has changed over these ten years, but I'm sure their relationship didn't get better. Especially since I left." He sighed, pawing at the ground softly in thought.
"But anyways, " He smiled, "I wasn't here to talk about that. Let's run these tests, shall we?"
"R-Right." Twilight frowned, "Could you stand in the middle of the room, please?" Sky Strike did as requested and placed himself directly in the middle of the lab. Twilight flipped through a few pages of Starswirl's book on magic essence before turning around to face the stallion.
"Okay, " She started, "this is probably going to feel a bit weird at first. I'm just going to do a quick scan of your body to see if everything's okay. You never know with magical essence."
"Right, " Sky Strike nodded, "Scan away!" Twilight's horn glowed faintly and a light purple aura encased Sky Strike's body. Twilight quickly turned back to her desk, using her magic to write on a parchment with a quill.
"Wow, " Sky Strike blinked, "Scanning me and writing a quill with magic at the same time? That's awesome!"
"It's not too difficult " Twilight responded. "What the quill is writing correlates to what my magic is picking up from you, so it's basically the same spell." Twilight closely observed what the quill was writing on the paper, her expression growing more and more confused as time went on. Eventually, she called the spell off and the quill fell harmlessly to the desk.
"So?" Sky Strike inquired, "Does everything check in, doctor?" He joked.
Twilight scratched the back of her head, "Well, for the most part." She took a closer look at the writings. "There's no internal problems that I can find, and your balance of pegasi magic is perfect. No abnormalities physically, and your brain is 100% intact. I didn't know you before, but it's safe to say that you're exactly the same as you were ten years ago."
Sky Strike cocked his head with a frown. "You said for the most part, though. Is something else wrong?"
"I wouldn't say wrong." Twilight responded, glancing back at Sky Strike. "But your body is emitting an enormous amount of magical essence. You can't see it or feel it, but it's there."
"Do you think some of it rubbed off on me when I dealt with the storm?" He questioned. "And is this a problem?"
Twilight walked up to Sky Strike, tapping her chin in thought. "I don't know. It's almost as if you're creating it... I've never heard of a case like this before, and there's nothing about it in the record books. This is indeed an interesting case!" Her expression brightened. "There's so many tests I can't wait to try! Maybe I can even unravel the secrets of magical essence!"
Sky Strike blinked, "Um, Twilight?"
"This is so exciting!" Twilight squeaked, bouncing up and down on her hooves. "So many experiments to try! So many answers to find! So many mysteries to unfold!"
"Twilight?" Sky Strike cleared his throat. "Um - "
"I can see it now!" She exclaimed, gazing up to form a clear image in her head. "Celestia will be so proud of my findings, and I'll have a section of the library just like Star Swirl! I'll be the author of dozens of books, I'll be the keeper of knowledge, and I'll forever be Celestia's most prized pupil!"
"Twilight... um, you're touching my flank."
When the purple mare went off on her little mind trip, she had subconsciously laid her hoof on Sky Strike's cutie mark. It wouldn't of been as bad if she realized that she had been practically caressing it. With a pitiful shriek, Twilight yanked her hoof off of Sky Strike's bottom.
Embarrassment level 20%
"O-o-o-o-h I-I-I-I- " Twilight stammered, her face's color now similar to a tomato. "I d-d-d-didn't - "
"That's alright, Twilight!" Sky Strike laughed. "I can understand. It just looked so firm, didn't? You don't know how often I got that back in college. You know, you could of just asked!"
Embarrassment level 45%
Twilight took a few shaky steps away from Sky Strike. "N-n-n-n-o... " She shook her head, a small glimmer of electricity running over her horn, "I-I-I j-j-just- "
"Got lost in the moment, did you?" Sky Strike smirked. "That's fine. You know, you look incredibly cute when you're flustered!"
Embarrassment level 68%
"W-What?!" Twilight gasped, reaching up a hoof to cradle her burning cheeks, "I-I-I-I-"
"You gave it a pretty good rub, too!" He teased, "Sorta like wax on, wax off! Polishing my muscled flank?"
Embarrassment level 87% Reaching Critical Failure
Twilight's mouth gaped open, her heart pumping while her cheeks blazed hotter than fireworks. Hundreds of thoughts went through her mind but she couldn't speak. Her horn sparked considerably, but this was unnoticed by the two ponies.
Sky Strike took a step towards her. "You alright, Twilight?" He asked, his eyes showing concern. "You're burning up! Don't tell me that was your first time sensually rubbing a stallion's toned butt muscle!"
Embarrassment level 98% Meltdown Imminent
"Twilight?" Sky Strike blinked, cocking his head. "Um... sorry, I didn't mean to tease you! I just have a problem being alone with cute mares!"
Embarrassment level 100% ABORT! ABORT!
And then Twilight's magic blew up.
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I'm feeling as though this story is just rushing through the paces.
Sky Strike: Wait... My daughter is a national hero?
Fatal error 604: Reaction not found. This pony will now self-destruct.
Shipping? Or just a player left with a bookworm? Hope it's the latter
Wow. Sky Strike's got the swag. He couldn't have embarrassed Twilight more if he tried.
We all know Twilight had it coming. Loved the overload meter.
2601288
You think so? Then it's something I should get to work on.
Oh Sky Strike, you broke Twilight.
Oh dear Celestia, that is not going to end well. You know, if spike hadn't said anything, that might not have happened.
2601377 To be honest, it was from the last chapter that really jumped the shark (for me). I mean, one tear-jerking scene and suddenly she's all forgiving and jumping in his arms was just too quick for the story. I mean, years of emotion pain and she just brushes it aside like nothing. It was pretty unbelievable. You could have built up the tension, the angst, the drama over several chapters, but instead the bulk of it was condensed into one chapter.
All of a sudden, it went from him showing up to an angry confrontation to him moving in with her to him flirting (unintentionally) with Twilight. It's a rollercoaster we're on here! Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy this story immensely, but it's just the pace of it that bothers me.
I has giggles
Lucky bastard. I'm not out until June 6th
2601411
Oh okay! That's completely understandable! It's really my first time writing angst so its good to get feedback like this
I'm really happy you mentioned it!
Oh god... Seems like Twilight has a second experience with super-magic. And now shes adult and then she has more magic... when she was a filly it was... powerful.... and now shes a fully grown mare.....
Luna: HAHA! THE MAGIC HAS BEEN DOUBLED!!
2601384 Picture this scenario. Rainbow Dash goes back to Twilight's to pick up Sky Strike and he comes out and says, "Meet your new stepmother, Twilight Sparkle!"
Rainbow, Fluttershy... Just follow the small mushroom cloud. It's directly over where the library used to be.
HIT THE DIRT!!
DAMN YOU my school only has 3 more weeks!
BUT NO MORE 30 MINUTE RUNS :D
Lesson Zero. This is not a drill. Repeat, LESSON ZERO.
and she came everywhere and screamed, "I came!"
"Could of" is not a phrase. What you're thinking of is "could've", which is short for "could have". Also, the "w" in "Wonderbolts" is supposed to be capitalized.
OMG TWILIGHT'S GONNA EXPLOAD!!
I'm still holding out hope that we're gonna get a SkyLight ship!
Really?!
2601571
I'm glad someone got it!
Grargh... Would of, could of, should of... The rage...
Would've, could've, should've. They're contractions of would have, could have and should have.
It'd probably be better if her dad was more of a flirt rather than awkwardly shipping him with one of her friends.
Cute story- hope to see more from the Wonderbolts.
Dammit Twilight, now you've gone and blasted Dashies' dad!
*reads chapter, at Embarrassment Level 68%, runs to his bunker and puts on his heavy bomb-resistant armored suit and seals the bunker, just as Embarrassment Level 100% is reached*
I feel sorry for Rainbow and Fluttershy, they will probably arrive just as the place goes boom.
I can imagine Twilight's quill literally writing those Embarrassment Levels down from this. Unless that was the point, in which case...yay for me being redundant? XD
Dammit Sky Strike, you are seriously going to break poor Twilight if you already haven't.
ABORT ABORT
GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!
That ending was hilarious! Keep up the good work!
In case of critical failure, grab the nearest Spike and brace for cover.
Oh lord!! XDD
2601431And then Dash Rain boomed Twilight and Sky out of existence. For her murder of Twilight, rainbow dash was banished to the moon. and since there was no Twilight, their was no one capable of retrieving the stolen crow from the human world, so Equestria Girls remained a Catchy Song, just like Pepperidge Farm remembers.
2601560 SHE ALREADY DID RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!! 8explodes also*
Since Twilight is always studying I sure she never had much of a love life. And now she is just too embarrassed spending time with Sky Strike.
I fucking love this story so much. If the next chapter is twice as good as this, I might have to change the stories in my Favorite boxes, and I have done that in a long time.
And Twilight went boom... Glorious.
Muahahahahhaahahaaaaaaa
Welp, Shit hit the fan.
...and Twilight went Chernobyl.
That made me laugh so hard.
But now that Strike has so much magic in him... is he going to die?
I don't wanna see a sad Rainbow Dash
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/132778627369.gif
fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/030/7/2/rainbow_dash_cries_by_ninjashade-d4o6rxv.gif
2601977
Then it looks like I have a mission!
[youtube=JoX-HkOcEuE]
Who else thought of that?
2602072
But it is not loss anymore and he is still the pony that she loved the most.
MOAR!
holy shit. that note at the end reminded me. schools out for the summer. EVERYTHING UPDATES AT LAST!
2602088
I'm looking forward to it.
Twi-Splosion!
Is this going to be a Skylight ship?
BWAHAHAHAAH!!!
I feel bad for Dash if she found out Sky is with Twilight!
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