> Raising Rainbow
>  by Pizzema Forte
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1. It's a Boy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbolt nervously paced back and forth. His periwinkle hooves clanked on the ivory, tile floor beneath him. His heart was thumping against his chest and sweat dripped from his forehead harder than it did during an intense work-out. 
Maybe if he wasn’t in a hospital he wouldn’t have been so nervous. Yet, it wasn’t the fact that he was in a hospital that made him nervous; it was the reason why. For the last few weeks, Firefly- his beloved marefriend- wasn’t feeling exactly…well. She was having severe stomach pains, and a while ago she’d been throwing up quite a lot. They never, ever considered the possibility that the young mare could have been pregnant. It wasn’t until the previous night that they both grew increasingly worried. 
Firefly had been sitting on the couch with her love, listing to overrated tunes on the radio and snuggling her head into the stallion’s soft chest. Although they’d been dating a long while, her parents were still a bit afraid when she ventured to her beloved’s house. She was only sixteen at the time, and Rainbolt was eighteen. The nervous panic commenced when the little mare awoke one night with bullets of sweat dripping down her forehead. The first words to leave her lips were, "I...think there's somepony inside me..."
Rainbolt was beyond terrified when she said those little words to him. At first, he thought the pink-coated mare was joking, or pulling a prank on him. When the unfortunate truth that her words were honest sunk into him, fear struck him like lightning. They were both hoping the nightmare was indeed nothing more than a nightmare.
Finally, when the stallion’s hooves began to ache, he rested into a nearby chair and put his head into his hooves. 
“What’d I do? What’d I do? What’d I do?” He repeated to himself over and over again. 
If he wouldn’t have made that one damn mistake, none of this would have ever happened. He’d be with his little marefriend, and they’d be happy and worry-free. He tried to relax as he remembered the day that caused all this panic. 

It was Rainbolt’s eighteenth birthday, but, yet again he was exhausted from a hard day at the weather factory. He stumbled into his small, cozy apartment. He was prepared to take a long, well-deserved rest in his comfortable bed. Then around six his sweet, adorable marefriend would be coming over. He could already see her beautiful, adorable face. He could look deeply into her purple eyes and feel her long, blue locks of hair in between his hooves. She truly was gorgeous and by far the most adorable mare who ever walked the grounds of Equestria. His warm heart grew giddy with thoughts of the upcoming night. 
The little stallion galloped into the kitchen. Normally, it was unoccupied, but not today. His marefriend was in the kitchen, humming a cheerful tune and adding the top layer to a well-constructed sandwich.
“Oh, hey Babe! Didn’t see you there….” She smashed the sandwich together, keeping all the layers neatly glued together. “I made you a sandwich while you were at work.” 
Rainbolt was still agape. “Sweetheart… I wasn’t expecting you until six… It’s only four-thirty!” 
“Oh, I know… I just wanted to surprise you on your special day.” 
The overly-happy mare went over to her coltfriend and gave him a tender kiss on the lips. Rainbolt kissed back passionately and then broke away with a smile. 
“Hope you’re not disappointed I was a bit early.” 
“Of course not! I love spending time with you!”
He wrapped his hoof around her neck gently with a smile and they nuzzled briefly. 
Firefly cleared her throat. “So, uh… What do you want to do this evening? I’m up for anything you are.” 
Rainbolt thought for a second. “I don’t know… hm… Maybe later we could watch a movie together. Or take a walk in that little park near your school. Or, um… We could go for a short fly, and maybe race if you’re up for it.” 
Firefly smiled cutely. “Those all sound wonderful… Now, uh.. How about getting a little something in your belly? You must be starving after a long day at work.”
The periwinkle-coated stallion smiled slightly. “Yeah… I guess I am. I still don’t like it when you make food for me, though. It kind of makes me feel guilty. I used to have to cook for my family all the time and it got pretty annoying.”
Firefly almost laughed at his silly little thoughts. “Oh, Rainbolt. You know I love cooking! And it’s not like you asked me to cook for you. It’s your birthday, you should just relax and enjoy the evening.” She grabbed the plate with the layered, yummy-looking sandwich on it and placed it on the dining table across from the small kitchen. Rainbolt quietly smiled and blushed. 
“Thanks, Sweetheart.” He made his way to the young mare and kissed her sweetly on her cheek. “I love you.” 
“I love you, too.” She said with a grin before sitting in the chair placed directly across from her coltfriend. 
The young couple smiled at each other for an unnatural amount of time. The stallion kept glancing at his marefriend, while occasionally looking at his sandwich. It seems almost…weird to eat it. Like, he knew he wanted to, but at the same time it felt almost strange to consume the delectable arrangement of vegetables. 
“Something wrong, Sweety?” Firefly asked in concern. 
“No… It’s nothing…I just feel a bit strange about this sandwich.”
That’s when his little marefriend burst into laughter. She nearly fell to the floor. Her loud squeals and laughter filled the room. Her little coltfriend blushed and sheepishly turned away. It wasn’t until another minute that the giggly mare could grasp her regular calmness. 
“The sandwich makes you feel strange?” She asked, wiping a tear from her eye. “You’re so silly, Bolty!” 
Rainbolt chuckled to himself, trying to hide his inner embarrassment. 
“Yeah… I guess…” 
In an attempt to purge his uneasy thoughts, he lifted the sandwich to his mouth and took a big bite. The flavor of lettuce, tomato, onion, black olives, mustard, pickles, carrots, and cheese all filled his mouth. He had to admit, it tasted fantastic. Why he ever had a strange feeling about the masterpiece, he hadn’t the slightest clue. He swallowed the yummy bite he took and smiled at his marefriend. 
“This tastes amazing.” 
“I know! I made myself one before you arrived!” 
She happily gazed into the stallion’s golden eyes and smiled. “You’re so cute…” She muttered softly. 
Rainbolt swallowed from the second bite he’d forced into his mouth and blushed brightly. “Th-thank you, Sweetheart. You’re way cuter, though.” 
“No, you are!” 
“You are!” He playfully argued. 
“No way!” 
“Yep!” 
“You’re way cuter!” 
“No, you are!” 
“You’re like, twenty percent cuter!” 
Rainbolt giggled and allowed his beautiful mare to win that argument. How he loved seeing her happy. 
“Now, finish up your meal and we’ll see how you feel afterwards!” 
“I’ll probably feel better and less tired.” He admitted. 
He took another large bite, thoroughly chewed and swallowed. After only a few more bites proceeding that one, he completely finished his delectable meal. His marefriend gleamed at him with a wide grin as he swallowed the last bite. 
“So…” She started. “How do you feel?” 
Rainbolt seemed almost confused at the question. Why would a simple sandwich cause his emotions to shift that dramatically? His tummy was full and his mind was more active, so that was a plus. 
“What do you mean? I feel better, I guess.” 
Firefly smiled at the little stallion with large, purple eyes and then frowned a bit. “I’ll have to ask you again in fifteen minutes….” 
Rainbolt thought for a minute and then his eyes shot opened. “What’d you do to it?” 
Firefly turned and smiled with a wink. “I may or may not have put a little somethin’ in there.” 
The pegasus turned angry and afraid at his marefriend’s words. “You…What?!” 
Firefly seemed almost shocked at his reaction. “Don’t get all huffy with me! All it was is a little something to get you in the mood.” 
A blush smeared across Rainbolt’s face. “I-In the mood… as in… Horny?” 
The little mare smiled and blushed with a nod. “You know… Just thought we could have fun on yout birthday…” 
“B-but you’re only fifteen! Your parents would kill me if they found out. A-and I don’t even think it’s ethical for me to have sex with you since you’re a minor!” 
“Hey!” She snapped. “I’ll be sixteen in two weeks! Besides, my parents will never find out, because we’re not going to tell anypony!” 
“You could get pregnant! Or caught! Or-“ 
Firefly leaned over the table and shut her lover up with a long kiss on the mouth. He blushed heavily and his wings sprung up. The little mare broke away and smiled at him with lust in her eyes. 
“You were saying?” 
“I-I…I…” His entire face lit up a bright hue of crimson and he smiled at the mare. “I… would love to…” 

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I’m so stupid! This is all my fault! She’s pregnant and it’s my fault for being so stupid!” He felt embarrassed as he pondered over his own stupidity, blaming himself for everypony’s misery and problems. He grunted and banged the back of his head against his wall. 
The nurse at the counter, along with several other patients in the waiting room stared at the worrisome stallion. He was constantly muttering to himself and banging his heavy head against the back of the wall. The disapproving and judgmental eyes locked on him were completely ignored, as he was only worried about the state of his beloved marefriend. 
After another long, uneventful ten minutes, his sweet little marefriend walked out of two large, white doors. Her face had a smile glued on, but her eyes showed a bit of distress. The nervous stallion instantly rushed to the side of his sweetheart and landed a kiss on her soft cheek. 
“Well….” He started. “What’s the news?” 
A deep pit of dread filled his heart as he awaited the answer. Firefly’s smile turned to a frown and her upset eyes glimmered. 
“I-It’s a boy….” 

> 2. Telling the Parents
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbolt swallowed the pit of saliva that had formed in his drying mouth. Bullets of sweat leaked from his forehead. He knew the moment would come, and it was absolutely inevitable. Weeks prior to that, he would have figured the dreaded moment was to come years from then! Fate had taken a turn for the worse, however, and this was the consequence for giving in to lust. 
“Do you think they heard you?” Firefly whispered after Rainbolt knocked. 
“I don’t know… I’m sort of dreading the moment, so I may be knocking a tad quiet….” 
Firefly rolled her purple eyes and took it in her own hooves. She banged her pink hoof against the door nearly three times. 
“Coming!” Rainbolt heard a familiar, feminine voice sing from the inside of the house. 
Rainbolt’s heart filled with dread further. The uneasy feeling consumed him and only forced more sweat, heart throbs, and trembles out of him. Firefly took notice to his nervous signs and sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy for either of them. 
After what felt like an eternity, the two pegasi were greeted by a ravishing, aging pegasus. She had gray roots at the base of her lovely pink, purple, and crimson streaked mane. Her large, yellow eyes had beautiful, long eyelashes. Despite her older age, she lacked all wrinkles and impurities on her pretty, pink face. 
“H-h-hello, Mother…” Rainbolt stammered upon seeing the mare. “I, uh… You remember F-Firefly, r-right?” 
His mother’s smile faded and turned into a concerned expression. “Of course…” She moved to the side, allowing Rainbolt and his marefriend some room to enter. They gladly accepted the invitation and entered the vanilla-scented house. “Are you alright, Sweetie Pie? You seem awfully nervous.” 
The periwinkle stallion took a seat on the couch. Firefly sat next to him and put her head in his chest. 
“Well… We have some news…” Rainbolt started. “I just think Dad should be here to hear it…” 
The pretty mare cocked her head and seemed a bit confused.  “Alright… I’ll go get Spectrum… you two stay here…” 
With that, Rainbolt’s mom flew upstairs, leaving the young pegasi alone with their worries. 
“I am so, so nervous…” Rainbolt admitted. 
“I am, too…” Firefly shyly stated. “I’m sure your parents won’t be as pissed as my parents, though…” 
Rainbolt’s heart ached at the very thought. Since the day Rainbolt met his beloved’s parents, they didn’t like him. They even tried to force them apart at one time. When he had to admit his mistake to them, he’d probably end up dead or in a hospital. At least his parents would understand to a degree. 
“Alrighty!” 
Firefly and Rainbolt perked their ears up at a booming, stallion’s voice. “This better be good…” 
The married couple smiled, and sat in the black love seat directly across from the nervous, young lovers. Rainbolt took in a deep breath. 
“Mom…Dad…I…I have something to confess…” Rainbolt’s eyes darted towards the red rug on the carpet beneath them. “I…I… I, um…” 
Firefly wrapped her hooves around the young stallion for comfort.
“Well… I…I’m sorry to tell you this, but…” Rainbolt gulped. “Firefly and I… are…” Rainbolt paused and his tongue dried up. All he had to do was force the words out, and it’d be over. “Well… Some things happened and things didn’t turn out well…”
Rainbolt had the attention of everypony in the large chamber. 
“What do you mean, Sweetie?” His mother asked in a soft tone. 
“Well… accidents happen… and well we-“ 
Firefly interrupted her love. “Listen… To state it bluntly, we’re on the road to parenthood…” 
The stallion’s parents blinked before tossing each other unsure expressions. 
“Do you mean to say… you’re pregnant, Firefly?” 
Both Rainbolt and Firefly nodded with hot shades of red masked their worried faces. 
The parents’ faces went blank and then they smiled and giggled at the thought of gandfoals. 
“Honey…We’re going to be grandparents!” Rainbolt’s mom exclaimed. 
Spectrum wrapped his white hooves around his excited wife. “I know! Isn’t it wonderful?” 
Firefly and Rainbolt both stared in shock at the old couple hugging and rejoicing. Although they were both surprised, neither were disappointed.
“I, uh… You’re not disappointed in me?” Rainbolt asked in a shocked tone. 
His mother giggled. “Why would we be?” 
“I don’t know… I mean, Firefly’s only sixteen…” 
“We know…” His father started. “But you two are responsible. Rainbolt’s an adult with a job. I’m sure you two will make it through together. As long as you stick by each other's side and care for each other, it’ll be fine.” 
Rainbolt and his marefriend smiled at each other. Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad…
“Thanks you guys….” Firefly started. “For supporting us and all… I can only hope my parents act the some way…” 
____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Firefly whispered quietly in a nervous tone. 
“I’m sure…” Rainbolt lied with very little confidence. “I practiced this a million times…” 
That statement wasn’t a lie. That entire week, Rainbolt had recited his apology into a mirror a thousand times or more. Telling his parents about the misfortune had been a breeze. It may have been a harsh, cold, sharp breeze, but it was a breeze nonetheless. This, however, was going to be a hurricane. 
With a heavy heart lingering in both of their chests, Firefly lifted her trembling hoof to her own front door and knocked on it four times. Rainbolt gulped as he heard a grumbling pony approaching. His heart felt like exploding out of his chest. Even the thought of a torturous, long death seemed far more pleasant than confessing this to the parents of the teenage pony he’d unintentionally impregnated. 
At long last, a gruff, pink-coated stallion answered the door. His already unenthusiastic mood lowered further when he set eyes on the periwinkle colt. 
“Why’d you bring this one?” he asked in an angry tone. 
Rainbolt cleared his throat. His nervous heart beat much, much faster in his presence. “Sir, I uh… have something important I think you should know…” 
The stallion’s blue eyes widened and he nodded. “Come in…” Although his tone still carried its usual disgust towards the world, it was quite gently. 
“Thank you, sir…” Rainbolt replied shyly as he entered the small apartment. Crooked paintings hung from the walls. Beer bottles trashed the messy floor. The odd-smelling shelter must have been home to a million diseases. The first time Rainbolt ever visit the house, he’d nearly thrown from the stench of rotting barf. On the couch rested a golden-coated mare with a cigarette dangling out of her mouth and an emptied beer bottle to her side. 
“Ma’am?” Rainbolt started to get the attention of the alcoholic mare. She lifted her head up slightly to acknowledge him. 
“Why the hell are you here?” She asked. 
Rainbolt blushed and stood in place where he was. Maybe if he started out on a brighter note, the news itself wouldn’t seem as bad. Maybe he wouldn’t get a bullet through his skull. 
“Well, I, uh… I’d like to start off by saying how amazing and wonderful my life has been since I met your daughter….” His statement went practically unheard by the parents. “And, umm… thank you so, so much for allowing me to visit your…wonderful home…” Firefly’s mom grew increasingly bored. She took her cigarette from her lips and blew a cloud of smoke into the atmosphere. Rainbolt tried his best not to cough. “I… to get to the point… I…we…I thought…” Rainbolt nervously rubbed the back of his neck and sweat heavily. “We…we….” His arid throat was growing dryer and caused his pitch to go up. “Well… a while ago on my eighteenth birthday… I, uh… I may have agreed to…” Firefly watched with an anxious heart. She’d begged him to do the explaining to her parents. The last thing she wanted to do was tell them about it. “I agreed to…you know…” He blushed heavily. “I-Intercourse and stuff….” 
That bit of news was enough make the mare drop her burning cigarette from her mouth. Without hesitation, she grabbed the nearby beer bottle and chucked it at the stallion. Rainbolt moved out of the way and the glass shattered against the filthy wall behind him. 
“Mom!” Firefly cried. “We both agreed! Please don’t get mad at him!” 
“Oh, yeah. You ‘agreed’!” She screamed. “What’d he do? Drug you? Seduce you? Did he rape you?” 
“No! Of course not!” Firefly argued with a heavy blush. 
Rainbolt didn’t know how to react. He was already being assaulted verbally and with bottles, and they didn’t even know their daughter was pregnant!
The mare turned her attention to the stallion. She was panting heavily in anger. Her usually yellow face was bright red from lividness. 
“Listen here, you little piece of shit…” She started to corner the fearful stallion. “If I ever find out what happened wasn’t  one hundred percent consensual, I will personally hunt you down and rip off your head!” 
Rainbolt gulped and his ears flopped against his head. “Y-yes, m-ma’am!” 
“And if you get my daughter pregnant before she’s twenty, I will destroy you!” 
“Well…I… C-could you maybe specify what you mean by ‘destroy’?” He asked nervously. His heavy heart throbbed and sweat fell from his nose.
The mare grit her teeth. “Does it matter?” 
“I, err… N-No, ma’am… I-It’s a g-good thing I-I’m sterile…” He lied with a chuckle and blush. 
“Oh…” Her anger calmed nearly instantly. “You are?” 
“I…I…Well…” Rainbolt glanced at his marefriend. Her face was worried, confused, and scared. Rainbolt didn’t know what to think of it. If he were to lie, he could end up in a far worse situation. If he told the truth, it would be evident what he was hiding. “I…I…” He swallowed hard. “N-no m-ma’am…I… I can have kids…” 
The mare blinked. Her anger wasn’t rebuilding but her suspicions were growing by the second. “Why’d you lie?” 
“To calm you down…” 
“Oh… It worked…” was her only response. 
“G-good…” Rainbolt looked in the eyes of the previously furious mare. She had been so angry, but she seemed far calmer than before. Rainbolt smiled. “So… A-are you a little more okay with the whole s-sex thing?” he forced out. 
“I…I guess.” She shot her husband a glance who simply shrugged. 
“I started having sex when I was fourteen, so it’s fine by me.” 
“So…” Rainbolt started. Maybe then was the best time, since everything had calmed down. Even Firefly and Rainbolt’s heart rates dropped dramatically. “S-since it’s more okay… H-how okay are you with the fact she’s…” Rainbolt paused and her parents both turned attention to him. “P-pregnant?”  
“Wait…” Her mother started. “She’s…WHAT?!” 
Rainbolt shrunk back into the nearby corner and covered his face with his wings. “P-please don’t kill me…” 


> 3. A Rainbow is Born 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Rainbolt hauled a hefty box into the living room of the new, much larger home they both sacrificed a lot to earn. Firefly picked up a part-time job, and put all her money into savings for the new home and things they’d need for the baby. Rainbolt worked any extra possible shift he could. They spent as little as they needed to get by and make ends meet, and sacrificed every last bit towards the arriving baby. The house was in decent shape, to say the least. There were a few plumbing problems, and minor issues with the structure, but it was perfect aside from that. It had two bedrooms, a nice bathroom, a spacious living room, a small, but cozy kitchen, and plenty of windows with a good sized yard the child would grow to love. 
Caring for Firefly the past ten months wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. She had dramatic mood swings, a strange appetite, and worst of all, she had false births a few times within the past couple weeks. Those were not only scary, but they changed Firefly’s mood to quite aroused. It could have been far worse, but it was bad enough. Rainbolt loved her, cared for her, and tolerated her the whole way through, though. 
“Is that the last one?” Firefly asked as Rainbolt set the heavy box down onto the cloud floor. 
“Yeah…” He answered. “I just hope this baby is worth it…” 
“I know… He’s getting awfully big…” She flew up and felt her growing belly, gently stroking her hoof across the bulging surface. “I wonder what he’ll look like.” 
“It could be a she.” Rainbolt corrected. “The doctor said he wasn’t completely sure what its gender was.” 
“But he said he was like, ninety percent sure it was a boy.” The mare argued. 
“Whatever.” Rainbolt opened the box he’d just set down. “Ugh, more books. You are such an egghead.” 
Firefly blushed. “Hey, you said I could bring anything that would make me more comfortable!” 
The stallion simply rolled his yellow eyes in response. “And you’re going to read all these?” 
Firefly gave her coltfriend a friendly punch in his arm. “Maybe. Plus, the kid might want to read some.” 
“The kid won’t be old enough to read for a few years!” 
“Still. Man… I can’t believe we have this entire house….” 
“I know. We couldn’t have got it if you didn’t get a job.” He brought his marefriend inward and nuzzled her. “I’m very proud of you…” 
“Awe… Thanks, Babe.” She commented and then put her hoof back on her belly as it made a gurgling noise. “Ugh, let’s get lunch! All this moving busyness has worn me out!” 
“Sure thing, Sweetheart…” He gave her a little peck on the cheek. “Gosh, you pregnant mares have quite the appetite.” 
She got a bit huffy. “You try having this thing! It eats all your food!” She pointed to her belly and Rainbolt giggled. 
“Didn’t mean to offend you, Sweety. Jus’ saying.” He headed to the kitchen. “What are you in the mood for?” 
Rainbolt didn’t receive a response for the longest time. Nearly ten seconds passed before he turned around and laid eyes on the little mare floating a few feet above him. Tears swelled in her purple eyes. Rainbolt immediately flew up and wrapped his hoof around her back, moving her closer to his torso and rubbing his hoof up and down the arch of her back. 
“What’s wrong, Sweety?” 
The mare didn’t response, but instead burst into a volatile mess of hot tears. Rainbolt embraced the mare securely. Man, she was so emotional. 
“I-It’s goanna be okay, I promise! D-don’t be sad!” 
Firefly sniffled and spoke muffled through tears. “I-I’m gonna be a mommy! I don’t wanna be a mommy! I-I’m too young!” 
This fit. Rainbolt had witnessed her break down emotionally into tears over this before. She hated the idea of dedicating so much time to a child, and so did Rainbolt. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but he also knew they’d make it through together. 
“It’s okay…we’ll make it through, I promise. This’ll all turn out okay.” 
Firefly lifted her head. Her blue mane was wet with her own tears and her reddened face wrinkled in misery. “I…I don’t know… I’ve just been so emotional lately… It’s just…. Three weeks from now… We’ll be parents. Doesn’t that scare you?” 
The pegasus wrapped both hooves around his beloved. “No… losing you scares me. You’re my everything…” Rainbolt rubbed the back of her head and smiled. “This baby will only bring us closer. I’m sure of it.” 
Firefly sniffled as her tears subsided. “A-are you positive?” 
He bent down and kissed the mare on the lips. “Of course I’m sure. “ He put his hoof on her belly where the baby rest. “Three weeks and we’ll be given a miracle.” 
Firefly smiled slightly with a giggle. “Alright… Now... Can I get some food in my belly?” 

Rainbolt leaned in and kissed the beautiful mare goodnight. Their lips met and massaged each other’s for a good minute before breaking away. Their eyes met and twinkled with love. They were extremely haggard from unpacking and packing all day long. Man, what an evening. Rainbolt had dealt with tolerating irrational mood swings, extreme hunger, and excessive stomach illness for the past ten months. His pretty marefriend had to experience them. Neither knew who genuinely had it worse, though. 
The young couple tucked beneath their sheets and snuggled their heads into their pillows, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. The smiled at each other slightly. 
“Goodnight, Sweetheart…” Rainbolt finally said. 
“Goodnight… Sleep well…” 
She closed her eyes and stuffed her head into her soft pillow. That usually meant, “I’m going to bed now”. Rainbolt turned onto his opposite side and stared out his window at the night sky. Little shining freckles decorated the dark background. The moon’s glow was bright and full. The silhouette of an alicorn’s head could be depicted in one looked close enough. Rainbolt’s heavy eyes set on a shooting star that whizzed across the sky. Its trail was bright and multi-colored. He smiled at it moments before his eyes shut and he drifted into a land of dreams. 

Loud, shrill moans of distaste could be heard as the stallion’s ears perked up and he awoke. He turned his head immediately to find his marefriend was bending over in pain. Her hooves were caressing her stomach and her ears were flattened against her head. 
“UGH! He wants out!” 
Firefly let out another long moan and Rainbolt wrapped his hooves around his marefriend. He held her close and rubbed her back comfortingly. 
“Urgh! It hurts so bad!” 
She grunted as she tried hard to suppress any more cries or moans. It was one of the worst pains she’d ever felt, nevertheless. It felt as though bullets were being shot into her lower stomach. If she had the chance to dig her hoof into her stomach and pull out all her internal organs, she would have.
“It’s okay…. Only three more weeks…” 
The impatient mare cried out again and her eyes filled with tears. “I want this damned baby out of me!” she screamed in agony.
Rainbolt couldn’t say a thing. He could, however, comfort his darling. He held her close and held her hoof. She squeezed tightly as she tried hard to endure the pain. 
“Do you need to go to the hospital?” He finally asked. 
Firefly clenched her teeth as she leaned into his coat. She gave an affirmative nod as another tear trickled down her face. Rainbolt sighed as he put his hoof under his marefriend’s legs and shoulders before scooping her up into his arms. She nuzzled her head into his soft, fuzzy chest like a newborn foal. He held her so kindly and carried her so careful. He couldn’t imagine what pain she was going through. He nuzzled her kindly and carried her out of the room. He closed the door and his marefriend let out another cry. 
“It’ll be okay, Sweety…” He moved his hoof down her back gently. 
Rainbolt was practically at the door when he suddenly heard a odd, piercing sound. It wasn’t until he felt a strange, clear liquid running down his arms and body that his yellow eyes went wide. The sudden shock made both him and Firefly tense up. The clear, runny liquid dripped to the ground and the stallion almost felt sick in a sudden realization. 
“My water broke!” Firefly cried. 
Rainbolt’s heart began to pound faster than it had in her entire life. “W-we have to go to the hospital!” 
“We don’t have time!” Firefly argued, squirming out of the arms of her lover. “The baby’s coming!” 
Firefly laid on the ground and started whimpering. Her breathing became rapid and loud as her eyes watered. She laid sideways and felt the baby start to move within her towards the escape. 
“It’s coming! It’s coming! It’s coming! It’s coming!” She repeated in a shrill tone. 
Rainbolt nervously flew down to her and held her hoof tightly while rubbing her back in the most comforting manner he could. He felt her trying to push the baby out and the tenseness she was carrying. 
She gripped his hoof tightly and tried to calm down. She gritted her teeth and let out a moan of distaste as the baby’s hoof poked out her. The little hoof was in an eggshell bubble, along with the rest of him they had yet to see. Rainbolt drew his eyes away from her as the baby made its way out further. Firefly only began to sob heavier and let out the occasional scream or cry through the hard task. The baby’s other hoof and head came out the hardest. The pain-consumed mare had to put all her strength into getting that much of the baby out. Her belly moved inward and outward trying to get the foal out of her. Her heart raced and sweat fell to the floor. She pushed harder and harder as minutes passed by. 
“IT HURTS!” She screamed as the foal’s lower midsection was being forced out of her. Rainbolt continued to hold the mare’s hoof, which was now suffocating under her firm grasp. He tried hard to make her feel more comfortable in her moments of misery. 
“J-just a little more… He’s almost out.”  
Firefly let out a grunt and gave one last push with all her might. Her body then laid limp. She couldn’t take it anymore. She was far too weak to move another inch. 
“P-please…. Just pull him out…” 
Rainbolt gave a quick nod-which went unnoticed by his marefriend- and made his way to the struggling foal, whose hind legs were still stuck inside his mother. He grabbed its slippery front legs until its little kicking legs came out with a pop. Firefly let out a long sigh of relief as the foal came out. Rainbolt sat at the end and opened up the thin, wet sac cradling the foal. It easily opened to reveal a dripping wet, cyan foal. His eyes were shut closed and covered in his mother’s sap. His vibrant, multi-colored mane was drenched in smelly fluids. He was breathing and attempting to stand, but slipped over the sac that once held him delicately. He starting crying out at his failed attempted to walk. Rainbolt’s smile turned to a frown as he grabbed the messy newborn and held it in his arms. 
“Awe, don’t cry! Please don’t cry! It’s okay!” 
The little foal didn’t stop crying completely, but did feel more peace in his daddy’s arms. His little hooves clung to his father's chest and tried to get closer to the stallion. 
“What’s he look like?” Firefly asked, panting. 
Rainbolt smiled and lowered the little foal into the mare’s view. She smiled slightly at the cute baby. 
“He looks just like his daddy…” 
Rainbolt nodded and Firefly’s ears perked up for a moment. “Wait…” She reached out her hooves and Rainbolt gently set the newborn in his mother’s arms. She carefully tilted the baby and stared for a moment. “It’s a girl….” 
Rainbolt looked confused. “It is?” Firefly nodded. “Oh....” He couldn’t think of much to say after that. “Should I wash her off?” 
Firefly smiled. “Would you, please?” 
Rainbolt nodded and took the little foal away from her mother. The foal seemed confused at why she was being tossed back and forth between parents. She struggled a little as she was picked up and carried into her father’s arms.
“You rest here, and I’ll wash her off. Try to think of a name while I’m gone?”
Firefly smiled with a nod and Rainbolt flew to kitchen, holding the slippery infant. He placed the small foal in the kitchen sink gently. The cold metal on her back made the poor foal whimper. 
“Shhh….” He said as he took a cloth from the cabinet and wet it with cool water. “It’s alright, Sweetheart.” 
Rainbolt took the light blue rag and pressed it gently to his daughter’s face, wiping the excess goop off. He slid the rag across her eyelids gently and to her other cheek, cleaning it with care. The moment the thick, sticky fluids were removed from her eyelids, she opened her eyes with a few blinks. They were a beautiful shade of pink. She looked up at her daddy. Her eyes smiled, but her mouth remained agape. 
“Awe… Hello, there Beautiful…” He moved the rag to her belly and smiled. “You came early, you know? You still had another three weeks.” The little foal seemed even more confused. Her eyes wondered around, examining the house. A cute, little wine escaped her mouth.   Rainbolt giggled. “You’re such a cutie pie. Just like your mommy.” 
Rainbolt took a second to wipe some gunk out of the little, fluffy mane on her head. She made a gurgly noise as saliva dripped down her chin. Rainbolt smiled and wiped off the spit before rewetting the rag and proceeding to wipe off her back. For arriving a bit early, she seemed quite developed and healthy. He’d have to get a doctor’s appointment to know more, but that wasn’t important. What was important that was he and Firefly had a sweet, adorable, and lovable, little foal to cherish for years to come. 
     


     

> 4. XOXO, Firefly 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbolt lifted the little baby up and down with his wings over and over again. The sweet, three month-old foal laughed lightheartedly and spread out her legs and wings on the ride. Her pink eyes were gleaming with excitement. Her father smiled widely on his back as his little girl giggled and smiled in joy. His wings lifted her up and down a final time as Firefly walked into their bedroom; which was at that point shared with the little foal’s crib, her stuffed animals, and childish decorations.  
“Having fun?” she asked in a merry tone. 
“Yeah, Dashie especially.” He continued raising and lowing the foal as he spoke. “She really loves playing.” 
Dashie. That was the simplified version of her full name, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow obviously had come from vibrant, multihued mane she was blessed enough to get from her father, while Dash was simply from her natural desire for speed. She crawled fast, ate fast, heck, she was born fast! On top of that, athleticism ran in both Rainbolt’s and Firefly’s family, so she would most likely become an athlete, anyway. If she didn’t turn out to be an athlete, she could say the Dash meant she was dashing. 
The pink-coated approached the happy pair. “She’s really is adorable….” 
Rainbolt took notice to a certain sadness that lingered within the mares tone. “Something wrong?” he asked. 
“Oh, no. Of course not. I’m just thinking about our family… and how well we’ve bonded and everything.” 
“Yeah, it’s been really life-changing. And this girl is the highlight of my life!” He said, looking right at his giddy daughter. 
“What about me?” Firefly asked. 
“Rainbow’s the highlight of my life,” he restated. “You are my life.” 
Firefly blushed and let out a long, “Awwwe!” 
Rainbolt smiled at his marefriend. “Is lunch almost ready?” 
“Yeah… Should be done in a few minutes. Dashie’s milk’s almost done, too. I’m letting it cool.” 
Rainbolt hesitantly stopped bobbing the little foal up and down and her giggly smile faded. “Are you hungry, Dashie? Do you want some milk?” 
Rainbow smiled and let out a cheerful squeal that warmed her parents’ hearts. She was way too cute.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Firefly said with a smile. 
Rainbolt brought his daughter down and nuzzled her softly before setting her down on his stomach completely and giving her a warm hug and gently kiss to her forehead. Firefly made her way over to Rainbolt and locked lips with him for a few seconds. They both closed their eyes. Rainbow always seemed slightly confused when they touched faces like that. Firefly broke away. 
“I’ll go get lunch served. Should be ready in a few minutes.” She notified him as she tossed him a wink and flew out of the room. 
Dashie laid on her father’s chest, drooling and gurgling adorably. He put his hooves under the foal’s underarms and lifted her up. He spread his wings and flew upward, carrying the happy girl in his arms. Whenever Rainbow was carried by her father, she flapped her tiny wings madly, in some sort of attempt to fly. It was adorable when she did so. Rainbolt giggled and held the foal to his chest comfortably. That usually got her wings to calm. 
“You’re so cute…” He said to himself as he opened the door and flew down the hall and into the kitchen, where his lover was setting out two plates of tomato sauce masked pasta and a bottle of milk. The sweet smell of tomatoes, herbs, and boiling water filled the air and forced Rainbolt to take in a big whiff. Even Dashie sniffed the air, smelling its sweet, delectable scents. 
“Smells amazing in here!” He commented as he set the little foal in her booster seat. 
“Thanks.” Firefly replied with a giggle. 
Rainbow made a series of short, winy noises as she tried to reach across the table for her milk-filled bottle. Her parents giggled at her absolute cuteness and Firefly picked up the baby bottle. Rainbow didn’t even need to be instructed to open up; her mouth just formed a large circle with a hungry tongue in the middle. Firefly smiled and placed the tip of the bottle in her daughter’s mouth. She instantly closed around the tip and started sucking as if it were the final meal of her life. Firefly steadily held the bottle to her mouth, let her suck a few seconds, and took it out so she could breath. Whenever her mom took the bottle out, Rainbow would cry until it was placed back in her hungry mouth. 
“She gets her appetite from you!” The young mare claimed. 
“All babies have big appetites! She needs it if she’s going to grow big!” 
“I was just joking with you! Don’t take it so seriously!” 
The frustration and irritation found in Firefly’s tone was Rainbolt’s cue to apologize. 
“I’m sorry, Sweetheart…” 
Firefly smiled at her coltfriend and the usual sweetness returned to her voice. “It’s fine, honey. Baby’s gotta eat!” 
As the bottle neared to only having a few ounces left, Rainbow denied entrance to the bottle, being completely full. Her stomach grew slightly achy and her ears went flat across her head. A strange pit formed in her throat and she longed to get it out. She strained, trying to backwards eat, if it were possible. She looked up at her mom with sad eyes. Her mom always knew how to help her. Like always, Firefly leaned down and gently pat Dashie’s back until she let out a soft burp. 
“Well, Rainbow’s fed.” Firefly confirmed and sat down across the table from her lover, who’d already taken a few bites of his meal. “How is it?” 
“Good… A little heavy on the herbs, though.” He commented in the most polite way possible. 
“I like herbs. My mom used to use them in pasta all the time. And ravioli. She made the best ravioli.” 
“I know; I’ve had it before!” 
Rainbolt and Firefly lovingly smiled at each other. Once again, Firefly’s eyes carried something strange within them. 
“Sweetheart…?” He asked. “Are you…Alright?” 
“Yes, of course I am!” She said with false confidence. “Stop worrying about it, you’re starting to scare me!” 
Rainbolt stared at her blankly and slowly went back to eating his pasta. Firefly did the same. The only noises that were heard for the rest of the meal were occasional gurgles from the foal and the clanking of forks against plates. They even set the dirtied dishes in the sink in pure silence. Rainbolt finally broke the awkward quietness as he shut off the running water that had run over the messy plates. 
“Do you want to put Dashie to bed, or shall I?” 
“I think I will…” Firefly stated with no hesitation. The mare flew down and unbuckled the foal from her booster seat and held her in her arms. Rainbow’s little hooves clutched onto her mother’s soft, pink fur as she was carried up to her bedroom and placed in her crib. There was a circle of spinning toys dangling above the foal, and a soft mattress beneath her. Firefly looked at her daughter and sighed. 
“Mommy’s been thinking a lot lately…” Firefly started. “And Mommy’s had to make some very hard decisions lately. I love you, though… I always will…” With that said she leaned down and kissed her child on the forehead lovingly. Rainbow giggled cutely, which earned a grin from her mother. 
Firefly tucked in the baby and turned around, leaving the small bedroom and peering in before shutting the door all the way. 
Firefly made her way downstairs. Her coltfriend was reading the newspaper happily with a grin on his face. 
“Dashie’s sleeping.” She stated. 
Rainbolt looked up with a smile. “Awe, that’s good.” He sighed merrily. “I love Sundays. It’s truly the only day we all get to spend together as a family.” 
“Yeah…. I guess…” 
Although Firefly’s tone again lacked sadness, Rainbolt had learned not to question. Both remained silent not knowing what to say. Both were grateful when loud, shrill cries echoed throughout the house and caused a break in the silence. 
“I’ll go check on her!” The stallion volunteered and rushed to the bedroom. 

The rest of the day was absolutely wonderful. Rainbow awoke at nearly three in the afternoon. Rainbolt and Firefly spent a good amount of time playing with the filly. They flew her around the house several times. She loved being flown more than anything in the world. She’d almost pass out from lack of oxygen, she’d laugh so hard. They’d also tickle her, blow raspberries onto her stomach, and cuddle her. All options for play would always leave Rainbow a giggly mess. Her parents both loved hearing the little foal giggle. 
Firefly dug her muzzle into the baby and blew a raspberry. Rainbow laughed loudly and struggled underneath her mommy. 
“Awe…she’s so cute when she laughs!” 
Firefly nodded her head in agreement. Dashie smiled adorably and unshielded her belly, asking for more. Her mother dug her muzzle into her again and Rainbow once again burst into volatile laughter. 
“Hey…” Rainbolt started. “Don’t you think we should give her a bath? I mean… She didn’t exactly bathe yesterday…” 
“Rainbolt!” Firefly snapped. “You were supposed to bathe her last night while I was at work!” 
“I know… I’m sorry. I forgot…Are you going to beat me up?”
Firefly sighed and looked at her daughter. “I guess we’ll have to do it now… You know you could have told me this hours ago!” 
“Sorry, Sweetheart…” 
Firefly ignored Rainbolt’s apology and carried to the restroom and ran luke-warm water into a plastic, yellow container just big enough for Rainbow. The little foal’s eyes went wide. She may have only been three months old, but she knew what running water meant. She tried to struggle herself out of Daddy’s grip, but he kept her secure with minimum effort. Unfortunately for Dashie, the water filled her miniature tub within a minute. Firefly placed her little tub within the bigger tub and smiled at Rainbolt. 
“Dashie, are you ready for your bath?” 
Rainbow turned into her father’s chest and her ears flopped down, not even wanting to look at the water. She hated bathing more than anything, but knew at this point that it was inevitable. Ignoring Rainbow’s obvious unwillingness, Firefly took the foal, slipped her diaper off, and placed her gently in the water. She instantly started splashing, purposely getting her parents wet in vengeance. 
“Awe! She’s so cute when she’s angry!” Rainbolt commented. 
The young couple began to wash the little girl softly with warm rags. They lightly cleaned her face, ears, belly, back, neck, and Rainbolt always allowed Firefly a moment to clean her more…private areas. They’d then proceed to use a special brand of foal shampoo for her rough mane and tail. They’d rinse the soapy suds off thoroughly, making her squeaky clean. 
“Alright…” Rainbolt finally started. “I think she’s had enough.” Rainbolt lowered his hooves to pick up his daughter, but she reluctantly wined and tried to grab at the water as she was slowly taken from it. 
“Oh, so now that we take you out of the water you want to go back in?” 
Dashie didn’t answer he mom, but simply waved her little hooves at the beautiful liquid. Rainbolt sighed and dipped the little pegasus into her previously despised bath. She happily giggled and splashed her hooves in it. Her excitement and love for the water only lasted around five minutes, however. She quickly grew bored and held her hooves up to be taken elsewhere. 
Rainbolt smiled and grabbed his daughter with care. He wrapped a soft, pink towel around her and dried her off thoroughly. Her mother had already went downstairs to start making dinner. Tonight’s meal remained a mystery to them both. 

After a long dinner, more playtime, and a short session where Firefly read a few chapters of a book to her daughter, Rainbow Dash became increasingly tired and warn-out from the long day. By only six in the evening, she was already nodding on and off to sleep. Although Dashie always fell asleep around six, she always woke up crying around five am to wake the whole house up and receive her well-desired attention. Her parents smiled at the tired, little girl and Rainbolt smiled. 
“I think it’s time our little foal had a good night’s rest, don’t you think?” 
“I agree completely.” Firefly replied as she picked up her daughter with gentle hooves and a sweet smile. “Are you ready for bed, Dashie?” 
Dash replied with a yawn and a cute smile. Firefly headed to their bedroom and placed the tired little foal in her crib with a warm grin. “I love you, Dashie… Sweet dreams….” 

White sunlight seeped through the opened blinds and shone directly over Rainbolt’s face. His eyes opened and his hooves immediately shot up to shield them from the harsh rays and he turned around to see…a wall?  It wasn’t normal for Firefly to wake up before him, but alas, the usual spot she’d sleep in was an empty void. Rainbolt lifted his dreary head and looked around the room. His rainbow mane stuck up in all directions and his yellow eyes were boarded with crust. He thought a moment, and looked at the clock. Ten am? She would usually just be waking up and preparing for the afternoon shift at her job. It was pretty peculiar for her to not even be in bed. 
Rainbolt’s yellow eyes then caught an even stranger sight. Rainbow Dash was sleeping in her little, white crib. Her dinky hoof was shoved in her mouth and coated in dripping saliva. Normally, the first parent to awake had the responsibility of getting up and cooking for the kid. Often times it was him, but this morning it should have been Firefly… 
Confused, Rainbolt took his little baby from her comforting crib. She moaned angrily and took her hoof out of her mouth. Her weary eyes locked on him madly. She did not like being woken up. 
“How’s it feel, Dashie?” he teased with a smile. 
Dashie wined at her dad after being rudely awakened. 
“Oh, hush it!” He said in a joking manner. He couldn’t be legitimately mad at the cute little face. 
Rainbolt made his way to the little kitchen, preparing to warm his daughter some fresh milk. He set the cute little foal in her booster seat and went into their little, white fridge. He set sights on a gallon of milk made from homemade baby formula. He took it out and set it on the nearby counter. He grabbed a small pot from the cabinets above him and poured some of the special milk into it. He took a moment to look around. When he was positive his marefriend was still absent, he took a large gulp of the sweet milk. It tasted beyond amazing and its flavor was superior to any milk he’d ever tasted before. The sweet milk crawled down his throat and left a tingling sensation on his pleased taste buds. 
“Mom’s got you on some good stuff, Dashie!” 
The small pot was placed on the nearby stove and set to ‘warm’. He sighed as he smelt the distinct smell of baby milk in the air. Rainbow grew excited when the beautiful scent reached her nostrils, as well. Rainbolt turned to his daughter and he smiled widely. His yellow eyes then noticed something…He didn’t notice before. A white piece of paper stood out on the brown dining table. Maybe it had a connection to Firefly’s absence. He went over to the white slip and picked it up. He could immediately tell it was her mouth-writing. 

 My Dearest Rainbolt, 
As you know, I love you dearly. You’ve been there for me for the past two years, and honestly, they’ve been the most amazing years of my life, but… I’m just not ready to be a mom yet. I hope you understand. I love you, I really do. I love Dashie, too. But I just… don’t love the responsibility. I need to go back to high school and get an education, you know, make something of myself. I’ll miss you very much… this was all just… too much for me. I hope you understand. I hope Dashie turns out well in life. I know you’ll do a fantastic job raising her. This was the hardest decision of my life, but I’m sorry… I’m too young and I have too much life ahead of me. So, with this… I’m breaking up with you. Maybe if I never got pregnant this would have worked out, but…you know….Anyway, I’ll miss you and Dashie dearly… You’ll always have a place in my heart, 
XOXO, 
Firefly. 

Rainbolt had broken into a wet, sobbing mess halfway through the letter. It was the hardest thing he ever had to read. She… abandoned him… She abandoned Dashie…  She abandoned them all. 
“THAT BUCKING CUNT!” He shouted through his cries. How could she do this? 
Rainbow looked both confused and sad. She didn’t understand what was happening, and she too broke into tears. Rainbolt heard the shrill cries from behind him and went to go hug the little foal. 
“No, Sweety…It’s okay…” He rubbed her back comfortingly. “It’s okay, Daddy’s here…” Salty streams continued to run down both of their faces. “You’re a good girl, Dashie… I’m so sorry you have to see Daddy like this…” He leaned down and kissed his baby. “It’s just you and me now… You’re all I have left of Mommy….” 
Rainbow’s tears dried from the comfort of her father, who was experiencing more emotional pain than he had in his entire life. He looked down at his sad little girl. 
“I promise…we’ll be okay… The lack of your mommy will only bring us closer… I’m positive.” 

> 5. The Night Shift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Three long, tiring months had passed since Firefly vanished from the household. Things had changed quite a bit for Rainbolt over the course of those long months. He had felt very, very different at the beginning of the month. It wasn’t at all depression as he planned, however. He noticed he was going through the same five steps one would experience when they were coping with a death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It was something he studied briefly through his teen years. He went through each one steadily and through time. He started out denying that she’d ever left, and that she’d come back eventually. She was only gone on a trip, or picking up other hours at work. Maybe if her parents hadn’t hated him so much, he actually would have done something. For nearly a week proceeding that, he was pissed. His stress had risen dramatically. He even screamed at Rainbow when she was crying. She only cried hard, and became confused at why her daddy would yell at her. Rainbolt easily realized his mistake and cuddled Rainbow until her tears faded. He was apologizing for days after it happened.  He then went through a series of things he could do to somehow get her back, like taking care of the baby full time or only seeing her occasionally. It was hard to blow those considerations off. He then slipped into nearly two long weeks of depression. He hated living, and he never remembered crying more in his life. Tears would pour out of his eyes at the slightest thought he had of Firefly. He cried all the time around his daughter. His depression eventually rubbed off on her, and that’s when Rainbolt tried to hide it. Hiding it had actually helped him get over it. Then, at that point in time, he accepted it. It took way longer than it should of, but it happened and he was proud when it was over. 
Another not-so-dramatic change was bringing little Dashie to work with him. His work hours ranged in between ten in the evening to seven in the morning. Rainbow would normally be sleeping in a little, portable bed Rainbolt had invested in for her. She’d seldom awake, but when she did she’d cry in need of food, a diaper change, or attention. Rainbolt worked at the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale where he lived. He was in charge of not deciding the weather, but assigning the number of clouds, the time they’d be sent out, who was in charge of what, and what specific areas there’d be rain, snow, or hail. Figuring it all out while making sure nothing damages anypony’s property, crops, or environments was semi-challenging. The rest of the night he’d spend cleaning up around the large industry and making sure certain machines were ready to work in the morning. He rarely ever found problems, but his boss was pretty strict about certain things. 
That evening, Rainbolt was assigned to make heavy snow in several parts of Equestria. It was mid December, and many farmers had just had a large harvest to prepare for the winter. Rainbolt was in his office, at his regular desk. He was making “X”s on a very detailed map for cloud placement. Dash was in her little bed, curled up in a soft, blue blanket and muttering in her sleep. 
“Now….” He whispered to himself. “If I put ten more clouds in the center of Canterlot, Ponyville will have to have a total of 238 clouds… Ponyville always receives thirty percent more snow than Canterlot….Wait!” 
Rainbolt grabbed the pencil with his mouth again and scribbled down a few more numbers and symbols on his nearby sheet of handy paper. He did another calculation and dropped his pencil. 
“Aha! I can add ten more clouds to Canterlot, and leave Ponyvill with only 220 clouds! That way Canterlot has its absolute minimum while Ponyville doesn’t exceed its maximum!” 
Rainbolt may have made his announcement a bit too loud. He heard annoyed grumbles from his sleeping daughter in the corner. Oops… 
When the faint mutters subsided, Rainbolt went back to his work, checking different locations across the map. His mind created the most logical and amazing idea a second before a wooden door slammed opened on the other side of the room. He turned around to meet eyes with a green-coated mare whose dark blue mane was twisted in a French braid, and her blue eyes shimmered behind her red glasses. Clouds of rain and lightning tattooed her flank and reflected her personality. 
“Evening, Mrs. Skies.” 
“Rainbolt.” She greeted simply as she trotted into the room, leaving the door wide opened. “How’s the snowfall schedule coming?” 
“Pretty well, I guess.” 
The pegasus flew above the stallion and examined his work, math, and overall work area. Her eyes lacked all emotion as she scrolled over his work. She didn’t speak for a good minute. Rainbolt grew a bit nervous at her silence. She wasn’t always the nicest when it came to criticism. 
“Looks good… Just….” She took the lead-end of the pencil in her mouth and erased a couple Xs placed to the east of Manehatten. “That’s right over a wildlife preserve. Don’t get too much snow there, or you could harm the health of certain animals.” 
“Yes, ma’am.” He replied in a soft tone. Nearly every year he forget about that damn, uncharted wildlife preserve. 
“Other than that, it looks pretty good. Keep up the good work.” Her tone almost seemed sweet for a moment. 
“Thank you, ma’am.” 
“Don’t forget to lock up when you leave, and triple check all the machinery. We have a very busy day ahead of us tomorrow!” 
“Yes, ma’am!”
Mrs. Skies smiled and nodded to her employee. She turned and saluted the stallion as she left the room, closing the door very gently. Ever since Rainbolt became a single father, she’d been treating him… differently. She gained a little respect for him and went easier on him at times. He wasn’t complaining, but it did seem odd of her. 
Rainbolt took in a breath as the mare left the room. He had the entire night ahead of him to get this done, but so desperately wanted to go home and crash. He envied his daughter. She could get twelve whole hours of sleep easily. 
Rainbolt sighed and looked at his unfinished work. What a headache! He looked up for a moment, and a shimmering glimpse of something caught his eye. He turned and then immediately turned back to his work to concentrate. It was a picture of him, Firefly, and Rainbow a month after she was born. Why he didn’t throw the damn thing away already, he hadn’t the slightest clue. His mind, after only a minute was again fully focused on the assignment he was given, trying as hard as he could to finish it in the least possible time. 

Rainbolt yawned and cracked his hooves, neck, and back. How much time had passed? An hour? Two hours? Maybe longer. He had his mind engaged in the weather for tomorrow, and completely lost track of time. On the bright side, however, he was two thirds of the way done. His head turned with a crack as he looked at the clock. 
“One in the morning?” He muttered to himself. “Man, this is taking forever!” 
He yawned and longed for a little break. He’d do anything to get his mind off weather for a while.
“Wonder how the kid’s doing…” 
He turned and saw her little bed. It was shielded with a veil to keep distractions away There were little lumps of blue blanky visible from certain angles. Rainbolt quietly pulled back the veil, in hopes not to awake the sleeping foal. The veil was slowly moved to reveal… an empty void. 
“R-Rainbow?” 
The nervous stallion moved the blanket out of the way. Nothing. 
“Rainbow?” He called in a nervous voice, as if he expected an answer. “Come out, Sweety! This isn’t funny!” 
When a moment of silence revealed no answer the stallion’s eyes filled with tears. The little foal could be anywhere in the huge, gigantic, factory. She could drown in the liquid rainbows! Or get a limb stuck in the machinery! She could leave the factory and fall to earth and be squashed! Oh, how long had she been away? Rainbolt’s heart beat fast and his breathing increased. 
“Wh-what kind of awful parent am I? I lost my baby in this a-awful place!” 
He raced out of his office and into the center of the factory. There were several machines and many doors at the boarders. Chances were, Rainbow would have been in this room. There were no windows, and all of the doors were locked. Unfortunately for Rainbolt; that was the largest room in the entire factory. 
“DASHIE?” He cried with tears in his eyes. “Sweetheart! Please come out!”
He started his search in the very back. That area contained a machine and many shelves. That machine was responsible for making hail. It had rigid teeth like knives on the inside where it would chomp up the ice. Rainbolt didn’t even want to imagine how awfully it would mangle the delicate body of his sweet, little foal. He looked inside and inspected the teeth. No blood or hunks of torn pony flesh. He knew it was impossible for that outcome to happen, seeing as how the machine hadn’t turned on since he started his shift, but he was still worried nonetheless.
“Rainbow! Dashie!” 
His call was answered with dead silence. 
Rainbolt moved onto another section of the large room. His panicked heart motivated him to move quickly as he ducked his head into yet another machine; one for producing power for lightning. The electric bulbs on the inside of the machine were untouched like the blades of the previously searched robot. He left that machine and went on to the next one responsible for the production of heavy winds. No little foal was found yet again. 
“Rainbow!” He called, crying out. “I’m so, so sorry! Please come out!” Tears were falling down the side of his face at that point. What if he never saw his baby girl ever again? 
Rainbolt checked another machine that helped make heat waves. If it were on, little Rainbow could’ve been roasted to death. Checking the machine thoroughly, he once again had no luck finding his baby.
The breaking stallion proceeded to check shelves full of documents, in some wish that she’d be there, but nopony was found. 
Rainbolt, after a long, hopeless search decided to expand his boundaries. He flew into one of the doors connected to the large room. It was a large supply closet full of dangerous tools. A quick scanning confirmed the obvious likelihood that she wasn’t there. His next door lead him to the bathrooms, which both lacked any signs of a rambunctious foal. He proceeded to open a door that lead him to a completely different room. There was only stations for pegasi to inspect clouds and make sure they were healthy. 
“Dashie?” He called, in hopes his daughter had managed to slip into the large, unoccupied room. After a short examination of looking under tables, chairs, and desks, he gave up and ventured back to the original room. He sighed and his heart broke into two shattered pieces. He fell to the cloud floor and uncontrollably began sobbing. He covered his face with his hooves and tears began to fall down his face, hug his chin, and drip to the ground.
“I-I’m so sorry, Rainbow…Poor baby….She could be bleeding, or crying, or hurt, and it would have been my fault! I-I’m so irresponsible!” 
Rainbolt didn’t stop crying at all, but he did pick himself up and head to his office. Maybe, by a miracle or granted wish, his little foal would be quietly sleeping in her crib like a good little baby. She’d be cuddled in her blankets, sucking on her hooves and drooling everywhere. Rainbolt heaved himself into the quiet room and immediately turned his attention to the unoccupied crib in the little corner, where his daughter should have been. Rainbolt fell to his knees in misery and began crying like a spanked child. Tears were flowing down his face much harder than before. 
It was all his fault. His daughter was lost, scared, hurt, or dead, and it was his fault. He was too irresponsible to look after her. He was too distracted by his work that he’d forgotten his main responsibility in life; caring for his angel. 
His uncontrollable sobs and explosive crying suddenly stopped as his ears perked up to a familiar sound… giggling. He wiped a tear from under his eye and looked up. A little foal rested safely on top of a large filing cabinet with a wide grin on her face. At the moment, she was completely naked. How she got her diaper off was a mystery, but that detail didn’t seem important to Rainbolt at all. All of his tears subsided at that very moment and his heart felt at ease, then burst with joy. 
“Dashie!” he cried and grabbed the little filly off the ledge where she stood perched and giggly. “I was so, so worried about you! Please don’t run off like that ever again….I’m so sorry for not watching you better.” 
Rainbow snuggled into her daddy’s fur as he hugged her securely. A tear of joy ran down his face as he held her. 
“This place is so, dangerous, Sweetheart… please don’t go running off…. You could get hurt and Daddy would never forgive himself.” 
Rainbow replied with a joy-filled giggle and a squeal, that’s when Rainbolt’s eyes went wide as he heard the cutest thing in his life. 
“Dada!” she said with a squeal. 
“Did you…just call me ‘Dada?” he asked in shock. 
“Dada!” she repeated cheerfully. 
“AWE!” Rainbolt sang as he nuzzled his daughter gently, admiring her very first words. 

Rainbolt blinked several times. At first his vision was blurred, but it quickly regained clarity. He was in a dingy, little office with a clattered desk. The wall clock read approximately 8am. He shook his bubbly head and stood onto all fours. He looked to his desk where his previously placed pile of work went missing. Employees started coming to work at what? 7:30? His boss must have already picked up his assignment. 
“Ugh….” Rainbolt grunted and stretched, popping his back. 
A lighthearted, cute gurgling noise came from a baby bed in the corner near where he’d passed out. Rainbolt smiled. 
“Dashie must be up.” He confirmed as he wiped back the veil. Thankfully, this time it revealed a gurgling little foal with spit dripping from her chin and a glimmer in her eyes. 
“Dada!” She chimed brightly. 
“Awe…” Rainbolt picked the little foal out of her comfy bed and held her in a warm embrace. “Does Dashie forgive me for what happened yesterday?"
Rainbolt’s reply was a sweet, cute wail. Lately, Dashie had some way of answering just about anything he’d ask her. Sometimes he’d even ask her meaningless questions to get a little gurgle out of her. 
Rainbolt proceeded to lie onto his back and cuddle with his offspring lovingly. He rubbed his hoof across her back and scratched behind her floppy ears. She admired the attention with short giggles and squeaks. 
“I see you two are getting along nicely.” A gentle, but masculine voice bellowed from behind him. Rainbolt looked up from the cloudy ground. A light blue stallion with a yellow, frizzy mane and blue eyes looked down at his friend with a smile. His wings kept him several feet off the ground.
“Hey Dreamscape…We are… She almost got lost yesterday… I looked in her bed and nopony was there. I found her on the filing cabinet a bit later, to my luck.” 
“The filing cabinet?” Dreamscape asked, agape. 
“Uh-huh.” 
“Wow….Did she fly up there?” 
Rainbolt continued cuddling his wet, drooling baby. “Hell if I know. She was naked when I found her, if that helps.” 
Dreamscape’s jaw dropped and Rainbolt seemed confused. “What?” 
“This morning Mrs.Skies found a diaper clogging the hail machine. It was stuck in between two gears. Nopony knows how it got there, but Mrs.Skies assured us she’d give you a stern talk later on.” 
The stallion gaped and then sighed. “Oh, boy. Better get out of here before she catches up to me.” 
Dreamscape smiled. “I’m really impressed, though. My little Fluttershy’s going on two and she hasn’t even attempted to fly. This one on  the other hoof probably already started.” 
Rainbolt stared at his daughter and spoke in an obviously false, authority-filled voice. “Were you flying around last night Dashie? Huh? Were you?” 
Rainbow let out cute whine and beamed brightly. Rainbolt “awe’d” and nuzzled the baby kindly. She half-attempted to nuzzle him back. 
“Well, thanks Dreamy…” Rainbolt gently set Rainbow back in her bed. “I’d better be going… Dashie gets hungry when she first wakes up.” 
“Nice talking to you!” He stated, hugged his friend briefly, and went off to work like he should have been in the first place. 
Rainbolt took his daughter’s bed in his mouth. It came attached with a handle so it was easy to carry around. The stallion made his way out of the large, noisy room as quickly as possible. He was lead to the inspection room, which lead to the main lobby, which was inches away from beautiful exit from that damn factory. He was merely centimeters away from the door when he hears a loud, angry female voice shout his name. 
“RAINBOLT!” 
Rainbolt froze in place where he was and gulped. “Oh, no….” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The small, foal wearily laid in her soft, comfy bed. Her ears flopped down and her heart thumped softly against her chest. The soft blanket hugged her and kept her warm. Her eyes drifted closed as she ventured into a land of dreams. 

A loud, sudden band awoke the little filly. Her ears shot up erect and full attention was on whatever was happening at that moment. 
“Evening, Mrs.Skies.” She heard a very familiar stallion say. 
“Rainbolt.” An unknown female voice greeted. 
In confusion, Rainbow squirmed in the bed until she was upright on all fours. She turned and poked her head out of the bed. Her eyes gazed upon a female pony floating near her daddy. Their backs were turned towards her. She couldn’t make out what was happening easily. The mare wasn’t the last thing to catch her attention, though. As the foal turned to cuddle into her warm bed, she noticed an open door letting in a bold streak of light. Beyond the door were large machines she’d always seen. Except this time they were exposed. She could literal touch them, they were so opened; and that’s exactly what she planned to do. 
The little foal stumbled out of her bed with an ambitious heart and raced towards the large, metal monsters. She galloped freely as she entered the room. All of the creatures from her dreams were now alive. She approached the hail producer and looked at it with the eyes of a hungry predator. It was supported by large, iron legs. If only there was some way to get a better look…aha! 
Daddy always used a trick when he wanted to levitate. He moved the thingies on his back and then floated. Rainbow excitedly tried to levitate as she vigorously flapped her little wings. At first, only her lower section began to rise, then her upper section. She slightly wobbled in the air, but easily gained balance. She chirped out brightly as she discovered a new and more convenient means of transport. She smiled as she closely examined the machine. Its wheels and gears were interesting to her, but looked awfully dangerous. She flew upwards and beyond them, but on her way up, a hook on the edge of the machine grabbed her diaper and wouldn’t let go. She flew as hard as she could, and eventually was let free, but left with a naked butt. 
Rainbow was free, and explored many other regions. She went to the lightning producing machine and discovered one thing; light bulbs didn’t taste good. After her discovery, she went off to look at more machines. She snuck inside the large pipe of the machine responsible for creating large winds. All she saw was dark, which bored her very much. She flew all around the factory with high spirits and joy. She loved flying. It was far more entertaining than when Daddy carried her around and flew.
Eventually, however, the foal got bored of everything. She’d peered at all the machines, snooped through some boxes, and went through some shelves. To top it all off, her wings grew tired of carrying her. The little foal perched herself on top of a shelf, and eventually drifted into sleep. 

“Rainbow! Dashie!” 
The familiar cries from a loving stallion awoke the young female and widened her eyes. Oh, no… Daddy was shouting her name. That could only mean one thing; he was upset with her. He was in that room searching for her. He must have been angry that she flew off. In fear, Rainbow Dash shyly made her way into her father’s opened office. Maybe if he found her in there, he’d think she had always been in the office and that he just hadn’t searched hard enough. Rainbow perched like a bird on some filing cabinets. The cool metal sent a shiver down her spine. She awaited for her father’s return with great patience. 

> 6. Happy Birthday! 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbow was growing fast. Way too fast. Within seemingly a week, she was already turning one. Her birthday party wasn’t an extravagant event, but a small bash between her and her father. Rainbow didn’t know what a birthday was, so her father explained that exactly a year ago she was born. He then explained what a year was. She didn’t get much that day, however. She was only one, and hadn’t shown much interest in anything except eating, sleeping, flying, and sucking on her hoof. He did give her a large, personal cupcake for her to munch on. It was chocolate with a thick layer of vanilla frosting on top, and decorated in rainbow sprinkles. That, along with his undivided attention. Rainbow loved attention. 
“Dashie… Don’t eat it so fast or you’ll get a tummy ache…” 
Rainbolt was sitting parallel to his daughter, who at the time was stuffing her face with the delectable treat. Frosting was smeared all over her cheeks and chocolate cake crumbs covered her mouth. The little filly’s pink eyes stared at her father for a moment. Her little hoof was stuffing more cupcake in her mouth. 
“No!” Was her only protest. 
Over the course of the six months, Dashie had learned to speak a little. She learned basic words and phrases like: no, yes, please, dad, daddy, food, more, thank you, sorry, what’s that? , I want it, give me it, and most importantly, I love you. There were a few odd and end words she knew, but the majority of what she said was came from the simplest phrases. Occasionally, however, she did say something intelligent or more complex for somepony her age.
Rainbolt watched as his little girl wolfed down the yummy treat. Each bite caused a new little disaster on her face. The stallion rolled his yellow eyes as Rainbow continued eating. She took in another bite and smiled at her daddy. 
“You’re going to need a bath when you’re done.” 
Rainbow crossed her hooves and gave her daddy her pouty face. Her pink eyes enlarged and grew teary, while her lower lip trembled and covered the top lip. She still hated being bathed. Her father crossed his hooves and looked down at the little pony with a serious expression. 
“Rainbow, you’re going to get a bath.” 
Dashie sighed. She knew by then that when Daddy said she was getting a bath, he meant it. She knew it was coming, so she began to more slowly eat her cupcake. Rainbolt smiled at her silliness. Unfortunately, Rainbow’s face and chest weren’t the only things covered in messy cake remains. The table beneath her was also covered in crumbs and smeared icing. 
“Rainbow…. You’re making a huge mess…” He let out an annoyed grunt and grabbed a towel. Rainbow lowered her eyes as Daddy wetted the rag and cleaned up the crumbs the messy filly left. “You’re a messy kid, aren’t you?” 
“Sowwy, Daddy….” Rainbow apologized with cute eyes. 
Rainbolt chuckled. “No need to be sorry, Sweetheart, you’re only one years-old.” 
Rainbow smiled and ate her finally bit of cupcake. She’d already ate all the icing, so she was left with only a little chunk of chocolate cake to consume, which she gobbled down seemingly without swallowing. Her plate was left with only crumbs, but her body with nearly an entire cupcake smashed into it. Rainbolt smiled at thoughts of the messes he’d make when he was a kid. 
“Alright, Sweetheart. I think we both know what comes next.” 
Rainbow frowned almost instantly and looked at the ground. Bath time sucked. She crossed her hooves and tried her pouty face once more. It yet again failed her. Rainbolt put his hooves under her arms and lifted her up out of her booster seat. She let out an annoyed grunt and tried hard to struggle her way out of her father’s grasp. She failed effortlessly though. She was lifted up and carried out of her booster seat and into the bathroom. Rainbolt closed the bathroom door and locked it behind him. Rainbow dreadfully rest in her father’s arms. The turn of a metal handle sent a stream of warm water out of the nozzle. 
“It’s okay, Sweety… This’ll only take five minutes…” He reassured her as he removed her diaper and kissed the top of her head. She squirmed a bit as she was gently set in the luke-warm liquid. Rainbolt turned off the water when it rose a couple inches. 
“Daddy! I no like it!” 
“I know, Sweetheart…” He took the soap down from the nearby counter and tossed her a reassuring smile. “Just bare with it, I promise, you’ll be clean in no ti-“ His words were cut off by a loud banging noise. “I’ll… go get that. You stay right here!” 
Not another moment passed before Rainbolt flew off out of the bathroom, leaving the wooden exit wide opened. He flew all the way to the front door and answered the knock. He smiled upon seeing his good friend. 
“Morning, Dreamscape.” Rainbolt greeted. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Don’t you have work?” 
“I’m on lunch break, remember?” He reminded Rainbolt, trotting inside. “Just wanted to see how Rainbow’s doing on her birthday.” 
Rainbolt grinned. “She’s bathing at the moment. Thanks for remembering, though." 
"How could I forget? It's the only thing you've been talking about for the past week! Wait....She's doing what at the moment?"
While her dad was having a little conversation without her, Rainbow noticed the opened door quickly. This was her escape! She smiled and crawled out of the tub. She struggled to make it  out over the edge. Her hind legs kicked and she eventually fell to the ground with a thud. Her wet body squeaked against the tile floor as she arose to her hooves and started galloping out of the restroom, nearly slipping several times. She was beyond happy to be out of the cursed liquid As she entered the hallway, she heard her father speaking to a friend of his. 
“Are you crazy?” The light blue-coated stallion said with a gaped mouth. “You can’t leave that young of a child unattended in a bath! She could drown!” 
“There’s only like, three inches of water in there!” Rainbolt argued. “Plus, I don’t think she’ll drown. She can sit straight up! Also, we’ll hear her splashing or screaming!” 
Dreamscape grunted and rolled his eyes. Some ponies just didn’t know how to properly parent. He didn’t blame Rainbolt, though. He wasn’t any better when his daughter was first born. 
Well, whatever they were talking about, it certainly didn’t concern the rambunctious one year-old. She was free as she could get. Her body was still wet and covered in mushy, soaked cake crumbs and runny frosting. It was then the visiting stallion peaked over Rainbolt’s shoulder and saw the foal. No! She was caught! Dreamscape nudged Rainbolt, telling him to turn his attention to the area behind him. He saw his daughter dripping wet with food, water, and a little shock in her eyes. 
“Rainbow! I told you to stay in the bathtub!” 
Rainbolt flew to his daughter, planning to pick her up and hold her closely until they no longer had company, and place her back into her bath. It wasn’t until Dash screamed, “No!” and swiftly ran under him that his ears perked up and he turned in shock. Her defiant spirit sent her soaring past her father, Dream, and right through a window. Rainbolt couldn’t move in shock. When he snapped into reality, he let out an annoyed grunt and flew after her. Why was she being so irritating? 
The annoyed and a bit worried stallion flew out of the door. He saw his baby flying skyward towards a small neighborhood. He rushed upwards towards her as fast as his wings would carry him. To his surprise, Rainbow was much faster than him. She was quick, quite agile, and she knew it damn well. She soared upwards into the neighborhood and Rainbolt fallowed closely behind. She dodged the multiple ponies she swooped by with ease. Rainbolt had a more difficult time doing the same time. He mumbled out many apologies to his fellow pegasi as he dodged them tirelessly. 
“Rainbow!” He finally shouted. “Get back here! Please!”
Dash giggled, and looked back. She blew a raspberry in her father's direction. This only angered the stallion further and sent him zooming towards the young filly. Unfortunately for Dash, Daddy's wings were much stronger than hers and allowed him to have twice the endurance. She was growing weaker by the second. Her heart thumped vigorously and her wings and back ached. She could sense her father merely seconds away from catching her, though.  
Rainbow's nervous energy kept her going. She took a moment to look back at her father, who was only inches behind her. That’s when she crashed into somepony’s chest, knocking her over along with her little filly, who fell onto the cloud layer beneath them. The small filly instantly hooked to her mother’s leg and whimpered. Rainbow was too distracted by the little mare she hurt to notice her father come right up behind her and grab her hoof. 
“Rainbow Dash!” He said in a firm tone. He was trying hard not to yell at her. “How dare you run from me and deliberately disobey me like that?! Bad, Bad girl!” His teeth were gritted as he lectured the young filly. He felt like hitting her, but kept all his anger bottled up. He didn't want to honestly hurt her. “I am very, very angr-“ 
His speech was cut off by a small mummer. “Um, excuse me?” The mare said in a quiet voice. “I-I’m sorry, but… P-please don’t y-yell at her. She’s very young a-and doesn’t know right from wrong…” 
Rainbolt turned his head. “And the only way to get her to know right from wrong is to show how it makes you feel.” 
The red-maned mare shook her head. “N-not necessarily…” Shyly, she approached Rainbow and looked down at her. “Listen, Sweetheart… I know that you’re young and want to have fun, but you should never do it in a way that could hurt other ponies’.” 
“I didn’t hurt ponies.” Rainbow argued with a confused expression. 
“But you did… You were flying, and you accidentally hurt me… What if I were a little filly, and got seriously injured?” Rainbow lowered her eyes as the mare continued. “What about your father? You may not have hurt his body but you hurt his feelings.” 
“I… I didn’t….” Rainbow’s eyes were trembling when she took her dad’s feelings into consideration. 
The mare put her hoof up to silence the young filly. “He’s probably disappointed that you’d disobey him like that. Why would your daddy tell you to do something if he wasn’t one hounded percent sure it would keep you out of trouble?  Do you think your daddy’s proud of you right now?” Rainbow silently shook her head, shamefully. Rainbolt watched, shocked at how well she was getting it through to his daughter.  “Deary, you’re a mess. You should go home with your father and clean up your coat. Do you understand?” Rainbow nodded and the young pegasus knelt down, giving her an affectionate nuzzle. “That’s a good girl.” 
Rainbolt stared with his mouth lowered. “Wow…that was amazing.” 
“Th-thank you. Being gently with children of her age is an easy way to get them to learn. You don’t always have to yell to get your point through. I’m not saying you shouldn’t show them discipline, but it’s sometimes better to handle things gently.”
Rainbolt smiled a bit. “Thanks… I mean, I’m new to this whole parenting thing. It hasn’t exactly been easy or anything…” 
“I understand. When me and my husband- Dreamscape- were first-“ 
“Wow! Wait? You’re Dreamscape’s wife! He’s one of my coworkers! He talks about you quite a lot, but I’ve never actually seen you! Dewdrop, right?” 
The little pegasus blushed and smiled. “Yeah… Now that I think about it… He has mentioned something about a single dad he worked with before. He may have mentioned you a few times before that, though.” 
“Wow… Well, I hope you have a nice day and forgive my daughter for the, uh… disturbance. Maybe through time our kids could become friends.” 
Dewdrop smiled at her shy, little filly. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. There’s no need to be afraid. They’re good ponies.” 
The little filly remained hiding behind her mother’s hooves. Her teal eyes looked up at Rainbolt. She had wavy, hair in the same style as her mother’s, except her mother’s was red. She also got her beautiful shade of yellow coat from her mom. Dewdrop giggled. 
“Don’t worry, she’ll grow out of her little shy phase eventually. Well.. I think I should be going. It was nice meeting you, though.” 
The mare hoisted the filly onto her back once more, and wondered off into the distance. Rainbolt sighed. 
“Come on, Rainbow, let’s go home!” 
Rainbow looked up at her daddy with cute, trembling eyes. “Daddy… I’m sowwy…” 
“Awe…it’s fine, Sweetheart…” He thought for a moment and then frowned. “Listen, I know you’ve most likely learned your lesson over this, but don’t think you’ll get away with things this easily in the future. When you’re older, you’ll do wrong things. even though you already know they're bad.” 
Rainbow gasped. “I… I’m not bad…” 
“I’m not saying that, Sweety… Just remember; I won’t always be nice enough to let you off the hook.” 
“Okay Daddy…” Rainbow’s ears drooped down as she mounted her father’s back. 
Rainbolt soared home, wondering if he were being too lenient with her. She was only one, and it was her birthday, so he did all in his mind to keep his thoughts off the recent event. He swooped down on his front doorstep and smiled. He opened the door and let his daughter dismount from his back. Dreamscape was lazily lying on Rainbolt’s couch. 
“Hey, Rainbolt. See you caught the little troublemaker.” 
“Yeah… I met your wife. She talked to Dashie about what she did, and I’m pretty sure she’s feeling guilty about it. Dewdrop really does know how to talk to kids…” 
“She does. Fluttershy’s a great kid. She hasn’t been through the whole ‘terrible twos’ phase. My baby knows how to say all the right things to her if she does get in trouble. You know, my wife used to be a motivational speaker.” 
“Really?” 
“Yeah, her parents were both working in weather. They assumed she’d be a weather pony, too, and gave her an appropriate name for one. Turns out she hated trying to be a weather pony, so her name never fit her too well.” 
“Oh… that kind of sucks. It’s a pretty name, though. Your daughter looks a lot like her.” 
“Yeah, I know… So, are you going to punish the little rebel or let her off the hook?” 
Rainbolt looked at his daughter. Her chest was still covered in cake remains, so his first priority was getting her clean. She was feeling guilty… But then again, she’d have to learn to learn to take responsibility for her actions. It wasn’t like he hadn’t put her in time-out for little things before. Rainbolt took in a breath and sighed. 
“I don’t know… I mean, I know she could’ve hurt somepony…but…” 
“And she disobeyed you directly!” Dreamscape added. 
“She could have hurt herself, too…” 
“And she didn’t even think about the consequences!” 
“I know… but…”  
“Yeah, yeah… It’s her birthday. She’s only one. What if she ran off to someplace dangerous?” 
Rainbow didn’t hear the rest of their argument. Guilt consumed her heart once more and she walked off into a nearby corner, stuck her nose in it, and silently stared at the wall. The argument continued another minute before Rainbolt noticed his daughter’s location. 
“Dashie? What are you doing?” 
The little cyan filly remained silent and lowered her eyes from the wall to the cloud floor. 
“Rainbow, answer your father!” 
Again, Rainbow remained silent and her pink eyes began to water. 
This time Rainbolt went over to his daughter and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Rainbow, answer my question….” 
The little pegasus shed a tear. Her head turned to her father, and she almost immediately looked down at the ground. 
“Dashie’s not allowed to talk…she’s in time-out.” 
      

> 7. Flooding the Rock Farm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The first few years of Rainbow’s life were quite uneventful. There were a few memorable moments now and then, but for the most part, they relived the same routine. They’d wake up, eat, have play time, do work around the house, make dinner, go to work together, and return home in the morning for a long, well-deserved nap. Rainbolt was often left alone with his daughter the majority of the night. She’d outgrown her baby bed long ago, so she slept on a portable airbed with a blanket. She always complained about how uncomfortable it was.
“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. But you’re too big for your other bed and this is the best I can do. When Harmony Day comes around, I’ll get holiday pay and buy you a nice, comfy sleeping bag. How’s that sound?” 
Rainbow grumbled to herself. “That’s not for another two months!” 
Her father sighed. “Fine, how about your birthday?” 
Dash had only had two birthdays before that, so she was still confused on when it was. “When’s that?” 
“Next month. June 16th.” 
Rainbow let out an annoyed grunt and threw her blanket over her head. That’s when a little, green pegasus made her way into the office. Her blue eyes were emotionless as usually. Rainbow peaked her head out from behind the soft, blue blankets when she heard the door opened and wings flapping. 
“Aunty Skies!” Rainbow chimed. “Give Daddy a raise so he can afford me a better bed!” 
Rainbolt blushed and looked up to his boss. Her mutual expression turned into a smile. Over the years, she’d grown quite attached to the little filly. She loved her to pieces, and even gave her cookies, treats, or even money on occasions. Rainbow called her Aunty, since she was a very close grown-up to her; she’d known her since she was a baby. Rainbolt still didn’t feel comfortable hearing his daughter call her, “Aunty”, but he wasn’t going to stop her. Who knew when Rainbow might save his flank? 
“Sorry, Sweetheart.” Mrs. Skies pat the filly’s head with love. “I can’t just give out money like that. It wouldn’t be fair to my other employees.” 
“But the other employees never have to know!” Rainbow protested cutely. 
Mrs. Skies giggled. “You’re daughter’s the cutest! You know that?” 
“Yeah, I know. She’s adorable.”   
Mrs. Skies giggled and flew away from the little filly. “Now, how about I take a look at your work.” 
“Alrighty…” He spread out the several papers he’d been filling out. They were all requests from different ponies in Equestria to make sure their certain properties weren’t flooded with too much rain, wind, heat, snow, or hail. “There! Now… I know there’s a few things that may be a bit… off… or, uh, wrong, but I promise to change all the little mistakes an even redo some of my math, if needed. You know how awful I am at math and stuff…” 
Mrs. Skies ignored the periwinkle stallion. “All of this actually looks…surprisingly good. Keep up the good work.” 
She gave the pegasus a quick pat on the back and left his office with a satisfied smile. The wooden door closed with a click behind him. He immediately returned to his never-ending work.
“Ugh! All these requests! Do you know how hard it is to satisfy over thirty individual ponies, and still scatter a minimum of six-hundred rain clouds in the south half of Equestria?” 
“Do you know how hard it is to sleep on rubber? No.” Dash argued with a grunt. 
“Do you know what it’s like to go a few days without flying for having an attitude with your parent?” 
Rainbow didn’t say anything after that. She turned to her back to her dad and tried to find comfort in her soft pillow and thin sheet. She hated sleeping in her dad’s office. It was smelly, uncomfortable, and stuffy. She wished she could go home and take a nice, long rest in her bed. Well, not really her bed, but her dad’s bed. She outgrew her crib, so lately she’d been sleeping with her daddy, but he promised to save up and get her a bed of her own. 
As Rainbow attempted to fall asleep, Rainbolt continued his work and actually noticed something; on the south side of Equestria, there was an area, barren of any towns or shelters, that was next to a large river that lead into the ocean. That’d be perfect! Nopony would be harmed, and most of the water would run into the stream, then into the ocean. It was the perfect area to put any excess clouds! With a new, broad smile on his face, he immediately drew several large Xs over the area with a confident smile. This was one of the smartest ideas he’d ever come up with it! 

“RAINBOLT!” Mrs. Skies shouted as she burst through his office door.
It was the proceeding day and Rainbolt had thought he did a considerably good job on the weather chart. He even took time to inspect each individual machine. Her sudden enragement towards him was both shocking and frightening. 
“Y-yes, ma’am?” He spoke in a shy tone. 
“I just received a complaint that a family had their property flooded… Would you care to explain?” 
Rainbow popped her sleepy head out from under her blanket curiously. Daddy must’ve been in trouble again. 
“F-flooded?” he asked with a cry. “I-it couldn’t have been! I swear!” 
“Oh, really? Well apparently, you flooded a poor family’s rock farm! They weren’t charted on the map, but you sure did drench them!” 
Rainbolt gulped. It must have been that area he thought was a safe haven. 
“M-ma’am… I am so, so sorry! P-please don’t fire me! I swear, I’ll personally apologize to the family if that’s what you want!” 
Mrs. Skies looked at the stallion in disappointment. “And?” 
“A-and I’ll work any shifts that are needed to be filled in with absolutely no pay.” 
Rainbolt’s eyes were on the verge of watering as his boss looked down at him sternly. He sighed. They both knew exactly what she wanted to hear. 
“And you may take any of my pay out for property damage….” 
Mrs. Skies smiled slightly. “Adda boy. Now, tomorrow morning you’ll deliver your apology, and ask if we need to pay them anything for property damage.” 
“Yes ma’am…” Rainbolt muttered. 
As soon as the angered mare left the room, the little, cyan filly hopped out from her air mattress and gave her father a warm embrace without his consent. Rainbolt hugged his daughter back. 
“Daddy….” Rainbow started. “A-Are we going to lose all our money?” 
“No, Sweetheart. I may have a major paycheck reduction, though… That would make things tight for a while. We’d definitely have to budget…” 
“Oh… You can always take money out of the savings for my bed.” 
“I don’t want to do that… but I may have to… It all depends.” 
Dashie sighed and hugged her father tighter. “Listen, Sweetheart… Don’t worry about it. Just get some rest, and it’ll all be better throughout time.” 
Rainbow broke away from the hug. “O-okay Daddy… I love you.” 
“I love you, too, Dashie. Goodnight.” 
Rainbow tucked herself back under the covers of her uncomfortable bed and slowly drifted into lands of dreams and wonder. 

Rainbow soared next to her father happily. The wind rushed through their multihued manes and made their hearts thump. She loved flying as if it were her child. Rainbolt smiled at his daughter as he shot downwards beneath the thick layer of clouds. Rainbow went with him as a look of confusion smeared across her face. 
“Uh… Daddy…where are we goin’?” Rainbow asked. 
“Someplace you’ve never been. It’s called ‘ground’.” Rainbolt slowed down as their conversation continued. 
“Why are we going to Ground?” 
Rainbow sighed. “Remember yesterday when Mrs. Skies yelled at me?” Rainbow gave an affirmative nod. “It’s because Daddy made a big mistake and flood somepony’s property. He has to go apologize like a mature adult.” 
“Oh…” Rainbow thought for a moment. “Is Ground pretty?” 
Rainbolt shrugged. “It’s different. It’s down below the cloud layer. It’s strange, but you might like it.” 
Dash didn’t say anything after that, and after a few moments of silence, both of the pegasi sped up, trying to reach their destination with more speed. They swooped over large forests and rivers. Rainbolt started fallowing the river carefully. Rainbow’s pink eyes remained concentrated on the running water, trees, and grass below them. 
“Daddy, is that Ground?” 
“Yeah… It is.” He said, trying to concentrate. 
“I don’t like it.” 
“To be honest, I don’t like it too well either.” 
At that moment, Rainbolt’s mind swarmed with old memories. He thought of that dingy, little apartment he used to own in the “skid road” of Equestria. It was on the South half of Manehatten, and regularly reeked of rotten eggs, blood, and hopelessness. He’s still sometimes wonder what his life would be like if he never had Dashie. His mind would trail off to the night she was conceived. 
“No! No!” Rainbolt muttered to himself angrily, but with little volume. “Just stick to your task! Don’t think about her!” 
Even though Rainbolt was twenty-two, he’d still occasionally think of his ex-marefriend. He’d think about what his life may be like if she were still in it, or if she were living happier than he was, or the awful things he’d wish would happen to her. He’d sometimes have a little daydream about the bitch crawling back to him, and having the sweet moment of vengeance where he’d brag about how amazing his life with Dashie had been and how he didn’t need anypony, especially not an irresponsible foal who was less mature than his two year-old daughter. 
Rainbolt let out a long sigh. Just thinking about telling her off made him feel better. His anger sunk as he faded back into reality. He looked down and within a minute spotted his destination. 
“There it is!” He announced, pointing towards the barren ground.
It was a large amount of property with loads of moist soil, tons of rocks, and a large farm and windmill. Rainbolt shot down towards the farm and Rainbow fallowed closely behind. The stallion landed on the ground softly. The goopy mud felt disgusting beneath his hooves. It wasn’t until he realized his daughter was no longer beside him that he caught her lingering in the air. She was staring at the muddy ground only a foot away from her. 
“Rainbow, what’s wrong?” 
“I-It’s not…cloud…” 
“I know…. Just come on. The ground’s not gonna bite you or anything, I promise.” 
Rainbow continued to stare. Her eyes were trembling and she shook her head. She didn’t want her hooves near that filthy ground. 
Rainbolt sighed. “Fine, get on my back.” 
Rainbow’s smile grew happy and wide. “Yay!” 
The little foal jumped onto her daddy’s back. Rainbolt let out a long breath and started walking towards the farm house. His legs squished in the mud beneath him. Man, was he in for it. He'd seriously caused some damage there. He approached the door with all caution and thumped his hoof against the wooden surface several times. A few moments later a brown-coated stallion answered the repetitive knocks. He had emotionless eyes and little, black hat. A piece of straw rested in his mouth. 
“May I help you?” 
Rainbolt gulped. “I am, uh… from the Weather Factory… I’ve come to apologize for your inconvenience. I-If there’s anything I can do to make it up I will…” Rainbolt’s voice was timid and quiet. 
The earth pony did nothing but take a deep breath. “Thanks, but the only thing that would make me happy at the moment would be to strangle the hell out of the careless bastard who did this to my precious farm!” 
Sweat dripped off Rainbolt’s forehead. The food in his stomach felt like merging up. He grew increasingly nervous as his heart thumped vigorously. He could already tell the explosive mess the pony was about to turn into.
“Rainbow… You see that cloud over there?” Rainbolt pointed to a soft-looking cumulous. Rainbow nodded. “I want you to go perch yourself up there… this will get very loud… and possibly violent. I’ll come get you when it’s over.” Rainbow obediently shook her head and flew over to the fluffy cloud. Rainbolt watched her and then turned to the rock farmer. “S-sir… I uh… I’m that c-careless bastard you’re looking for.” Rainbolt’s yellow eyes shot towards the ground. He wasn’t able to see the anger arising in the stallion’s face. 
“You what?” His tone was furious. “You’re the reason my whole damn property was flooded?”
Rainbolt slowly started backing away and nodded. Rainbow watched safely from a distance. The pony started coming towards the nervous stallion. One odd thing Rainbow noticed about the farmer was his wingless back. 
“You, YOU BUCKING INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU DO THIS! I’LL KILL YOU FOR THIS! YOU WANNA MAKE UP FOR IT SO BAD? Huh? WELL THERE’S NOT A DAMN THING YOU CAN DO! MY ROCKS ARE SINKING INTO THE MUD YOUR LOUZY STORM CREATED!” 
Rainbow was on the cloud, covering her floppy ears and letting tears fall from her eyes. She’d never heard anypony scream that loud in her entire life. And there her dad was, just taking it like an adult. 
“IF YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALTZ DOWN HERE, APOLOGIZE, AND MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER THAN YOU’RE WRONG!” 
“I-I’m genuinely sorry….” Rainbolt shyly muttered. “This place isn’t charted on the map… I-I swear it’s not going to happen again.” 
“IT SHOULDN’T HAVE BUCKING HAPPENED A FIRST TIME!” 
“I-I know, sir…” 
“Don’t act all innocent! You know what? If my family starves because we go out of busyness, I will personally come to your house and murder you!” 
Rainbolt didn’t mention the fact that they probably didn’t make too much money farming rocks, anyway. In addition to that, he had no wings, and hadn’t the slightest clue where Rainbolt lived. Even the nearly-three year-old in the skies above could see the flawed logic in his plan. The pegasus simple nodded in agreement and held back any tears that may have been forming in his eyes. 
“YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU…You….” The stallion didn’t hesitate a moment longer to raise his hoof and land it right under Rainbolt’s left eye. He let out a grunt and Rainbow gasped from the sky above with streaming tears. 
“That’s f-fine…” Rainbolt said, rubbing the pink mark under his eye tenderly. 
Rainbow’s was at that point crying harder than she had in her whole life. “No, Daddy! F-fight back!” She encouraged from seemingly miles away. 
“I don’t need you’re consent. I could beat the shit out of you and there wouldn’t be a damn thing you’d do about it!” He threatened with a growl. 
“I-I know..." The scared pegasus stated as his eyes swarmed with tears. "I-I'd deserve... I'm just so, so sorry about this whole thing.."
The stallion rolled his light brown eyes. “You’re really pathetic. It’s stupid to think a stallion like you could do so much damage. This farm was my life, you know?!” 
“S-sir… I’ll pay for any and all property damage you have… I promise…” 
The stallion yet again burst into a volatile storm of anger. “PAY FOR THIS, YOU BASTARD!” 
The brown-coated pony raised his hoof above Rainbolt’s face. Rainbolt clenched his teeth and closed his eyes seconds before the smack landed right on his nose. This hit proved to be much harder and leave a much more severe sting than the list.
The little foal up in her haven couldn’t take another damned second of this. She narrowed her watering, pink eyes on the pissed stallion, spread her wings and leaped down. She flew as quickly as she could towards the stallion and rammed her little body right into the body of the pony whom assaulted her dear daddy. 
“NOPONY HITS MY DADDY!” She wailed.  
When Rainbow stood on all fours, she was a wet, saddened mess. 
“My daddy’s the nicest pony ever! And you have no right to hurt him!” She screamed in anger towards the adult.
“Rainbow Dash!” Her father cried, ripping his daughter off the hurt stallion. “I-I swear! My insurance will pay for whatever my child did to you! I-I’m so, so sorry, sir!” 
The earth pony shook his throbbing head and looked at the stallion, who'd been gently holding his daughter. He looked at them and tears swelled in his eyes from the awful pain in his side. 
“Ugh! Beat that damn kid!” He rubbed his head. “I don’t need a hospital! I can take care of myself!” 
His wasn’t screaming anymore, but you could tell anger still filled him to the brim. 
“J-just go! Take your freaking kid, and leave me alone! I’ll send a bill for the property damage later.” 
“Y-yes, sir!” 
Rainbolt saluted the earth pony, and let his daughter climb onto his back. He outspread his wings, and flew upwards, happy to be away from the farm. He soared upwards silently. Neither of the pegasi spoke until they’d flew a full ten minutes and landed safely on their front door step. 
“Rainbow.” Rainbolt started in a firm tone. “I never, ever want you to do anything like that ever again.” 
“B-but Daddy! He was-“ 
“I don’t care what he was doing! You will not fight like that! Especially fighting an adult!” His tone was far more assertive than she was used to. “Do you understand that, young mare?” 
Rainbow looked up at her daddy. Her pink eyes were glistening with salt water. “O-okay, Daddy…” 
Her father unlocked their front door, and as always, held it opened for the little foal. “If I wasn’t striking back, that probably should’ve sent a little signal to your mind that I wasn’t in any really serious danger.” 
“But, Daddy… he threatened to beat the ‘s word’ out of you. That seemed dangerous to me.” 
“I know… but if he wasn’t actually seriously hurting me, then I had no right to hit him back. That could get me fired.” 
“Oh… I’m sorry about jumping in… I just couldn’t stand seeing you like that.” 
“I know, Sweety…” He wrapped his periwinkle wing around his daughter. “You’re a good girl. I love you very much.” 
“I love you, too, Daddy. Hey… Can I ask you something?” 
“Sure, anything.” 
“Why didn’t the mean pony have wings?” 
Rainbolt was almost shocked she didn’t know the different races of ponies. Then again, she’d never been to school, the ground, and the Weather Factory only had pegasi. 
“You see… there are three races of ponies in Equestria; pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns. We’re pegasi, which means we have wings. Earth ponies, like the stallion we saw earlier, has nothing. And unicorns have horns.” 
“Horns?” Rainbow asked questioningly. An image of a pony with two long horns sticking out of their sides like wings appeared in her innocent mind. 
“Yeah…like…” Rainbolt went over to a nearby counter he’d spotted a white piece of paper on. He rolled it up into the form of a cone and set it at his forehead. “Like this, but with no wings.” 
Rainbow stared silently for a good minute. 
“Unicorn sounds stupid. I’m just going to call them cone heads.” 
     
 
     
     
     

> 8. Irreplaceable 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbow had just turned three a few months ago. Nothing severely exciting had happened since then, but Rainbow was definitely growing. Her little wings had grown a full two inches. Her height increased by three whole inches. Her legs were noticeably getting thicker, and her mane was getting longer. Even her smile was growing wider and prouder as long months passed. Her personality was developing, and she was becoming beyond lovable. 
Since Rainbow turned three, their lives had changed slightly. One big difference was Rainbow had moved into her own room. When Rainbolt first bought the house, he’d made sure it had two rooms for that exact reason. She didn’t get to move into her room until her dad successfully saved up enough to buy her a bed of her own. Both of them had to admit; it felt very uncomfortable to sleep in separate rooms the first week or so. Slowly, they both grew used to the unusual feeling.  
It was a regular Sunday afternoon when Rainbow successfully made her first real friend. Rainbolt was at the dining table, sipping warm coffee and reading the newspaper. He skimmed through the individual pages. The black and white print was hypnotizing and some stories even sparked his interest. His eyes froze upon one that read; “School Filly is Sent to Emergency Room After a Fight”. Rainbolt thought back to when Dash rammed herself into the side of the earth pony he’d had a conflict with. He then looked at his daughter, whom was at the time wrestling with a tuff of cloud she’d ripped from the floor beneath her. She was biting its fluff and growling at it menacingly. He silently turned back to his paper, hoping his daughter would turn out okay. 
Not too far into the morning, Rainbolt and his spunky daughter’s ears went erect at the sound of a thumping. 
“I’ll get it, Daddy!” Rainbow chimed and flew in the direction of the front door. She opened it with a smile. A light blue-coated stallion stood there with his shy, little filly by his side. 
“Mornin’ Daddy’s friend!” Rainbow greeted. 
Dreamscape giggled. “Morning, Rainbow Dash. Is your father home?” 
“Daddy! The pony I can never remember the name of is at your door!” 
“Dreamscape, Sweetheart.” He reminded her. 
“Dreamscape!” Dash yelled into the house. Rainbolt came to the door within little time. 
“Good morning, Dream. Is there a reason you’re here so early?” 
“Yeah…I was maybe wondering… You see, my wife’s at her mom’s house for a family reunion. Fluttershy didn’t want to go…She hates being in room full of ponies she doesn’t know. And well, I have to work. You know how I have weather duty a lot; Cloud busting and such. Could you maybe look after Fluttershy for a while? It would mean a lot to me.” 
Rainbolt smiled. “Of course I will. I mean, I’ve been raising my little trouble maker for three whole years. I think I can handle Fluttershy. She’s a sweetheart. “ 
“Did you hear that, Fluttershy?” Dreamscape said sweetly to his daughter. “Mr. Rainbolt is going to look after you for a while.” 
Fluttershy looked up at the strange stallion sheepishly and tried to hide her face behind her pretty, pink locks. 
“It’s okay, Sweetheart.” Rainbolt spoke quietly in a reassuring tone. “I won’t bite. I’m only here to look after you. You can even play with Dashie if you’d like.” 
Fluttershy let out a few squeaks and nothing more. The little pegasus was a full year and a half older than Dash, but towered over her as if it were nothing. She had a pretty pink mane, and large, teal eyes. She was kind-hearted and sweeter than the vast majority of foals their age. 
Dreamscape looked down at his she offspring. “Rainbolt? Would you give me a minute with her?” 
The stallion gave his coworker a quick nod and gently shut his front door. 
“Daddy…?” Rainbow asked “Is Fluttershy going to stay here a while?” 
“Yeah, why?” 
“But…we were supposed to go to the park today. You promised! We can’t take Fluttershy to the park with us!” 
“Rainbow, listen. Our guests come first. Fluttershy doesn’t like the outdoors too well, and you need to respect that! I’ll take you this evening!” 
“But Daddy!” She whined. 
“No buts! If you keep it up, we won’t go at all!” 
On the outside of their house was another father daughter duo speaking to one another. 
“Fluttershy, listen… I know you hate being around ponies you don’t know too well, but I assure you, Mr. Rainbolt is a good stallion. He has a daughter, too. You’ve even met Rainbow before. I think you two could turn out to be really good friends if you gave her a chance.” 
“I know, Daddy… I-It’s just, I’ve never really been to another pony’s house. I-I don’t know how to act or anything… What if they don’t like me?” She spoke in a timid, quiet whisper. 
Dreamscape nearly laughed. “Sweetheart, why in the name of Celestia would they not like you? You’re an amazing, amazing little filly.” 
Fluttershy squeaked, not knowing what to say. 
“Come on, Sweety… I promise, this won’t be as bad as you think.”
Fluttershy’s teal eyes shot up to her dad. He slightly smiled at her, and for one moment, she smiled back. 
“O-okay, Daddy… just because I love you…” 
“Awe, that’s my girl!” 
Dreamscape gave Fluttershy a quick kiss on her head and knocked once more on Rainbolt’s front door. He almost instantly answered. 
“She’ll be staying over. She won’t be any trouble, I promise.” 
“I believe it. If anything, that one’ll give me a hard time.” Rainbolt pointed to his daughter, who was grumpily lounging on the couch. 
“Whoa, what got into her?” Dreamscape question. “Moments ago she was all cheerful.” 
“Yeah, she’s just angry because she won’t get to go to the park as soon. Ignore her.” 
Oh no… Fluttershy’s heart started to beat quickly. She’d already messed up somepony’s afternoon before she even walked in the door. She really disappointed herself at times. 
“Come on in, Fluttershy. Make yourself cozy.” 
Upon receiving Rainbolt’s invitation, Fluttershy awkwardly walked inside the cloud house and shyly looked at both of the vibrantly colored ponies she’d be staying with. 
“Have fun, Sweetheart! I’ll see you when I get off of work! It’ll probably be a little after four.” 
“Bye-bye, Daddy!” Fluttershy cooed quietly. 
Dreamscape closed the front door and flew off to attend his shift. Fluttershy was left in a room of a familiar stallion, and a little filly who wasn’t too happy with her. 
“Fluttershy…” Rainbolt started after a long moment of silence. “Is there anything I can get you to make you feel more at home?” 
Fluttershy shook her head. She was craving a nice, cool glass of water, but she didn’t want to be thought of as impolite to ask for it. Rainbow Dash continued lying on the couch, relishing her own self-pity. 
“Rainbow Dash, why don’t you and Fluttershy play a board game or something?” Rainbolt suggested, trying hard to lift both of their spirits. 
Rainbow simple grumbled. She was a sweetheart, but man could she be grumpy if she didn’t get her way. She stared at the ceiling. 
“Rainbow, answer me when I speak to you.” Rainbolt commanded in a firm tone.
Rainbow sighed and looked at her dad. “I don’t want to.” 
“Ugh. Freaking kids.” The stallion turned to the shy little pony. “Fluttershy, if you’d like to hang out with me, you can.” 
Fluttershy hid her face behind her butter-colored hooves. “N-no… that’s fine, you don’t have to… I can just do something else…” 
“It’s fine. Normally I’d just be playing with Rainbow Dash, anyway. She doesn’t seem to be in the mood to do anything fun at the moment, though.” 
“Oh..well, alright...” 
“Awe, that’s the spirit, Sweety. There’s no need to be shy. What would you like to do?” 
Fluttershy looked back at the ground. “Whatever you’d like is fine. Really…” 
Rainbolt thought for a moment. “Would you mind playing a board game? Rainbow never plays them with me because she finds them too mentally challenging.” 
Rainbow perked her ears up and looked at her dad and Fluttershy. They were really going to hangout? Without her? Her father rarely did anything outside of work without her. They ate together, played together, cleaned together, and flew together. The only things they wouldn’t do together was bathe and sleep. How could he so easily not include her in playtime? 
“Oh, that sounds fun. I’m pretty good at Monopoly.” 
Rainbolt smiled. “Really? That’s one of Rainbow’s least favorites! I haven’t played a good game of Monopoly in a long time! Hold on! I’ll go get it!” 
Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow’s dad and the stallion shot off into his room, only to come out minutes later with a little, decorated box. Rainbow couldn’t read the words on it, but her father had explained to her what it meant multiple times. She hated that game so much. It was about finances and life and stuff. She’d much rather stay in her own life, where nothing cost money and she didn’t go to jail for no reason. 
Rainbow watched curiously as her daddy removed the lid from the rest of the box. At her angle, she could only vaguely see a black, flat surface, a small collection of glistening silver, and multicolored, fake bits. She really hated that game. 
“Which piece would you like? We have a horseshoe, a cow, a wagon, a dress, a-“ Rainbolt picked up a little metal piece and examined it for a good minute. “What’s this ugly thing?” He tossed the horrendous thing aside and continued on. “Don’t know how that got there…anyway… which would you like to be, Fluttershy?” 
“Oh, it doesn’t matter, really….I…I guess I could use the horseshoe… Mommy tells me they’re good luck…” 
Rainbow perked her ears up at the word ‘mommy’. She’d always heard Fluttershy refer to her, and she’d even met her a few times. Rainbow could never actually put her mind around who Mommy was. She assumed she was a friend of her father’s. Maybe Mommy was like a second daddy to Fluttershy. She would sometimes wonder what having two daddies would be like. When Rainbow snapped out of her trail of thought, she saw that their game had already been set up and prepared to play. 
“Alright then. I’ll be the wagon, then.” Rainbolt announced with a smile. He put the two pieces at ‘Start’ and handed Fluttershy the die. “Fillies first.” 
Fluttershy shyly accepted the die from her friend. She took it in her hooves, shook the white and black cube around, and let it gently fall onto the game board. She didn’t announce that she’d started off with a six. Rainbolt smiled as he saw the young filly move her piece up six blocks. 
“C-could you read the space for me… I can’t read too well.. Only simple things.” 
Rainbolt giggle. “That’s fine, Sweetheart. Rainbow doesn’t know how to read at all, yet. I think I’ll teach her here soon, though. How would you like that, Darling?” 
Rainbow huffed and grumpily stared at her dad. Her ears flopped down and her frown remained. “Ew.” 
“Ugh, Rainbow. You’re so cute when you’re mad. Whenever you want to lighten up and play some Monopoly with us, we’ll gladly let you.” 
“No!” She turned her back to her dad and friend.
“Whatever. Who needs her?” Rainbolt tilted his head. “Ah! You get to pick a chance card.” 
Fluttershy smiled and picked up a card from the neatly-stacked pile. She stared at it for a moment, and then turned it around for Rainbolt to read. 
“Chance! Move forward three spaces.” 
Fluttershy grabbed her piece and moved it onward three whole spaces. Rainbolt proceeded to take the die and move on with his turn. Rainbow, however, continued to grumpily sit in the back corner. She glanced back distastefully at Fluttershy. First she stole her trip to the park, and now her daddy’s attention. 
“That’s it!” Rainbow grumpily squealed. “I’m going to nap! If anypony wants me I’ll be sleeping!” 
Rainbolt and Fluttershy both watched as Rainbow flew off the couch and into her bedroom. Her door closed with a loud bang. In the living room, Fluttershy seemed a bit sad. 
“I-Is she mad at me?” 
Rainbolt stared down the hall and sighed. “She’s just upset because I didn’t take her to the park. Just ignore her, she’ll get over it!” 
Fluttershy shyly looked down. “A-Alright…” 

Dash awoke with blinking eyes. Her face had a trail of crusted drool and there was sticky residue on her pillow beneath her head. How long had she been asleep…? Her head turned and her eyes met with a nearby clock, mounted on the wall. It read one in the afternoon. 
“Ugh… I bet what’s-her-face is still here. The love stealer…” 

After Rainbow left the living room with a heart full of anger; she marched into her own little bedroom, and shut the door. She made sure the door made a loud slam to make them aware of her anger. How could Daddy just sit there and play games with Fluttershy? While she was upset? Little voices echoed in her mind that gave her a cruel reminder.
“Would you mind playing a board game? Rainbow never plays them with me because she finds them too mentally challenging.” 
Already making her feel bad about herself? And then Fluttershy had to go accept his invitation! She was just doing that so she would seem like the better child! He seemed so happy when Fluttershy accepted his request…. She hadn’t seen that glimmer in his eyes in a long while. Why couldn’t she make that happen? The line that absolutely stung the most wasn’t stated until a little bit after him and Fluttershy started playing. 
“Whatever. Who needs her?” Echoed from Rainbow’s daddy’s lips, into her mind, and became permanently embossed in her aching heart. 
“I thought Daddy needed me…” Rainbow said, cuddling into her soft blankets . “He said he needed me… Now he doesn’t. It’s Fluttershy’s fault for being too perfect…” 
Rainbow wouldn’t have confessed it to anypony, but at that moment, she started crying. Tears trickled down her face and onto the pillows beneath her. She stroke her blanky and quietly wept until her salty tears lead her into sleep. 

Rainbow Dash shook her head, and tried to forget about the awful things said about her before her nap. She got out of her soft bed and yawned loudly. She stretched out her body, making her neck and back pop. She took one step out of her room and was immediately attacked by an amazing smell. She took in a strong whiff and instantly recognized chocolate, sweet sugar, and melty butter. It was the smell that was only typically smelt on holidays, birthdays, and occasionally before a picnic. She took in another strong whiff and smelt delicious, sweet, chocolate chip cookies. Drool formed in her mouth and made her instantly feel hunger. 
With a new, bright smile, Rainbow happily galloped down the hall and into the…kitchen… There was her father having a joyous little chat with her enemy. 
“You’re mom taught you how to make this recipe?” Rainbolt questioned, stuffing a cookie in his mouth. 
“Oh, yes, sir! My mom’s a great cook! I’m sure if you asked her, she wouldn’t mind sharing some recipes with you.” 
Rainbow growled behind her corner, watching the two. She shared his love of board games, was respectful, and a great cook. How could she ever match up to that? 
“Dashie doesn’t normally cook with me. She doesn’t like cooking too well. She does like eating, though!” 
Oh great, not only was Fluttershy the greatest child ever, but Dash was uninterested in her father’s passions and fat! He had spent the whole afternoon bonding with a filly that was superior to her in every way… She was prettier, smarter, more respectful, more talented, and had more similarities with Rainbolt. How could she ever compete with that? Her dad might as well permanently replace her with the amazing, little filly. 
Rainbow wondered off into the opposite direction, heading back to her room. She opened her door, and slammed it so loud the picture on her dresser fell down on its face. Rainbow sighed and went over to her dresser, picking up the fallen photo. The picture clearly displayed her and her father hugging and smiling. Their eyes were filled with the compassion they shared for each other. Just looking at it made the little filly’s pink orbs swell with salt water and sadness. 
“Daddy….” She cooed softly under her breath. “I love you….” 
As loud as Rainbow had slammed shut her bedroom door was as loud as it slammed opened. 
“Rainbow Dash!” A familiar voice boomed from behind her. “I want to hear a damn good explanation for your behavior! You’ve been rude to our guest, rude to me, and now you’re slamming doors. This is not how I except a young mare to act in my household!” 
How wonderful… now he was angry. Rainbow’s tears started dripping down her face. “D-daddy….I feel awful about myself.” 
“I don’t feel sorry for you, Rainbow…” His volume had lowered, but he was still pretty pissed-sounding. “I expected way better behavior from you. All because you didn’t get what you wanted!” 
Rainbow couldn’t take another second. 
“THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT FREAKING PARK! This has to do with Fluttershy being so much better than me that you love her more and plan on replacing me because I’m stupid and fat and don’t share as many interests as you! You don’t love me anymore because Fluttershy’s ten times better than me! You said you don’t need me anymore!”
Rainbow’s sudden explosion of anger and tears shocked Rainbolt, and left his mouth hanging agape. Tears began to flow heavier out of her eyes. She instantly realized her mistake. 
“I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry for yelling…B-but…” 
Rainbolt didn’t know what to say. After a minute of awkward staring, he closed his mouth.
“Rainbow, Sweetheart… “ He flew down and gently wrapped a wing around his heartbroken daughter. “I would never, ever replace you… You’re an amazing young filly! I love you almost too much, in fact. Why would you think that I didn’t?” 
Dashie sniffled. “B-because she played Monopoly with you… And during the game you said ‘Who needs her?’ I’m her… And she’s a better cook… and you barely even noticed how upset I was…” 
“Rainbow… I didn’t ignore you because I wasn’t concerned. I ignored you because I thought you were just having a hissy-fit over the whole park thing….I didn’t know you were actually feeling down…” 
“I-It’s okay, Daddy…” 
“And Rainbow; there is not a single filly on the face of this earth that I’d replace you with… You’re perfect how you are. I love every inch of you. There’s just so much about you that’s irreplaceable…”
Rainbow’s watery pink eyes looked up at her father. “R-really? You mean it?” 
Rainbolt nodded. “There’s not a thing in the world truer than how much I love you.”
Rainbow smiled, and stuffed her face into her father’s chest. She started crying new tears; these ones full of joy. “I-I love you, too, Daddy!” 
The stallion lightly patted his daughters back, and gave her a little kiss on the forehead. “There, there…. It’s okay… I forgive you…” 
Rainbow threw her head up and looked up at her dad. “Do you think Fluttershy will forgive me?” 
Rainbolt smiled slightly and nodded. “There’s only one way to find out, though…” 
Rainbow crept out of her father’s embrace and left the room with guilt and joy eating away at her haggard heart. She ran into the kitchen with a confident smile. Her father proudly followed close behind her. Fluttershy was sitting on the floor, nibbling on a freshly baked cookie. 
“Fluttershy…” Rainbow started, in a soft tone. Fluttershy said nothing, and waited for the pegasus to continue with curiosity in her eyes. “I-I’m really sorry about how I treated you today… I just got jealous of all the attention my dad was giving you.” 
“Oh… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to take your dad’s attention away.” 
“I know… Can you forgive me?” 
“Of course I can… What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t…” 
They were… friends? Rainbow was only close to her father, and a few of his coworkers along with his boss. Nopony her age ever told her that they were friends. She smiled at Fluttershy. 
“Thanks, Flutts…” 
Rainbolt watched as the two slowly embraced each other as Rainbow’s apologies were given out and accepted. They looked so cute in that little embrace. Rainbow smiled as she looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder. That’s when something silver glimmering in the distance caught her eye. 
“What’s that…?” She asked herself more than anypony else in the room. 
The cyan filly broke away from the hug and went over to the little spot where she’d seen the shimmering object. A closer inspection gave her a simple conclusion; it was the weird Monopoly piece her father had thrown aside earlier that day. He was correct, too; it was quite ugly. It had a semi-pony head and one singular fang. Instead of hooves, the strange creature possessed a talon and a paw. It’s legs was a deer hoof a reptilian leg. He had a skinny body, and two wings. He also had one horn that looked as if it belonged on a mythical creature, and the other that seemed to have come right off a deer. She held the shiny, silver object in her hoof and stared it. 
“Rainbow… What do you have there?” 
Rainbow looked up at her daddy and shrugged, she then looked back down on the object that had seemed to… vanish…. 

> 9. Beyond the Factory 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     For Rainbow Dash, work days went by slower than molasses. Rainbolt’s night shift would go by slowly, even if she slept the majority of the time. For Rainbolt, time passed even slower. Seconds went by in the matter of hours. Some nights even felt like weeks. There were a few days work would prove to be interesting. Rainbolt would have alternate hours, there’d be a strange project, or he’d get in deep trouble with Mrs. Skies. Rainbow was the only pony who found entertainment in that, however. One of the most memorable days of work for either of them had to have occurred when she was four. It started on a starry, summer night. Rainbow was balled up in her yellow, thick sleeping bag. Her hooves were wrapped around a teddy bear and little string of drool was running down her face onto her pillow. Rainbolt was at his usual desk, filling out map charts. The assignment was very simple, and he already knew he’d be spending most of the night cleaning around the huge factory. 
As the clock strolled around ten, he knew his boss would be leaving for the night. She would always pop by and see how his situation was before leaving for the day. At that point in time, she’d open the office door very slowly, incase Rainbow may be sleeping. The door would make a loud, creaking noise that would cause the little filly to scrunch her nose and flopped her ears in her rest, but never awake her. 
“Rainbolt.” Mrs. Skies started in a whisper. “Can I talk to you?” 
“Of course…” The periwinkle stallion spat his pencil out of his mouth and gave his boss his full attention. 
“Stardust is taking off tomorrow. Her mother’s in the hospital with the feather flu. She says she’s got it pretty bad, and her mother’s in need of emotional support. So, I was wondering if you could cover her shift.” 
Rainbolt considered it for a moment. Extra hours meant more pay, and Dash would be going into school in only a few months… Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to try to pick up some extra bits. 
“Well, what are her hours?” 
“In between seven in the morning and two in the afternoon. It’s basically like you’d never leave.” 
“Seven in the morning?” Rainbolt said with an agape frown. That’d be a sixteen hour shift! “Wow… I’ve really got my work set out for me… that’s a really long shift.” 
“I understand if you refuse, but that’s just…” Mrs. Skies paused to do a little math in her head. “That’s only an extra seventy-seven bits. No biggy.” 
Rainbolt thought of having an extra seventy-seven bits… It did sound rather nice. He would definitely be able to afford Dashie all the supplies she’d need for the upcoming school year.
“Alright…” He said with a sigh. “I’ll take her shift tomorrow. What’s she do? Cloud inspection, lightning making, a bit of cloud busting?” 
“Yeah, and wind testing, along with temperature regulating. You’ve worked in the Weather Factory long enough to dabble in each of those branches, I assume.” 
“Yes, ma’am! Nothing you said seems too hard, I suppose. It’s still quite a lot of responsibilities, though…” 
“Don’t sweat it. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” 
“Thank you, ma’am.” Rainbolt smiled at his boss, who was in a surprisingly good mood. “Ugh, I wonder how Rainbow will feel. She’ll probably be bored to pieces all day.” 
“Eh, she’ll get over it. I’m sure she won’t be too thrilled, though.” 
Rainbolt nodded in agreement. “She can get pretty pissy at times, but she’ll be happy when the day’s over.” 
Mrs. Skies nodded and sighed. “Well, I guess I’ll be going, thanks for your help.” 
“Anytime, Mrs. Skies!”  
The two waved good-bye and bid each other goodnight with a quick smile. 

Sunlight highlighted the sleeping filly’s face and opened her pink eyes. She sat up in her bed and yawned. Wow, what a night. She’d barely gotten an inch of sleep. She was constantly waking up in the middle of the night, and around one am, she’d had an accident. She hated bet wetting at her father’s work. It was hard to deal with, and extremely embarrassing for her. Her father even threatened to make her sleep in diapers if she kept having little accidents at night.
Rainbow stretched out backwards and cracked her back. Her head turned to a clock hanging above her daddy’s work station. 
“9am?” she questioned as she lifted her weary head. “We should’ve left hours ago.” 
Rainbow looked around her father’s office. “Daddy! Where are you?” 
Rainbow looked in all directions, seeing if he’d left any trails or clues to where he went. Nothing lead her to a plausible conclusion for her daddy’s disappearance. In wonder and shock, the little filly decided to venture onward into the factory, to try and find her dad. The moment she’d opened the little, wooden door and peaked her head out, she was struck be the prodigious sound of machines rumbling, steam hissing, and thunder crackling. Hundreds of ponies busily flew around the work place. There wasn’t a single pony not flying around to check on things. 
“Daddy?” Rainbow called out, wondering where her dear father could have flown off to. “Daddy?” 
Rainbow trotted off into a different direction, in search of her dear father. Where was he? And why hadn’t he told her we he was? 
“Daddy?” She called again in a more panicked voice. “Where are you?” 
Rainbow’s eyes easily started watering. What if Daddy left her behind? Why would Daddy forget about her? 
Rainbow picked herself off the ground and flew around in desperate search of her father. She stayed at ground-level though. There was too much traffic in the sky above her. 
“Daddy? Daddy where are you?” The little filly’s cries caught not the attention of her father, but a dear friend of his. 
The little filly’s heart sank. She was getting increasingly worried about her father. What if she never saw him again? Tears started to trickle down her face and her heart beat faster. She lowered to the ground and laid there with her head in her hooves. 
“What’s got your head hanging low, squirt?” 
Rainbow looked up. She saw a light blue stallion with a frizzy, yellow mane. “H-hey Mr. Dreamscape… Daddy’s gone…” She squeaked and shoved her face back into her hooves. 
Dreamscape smiled and picked up the little filly. He gave her a quick hug and pat on the head. “Your daddy’s not gone. He’s just working a different shift at the moment.” 
The filly sniffled and wiped a tear off her face. “H-he is?” 
Dreamscape nodded. “If you’d like, you can watch me work for a while. I wouldn’t mind at all, and I could keep you company.” 
Dashie looked up at the stallion and beamed happily. “Okay. You can be my daddy for a little while.” 
Dreamscape giggled. Fillies truly were adorable, no matter whose they were or what they looked like. 
Dreamy gently grabbed Rainbow by the hoof and took her into the nearby room he’d just earlier popped his head out of and saw the little filly weeping.
“I know you’ve never really been in any other rooms besides the lobby, main room, and your daddy’s office, but I know you’ll like this one.” 
Rainbow entered the room and her eyes went wide. The chamber must have been four times the size of her father’s dinky office. There was a large machine in the far left of the room. It was making gurgling noises and spitting out large amounts of white, powdery-looking stuff into cardboard boxes that varied in size and shape. 
“What is this room?” Rainbow asked quietly. 
“It’s where we make artificial snow.” 
“Artificial snow…?” 
The confused stare the filly tossed him lead him to give a further explanation. “Follow, me, Sweetheart….” 
Dreamscape lead Rainbow to one of the boxes that had been most recently filled. The side of the brown, cardboard box had an address labeled on it and a large stamp with a picture of the Weather Factory. The fluffy, sand-like “snow” was soft to the touch of the hoof and highly desirable. Rainbow found herself quite intrigued as she glided her hoof in the soft fluff. 
“You see, different ponies request different kinds of weather year-round. Snow is something we can only produce during the winter. Well, genuine snow, that is. We make fake snow so ponies can have snow whatever time of year they like. Most of them get it for their foals to have snowball fights and such. It has the same texture and durability as snow, though.” 
Rainbow felt the little crystals in her hoof. “But it’s not cold.” 
Dreamscape chuckled. “That’s because you’re supposed to freeze it. You can use it room-temperature, though.” 
Rainbow scooped some out of the box and rubbed a little against her face. “It’s so soft!” 
Dreamscape smiled at the little filly’s adorableness. “I’m a bit too big, but… I think you could easily lay in the box.” 
Rainbow smiled widely and climbed into the box without hesitation. She dove into the large amounts of soft, white wonder. 
“It’s so soft!” She cried out happily. 
“That’s fine… Hey, how about you rest here a bit while I go and find your father. He’s probably transitioning from cloud busting to inspecting the new clouds right about now.” 
“Okay!” Dash chimed cutely and buried herself further into the white fluff. The beautiful “snow” was so wonderfully soft, she could almost fall asleep in it. Simply thinking about going back to resting made her yawn and long for sleep. She dug herself under the imitation snow and left a pile above her, and a larger pile beneath her. She cuddled the snow, and even formed some into a pillow. The white crystals molded easily and were very comfortable. She yawned and lowered her eyelids. She could easily make up for an awful night’s sleep...
The little filly started counting sheep as she drifted off into well-deserved sleep. 

“Another order of fake snow!” A grumpy mare complained to her coworker. “Every summer we get hundreds of orders of this shit!” 
Her stallion friend was sealing the large, cardboard box with tape. “I know, I know. I really hate the summer. It’s some of the worst time to work at the Weather Factory.” 
“Agreed…” The violet mare tilted her head and read the address. “Alright, let’s ship this one. Can’t imagine why somepony would need so much damn snow.” She put her hooves at one end of the box and lifted it with a surprising struggle. “Ugh! This one’s heavier than normal!”
The gray stallion heaved the other end with a grunt, realizing she was beyond right. “This is like, twenty pounds heavier than it should be! What the hell?” 
The two pegasi lifted the box and sighed. 
“Let’s just deliver this damn thing before it ‘melts’!” 

The light-pink stallion pulled the large cardboard box into his house. He had a blonde mane with purple-dyed tips and wore a green-striped scarf tightly around his neck. The weight of the box caused a bit of strain on his back and hurt his arms. He set it down on the carpet of this neatly-arranged living room. He had a purple loveseat and armchair around the edges of the carpet, and a brown coffee table in the center. He wiped droplets of sweat of his forehead and took in a breath. Damn, that box was heavy. 
The stallion went to his little kitchen. It was covered in ivory tiles and proved to be very homey. There was a nice, clean stove, and several cabinets above the counters. He pulled open a little drawer and grabbed a wickedly sharp knife and smiled. 
“This should do the trick.” He spoke in a soft, pleasing tone. 
The pegasus flew out of the kitchen and into the living room where the large, rectangular box laid. He smiled and put the tip of the knife into the box and trailed it all the way to the opposite end. The flaps of the rectangular prism opened with ease after that. Pulling back the cardboard flaps revealed a large amount of imitation snow. He smiled and started gliding his hooves through the soft, little flakes. He withdrew his hoof suddenly and seemed very shocked when he…felt something. Slowly, he reached his light pink hoof back into the box and felt where he thought he’d felt warm, soft flesh. His suspicions were confirmed when he reached into the box and again felt what he previously had. 
“What is this…?” 
The stallion brushed away the little layer of false snow above the filly and gaped before smiling. 
“I didn’t know I’d ordered a little filly…an adorable, little filly…” He smiled at the foal and started nudging at her with his hooves, trying to awake her. 
Rainbow’s eyelids gave in and opened. Her pink eyes widened at her unfamiliar environment and an even more unfamiliar stallion. “Wh-who are you?” 
“My name’s not important, Darling. How’d you end up being shipped all the way to my house?” 
The little filly thought for a moment. “I fell asleep in the snow.” 
“Oh… Does your daddy work at the Weather Factory?” 
“Yeah!” Rainbow said cutely. “Will you take me back there? I wanna see my daddy!” 
The stallion smiled at his little surprise. “Maybe a bit later. You see, I’m on special medicine, and I’m not allowed to fly within six hours of taking it.” 
“I-I’m stuck here for six hours? Without Daddy?” The little filly’s eyes started glistening with sadness. 
“No… more like four. I promise, I’ll get you there safely by the end of today. Now, are you hungry, Sweetheart?” 

Rainbolt entered the factory from the most eastern entrance. His legs were tired and his back ached harshly. He rubbed his spine and landed on the soft cloud. 
“Aw man! Cloud busting’s hard!” 
The periwinkle stallion made his way through the eastern lobby, and into the main room. The factory was buzzing with workers doing their jobs and producing loud, unnatural sounds. He should have been in this room nearly an hour ago. He’d got confused with his divided section, and could barely find it. Not to mention he nearly got electrocuted a couple times. 
Rainbolt sighed and headed towards his usual office. He’d check on Rainbow to see if she’d awake. Last night when she’d awoken he told her about her alternate schedule and to remain in his office until he got back. If she’d remember his commands was a completely different story.
“Hey, Rainbolt!” He heard a familiar voice call. He turned and Dreamscape was madly waving his hoof in the stallion’s direction. 
Rainbolt waved back with a smile. “Hey, Dreamscape!” 
The pegasus landed before his friend and smiled. “Rainbow woke up this morning. She was running around the factory calling you.” 
“Oh… well, last night I told her about my extra hours. I guess she forgot.” 
“She must have, because she seemed completely oblivious when I told her!”
Rainbolt chuckled. “So, where is the little rascal, anyway?” 
“The last time I saw here, she was at my work station playing in some imitation snow. She really liked it.” 
“Ah. Could I speak to her before I started cloud inspection?” 
Dreamscape nodded and signaled for the pegasus to fallow him. Rainbolt fallowed Dreamy to his large workplace and thought about his sweet little girl the full way there. She really was an angel. She may have been a troublesome, spunky, a little annoying, and occasionally disobedient angel, but she was an angel nonetheless. 
Entering the office, Rainbolt looked around the room, searching all corners for his little foal. 
“She’s probably still in a box of artificial snow.” 
Rainbolt spread his wings and flew to the opposite side of the room where he met a large, metal robot. He looked around at the “snow” machine. The entire area where the ordered boxers usual laid was… empty. There wasn’t a single box that occupied the large corner. 
“Uh… Dreamscape?” Rainbolt called from the other side of the room.
The pegasus flew towards his friend. “Yeah?” He called back, only half-way to his destination. 
“Where’s Rainbow…?” He asked nervously. 
The stallion landed next to his friend. “She was in a box like ten minutes ago…” 
“But where is she now?” 
Dreamscape looked around nervously. His heart sunk to the bottom of his gut. “I…I think she might be… lost…” 
“Wait…so you told my daughter she could spend time in this room with you, and then you proceed to leave her unattended and now she’s lost?” Rainbolt spoke in a tone that only an terrified parent could produce. 
“I, uh…” Dreamy was practically sweating bullets. “Y-yes…” 
Rainbolt felt heat rise to his face. “I swear to Celestia if anything, ANYTHING, happens to my daughter, I will separate your head from your body!” 
Dreamscape gulped with an affirmative nod. He knew Rainbolt would never literally murder anypony, but with enough anger, he could verbally assault somepony to a point they wished they were dead. 
“How about we go to Mrs. Skies office? She knows all the orders and where they’re sent to…” 
Rainbolt took in a deep breath. “Alright… I’m just so, so worried. I hope nothing bad’s happened to her…” 
Dreamscape put a hoof around his nervous friend. “I’m sure she’s fine, wherever she is.” 
“She’d better be.” Rainbolt said in a growl to his guilty friend. 
Rainbolt and his friend took in a breath and left the large, busy room. They flew into the main room and all the way to the other side of the factory, where Mrs. Skies office could be found. They knocked lightly on her door and entered a second later, both being too anxious to wait another moment to find out the possible locations of Dashie. 
Mrs. Skies was at her desk, filling out miles and miles of paperwork with a pen in her mouth and boredom in her soul. As the two stallions entered the room, she spat out her pen and looked at them both with emotionless eyes.
“What a surprise to see you two here…” She commented with a dull voice. Just last night she’d been so joyful. Her mood was so unpredictable. 
“Ma’am…” Rainbolt started. “Could you maybe look at the records for recently ordered artificial snow?” 
Mrs. Skies peered at the two through her ruby-red glasses. “Why would you need to know that?” 
Rainbolt gulped. “Well… you see… We think that maybe… Rainbow Dash got lost in an order.” 
Mrs. Skies jaw dropped in complete shock. “Wh-why would you think that?” 
“Well….” Dreamscape started. “I left the room and she was buried in a box of imitation snow… I came back ten minutes later and all the boxes disappeared…” 
Their boss sighed and pulled out several sheet of paper. “Alright… I’ll look at our records… If she’s found in the factory I’ll have you two notified.” 
Rainbolt nodded. “Th-thank you, ma’am.” 
As the little mare started looking through paperwork, Rainbolt sighed and started thinking deeply about his little girl. Where was she? Maybe she was still in the factory? If she was, that’d be a blessing. What if she was at a stranger's house? What if it wasn’t a nice stranger? She could be hurt, or being beaten or raped or killed or anything! Rainbolt tried hard not to think about the endless possibilities, and attempted to stay positive. 
“Alright…” Mrs. Skies finally said after a minute. “There are seven different locations Rainbow could be at this very moment, not including the factory.” 

There was a hot, steamy bowl of oatmeal set in front of the cute, little filly. Her eyes set on it as she took in a big whiff. It smelt like maple syrup and was decorated with fresh fruits. Cinnamon was sprinkled over top of everything. 
“Thank you, Stranger!” Rainbow said with a smile. 
“You’re very welcome, Honey. What’s your name, anyway?” 
Rainbow took a large bite of the soft, delicious oats. “I’m Rainbow Dash!” She said with a mouth full of food. 
“That’s a very pretty name for a very pretty little filly.” The stranger said in a calm voice.
“Awe, thank you! Daddy calls me pretty all the time!” 
“Well, your father seems very smart. What’s your daddy look like?” 
“He looks like me only he’s purple and big.” 
“Ah. How’s your food taste? By the looks of it, pretty good.” 
Rainbow nodded and shoved in another spoon of oatmeal. Her taste buds relished in the wonderful flavors of the fruits and sugars. 
“It took you forever to make, though!” 
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, Sweety…. Perfection is worth patience, though.” 
“That’s what Aunty Skies tells me.” Rainbow took two more large spoonfuls into her mouth. 
“That’s interesting, Sweety... Do you think your daddy will try looking for you?” 
“I don’t know, maybe.” Rainbow swallowed down the last bite of her oatmeal. “He’s overprotective, so he might. I think you’d like him, though.” 
The stallion didn’t seem too pleased with the filly’s answer. He watched as she stared at her empty bowl. She was too polite to say anything, but her little eyes were begging for a second helping. 
“Are you still hungry, Sweetheart?” Rainbow nodded. “Well… would you like more oatmeal, or would you like something different?” 
“What else do you have to offer?” Rainbow asked curiously.  
The stallion smirked at the little filly. “Well…. I do have a little something else that could fill yo-“ 
The pegasus’ speech was cut off by a loud, sudden banging sound. Dash perked her ears up and smiled. It must have been her daddy to come get her. Before the little filly could hop out of her seat and fly towards the door, the stallion aggressively grabbed her arm and pulled her back. 
“Owe!” The little foal cried out and started rubbing her arm where it had been grabbed. 
“Listen here, kid! I’m going to go check that, and you’d better not leave this room!” The adult got extremely close to the filly’s face and spoke in a very intimidating tone. 
Rainbow gulped and tried to hold back tears. “O-okay…” 
The knocks came again, this time louder. 
“Hello?” Dashie heard a familiar stallion speak. She let out a gasp and smiled. 
“That’s my daddy!” she chimed happily, and once again flew out of her seat. 
“No!” The stallion grabbed the little filly’s arm again and kept her close. “You are not going to leave!” 
Rainbow started tearing up. “B-but that’s my daddy…” 
“I don’t care if it’s Princess Celestia herself! You are not moving from this spot!” 
Rainbow started to sob a little and hopelessly tried to break away from the stallion’s strong grasp. 
Two stallions stood on the opposite side of the front door.
“Come on, Rainbolt… Nopony’s home. Don’t be discouraged, though. This is only the third house we’ve been to.” 
Rainbolt let out a long breath. “I-I miss her already… I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to survive without her.” 
Dreamscape gave his friend a reassuring hug. “If it’ll make you feel better, you can punch me in the face.” 
“The only thing in the world that could make me feel better right now is to hear my baby’s voice… thanks, anyway, though…” 
The saddened duo looked at the cloud ground and thought about Rainbow. They thought about everything they caused, and how neither of them would forgive themselves if she wasn’t safely returned. 
“DADDY!” 
Both of the stallions perked their ears up at the shrill cries from within the house. 
“That sounds like Rainbow Dash!” The confirmed in unison. 
Rainbolt got off his hooves and pounded on the front door of the house. “GET OUT HERE WITH MY DAUGHTER!” 
Within the little kitchen, the stallion held onto the struggling filly firmly. “Damn it! Look what you’ve done, you little brat!” 
The stallion sighed and allowed the little filly out of his grasp. “Let’s go then….” 
Gently, the stallion led the filly to his front door and opened it with forced confidence. Two very displeased stallions stared at the stranger. 
“Gentlecolts.” He greeted. “Is this one yours?” 
Rainbolt raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, kind of. And why exactly did I hear my daughter screaming bloody murder?” 
The stallion smiled guiltily. He hadn’t done anything but restrain her from leaving his strict grasp. He hadn’t actually done anything to force a scream out of her. 
“Well… When she heard your voice she just got so excited. You know how kids are….” 
“Those screams didn’t sound too happy, if you ask me! Rainbow Dash, why were you screaming?” 
The little filly looked up at her daddy with large eyes. “Because I wanted to see you, but that guy wouldn’t let me!” 
“Why wouldn’t you let her?” 
The stallion fumbled over words. If this kid's damn father didn’t stop with the questions, there’s no way in Equestria he’d stay out of a cell. 
“Your voice reminds me of a friend of mine…” He finally stated. “And, uh… he isn’t foal friendly.” 
Rainbolt rolled his gold eyes. This guy was hiding something. He had evidence in his mind, but no absolute proof. The periwinkle stallion sighed. His daughter was safe. At that point, that’s all that mattered. He was going to make sure that she hadn’t been harmed in anyway before he left the stranger’s house, though. If he did anything to hurt his daughter, he’d be facing personal, harsh vengeance. 
“Well…” Rainbolt started, trying to think of anything else he could say. 
“Uh…. Rainbolt?” 
The stallion looked behind him. His daughter was stumbling over her own, wobbling hooves. 
“D-daddy… I feel… dizzy….” 
It wasn’t a second layer that the cyan filly fell face-first into the cloud layer. 
Oh, hell no! This guy was in for it! Ponies just don’t pass out for no damn reason, there was something going on. He didn’t know what, and he probably didn’t want to, either. 
In one quick motion, Rainbolt turned around and delivered a hard punch right in between the stranger’s eyes. 

> 10. First Day of School
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbow Dash’s back ached under the weight of her heavy saddle-bags. They were filled with writing utensils, folders, crayons, a lunch, and paper. Her first day of school came so quickly, Rainbolt was quite shocked. She’d been so happy all her life. Every waking day she would be a giddy, light-spirited filly. That couldn’t exactly be said for that day, however. 
“But Daddy!” The little filly whined. “I don’t want to go to school! I want to stay home and play with you!” She looked up at her father with the most pitiful, adorable eyes and trembling lip. 
Rainbolt sighed. For the last week, he’d been hearing nothing but constant whining about going to school. She was not only reluctant, but even threatened to spend all that Monday in her closet. She’d never even been to school, and she already hated it. In reality though, she was just afraid of being separated from her father in an unfamiliar place for such a long time. She’d been so close to him… and six whole hours? From eight in the morning to two in the afternoon, she’d be stuck in the profane prison! How would she possibly make it through? 
“I’m sorry, Sweetheart. If you didn’t have to go to school I wouldn’t make you, but the law’s the law! I’m sure after a week or so, you’ll start warming up to it.” Rainbolt assured his upset daughter with a hug and nuzzle. 
“But you won’t be there!” She argued. “And then we’ll only have the evening together and you’ll have to go to work!” 
Rainbolt looked at his daughter. “Sweetheart. I know you’re going to miss me… Would it make you feel better if we found your class together?” 
The little filly’s pink eyes looked up at her daddy and she nodded her head quickly. “A-alright.” 
The periwinkle stallion comforted his baby and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead and warm embrace. Dashie returned the kiss with a small peck on his cheek. Rainbolt broke away from the hug and smiled at Dash. 
“I know you’ll do just fine today, Sweetheart. Just be confident and make friends.” 
“But what if other ponies don’t like me? What if they think I’m stupid?” 
“Then put their head in a toilet, Sweetheart.” Rainbolt chuckled as he joked and opened his front door. He waved his hoof as a gesture for his little filly to exit the house. Rainbow smiled at her father.  
“Okay, Daddy! I will!” She too giggled light-heartedly. 
Rainbolt smiled at his little girl and they flew off into the atmosphere together, ready to start Dashie’s first day. 

As Rainbolt promised, he guided Dash all the way to her new classroom. The school itself wasn’t big. It was one building, with three large classrooms, restrooms, and a main office. They all had to eat outside. One of the classrooms were for Kindergarten and first grade, the other was for second grade and third grade, and the final was for fourth grade and fifth grade. Finding Rainbow’s class wasn’t hard to any degree. It was the first one to the left when one entered the building from the North side. Rainbolt peered inside the classroom. It was filled with running, screaming, and hostile foals. He said a little prayer, hoping Rainbow would have fun. 
“This is your classroom, Sweetheart.” Rainbolt announced. 
Rainbow fluttered her wings and levitated, she too looking inside. The little fillies and colts ran wild: wrestling, playing, crying, and screaming. 
“Daddy! I don’t like them!” Rainbow squealed. 
Her father simply smiled and shook his head. “Sweetheart… Listen, I know you’re nervous, but I’m sure you’ll make plenty of good friends today!” 
Rainbow seemed a little unsure, but still kept her hopes high. “Alright Dad…” 
The stallion sensed the sadness within his daughter and gave her a long hug. “I love you, Dashie. I hope you have a wonderful day today…” 
“I hope so, too, Daddy!” 
Rainbolt gave his daughter a little peck on the nose and broke away from her. Silently, he turned around, and abandoned her to fend for herself the rest of the day. As he opened the glass doors, however, he glanced behind and waved at his baby girl with a reassuring smile. She smiled back and waved nervously. The moment her father closed the door and disappeared around the corner, the little filly felt lonely, despite being in a building full of ponies. Rainbow took in a breath, and opened the heavy, wooden door. As she did, the screaming and whining became much, much louder. It pierced her ears and forced her to put her hooves up to the floppy, hearing-holes. She didn't even notice the mare coming towards her until she was tapped on the shoulder. Her eyes looked behind her and she uncovered her eyes. 
She was staring in the eyes of a pretty, young female pegasus. Her eyes were a dark blue while her coat was white. Her light blue, curly mane was in a messy bun, and her smile was welcoming. Her face had three light blue freckles on each cheek. Her cutie mark was a tornado swirling. She seemed…oddly familiar. 
“Hello there, little one. My name is Miss Whirlwind, and I’ll be your teacher for the next two years. What’s your name, Sweetheart?” 
“Rainbow Dash.” She answered with a smile. “You seem familiar.” 
Miss Whirlwind checked over her clipboard and put a slash through another name with a smile. She spat her pen back out, and a long chain on her clipboard prevented it from falling to the floor. 
“I don’t know where you might know me from.” She said with a confused expression. 
Rainbow thought for a moment. She didn’t know where exactly she could have been to. She was always at home or the Weather Factory, but occasionally left to go to a park or store with her daddy. 
“Have you ever been to the Weather Factory?” Rainbow asked after a minute of thinking. Miss Whirlwind seemed almost shocked. 
“I, uh… yeah. I go there during hurricane season to make tornadoes throughout Equestria. It’s not a full-time job, just something I get assigned with once in a while.” 
“Oh!” Rainbow said cutely with a smile. “My daddy works at the Weather Factory! I must have seen you there once or something. He takes me there every single day!” 
This earned another confused stare from the esthetically-pleasing mare. “Why don’t you just stay home with your mommy? Or does she work, too?” 
Rainbow’s ears perked up skyward and she once again seemed confused. Before she could answer, however, the mare turned around at the sound of shrill screams coming behind her. 
“Sorry, Rainbow Dash! I need to get that!” 
The pretty mare ran off to check on the screaming children. Why had she mentioned a mommy? She knew Fluttershy had somepony she called mommy, but why would she instantly assume she had one, as well? 
“Alright, everypony!” The teacher announced with a wide grin. “Find a seat, and we’ll start off by playing a little game to get to know each other!” 
The entire class fled to random seats and sat in them, filling up the first two rows as if their lives depended on it. Rainbow took a seat in the third row by herself. There were some older ponies. Fluttershy wasn’t in her class. She was lucky because she got to be homeschooled. She didn’t have to deal with loud, annoying foals. 
“Alright, now. I’m going to around the room. You’ll tell the class your name, birthday, and something or somepony you cherish in life.” The teacher’s white hoof pointed in the direction of the little colt sitting in the chair furthest to the right in the front row. 
“My name is Starlight Shadow! My birthday is November third, and I cherish my brother most of all!” 
“Good! How about you?” 
The next little filly seemed rather timid she spoke just loud enough for the class to hear her. “M-my name is Lemon Stone… I was born on May eighteenth, and I cherish my mommy more than anything…” 
Rainbow’s ears perked up as she heard ‘mommy’. Why did it seem like everypony knew what that was except her? Did everypony have a mommy? Why didn’t she, if that was the case? Was she…weird? What was a mommy, anyways? Rainbow went deep into her thoughts, wondering about the topic. Why was she so uninformed about what a mommy was? Was Daddy hiding something from her? She let out a sigh, and focused back in reality. A filly three chairs down from her was taking her turn. 
“I’m Abbaie Twinkle and I was born January fifth! More than anything, I love books!” 
Rainbow sighed. She had an Egghead in her class, and mystery in her heart. The next colt went with a gleeful smile. He was named Blue Streak, and he too, apparently cherished his mother deeply. The filly only one seat next to her announced her name was Tundra Storm. She had the same birthday as Rainbow; June sixteenth. As well as many other fillies and colts in the class, she cherished her mommy more than anything. If everypony loved their mother so much, what was she missing out on? Finally it was Rainbow’s turn. She looked up and stared at her teacher. 
“My name is Rainbow Dash. I was born June sixteenth and more than anything in the world, I cherish my daddy.” 

Rainbolt entered his home and his front door closed with a click. He took in a large breath. Dashie was at school, doing who knows what, and he was alone at his house. He looked around. Everything seemed so… lifeless. Usually his daughter would be flying around with a large smile. They’d be playing, or doing something fun to make the hours fly by. For the first time since Dash was born, he was alone in his house. 
“Wow….this is so weird….” He didn’t know what could possibly be done to keep himself occupied. 
As boredom sunk in, he thought that maybe he could do things that he couldn’t normally do with Dashie around. He didn’t know exactly what, but there had to be some things. He went off to his room, closed the door behind him, and mindlessly stared around his chamber.
“Wow…. I didn’t realize how dull this place is without Dash around…” 
He sighed. What in all of Equestria could he possibly do to fill the time? Read the newspaper? Boring! Visit a friend? All he really new was Dreamscape, and he was at work. His wife was homeschooling Fluttershy at the time. Maybe he could go to a park? That, too, would only remind him of Dashie, and would most likely be boring without her. He sighed, and once again examined the room. His gold eyes stopped at two white, sliding doors. It was his closet. He hadn’t been in his closet for years, and failed to remember half the stuff he’d put in there during his move. Maybe there was something in there that would satisfy his boredom. 
Rainbolt pulled open the closet and looked deeply inside it. There was a mountain of old, dusty boxes. There were a few small ones on the top, and heavier, larger boxes on the bottom. He flew upward and grabbed one of the top boxes. It wasn’t too heavy, but it was far more comfortable to set in on the ground and open it. Rainbolt slid the lid off and looked inside. There were only books. Firefly’s books that she never unpacked. Rainbolt sighed and grabbed the box underneath it before putting the old box of books in its proper place. 
Rainbolt set this box on the floor and opened it as well. This box was much lighter than the one filled with books. Inside was another small box, a knife, and several bars of soap. Rainbolt’s eyes widened and he smiled slightly. 
“My whittles!” 
Rainbolt opened the small, yellow box. Inside were a whole collection of figures made of soap. There were little ponies, stars, houses, trees, and animals. He smiled widely. 
“I thought I’d lost you guys!” 
Rainbolt had a little secret he only shared with those very close to him. He loved whittling. It wasn’t his special talent or passion, but a bar of soap, knife, and an idea could keep him busy for hours. 
Rainbolt took out one of his creations and examined it. It was made with a bar of soap that smelt like French vanilla. He molded it into the shape of his mother. It wasn’t an exact copy, but it looked pretty damn close. It had the little curls in her long mane as well as the curled eyelashes bordering her eyes. He delicately carved in her cutie mark, and made her wings stand up straight. He made little details for each individual feather. 
Rainbolt wasn’t sure if he still had a talent for whittling, but he knew it was worth a shot. He picked up an unused bar of soap, his usual whittling knife, and went to work on sculpting the most important thing on his mind. 

“Alright class!” The Miss Whirlwind chimed to the room of kids. “We’re going to have some play time now! No yelling and absolutely no fighting!” 
The entire class of kindergarteners and first graders happily smiled at one another. This was time for Rainbow to make friends and present herself. She, along with nearly twenty other students hopped out of their seats and ran to different corners of the room, pulling out blocks and dolls and other toys. Some of the foals just sat around, too timid to try to include themselves in anything. Rainbow sat in the center of the room. She didn’t know who to talk to. Fortunately, her problems were solved when a blue colt and two fillies approached her. 
“Hey.” The little colt started as he approached Rainbow. Rainbow smiled and looked gleefully at the foal. “I like your mane.” 
Rainbow blushed from the compliment. “Thanks!” She chimed. “I get it from my daddy!” Rainbow then remembered the subject on her mind all day. “Hey, do you have a mommy?” She asked. 
The colt and two fillies stared at each other with confused expressions. 
“Uh, yeah…” A blonde-mane filly asked as if Rainbow were stupid. 
“So, what is it?” 
The little foals all had wide eyes from her question. She really didn’t know what a mommy was?
“So… you don’t have a mom I take it?” The little colt asked. 
Rainbow shook her head. She looked at the colt with curiosity and he seemed almost shocked. How did she have a father but not a mother? It seemed nearly impossible. 
“How do you not have a mom?” One of the fillies questioned. “I mean, everypony I’ve ever met has had a mom.” 
The rudeness in the filly’s tone forced her to look at the ground. Her eyes were on the verge of watering. Was it true…? 
“Awe, what’s wrong?” The filly continued in a rude tone. “Are you going to go cry to your non-existing mommy?” 
“Windy!” The little colt snapped. She ignored his verbal scold and continued. 
“I think she’s actually going to cry. I wouldn’t be surprised.” 
Rainbow’s sadness turned into anger as she glanced up at the filly with glistening eyes. 
“What are you going to do? Hurt me? I guess the only reason your daddy loves you so much is because he feels sorry for you! You really are pathetic!” 
Rainbow couldn’t take another second. She grabbed the filly by the ear and started dragging her as quickly as she could. The teacher was nose-deep in a magazine and didn’t notice. She was used to loud, excessive screaming. 
“Hey! Stop that!” The little filly demanded. "Let me go!"
Rainbow ignored her and dragged her right of the class room. The filly’s little friends watched through the window on the door of the classroom in awe as Rainbow dragged her down the hall. She struggled in the pony’s grasp and hadn’t the slightest clue what was going on. Rainbow forced the filly into the bathroom, took her into a stall. He bent her over the toilet and used all the power in her anger to keep her down.
“NOPONY TALKS SHIT ABOUT MY DADDY!” 
With that, Rainbow forced the pony’s head into the toilet and smiled as the toilet water soaked her mane and destroyed her ego. 

Rainbolt entered the school at approximately two that afternoon. He instructed Rainbow to wait inside her classroom for pickup time. It had been a long, hard day for him without his baby in the house. He only hoped she’d had a better day than he did. 
The stallion let out a long exhale and entered Rainbow’s classroom. As he went in, he didn’t see Rainbow… only a few colts and little filly remained there. A pretty mare had her nose shoved in a newspaper, not paying the least amount of attention to anything around her. Rainbolt approached the teacher’s cluttered desk and cleared his throat. Her dark blue eyes looked up at the stallion and she folded her newspaper and put it to the side. 
“You must be Rainbow’s father.” 
Oh, no. That irritated tone and look in her eyes couldn’t have been good. 
“I am, ma’am. Do you know where my daughter is?” 
“She’s in the principal’s office. Got in trouble for shoving some filly’s head in a toilet.” 
Rainbolt gaped. Just that morning he was making jokes about shoving bullies’ heads into toilets. It was only the first day and she was already getting in trouble. He had no clue she’d take his advice seriously. 
“W-well… thanks. I’d better go check on her…” 
Rainbolt dashed out of the room. The office wasn’t too far away; only straight down the hall and to the right. Rainbolt calmly opened the door and looked around. There was an old stallion at the front desk, filling out some papers with a pen in his mouth. 
“Um… excuse me?” Rainbolt started. “I was told my child is somewhere around here for being in trouble.” 
The stallion nodded, and without a word, pointed down the hall. Rainbolt started to head through the little hallway. It smelt like pine trees and depression. He made his way to the very end where he saw his daughter in a separate desk. She was looking down at the wood surface and thinking to herself about her actions, but more importantly about mommies. She was rather depressed from the long day, but didn’t want anypony to notice. Rainbolt took in a breath. Before he got too mad at her, he’d allow her to explain what had happened. Maybe she had a semi-good reason. She was in trouble no matter what, but an explanation would definitely make him reconsider everything.
“Rainbow Dash.” Her father started in a firm tone. 
The little filly jumped a bit from being startled. She turned around in her seat and looked up at her father and gulped. He didn’t look to pleased with her. 
“H-hey Daddy…” 
“Rainbow Dash, I want you to explain to me why you thought it was a good idea to shove a filly’s head into a toilet.” 
Rainbow looked at the ground. “I-I don’t know… she just started making fun of me for not having a mommy and I got mad at her… You told me if somepony messed with me I should stick their head in a toilet, so I did…” 
The moment the word ‘mommy’ left Rainbow’s lips, Rainbolt gaped. She… she was being made fun of for not having a mother… He looked at the ground and felt like crying. It was all his fault. He sent her to a public school with hundreds of children, and didn’t expect her to even hear about a mother? How stupid was he? 
Rainbolt put his hoof under Rainbow’s chin and lifted her head so their watering eyes met. “Sweetheart… I’m so, so sorry…. I… I should have told you about mommies before I sent you here. This is all my fault.” 
Rainbow’s eyes watered further. “D-daddy…why don’t I have a mommy? Everypony else at my school has one.” Her tone was weak and crackling. 
“Rainbow…” He started. 
What Rainbolt wanted to say was, “Because, your mom was a stupid cunt who couldn’t take responsibilities for her actions.” What left his mouth was quite different, though. 
“Your mother left the family a little after you were born…. It was because me and her were fighting a lot. We just didn’t get along, and sometimes things like that happen.” 
“But why didn’t Mommy come and visit me? Did she hate me?” 
At that point, tears were streaming out of Rainbow’s eyes and dripping off her face, nose, and chin. Rainbolt struggled not to cry himself. 
“No, not at all, Sweetie. She loved you. After we split, she moved far away, though. It would take her a month to travel all the way back and visit you.” 
He wasn’t sure if lying to his daughter was the right thing, but he didn’t want to hurt her anymore than she already was. 
“D-daddy….?” Rainbow started with a sniffle. 
“Yes, Sweetheart?” He spoke in the softest, most comforting tone he could. 
“W-Will you find me a new mommy? Like, go out and get a wife?” 
Rainbolt went agape. He couldn’t possibly start dating again at this point… could he? 
“I-I don’t know about that, Dashie…” 
“Please, Daddy? I-I want a mommy so badly…” The water in her eyes began overflowing and fell down her face with the rest of her tears. “Everyone else h-has one. I just want one s-so badly….” 
Rainbolt couldn’t take it any longer. He wrapped his hooves around his daughter and gently pat her back. Little tears escaped his eyes as well. 
“O-okay, Rainbow… I’ll try dating again… If that’ll make you happy.” 
Rainbow sniffled and her tears stopped rolling. “R-really?” 
“Y-yeah… I can’t guarantee I’ll find anypony, but I’ll try, okay?” 
Rainbow almost smiled. “Th-thank you Daddy. I love you.” 
“I love you, too Sweetheart.” 
They both embraced once more and smiled. After a minute of hugging, Rainbolt’s yellow eyes went wide. What did he just agree to..?  

      
    
     
     
     
     
     

     

> 11. The Dating Game 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbolt smiled at himself confidently in the mirror. His rainbow mane was flattened and his bangs evenly fell in front of his eyes. He wore a collar and a black bowtie around his neck for more appeal. He had to admit, he did look better than usual. He looked nearly five years younger, too! 
The stallion took in a deep breath and walked out of his bathroom. He felt confident, clean, and ready for the long night ahead. He passed his daughter’s bedroom as he went down the hallway and knocked gently on her door three times. 
“Hey, Dashie? You almost ready?” 
“Yeah…” He heard his daughter’s voice coming muffled through the door. “Just a minute!” 
While Rainbolt attempted to find a pretty mare to date, he’d send his daughter over to Fluttershy’s to sleepover. What a night this would be. He hadn’t had a marefriend since he was dating Firefly, so getting a new one definitely seemed exciting. He didn’t know if he’d be getting the mare of his dreams that night, but chances were he’d be searching for his future beloved more than just this week. It may have taken a few weeks, or even a few months, but he knew it would be well-worth it if his daughter was happy and he was in love. 
What Rainbolt was actually looking for in a mare, he really didn’t know. At this point, he wanted somepony nice, loyal, with a good sense of humor, and responsible with kids. He was pretty vague on what he wanted excluding those traits. Maybe somepony a little more delicate, and not too sex-obsessed. Basically, he was looking for somepony that was like the opposite of his ex marefriend.
Dashie finally came out of her room. She had her sleeping bag she’d normally bring to work strapped to her back, a plastic bag filled with toiletries and snacks, along with some popcorn for the fillies to share. 
“Are you ready, Dash?” 
The cyan filly nodded cutely at her father. “But you’re not!” 
The stallion gave Rainbow a confused look. She held her hoof up with a wide grin. “Wait here!” 
Rainbow zoomed in to her room and closed the door. Rainbolt stood there in wonder, only for Dash to return moments later with a black fedora. The little hat had a white stripe going through the middle of it, and a little, pink rose attached to the side. 
“Mr. Dreamscape gave it to me yesterday! I told him you were going to find a marefriend, and he said he had the perfect accessory to make you look classy!” 
Without a notification of consent, the excited filly forced the hat onto her father’s head. It fit uncomfortably, but did make him look slightly good. He smiled at his daughter. 
“That’s really sweet, Honey, but I don’t want to overdo it…” Rainbolt took the hat off and placed it on a nearby counter. “I don’t want the mares to think I’m trying too hard, and it hurts a little…” He rubbed around the edges of his head where the small hat had tightly embraced his head.
“Awe, but it made you look sexy!” 
Rainbolt blushed. “Rainbow, you don’t even know what sexy means!” 
“Sure I do! I heard Mr. Dreamscape call Ms. Dewdrop that when I went to Fluttershy’s the other day, and he said it meant good-looking.” 
“Well, thanks, I guess…” He smiled at his daughter sheepishly. “Just don’t say that to the wrong pony… they may take it the wrong way.” 
“What am I supposed to do? Call ‘em ugly?” She asked with big, pink eyes. 
“No, just be careful, alright Sweetie?” 
“Okay, Daddy!” She chimed adorably and gave her daddy a quick kiss on the forehead. He returned her kiss to her left cheek and smiled. 
“I can’t wait! I hope you bring me back a mommy!” 
The nervous father and daughter started trotting towards the exit of their home, ready to start the night. Rainbolt giggled. 
“Don’t get too excited, Sweetheart… The mare has to actually like me back, remember.” 
“Why wouldn’t she like you back? You’re smart, talented, sexy, and so, so nice!” 
Rainbolt blushed from the little storm of compliments. “Thank you, Sweetheart. I’m just really nervous… what if I can’t find anypony? You wouldn’t be sad, would you?” 
Rainbow frowned. “I don’t know… I guess things would just be like how they always were.” 
“Yeah…. I mean, you like your life don’t you? You enjoy living with me, going to work with me and so on, but are you that sad about not having one more pony in your life?” 
Rainbolt held the door opened for his toddler, and she gladly exited. She was excited for her sleepover, but far more excited for the news she’d hear the next morning. 
“Daddy, I love you, and I’m happy to be your Dashie, but I want a mommy like everypony else…” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Understood… Now, remember, be good for Mr. Dreamscape. He’ll tell me if you weren’t on your absolute best behavior!” 
Rainbow smiled. “Of course I’ll be good! Why would I ever be naughty?” 
With that said, Rainbow smiled widely and an invisible halo appeared above her head. 

“You sure she won’t be too big of a problem?” Rainbolt asked for nearly the millionth time that evening. 
Dreamscape rolled his light blue eyes and smiled. “I’m sure Dashie won’t be any trouble. She’s a sweetheart. If she is a problem, I’ll send her to a corner for a few minutes and tell you about it the next day, where you can take care of her. I’m sure she won’t be a problem, though.” 
“She’d better not be… Well, thanks again for looking after her. I’ll pick her up tomorrow morning after work.” Rainbolt smiled and turned, but had a sudden remembrance and looked back at his nice friend. “One more thing; thanks to you Dash called me sexy.” 
Dreamscape stared for a moment. His eyes lacked all expression until he suddenly remembered. It was then he burst into shrill laughter. He’d remembered that day, and took a moment to imagine the scene Rainbolt had just told him about. 
Rainbolt sighed, rolled his eyes, and continued onward to the most unpredictable evening of his life. 

When Rainbolt finally arrived at his desired destination, he took in a breath and nervously smiled. Jitters filled his belly and made his heart pound. He went to the one place singles went when they were in desperate need of somepony else in their life. It was a social bar where two ponies would sit down, have a chat, and get to know each other. The point was to meet somepony one had never met and see how compatible they were together. Rainbolt had never had confidence speaking to mares, so he started off increasingly nervous. 
There was a large room full of small round tables. Each round table had a small, green, red, or blue cloth in the center, and only two chairs at the sides. Some tables had a mare and stallion talking, others had a lonely mare or stallion waiting for somepony to come to them, others weren’t occupied at all, and others had two mares or two stallions. It was all rather cute, but also made Rainbolt even more nervous than he already was. He saw nearly eight mares sitting alone with bored faces. This was his chance to be a stallion and find the perfect mare for his little girl. He took in a deep breath and entered the large, threatening room after adjusting his little, black bowtie. 
The first mare he noticed had a wavy, white mane with a pink stripe going next to her face. Her bored eyes were a light pink, and her coat was a beautiful, snowy white. She was sipping on tequila and reading a magazine. He blushed heavily as he approached the mare’s table. 
“Hi, um… I’m-“ 
“Go away, I’m a lesbian.” She stated bluntly and continued sipping her alcoholic beverage. 
“Oh, I’m so sorry to have bothered you…” Rainbolt shyly smiled and slowly backed away from the table. 
“Well…that went well….” He muttered to himself as he walked away. 
The next pretty mare he noticed was smiling as she sipped on a soda. She seemed quite giggly as she read through a little comic book. She had a green mane with dark purple streaks, and very light purple coat. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of ruby, and gleamed like the precious jewels, as well. Rainbolt shyly approached her and gulped. 
“Hey… is it alright if I sit here?” He asked in a timid tone. 
The mare put down her comic book and smiled at the stallion. “That’s fine, have a seat!” 
Rainbolt sat at the seat across from the young mare. He blushed heavily and she smiled at him. 
“I love your mane!” She commented lightheartedly. 
“Oh, thanks. I grew it myself.” 
Rainbolt blushed heavier at his pathetic attempt at a joke, but the little mare giggled anyway. 
“That’s a bit corny, but it’s cute. So, what do you do in life?” She asked, tossing her comic book to the side.
“I work at the Weather Factory, but I really like whittling. I also enjoy reading about astronomy. I think it’s kind of interesting.” 
“Oh, cool. I’m an actress.” She rubbed her flank where her cutie mark was tattooed. It was two masks, one laughing and the other crying. “I do shows locally, but one day I’d love to be a big actress and perform at the Canterlot Opera!” 
“Wow, that’s really cool! I could never act! I have awful stage fright, you know?” 
“That’s a shame… So, are you looking for a relationship, somepony to be with you a while, and maybe slip into a relationship later on, or are you lookin’ to get married soon?”
“To be honest… I’m not really sure. I’m mostly trying to look for somepony that would be a good mother for my kid.” 
The little mare’s face sunk in disappointed. “Oh… listen, I’m really sorry… You seem like a really nice stallion, I just can’t be a mother yet… I’m really, really sorry.” 
Rainbolt forced a smile. “No, it’s fine… I guess I should maybe depart ways?” 
The mare nodded. They both slightly guilty; Rainbolt for trying to force the whole mother thing on her, and the mare for rejecting him like she did. Each split and went their separate paths. Rainbolt’s lead him to a little mare in the corner. She had a pretty, black mane and grey body. Her eyes were a deep shade of magenta and her pupils were scanning through a photo album. Maybe, just maybe, this mare would somehow prove to be different. He approached her quietly. 
“Excuse me, ma’am… Is it okay if I have a seat with you?” 
The pretty mare smiled at the stallion. Her eyes briefly examined him and nodded in approval. 
“Go ahead, tell me about yourself.”
Rainbolt smiled and sat across from the pretty mare. She wore a pearl necklace and a pretty, black dress. Her hair was done neatly in rows of cascading braids. She was obviously way out of his league, but he didn’t care. He smiled nervously before her esthetic beauty. 
“M-m-my name is Rainbolt. I work at the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale. I’m a single parent and I-“
“Single parent? Really?” She closed the photo album and gave him all her attention.
Rainbolt nodded. Her tone didn’t seem too turned-off by the fact, and that eased any nervousness within him. 
“I am too. My husband left me after our first kid.” She sighed. “My little colt has been fatherless his whole life, practically.” 
“Same thing with my little filly! She’s been pretty sad about it lately, though.” 
“Yeah… My name’s Moonlight, by the way.” 
“That’s a very beautiful name for a very beautiful mare.” Rainbolt’s face lit up crimson as he complimented the pretty, young beauty. 
“Thank you very, very much!” Her face lit up a light hue of pink. 
“Maybe our kids could have a little play-date and we could have some time to get to know each other. If all works out, my daughter could earn a mommy, and your son could earn a father. You seem nice enough.” 
The mare thought for a moment. “Sounds like a plan. I suppose my little boy could definitely use a play-mate and father. There aren’t a lot of single dads out there to fill the void.” 
Rainbolt shyly smiled. This may have actually been it. 
“So… how about my house this Saturday?” 

“Rainbow, listen, I know you’re not used to acting sophisticated, but there’s a mare coming over who may or may not be interested in being part of the family, and I expect your best behavior.”
The stallion forcefully sprayed a little squirt of sweet-smelling perfume onto his little filly. She gagged and waved her hoof around to force the smelly liquid away from her. 
“Daddy! I don’t want to be girly!” She whined. 
“I’m not asking you to be ‘girly’. Just be polite, smile, and try to act decent. Do you want a mommy?” 
Rainbow sighed and nodded. When she first heard a mare would be coming over, she was overwhelmed with joy, but this whole “try to act sophisticated” nonsense was really starting to dig under her fur. Why should she act sophisticated? If she really was going to be her mommy, then she’d have to actually know what she was like. And she was nowhere near a fancy little filly. She was messy, gruffly, and tough. Her father even made her comb her mane. Just the thought of it made the poor filly shudder, but when he went to actually put the comb to her head, it hurt like a bitch to get all the annoying, disobedient tangles out. 
Rainbolt’s ears perked up at the sound of loud thuds from the door. 
“I think that’s her, Sweetie. Just be good, okay?” 
Rainbow sighed in an irritated tone and nodded. 
“Adda girl.” He leaned down and gently connected his lips to his daughter’s soft forehead before fleeing off to answer the knocks. 
Rainbolt opened the front door and smiled at the pretty mare. Oh, that wonderful night they’d talked for hours. She was absolutely perfect. She had an appreciation for the finer arts, knew a great deal about science, and to his surprise, was lower middle class. She admitted to receiving a few necklaces and gowns from her grandmother, but her appearance seemed much fancier than what was beneath. 
The pretty mare wore her black mane in a bun, instead of the beautiful style he’d previously seen it in. He wouldn’t complain, though. She had the same pearl necklace from the previous night around her neck, but was naked otherwise. She came accompanied with a little colt. He had her pretty eyes and gray coat, but instead of a black mane, had a dark brown one that covered his left eye. He seemed to be at least a few years older than his very own child, and had a black lightning bolt on his flank to prove it. 
“Please come in. This little guy must by Zapper, right?” 
She nodded with a smile. “Say hello, Zapper.” 
The little colt smiled awkwardly. “Hello, Sir…It smells nice in here.” 
His mother gave him a light nudge on the shoulder. In her mind, it was rude to compliment the smells of a friend’s house if they were cooking. It implied that you wanted whatever they were eating. Earning a scold from his mother only seconds after they walked in the door was beyond embarrassing. 
“I’m sorry, Sir…” He apologized and hung his head in shame. 
Rainbolt smiled. “There’s no need to be sorry. It was a compliment.” 
It wasn’t a second later his very own cyan filly rushed down the hall. He neatly combed mane was already starting to stick up from fast flying. She landed on the plush, cloud ground and swept her messy mane back. 
“And… I suppose that’s your child.” Moonlight commented in an unsure tone. 
“It is. I know she’s a bit younger than your colt, but she’s still….there.” 
Rainbow gleefully smiled at her daddy’s guest. “I’m Rainbow Dash!” She got off her hooves and speedily flew over to her, holding out her front hoof to be shook. She leaned to her father, and with a smile and a volume just loud enough for the mare to hear said, “You got a really sexy mare, didn’t you?”
Moonlight's magenta eyes went wide, not even knowing what to say. She decided to ignore the comment and cautiously, the mare met hooves with the filly. Rainbolt's cheeks were burning in embarrassment. 
“She’s really… active for a girl, isn’t she?” 
Rainbolt and his daughter seemed rather confused by her statement. 
“She is a rather speedy filly. Athleticism runs in the family.” 
“Oh…” Was Moonlight’s only reply.
Rainbolt didn’t know how to react. He decided to announce that night’s menu. 
“We’re having candy carrots with broccoli and veggie salads for dinner. I hope you guys like that.” 
“That sounds pretty good. Thank you for inviting us.” Zapper said with a smile. 
“You’re welcome. It should be done any second now.” With that line, there was a high-pitched ding from the kitchen. “Well what do you know?” He said with a half-smile. 
Nervously, Rainbolt flew to the kitchen and took a boiling pot off the stove. There was already a streamer in the sink, where he tilted the pot and separated the broccoli from the boiling water. There was a large bowl of salad pre-prepared in the center of the neatly set kitchen table. The candy carrots smelt like maple and were on a large plate to be served. He’d put some effort into this meal, not a ton, but more than he usually did. He was beyond nervous for the upcoming night. He only hoped Rainbow would make a good impression. 
Rainbolt put the then steaming broccoli in a large bowl for serving. 
“Dinner’s served!” He announced.
Rainbow Dash had been socializing with the little colt. He seemed rather timid, even for being years older than her. At the call, they both trotted into the kitchen with growling tummies and small smiles. Everypony sat at the tables. Rainbow and Rainbolt took their usual seats. Moonlight sat right next to Dash, and Zapper to Rainbolt. 
“Thank you so, so much for this wonderful meal, Rainbolt.” Moonlight sincerely spoke. 
Her son quietly muttered, “thank you”. 
“It’s no problem, go ahead and serve yourselves. Mares and foals first.” 
Moonlight blushed a little and accepted. She took a nice plateful of salad, candy carrots, and steamy broccoli. Zapper was next to get his serving. When Dash took her serving, she only took a little plate of candy carrots, though. Rainbolt finally got his serving of everything and the pending family started eating. Moonlight, for the first couple minutes kept making awkward glances at Dash as she woofed down here candy carrots. Rainbolt didn’t even seem to be concerned with the fact she was only going for the sweet stuff. 
“Umm… Rainbolt?” She finally questioned. 
The stallion swallowed his previously taken in bite and stared at the mare. “Yeah?” 
“Aren’t you even going to make her eat something more than candy carrots… or at least chew with her mouth closed?” 
Rainbolt and Rainbow stared at the mare. Both were blushing heavily.
“Dashie doesn’t like salad or broccoli… she’s a bit of a picky eater.” 
“Oh yeah? Well you make her eat healthier than!” The gray mare's tone became intimidating and a bit scary.
Rainbolt seemed to be a bit shocked at the mare’s surprisingly aggressive tone. “You just can’t force food down a child’s throat!” 
The mare stared at Rainbolt with a smirk, and took Dash’s plate from beneath her. Her precious candy carrots… were stolen. Rainbow remained to look at the table beneath her, and when her ivory plate was returned, it had not only carrots, but weird, green, leafy stuff.
“Ew!” Was her first response. 
“Don’t ‘Ew’ it! Now eat it!” Her tone was firm and quite intimidating. 
Rainbolt just stared. He’d never been than aggressive with Dash to actually force her to do something she didn’t want to. 
The anger building in the mare’s voice caused Dash to fearfully take a bite of the icky lettuce. There was absolutely no room for argument in her tone. 
“See? It’s not so bad.” She smiled at the little filly, who was painfully gulping down her dinner. Moonlight’s eyes met with Rainbolt’s. “Look, it’s not that hard to be aggressive with them. Children are really easy to train.” 
“I…I don’t know…” He looked at his daughter, who was practically forcing the nasty lettuce down like medicine. “It just doesn’t feel right to force your children to do stuff they don’t want to do.” 
“They’re kids.” Moonlight argued. “What they want and think doesn’t matter.” 
That line stung Rainbow in the heart. That was one of the cruelest things she’d ever heard off of anypony’s tongue. Her father always listened to her. Always. Now that she was being told the exact opposite…. It really hurt. Her eyes started swelling with tears. 
Rainbolt didn’t respond and continued eating his food. She seemed so nice, but as a parent, she was a bit mean… Why was that? Even he found her a bit scary. Rainbolt let it go, and continued to eat. For a while, their meal continued in silence. The heavy tension between Rainbow and Moonlight was so realistic one could almost pluck it like a string on a violin. Moonlight finally decided to break the awkward silence.
“So…” Moonlight started. “Rainbow Dash… do you have any talents?” 
Rainbow thought for a moment. “I can burp the ABCs backwards and fly really fast.” 
Rainbolt blushed heavily. The whole ‘try to act like a lady’ concept flew out the window. She was who she was. and he supposed he couldn’t change that. Even Zapper seemed a bit shocked by her answer.
“How lady like.” Moonlight murmured to herself sarcastically. 
How perfect. Any chance Rainbolt may have had with the mare was gone, but in some ways, he was happy about it. That whole night they’d bonded so tightly, but… she didn’t seem to be the most fit mother for Rainbow. She didn’t understand Rainbow like he did, and it didn’t seem like anything in the world would. Not even five minutes had passed before Moonlight noticed another imperfection about the little filly. She was sitting with her legs hugging the legs of her chair.
“Does she…always sit like that?” 
Rainbolt curiously ducked his head under the table and saw her legs spread and wrapped around that chair’s. 
“Uh… I don’t know. Maybe. Why?” 
“It’s very inappropriate for a young filly to sit that way. She looks like a boy.” 
Oh, how wonderful. More criticism. Frankly, Rainbolt was starting to get annoyed with her.
“It’s just a style of sitting. If you haven’t noticed, my daughter’s not exactly the most lady-like filly in Equestria.” 
“No doubt about that. When I was growing up I either sat like a mare or I didn’t sit for weeks.” 
Rainbolt gaped. He didn’t know who started that traditional ‘Mares do this and colts do this’ but it was highly irritating and shallow-minded. If he would have known she was so ignorant, he would have never ever invited her over.
“That’s kind of mean,” Rainbow stated. “Daddy normally just grounds me from toys or flying, but he’s never not allowed me to sit. It’d be kind of hard, too. I think my legs would ache after a long while.” 
Moonlight was gaping from what she’d just heard. Was she stupid or just trying to be funny?
“You don’t spank your kid?” She asked, almost as if he were crazy. 
Rainbolt took in a long breath. He was going to love saying this. Rainbow perked her ears up, never have heard the word before. Zapper on the other hoof, flinched looking back on memories. 
“No, I don’t. Do you know why? Because I don’t have to! Rainbow listens to me and has proved to me she can be obedient without bodily harm! If I don’t need to hurt her, then why the hell should I? Just because I don’t parent like you, does not mean I’m a bad parent! My daughter may not be clean, or feminine, or even lack all table manners, but she’s perfect that way. I love her, and she’s amazing! If you don’t love her the way she is, then you’re not fit enough to be a parent. A real parent accepts their child no matter what!” 
Moonlight stood, gaping at the stallion. Her eyes were wide and her heart pounded in anger. Rainbow was smiling cutely at her father for standing up for her. 
“You know what? Do what you want! A real parent teaches their children to be fine, young gentlecolts and young mares!” 
“Well, how about I be the classy gentlecolt I am, and escort your arse out of my home?” 

> 12. Happy Mother's Day!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Rainbow stepped onto the grounds of her dreaded school. It was just another crappy day for her. She’d been going to school for what seemed like years, and what was even more awful was the damned kids that went there. Some of them were so mean, hours of homework would seem like paradise in comparison to spending one minute in their presence.  Windy, especially. Ever since the toilet bowl incident, she’d hated Rainbow’s guts and verbally assaulted her multiple times on a daily basis. There was nothing more she could do. Her father spent hours lecturing her the second time she’d dipped the filly’s head in a toilet. She even got grounded from flying, and was forced to do a whole bunch of chores that day. Worst than all that, her father forced her to apologize! The thought of saying anything nice to that filly made Rainbow want to throw up. 
Alas, her father had woke her up at seven in the morning, and dragged her all the way to school. At the very least, it was Friday.
“Only a month left, Sweetheart… Push through it.” Her father encouraged as they stood outside the filly's classroom together. 
“Only a month until what?” Rainbow asked curiously. 
“Summer break, Sweetheart. You don’t have to go to school for a full three months!” 
Rainbow’s eyes glimmered. She liked the idea very, very much. “Oh my gosh, Daddy! Why didn’t you tell me about summer break sooner?” 
“I did…you just didn’t pay attention.” 
“Oh…” Rainbow smiled cutely, knowing she would be guilty of having her head in the clouds when her father talked to her. “Sorry, Daddy.” 
“It’s fine, Sweetie. I hope you have a nice day at school today!” 
“Yeah, sure I will…” Rainbow sarcastically murmured as she hugged her father warmly. She dug her head into his soft, periwinkle coat. 
“Seriously, Sweetheart. Have a nice day. Just think of the future.” 
Rainbow smiled at her daddy and nuzzled him once more. “I will!” 
After their brief chat, Rainbolt exited the building, and left the little filly to herself. Rainbow took in a deep breath and entered her classroom. Little fillies and colts were wondering around, playing with toys, and wrestling with one another, as they did every morning before class. Rainbow fit in like a cat in a pack of wolves. Usually, she just made her way to the back of the room and sat there until class started. That day she did just that. She sat at her lonely, wooden desk and waited with great patience for class to begin. 
“Alright, class, settle down.” Miss Whirlwind spoke in a gentle, but firm tone. “Take your seats and we shall begin today’s lesson.” She made her way to a large, chalkboard and wrote the word ‘mommy’. “As you all probably know, this Sunday is Mother’s Day.”
Rainbow's ears perked up at the sound of giggling not too far away.
“Well, at least those of us who have mothers…” Windy snickered two seats down from Dash. Dash stuck her little, pink tongue out at her and the bratty filly simply turned away, along with her bitchy, little follower. 
“So, today, we will be making cards for our moms and celebrating! First, I’ll write some things you all can say in your cards. Any suggestions?” 
One aqua filly’s hoof in the front row shot up into the air. “Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! How about ‘I love you’?” 
Rainbow sighed as the bold letters were scribbled on the chalkboard so all the little fillies knew how to write it. Miss Whirlwind turned to the class with a wide, unnatural smile. 
“What else?” she asked the class.
I tan-coated colt smiled and raised his hoof, and then was instantly picked to speak. “How about ‘Thank you for:’?”
The teacher smiled and wrote “Thank you for:” on the board in big letters, then underlined it. 
“What are some things ponies can be thankful for their moms doing?” 
Windy’s hoof shot up and she smiled. “For loving us and taking care of us each and every day.” 
Dash stared at the little filly in anger. She tossed Dash a wink and fake smile.
Her teacher smiled as she scribbled “All the love and care” onto the board under “Thank you for:” and next to a large, white dot. 
“Anypony else?” 
Rainbow placed her heavy head into her hooves. Her little ears flopped down as she thought to herself. Love and care, huh? That sounded pretty good, except her daddy did that all the time anyway. Maybe there were some things she wasn’t missing out on. 
A little colt everypony called Ginger Snap raised his hoof with a smile. “Cooking and cleaning up after us?” 
“That’s a good one.” 
The teacher smiled and added “Cooking and cleaning” to the list. 
“What about comforting us when we’re sad?” another filly added. 
As the list expanded Rainbow started to notice something. All the things a mother provided… her dad was already doing: Loving her, feeding her, making her feel better, and showing he cared. From what it looked like…their roles were very, very similar. 
In wonder, and shock, most of the class turned around when Rainbow’s little, cyan hoof shot into the air and waved it to be noticed. Maybe she’d be wrong, and look like a fool in front of them all, or maybe- just maybe- she’d say something impressive. Even the teacher herself looked a little confused to see the filly answer this question. To all in the class, it was no mystery that Dash was motherless. Hesitantly, the teacher called on the little pegasus. 
“Umm… Rainbow Dash?” 
“What about doing more than they have to just make us happy?” 
Miss Whirlwind’s confused expression slowly morphed into a smile. “That is a very sweet thought, Rainbow…” 
In her large, bold print, the mare wrote “Doing more then they have to do to make me happy”. 
“Now…Does anypony else have something we can add? If not, we’ll move on to compliments.” The teacher looked around. With a short list of thankful statements, the young mare took the awkward silence as a cue to move on. 

Within merely minutes, the large classroom turned into a chaotic mess. Glitter was spilt everywhere, pieces of shredded paper scattered the floor, and sticky, white glue was covering the manes and coats of the little foals. Everypony had a vibrantly hued piece of paper and marker or crayon to write their cards on. They were all copying down the phrases on the board, trying their very best to make their mommies happy. Rainbow, however, sat in the back with a large piece of blue paper. Blue was her daddy’s favorite color. It was folded neatly in half and had a drawing on it that could only be done by a four year-old. It was of her and her daddy. The bodies looked like big ovals, while the legs and tails looked like stiff branches. Their eyes were just dots and their manes were just streaks of multiple colors out-of-order. To Rainbow, it looked museum-worthy. The insides of her unfinished card, however, were completely blank. Looking up at all the phrases, she couldn’t find any to describe how exactly she felt. 
In desperation, the little filly hopped out of her chair, and made her way over to the teacher’s desk. She was working on something that seemed quite important, but she assumed her card was more important than whatever it was the teacher was working on. 
“Miss Whirlwind?” the little filly interrupted. “Can you please help me?” 
The pretty mare spat her pen out of her mouth and smiled at the filly. “Sure thing, Sweetheart. What do you need?” 
“It’s about my letter… I want to say something really meaningful to my daddy. I know the words… I just can’t put them on paper. Can you please, please help me?” 
Miss Whirlwind smiled at the little filly. “I’d be honored.” 

He forgot! He forgot! He forgot! How could he possibly have forgotten? He sent Dash to school the Friday before Mother’s Day! Of course they’d be doing things related to mothers! Oh, damn it! She must have been so sad all day and it was all his fault! Why couldn’t he keep track of anything? 
As Rainbolt walked through the doors of the school, he already knew what to expect. A little filly with an aching heart that he’d have to take out for ice cream to make her feel better. Poor little filly! Rainbolt took in a deep, long breath and entered his daughter’s classroom. He was nervous about her mood. He'd feel awful if she'd been hurt that day for who knows what reason. As usual, the little filly was sitting at her desk, waiting for her father to get there…but… something was highly unexpected. The cyan foal was… smiling. No, she wasn’t smiling, she was beaming. She’d never seemed happier in her life! Rainbolt was in shock, and glanced over at the teacher. Miss Whirlwind smiled at him and winked. Her eyes motioned to his cheerful little girl. In excitement, the little filly flew out of her desk and within a second reached her father's side.
“Daddy!” The little filly chimed. “I made you something today!"
Rainbow reached into her backpack and pulled out a large sheet of folded, blue paper. It had “Happy Mother’s Day” scribbled on the front, and a picture of Rainbolt and Rainbow obviously drawn by Dashie.
“What’s this?” Rainbolt asked in shock. 
“It’s a Mother’s Day card!” Rainbow said with a smile. “I came up with the stuff on the inside, but Miss Whirlwind wrote it down! Well, she also helped me with wording it a little, but the rest came from my heart!” 
Stuff on the inside? Rainbolt hesitated, but looked back down and opened up the card. Obviously Rainbow was telling the truth when she stated Miss Whirlwind helped with the writing. The text was written in black ink and the letters were made neatly in a pretty, unfamiliar cursive.

 Dear Daddy, 
I know I always told you I wanted a mommy, and I think it’s really sweet that you tried to get me one. I realized something today, though; you are my mommy. In class we were talking about mommies and what they did for us. I kept hearing ponies saying their mommies cooked, cleaned, loved them, and made them happy when they were sad. You do all that, too. So you are my mommy. I always wanted a mommy, but I never realized I always had one. I love you very, very much, Mommy. Thank you for always being there for me. 
Happy Mother’s Day. 
Love, Rainbow Dash. 

As Rainbolt’s eyes scanned through the paper, his heart became warm and tears started to swell in his yellow eyes. It was so simple; yet so beautiful. He smiled as a single tear rolled down his cheek. The teacher sat back from a distance and watched with a smile. 
“Daddy!” Rainbow squealed. “Why are you crying? Does this mean you don’t like it?” 
The hyper filly forcefully embraced her dad, who was taking in everything he just read with large amounts of pride.
“No, Sweetheart…” Her father said with a smile. “I love it. It’s perfect.” 

> 13. A Pleasant Surprise 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     That summer was very busy for the Weather Factory. There were new, young employees hired at the beginning of that humid, unhealthy season. With the new young ponies, there were a lot little disasters going around the factory. Machines would be broken, reports would go missing, and each day a new rumor was spread about a different pony. Why Mrs. Skies thought they needed any new workers, Rainbolt hadn’t the slightest clue. He supposed the reason may have been she needed more ponies to fill in if others needed a substitute for a shift, got fired, or died somehow. He’d never asked for an explanation, though. Arguments with his boss never turned out well, and as he knew, a simple question could turn into a war if it were timed just perfectly. 
Overall, however, Rainbolt wasn’t too upset with the change. Some unlucky employees actually had to help train the fresh ponies. What a hassle that would be! As if taking care of his daughter in the evening wasn’t enough! She was going to turn five in matters of weeks, and he didn’t need a young adult and a five year old harassing him the majority of the morning. What a headache! 
That evening, Rainbolt had been parked in his office a good half hour. He was filling out papers for the heat waves, rains, and lightning storms all throughout Equestria. All seasons were complicated, and summer was no exception. His math had to be accurate, along with his locations and timing. If he made one little mistake, he could literally cause a natural disaster. Luckily, he had never, ever made a huge mistake. He had made a few minor ones that gave a few ponies sunburns, frostbite, or minor property damage. 
“Phew!” Rainbolt wiped some dripping sweat off his forehead. “This summer is way too complicated… ugh. I hate this job sometimes!” 
Rainbolt continued his complex assignment silently. His jaws were starting to ache from writing too much and every minute he long more and more for a nap.
A well-timed disturbance occurred as Rainbolt was growing weary from work. He turned as he heard the door of the office opening with a loud, ear piercing creak. Even little Dashie shot up from her bed and stared at Mrs. Skies. She was accompanied by another mare. Her coat was a snowy tone of white and she had a messy mane of yellow, bouncy curls. Three purple balloons were proudly marked on her flanks and she had a large smile plastered onto her face. Rainbolt gasped at the sight of the mare. He recognized her the second he laid eyes on her. 
“Rainbolt, this is Surprise. You will be training her and showing her how to do your job. Don’t worry, she’s not replacing you. She’s just trying to find her place in the factory.” 
As Rainbolt had easily recognized Surprise, she recognized him. She smiled brightly at him and waved her hoof. Her bright, purple eyes glimmered at him and were almost as cheery as her bright smile. Rainbolt ignored the mare and looked down at the floor. 
“Don’t be shy. I know you’re not good with the mares, but come on!” She giggled at her own remark. “Alright, be good to each other. Rainbolt, be nice!” 
The mare closed the door with no further instruction or anything to go by. Oh, this was going to be fun. 
Surprise and Rainbolt had known each other through a mutual knowing of Firefly. In fact, Surprise was Firefly’s very best friend in the whole world. Dashie was pleased to have a new friend to meet, while Rainbolt was dreading to interact with an old one. He’d met her quite a few times and she was annoying. No, annoying couldn’t even begin to describe her. She talked nonstop about irrelevant topics and constantly spoke of things that made no sense. He was already dreading the long night with an old acquaintance. 
“Heya Rainbolt! Do you remember me? ‘Cause I totally remember you! Oh, you and Firefly used to be all in love and cutesy wootesy! I remember you sneaking her out school that one time and making out in a park! She told me all about it! I was friends with your sister for a while, and remember how I used to come over and spend the night sometimes, and one time me and your sister snuck into your room and put makeup all over your face?” 
Rainbow stared at the mare with genuine curiosity. Firefly? Could that have been her… mommy? Other than that, she already loved the mare. She was uproarious, and obviously knew how to have fun!
“I, uh…” Rainbolt blushed wildly and nervously chuckled. “O-of course I remember you! I-It’s just…” He nudged his eyes towards the little filly in the corner. She was snuggling under the sheets of her sleeping bag and watching carefully. “You know…” He whispered quietly. 
Surprise’s purple eyes went wide and she smiled with a giggle and snort. “Hehe, you don’t want the kid knowing that embarrassing little story, huh? I still have a pic I could show her!” Rainbolt shook his head and it finally clicked in Surprise’s mind “ Oohh! You don’t want the kid to know you were a romantic beast when you were younger! I have to admit, Firefly would always tell me about how much she wanted to-“ 
Rainbolt cut the mare off by shoving his hoof in her mouth. She continued trying to speak, but failed. Rainbow attemted to decipher the muffled words the white pegasus tried to get out. Eventually, the hint sunk in that she shouldn’t have spoken about that. Her volume lowered, and she stopped speaking all together. Rainbolt cautiously removed his hoof from her mouth. 
“That’s okay, Surprise… I just don’t want her knowing too much yet.” Rainbolt said, cringing and wiping  the saliva off his hoof. 
Surprise nodded in agreement and smiled guiltily. “S-sorry… I probably should have talked about it later on…” 
“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to talk about it, anyway…” 
Surprise flopped her ears down. What was she thinking? She didn’t even take the stallion’s feelings into consideration! Or the little fillies that was hearing it!
“I am really, really sorry…” 
When the sincerity became visible in the young mare’s voice, Rainbolt turned to her and forced a smile. 
“That’s fine. Let’s just forget this ever happened.” 
Rainbow watched from a distance as Rainbolt started his work and his old friend levitated a few feet above him. The name Firefly lingered in her mind. Whoever she was, it was obviously daddy’s old marefriend.  If it were her actual mom, that would have been interesting to know, but for Rainbow, she’d lost all interest in having a mother. Her daddy was all she needed, and she knew it! Rainbow blew off the thought of her daddy’s ex and tried to go back to sleep, cuddling in her soft sheets. 

Rainbolt continued to work diligently as Surprise quietly watched. She sat cross-legged in a seat behind him, and her leg shook violently. It was obvious she hated being still and quiet for that long of time. Dash had passed out long ago, and both could hear her little snores coming from the sleeping bag. She had her hooves wrapped around a small teddy bear and her little ears flopping and twitching in her sleep. 
“Ugh! I’m so bored!” Surprise whispered in a harsh tone. “All this work stuff is boring! I liked working in cloud busting better! I actually got to move!” 
The stallion sighed. Some ponies were just annoying to deal with. How did Mrs. Skies even consider hiring her? She had little experience in any of the branches! Then again, neither had he when he first started. He was just as confused as Surprise had been. A young, eager seventeen year-old colt barely out of flight school applying for a huge job in the Weather Factory? Nopony would have ever believed he would have ever been considered qualified, to get a job there. However, he did have a good knowledge of science, weather, math, and he dabbled in mechanics, so getting a job wasn’t too hard. Even though he made a considerably large amount of mistakes, he still pushed through and kept himself from being fired.
“Sorry…” Rainbolt muttered angrily. “If you don’t enjoy this branch, just work in another… Why did you even apply for this job?” 
“’Cause I know Equestria really, really well! I love meeting new ponies and I have met tons from all around Equestria! I’m also really quick when it comes to getting a job done, oh, and…” Surprise smiled and gestured Rainbolt over to her, as if she were going to tell him a secret. The slightly confused stallion leaned in and the mare delicately whispered into his ear. “I can tell when somepony’s lying!” 
“Oh… I don’t see what that has to do with weather… But it’s still pretty neat, I guess…”
Rainbolt picked his pen up and started writing again, bored and uninterested. 
Surprise giggled. “Yeah. Just like I could totally tell Firefly was lying when she said you broke up with her and kicked her out of the house!” 
Rainbolt’s ears instantly went up and he dropped his pen out of his mouth. He turned to the mare and looked at her with a frown. 
“She….What?!” 
Surprise laughed. “Yeah… I didn’t believe her. Her parents did, though! They were like, ‘Awe! You poor thing! We told you Rainbolt was a jerk! You should have listened to us!’ She was really depressed for a while! You could tell she really regretted it! She spent all her time in her room crying and saying, ‘What’d I do?’ She used to tell me she missed you so much…” 
Rainbolt’s gape turned into a little smiled. He almost laughed and felt extremely victorious! Ha! That bucking bitch got what she deserved! 
“Wow! I can’t believe that! I’m so glad she regrets it! Ha! Bucking cunt!” Rainbolt smiled at Surprise and laughed quietly. “You just made my life!” 
That conversation was hard to keep at a whisper. Especially for Rainbolt, who desired to leap into the air with triumph, squeeze Surprise and shout with joy. He hadn’t seen Firefly in years, but the thought of her suffering like he had through those long months made him happy. If only she could see how beautiful their daughter was that day. She’d be envious! 
“Yeah… I haven’t talked to her in forever, though. The last time was maybe… five months ago? Yeah, five months, eight days, and six hours ago! She was whining about how her coltfriend broke up with her. She hasn’t had much luck with love, lately. Or ever since you two separated.” 
Rainbolt sighed. “I could say the same about myself. I tried dating this one mare, but she was a pretty awful parent.” 
“That sucks… I’m really sorry about mentioning that stuff in front of the kid earlier.” 
“That’s fine… I kinda told her Firefly and I split, and then she moved very far away… I don’t know when I’ll ever tell her what really happened.” 
“Ooh! Use it at as a birth control when she’s older. Like, ‘Listen up, Rainbow Dash!’” Rainbolt laughed at the mare’s generic stallion voice. It was rather deep in comparison to her high-pitched feminine voice. “’You shouldn’t have sex at a young age! Your mom got pregnant and had you when she was only sixteen! And now look at her; she’s single, living on the streets and selling her body!’” 
Rainbolt’s laughter at the mare’s deep, forced voice was suddenly hushed by the final line. 
“Wait…. Firefly’s a…prostitute..?” 
“Yeah… She has been a while now. I mean, she wasn’t exactly able to get a job after her parents kicked her out of the house. She was only kicked out a while ago when she turned twenty, but you know. I haven’t hung around her because of how much she hates life, she’s so miserable, ect. I love seeing ponies happy… she was just too depressing to be around.” 
“Honestly, I think she’d enjoy getting to have sex for money. She oh so desperately wanted to have sex with me six years ago, so she isn’t that miserable.” 
Rainbolt had been pretty pissed with the mare for all those years. When he was spent all day at home with nopony to talk to, he’d curse her. The first few months when he was in his greatest struggle, he despised her name and cried at her memories. When Rainbow became sad at the fact she was motherless, Rainbolt would pleasantly dream about her being in awful, emotional (and occasionally physical) pain and agony. The thought of that mare regretting leaving him in the gutter as she did was the most amazing, wonderful feeling he could ever imagine.

Firefly’s purple eyes met the ground. She remained resting in the damp, cold alleyway. It was her home, and the only place she’d found comfort in the vast, crime-filled streets of Manehatten. She took in a breath and placed a bottle of vodka to her lips, letting the easing liquid slithered down her throat and make her happy. She relished the little bits of anguish alcohol would take away from her. She removed the addicting bottle of liquid from her lips and let out a huff. How could she have let her life get this way? 
The mare snuggled deeply into her cotton sweater and pulled a large piece of newspaper over her for warmth. Her glistening eyes shot up at the jeweled night sky. The moon was hidden behind dark clouds and the stars forced their twinkle to be shown through the dirty fog. Her eyes swelled with tears as she tried to rest. 
“I-I’m such a stupid mare… I had a family... A life ahead of me...” a single tear rolled down her cheek. “How was I so s-stupid to give that all up?” 
Every long day since the mare had left Rainbolt for the first few months, she was filled with doubt and depression. The first week, she’d even went up to his doorstep once and wanted to get on her knees and beg for forgiveness. Beg to be let back into the life of somepony she loved dearly, and maybe be accepted again, but she turned around and continued to suffer alone. 
“Oh, why didn’t I do something when I had a chance?” She cried out. 
She knew Rainbolt. He was gentle-hearted, forgiving, and kind. After a week, he may have accepted her apology, after a month, it would have been a possibility, but after years and years of no contact, she knew she’d blown it. 
Firefly stuffed her head into her hooves and began sobbing. She was so stupid! So idiotic! So…worthless. She’d forgotten about her beloved for years, but now that she was out on the streets, she found it much easier to think about where she really went wrong in life.
After minutes passed of letting her hot tears of depression out, she looked skyward. The line of sky she could see in between the two buildings was sparkling. When she looked hard enough, she could see two ghostly figures of her and her ex lover shooting across the sky. 
“Six years ago…” She muttered. “Six years ago… That was a beautiful reality…” 
Tears rolled down her face as she continued staring at the imagined figures of the stallion who had loved her more than anypony ever had. The memories of his gentle, “I love you”s and sweet nuzzles… Cuddling in bed and comforting each other in times of need. How could she have been so foolish? Firefly’s tears streamed faster as she silently began singing to herself in a fragile tone. 
“My dearest, My lovely. 
Wipe your tears away. 
I’ll love you tomorrow, 
The same I did today…. 
Please never leave me, 
And wipe those dripping tears. 
I’ll be faithful and loyal, 
No matter all the years. 
I love you, my baby, 
now lift your head, don’t cry. 
Kiss me, and love me, 
my dearest…Firefly….” 
Firefly broke into a volatile stream of tears. Rainbolt had sung that to her when she had been crying over who knows what! The first time it was because of a pet dying… And he’d sung that little lullaby to her every time she cried…He’d wrap his hooves around her from behind and place little kisses on her soft neck.
More than anything, she wished he was there singing it to her at that exact moment. The thought of hearing his soothing, sweet voice singing to her on that cold night was a beautiful, amazing thought. She wanted to once again be cuddled in his loving grasp. At that moment, she would have gladly gone through days of nonstop torture to be held in the arms of Rainbolt for one minute longer…Why had she given up…? She didn’t take the time to appreciate what she’d really been given… She deserved that cruel, harsh fate. 
“I-I’m so, so sorry, Bolty… I’m sorry…” She muttered in a crackling voice as tears fell down her nose.
Every night she’d begged for his forgiveness, but never receive it… She could barely forgive herself... How could she expect her abandoned lover to ever feel sympathy for her? She took in a breath and stared at the stone, cold ground. At that time, she could have been looking into the eyes of her coltfriend- no, husband- and smiling with love. Their child would be in her room, doing whatever, and she…she would be happy. 
Firefly’s depressing thoughts of an alternate timeline were rudely interrupted by the clanking sound of a small bag of bits being tossed in front of her. Her purple eyes slowly escalated from the ground to a smirking stallion above her. Shamefully, she looked back at her tear-stained hooves. 
“For here or to go?” 

Rainbolt smiled at Surprise and giggled. “Wow… I can’t believe the way she turned out. Well, serves her right.” 
“Yeah… You really are a nice stallion. She had no clue what she was missing out on.” 
Both of the ponies blushed and stared at each other. Surprise’s eyes looked towards the ground. 
“Thanks. I’m sure she feels the same way…” Rainbolt smiled and went back to work. 
Surprise took her place behind the stallion and looked over his shoulder. Surprisingly, Surprise wasn’t nearly as annoying as he thought she’d be. The rest of that night, they had a very long,  bonding conversation.

Rainbolt and Surprise were smiling at each other, sipping on cups of freshly brewed coffee when Dashie first woke up. When the white mare removed the steamy mug from her lips, it left a brown mustache above her upper lip and earned a giggled out of both Rainbolt and Surprise. Dashie turned in the covers of her sleeping bag and grunted at the two giggling friends. Normally, her father never awoke her with noise, so this was quite a surprise.
“Good morning, Daddy…” Rainbow muttered quietly with a yawn. 
The little filly unfortunately went unnoticed. 
“Daddy!” Rainbow cried shrilly to get the pair’s attention. 
“Oh, hey Dashie! I know you haven’t formally met her, but this is an old friend of mine, Surprise!” 
“Hi Miss Surprise!” Dashie greeted in her still-tired voice.
The pegasus giggled and her yellow curls bounced. “No need to call me ‘Miss’! I’m not a teacher or anything… Although I could teach you how to speak French! Would you like that?” 
Rainbow cocked her head. “What’s a French?” 
“Le Français c’est la langue d’amour.” Surprise stated with a giggle. 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes and smiled. “Ignore her, Dash. She’s a confusing pony.” 
They both started laughing again when Mrs. Skies disturbed their joy with her formal presence. Unlike most mornings, this one she seemed pretty happy. 
“I see you two are getting along nicely.” 
“Yeah…” Rainbolt agreed. “Surprise and I go way back. I knew her when she was only in flight school.” He turned to the pegasus mare and smiled. “I can tell we’re going to be a lot better of friends than we were back then…” 
“Yeah….” Surprise said with a forced giggle. “Friends…” 

> 14. Trick-or-Treat 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     October came with the breeze. The trees below Cloudsdale were turning vermillion hues and carrying the smell of fresh maple and peeling bark. Fall was a beautiful season, and one of the most wonderful ones. Not too hot, not too cold. There were also some pretty fun holidays scattered within those three months; one of them being Nightmare Night. 
Rainbow had never been trick-or-treating before. Rainbolt never considered her old enough, and after a fright with particular strangers, he hadn’t as much trust with other ponies he didn’t know. Rainbow may have been on the same boat if it weren’t for her innocence. Even though the stallion hoped his daughter would have a fun night, he was also worried about her safety to some degree. That moment she came home from school and kept talking non-stop about Nightmare Night, he knew he’d have to take her or he’d be cursed with never ending pleading. 
“Hold still, Squirmy!” Surprise demanded as she smeared some more eye shadow over Dash’s eyelids. 
“I don’t like makeup!” She cried out. “I’m not girly!” 
Rainbow had her multicolored mane in an odd style. It was sticking up and very spiky. Surprise used a bottle of glue to do it without Rainbolt knowing. She was hoping he never would find out, though. She was hoping it would wash out as if it were normal hair gel.
“You won’t look girly! You’ll like a monster!” 
Surprise smudged a final dark circle under Rainbow’s left eye and smiled in satisfactory. “You’re an adorable little monster, aren’t you? Wait until your daddy sees you!” 
“Talking about me?” asked a familiar stallion as he entered the doorway alongside a good friend of his.
“Daddy!” Rainbow chimed with a smile. “I’m a monster!” 
Rainbolt giggled. “Of course you are, Sweetie. Wow, Surprise…” He examined his daughter’s makeup and mane thoroughly. “You actually did a really good job!” 
“Thanks! I dabble a bit in these sorts of things.” 
Rainbow smiled brightly and hopped onto her dad’s chest, warmly embracing him with a nuzzle. “Thank you so, so much for letting me go trick-or-treating Daddy!” 
“That’s fine, Sweetheart…” Rainbolt returned the hug with a smile. “I got to trick-or-treat when I was your age, so it’s only fair if you do, too.”
“Hey!” Surprise chimed. “You should totally take her to Manehatten to trick-or-treat!” 
Rainbolt and Dreamscape both seemed rather confused by her suggestion. 
“Manehatten?” Rainbolt questioned. “Why Manehatten?” 
“Oh, you know. It’s where we grew up and stuff. Maybe you could even visit your old friends, show her your flight school, have some time to reflect and everything.” 
Rainbolt considered it for a moment. “I guess if we stayed on the Northern side, it’d be pretty safe. It is where I grew up…” 
Dash smiled. “Daddy, I get to see where you grew up?” 
“Yeah… I guess…” He answered unsurely. 
Rainbolt may have grown up in the city, but he didn’t know how it had changed since then. He had planned on taking her to a nice little town called Ponyville, but his plans seemed to have changed.
Rainbow gasped. “Yay!” She once again threw her hooves around her father’s neck.
“Yeah… It’s not that exciting. You’re lucky to be growing up in Cloudsdale.” 
Rainbow ignored her father’s comment as she laid eyes on Dreamscape and remembered something. 
“Mr. Dreamscape…” She started. “Is Fluttershy going with us?” 
“No… Fluttershy doesn’t like talking to ponies. I normally just by her a large bag of candy and watch movies with her for the evening.” 
“Bor-ring!” Rainbow sang and broke away from her daddy. “Why buy candy when you can just get it for free from strangers?” 
Rainbolt and Dreamscape laughed a little at the filly’s paradigm. 
“Are you ready to go, Sweetie?” Rainbolt asked his excitable little girl. 
Rainbow’s little, cyan wings flapped vigorously in excitement and anticipation. “You bet!”
Rainbolt’s hooves softly touched the stone roads of the large city that raised him. He looked down the dark neighborhood that he’d grown up in. Dashie landed next to him quietly and peered into the neighborhood. The only light was from the flickering street lamps that bordered the sidewalks. There were very little foals trick-or-treating, but there was one rather small group. Dash held an empty bag in her mouth, anticipating the long night ahead of them. 
“Now, Dash, do you remember what to say when they open the door?” 
“Nightmare night! What a fright! Give me something sweet to bite!” Rainbow chanted cutely in response. 
Rainbolt smiled. “Adda girl. Now, we only go to the ones with decorations or lights on.” 
Rainbow smiled and looked around the neighborhood. Her eyes locked on a modestly decorated house with dark blue lights around the door frame and a miniature stature of a dark-looking alicorn with glowing, white eyes and a wavy dark blue, shimmering mane. 
“That one?” She asked, gazing up at her dad with eyes as wide as saucers and a pointing hoof. 
The stallion gently nudged his daughter towards the house and stepped towards it along by her side. She smiled and took off eagerly towards the glowing house. Rainbolt sighed and flew next to her, landing on the porch with her. She smiled widely as she knocked loudly on the stranger’s front door. 
Moments later, a stallion came out. He was smiling at the little filly and wearing an eye patch over his left eye and a large pirate hat on his head. 
“Hey there, Cutie. What are you supposed to be?” 
Rainbow let out a long, fake growl. “I’m a monster! Rawr!” 
Rainbolt’s yellow eyes circled counter-clockwise to the back of his head with a smile. She was so cute, it was at times painful. 
Rainbow gasped as the stallion’s dark blue horn lit up and watched in awe as a little piece of candy levitated out of a large, purple bowl and into her plastic sac. The stallion smiled.
“You two be safe. Have a nice evening!” The stallion closed the door and wondered back inside his own house. 
“Daddy!” Rainbow immediately exclaimed. “That cone head picked things up without touching them!” 
Rainbolt lead his daughter away from the porch. “That’s because he’s a unicorn, Sweetheart. They can do things like that.” 
“Oh…. I wish I were a unicorn. That’d be cool.” 
Rainbolt giggled. “Then you wouldn’t have your wings… Unless of course you were royalty like Princess Celestia…” 
“What’s she have?” Rainbow asked curiously as they walked down the street to the next house. 
“She has wings and a horn.” 
“She gets both?! That’s SO cool! And not fair…” 
“She raises the sun every single morning, Sweetheart. I think it’s the least to say it’s faire she gets both.” 
Rainbow looked down. “Okay, Daddy…”
The stallion looked at the ground with his daughter. There must have been some way to lighten the mood. 
“What’d you get, Sweetie?” 
Rainbow looked in her bag and pulled out a little, green packet and held it in her hooves. It was decorated with purple, smiling circles. 
“You got Crackles!” Rainbow looked at her father with confusion, not knowing exactly what she’d gotten. “They’re these little candies that pop in your mouth! Gosh, those were my favorite when I was a little colt.” 
Rainbow unsurely held her hoof out to her father. “You can have ‘em, Daddy.” 
“Oh, no! I couldn’t! This is your first Nightmare Night, and I want you to make the very best of it!” 
Dash put the candy back into her bag and continued walking down the lane silently in search of the next house. 

The night flew by fast; very, very fast. Within an hour or so, Rainbow’s large sac was nearly filled three quarters of the way. She happily skipped down the sidewalk with a smile. 
“One more house, Dashie. That’s it. You’re already going to be up all night with all that sugar.” 
Dash let out an irritated grunt. “But Daddy!” 
“Shush it, Rainbow. I don’t like wondering around this late at night!”
“I do!” The little filly announced proudly as she walked down the street. “It’s all dark and mysterious and cool!” 
“And dangerous!” Rainbolt harshly reminded. “Who knows what kind of creepy things linger around in this darkness?” 
“Pssh! You actually believe in ghost and goblins and stuff?” 
“No… Sometimes it’s the ponies around us who are more terrifying than any of those things…” 
“Daddy… you’re talkin’ weird.” 
Rainbolt admit it, from Dashie’s perspective, it probably sounded as though he were speaking in riddles. 
“Never mind…forget about it…. Look, how about we go to that house up there?” 
Rainbolt’s periwinkle hooves pointed towards a house at the very end of the street. It had a bright porch light and Nightmare Moon statue in the window. Dash smiled with a nod, spreading her wings and rushing towards it. 
“Hey! Wait up!” 
Rainbolt stretched out his wings and flew after the adventurous filly as quickly as he possibly could. She landed on the front doorstep of the house seconds before Rainbolt did. 
“Don’t fly off from me like that!” Rainbolt commanded in an aggressive tone. Rainbow looked up at her daddy. 
“Sorry… I will from now on…” 
Rainbolt forced a smile and gently rubbed Rainbow’s back. “It’s okay... I get worried about not being near you at this hour, though. I’m just looking out for you, Sweetie.” 
“I’ll be okay, Daddy…” She argued, as she raised her hoof to the door and tapped it against the wooden surface three times. 
Rainbolt decided it was best to shut up. He didn’t want to be lecturing his kid when the pony answered the door. 
After short moments of waiting, a gentle-looking stallion answered the door and smiled. He had green eyes and soft, light-purple coat. His mane was a light shade of blue and two wings were attached to his back. Both Rainbolt and the stallion’s eyes shot wide when they noticed each other. 
“Mr. Frost…?” Rainbolt questioned with a gasp. “Wow… it has been a long time…” 
“Rainbolt.” He greeted simply. “I see you have a kid now… Evidently, it had the misfortune of getting your physical traits.” 
Rainbolt giggled and Rainbow seemed lost as the two spoke. “Daddy… Who’s this?” 
“This is Sonnet Frost. He was my English teacher at flight school… He’s an interesting character to say the least… Mr. Frost, this is my daughter, Rainbow Dash.” 
The stallion stared at the filly, then back at Rainbolt, then exchanged glances between the two. His daughter was a mess of glued-up hair and smudgy makeup. Her smile was wide and her eyes were sparkling. Sonnet’s eyes remained emotionless and he finally spoke. 
“I…see…” The teacher grabbed a piece of candy and tossed it to the little filly. “Stay in school, kid.” 
“I will!” She chimed, and caught the chocolate chunk in her bag. 
Rainbolt awkwardly smiled at his ex-teacher. “Well… it was nice seeing you again. Have a nice evening!” 
“You, as well, Rainbolt.” 
The teacher gave another glance at the two, shook his head, and closed the door. 
“Daddy,” Rainbow started as they walked away from the final house of that night. “That stallion didn’t seem to like you too well…” 
“Yeah… I wasn’t exactly his favorite student and he was never my favorite teacher…” 
“Oh…” Rainbow looked at her bag of candy and smiled. “Hey!” She grabbed a little pouch from the top of her pile. “It’s those things you like!” She offered the familiar candy to her father once again.
“That’s okay, Sweetheart, I don’t want your candy…” 
“Awe…” Dash threw the candy back into her blue, plastic bag and froze. Rainbolt too stopped in his path and looked at his daughter. 
“Can we fly home now?” She asked cutely. 
“Of course we can.” Rainbolt outstretched his wings and his daughter smiled widely, unfolding hers as well. With an approving wink, the stallion and little filly took off into the night sky. The cool, evening breeze felt amazing in their manes and brought a wonderful rush to the blood coursing through their veins. It felt riveting and awesome! 
The pair of pegasi looked down on all the street lights and speeding carriages on the roads of Manehatten. The beautiful fumes of late-night restaurants and night air filled the ponies’ nostrils. Rainbow kept a tight grip on her candy as she stared at the city in awe. 
“Wow… It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you grew up here.” 
Rainbolt sighed at fond memories. “I was… it really is a beautiful city. 
As the little filly concentrated, she soon heard something particularly strange over the sound of the rustling carriages, busy city folks, and whining foals. She heard…crying. Not just a little foal shedding tears over a lost toy, but something more. Crying that could only be produced by somepony calling out for help. Rainbow became paralyzed as she heard the sound. Rainbolt turned as his daughter froze. 
“Rainbow?” Rainbolt questioned. “Are you…alright?” 
Rainbow’s ears where erect, trying to pick up the source of the noise. 
“Do you…hear that…?” She asked. 
Rainbolt’s ears arose and he attempted to listen for whatever it was Dashie was hearing. The only noise that his ears detected was the busy movement of the town below. 
“I don’t hear anything… What do you think you’re hearing?” 
Rainbow didn’t answer her father. She looked down into the large crack between two buildings below. 
“I think it’s coming from down there!” 
Without another word, Rainbow dashed into the alley below and Rainbolt watched. 
“Rainbow!” He yelled. “I thought we talked about this!” 
Ignoring her father, the little filly flew down into the alley. The sound of the sobs grew louder the moment she entered the dark, city hallway. 
“Hello?” Dash called. “Anypony here?” 
A timid, crackling voice answered back through the shadows. “H-hello…?” 
Dash rushed towards the nearby voice, and only turning one corner her pink eyes laid on a weeping, young mare. She had pretty purple eyes and a light-pink coat. Her mane was raggedy and blue. Her flanks were tattooed with a trio of blue lightning bolts. Her eyes looked wide at the little filly. 
“Miss?” Rainbow asked with a concerned tone. “Are you okay…?” 
“I…I…I think you should go find your parents.” 
“But you’re hurt!” Rainbow grabbed a few hoof-fulls of candy from her bag and set it on the ground in front of the mare. “I think you need this more than I do…”
Firefly looked shocked. “Sweetheart…this is very, very sweet, but I can’t accept it…” 
Before the filly could ask why, she heard a very familiar stallion calling her name. 
“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow! Dashie!”
Rainbow poked her head around the corner. “Daddy! Come here! I found a mare and I think she needs our help!” 
Firefly shook her head at the little filly, but Rainbow ignored her. Firefly was begging hopelessly. She didn’t want to be seen like that. A wet sobbing mess, living on the inside of an alley. Alas, it wasn’t moments later the recognizable face looked around the corner. His yellow eyes widened and he gasped. She looked awful… Her mane was a wreck. There was a bruise under her left eye, and tears filling her purple eyes. Rainbolt gasped and no words came out of either ponies’ mouth. 
“Daddy!” Rainbow said. “I think we should take her home! She needs food and shelter and stuff!” 
Firefly heavily blushed. “Listen, Sweetheart… Go to your dad and just leave me alone.” 
“No!” Rainbow squealed. “Daddy we need to help her!” 
Rainbolt wordlessly turned to his ex-lover. She looked so miserable. Just seeing the large amounts of sadness in her eyes almost made him feel… almost bad for her. However, there was no way in Equestria he felt bad enough to allow her a place in his house. 
“Rainbow…Let’s go home.” 
“What?! No! We have to do something for her!” the little filly said with a cry. 
Rainbow bolted down into the arms of the little mare and hugged her. Rainbolt gaped. 
“Rainbow, we’re leaving now!” 
“No!” She protested again. “She was crying, Daddy! We’re going to go home and sleep in our comfortable beds, under a roof, and with plenty of food in our house! She’s not as lucky as us, and I won’t be able to sleep tonight knowing we didn’t do anything to help her!” 
Firefly and Rainbolt awkwardly stared at each other. Rainbow was so clueless of their past, and so innocent… but her heart was in the right place. Rainbolt sighed. Denying the mare entrance to his home would be a bad influence to his daughter. She was doing her best to welcome a stranger into a more comforting place, and he had to respect that. The stallion sighed. 
“Rainbow… give me a minute to talk to this mare, okay?” 
The little filly seemed slightly confused. “Okay, Daddy…” 
As Rainbow removed herself from the hooves of her mother, her father gestured the mare into the nearby alley. Firefly blushed and took in a breath of courage. She could already feel tears swelling in her eyes as she stood off the ground and slowly made her way behind the corner. Rainbolt turned to his daughter. 
“Stay right here!” He hissed to Rainbow. 
Rainbow obeyed his command as him and Firefly went into the alley together. When Rainbolt assumed they were deep enough in for his daughter not to understand what they were about to discuss, he turned to his ex and took in a breath. The strong, unnatural emotions brewing within him caused him to tear up. 
“Listen, Firefly… I know it’s been a long, long time, but I-“ 
Just those simple words, along with hearing her name off those forgotten lips made her swelled emotions pop like a bubble. She broke down into a storm of tears and wrapped her hooves around the stallion she so dearly missed. 
“R-Rainbolt! I-I’m s-so sorry…a-about everything. I-I’m s-s-sorry about b-being irresponsible a-and causing you so m-much heartache! P-please forgive me! I-I made a h-huge mista-ake! I was a s-stupid teenager!” 
The stallion was mostly shocked by the actions of the mare. He stared for a minute before forcing her out of the embrace and looking her in her tear-flooded eyes. 
“Listen, Firefly, I know you’re sad about everything. Surprise told me about your current situation a few months ago. Obviously, Dash feels bad for you. That is the only reason I’ll be letting you stay with me.” Even though Rainbolt’s tone remained assertive, his eyes were a mixture of many complex emotions. 
Firefly sniffled and looked up at Rainbolt. “Y-you’re letting me stay with y-you?” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Yeah, I guess… It’s only because of the kid, though! Don’t think I’m still not pissed at you for leaving me and the kid like that!” 
“I….I… thank you, so, so much….” 
“A few things though. One; I do not want Dash knowing how we used to be connected in any way! Two; I don’t want Rainbow to know how you’re connected to her at all, either! And thr-“ 
Rainbolt was interrupted a shrill, loud scream coming from around the corner. 
“Th-that sounds like Rainbow!” Rainbolt cried and flew down the alleyway and to the right with Firefly fallowing him closely behind. As soon as the worried pair turned the corner, she was gone… 
“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Rainbow Dash? Sweetie?” 
Tears begun to swell in Rainbolt’s eyes as he frantically looked around for his baby. He looked around the near-by trash can, in Firefly’s “home”, and in the perimeter of the entire alley in panic. He then returned to Firefly when he’d given up hope of finding his child in that area. 
“I-I’m so, so scared…” He admitted. “Th-this is all my f-fault for telling her to stay there! Why’d I take my eyes off her?” 
Firefly watched as the guilt-filled stallion fell to the ground and started silently weeping to himself. He felt…awful. How could he possibly be so…irresponsible? Thinking about what he’d done made him realize that maybe he was no better than Firefly had been. 
Rainbolt perked his ears up when he felt a gentle hoof stroke his back reassuringly. He turned around and met eyes with his ex. 
“Don’t freak out… I know where the kid most likely is…” 
Rainbolt wiped a tear. “You…You do?” 
Firefly nodded. “Well… you obviously know what I do for a living… And well, Surprise told me about how funny you thought it was… But-“ 
“Wait! Surprise told me she hasn’t seen you in months!” 
Firefly sighed. “That’d be better for her to explain later… Anyway, I have a certain… customer…” As the word “customer” left her lips, her face lit up red. “I’ve seen him several times… He pays really well. Anyway, He, uh… offered that I be the ‘whore of his gang’ to put it simply. He said he’d provide me with food, water, shelter, and anything else I needed, but the one rule of the gang is once you enter, you’re not allowed to leave… I refused because I really want to think I have a better future… Anyway, he tried to convince me more and more, and I found out that the majority of members were taken into the gang at a young age. He claims they take children off the street and train them to kill…” 
Rainbolt was gaping and tears were streaming from his eyes. “You mean to tell me… my daughter was by a gang…?” 
Firefly nodded. “Most likely…I could get her back, though…” 
Rainbolt’s tears once again subsided. “You…really?” 
“Yeah… I know where my regular lives… If I tell him I accept his offer, then I’ll be able to get into their little hideout… If Rainbow was there, I think I’d be able to find her easily.” 
Rainbolt smiled a little then. “Thank you, so, so much… If you could actually save her… I’d owe you my life.” 
Firefly did nothing but nod. “I have a plan to get her back. Okay, so we-“ 
“Wait…” Rainbolt interrupted. “What if it wasn’t the gang that took my daughter?” 
Firefly looked at her ex in disbelief. “I know a member of the gang, okay? They always hang around this part of town, and from some information I got, they take young-aged children. You act as if I haven’t spent hundreds of nights living out on these streets! I think I know what I’m talking about!” 
“I was just saying a huge ‘if’, okay? Jeesh, you get so up-in-arms about everything.” 
Firefly rolled her eyes. “I don’t have to be helping you, you know? I could just say, ‘Hey, it’s your kid, not my problem’!” 
“Oh, like the way you’ve been doing the past five years?” 
Firefly gasped and removed themselves from the topic. “Whatever… Arguing isn’t getting Rainbow home any sooner.”
The stallion sighed. “You’re right… So... What’s the plan?” 

The group of stallions smiled at the little filly. All were wearing false leather coats and had their manes done in the same, slicked-back style. They sat in chairs around a large, wooden table, admiring their new member. The little filly stared around the room in confusion and fear. She’d been placed in an individual chair across from nearly everypony else. Where was her daddy? Why was she there? 
The trip there was pretty scary for Dash, too. She was dragged not around town, but under it through a sewage system. The entire trip she smelt the awful stench of rotten eggs and decaying animals. Not to mention she had a strange stallion covering her mouth the entire time. After a little while of traveling, he shot up back into the open and they were beside a large, deserted hotel surrounded by barbed wire and tall fencing. 
For the longest time, nopony spoke. The sustained silence and stares made Rainbow feel extremely uncomfortable. She wanted more than anything to be home with her daddy. Why didn’t she just keep flying and not listen to the cries? 
“A girl this time, huh?” One stallion finally spoke up in a thick, Manehatten accent. “Wouldn’t be usin’ this one for actually fights. She may be useful in other ways, though.”
“I wouldn’t say that…” One commented in the same accent. “This one put up more of a fight than some colts I’ve seen.” 
“Oh really?” The brown-coated stallion leaned in, making his face only inches away from the filly’s. “Do you enjoy fightin’, Sweetheart?” 
“I can fight…” She answered hesitantly. “I wanna go home, though. Not fight.” 
“Awe…that’s cute. You’d better get used to this place, ‘cause this is your new home.” 
“Under an abandoned hotel?” Rainbow asked with large eyes.
Several of the members closest to her nodded their heads with smiles. Rainbow stared blankly. 
“But I live in the sky… This is the opposite of the sky…” 
“No, no, Sweetheart…” The stallion closest to her commented. “You used to live in the sky.”

Firefly and Rainbolt walked nervously up the staircase in the apartment complex. It was a pretty decent place, considering the part of town they were in. The majority of their trip had been silent and awkward. Both wanted to save Rainbow, but both also had their mind uncontrollably think about the pony they were with, and everything they used to be together. 
Rainbolt had to admit, Firefly’s plan wasn’t too bad, and could have actually worked. She’d tell her regular that she’d accept his offer, and she’d be lead to their hideout. Rainbolt would fallow very closely behind. When they entered, he’d get the police in the area, and Dash would be saved. It may not have been too well thought-out, but it was better than nothing. No matter what happened, they vowed to get Dashie home safely. 
“Jeesh…” Firefly spoke up. “I can’t believe how irresponsible of a parent you turned out to be...” 
Rainbolt didn’t deny it. He simply looked at the ground shamefully. “Shut up… it’s not like you’re any better….” 
“Well, at least I never lost a child in a dangerous city like Manehatten!” 
Rainbolt scoffed. “You weren’t a parent long enough to even lose the kid!” 
“Well even if I had stuck around, I would have turned out a better parent than you did! I always doubted you.”
“Well you’re acting real mature! And no, you didn’t! Unless you lied to me in that little letter you left me instead of saying it to my face!” 
“I didn’t want to deal with the emotions of saying it to your face! I’m sorry, okay?” The pink pegasus thought for a moment. “And I never said anything that encouraging in the letter I left!” 
“You did too!” 
“I did not!” 
“Yes, you did!” 
“Ugh! Whatever, you can’t prove anything!” 
“Yeah I can! I still have the damn thing saved somewhere if you want to see it!” 
Firefly stopped and turned to Rainbolt. “You…still have it…? After all these years?” 
Rainbolt shyly put his head down. “Yeah…whatever… Let’s just focus on what’s important…” 
“Okay…” 
Silently, the duo climb up to the fourth story and Firefly sighed. “We’re here. I’m going into the apartment. Stay behind the corner and wait for me to come out, then fallow us!” 
“Got it!” Rainbolt whispered back and stood silently behind the corner. He listened as three loud knocks landed on a hard, wood door. The bangs were followed by a long moment of silence and then a high-pitched creaking noise. 
“Firefly…” He heard a low-pitched voice greet the mare. “What a surprise… Come on in.”
Firefly entered the cozy apartment slowly. Every time she entered the home, it always reminded her of Rainbolt’s old apartment. She remembered visiting there after school as a teenager and spend long evenings cuddling and singing to each other, racing and bonding closer every day. 
“What brings you here?” He asked in his usual, Manehatten accent.
Firefly’s purple eyes darted to the ground. “I… I accept your offer… About being your friends little ‘toy’ for the gang.” 
Her customer smiled at her. “I knew you’d come to your senses and grow tired of living on the filthy streets.” 
Firefly stared at the ground. If she were to ever legitimately say yes to the offer, all her pride would be lost, along with any chance of getting into a better situation. 
“So, uh… Are you going to introduce me to the rest of the gang, or are we going to go for a round..?” 
He chuckled. “You’re so silly, Firefly. Have I ever rejected a round from you?” 

A female member of the large gang continued to thoroughly scrub Dashie’s mane. Whatever was keeping her multihued hair so stiff, the maid had no clue.
“Ugh? What the buck did your parents use on your mane? Glue or somethin’?” 
Rainbow shrugged and the mare squirt a couple more ounces of shampoo into the filly’s mane and started scrubbing hard.
“Ugh! Damn kids!” 
The lead stallion of the gang entered the washing room without knocking or any verbal warning he was entering. He was smiling with his usual painted-on smirk.
“How’s it going with that one?” 
“Eh… she’s definitely a fighter. When I tried to bathe her, she squirmed and ended up kicking me in the nose. I was chasing her around for good five or ten minutes before she actually got into the bath.” 
The stallion approached the little filly with a frown. “Were you giving this lovely mare a hard time?” 
Rainbow’s cute smile was full of pride. “Yep!” 
The stallion frowned at her for a moment. They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity before he finally smiled with a chuckle. “I like this one. She’s cute… With that attitude she’s definitely not going to be a maid.” 
Dash smiled back, and then frowned. He called her cute… Daddy always called her cute. It’d been an hour or so since she’d last seen him, but she already missed him. She only hoped he was on his way to rescue her and bring her home where she belonged. 

Rainbolt was nearly falling asleep before the two little ponies left the room they’d been in. How long had it been? A half hour? Forty five minutes? However long, it was way too damn long to be staring at a wall with nothing but one’s thoughts. He’d never been more relieved when he heard his apartment door whine as it opened. 
“Now…” He heard the thick Manehatten accent start in a loud whisper. “I’m taking you to our ‘home’ and you’d better not tell anypony about it!” 
“I won’t… I promise.” Firefly weakly agreed. 
The two ponies’ hooves were loudly clanking against the smooth, stone floor. Luckily for Rainbolt, the sound was growing faint, and eventually faded to dull tapping. That was when he decided it was best to take action. He slowly tip-toed down the hall, being as quiet as he could in fear of getting caught. If he were busted, there’d be no way in Equestria to save his daughter. He’d been separated only a little over an hour and he already missed her. How could he have let this happen? 
Rainbolt slowly poked his head around a corner as he watched the unicorn guide the mare down the stairs. This was his opportunity to just watch for a bit until further location. As the duo neared the bottom of the staircase, Rainbolt peaked out of the bars supporting the safety rails. There was a large patch of dull, anhydrous land before a tall wooden gate. The pair flew beyond one of the gates larger cracks. The stallion made it through the crack with ease, but Firefly had difficulties getting her right wing through. She struggled and flapped the feathered beauty until she was let through. 
The two were beyond the wood fence… Was it safe to go yet? He watched a minute more, but had a hard time deciphering any movement behind the wooded fence. He took in a breath, and decided to take the chance. He slowly tip-toed down the stairs, occasionally taking glances towards the area behind the fence. He slowly made his way down, and surprisingly enough did it without making any noticeable sound. The bigger risk to take was crossing the barren field of dirt. He couldn’t see beyond the wooden wall too well, so neither could they…right? 
Despite Rainbolt’s urge to stay in his place and hide like a coward, he pushed into the little field with all his will power and thoughts of his beloved Dash. He walked quietly, but with a semi-quick pace. His heart thump quicker and beads of cool sweat formed on his face and dripped down his nose. 
Almost there, Rainbolt… He thought to himself. Just a few more steps and you’ll be there… by the end of the night, you’ll be holding Rainbow in your arms and kissing her goodnight… Just do it for her.
After what seemed like long hours, Rainbolt finally made it to the other side. He peered through the hole in the wooden fence. The stallion was sliding off the metal entrance to the sewer system below. Rainbolt watched as he saw him hop in with a nervous-looking Firefly. Rainbolt gasped. It had just got a lot harder for him! How was he supposed to fallow? Slowly, Rainbolt saw the metal lid being dragged back on top of the whole. 
“Damn it!” Rainbolt muttered to himself. 
He’d just have to wait a minute to fallow. He sighed, and reluctantly waited a long minute. 
Below the streets, Firefly grew nervous. How was Rainbolt ever going to catch up? He’d probably get caught or something. Oh, she only hoped they could get Dash out okay. She may not have had much of a connection to her, but she was only a foal. A sweet, innocent foal that didn’t deserve to be sucked into the vile life of a gang. The way she’d treated her even though she’d been a complete stranger… it warmed Firefly’s heart. Rainbow wouldn’t have given up on her, and there was no way in Equestria she was going to let down that little filly! 
After a long, hard minute, Rainbolt took in a breath, and flew over the wooden fence. This was going to be very risky. He looked at the large, metal saucer and grew more nervous. He’d have to lift it up with very little sound for his plan to work. Slowly, the stallion grabbed the edges of the lid and flapped his wings as fast as they would go. Carefully and with little speed, he rose along with the heavy lid. It strained his back and wings to carry the flat, metal plate, but the thought of his daughter kept him off the ground, and allowed him to set the lid down gently. He let out a breath as he stepped back onto all fours. He stretched and his back popped. Man, did it feel good. Now… to fallow the stallion without being caught. 
The pegasus slowly lowered his head into the hole. He saw the unicorn’s horn illuminating a soft shade of pink nearly twenty yards away. They were moving very quickly. They were at a moderate gallop, but a gallop nevertheless. Rainbolt slowly entered the sewer. It smelt like muck, filth, and mold. The stallion’s hoof instantly shot up to shield his nose. This was going to be a long trip. 

The stallion’s pink horn illuminated as he removed the lid of the sewer. 
“Here we are, finally!” He commented as he exited the smelly sewer. 
The pretty, pink mare shot out and took in a wonderful gasp of fresh, midnight air. It tasted amazing. 
“I am so, so glad to be out of there!” She stated with another long inhale. 
“Don’t get too excited. Trust me; this won’t be the first time you go in there.” 
Yeah…That’s what you think. Firefly thought within her mind. 
Without another word, the stallion motioned Firefly to the entrance of the abandoned hotel. She went to the door with slight hesitation, but proceeded to enter, anyhow. He led the mare to the staircase of the large, abandoned building. 
“Our hideout’s in the basement.” He explained. “We’ve never been caught, and we hope we never will be.” 
“Yeah… that’d be a tragedy….” 
“Wouldn’t it?” 
The stallion guided the pretty mare downstairs and into the room. There were oddly colored curtains hanging from the entrance. Many small, round tables were scattered in the room with chairs. There were two large barrels filled with alcohol against the wall. There was an old stage with dusty, red curtains. 
“Why would the theater of the hotel be held in its basement?” 
“Hm… Not sure. It just was. Now come on, I’m taking you to the main room.” 

Rainbolt at long last pushed the lid up and away from the sewer entrance. His coat smelt just as awful as his recent location. He took in gallons of the fresh air. Dull, lifeless air had never tasted sweeter. The stallion coughed as he flew out and examined his area. 
“The…old hotel? Man, I remember when this thing was up and running!” He sighed. “Well… time to go to the police station…” 

“Wow…” Firefly gaped at the impressive number of ponies in the main room. There must have been at least sixty stallions and mares roaming around, chatting, and showing off weapons to one another. “This place is huge…” 
“It is, isn’t it?” The stallion said, looking out on his pride and joy. 
Firefly was grabbed by her hoof and taken into the large crowd of ponies. She stared at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact of any kind with any of them. She was scared and a bit nervous for the task ahead. She knew it would be hard, but also worth it for the sake of Dashie. 
It seemed like way too short of time before Firefly was being introduced to a brown-coated stallion. He seemed confident with himself and had determination in his deep, chocolaty eyes to prove it. 
“This is, uh…” The unicorn whispered something in the stallion’s ears. Firefly knew what he said, and she felt very ashamed to know it. The brown-coated stallion smiled at the mare. 
“Is that so?” 
Firefly replied with a nod and the stallion chuckled. “No need to be shy, Sweetheart. Welcome home.” 
Firefly sighed and nodded. “It’s aright… I’ve just… lost all my pride.” 

Since it was Firefly’s first night even being in the hotel, she was granted an hour or so to look around, introduce herself, and get to know the place. However, the only thing Firefly was looking for was a little, cyan filly named Rainbow Dash. She searched all over for the little filly and grew increasingly worried each moment she couldn’t find her.
“Rainbow Dash!” She whispered over and over again. “Oh, Rainbow, where are you?” 
The mare frantically searched all over in every room, scanning over and over again for the lost filly. Oh man, why did she have to be crying? If she wouldn’t have been wallowing in her own self-pity, then maybe none of this would have ever happened! 
Firefly passed by dining rooms, social rooms, meeting rooms, heck, she even checked the restrooms, but the little foal was nowhere to be seen. Firefly was starting to consider the possibility that maybe the little filly hadn’t been taken by the gang.
Firefly flew all over, introduced herself to certain ponies quickly, and then continued her search. She finally found the cyan foal as she passed by a more minor room. She couldn’t see Dash, but she could hear her voice almost instantly. 
“I just want to go home…” 
“It’s okay…” A comforting mare could be heard saying. Firefly pressed her ear against the door. “The first few months will be the hardest, then you’ll almost forget you even had parents.” 
The little filly’s voice was crackling and it was evident she was crying. “But… I don’t want to forget about my daddy… I love my daddy…” 
Hearing the poor filly plead was heartbreaking to Firefly. The poor girl must be scared, sad, and lost. 
“It’ll be okay, Sweetheart… A couple years from now, and you’ll never even think about him.” 
“I-I just wanna go home…” Dashie said with a sob. “I-I wanna go home and go to sleep and see Daddy!” 
The little filly then broke down into a mess of hot, running tears. She could be heard weeping heavily from the outside. Firefly’s own eyes began to tear up. 
“That’s too bad, Sweetheart. This is your home.” 
Firefly gritted her teeth in anger. How could you take a child from their home like that and be so inconsiderate? For what? So she can expand the gang? It was already far too large as it was. 
“No! I want to go to my real home!” 
“Don’t worry, Baby… You’ll be there real soon… I promise…” Firefly whispered quietly on the opposite side of the door. 
It was then Firefly heard a loud shout and the opening of a door real quick. 
“Nopony move!” Was all she heard in a loud, booming voice. It must have been…the police.
“Yes!” Firefly whispered to herself victoriously. “He did it!” 
Firefly opened the door of the office and grabbed the little foal from the seat she was placed in. She barely had time to notice her surroundings as she shot out of the office and down the hall. 
“Don’t worry! I’m taking you home!” Firefly whispered to the little filly. 
Firefly frantically looked around in hopes there’d be some way to escape the mess of ponies without being stopped by the police. As she started near the opened door she heard loud gunshots. Rainbow covered her floppy ears and let out a cute squeal. 
“Hey! You stop right there!” She heard an angry voice speak loudly.
Firefly’s eyes met a gray stallion who was galloping fast out of the room. Firefly looked at the filly. “Don’t worry, stay right here and don’t move an inch!” 
The mare looked at the galloping stallion and with one quick motion, pounced on him. He instantly started to struggle beneath her. 
“Hey! Let me go you stupid bitch!” 
Firefly kept her hoof on his back securely and forced his head down near the floor. 
“Not a chance.” 
The stallion had never thought he’d be overpowered by a mare, but there he was, struggling beneath her and pathetically attempting to get out from her firm grasp. Dash watched in awe. 
It wasn’t a moment later two police shot in and circled the stallion and Firefly above him. She smiled at the police and dismounted the squirming stallion, leaving his fate in the hooves of the officers. 
“Uhh… thank you ma’am.” One of the police commented as he cuffed the victim. 
“No problem, Officer. Just, you know, doing what I had to.” 
Firefly grabbed Dash, who was only a few feet off the ground in her assigned corner.
“You know,” One commented as he lifted the criminal off the ground. “If you easily overpowered that stallion, I think you’d have a lot of potential to become a police.” 
Firefly smiled. “Really? You really think so?” Her tone may have been a bit too giddy. 
“Sure. I mean, our Equestrian police forces are always looking for new ponies willing to be police. It’s a lot of training, but it’s free to train, and then getting hired depends on how good you are when it all ends.” 
Firefly smiled and her mind sparked. “Thank you, Officer… Thank you so, so much…”  

As Firefly swooped down from the large hotel, she saw her ex coltfriend waiting for her with a smile. His eyes went wide with joy as he saw his daughter, smiling and unharmed. 
“Daddy!” She chimed happily and swooped into her father’s chest. “I missed you so, so much!” 
“I missed you, too, Sweetie!” He smiled at his sweet, little girl and gave her several kisses on her neck and head. “I love you so, so much…” He brought his hooves around her with a hug. 
“Daddy… That mare saved me.” 
Rainbolt peeked over his shoulder at his ex marefriend and sighed. She looked back at him and they both smiled genuinely. Firefly glided down and landed on the area next to Rainbolt. The stallion broke away from his daughter for a moment. 
“Firefly…” He started. “I…I couldn’t thank you enough. I owe you my life. A-and…” He bit his lip and looked up to her. “I’d be happy to let you stay with me and Dash, if you’d like…” 
Firefly giggled lightheartedly. “That’s fine. The only reason my parents…you know, kicked me out, was because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I kept telling them I didn’t know, and eventually they kicked me out and told me to come back when I had a plan in life… I think I’m going to become a police officer.” 
“Really?” 
“Yeah… After they take me in for questioning, they said I’d be eligible, so…thanks, but I don’t think I’ll need your help.” 
Rainbolt smiled. “Wel.l.. I…I’d like to apologize before we split ways forever… Sorry I was so rude to you before… I guess I was just being mean because I’ve never really gotten over it. I just… never… you know… You’re just…” Rainbolt couldn’t get the words off his lips, but was interrupted by a young filly, anyway. 
“Daddy… Why are you sorry? And what’d you not get over?” 
“I….I-It’s a long story… I promise to tell you one day, though…” 
Dash frowned. “But I want to know now…” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes. “Trust me; some things are better to just know through time.” 
Dash grunted and Rainbolt ignored her, once again turning to his ex and clearing his throat. “So…goodbye…. I… Thanks for everything…” 
Firefly nodded and quickly embraced Rainbolt. He hugged her back and they broke away together. Without another word, the little mare smiled at him, turned, and spread her wings. She winked at Rainbolt before shooting off into the night. 
“Daddy…” Rainbow quietly muttered. 
“Yeah…?” 
“Someday I want to be as brave as that mare…” 
Rainbolt kneeled down lower and lovingly nuzzled his foal. 
“Trust me, Sweetheart; You already are."

> 15. Coconuts and Clinics 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Rainbolt entered his usual office with a sigh. At long last it was spring! Planning out weather would become much, much easier on him. Winter was a hassle, fall was a headache, and summer was a disaster! Spring, however, proved to be a much, much more calm season each and every year. The ponies of Equestria just finished their annual winter wrap-ups and it was finally time to bring down the wondrous weather everypony had waited potentially for. 
“Let’s get your sleeping bag set up,” Rainbolt suggested in a calm, almost happy tone. Dash looked confused. 
“Daddy…. you seem happy. And you're working. Is there something wrong?” 
The stallion chuckled. “No, Sweetheart. I’m just so, so happy it’s spring. Spring is one of the easiest seasons to handle. Especially in comparison to winter!” 
“Oh… Well, that’s good.” She stated, starting to pull out her sleeping bag. “I like summer the best.” 
“I know you do, Dashie.” He smiled and sat at his desk. “Remember when you begged Mrs. Skies to make it summer all year round?” 
“Yeah…she said no…” Rainbow replied and her ears flopped down, remembering the disappointment. 
Rainbolt giggled. Kids could be so silly sometimes. “Better get started on my assignment…” 
The stallion pulled out a yellow folder from the drawer placed directly in front of him. It was the same location his boss put his assignments every day since he started working there. He opened the folder and looked at his assignment for the premier of the new season. There was a large chart that listed the individual cities in Equestria, what they’d be receiving in the early spring, the amount they’d be receiving in comparison to the capital; Canterlot, and the minimum and maximum amount of clouds for each city. Everything was quite complicated, but it was nothing Rainbolt couldn’t handle. Along with the chart came a fresh copy of the map of Equestria. He smiled at it. 
“Looks like they finally charted that wildlife preserve and damn rock farm…” 
He winced at a not-so-pleasant memory and decided to get to his dreaded work. He grabned a pencil with his mouth and took a piece of paper out to work out some math. The math was always the most boring part of weather scheduling. He’d rather be put through long hours of cloud busting than have to do five minutes of math.
Dash finally had her sleeping bag spread out as she tucked herself into it and snuggled under the warm covers. She yawned and hugged her usual, little teddy bear. She could only wait until morning. She’d be able to go home and rest all day long. Then she could go to sleep that night in her own bed at home. When the morning came, it would be another glorious Sunday and she would start her day with pancakes like she always did. With that joyous thought in her mind, Rainbow drifted off into a deep sleep. 

Rainbow’s hooves reached up and covered her twitching ears. Muffled sounds of speaking still managed to seep through her hooves and crawl through her eardrums. Her pink eyes shot opened and she turned over to see her father speaking to Mrs. Skies. She removed her hooves from her ears with a sigh. 
“Daddy…” She moaned out. Both ponies turned to the annoyed little filly. “I’m trying to sleep!” 
“Sorry, Sweetheart. You know how important it is to discuss the beginning of the seasons… We’ll try to be a bit quieter.” 
Rainbow grumpily turned around and ignored her father’s comment. 
“Hey, now…” She heard a much more feminine voice start. “Don’t be that way. You’re daddy’s  a very hard worker…”
“I know…” Rainbow grumbled. “But I’m a very light sleeper.” 
“You can get to sleep when we’re done with our discussion…” 
Rainbow grunted and stuffed her face into her pillow aggressively. 
“Hey! Don’t have a little attitude problem or I won’t be giving you your little surprise!” 
Rainbow’s ears perked up and she sat up in bed all the way. She knew Mrs. Skies loved her, and showed it with occasional, little gifts. She loved it whenever she received something from her unrelated aunt. 
“What is it, Aunty?” She asked with large eyes. 
Mrs. Skies smiled, and Rainbolt looked confused. 
“It’s just some leftovers from my family reunion.” The friendly mare turned to Rainbolt. “Does she like cookies?” 
“Yes!” Dashie said with I smile before her father could reply. “I like cookies!” 
Mrs. Skies smiled at Dashie, then returned her attention to her father. “I have them in my purse somewhere. Just thought I’d bring some for your kid.” 
The pegasus began digging through her large, black purse and eventually pulled out the desired item. She kept the cookies in a small, blue container, and when she opened them, it revealed a few rows of the delectable-looking treats. She tilted the container, allowing Dash’s father to examine them. They were rather odd looking. They had brown-tinted coconut with chocolate drizzle and vanilla base beneath it. Rainbolt cocked his head at it. 
“An old family recipe of mine.” She explained. “They’re odd, but they’re pretty good. Try one?” 
“Uh, thank you ma’am.” 
Rainbolt unsurely grabbed a cookie and placed it to his mouth. He sniffed it before taking a bite. Instantly, he nearly felt like throwing up. The coconut flavor and dark chocolate mixed offended his taste buds. He forced down a bite and smiled at his boss. 
“They’re…different…” He commented at last. “I don’t think Dashie needs the sugar this late at night, though. I could save her some for tomorrow morning.” 
Rainbow’s ears flopped down and she became rather disappointed. She didn’t have a moment to argue as Mrs. Skies replied rather quickly. 
“That’s understandable.” Her boss agreed, setting the container on her employee’s desk. “Just don’t eat them all before she gets a chance.” 
“I won’t.” Rainbolt stated with a giggle. “Believe me.” 
Mrs. Skies smiled. “Well, where were we… Hm… Do you have any questions? Anything else I need to explain?” 
“No ma’am. I think I get it.” 
The mare smiled at her employee. “Alright. I guess I should be heading home, then. You two have a nice evening!” Sunny Skies headed towards the door and waved goodbye to the two ponies.  
“You too! Thank you!” Rainbolt politely called, bidding her goodnight. 
The green-coated mare left with a smile and closed the door. Rainbolt let out a sigh and placed the pencil back in his mouth.
“Daddy?” Rainbow questioned from her little corner. 
Rainbolt dropped the pencil in his mouth. “Yeah, Sweetie?” 
“Why can’t I have a cookie?”
“Because, it’s too late! If I let you have a cookie this late at night, you’d be bouncing off the walls!” 
“But…you got a cookie.” 
Rainbolt sighed and turned around to meet eyes with his daughter. Her ears were flopped against the back of her head and she looked at him with eyes larger than the moon. 
“Well, for one; I’m a grown stallion. Two; I’ll be spending the rest of the night working my flank off! And three; it’s just not good to eat before you go to bed!” 
“So…?” 
Rainbolt grunted and shook his head. “Sorry, Sweetie. I just don’t think it’s a good idea. Besides… they really don’t taste that good.” 
“I might think they taste good! Can’t I just have one cookie?” She begged with innocent eyes and a sweet tone. 
“No, Rainbow…” 
“Half a cookie?” 
Rainbolt sighed again in irritation. “Listen; I let you get your way a lot. I let you eat what you want, I let you do a lot of things you want, and for the most part, I don’t force you to do anything. Don’t you think if I’m actually restraining you from something that means I have a reason?”
Rainbow forced tears to swell in her eyes. “But… I love you.” 
“I love you, too Dashie. Now go to sleep.” 
Rainbow grumpily crossed her hooves and turned over into her sleeping bag. She stuffed her head on the pillow and grabbed her stuffed bear. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep as well as she could. Sometimes, her dad was just a meanie-head. 

Rainbolt stretched with a yawn. His eyelids grew heavier as the night had progressed. He looked at the clock hanging over his desk and frowned.
“Ugh…. Two in the morning?” He said with a sigh. He turned his head and saw his little girl sleeping peacefully in the corner, then smiled. She was snoring softly and drooling on her pillow. 
Rainbolt looked down at his work with a satisfied smile. He finished. It took him a good four hours, but he was finally finished and ready to move on. 
“Better check on some of the machines…” He whispered to himself and removed his body from the chair he’d been sitting in for ages. He stretched out as his body awoke from its long hibernation. 
As quietly as the stallion could be, he walked out of his little office and went into the main room. It was full of colossal machines and shelves of documents. He flicked on the nearby light and the room awoke. The air smelt musty and was full of dust. 
Unfortunately through the crack of the door, a large stripe of light bled through and landed on Rainbolt’s sleeping daughter’s face. Her eyes slowly drifted opened. 
“Is it morning yet…?” She asked herself quietly. 
The little filly lifted her head and looked at the clock. She grew disappointed as it was only the middle of the night. She looked out in the room and then felt an odd ache in her bladder. She sighed and arose from her little sleeping bag. She walked out tiredly with heavy eyelids. She exited the little room and saw her father inspecting the hail machine. He was peering into the whole that held the teeth of the machine. 
“Daddy?” She called out. Rainbolt turned and looked down at his little filly. 
“Dashie?” He called down. “What are you doing up at this time?” 
“I have to pee!” She answered as her father swooped down to her level. 
“Oh. Well, give me a minute. I need to unlock the bathroom.” 
“Okay…” 
The little filly was so tired she was practically falling down on her own hooves. The only thing keeping her eyelids from falling closed was the dull ache in her full bladder.  
Rainbolt came out of his office short moments later with a set of keys. 
“Sorry about that, Dashie. I’ve been locking up the doors earlier so I don’t have to worry about it as I’m leaving. I guess I’ll start leaving the restrooms unlocked until we go….” 
“Okay, Daddy…” She responded weakly. 
Rainbow followed her father as he made his way to the restrooms and unlocked the mare’s room’s door for his filly. Dash weakly made her entrance and closed the door behind her. She could hardly stand on her own hooves as she wobbled in. Poor little filly… 
Rainbolt abandoned his daughter to give her privacy as he flew back to his little office. He set the jingling ring of keys on his desk. He looked right where the keys landed and spotted a framed picture of him and Dashie together. They were smiling widely and hugging. Her face was nuzzling his chest. The stallion picked up the picture and smiled at it. His heart warmed up and his expression turned into a smile. At the time the picture was taken, his little girl was only three. 
“Man…she’s growing so fast…” 
Rainbolt truly loved his Dashie. He considered her the greatest thing to ever come into his life. She was worth every ounce of heartbreak, financial struggle, and annoyance he had to put up with. He may not have been the most responsible parent, but he did know that he loved his daughter, and he’d do any damn thing in the world to see her grow into a beautiful, good-hearted mare who was nothing but happy in life. That vision satisfied the stallion more than anything else. 
Rainbolt spent nearly a minute thinking about everything he and his daughter been through before the subject of his mind entered the room. His daughter wearily entered with a haggard expression on her face. 
“Wow… That was fast…” Her father commented. 
“Of course it was fast.” Dash replied. “Speed is important.” 
“Yeah, yeah… Now get to bed…” 
Rainbow nodded with a frown and climbed back into her welcoming sleeping bag. Its warm covers never felt so welcoming and soft. Rainbolt smiled at his daughter and leaned down, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. 
“Sweet dreams, Sweetheart… I’ll see you in the morning…” 
Rainbow admired the affection with a grumble and nod. Her father left the room with a smile, and gently closed the door all the way with a click. Rainbow proceeded to shove her head in her pillow, attempting to rest. 
“I can’t wait ‘til morning….” The little pegasus grumbled to herself. “I get to go home… and make pancakes with Daddy…and eat a cookie…” 
The little pegasus’ ears perked up. She was in a room with the cookies…unattended. 



Rainbolt awoke with fluttering eyelids. He lifted his tired head and shook it. His rainbow mane was sticking up in all directions as if it had been rubbed against a balloon. His yellow eyes had crusties in the corners and he yawned loudly. 
The stallion had fallen asleep the previous night after checking all the machinery. He normally didn’t think twice to bring a sleeping bag for himself, considering he usually never had the time to sleep. At the time, putting his head in his hooves and drifting off didn’t seem too bad of a solution, so that’s exactly what he did. 
It wasn’t until Rainbolt’s loud yawn shrunk and his mouth closed that he heard… noises;  quiet, sustained, pitiful noises. Rainbolt turned around to see his little daughter holding her stomach in pain and flattening her ears against her head. She was moaning in anguish softly as she caressed her stomach. Rainbolt stood from his chair and made his way over to his daughter swiftly. 
“Sweetheart…” He started. “Are you…alright…?” 
The little filly moaned and held her stomach. 
“N-no!” She choked out. “It hurts….” 
Rainbolt could do nothing but gently wrap his hooves around his suffering daughter and carefully cuddly her. 
“I’m so, so sorry, Sweetheart…Where’s it hurt?” 
“My belly…. Ugh…” 
Rainbolt gently massaged his daughter’s stomach and comfortingly pat her back. 
“What’s wrong? Is it something you ate?” 
Rainbow blushed and looked down, remembering how she may have snuck more than a few cookies last night… 
“I, uh… don’t think so…” 
Rainbolt picked up the obvious nervousness in his daughter’s tone. 
“There’s nothing you know of that could have caused this?” 
Rainbow blushed and looked down at the ground. “I…Daddy… If I tell you something will you promise not to be mad?” 
Rainbolt nodded and smiled. It was then he knew it. She ate the cookies. He may not have checked the container before he crashed the previous night, but he knew the tone only a guilty little filly could produce. 
“Well…. I… I ate a few of the cookies…” She confessed hesitantly. 
“This is why I told you not to… You probably should have listened.” Rainbolt continued comforting his disobedient daughter with his gentle rubs to her back. 
“I know… I’m sorry, Daddy…” 
The little filly cringed as a bullet was fired into her gut. She let out another long, distasteful moan and hugged her belly. 
“Daddy…take me to the doctor’s….” 
Rainbolt gasped. “Dash… I don’t think so…I mean, if this continues up we might but….” 
“But it hurts so bad!” She whined again. “Just…please….Daddy…W-we learned in school that doctors make ponies feel better… I want to feel better.” 
Rainbow looked up at her dad with large, pink eyes and a pleading expression. Rainbolt didn’t know what to do exactly.  
“No, Sweetheart, not unless this gets more serious….” 

Rainbolt wrapped his hoof around his daughter as they waited patiently in the small, walk-in clinic. The air was crisp and smelt like disinfectant spray. Rainbow tucked her head into his chest and cuddled within his fur. Her moaning vanished long ago, but all the aching pain in her belly hadn’t subsided quite yet. 
Rainbolt had only agreed to take Rainbow to the clinic if her condition became a more serious problem. Unfortunately; it had. Later that morning, she ended up throwing up her stomach. If that wasn’t enough; her problems had only gotten worse. The more time passed, the worse she felt. By only one that afternoon, Rainbolt felt terrible and was left with no choice but to bring the suffering filly to a nearby clinic. 
“Daddy… It hurts…” 
“I know, Sweetheart…” Rainbolt gently stroked his hoof down his daughter’s back. “I’m sorry this happened, but I’m sure you’ll get through it. You’re a strong little filly.” 
Rainbow did nothing but quietly nod. She had an upset tummy all day long, and the thought of any minor relief would have helped, even if she had to take icky medicine to stop it. 
“Daddy?” She asked. 
“Hm?” 
“When will we be called in?” 
“Soon…” He stated bluntly. “Just hold through it…” 
Agonizing minutes passed as they tried to provide each other with much-needed comfort. Luckily, the nurse came shortly. They were only there nearly twenty minutes before they were attended to. The white-coated mare with a tight, blue bun came out of the room and stared at her clipboard. 
“Rainbow Dash?” She called as she read the name aloud. 
Rainbolt sat up and held Rainbow’s hoof, guiding her into the unfamiliar room. The entire clinic was painted white and smelt awfully clean. The pretty mare led the father and daughter into the nearby room. There was a small bed, two chairs, a sink, cheesy posters, rows of white cabinets, and a large box of medical supplies. Rainbow was too concentrated on her aching body to pay much attention to where she was though. With a gently grasp, Rainbolt led his daughter to the seat and set her down. 
“So…” The mare started off. “What’s the problem here?” 
“My daughter’s having really harsh pains in her belly…” The stallion explained. “We think it may be connected to a few cookies she took last night, but she’s been throwing up and stuff…” 
The mare looked at the little filly for a moment then wondered. “Was there anything in the cookies that could have lead to this? Or anything at all from the previous day?” 
Rainbolt thought for a moment. “Not that I know of… I mean… She hasn’t eaten anything too weird. And the only thing weird in the cookie was dark chocolate and coconut…” 
The nurse thought for a moment. “Coconut isn’t that unusual for some ponies to get sick from. Some just can’t digest it right. Chances are it’s just that and not too serious of a bug in her tummy.” 
Rainbow looked up at the nurse with sad eyes. “Can you make me better?” 
The mare smiled. “Sure thing, Sweetheart. I think the antidote should be nothing more than a simple over-the-counter stomach medicine…. In fact, this clinic may have something useful… Will you excuse me for a moment?” 
Rainbolt nodded and the nurse exited the room. Dash looked up at her father. 
“Daddy?” She asked. “Will I feel better soon?” 
Rainbolt smiled. “I sure hope so. I think the doc’ll come back with something to cure you real quick.” 
Dash forced a smile to her daddy. “O-okay… What if I die, though?” 
Her father nearly giggled. “You won’t die. Trust me, Sweetheart.” 
Rainbow looked down. “Okay…” 
Rainbolt sat next to his daughter and rubbed her back. “It’s okay… I’m sorry about this whole thing…” 
“It’s not your fault, though….” She commented, curling up and hugging her daddy. 
“I know, I know…” He smiled and kissed his baby’s head. 
The two remained snuggling for a good minute or two before the nurse came back in. She was carrying a purple bottle in her mouth and she smiled. 
“A little bit of this will surely help that stomach ache vanish… Now, it’s around twenty bits for the medicine…” 
“That’s fine. I work for the Weather Factory and have great health benefits.” 
The mare smiled. “Alright… I hope she likes grape.” 
Dash moaned to herself. “I don’t care what it tastes like, as long as it helps…” 
The nurse smiled and undid the lid. It screwed off with a pop and the mare poured the contents within into the cap itself. A little waterfall of purple liquid spilt from the bottle. Rainbow’s eyes glued on the running liquid. She knew the awful taste it would bring, but also knew from experience it’d be worth it. 
“And…there we are…” The nurse picked up the filled cap and brought it over to the little filly. Rainbow gazed unsurely at it and frowned. When the liquid remedy was handed to her, she took it with hesitation. She swallowed. 
Come on Rainbow… She thought to herself. Just gulp it up real quick and get it over with.
     The filly’s cyan hooves brought the nasty liquid up to her mouth and shut her eyes. She tilted her head back and swallowed the medicine down with two quick gulps. She let her hooves down and swallowed a few mouthfuls of spit, trying to get the bitter taste away. 
“Adda girl, Dashie…” Her father nuzzled her gently and smiled. “I’m proud of you.” 
“Thanks, Daddy…”
Dash handed the mare the cap, who twisted it securely onto the medicine bottle. She smiled at the stallion. 
“Anything else she might need before you go? When did she last get shots? Or any kind of check-up?” 
“Well…” Rainbolt blushed. “When she was like, I don’t know… A month old?”
“A month old!? You haven’t taken her since then?” The mare questioned, almost shocked. 
“Well… not really.” The stallion admitted. “I guess… I just never got around to it. I mean, I normally get her medicine when she’s sick. I actually would have never thought about taking her here if she weren’t begging me the majority of the day.” 
Rainbow seemed rather confused. The mare was shocked more than anything. Most little fillies and colts were taken quite often the first six years of their life. Hearing about a five year-old filly who’d only gone once when she was an infant was very shocking. 
“Well… I think she’s beyond due for a few shots to help strengthen her immune system. It'll keep her away from the flu for a while."   
“Alright….” Rainbolt leaned down to his daughter. “Did you hear that, Dash? You’re going to get a few shots before we leave.” 
Rainbow gave her father a confused look. “Shots?” 
“Yeah… like, it’s a needle that she’ll inject into your skin. It helps prevent you from getting sick.” 
“A…A needle?” She asked in a shaky tone. 
“Rainbow, it won’t hurt at all, I promise. All you’ll feel is a pinch in your arm, and it’ll be over.” 
Rainbow turned her attention to the nurse. She kept her pink eyes locked on the mare, who was grabbing an injection needle at the moment. It was filled with a clear liquid. The tip of the needle looked wickedly sharp. Rainbow’s eyes grew at the sight and she flew off the bed. 
“No!” Was all that managed to come off her trembling lips. 
Rainbolt looked down at his daughter. It was evident she was afraid. She looked up at her daddy and tried stayed tucked into his chest. 
“It’s alright, Sweetie… It’ll only take a minute, and I’ll hold your hoof the entire time.” 
Rainbow quietly sat back down in her previous position. “O-okay… Promise it won’t hurt too bad? Or I won’t die?” 
“I promise. You won’t feel anything but a little pinch, and then we can go home. And I know for a fact you will not die.” 
“Now, Sweetheart. I promise you it won’t be nearly as bad as you think it is. I’ve never once had a filly cry over a shot.” The nurse reassured her. 
Rainbow cringed at the sight of the silver needle. The mare approached her and placed the shiny tip at Rainbow’s unshielded arm. Rainbow looked at her father, who was holding her hoof securely. The filly then looked back at the pony with the needle in her hooves. The little pony shook as she felt the cold surface touch her. She immediately shot back and rejected the needle entrance to her bloodstream. 
“No! Don’t let it touch me!” 
Rainbolt was shocked. She was a brave little filly, and stood up to anypony who tried to challenge her, and there she was…. Afraid of an inanimate object. 
“It’s okay, Sweetie… It’s nothing to fear, I promise…” 
Rainbow was trembling. She couldn’t stand to think of the evil needle penetrating her skin! She struggled in her father’s hoof-hold. 
“Let me go!” She cried. “I don’t want it!” 
Her father felt so bad for the little filly. He never remembered being that scared for a little shot. 
“I promise you’ll be okay, Sweetie Pie. It’ll only make you healthier!” 
“Let me go!” The filly demanded once more. 
Rainbolt only held onto his frantic girl even tighter as she began struggling. Why was she acting so crazy over a little poke in the arm?
“Rainbow, listen, I love you very much, and I know this is what’s best for you!” 
Rainbow struggled further. Her arms tried to desperately break away from her caring father’s grasp as if her life depended on it. She even gave his arm a few useless hits to try and break away. 
“No! Getting killed is not going to help me!” 
Rainbolt sighed and shook his head. “Listen Rainbow, this will not hurt, this will not kill you, this will onl-!” 
The stallion was suddenly cut off by a sharp pain in his arm. He instantly let go of the little filly and examined his hoof. There was a little row of tiny dents. Rainbolt gasped. 
“Did you…. Bite me?” 
Rainbow didn’t stick around long enough to answer. Instead she sped out the door as fast as her little wings would carry her. She shot down a hallway and beyond where she’d normally be taken. She passed by several inspection rooms and down a few corners. Her little wings beat fast, and the thought of that large…terrifying needle encouraged her to speed down the halls. 
“Rainbow!” She heard a very aggravated tone call her. 
“Uh, oh…” 
The little filly gained speed as she turned a left with great power. As she turned the corner, she accidentally bumped a table, knocking over an object she didn’t have the time to identify. She did hear the fallen object’s ear-piercing shatter, however. 
“Rainbow Dash!” The stallion called out. “Stop right this… minute!” 
Rainbolt grew nervous as his speeding daughter whizzed around corners and flew as fast as her wings would carry her. He whipped around the walls, as well. He had to admit, his daughter was far more agile than he could dream of being. How the little girl had been so damn blessed was beyond Rainbolt’s comprehension. 
It wasn’t until Rainbolt flew around a corner for the third time that he noticed a familiar landmark; the room his daughter had been placed in for examination. It had taken him three trips to even consider they were circling –or squaring, as the case may have been- and in realization he hid into the room. The nurse stared at him. Her green eyes were shining brightly. 
“Did you catch her yet?” 
Rainbolt sighed. “I will… She’s circling around the area… She should be coming around any moment now…” His voice was at a whisper, considering he wouldn’t want to be heard by his daughter. 
The stallion waited as patiently as he could, and within the minute, a little cyan filly could be heard coming around the corner. Rainbow’s father hopped into the hallway and was instantly tackled by his worrisome filly. He landed on the cool, tile ground with a thud and Rainbow continued to struggle in her father’s grasp.  
“No! Lemme go!” She screeched, whining. 
Rainbolt held his daughter securely with one hoof and rubbed her back to calm her down with the other. Even through running away and biting him, Rainbolt knew it was best to comfort her then when she needed it the most, and discipline her for acting up later. He knew fear brought out the worst in someponies, so he didn’t entirely blame her. 
“Shhh… It’s okay, Sweetie…” 
Rainbow eventually struggled less and soon, not at all. She looked up at her daddy with pitiful eyes. 
“Daddy…. I’m scared.” She admitted. 
Rainbolt snuggled his daughter closer. “I know you are, Sweetie… I promise it won’t be that bad. How about I get one with you?” 
Rainbow’s ears perked up. “Can you do that…? Would you do that?” 
Rainbolt smiled. “Of course I will, Sweetheart.” 
Rainbow’s trembling subsided and she smiled at her papa. 
“Thanks, Daddy… I love you.” 
Rainbolt got up off the cold floor and guided his nervous filly to the room she’d previously run out of. The doctor turned around when she saw the two enter. She had been searching through a medical bag, looking for who knows what. 
“You two got yourselves situated?” Rainbolt nodded and Rainbow simply went along with him. “Good, have the little one sit down.” 
“Actually…” Rainbolt started. “Is there any way I could get one, too? I think seeing me get one would calm her nerves.” 
The mare smiled. “As long as we get paid, I couldn’t care less.” 
The stallion smiled at Dash. She forced a cute smile back. The dull ache in her stomach had returned from nerves. 
“Well…” The mare started. “I may as well give you the kid’s since I already had that one prepared.” 
“Sure thing.” Rainbolt held the hoof of his daughter securely. Rainbow looked up at his dad as the mare held the needle to his arm. Her heart began beating faster than her father’s as the needle penetrated the skin of his right arm. To Dash’s shock, the brave stallion didn’t wince or make any sound to acknowledge the needle. 
“It…didn’t hurt?” Dash asked. 
“Not one bit.” He reassured her. “Think you’re brave enough to take yours?” 
“Promise it won’t kill me?” She asked. 
“Of course not, Sweetheart….” 
Rainbow sat back onto her little bed and awaited her shot. She stared at the mare as she opened the bag and grabbed another needle. She pushed the bottom up, letting a little liquid squirt out of the top. 
“Alright, this is the first of three you’ll need…” 
Rainbow’s heart pounded quicker. “Th-three…?” 
The doctor nodded. “Don’t worry, Sweetie. It’ll be over before you know it…” 
Rainbow held onto her father’s hoof securely and looked at him in the eyes. 
“It’s alright, Sweetheart…. I promise, it’ll be over before you know it. You saw how fast mine went by…” 
“I know… But you’re braver than I am.” 
“It’s not about being brave…” Her dad reminded. His eyes were glued on the pretty mare, who’d finished injecting Dash’s first shot. She pulled the needle out carefully, and fortunately, Dash didn’t notice whatsoever. Rainbolt smiled. “It’s about just taking it because you know it’ll help you. It’s for the very best. You didn’t feel good when your tummy hurt, did you?” 
“No…” She admitted. “I hated it…” 
“Well….” Rainbolt started. He watched as the white pegasus stuck another needle in the pony’s upper arm and injected the fluids. She pulled it out a second later and winked at Rainbolt. “If you get these shots, it’ll make sure your body doesn’t suffer like that again.” 
“Oh…It’ll make aches go away?” 
“Well… not go away, but prevent them from ever happening.” 
The nurse cleared her throat and Rainbow turned her attention to the pretty mare. 
“One more. This one’s for the feather flu. I’ll warn you, it’ll sting a bit…” 
“O-okay…. I thought you said I was getting three, though?” 
The nurse giggled. “Already done, Sweetie.” 
“Already done…?” 
Rainbolt wrapped a hoof around Rainbow’s shoulder and kept her close. “Just go with it, Dashie. Just one little shot more, and we’ll be done.” 
“Okay….” She hugged her daddy back and tried to forget about the shot. The mare approached the filly with a new needle. She took the filly’s arm which was at that point shaking in fear. Rainbolt brought his hoof up and down the scared filly’s back. She cuddled into her loving father and closed her eyes. Her ears flopped down and she felt a sudden, mild sting. Her eyes opened and she clenched her teeth. It wasn’t the pain scaring her; it was the thought that at that very moment there was a needle through and below her pony flesh. She hated the very thought of it occurring, but fear consumed her as it was actually happening. 
Finally, after what seemed like centuries, the mare pulled the evil needle from the filly’s arm. It left a mildly stinging spot, but nothing too serious. Rainbow let out a sigh of relief as it ended. 
“There you go, Sweetheart… I’m proud of you…” Rainbolt lovingly pat his daughter’s back with a smile. He leaned down and gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead. 
“Well… I think I’ll go get the information you need to fill out for your insurance to cover this…” 
“Alright. We’ll wait for you to return.” 
Rainbolt hugged his daughter again, and then took a moment to clear his throat. “Listen, Sweetie…. I know it’s been a very long day, and you’ve been sick and all, but…” Rainbow looked up at her daddy with big eyes. She knew what he was going to say just as well as he did. “Your behavior was unacceptable…. I know you were scared, but you still acted reluctant, disobedient, and you bit me… So… you’re grounded for the rest of the week until next Monday…” 
Rainbolt felt his heart nearly combust. Even if he knew damn well Rainbow deserved it, he still hated punishing her. He admitted many times he was a bit too lenient with her, but he just couldn’t drive himself to be harsh. 
“But, Dad I was just scared….”  She started to argue. 
“I know you were, but that still doesn’t give you the right to run off like that, and bite me!” 
Rainbow looked down sheepishly and then back up to her father. “Okay… I understand. No flying for the rest of the week…” 
Rainbolt looked down at his little filly as she drooped her head down and stared at the floor. It was rather sad to see her like that… Rainbolt sighed and hugged his daughter. 
“Hey, I’m proud that you pulled through in the end, though…. It must have took a lot of bravery to do that…” 
“Thanks… Sorry I got so scared…” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “You don’t have to apologize for being afraid, Sweetie. Why were you so afraid, anyway?” 
Rainbow looked down. “I… I was afraid it would kill me.” 
Rainbolt giggled. “That’s so silly, Dashie. I would never allow you near anything that could harm you in any way…” 
“I know. Daddy… I’m afraid of dying…” 
“We all are….” 
“No… I mean, sometimes I get really scared…. I’m afraid of never seeing you again…” 
Rainbolt’s heart exploded when he heard that. He brought his daughter closer and hugged her tightly.
“Oh, Dashie… I promise, I’ll always be here for you. Don’t be afraid…. I love you.” 
Rainbow hugged her father back. “I love you, too…” 
The two ponies embraced each other a good minute before the door finally opened. The pretty mare walked in. She wore a frown and sighed. 
“Sir, was it your daughter who may have broken something in the hallway?” 
Rainbolt looked a bit confused, and also worried. “Break something…?” 
The mare nodded. “Another nurse here found a broken, glass plaque in out hallway. Considering you just went on a high-speed chase to get her…. I have reason to believe your toddler’s behind it.” 
“Well… She may have been… I promise I’ll pay for whatever damage was done, if she did break it…” 
Rainbolt looked down at his daughter. She was already in a ton of trouble, and knew that should would now be in more. 
“Rainbow?” Her father finally asked. 
Rainbow shamefully looked at the ground and dug her hoof into the hard, ivory tiles. The stallion sighed. 
“I think that’s a yes…” 
The mare sighed. “Well, you’re in debt nearly one hundred-fifty bits…” 

> 16. Camping Trip 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbow smiled widely and threw a green canteen into her school saddle bag, which had been generously packed with snacks, a sleeping bag, flashlights, and one pillow. She smiled and hoisted the hefty bag onto her back. She had to admit, it was nearly twice the weight it would be when she went to school. 
“Daddy!” She called. “I’m ready to go camping!” 
Rainbolt heard his anxious daughter calling from the next room. He perked his ears up and flew in as swiftly as he could. He pushed the door opened gently and smiled at his little filly from the hallway. 
“Don’t rush us! Dreamscape’s still packing up!” He said in a more lighthearted manner than genuinely angry. 
Rainbolt walked into his eager daughter’s room and smiled at her. Dash’s wings buzzed and she excitedly flew around the messy chamber. Ever since her father explained to her what camping was, she’d been over the moon about the idea. She longed to get a good hour or two outside, but a full night? That was going to be amazing!
“Sorry, Daddy…” She apologized. ”I’m just so, so, so excited!” 
Rainbolt giggled. “I know you are, Sweetie… It’ll be fun, trust me.” The stallion started to trot out of Rainbow’s room and the little filly fallowed closely. “You know…” Rainbolt continued. “I think I was about your age when I went on my very first camping trip.” 
“Really?” Rainbow asked curiously.
“Oh yeah! It was loads of fun! I think you’ll like the great outdoors.” 
“I do. I go outdoors all the time!” 
Rainbolt chuckled as he entered his room across the hall. She’d soon know the difference between outdoors, and the great outdoors. 
Dreamscape was bringing the silver zipper of his large bag and forcing it closed with a grunt. He’d set the large saddle bag on Rainbolt’s bed and stood to the side to cram it closed. It seemed to have been filled beyond its meant capacity. He sighed as the silver teeth finally touched and didn’t separate again. 
“Ugh! Finally got the darn things closed!” Dreamscape announced with a grunt. 
“Mr. Dreamscape? Is Fluttershy going?” Dash asked with wide eyes. 
The shy filly had been contemplating on whether she wanted to go or not. Dreamscape wasn’t going to force her, but at the same time, he did encourage her to go. She would often refuse in the most polite way possible. The thought of anywhere but her peaceful, cloud home scared her. 
“No… Sorry, Dash. You know how Fluttershy is about going new places….” 
Rainbow looked down in disappointment. 
“Awe, cheer up, Sweetie.” Her father encouraged. “This trip is still going to be fun, I promise. Just you, me, and Dreamscape.” 
Rainbow looked up with a smile, while Dreamscape looked at the floor and bit his lip with an obvious blush. The observant filly took notice to the stallion’s behavior a good moment before her father. 
“Dreamscape?” She asked. “Are you alright?” 
Rainbolt turned to his friend and Rainbow looked at him with large, pink eyes. Dreamscape blushed a little and smiled guiltily. 
“I, uh….” He started before gulping. “I may have invited somepony else…. Without asking you guys.” 
Rainbolt turned and glanced at the stallion in curiosity. “You….What? Why? Who?” 
“Well… She just started begging me when she found out about it. I didn’t want to say no because she’s a good friend to me, and well... She just has a way of talking ponies into doing things… Also, she was starting to get annoying…” 
Rainbolt gasped. “You don’t mean Surprise… do you?” 
Rainbow perked her ears up and allowed the adults to finish their conversation. 
“Well, yeah… I know she’s your friend and all, so I didn’t think you’d mind too much…” 
Before the shocked pegasus could say anything, Rainbow bolted into the air with a large grin. 
“Alright!” She chimed. “Surprise is coming!” 
Rainbolt sighed with an angry tension in his tone. “Yeah… I guess… Not that I was planning on her tagging along or anything.” Rainbolt glanced at his friend with a disdainful glare. Dreamscape smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood. 
“I said I was sorry. Besides, I don’t think it’ll be that big of a deal, will it?”
“I guess not… I just would like a little notification ahead of time before we’re about to leave. And next time at least ask me!” 
“I only talked to her yesterday at work… I’m sorry, still. I promise, if she gets in the way of anything, I’ll distract her or something.” 
“No, it’s fine. Usually Surprise isn’t too bad…” 
Rainbolt was friends with Surprise, and he had to admit, she was far less annoying then than she was in flight school, but she still had her moments of acting immature. There were certain things about her that just seemed…off, to add onto that, he still was trying to put the pieces together over her connection with Firefly. Although she claimed to have stopped talking to her, Firefly mentioned Surprise’s details on Rainbolt’s reaction to the news the white pegasus had delivered. There was something else that just didn’t seem right about her; she was seen watching ponies or eavesdropping many times. She once kept her purple eyes glued on Dreamscape for nearly ten minutes. Rainbolt witnessed it, but never said anything. Maybe that’s how she knew so much about everypony…. 
“I can’t believe Surprise is coming!” The little filly gleamed, circling around the room in joy. 
“I can’t believe Surprise is coming, either…” Rainbolt said, verbally scolding Dreamscape. 
Rainbow finally landed on the fluffy, cloud floor with a cheery smile. If she hadn’t been excited for camping before, she was then. The cyan pegasus always had a connection to Surprise. The occasions she actually got to interact with the mare were quite the rarity. She loved spending only minutes with her friend, but was beyond excited she’d get to see her for hours and hours with no stop! That would be amazing! 
“How many times do I have to apologize?” Dream asked as he hoisted the backpack onto his back.  
Rainbolt sighed. “It’s okay… Just please; please tell me next time you’re considering inviting somepony. Especially when that somepony is Surprise…” 
“Daddy why don’t you like Surprise?” Rainbow asked cutely, disturbing the stallions’ conversation. 
“I like Surprise!” He argued. “I just don’t think it was polite to invite her without a little warning.” 
“I like Surprise, too. I’m happy Mr. Dreamscape invited her.” 
“I know you are, Sweetheart…” 
It wasn’t a moment later the trio heard several quick, light knocks on the front door. 
“I’ll bet that’s her…” Dreamscape announced quickly. 
“You gave her my address?” The periwinkle stallion asked quickly in shock. His friend left the room before he even had a chance to answer the stallion. Rainbolt sighed and shook his head. 
Dreamscape took in a breath and answered the banged upon door. As he opened the wooden slab, his eyes met with the expected guess. A white mare with a bouncy, yellow mane and ridiculous smile stood before him with a well-stuffed saddle bag on her back. 
“Hey, Surprise….”  Dreamscape started in quite tone. “Rainbolt’s okay with you going… He wasn’t too enthusiastic about it, though. Mostly because he didn’t know ahead of time. I’m sure it’s nothing personal…” 
The pretty mare cocked her head, and then smiled with a giggle. “Oh, don’t worry about ol’ Bolty! I’m sure he’ll warm up to it eventually!” 
“Yeah… I guess…” 
“Oh, don’t get yourself all guilty feelin’! We’re going to have a great time! ‘Sides, it’s not like we’re not all friends or anything!” 
“Yeah… Dash is especially happy to see you.”
“Oh, I know it! You know they say the quickest way to a stallion’s heart is through his children?” 
Dreamscape’s face twisted and his eyes widened. “I, uh…what?” 
“Nothing!” She sang and trotted into the house with a wide grin. 
Hesitantly, Dream closed the door and watched as the pegasus entered. She set the saddle bag down in the center of the living room with a sigh and looked around the place before whistling. 
“Pretty nice house.” She commented. 
“Why don’t you tell Rainbolt that?” He suggested with a chuckle. 
“Eh” Was her only response. “Where is he anyway?” 
“Room… I’ll go get him….” 
Dreamscape braced himself as he flew down the hall and into the chamber. The last words he heard weren’t the most… kind in tone. He entered the room and saw Rainbolt and his rambunctious daughter sitting on the bed together. Rainbolt was going through Rainbow’s saddle bag. 
“What are you doing?” 
“Makin’ sure Dashie has everything…” He started, rummaging deeper into the bag. “Wouldn’t want her leaving behind anything important…” 
“Yeah… Surprise is here…”
Rainbolt shot his friend a glare of disbelief. “You really told her my address?”
“Well… Yeah, kinda…” 
Rainbolt sighed and handed the bags back to his daughter. 
“Looks good, Sweetheart.” He acknowledged with a smile. Dash took her bag and hoisted it onto her back once more. She climbed off the bed and wobbled a bit as she landed on the cloud floor. 
“When do we get to go?” She asked with in an impatient manner. 
“I think we’re ready… Dream’s packed, I’m packed, and looks like you’re packed.”   
“Yay!” The little filly chimed as she darted into the living room. 
The two stallions smiled and went after her. When they entered the room, Surprise was standing at the window, staring out into the abyss. 
“Are you ready, Surprise?” Rainbolt asked when he saw her. 
“Yeah… I’m just looking at some ponies….” 

The ambitious quartet headed deep into a forest. Only the two stallions recognized the large acres of trees, familiar streams of clear, fresh water, and rocky peaks miles ahead. Dash smiled as she gaped in awe at the beautiful, natural surroundings. 
“Man… Fluttershy would love it here…” Dash commented. 
“Why would you say that?” Dreamscape asked genuinely. “Fluttershy isn’t comfortable anywhere but home. Why do you think we homeschool her?”
The cyan filly shrugged. “I don’t know… Just think she would…” 
Rainbolt and his friend exchanged glances and tossed each other confused looks. 
“Hey guys!” The three ponies perked their ears up to a familiar, shrill voice coming from the bushed. They turned to see Surprise poking her head out of two bushed. “I think I see a good place to settle down! Come on!” 
As suddenly as she appeared, Surprise vanished behind the furry bushes. Dash was first to follow. She quickly galloped away from her supervising adults and in between the bushes Surprise previously had her head through. Rainbolt and Dreamscape fallowed closely, dashing through the leafy scrubs after Dashie. The landed on the soft, dirt ground and looked up at the area Surprise had discovered. They gaped at the sight before them. A nice, clean area barren of any trees and flat land perfect to set up camp on. The area was large, circular, and absolutely perfect. 
“Wow!” Rainbolt exclaimed. “You really did find a nice place….” 
“Thanks!” Surprise said with a giggle. 
“We’ll go find some logs.” Rainbolt volunteered. 
Dreamscape raised an eyebrow. “We’ll?”
“Are you going to be lazy?” 
“Well… It was sort of a long walk, and my hooves are aching…and the saddle bag was heavy…” 
Rainbolt grunted. “So… Looks like I’ll be going unaccompanied…” 
It wasn’t a second later Surprise’s white hoof shot up into the air. “I can do it! I can do it! You don’t have to go alone!” 
Surprise stared at the stallion with large, unnaturally wide eyes. Her smile stretched from one ear to another. 
Rainbolt rolled his yellow eyes and sighed before giving his friend another angry glare. “Fine…” 
Surprise sprung up with a large, almost creepy smile and dashed over to Rainbolt. 
The two proceeded to fly out of the area and look for what they desired. 
“Do you know what we’re looking for?” Rainbolt asked as they left the area. 
“Well, duh! I wouldn’t have volunteered if I didn’t know what we were looking for. We just look for logs to sit on.” 
“Yeah… Just checkin’…” 
The two pegasi soared skywards towards the patches of fluffy, white clouds, then glided over the large amounts of trees. The two peered down, both focusing on the mission. Their eyes scanned the area below and they both remained silent. The most visible objects were the bushy treetops and running streams. Peaking between the cracks of the trees proved to be quite difficult. Even after nearly three minutes, neither of the ponies spoke up. 
“Ooh! Ooh! There’s one right there!” Surprise pointed towards an area between two tall trees. There, they could both see a small, brown log of wood. From their distance, though, it looked like an ant. They smiled at each other and nodded, heading down towards the specified area. The both stared at the log for a moment, and Rainbolt was the first to take action. The stallion wrapped his hooves around the wooden log and struggled to fly holding its weight. The medium-sized log was much heavier than he anticipated, and the harsh bark rubbed against his soft hooves. Surprise took notice to his struggle and lifted the log from beneath, supporting him and vigorously flapping her wings to make a difference. Rainbolt felt nearly half the weight instantly taken away. 
“Wow…. You’re pretty strong…” 
“Thanks!” She chimed. “I get it from my mom!” 
Rainbolt chuckled and the two continued to lift the heavy wood and venture towards their original location. 

Little Dash and Dreamscape pulled the heavy log and set it in its place. Both had struggled a great deal to bring the hundred ton cylinder of wood back to the area they claimed. When the mossy log was set down, both of them wiped bullets of cool sweat from their foreheads and sighed in pure relief. They then looked at each other and grinned. 
“Good work, Dash. You’re pretty strong for a filly.” 
The little filly beamed from the compliment. “I know!” 
Dreamscape chuckled and smiled at the little girl. “You’re cocky…Just like…” He was going to say “your mom”, or at least that’s what he was thinking. “Like… your aunt.” 
“You know my aunt?” She asked questioningly. 
“Mrs. Skies…” 
“Oh! Yeah… Hehe, I’m going to tell Aunty you said that!” 
“Yeah, you just have fun with that…” 
Rainbow smiled widely and her little ears then perked up. She heard distant flapping of wings in the background. She turned her head to see Surprise and her daddy carrying a heavy log into the clear area. The two set it down with a sigh of pure relief and Surprise smiled, looking at the filly and good friend of hers. 
“Looks like you two got the other log?” Surprise asked. 
Dreamscape returned the smile. “Yep… It took some work, but little Dash here helped out a lot.” 
Rainbolt tossed his daughter a smile. “Adda girl, Dashie.” 
With that, the little group of four sat in at different logs. Rainbolt next to his daughter, and Dreamy next to Surprise. The rough bark wasn’t comfortable under any of their hindquarters, but it was better than sitting on the ground. Dash, Rainbolt, and Dreamscape all stretched out, popping their bones and setting their tensed bodies at ease after the long walk. As Rainbow shrunk back in, she smiled at her father. 
“Daddy?” She asked. 
“Yeah, Dash?” 
“Can we eat now? I’m starving!” 
The stallion smiled at his little daughter. “Of course, Sweetheart… Then we should probably collect some firewood…” 

After the quartet claimed the area they’d be resting in for the night, they all munched on the various snacks they packed, including apples, oranges, peaches, carrots, sandwiches, nuts, and berries. Throughout the day they did do quite a lot of fun activities. They all went flying over the mountains and saw the beautiful landscapes below. Although it wasn’t planned, Rainbow played a “fun” little game of hide-and-seek. Rainbolt had spent nearly ten minutes trying to find her. They then went back to the camp, where they grabbed another quick snack. They spent the majority of the time exploring the woods and doing whatever their heart’s desired. As Celestia began to lower the evening sun, however, they all went to the spot of the evening. A nice, shallow pond they could all relax in. Dash had seldom gone swimming at that point in her life. When her father described it as a large bath, she was instantly turned off by the idea. After some long encouragement, however, Dash decided to give in and take a dip. To her surprise, she loved being emerged in the shallow, fresh water. The evening air was thin and the water was warm. The four ponies relaxed stress-free in the warm, fresh, natural tub. 
Dashie smiled as she leaned her back against the rocky wall. Her sore muscles relaxed and felt at ease in the warm water. She turned to her father and smiled. 
“This feels so, so nice…” 
“Oh, tell me about it!” Surprise commented as the fresh water made her soft mane glisten under the moonlight. She ducked her head under the water again and popped it back up. “This is just like how I remember it!” 
“When’d you last come here?” Rainbolt asked. 
“Oh, I was only like fifteen! My family traveled down here and we spent the whole weekend under the stars! Except for when it was day and we spent our time under the sun, but you get the picture.” 
“Oh, that’s cool…” 
Surprise nodded in agreement and smiled upon old memories. Oh, how the years had passed! 
“I just went her a couple years ago…” Dreamscape started. “Fluttershy didn’t go that time, either… My wife did, though. It was that night you babysat her.” 
Rainbolt nodded, remembering. “Oh, yeah… I remember that night. Same day Dash thought it would be a good idea to draw on the windows with permanent marker.” 
Surprise and Dreamscape giggled while Rainbow blushed. 
“Hey! I was only like five when that happened!” 
Dreamscape chuckled. “And now you’re a big, mature seven year-old, right?” 
Dashie nodded with a prideful smile. “Seven and three weeks!” 
The trio of adults in the lake all laughed quietly at the little filly. Oh, kids could be cute. After the laughter died down, all fell to complete, awkward silence. Nopony spoke, and Rainbow awkwardly shuffled in the liquid. Surprise then gasped as if she’d remembered something. 
“My daddy used to tell me about a sea monster that lived in this lake!” She announced at random. 
“Sea monster?” Dashie questioned. 
“Oh yeah! It was big, scary, had teeth like knives and stood forty feet high! My mom used to tell me a tale of how it would gobble ponies up with one, big gulp!” 
Rainbow smiled. “That’s pretty cool!” 
Rainbolt smiled with the little filly. “That’s just an urban legend! Don’t listen to her, Dash!” 
The filly’s ears flopped down and she grew a bit sad, as if she were hoping it was true. 
“Oh! Oh! But that wasn’t the only story old Daddy used to tell me!” She chimed. “He used to tell me a story that would leave me waking up at night with nightmares!” 
Dash’s attention was fully grasped and she smiled widely. “Really? What was it about?” 
“It was one about the headless horse!” She said with a gleaming face. “Wanna hear it?” 
Rainbolt interrupted. “Hey, let’s not go scaring the kid… I don’t think she’s ready to hear something so…scary. I mean it’s not that bad, but considering she’d never heard anything like it…” 
“Daddy!” She whined. “I’m not a little baby! I took the sea monster story well!” 
Her father sighed. “I know you’re not, but still… I just don’t want you to be scared. And this is an actual story, not just a brief description.” 
Rainbow looked up at her father with large, innocent eyes. “Please?” 
“Fine… I guess… “ 
Rainbow paddled her hooves in the water until she met up with her father. She wrapped her little arms around him and smiled, nuzzling his soft chest. 
“Thank you so, so much, Daddy! You’re the greatest!” 
Rainbolt smiled and hugged her back. “Yeah… I guess…” 
“Okay….” Surprise started. “It all happened in a forest much like this one…” As the story began, Rainbow turned her attention towards the white mare. Surprise’s tone turned eerie, deep, and very spooky. “The night was warm and starry, just like this one. A small group of ponies decided to go on a camping trip…” 
“Just like this one?”  Dash asked. 
“Kinda, only there weren’t any foals or mares… Now, where was I…? Oh, yeah! The three stallions set up camp… They each had their own tent to sleep in. After they said their good-nights, they all went to bed. The first pony blew out his lantern and rested his head on his pillow. The second one did the same, but the third one wasn’t yet tired and took out a book to read.” 
As the night continued, the two stallions rest quietly as the third one continued reading. He spent hours reading the same book and not even considering getting any sleep. As he was just about to go to sleep, though, he heard something…something strange… It was a shrill, loud cry coming from outside. He instantly slammed his book shut and peaked out of his tent. There he saw his first friend’s camp rustling and shuffling in the night.” 
Out of curiosity, the stallion got onto his legs and crawled over to his friend’s tent quietly. The screaming continued and as he got closer he could distinctly hear… howling. He listened more patiently as it all continued. He wanted to go in and see what was going on… He approached the tent and then backed away slowly as he saw the zipper slowly being unzipped. He froze in fear as he saw a figure step out. It was the figure of a pony… Well, mostly a pony. It had hooves, a tail, mane, belly, neck…but no head…” 
Rainbow’s eyes grew wider as she pictured the antagonist within her mind. She tucked herself into her father’s comforting grasp as she continued to listen. Surprise cleared her throat and continued on with her story. 
“Out of fear and shock, the stallion dashed off into a different area. He flew as quickly as he could away from the scene. He could hear crying behind him, which only made him gallop faster. He galloped as fast as he could before hearing a loud, ear-piercing scream.” 
The stallion looked behind him and saw the headless horse fallowing him. The mysterious pony had a sac on his back, carrying the heads of his two friends. He was only trying to make up for the one he never had…” Surprise smiled at the filly’s widened eyes and mild trembling at the story. Even though being scared was scary, she knew it could also be fun.
“Now, the stallion was going faster than ever. He ran as quickly as his legs could carry him. He ran all through the forest until he got to a cliff. He stopped…” Surprise paused for a more dramatic effect. “He turned around… And met eyes to neck with the dreaded headless horse….” Surprise smiled. “Nopony knows what happened to him… He was never, ever heard from again along with the rest of his friends… They say the spirit of the headless horse rests in these very woods….” Surprise’s smile turned into a more lighthearted one and cheerfully chimed, “The end!” 
Rainbow was staring at the mare and then perked her ears up. “Th-that’s all?” 
Surprise nodded and Rainbolt chuckled. “Don’t be scared, Dashie… It’s just an old pony’s tale.” 
Rainbow looked up at her father and scoffed. “I’m not scared! Especially not about some stupid, headless horse!” 
Dreamscape rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t say that.” He started in a teasing tone. “The headless horse might hear you and decapitate you in your sleep!”
Rainbow crossed her hooves. “Will not! ‘Sides, I don’t even know what depacitate means!” 
Her father smiled and rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Dash! That’s not even the real version of the story, anyway!” 
Surprise took offence. “It was, too! That’s the version my daddy told me!” 
“Well, when I was growing up, the ponies that were at the camp out were hunting for gems in caves. The unburied the disembodied head of the headless horse, and that’s when they were haunted by it the rest of the trip until they were captured.” 
“In the version I heard,” Dreamscape started. “The headless horse was a pony that raided a village and took the heads off ponies there.” 
Rainbow listened to the differing versions of the horrific tail with a curious mind. She did admit, the tale was spooky, scary, and almost made her fear the long fly back to their area. She knew it wasn’t real, but at the same time felt a little spooked by it. 
“Whatever.” Rainbolt said at last. “I think Dash got to hear the least scary version, and that’s good, I guess.”  
“Yeah….” Rainbow quietly agreed. “Good…” 

Rainbolt put his lips to the area around a glowing candle and blew, making the only illumination in the tent vanish. Shadows instantly consumed the two ponies and Dash looked around nervously. She was tucked halfway in to her little, yellow sleeping bag. Rainbolt frowned when he saw his little daughter looking around the tent seemingly panicked. 
“Dash…?” He started. The little filly’s pink eyes instantly shot towards him. 
“Yeah, Daddy….?” 
“You’re not getting freaked out over those little stories, are you?” he asked in concern. 
“No…” Rainbow lied. “It’s just cold out here…” 
Rainbow shyly shrunk into her sleeping bag and her father smiled. “You know, you don’t have to hide it if you’re scared. When I was a little colt, I got scared from it too, and I was nearly nine!” 
“I’m not scared!” Dash argued. “I’m brave!” 
Rainbolt slid into his sleeping bag and faced his daughter with a smile. 
“Alright… I guess I was just a little wimp when I was younger.” 
Dash nodded in agreement and yawned. Her father smiled at her and turned around to get more comfortable in his bed. 
“Goodnight, Dashie…” He lamely said through a yawn. 
“Night-night, Daddy…” Rainbow agreed and yawned. She turned around, as well. The moonlight bled through the tan tent. Trees cast down branchy silhouettes over her. Rainbow yawned once more and closed her heavy eyelids. She then proceeded to drift into an unpredictable sleep.   

Rainbow awoke with tired eyes. She lifted her falling eyelids and looked around her tent. Her father was fast asleep. His loud snores may have been what awoke her in the first place. She sighed and lifted her foggy head. 
“What time is it..?” She murmured to herself. 
One thing she wished she would have brought was her alarm clock. Maybe then she could at least have an idea of the time. 
Wearily the little foal stood from her bed. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. A sharp feeling deep within her lower abdomen attacked her. She caressed her lower belly and instantly crossed her leg. Out of all the times she had to pee, being in the middle of the dark forest in the middle of the night wasn’t the best time. The little filly struggled onto her hooves and slowly walked towards the exit of her sealed tent. Slowly and quietly, she unzipped the silver zipper and waddled out of the tent, awkwardly trying to keep her legs together. She took in a sharp breath and pinched her hind legs together tightly until the feeling subsided completely. Slowly, the little pegasus uncrossed her legs and began walking as she usual would. 
Alright, Dash… Just find a spot near a tree and do your busyness real quick…nopony will ever know you left….
Rainbow easily found a tree and hid herself behind it. Quickly, she glanced at the other tents to make sure nopony was watching. She squat behind the tall, living thing and then stopped at the sudden, eerie sound of… whining? Her ears perked up and she instantly clenched her legs. Her eyes peeked around the tree. It must have been an animal or maybe some other natural sound… 
Rainbow sighed and focused on the task ahead she took in a deep breath and spread her hind legs once more when yet again she heard a shrill, scary sound. This time it wasn’t a whine… it was a scream. Out of pure fear, Rainbow darted deeper into the forest, doing anything possible to escape the cause of the yelling. At that point, she didn’t know whether the scream was from a pony having their head removed, or a wild animal pulling an unfunny prank on her, but either way, she was terrified. More so than she had been in her entire life. 
Rainbow dashed through the forest, dodging the trees and breathing heavily. 
“Oh… I hope Daddy’s okay…” She said to herself as a single tear trickled down her face. 
In the distance, the little filly heard a faint, but recognizable stallion scream “Help”! Rainbow knew the voice better than her own, and she galloped on with a new stream of tears down her face. 
The scared filly galloped deeper and deeper into the strange, creepy woods. The moonlight proved to be her only guiding source of vision. She ran as fast as she could, feeling her heart send gallons of blood through her aching body and sweat pour from her forehead. She raced faster than she had in her entire existence. 
Rainbow looked back to see… not an empty forest like she’d remembered, but a shadowy, headless stallion chasing her at high speeds. She kept her eyes on the terrifying figure as she galloped much harder than before. Her legs were growing tired and her heart was burning from beating too fast. Her lungs carried a sharp pain within them. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up the chase. She didn’t need to find out, though. After nearly ten more seconds of intense galloping, her hoof hit a root and she fell flat on her face. As she laid limp, her body felt at ease and the dull pains within her calmed. However, dread did start consuming her heart as she heard the headless horse approach her. She put her head into her hooves and started trembling. 
Don’t kill me… Please don’t kill me… Please don’t kill me… please…
Rainbow shook and cried silently to herself. When the soft hoof gently touched her head she jumped. She jumped right off her pillow and into a sitting-up position in her little, yellow sleeping bag. When Rainbow looked around and noticed it was only a dream she let out a long, grateful sigh of relief. 
“I-It was only a dream…” She stated.
Although the story was only fictional in her mind, there were still results that lingered in the real world. Her forehead was drenched in sweat. Her face was stained with warm tears. The sleeping bag beneath her was drowned in a particularly smelly liquid she hoped was sweat. The little filly uncomfortably squirmed out of her sleeping bag and sat on it.  That damn Surprise… Telling her that damn story… Scaring her and making her have a little accident. How dare her! 
A bit annoyed, and embarrassed, Rainbow made her way out of the little tent and stared at the scenery around her. Just like in her dream, the area was cold, dead and quite depressing. It was lonely, and the only sound could be heard from anywhere were the faint hoots of an owl and the quiet chirping of a cricket. Rainbow started heading towards Surprise’s camp. It was a bright shade of purple, but seemed very dark in the cold night. She approached, mostly to get her vengeance, but also to find a less moist place to sleep. 
The little filly stopped in mid-walk when she heard a certain rustling in the bushes not too far away from her. 
“Hey!” The little filly squealed. “Come out and show yourself!” She commanded. 
The bush did nothing but rustle in response. 
“Are you just going to ignore me like that?” 
Again, the furry plant rustled in the cool, night wind. 
“That’s it!” 
The cocky, little filly pounced on the bush and attacked it in anger. She hit the braches and bit at the leaves (Which she had to admit, left a nasty taste on her tongue). She growled and rolled around in the thick layers of leaves, branches, and other natural stuff. 
Within Surprise’s tent, a white mare’s ears stood erect at the odd sound coming from outside her shelter. Her purple eyes opened and she sat up. 
“Ugh…. Is it morning yet?” 
On the more primitive outside, Rainbow stopped wrestling the annoying bush for a moment to notice a large, angry rat staring at her with red eyes. Rainbow stared at it. He was staring at her, and then distastefully hissed. Dash gasped, then hissed back in equal hatred. With that, the ugly rodent hopped off into another direction. 
“Hey!” She cried. “Where do you think you’re going?” 
Rainbow followed the little vermin as it ran from her. She spread her wings and flew off after the little thing.  It guided her left and right, down hills, over paths, and through bushes. She kept up easily, and after a while, questioned why she was even chasing the rat. He evidently wasn’t going anywhere interesting, but Rainbow was still curious nonetheless. 
The rodent effortlessly took Dash away from her haven. He took her into nooks and crannies of the large forest she’d yet discovered. 
The little rat ran into a nearby bush and like always, Rainbow ruffled the branches around to get her friend out. This time, however, he remained in the protective haven. 
“Come on!” She whined. “I just want you to lead me somewhere interesting!” 
The rat refused to come out. 
“Please?” 
Again, the rat refused her offer and stubbornly set still. Rainbow grunted and rolled her eyes at his disobedience. 
“Hey, Dash!” She heard a familiar, feminine voice call from behind her. 
“Surprise?” She replied and turned around. Up above her was the happy-go-lucky pegasus, who proceeded to swoop down and land next to the little filly. 
“What are you doin’ all the way out here?” 
“I… I was following the rat.” 
Surprise cocked her head in confusion. “Rat? Why?” 
“Because…” Rainbow thought for a moment, and then remembered why she’d even left the campsite. “Because you made my camping trip awful!” 
Surprise was rather surprised at the little filly’s sudden anger in her tone. She suddenly felt guilty and her poofy, gold mane fell flat. 
“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to...” 
“I know, but still! You just had to tell me that story, didn’t you?” 
Surprise perked her ears up and then slowly grew less guilty. “You asked me to!”
“But…” Rainbow started with hesitation. 
“But what?” 
“Ugh…never mind… This doesn’t have to do with the story at all… I’ll just tell my dad…” 
“Well, okay… I think we should maybe get home now….” 
Rainbow nodded with a grin and then frowned. “Hey… do you think I could sleep with you for the rest of the night?” 

White sunlight shone brightly on Rainbow’s face and awoke her. She lifted her weary head and sighed. Her rainbow mane was sticking up and her eyes had crusties in the corners. Heavy bags sagged under her pink orbs. Rainbow lifted her torse from the cool ground. She had been cuddling next to Surprise in a comfortable position, and decided it would be time to go check on the problem from the previous night. She stood from the position and unzipped the bright, purple tent. She could here Surprise muttering in her sleep. 
“But… But I put the caramel in the oven…” 
Rainbow smiled at her odd sleep-talk and stepped out of the tent, smelling the sweet morning air. She smiled and galloped over to her father’s tan tent. She unzipped the strange shelter and tiredly climbed inside. She stared at her ruffled sleeping bag and made her way over to it. She put her hoof under the fold, and felt the bottom layer nervously. Dry. That was all she needed to know to make her day. She looked over to her father, who was still lazily snoring and cuddling a blanket. 
“Daddy…?” She murmured. 
Her father remained sleeping. 
“Daddy?” She said louder. 
Again, she received no response but a low snore. The little filly put her hooves on her father’s chest and shook him gently. 
“Daddy! Wake up!” 
Rainbolt started moaning in his sleep, and eventually his eyes shot opened. He smiled as he saw his baby first thing. He wrapped his hooves around her gently and brought her in for a quick kiss on the forehead. 
“Good morning, Sunshine…” 
“Daddy… I had a dream, and I think you died in it… But then I woke up and followed a rat into the forest.” 
Rainbolt barely processed half of what his darling said. 
“That’s nice, Sweetheart….” He mumbled quietly. 
Rainbow cuddled her daddy back and simply decided to remind him of the events later that day. Rainbow almost wanted to fall asleep in her dad’s warm embrace. 
“Can I go back to sleep..?” Rainbolt asked weakly. 
“No… You have to feed me.” 
Rainbolt grunted and sat up. “Can’t you get it yourself?” 
Rainbow cutely shook her head and smiled. Rainbolt smiled. His mane was in an awful state, which meant he slept well. Dashie wrapped his hooves around him. 
The father and daughter’s warm embrace was interrupted by a hyper pony popping her head through and smiled. 
“Wakey, Wakey!” She chimed as if she’d been up for hours. Rainbolt managed to smile at her. 
“Good morning, Surprise…” 
“Hey! Last night I found Dashie in the middle of the woods and she was talking to a rat.” 
Rainbolt’s tired eyes went wide. 
“Rainbow… Why?” 
“Because I had a dream you almost died… Or did die… I don’t know…” 
“But that doesn’t explain why you would…” The stallion just sighed. “Whatever. Thanks for returning the kid… I owe you one.” 
Surprise smiled. “You owe me one, huh? I’ll keep that in mind…” 

> 17. Brotherly Love 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     A large block of hot twilight covered the little filly’s back as she slept quietly. Her cyan hooves gently hugged her stuffed bear. Warm drool ran down her cheek and onto her pillow. Her eyelids twitched and she moaned in her sleep. Suddenly, her bright eyes slowly opened. She instantly took a moment to check the time on the wall clock above her dresser. 
“Noon?” She muttered quietly to herself. Her eyes then went wide and gleamed with a new-found joy. 
With a large smile, the little filly shot out of her bed and straight out of her little chamber. She landed on the cloud floor in the hallway with beaming eyes. Without any consent, she then opened her father’s room door and shot in with a wide grin. A large, sheet-covered lump remained dormant in her father’s bed. 
“Daddy!” The little filly cried as she jumped onto her father’s bed. “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” 
The stallion grumbled to himself and turned over onto his side. He remained to keep his eyes closed and he shooed away his vexation. 
“No…” He mumbled softly. “Go away…” 
Rainbow climbed into her father’s chest and looked up at his drool-stained face. 
“But Dad! It’s the first day of Hearth’s Warming break, and you promised to make pancakes!” 
Rainbolt responded with an annoyed grunt. He turned his face into his pillow. Unfortunately for Rainbolt, he had a very persistent daughter who didn’t plan on giving up that easily. The cyan filly climbed onto her father’s back and started poking at his wings with her hooves. 
“Wake up… please…” 
“What time is it?” Her father grumbled through the pillow.
Rainbow’s pink eyes met the alarm clock's. “Noon… almost.” 
The stallion sighed and rolled over slowly. Dash dismounted her father's back and leapt onto the bed before Rainbolt met eyes with her. He forced a smile and grabbed the little filly before pulling her into his chest. 
“Rainbow, Sweetie…” He kissed his daughter’s head sweetly. “Daddy works a very long shift at night…. He gets home at seven, and needs his sleep. You’ve had nearly ten hours of sleep total… Daddy’s had half that…” 
“But… I’ll be lonely…” 
Once more, the stallion shoved his head in his pillow and sighed. “Just thirty more minutes?” 
“But-“ 
“Please?” 
Rainbow stared at her father with sad eyes and Rainbolt looked back with an equally pitiful expression. 
“Okay…” Rainbow said at long last in defeat. “But if you don’t wake up then, I’ll pour water on you!”  
Rainbolt giggled. As many times as she threatened to do that, she never actually through with the actions. She loved her daddy too much to soak him in cold water. 
“Okay, Sweetheart.” He said with a mumble and forced his head back into his inviting pillow. 
With nothing more to say, Rainbow quietly left her dad’s room. She flew into the hallway and gently closed the door behind her. She hated the idea of spending her first day of break alone. She knew she wouldn’t be alone long, but she hated even going a minute outside of somepony’s company. 
Dashie slumped into the living room and onto her father’s recliner. He would always sit in it and read the newspaper or mail in the morning. Sometimes he’d even pick up a fictional novel to dig into. He seemed to have quite a lot of books piled up in random places around the house. Who knew he was such an egghead? 
Rainbow sat and stared mindlessly at the wall before her. Her thoughts drifted into the break, and how wonderful Hearth’s Warming would be that year. Her dad normally got her a few little things along with spending the day however his little filly pleased. She’d usually request to go to a park and get ice cream at her favorite shop. For the most part, Rainbow simply enjoyed being away from school; away from homework, away from bullies, away from teachers, away from everything. 
After a few minutes of being in a land of thoughts, Rainbow was rudely awoken by loud knocks at the front door. She stood from the seat and raced to answer it. She pulled back the stubborn doorknob and smiled before a cream-coated stallion. He had beautiful blue eyes and a shaggy, white mane. He had a white saddle bag and a sweet smile. He was holding an eggshell envelope with pretty, blue cursive on it along with a magazine. 
“For Rainbolt.” He stated simply. 
“I’m kind of like Rainbolt.” She said with a smile and held her hoof out. 
The mail-stallion giggled. “You’re his little spawn, I presume?” 
Rainbow cocked her head. “Sure…?” 
The pegasus simply laughed and handed the little filly the letter and heavy magazine. She stared at it and the stallion spread opened his wings before taking off. 
“Have a nice day, Kid!” 
Rainbow didn’t reply and stared at the unfamiliar griffonage scribbled on the letter. How had the mail-stallion even been able to read the address? Rainbow untwisted her face, and decided to open the mysterious message. She ripped opened the paper container with her teeth and unfolded the white parchment inside. Despite the odd cursive on the outside, the inside was written in a neat print. Rainbow’s eyes scanned it. She wasn’t the best reader, but she had learned how to basically read in school. Maybe going through that never-ending torture on a daily basis was getting her somewhere…
The little filly cleared her throat and made an attempt to read the letter aloud. 
“My dear Rainbolt… As you are… Aw-are…. We haven’t had a family re-un-i-on….” 
The flabbergasted filly stopped a moment and tried hard to decipher the odd words to no avail. She raised an eyebrow at the words fallowing that one and decided to take it to her dad for further investigation. 
The cyan filly flew into her father’s chamber and bounced on his bed with a smile. 
“Daddy!” She chimed. “Wake up!” 
Rainbolt moaned loudly and lifted his head. His multihued mane was sticking to his forehead and he turned to the clock. Only ten minutes had passed. “Why, Rainbow…?”
“Daddy, the mail came.” 
Rainbolt shook his weary head and sat up. “Guess I should just get up now…” 
Without a word, Rainbow handed her father the little pile of received mail. Rainbolt accepted it and looked at the letter. 
“Sweetheart… Don’t open the mail without me, please…” 
“Sorry, Dad…” 
“It’s fine…I just don't want you losing anything important...” 
Rainbolt’s yellow eyes scanned the paper and his mouth turned into a smile. His eyes widened and he gleamed at his little filly. 
“Looks like we’re going to your aunt’s this Hearth’s Warming Eve…” 
Dash cocked her head. “Why?” 
“Family reunion… This’ll be your second one. The last time you went you were only two…” 
“Family reunion?” 
“Yeah…” Rainbolt started with a smile. “Like a big get together with family. It’s sort of rare for our family, but still.”
“I don’t remember that…” 
Her dad chuckled. “Of course not. You were way too young…” 
The stallion removed the letter and then his smile grew much, much larger as he laid eyes on a the magazine. 
“Oh yeah!” He said to himself happily. 
“What is it, Daddy?” Dash hadn’t paid much attention to the magazine at first, but now her curiosity was growing. 
Rainbolt blushed heavily and smiled. 
“I, uh… You know…” The stallion cleared his throat and choked out the answer. “Whittling Weekly…” 
Rainbow giggled. “Daddy, you’re so silly!” 
Rainbolt blushed. “Hey! It’s not silly!” The stallion scanned his hooves through the pages of the unique magazine and stopped at one. He turned it to his daughter to reveal a large sculpture of a regal pony made of soap. “You see this? This is a life-size replica of Princess Celestia made entirely out of soap! They used over four hundred bars combined and it was all done by hoof! It took three whole months to sculpt!” 
“Daddy…? How do you know all that? You didn’t even read the article!”
“It was featured in Modern Art Magazine…” He stated quietly. “The edition that came out last week…” 
“Dad…” Rainbow started quietly. “You’re an egghead, aren’t you?” 
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Rainbolt took in a deep breath and smiled as he approached his sister’s porch. On his back was a saddle bag full of different things. His eager daughter followed behind with a large smile plastered to her face. 
“You’re going to meet a lot of relatives you’ve never met before in your life. I know you’ll remember your grandparents, and maybe your aunt. Do you remember your aunt Sunshine Blue?” 
Rainbow thought for a moment. “Hmm… I don’t know.” 
Rainbolt smiled thinking back on all the joyous (and occasionally not so joyous) memories about his dear family. The stallion’s heart beat faster as he approached his sister’s door. He lifted his hoof to the door and was quickly stopped by his excited, little filly. 
“No, Daddy! I want to ring the bell!” 
Rainbolt giggled at his little daughter’s anxiousness. “Alright, Sweetheart.Be my guest!” 
Dashie smiled and flew up to the button beside the door and pressed it three times before landing on the ground and patiently waiting. Despite having a cloud house, her aunt’s front porch was made of a smooth stone. How it didn’t fall through the cloud layer, she had no idea. Sometimes, Rainbow feared her furniture would fall straight through the cloud floor. She especially got those thoughts when she was sleeping in her bed at night. 
Finally, the front door was answered by a pretty mare who looked no older than Rainbolt. She had a very light blue coat. In fact, it was so light it was nearly white. Her mane was a beautiful arrangement of seven different shades of blue, and her eyes twinkled a beautiful yellow. She smiled at seeing her brother. 
Out of his three siblings, Sunshine was by far Rainbolt’s favorite. She was sweet, sheepish, and calm for the most part. Rainbolt was the youngest in the family, and his older siblings would give him a hard time quite often (especially his older brother). Sunshine, however, was rather sweet to him. She’d help him with homework, comfort him when he was sad, and stand up for him when his other siblings were mean. She was only two years older than him, which helped them get along better at times.
“Rainbolt….” She started. “Gosh, it’s been too long… Please, come in.” 
“Thank you, Sunshine…” Rainbolt smiled as he trotted into his sister’s home. 
Rainbow fallowed her father in. She felt a little awkward when her eyes rested on a living room filled with ponies she didn’t know. There must have been at least twelve ponies gathered around. They were all chatting, drinking, laughing, and snacking. The house carried the scent of savory foods such as fried asparagus, seasoned potatoes, brown rice, boiling spaghetti and fresh tomatoes and herbs, rolls, mashed potatoes, simmering vegetable soup, and the particularly sweet smell candied carrots. Rainbow’s mouth began to water among smelling the delicious scents. She inhaled through her nose deeply and sighed. 
“Hungry?” Sunshine Blue asked her niece with a giggle. 
“I am now!” She replied. 
“So cute…” Sunshine complimented in her usually soft tone. She then turned to Rainbolt. “So… How’s parenthood been treating you?” 
“Well… It’s had its ups and downs… She’s a challenge, to say the least, but I love her more than anything…”
“One day maybe I’ll choose to have a kid. I’m still sort of shy around stallions, though…” 
“Come on, Sunny! Any stallion would be lucky to get a mare as pretty as you!” 
Sheepishly, the mare blushed and smiled at her younger brother. “Thanks, Rainbolt…Now, I think you should be introducing the little one to some of the family.” 
Rainbolt turned his attention to his daughter. “Would you like to meet some more of your family, Dashie?” 
“Sure….I guess.” Dash answered hesitantly. 
“Don’t worry…” Her father encouraged. “It’ll be fine!” 
With that, Rainbolt took his daughter by the hoof and led her into the living room where the majority of the ponies were chatting happily. Rainbow felt more nervous than she should have been. They were just family… they wouldn’t bite. 
The first pony Rainbow was introduced to was a pink mare with bright, blue eyes. Like Rainbolt, her mane was an arrangement of beautiful colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. She wore a pretty smile and looked at the young filly welcomingly. She had been sitting on the couch, speaking to seemingly nopony.
“Rainbow, this is your other aunt, Prism Streak.” 
Prism Streak was the eldest sibling in the family. She’d occasionally give Rainbolt a hard time when he was growing up, but always loved him in the end. She was a good five years older than him. She would always look out for him, but often got annoyed when she was forced to watch him with little or no pay. 
The pretty mare smiled.
“This is the first time I’ve met a niece before. Your father was the first of us to have a kid.” 
Prism Streak was correct at that point. If she wanted a child, she would have had some difficulty having one, considering she wasn’t interested in stallions as companions. Sunshine was far too shy to socialize with stallions, and his brother… he wasn’t the sanest of stallions.
Dashie smiled. “My daddy is special.” 
“I know.” The mare stated nonchalantly. “He was quite the colt to grow up with… Hey, maybe if you’re lucky, Mom’ll show you some pictures of your daddy when he was your age!” 
Rainbolt’s face lit up and he frowned. “I… Come on, she’s not interested in seeing pictures of me…” 
Dashie smiled widely. “Yeah I am!” 
The stallion sighed. If his mom brought her photo album, that day was going to be a long one. 
“If you’re really lucky, you’ll get to see when he was a teenager and he had braces and the goofiest manestyle!” 
“I wanna see!” 
Prism giggled. “Go ask your grandma, Hun…” 
“Daddy?”  Rainbow asked cutely. “Can I go see Grandma?” 
Rainbolt blushed heavier. If she did bring all those old photos, unbearable embarrassment would be inevitable, anyhow. He let out a long sigh. 
“Fine… Just don’t laugh at me too hard, okay?” 
Rainbow beamed. “No promises!" 
With that, the little ran off and met with her grandmother on the other side of the room. Rainbolt smiled slightly as he saw her interact with his very own mother. He started off to see if she actually had brought the photo album. Unfortunately, Rainbolt was stopped in mid-step by a familiar voice. 
“Well, well, well… look who we have here.” 
Rainbolt flinched and turned around to meet eyes with the source of the voice. As Rainbolt expected, the baritone vibrations belonged to the white coated stallion no more than a foot behind him. Unlike the rest of his family, his mane was a single shade of blood red. He had dark purple eyes and a smile that never faded, even at the worst of times. His emotions were often hard to detect, which always made Rainbolt quite nervous. 
“Oh… Hey, Moonstruck… n-nice to see you’ve been rehabilitated…” 
His brother –and second oldest sibling- smiled a bit wider. 
“Nice to see you’ve got a child on your hooves.” 
“Yeah… I… she’s a sweetheart, really… She’s a bit shy around strangers, though…” 
“Such a shame. Too bad I love meeting new members of our family. I sincerely hope I don’t frighten her away.” 
“Yeah…” Rainbolt agreed. “I hope you don’t either.” 
Out of all Rainbolt’s siblings, Moonstruck was the worst. He was mean, intimidating, and he had a rather… unsound mind. He remembered constantly being terrified of him as a little colt. When Rainbolt was only five, his brother once put him in a tree and left him there for an hour when his parents were away. When he was seven, Moonstruck locked him in a closet for a full two hours when his parents were celebrating their anniversary at a restaurant in Canterlot. When Rainbolt was ten, his brother volunteered to wash his goldfish’s tank, but ended up boiling the poor thing to death. Rainbolt nearly punched his brother in the face when he continued to smile at his sorrow. When he was eleven, Moonstruck covered his entire bedroom with terrifying images that gave him nightmares for weeks. Some included dead ponies, ponies with hallowed out eye sockets, and foals with stitches as their mouths and buttons as eyes. When he was thirteen, and Prism Streak moved out, Moonstruck gladly took on the responsibility of watching his two younger siblings. That same year, Rainbolt awoke with tons of spiders crawling up his limbs and all over his face. Above him he remembered his brother smirking and laughing over his terrified screams. When he was fourteen, he “accidentally” broke Rainbolt’s wings. Although he claimed to have accidentally broken them by shoving his brother against a wall, Rainbolt clearly had memory of being held down and having his wings forcefully bent backwards with a wrench. He knew better than to tell his parents the truth, though. Fortunately, Rainbolt’s parents at long last realized how out-of-control his brother was, and sent him to a home for the criminally insane when Rainbolt was seventeen. Rainbolt had to spend hours filling out paperwork describing all the things he’d been put through. In the end, it was worth it.
Moonstruck giggled. “You know I’ve missed you Bolty. You were my favorite sibling growing up. I was going to pay you a visit after I was released from the Home for the Criminally Insane, but you seemed to have abandoned Mother’s house. She told me about a shabby little apartment you moved into, and then a whole cloud house.” 
“Yeah…” Rainbolt said with hesitation. “After I had Dashie, I needed a bigger place to live.”
“Dashie? How cute…” 
“Yeah… thanks…” 
“Listen, Rainbolt. I know we didn’t exactly get along as brothers when we were younger, but after long years of being locked in a prison full of lunatics, I think we can set aside everything in the past. I’ve been on a special medication a while now, so I should be alright.” 
“Well..I mean… you only emotionally scarred me a little… and, well…” 
“Yes, yes. I apologize. Really, Bolty, you act as if I did something really awful to you!” 
“You held me down and ripped my braces off with a whole bunch of tools when I was fifteen.” 
“Oh, come on! That was long ago and you looked so much better without those pesky things!” 
“When I went with mom to visit you at the criminally insane home you threw a chair at me…” 
“It’s not my fault their sandbags aren’t heavy enough! Besides, I was going through a tough time.” 
“It was at the end of your stay when they thought you were getting better…” 
“Well, I apparently wasn’t!” 
“Apparently…” Rainbolt  muttered under his breath. 
“Listen, Bolty… I love you very much and I’ve been going through a lot of changes lately… trust the medicine, and all will be fine.” 
Rainbolt gulped. Even if he were on the most advanced medicine in Equestria, he still knew that deep within his mind, heart, and soul was the stallion he feared growing up. He was inside of that shell just waiting for the perfect moment to come out. 
“I… I hope you’re right…” 
“Of course I am… Now, I was just about t-“ 
The stallions were cut off by a squeaky, cute voice. “Daddy!” 
Rainbolt turned his attention to his daughter and forced a smile. Out of all his relatives, he never had any intentions to introduce Dash to her infamous uncle. 
“Hey Rainbow…” Rainbolt greeted. “You, uh… You don’t know your uncle, but h-he’s pretty cool…” 
Dashie held out her hoof in a friendly manner and Moonstruck gladly shook it. 
“Nice to meet you, Uncle! My name is Rainbow Dash!” 
“Ah…” Rainbolt’s brother broke the shake and smiled. “The name’s Moonstruck. Wouldn’t suppose your father ever mentioned me?” Rainbow cocked her head before shaking it. “Doesn’t surprise me. We never got along as little colts.” 
“Why?” Rainbow asked curiously.
“We just didn’t!” Rainbolt answered quickly. “If you had a sibling you’d understand…” 
“Oh… Can I have a sibling?” 
“No, Sweetheart… Daddy doesn’t need any more foals…” 
“Not that anypony would find him appealing enough to make foals with.” Moonstruck interrupted with a smirk. 
Rainbow cocked her head before her father had a chance to respond. “How do you make a foal? I thought they just appeared or something.” 
“No…” Rainbolt started in an uneasy tone. If he hadn’t feared his brother so much, he would have dragged him into the next room and lectured him. “It’s a bit more complicated…” 
“Oh… “ Rainbow looked towards the cloud ground before her ears perked up and she smiled at her dad. “Explain!” She demanded. 
Rainbolt blushed. “I… Later, Sweetheart. When you’re a tad bit older.” 
“But Dad I-“ 
“Enough, Dash.” Her father cut her off. “I don’t want to have to explain it. Trust me. Some things are better left unknown.” 
Dash grunted and stomped her hoof to the ground. It made nothing but a phomp! sound and was actually quite cute instead of threatening. Rainbolt giggled. 
“Alright, Dashie… How about we go meet other relatives?” 
“I already introduced myself to everypony….” Rainbow responded quietly. 
“Thought your filly was shy around strangers?” 
“I…Well…” Rainbolt rubbed his neck nervously. Even as a grown stallion, he didn’t want to be caught lying to his brother. Last lie he told his sibling resulted in a fork through his ear. “I… Guess she’s more comfortable around family.” 
Before Moonstruck had a moment to respond, he heard his aunt’s calm voice speak up. 
“Alright everypony… have a seat in the living room.” 
Rainbow giddily smiled and flew to the living room, which was only a few feet away. Rainbow parked herself on the floor. There were large amounts of adults sitting in chairs. There was only one other foal, and he was a colt much younger than Rainbow. He was cuddling into his mother’s chest and sucking on a sippy-cup. Rainbow Dash was a big girl and didn’t need a sippy-cup. She hadn’t for years. Rainbolt sat on the floor next to his daughter. With a smirk, Moonstruck sat next to him. Rainbolt wanted to move so desperately, but forced his hindquarters to stay in contact with the floor. Rainbow’s great aunt, Raindrop, smiled at her family. She cleared her throat as all ponies laid eyes on her. Her mane was a soft shade of purple and blue. Her coat was a light blue and her eyes were silver as the moon.
“I’d like to start off by saying how proud I am to be a part of this family… Over the recent years we’ve gained some members.” The mare speaking in the center of the living room glanced towards the little colt sipping on his juice, and Rainbow by her father. “We have some relatives we haven’t seen in a while…” Everypony’s eyes glanced at Moonstruck. He felt insulted when he took notice. Raindrop decided to change the subject. “Well… I’m just so, so happy to call you all my family. You’re all amazing, kind, sweet, and dear to me. Although we haven’t got together like this in years, I hope this family only expands and grows. At this point, it’s rather small. Spectrum…” She started. Rainbow’s grandfather looked up. “We know you spent all your life as an orphan, and we’ve never really found out your origins, but… we have you to thank for this wonderful family. After you married my sister, a lot changed. You guys had children, and well, it all went from there. You passed on your glorious rainbow mane to not one, but two wonderful children. And as we see now, your grandfoal has been lucky enough to inherit it, as well…” The mare raised her cider-filled glass with a smile. “To the very first generation of a family founded by Spectrum! I love you all, and I hope one hundred years from now this wonderful family is thriving, blossoming, and bigger than I ever hoped!” 
Spectrum’s white face lit up read as the whole room did a toast to the small family. Rainbolt smiled at his father with pride and joy in his heart. He truly was a brave stallion, and he taught him everything he’d known. He loved his father and mother dearly, and was beyond proud to call them his parents. 
“Alright!” Raindrop continued. “That is all from me!” 
The mare stopped where she was and the room instantly lit up with conversation once more. Rainbolt looked to his daughter. “Come on, Sweetie. I want to chat with my mom and dad a bit…” 
Rainbolt flew from his hooves and approached his parents who were talking in the corner. His mother was aging fast. Little wrinkles were forming at her eyes and temples. Her gray roots were migrating further and further back, and at that point, only the last few inches of her mane were its natural, vibrant colors. His father’s rainbow mane was dulling, but not graying at all. He smiled as he noticed his son approaching him. 
“Rainbolt!” He greeted with a warm smile. 
“Dad!” 
The two pegasi wrapped their hooves around each other and Rainbow watched the two embrace. The two stallions pat each other’s backs and broke away after a good ten seconds of hugging. 
“Mom!” 
Rainbolt put his hoof around his caring mother and she lovingly returned the affection with a smile. They embraced for a few more moments before separating. 
“I brought you something…” He started with a smile. 
“Oh, Sweetheart…” His mom started. “You didn’t have to get me anything…” 
“No, don’t worry.” Rainbolt opened the flap on his small saddle bag with his wing. “It’s just a little something for all the wonderful things you used to get me for Hearth’s Warming.” 
Rainbolt’s mother blushed as he held a small box before her. She smiled and tears of pride swarmed her eyes. 
“Honey, you really didn’t need to do this.” 
“You never needed to give me all the wonderful stuff I got on Hearth’s Warming, but you did anyway.” 
Shyly, Rainbolt’s mom took the little, block box from the hooves of her son. It was shiny with a pretty, red ribbon tied around it. Slowly, she undid the ribbon with her teeth and opened the small container. Her heart melted at the object inside. 
Quickly, the mare flipped the box upside-down and marveled the beautiful present within her hoof. It was a beautiful rose carved completely out of soap. The details in the petals were accurate and ravishing. The scent of roses filled the soap as well, and caused her to take in a small whiff.
“I love it…” She stated with a smile. 
“Thanks…I made it myself..." 
Once again, the son and mother embraced warmly. They loved each other very much, and had a strong connection ever since Rainbolt was born. 
"Just...thank you so, so much! I love it!" 
“Anytime, Mom… It just reminded me of that little garden you used to have when we were growing up…” 
“Awe…” His mother cooed softly. “I love you, Bolty…” 
Without warning, his mother came inward and planted a long smooch on his cheek. His face lit up as he resisted the urge to wipe off the sticky residue. 
“I love you, too Mom….” 
Rainbolt sighed and looked around. Surely, Dash would have found humor in a forceful kiss from his mom. To Rainbolt’s surprise, his little daughter was nowhere to be seen. That filly just couldn’t stay in one place for one moment, could she? 
“Ugh, where’s Rainbow?” 
“Don’t worry, Rainbolt…” His father reassured him. “I’m sure she’s fine as long as she didn’t leave the house.” 
“I know, I know… I just don’t feel comfortable if I don’t know where she is at any given moment.” 
“She’s in the same house as the rest of her family.” 
“I know, Mom… but she’s also in the same house as a criminally insane stallion!” He whispered, and his mother seemed shocked. 
“Rainbolt!” She snapped. “We know Moonstruck isn’t the most sane pony, but he spent years and years locked away! We should at least be trying to let him back into the family with open arms!” 
“I know… but that doesn’t make me any more comfortable with him socializing with Dashie… I mean, I was his primary target growing up and-“ 
“Stop acting like he was against you!” She snapped, but maintained a whisper. “Your brother loves you! He was just a little nutty, and did things he really didn’t want to…” 
Rainbolt sighed. Why his parents always treated him like he was an innocent angel, he hadn’t the slightest idea. 
“Okay Mom… I’m sorry… It’s just, the only version I remember of him wasn’t all that good, and it kind of makes me trust him less…” 
“We know, Sweetheart…” His mother spoke. “We love you very, very much. Please don’t feel bad about it. We understand how you feel… We just want to mend  up this family…” 
Rainbolt sighed. “I know, Mom… I’ll try my hardest to be welcoming…” 
“That’s my boy…” 
Lovingly, Rainbolt’s mom gave him another wet kiss and his face lit up a bright crimson. 
“Alright, Mom… I love you…” Rainbolt tried to separate from his mother, not wanting another wet stain on his face. “I, uh... I think I should go see what Dashie’s up to…” 
His mother nodded with a smile and Rainbolt dashed into the other direction. The moment he was out of sight, he wiped remaining residue from his cheeks. His sister’s house wasn’t that big, so finding Dashie would be a breeze! He trotted into the kitchen area where a few more of his relatives were hanging out and saw it. His yellow eyes shot small and his mouth went agape. His daughter was smiling, giggling, and chatting up a storm with… Moonstruck… 
Rainbow’s pink eyes landed on her father after she stopped laughing. She smiled at her dad and waved to him from the few feet away. 
“Oh my gosh, Daddy!” She started, still a giggling mess. “You’re brother is the best!” 
Rainbolt’s tongue went numb with confusion and bafflement. His heart sunk and he grew slightly angered. The only thing forcing him to keep his cool was the advice his mother told him just moments before. 
“Yeah…he’s great…”

Rainbolt rarely got jealous. Occasionally, he’d have his moments if somepony was receiving more credit than him at work or if an employee of a lower level got a raise or promotion, but he’d never get jealous over attention. Especially not attention from his daughter. He loved seeing Dash make new friends and socialize. However, when she was socializing with somepony he’d hated most of his life, but she seemed very fond of, that became a problem. He despised seeing her talk to him, laugh at his jokes, and tell Rainbolt how “Absolutely amazingly awesome” he was. Even at dinner that night, Rainbolt was pissed off over his daughter choosing a seat next to her favorite uncle over him. Dinner itself was good, but having to hear his daughter giggle at the thing he hated more than anything in life was beyond awful. 
“Can you tell me more about when you and Daddy were colts?” Rainbow asked. 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes and let out an angry huff. 
“Oh, your father used to have braces, you know?” 
Yeah… I remember all the times you jammed silverware through them and forcefully removed the brackets… Rainbolt thought to himself. 
“Yeah, Aunty Prism told me. And Grandma showed me a picture of him.” 
Rainbolt’s ears perked up as he listened to the conversation three feet away from him. His silverware clanked against the bowl of soup he was eating. Well, sort of eating. He was far more concentrated on the conversation behind him. 
“What else do you know about Dad?” 
“Did you know his mom didn’t stop tucking him in until he was nine?” 
Rainbolt blushed heavily as he heard his daughter giggling with the usual squeaks in her voice. 
“Really?” 
“Oh yeah! And once, when he was eleven, he came crying out of his room because he had a nightmare…” 
Rainbolt felt heat rising to his face. 
Yeah! No thanks to you you freaking plothole! Rainbolt growled within his mind. 
“Wow! I never knew that!” Rainbow commented with a giggle.
As the little conversation continued, Rainbolt removed his spoon from his bowl of steamy, hot soup and started bending it to let out his frustration. 
“Umm…Rainbolt?” He heard a gentle voice come from behind him and turned. He laid eyes on his beautiful sister. 
“Oh… Hey, Sunshine…” Rainbolt spoke in a quiet tone with his ears flopped down. 
“Something wrong, lil’ bro?” 
He sighed. “I don’t know… I just feel strange about Rainbow and Moonstruck hanging out like that..” 
Sunshine only nodded. “I…I know how you feel. I know he’s been rehabilitated a while now, but still… It hurts after knowing all he did… You and I had it the worst since we were younger…” 
“I know… Mom’s pretty serious about trying to welcome him back into the family…She was always sort of in denial about the whole thing.” 
“I know…” Sunshine peeked back up from the table she’d been staring at. “How’s the food?” 
“Good…” Rainbolt muttered. “You always had a way of cooking…” 
“Thanks…” 
“Hey, Dad!” A cute voice interrupted from behind him. 
Rainbolt turned around to see his little filly hovering at his eye-level with a large grin on her face. 
“Hey, Sweetheart…” 
“Is it true you didn’t stop bedwetting until you were eight?” 
Rainbolt blushed heavily and looked towards the ground. “Sweetheart, listen… I want you to stay right here… I need to talk to your uncle for a minute…” 
“Okay, Daddy!” 
Rainbolt got up from the seat he’d been sitting in with a sigh. Telling Rainbow foalhood stories were okay, but revealing his personal secrets was not. He flew up and over to his dreaded brother, who was sitting at an individual table. His usual smile remained and had formed into an mocking smirk. 
“Something wrong, Brother?” He asked after setting his glass of fizzy apple cider down. 
“Yeah…listen…I…” Rainbolt looked into the eyes of his brother. Those deep, purple eyes he feared to make contact with. Those eyes that belong to the biggest bully he’d ever met. The eyes he feared to see looking down on him…taunting him…smiling at him in his most miserable state. “I… I-I don’t mean to be disrespectful or a-anything but… I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell my daughter embarrassing stories like that… Y-you can do what you want I’m just asking….” 
“Oh, Bolty, you really haven’t changed much, have you? So polite…So indecisive… So afraid.” 
Rainbolt wasn’t quite sure how to respond. He was afraid. He was terrified of that colt, and always would be. 
“I…I’m just trying to be polite…” 
“Of course you are… And what would you honestly do if I denied your request?” 
“I…I….I, uh…” 
“Exactly! You wouldn’t do a damn thing!” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? You’ve already done so much to make my life worse than it needed to be…” 
“I’m changing.” He reassured his brother. “There’s really no harm in telling a few true stories.” 
“But you’re leaving out the important details!” Rainbolt argued. “Like how you caused a lot of that stuff!” 
“Rainbolt, Rainbolt, Rainbolt…” His brother said in his calm tone. “When are you ever going to learn to take responsibility for your own actions?”
“What?” Rainbolt grew angrier and his dynamic grew louder, attracting the attention of a few family members. “I…you… You’re the one not taking responsibility for anything! How about you stop blaming your little ‘mental condition’ and just admit you’re just a sadistic freak?!” 
The room around them was all ears, including little Dashie who was in nothing but shock. 
Moonstruck remained calm. “I’m not a sadistic freak. Ever since my medication kicked in, I’ve been feeling beyond normal, and have never been so satisfied with myself.” 
“Oh, yeah. I totally believe you!” Rainbolt went on sarcastically, getting louder each syllable. “You ruined my childhood, scared me half to death and now you-“ 
Rainbolt was cut off by a sudden, sharp pain in his left ear. His head remained frozen but his eyes darted behind him. The sudden grasp of his ear was a familiar feeling, and one he thought he’d never have to feel again. The pinching sting of his mother’s hoof grasping around his floppy outer ear made his body become overtaken with paralysis. A bright blush overtook his face as his angered mother guided him out of the kitchen as if he were a little colt in trouble. Rainbow was most intrigued by the unusual scene displayed before her. 
Rainbolt had humiliation consuming him as his mom dragged him by the ear down the hall, and into a separate room where nopony was able to see them. The whole time the stallion didn’t fight nor argue nor speak a word until they entered the private room. The moment his mother slammed shut the chamber door she released Rainbolt from her grasp and stared at him with motherly disdain. Rainbolt massaged the aching tip of his ear. 
“Are. You. Serious?” She asked, punctuating every word. “You haven’t seen your brother since you were seventeen, and you…. YOU RUDELY ACCUSE HIM OF USING A MENTAL CONDITION AS AN EXCUSE?” 
The sudden volume in his mother’s voice was intimidating, and made him bring shame upon himself, even if he hadn’t felt guilty about what he did specifically. 
“I…I…he… I-I was just…” Rainbolt cut himself off before he’d say something that’d really get her temper going. Not that he had any idea of what he was saying...
“There are no excuses, Rainbolt! Your brother has been trying to change! He’s been trying hard to get a fresh start! And what do you do? You remind him of everything he was trying to forget! You inconsiderately yell at him and now he probably feels awful! Honestly, Rainbolt, I expected a LOT more out of you. How old are you, son? Huh?” 
Rainbolt blushed and gulped. “I…I’m twenty-six…” 
“And how old were you acting?” 
Rainbolt’s blush grew heavier. “I…I was acting… dumb.”
“That’s not what I asked you!” 
At that moment, Rainbolt felt like he was a seven year-old. He may have acted like one, but he most certainly didn’t feel his actually age. The same feeling of dread and regret filled his heart that reminded him of being a bad colt in trouble. That’s all he was at that moment. A seven year-old trapped in a grown stallion’s body. 
“I acted seven…” Rainbolt’s face was burning and he looked up at his mom. “I-I’ll go apologize… I promise.” 
“You will apologize! After being locked up in a crazy home for years, you’d think you’d have a little sympathy! He may not have been the nicest pony in your foalhood, but the past eight years you’ve been free as a bee, while he’s been locked up! Has holding a grudge this whole time helped you at all?” 
Rainbolt’s eyes again lowered. “N-no, ma’am…” 
“Now, Sweetheart…” Rainbolt’s mother put her delicate wings to her son’s chin and tilted his head back so their eyes met. “I’m not that mad at you… You just embarrassed me today, and I’m disappointed about how you acted. I know getting over things in the past can be hard, but moving on will only do good for you. I know it’s hard… Actually, I couldn’t possibly imagine what you’re going through, but… I think it’s better to leave the past in the past.” 
“Mom…I love you… I just don’t think it’ll be easy to just forget about everything… I’ve had a lot of feelings bottled up over the years…” 
“I know, Sweetheart…” His mom now spoke softly. “Now, you should go apologize to your relatives, your sibling, and take the rest of the day to maybe bond. I hated seeing you to fighting when you two were younger…” 
Rainbolt sighed. “I know, Mom…I’m sorry you had to see me act like that…” 
The stallion’s mother smiled at him. “Maybe next time you’re having a personal problem with him, you should take him into a separate room and talk to him…” 
“But… I’m scared to be in a room alone with him.” 
The mother and son stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. Their loud laughs filled the air and shattered any harsh feelings that had entered the room with them. 
“Alright, alright…” Rainbolt started as he finally got a grip on himself. “I’d better go get my apologies done and over with…” 
“Make sure it’s sincere!” His mother reminded. 
“I will, okay?” 
Rainbolt took in a breath and opened the bedroom door slowly. He wasn’t even surprised to be immediately greeted by his daughter. 
“Daddy!” She cried with a grin. “Did you get in trouble?” 
The hot crimson reinvaded Rainbolt’s face. “Yeah... Daddy got in trouble...” 
“Why were you being mean to Uncle Moonstruck?” Rainbow asked curiously.
Rainbolt sighed. “I don’t know, Sweetheart… It was a lot of things… most of it had to do with the past, though. I’m sorry you had to see me make a, uh... mule of myself.” 
“That’s okay, Dad. It was kind of funny to see Grandma pull you by your ear.” 
“Yeah… not for me, though.” Rainbolt forced a smile and rubbed the top of his ear once more as he remembered the pain it’d went through. 
“So…” Rainbow started. “I know you don’t like Uncle too well, but… can I be his pen-pal?” 
“What?” The stallion asked in genuine shock. 
“Yeah…” Rainbow said. “I mean, he said he wanted to write me. He even gave me some parchment to start off and his address…” 
Rainbolt thought for a moment and let out a long sigh. 
“Oh, brother…”  

> 18. A Very Special Somepony 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The harsh snows and longs months of dreaded cold that consumed the winter began to fad slowly. Winter Wrap-Up Day took place early that February, and Rainbolt relished in the laid-back weeks of the spring. He loved being able to come into his office, get his assignment, and start working on it with very little stress. His daughter would pass out in her corner and he’d continue with his work until it was full and finished. The stallion would then proceed to briefly inspect the machinery for the next day’s use. If he had any hours in the night left, he’d take a nap until seven in the morning the next day.
Thankfully, that particular day just so happened to be a Friday, which meant the next day was one hundred percent work-free! He could longue around all day long without a single thought about work. He could get to bed early and get a full night’s rest! Just the thought made him drool in anticipation. Even working that night seemed to fly by faster when he kept the sweet reward of tomorrow in the back of his head. 
As usual, Rainbolt started his night by opening the drawer of his desk. It would contain a large, yellow envelope with his assignment. This day, however (and many days preceding that one), it contained both a large, yellow envelope, and a small, white one. It was neatly addressed to his brother, but he knew he’d never send it. Dash had been waiting a very long time for a response, but Rainbolt told her he was probably busy or something. If their paths ever meant again, he’d try to claim it was lost in the mail or something. No matter what, though, he wouldn’t send that letter. Often times, he did consider playing as Moonstruck and pretending to write back, but if Dash and his sadistic sibling ever met again, the conversation of letters would be rather awkward. As long as Moonstruck never found their address, he’d be safe. 
The stallion purged the thoughts of his brother and took out his assignment. Spring assignments were always the easiest; perfect temperature with nothing but the occasional rains. The stallion put his periwinkle hooves at the base of the envelope and tilted it backwards until his assignment slid out onto the desk before him. He took in a deep breath as he prepared to tackle his work. He stared at the familiar papers and mumbled to himself as he read in a quiet whisper. 
“Okay, so we have Canterlot with a minimum of two hundred-fifty clouds and a maximum of three hundred-twenty-five… while the wind speed can’t exceed twenty miles per hour… But Fillydelphia has to have at least one hundred-thirty clouds, and can’t have any more than two hundred, but must not have wind speeds twenty percent higher than Canterlot, and any more than thirty percent of the clouds Manehattan does…Ugh… Damn weather and its existence…” 
“Dad!” Rainbow hissed as she fumbled in her sleeping bag. “Please shut up!” 
“Oh, sorry, Sweetie…” Rainbolt glanced at his filly who was ruffling around in her sleeping bag. 
“It’s fine…you’re just so noisy!” She covered her floppy ears with her hooves and threw her head into her pillow with a grunt. Rainbolt rolled his eyes with a sigh. 
“Sorry, Dash. I’ll try to be more quiet…” Rainbolt was about to take the pen back in his mouth to get back to work before stopping himself. “Also, I’d appreciate it if you asked in a more polite manner next time.” 
Rainbow crossed her hooves and grumpily stared at the wall. “Fine!” Was her only response in a not-so-happy tone. 
“Excuse me?” 
Rainbow sighed. “Sorry, Daddy… I’m just tired…” 
“I know, I know… Tired fillies are grumpy fillies.” 
Rainbow yawned. “Sorry… I promise next time I-“ 
The little filly was cut off by the sudden opening of her father’s office door. The wooden door slammed against the back of the wall. Rainbolt flinched and Dashie smiled. 
“Aunty Skies!” Rainbow cried as the green-coated mare entered Rainbolt’s office. 
“Evening, Dashie.” She greeted calmly to her “niece”. “So, Rainbolt, how are things going?” 
“I just got here…” the stallion admitted. “I promise to get to it right away, though!” 
“Good! Today’s assignment’s a big one.” 
“Big?! But it’s spring! Spring is never hard to do weather for!”     
“Well, usually that would be the case, but…” She pulled the map from the opened folder and pointed to a spot lacking of all marks or symbols within Applelousa. “Right here’s a cherry orchard.” Her light green hoof then made its way to an area on the outskirts of Ponyville. “And right there is an apple farm. Both farmers are expecting a certain section of their crop to be ripe by March. Make sure you give them rain, but not enough rain to drown them. Make sure they get some sunlight, too. Also…” She pointed to Applelousa as a whole. “This whole town has tons and tons of apple trees. Don’t drench the town, but make sure to give them enough rain to support their crops. Also….” Her hoof directed Rainbolt’s eyes to a large section of Canterlot. Her hoof circled around the area to show the boundaries. “This whole area will be hosting a Hearts and Hooves Day parade this weekend. Don’t let it rain over there. Also, since it’s Friday, you will be doing weather for tomorrow and Sunday.” 
Rainbolt gasped. “I know, ma’am. It’s that way all Fridays…. I was just expecting to maybe have an easier day today…and not have to be cautious of so much stuff...” 
“Well, unfortunately, that’s not the case. You know if you want Saturday’s off to relax, you have to work extra hard Friday nights…” 
“I know, I know… I’m not complaining…” 
“Good.” Mrs. Skies smiled at her diligent worker. “Just get your work done, and I’ll see you in the morning.” 
Rainbolt nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am. I hope you have a nice night…” 
“Oh, I hope I do to! Mr. Skies always knows how to make my evenings worth it.”  
“Awe, that’s sweet…” The stallion commented as he tapped his pen against the desk. “You two have something planned for this weekend?” 
Mrs. Skies blushed and giggled. “That’s none of your business, Silly. Now, get to work before I fire you.” 
Rainbolt chuckled at what he hoped was a joke. “Alright, ma’am. Hope you and your husband have a nice weekend.” 
“Alright!” The mare replied as she headed towards the office’s exit. “You too, Rainbolt! Happy Hearts and Hooves day!” 
With that, the office door was closed with a quiet click. Rainbolt’s smile remained as he dug into his much-dreaded work. 
“Daddy?” Rainbow asked cutely from the back of the room. 
“Yes, Sweetheart?” 
“Tomorrow’s Hearts and Hooves Day.” 
“I know, Dashie…” 
“Are you going to be my very special somepony?” 
Rainbolt turned to his daughter with a soft smile. He tried hard not to let out any awes. Rainbow was getting at a point where she didn’t like being considered cute, even if she was.  
“Of course I will, Sweetheart… That’s so cute.” 
“I’m not cute!” Dash protested with a huffy frown. 
“Of course you’re not, Dash…” Rainbolt said as he rotated his eyes counterclockwise. 
“So… Since you’re my special somepony, that means you have to get me chocolates!” 
The stallion’s eyes went wide and he turned to his daughter. “What gave you that idea?”
“Mr.Snowflake said so! He said on Hearts and Hooves Day stallions buy their mares chocolates!” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Alright… But Sunday…. The candy will be less expensive….” 
“Okay! As long as I get candy!” 
Rainbolt smiled at his daughter, who was now tucking herself under her sheets. She returned the grin and plopped her head onto the pillow. 
“Night, Daddy…” She started with a yawn. “I love you….” 
“I love you, too, Dashie. Goodnight….” 
With those words said, Rainbolt turned back to his work, gathered up all his energy, and started on that night’s long assignments. 

“Shhhh!” Surprise hissed to the giggling filly. “Just one more…And…There!” 
Surprise started giggling along with the cyan pegasus as they beheld the masterpiece they’d worked on that uneventful morning. As Rainbolt was fast asleep after a long, hard night of work, the mischievous duo took the opportunity to draw squiggles all over his face in washable marker. They drew big, goofy circles around his eyes as he slept, freckles on his cheeks, a flower on his forehead, bunny on his chin, and random squiggles anywhere else they could fit them. Surprise drew while Dashie threw in ideas. Fortunately, Rainbolt didn’t awake through the entire process. He simply continued to drool on the table beneath him and snore. 
“He looks so silly!” Rainbow chimed in a whisper. 
“Oh, yeah…” She stated, trying not to laugh. “Imagine when he wakes up!” 
The two ponies laughed as they imagined his first glance into a mirror. Although they tried to remain as quiet as possible, they were still too loud and made their sleeping victim’s eyelids twitch. Rainbow gasped in mid-laughter. 
“He’s waking up! He’s waking up!” Rainbow hissed to her fellow jokester. 
Rainbolt shifted his head and lifted his dreary head from his desk. He stared at the two, giggling ponies with half-opened eyes. 
“What are you two giggling about?” He asked in a tired tone; something Surprise found very sexy.  
“Nothing….” The white pegasus sang in a giddy tone before laughing again at the stallion’s odd markings. 
Rainbolt shrugged and yawned. He was far too tired to be concerned with their suspicious behavior. “I’m just glad I get to finally go home….What time is it?” 
“Almost seven!” Dash replied with a bright smile. She tried hard to contain her giggles.
“Seven…?” He said with a yawn. 
“Well, more like six fifty-one, but you get the idea!” 
With Surprise’s correction in mind, he turned his head to the clock above. She wasn’t lying. 
“Why are you here, Surprise?” He asked, now starting to wake up a bit. “Your shift doesn’t start until nine!” 
“I know, but… you know…” 
“No… “ Rainbolt started hesitantly.  “I really don’t know…” 
Before the mare could reply or speak another syllable, Rainbolt’s office door swung opened. As usual, Mrs.Skies entered work a little before seven to collect Rainbolt’s assignment and make adjustments to it, although she very rarely had to. The moment she entered the small room, all three of the ponies turned their gazes to her. Her eyes went wide with shock as she stared at her employee that was a little too early, and her employee who had a collection of strange markings on his face. 
“…Good morning…Rainbolt, Surprise…” 
“Mornin’ Mrs.S!” Surprise greeted with a gleeful smile. 
“Morning, Mrs. Skies…” 
“You, uh… You got a little something on your face….” 
Rainbolt lifted his hoof to his chin. “Sorry, it was probably drool or something… Just woke up…” 
The two jokesters tried hard not to burst into laughter. When Rainbolt’s boss noticed their suppressed giggling, she instantly caught on. 
“Never mind. It’s gone… I just came up here collect the assignment.” 
The mare traveled to her workers desk and grabbed the folder. Never once did her blue eyes leave the stallion’s face. He was going to ask why she’d been so glued to his face, but didn’t want to sound disrespectful. 
“You… have a nice day, Rainbolt…” She said as she quietly  as she flew away from her employee very, very slowly. 
“Uh… you, too, ma’am….” 
As his boss slowly closed the door with a very quiet click, he turned to the two pegasi. 
“What was she acting so strange about?” 
“Oh, who knows?” Surprise said as nonchalantly as she could force, but ended up bursting into chaotic shrills after a moment answering it. Rainbow couldn’t hold it in any longer, and she too burst into laughter at her father. The stallion looked at them both with a more serious expression. 
“Alright, what’d you do to me?” 
Surprise giggled and handed Rainbolt a mirror. He took it with dread in his heart and gaped when he saw his reflection. Black squiggles and pictures covered his entire face. He continued to stare a minute before tossing the reflective object aside. As the two pranksters saw their victim’s expression, they exploded into an even bigger mess of laughter. 
“Really?” He questioned in disbelief. “What’d I ever do to you guys?” 
His own little filly wiped a tear from her right eye and tried to get a grip on herself. “S-sorry Dad! Surprise is just the best at this stuff!” She laughed out harder, not being able to make another syllable. 
“Don’t worry!” Surprise reassured. “It’ll wash off with water!” 
Rainbolt took in a sigh of relief. “At least I have that…” 
Rainbow was at last able to regain control of herself within that short period of time. “How about I go getchya a wet rag?” 
“Thanks, Dashie…” 
With that, the cyan filly left the room in a dash, leaving Rainbolt and Surprise alone together. 
“So…” Surprise started. “How have you been?” 
“Well, aside from waking up with marker on my face, pretty good. You?” 
“I’m doing great… So… I was just thinking…” Surprise rubbed her neck nervously. “So…. You know how you owe me a favor?” 
Rainbolt cocked his head in pure confusion. “I…owe you a favor?” 
“Yeah, you know that time I found Dash in the woods during the camping trip, and you were all like, ‘I owe you one’.” Surprise quoted Rainbolt in her most generic stallion voice. 
“Oh, right… Well, what do you want me to do for you? Watch your cat? Paint your house? Buy your groceries? Do your laundry?” 
The pretty mare giggled. “Nice try, Silly Billy.” She pat Rainbolt’s head, and toyed with his messy, rainbow mane. “I…well… you know how uh… “ A heavy blush appeared on her face. “Hearts and Hooves Day is coming up and I was wondering if maybe…. You could uh… T-take me out…” 
Rainbolt’s scribbled-on face was glowing a bright red, and had been since “Hearts and Hooves Day” left her mouth. 
“Y-you mean l-like a date…?” Rainbolt asked shyly. 
“Well, yeah… You know… just you and me and stuff…” 
The pretty mare stared at the ground with a heavy blush and Rainbolt froze.
“I-It doesn’t have to be expensive or anything… I-It can just be a walk in the park or s-something….” 
Surprise felt her eyes swelling with tears. What’d she just do? 
“Surprise…” The stallion finally spoke. “I… I, uh… I… I know I owe you a favor, but…I-I wasn’t expecting it to be…” Rainbolt stopped as he saw the mare’s eyes swell with tears further. “I-It’s nothing personal, I just don’t… you know… I only think of you as a friend, and you’re a great friend, it’s just…” 
“I’m not asking you to be my coltfriend, though!” She argued with tears filling her eyes. “Just give me one night and I swear I’ll make it worth it! Just one date! Y-You never have to speak to me again! J-just…please….accept this…” 
An army of guilt invaded Rainbolt’s heart. He didn’t feel anything but friendly towards her, but… Her tears, her emotional argument, her desperateness… It all got to him. Maybe they could just go on one little date… that wouldn’t be so bad, would it..? What if he led her on, though? What if after that night, she became even more in love with him? Was she in love, though? Maybe it was just a little crush that would blow over. He just… didn’t want to make her sad. As a friend, he was concerned for her feelings, but at the same time, he didn’t want to go on the date. He wanted to spend that evening at home with Rainbow, but… Oh, what was he to do? 
Surprise looked at the stallion with further saddening eyes. Why would she do this? She shouldn’t have mentioned it! She really, really shouldn’t have! Ever since flight school, she’d envied seeing Firefly in his arms. She envied every tender kiss he landed on her friend’s lips. She only wished she could have been Firefly for one measly day… Just to feel that love and comfort she so desperately longed for. Even if Firefly would have never existed, Rainbolt would have never loved her, anyway. As sweet as he was, he’d still reject her. Who could ever appreciate a hyper mare? Nopony in Equestria would be tolerant enough to put up with her cheesy jokes… Nopony could love a mare who was always in everypony’s personal space… Her crazy antics… Who would love that? She was unlovable. How could she even consider he’d say yes to her? She was too… unlikeable. She’d never had a coltfriend before… She’d been rejected numerous times…Why would this time be any different? 
“I…I…” Rainbolt started nervously. “One little date…? That’s it…?” 
The anguish in Surprise’s heart instantly faded and her wings sprung up in joy. “A-are you saying yes?” 
Rainbolt rubbed his neck nervously and blushed. “Yeah…As long as we’re just friends afterwards….” 
Without warning or consent, Surprise tackled her friend with an affectionate hug. Her hooves tightly grabbed around his chest. 
“Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” 
Rainbolt giggled and affectionately pat Surprise’s back. “Yeah, yeah…” 
For a long minute, Surprise didn’t let go. Rainbolt slowly put his arms around her and returned the hug lovingly. The white pegasus dug her head into his chest and nuzzled him sweetly. 
Oh my gosh! She thought to herself. This is going to be the greatest night of my life! 
Oh my gosh… Rainbolt thought to himself. This is going to be the strangest night of my life…. 

     Dreamscape sighed as he allowed the little, cyan filly into his home. 
“Listen, Rainbolt, I know I say I’m always here if you need me to watch your kid, but I would like to know ahead of time!” 
“I know…. Sorry, Dream. I didn’t even know you’d have to watch her until today!” 
“It’s fine… I’ve messed up worse before.” The stallion smiled reassuringly at his friend. “So… You and Surprise, huh? Are you ganna take her home and, you know…when you’re done with the date.” 
“Huh…? What?! No! Dreamscape!” Rainbolt’s tone became a bit shrill and defensive as realization hit him.
“Hey, hey… Just sayin’. It’s not like you’ve had any action in like, over seven years!” 
Rainbolt’s face lit up. “Shut it! That's personal!"
“Yeah, I know… Sorry if I offended you or something.” Dreamscape tossed his friend a smile. 
“No, it’s okay… I really hope I have a nice time.” 
“I know you will. So where are you taking your little mare?” 
“To a little café down in Manehattan, and then a park. I’ll walk her home, and then everything will be back to normal…” 
“Alright, well… I need to get back inside and see what the kids are up to… Just, you know… Make sure they’re not killing each other.” 
“I doubt it.” Rainbolt replied with a smile, while Dreamscape slowly shut his front door. 
Rainbolt turned around as the door completely shut. 
“Alright…” The nervous stallion said to himself as he turned around and gazed into the neighborhood before him. “Let’s do this…” 

Rainbolt raised his hoof to the wooden door inches away from him. He only hoped the unfamiliar house was the right one. It was a pretty house, to say the least; a cloud home very similar to his own. The house was pale white and seemed like a very old-fashioned house. A small garden of blossoming flowers rest outside of the patio. The patio was very welcoming and bright with a wooden rocking chair on the front near the window. The address given to him earlier was identical to that one, so the odds were for him. Quickly, Rainbolt knocked against the door four times and took in a breath. 
“Coming!” He heard a familiar chime from the inside. Yep. That was definitely the right address. 
Rainbolt’s heart beat nervously as he awaited for the door to open. Although Dash was jumping with joy when she heard the news, her father was still pretty unsure of himself. He hadn’t been on a real date in nearly eight years. Well, when he had been trying to get Dash a new mom, that sort of counted, but at the same time it was with nopony he’d truly known. 
After what seemed like an eternity, Rainbolt was at last greeted by his hyper, sweet friend. Her eyes were happy and sparkly and her mane was poofy as ever. As usual, her lips were formed into a bright, cheery smile. He’d never seen her grin so wide and her eyes so wide with joy, which sort of creeped him out. 
“Hey, Surprise…you look nice…” Rainbolt blushed and forced a smile towards his date. 
“Thanks, you do, too… like always…” Her white face lit up and she put her hoof on the cute, black accessory around his neck. “I love the bowtie…” The little mare giggled at her friend and her voice became more shrill than usual. 
“Thanks…” Slowly and awkwardly, Rainbolt pushed Surprise’s hoof off his neck and away. “So… There’s a little place in Manehattan I was thinking we could go to. 'Cause that’s where we grew up ‘n’ all. I thought it might be nice and go there, maybe reflect a little.” 
The blush in the giddy mare’s face never subsided as she spoke. “That sounds nice… Which place are you talkin’ about, though?” 
“You know? That place near our old school? The one that we used to go to hang out? The little gang we used to be a part of?” 
The mare thought for a moment and her purple eyes suddenly went wide. “You mean the one that used to make the best French toast and always gave you a discount if you brought back an A on a test?” 
“That is the one…” Rainbolt and Surprise started migrating away from the mare’s home as they spoke. “Maybe after we could go for a quick fly or walk around that one nice, little park for a while. I could then fly you home and we could part ways. How’s that sound?” 
“That sounds really, really nice…So…What’s Dashie think of this?” 
“She was actually pretty shocked and a bit upset. I had already promised to be her very special somepony this year, but I think all she wanted was the candy.” He chuckled and continued on. “After I told her I’d still get her chocolates she felt a lot better, and was even pretty excited.” 
“Well, I’m glad she’s happy. You have a pretty good kid on your hooves.” 
“I know!” Rainbolt chimed with large amounts of pride. “She’s really been a ton of fun to bring up so far…”
“I’m glad for you. I mean, some foals nowadays are just awful! My nephews, for example. They once pushed a four year-old off a cloud and then laughed.” 
“What?! That’s awful… She…did live, right?” 
“Oh, yeah! The cloud was only like, six feet off the ground.” 
As the two approached the boarder of the neighborhood, they unfurled their tucked up wings and swooped into the sky below. Their flight led them in the direction of their desired destination. 
“I’m just glad she didn’t get seriously hurt….” 
“So am I!” Surprise said as they soared through the sky. They were facing the west horizon. The large sun was making its way beneath the cloud layer, and painted the sky wild shades of pink, vermillion, red, and little dabs of purple. 
Alright, Rainbolt…so far, so good… Just try to make the best out of this… Who knows? It may even be fun….


A little, silver bell rang to notify the small café of the couple’s arrival. Surprise trotted in happily with an irregularly paced heart. For her, that evening was going to be fantastic. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind of that. For her companion, however, he was still nervous. Never once had he imagined himself in such a strange situation. 
At that time in the evening, the little eatery wasn’t too packed at all. There was a young couple at a booth near a window, a single, old stallion sipping coffee, and an irritated-looking mother with three whining children. As they entered, they both noticed a sign that read, “Please seat yourself” with a drawn-on smiley. 
“Booth or table?” Rainbolt whispered to his date. 
“Table… Booths are too boothy…” She replied in a harsh tone. 
“I, uhh…. Alright. Table, it is…” 
With that, the two pegasi ventured deeper into the café and found a seat at a nearby table for two. The table was near a window and they both had a fantastic view of the setting sun before them. Surprise didn’t even glance at the picture perfect setting sun, however. She stared deeply into her crush’s eyes and smiled. Rainbolt stared back, a bit uncomfortably. 
“So…what do you plan on getting?” He asked Surprise and started looking through a little menu they had at each and every table. 
“French toast, like always.” The pretty mare started playing with her yellow mane cutely as she smiled at the stallion before her. 
“I’ll probably get the same thing.” For entertainment, the stallion flipped through pictures of the various items they served at the diner. “Wow… All this looks so good. I’m gettin’ kind of hungry.” 
Surprise smiled brilliantly and took the opportunity to have a little fun. “Hi, Gettin’ Kinda Hungry, I’m Surprise!” 
The stallion dropped his menu and stared at the mare for a good minute, slowly absorbing the joke. 
“That’s not funny, Surprise….” 
The mare giggled lightheartedly. “I’m not bein’ funny.” 
“No, you’re not!” Rainbolt growled in a not-so-serious tone. 
Surprise smirked at her date. “Don’t be like that, Gettin’ Kinda Hungry… There’s no need to get upset…” 
“Surprise, I’m serious.” 
“Really?” She said cocking her head. Rainbolt nodded affirmatively. “That’s funny! I thought you were Gettin’ Kinda Hungry.” 
The stallion did nothing but sigh and roll his eyes. There was really no use arguing with her any further. It would only make him more stressed, and that was something he didn’t need. Maybe there was some way he could change the subject. Just about any topic would have satisfied him at that point. During one of the most fortunate of times, a waiter at long last came to their table. He had a dark green mane and soft, peach coat. His eyes were a light hue of crimson. He emotionlessly stared at the couple. 
“Can I get you a drink or something?” He asked with less emotion in his voice than his facial expression. 
“Sure thing!” Surprise chimed with a grin. “I will have some French toast and a sweetened tea, and Gettin’ Kinda Hungry over here,” Surprise nudged towards her date and he blushed heavily. “Is going to have the same thing with some lemonade.” 
The unicorn illuminated his horn and scribbled down some notes with a long, exaggerated sigh. 
“Anything else?” He asked in a bored tone. 
“Nope! That’ll do it!” Surprise chimed cutely. 
“Alright, your food will be done soon…”
With that, the stallion trot away with the order ready to be placed. Surprise smiled to her friend, who was still rather embarrassed from her not-so-cute nickname for him. 
“Surprise…” He hissed. “Why would call me that in front of him…?” 
The white mare shrugged. “Who cares? Not like you’ll ever see him again… ‘Sides, he knows we’re just joking around…” 
Rainbolt sighed heavily. “Alright… just… It made me feel strange… Also, how did you know I would order lemonade?” 
Surprise smiled. “Oh, Bolty, you act as if I’m not supposed to know these things…”
The stallion’s face twisted as his confusion grew. 
“I… Huh? I didn’t know what you were going to order…” 
“Well, duh!” She replied as if it were obvious. “That’s because you're not nearly as observant as I am!” 
Observant? Rainbolt did pay attention to detail, but not so much that he foresaw what Surprise would order that night. Heck, he didn’t even know he would be going on a date until that morning! Yet, Surprise…there was something not quite right about her… 
“Well…. I…I appreciate that you know me well enough to get me a drink without me asking. Uh, thanks… I guess…” 
“Anytime, Bolty!” his coworker chimed brightly. 
Rainbolt tossed his friend an awkward smile and remained uncomfortably quiet. He searched his mind for something more to say, but couldn’t think of a single topic. Silently, he simply stared at the happy mare he’d taken out. It was almost strange as he began thinking about it. 
So… Rainbolt thought to himself. You’re on a date…with Surprise… This is just too weird… She’s usually so annoying and crazy and a cheesy, yet this isn’t bad at all. I mean, it is a bit creepy she knew what I was going to order, but she hasn’t been too bad, even if she did embarrass me ten minutes into the date… She’s actually kind of pretty when she’s not being irritating or overly chummy. I mean, I wouldn’t make her my mare, but… this isn’t nearly as awful as I thought it’d be… 
The stallion’s thoughts were disturbed by two large glasses placed on the smooth table with a clank. One glass was filled with ice and a sweet, yellow liquid. Surprise’s glass was filled to the brim with a brown liquid and nearly twenty cubes of ice. Both drinks had lemon wedges on the rims of the glasses and straws that deeply penetrating the sweet juices. Surprise almost instantly wrapped her lips around the straw and began sucking up the sweet tea, never once glancing away from her handsome date. After robbing the glass of nearly half its liquids, she broke away and smiled at Rainbolt. 
“Wanna sip?” She asked. 
Rainbolt shook his head. “I… have my own. Besides, I have a bad habit of backwashing…” 
The mare giggled. “Pssh! You act as if I wouldn’t mind a little backwash!” 
The stallion’s face lit up and he chuckled a bit nervously. “That’s, uh… Surprise, you really are silly…” 
“And?” The white pegasus asked as she raised an eyebrow. 
“And, it’s…well.. Nice… I think…”

The young couple’s food came within ten minutes of them ordering it. Before them was set two plates of well-made French toast and a side of mixed fruits. Both orders had the pony’s drooling. The French toast was thick and fluffy with powdered sugar covering the top. Steam rose off the yummy food and both pegasi took in a big whiff.
“Mmm….” Surprise moaned as the scent traveled through her nose and awoke her mind. “Smells so good…” 
With her mouth, the little mare grabbed a pitcher of syrup and poured it over top of her delectable meal. Gooey rivers of thick, sweet sap flowed over her French toast and fell onto the ivory plate below. Only when her food was drenched in the syrup did she stop to begin eating. Rainbolt on the other hoof, put nothing but little hunks of creamy butter on top of his. The sweet diary product melted and was absorbed into the well-prepared bread. Their forks noisily clanked against the plates below them as they ate. Neither of the two ponies got to go out to eat that often. It was such a shame Rainbow wasn’t there. She would have really liked the place. Although, Rainbolt wasn’t too comfortable taking his little filly to the large city, anymore, it still would have been nice to bring her to that café at least once. 
“Wow…This taste just as good as I remember!” Rainbolt commented. 
“I know, right!”  Surprise agreed with a gleeful smile. 
Surprise took another greedy bite of her delectable dinner. The wonderful flavors mixed in her mouth and made her smile grow wider. Although Rainbolt’s meal was calmer, it was still delectable to the fullest, and satisfied him perfectly. While eating, they both remained rather quiet. The familiar taste gave them time to reflect on fond memories of visiting there when they were young and in flight school. 
“Hey!” Surprise suddenly spoke with a mouth full of half-chewed French toast. “Remember that time we came here and the manager kicked us out because we all started a food fight?” 
Even though “us” had been referring to both Rainbolt and Surprise, it was also referring to the small group of six he had as friends in fight school. He remembered getting caught up in a lot of trouble. Most of the time it wasn’t his fault, and he was usually the one to send a very long apology letter to whoever it was they may have harmed in the process of being teens. 
Rainbolt swallowed his bite of food. “Oh yeah!” He said with a large smile. “And like, half the diner participated because they were mostly from our school!” 
“And Dreamscape literally passed out because he was supposed to be watching us!” 
Rainbolt laughed at the old memory. “Oh, gosh! That was hilarious! Remember that mom with her foals when she started screaming at us and then her kids started spraying condiments everywhere!” 
Surprise giggled with a snort. “Oh, yeah…those were the days… “ 
Rainbolt smiled and went back to eating his meal in silence. Frankly, as much as being young again sounded nice, it wasn’t the most…joyous time in his life. For one; it was at the time he was dating Firefly…not particularly something he wanted to remember. Secondly, it was at a time his brother was growing increasingly more…insane. He was also bullied quite frequently back then. He had worn braces, and wasn’t very attractive. He was often times called rude names over being quite wimpy, and not making a single sports team, even though it was supposed to be his special talent. Rainbolt had sort of given up on what he was “meant” to do in life and went on working at the Weather Factory. It had been that way ever since. 
“So…” Surprise started after a long minute of silence. Rainbolt and she were nearly done with their meals at that point. “I know you said you wanted to go to a park or something after this, but… My tummy’s kind of full, and I don’t feel like walking that much, and well, it’s getting pretty late… I was hoping that maybe we could go back to my place and… Well, do something I always wanted to do with a stallion, but have never been given the opportunity to…” 
Rainbolt blushed heavily. She wasn’t referring to…sex…was she? 
“I…I-it depends on what you wanted to do and how late it is when we return home…” 
“Oh… I mean, if you were willing to do it with me, it’d mean so, so much… I’ve never actually had a coltfriend… I know I’ve asked a few colts, but none have agreed. They all said it was a bit too romantic to do with somepony they weren’t dating…” She sighed heavily. “Not to imply we’re dating or anything, it’s just… I think it’d be the perfect way to end the night…” 
Before Rainbolt could say a word, a small slip of paper was placed on the table before them.  
“Pay at the front.” Were the only words he spoke. 
“Uh, thank you, sir…” 
The stallion walked away from the table with no response. 
“Looks like somepony’s all alone on Hearts and Hooves Day…” She assumed hesitantly. 
“Yeah, I guess… He didn’t seem like he was in the mood to talk, though.” 
Surprise simply nodded in agreement, and Rainbolt cleared his throat to speak once again. 
“Listen, Surprise, I think maybe you should tell me what you wanted to do ahead of time…” 
Surprise blushed heavily. “I… I’ll tell you when we get to my house… if you don’t want to then, we don’t have to.” 
Yep. It was sex. It was most definitely sex. Rainbolt sighed. For that moment, he’d keep his suspicions in and wait for them to be confirmed later that night. 
“Alright, Surprise…” He replied hesitantly. “So… Are you ready to get out of here?” 
The mare gasped. “Before eating my fruits? Don’t you know an apple a day keeps the doctor away?” 
Rainbolt giggled. “Alright, but you do realize those are strawberries, watermelon, and grapes, right?” 
“Doctors have many mysterious fears!” The mare argued. “And I am not going to see a doctor anytime soon!” 
With her point proven, the white pegasus took in a large bite of the delicious mixture with a smile and thoroughly chewed. 
“Okay, you do that. I’ll go pay the bill, alright?” 
Surprise nodded and her coworker picked up the white slip of paper and headed to the cash register. On his way he read the total price and the items that tallied up and added on to it. The grand total was only fourteen bits. Not too bad for a date. 
Rainbolt’s eyes looked up from the bill only to notice a bored mare at the register before him. Her eyes were half-opened and her mouth remained in a frown. Her blue mane was tightly held back in a bun. Her silver eyes carried a little bit of disdain towards the approaching customer. Silently, Rainbolt set the bill on the counter before him. The mare glanced at him, shook her head, and pushed a few buttons on the cash register. 
“That’ll be fourteen bits, sir…” Her tone was as bored an emotionless as the waiter that had served him early. 
“Of course…” Rainbolt replied and dropped a small bag of bits on the counter. There were fifteen in the bag. It was the estimated price of the meal, and turns out he wasn’t too far off. “Keep the change.” He said with a smile. 
Quietly, the mare rustled through the bag and counted the individual bits, dropping fourteen into the register with bored eyes. 
“Thanks…” was her only reply. 
Rainbolt simply nodded and turned away. He flinched to see his beautiful date standing right behind him with a wide grin. Surprise giggled as he jumped. 
“Did I scare ya?” She asked gleefully. 
“I, uh.. yeah… Ready to go?” 
“Yep!” She chimed. 
“Alright, just, let me leave a tip and we’ll get going…” 
“No need! Already left one.” 
Rainbolt smiled at Surprise. “Thanks, but you know you really didn’t have to do that… I told you I’d pay for everything…” 
“Yeah, I know… But I left him a little more than a tip…” Surprise commented as she walked out of the café. 
“Huh?” 
“Oh, nothing…Let’s just get home so we can maybe possibly do what I wanted to!” 
With that, the little mare shot into the cool, dusk air and Rainbolt quickly fallowed behind. 
  I really hope this isn’t leading to what I think it is…
     
The young pair landed on the patio of Surprise’s welcoming home. She smiled at Rainbolt, who at the time was feeling more nervous than ever. His heart raced and sweat formed on his forehead. 
“Here we are!” The mare exclaimed. “Now, let’s get inside and take the rest of the evening to do something rather relaxing…” 
“Again…” the stallion started. “What exactly are we doing…?” 
“Something…” Surprise replied in a suspicious tone as she unlocked her door, and held it opened for Rainbolt to enter. He did with a nod and heavily thumping heart. What was that freaking mare planning? 
With a wide smile, Surprise closed her front door shut and flipped on a light. Her house was actually quite nice. There was a red rug in the middle of the living room, and a couple recliners around it. She had an upstairs, a very clean kitchen, and small living room all visible the moment one walked in. 
“Nice house…” 
“Thanks…now… as for the, uh…thing I wanted to do…” A heavy blush smeared across Surprise’s white face. She grabbed the stallion by the hoof and dragged him into the living room. That only made him more nervous. She let go of his hoof when she was in the center of the room. There was a miniature radio on her coffee table. She smiled sheepishly as she turned it on with the single touch of a button on top. Rainbolt stared in wonder as music was suddenly heard. The music was instrumental, and came at a very slow tempo. Surprise looked up at her date and smiled. “I… I…” She cleared her throat. “M-may I have this dance?” 
Rainbolt’s face lit up and his eyes went wide in shock. “You…all you wanted to do was slow dance?” Surprise nodded and smiled cutely. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?” 
Gently, the stallion wrapped his hooves around the mare’s lower back and beneath her wings. She blushed heavily and smiled as she slowly began swaying. Her hooves carefully ran up Rainbolt’s chest, over his shoulders, and wrapped around the back of his neck. 
“I… I thought it would sound weird or something…” 
“Oh, please, Surprise! This is nothing compared to what I thought you meant!” 
Surprise smiled as she swayed in her stallion’s comforting grasp. 
“That makes me so, so happy to hear…” She giggled lightheartedly and swayed to the peacefully music. “So… What did you think I meant?” 
Rainbolt’s entire face morphed into a bright shade of crimson. 
“N-nothing…” 
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Same shit, different day. Every single day, Clover woke up, went to work, and went home exhausted. The same customers came in. The same whining children spilt juice everywhere. The same old ponies complained about their food being not properly prepared. That day, however, was way worse than any average. That day was the well-dreaded Hearts and Hooves Day. Couples would come in and make kissy faces at each other, talk all lovey-dovey, and drink off the same damn straw. The very thought of it made the stallion want to throw up his guts. At least, it was at long last the end of the day. The majority of ponies had left with their lover, and hopefully they would never return. 
Clover took in a deep sigh as he approached a table he’d recently seen a happy little couple at. They disgusted him secretly, despite how nice they seemed to be. The stallion’s horn illuminated as he picked up a couple of dirty plates and set them on his cart full of other filthy dinner remains. As he went to pick up his tip, he noticed it wasn’t scanty as usually. Whoever had tipped him left not a few, but nearly eight bits. That was far more than he ever received from nearly anypony. Clover gasped and stared for a moment in disbelief. Then, another thing caught his eye. Something he should have seen before. A little, white piece of paper with red mouthwriting and a little illustration in the bottom corner. He set the generous pile of bits on the table and picked up the note. He held it inches away from his face and read it within his mind

   Heya Clover! (I know your name because I read your nametag!) 
I know you don’t know me or anything, but I saw how sad you looked when you delivered our food and stuff… I can’t really say I know what’s on your mind, but I can say this: Whatever it is, I’m sure it can be overcome. Maybe it’s because you don’t have a very special somepony today… that would make me sad. The stallion who took me to eat here is just a friend… It sucks, too, I know… But he agreed to take me out because he’s caring and sweet, and that’s why I love him. I’m not saying this to make you feel bad, I’m saying this for encouragement. Listen, I gave you eight bits. I can’t control you or anything, but I hope you spend it on some candy for yourself tomorrow! Or maybe, you’ll spend it on somepony else. Don’t think I didn’t see you looking at that sweet, little mare at the register! I also saw that pretty mare looking back at you! If you’re feeling lonely, don’t be shy to ask her out. I was shy, too, but look at how my evening turned out!  Why not get her some roses and ask her out? The night’s not over yet, you know. Or if anything else, break out a radio and ask her for a dance! That’s what I’m going to do when me and my date get back to my place! It’ll be so, so awesome if he says yes! You shouldn’t feel sad or upset, because somepony cares about you. I mean, look at me, I’m a complete stranger, and I gave a little in hopes you’d smile. I hope the rest of your evening is a blast! 
From your friend, 
Surprise. 

The stallion stared at the paper a good minute before he looked back at the mare handling the cash register. She was twirling her little locks of hair with her magic… She was genuinely a sight to see. He looked back at the note, and for the first time all that day, his lips curled into a large, inevitable, smile. 

> 19. I'm Special 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbolt smiled at his daughter as she came out of her room with a frown stuck to her face. Crust bordered her eyes and her 
multi-hued mane stuck up in every direction. Her new saddle bags rested on her back and uncomfortably dogged her wings
Summer flew by faster than Dashie herself, and she was quite saddened to have to go back to the dreaded prison. She absolutely hated school with a burning passion, and couldn’t express it through any words in any language. 
“Awe, don’t look so sad!” Her father encouraged. 
“I don’t want to go to school!” She protested with a stomp of her hoof. 
Rainbolt smiled and shook his head. She was so cute when she was reluctant. Sometimes. 
“Don’t feel bad!” Her father smiled and pointed to her flank. “At least you have that beauty to show off!” 
Rainbow looked down at her beautiful prize with admiration and pride. He did make a valid point. She was desperately looking forward to shoving her well-earned cutie mark in Windy's face. As far as she knew, she was the first pony in her class to get the mark of their destiny. 
“Oh yeah!” She smiled confidently at her father. “I guess that’s a good thing…” 
Out of every day that long, harsh summer, Rainbolt was most proud when his little daughter came home with a cutie mark on her previously bare flanks. He never expected her to get a cutie mark at such a young age. He hadn’t got his until he was nearly ten, and although he was meant to be athletic, he never really expanded on the talent like he should have. He had no regrets, though. 
Rainbolt nudged his daughter and they started towards their front door. Unlike most school years, Dash wasn’t as reluctant this year. The previous year she locked herself in her room and begged not to go to school. Rainbolt practically had to drag her to school. To see she was at least complying that year was a good sign. 
Rainbow and her dad stepped onto their front porch and looked into the atmosphere. Pegasi flew in all different directions. Birds could be heard singing from below and the sky above was nice and clear. For the time being, at least. Rainbolt had personally scheduled rain a few areas over Cloudsdale that afternoon. Sometimes, it was nice knowing the weather far before anypony else. 
“Ready for a new school year?” Rainbolt asked as he and the little filly shot skyward. 
“I guess…” Rainbow responded. “I heard the fourth grade teacher’s pretty mean, though…” 
“I hope not…” Rainbolt tossed his daughter a reassuring smile and she responded with a faux grin. 
“It could always be worse…” 
“I know, Dad…” Rainbow said with a sigh. 

Rainbolt and his daughter landed on the school grounds. Rainbow frowned in dread. Her heart raced and her mind flew back home where it belonged. 
“Do you need me to walk you to class?” 
“Dad!” She shrieked with anger lingering in her tone. Her face lit up red from embarrassment. “I’m a big pony! I can walk myself to class!” 
Rainbolt shrugged and grinned. “Alright, Miss Big Pony, whatever you say! I’ll come pick you up at two!” 
“I know, Daddy. I’ll be in Miss Stormy’s room.” 
The little filly had never formally met Miss Stormy. The only thing she knew was her ugly appearance and the rumors that revolved around her title. Rainbow dreaded the long two years she was going to face. 
Rainbow started to trot off after giving her dad a quick peck on the cheek and hug good-bye. She ran into the singular building and stared down the halls. The usual smell lingered within the white-painted hallway. With long periods of hesitation, Rainbow slowly made her way down to the hall and past her previous classrooms. First, Miss Whirlwind, then Mr. Snowflake, who was her personal favorite out of all her teachers, and then, her new classroom. This was it. It was the day she’d see if the rumors were true, or simply lies made up to scare her. The classroom door was opened wide and a whole bunch of fillies and colts were galloping about, talking, giggling, and smiling before the long day ahead ensued. She even saw Windy, who still had a flank more barren than a desert. Her eyes lit up at the sight. 
“Name?” A bored voice asked the second Rainbow trotted in. 
Rainbow’s pink eyes met an old pony’s dull, navy ones. Her gray mane was tied back in a bun, and her coat was a soft shade of grey as well. Her face was littered with wrinkles and showed absolutely no emotion. 
“Rainbow Dash!” The little filly announced with a forced smile. 
The mare’s eyes scrolled through a list of names before she stopped on one and put a check next to it with her pen. 
“Alright, you sit there….” 
Rainbow stared in confusion as the mare pointed towards a desk in the very front of the room. She’d never once been told where to sit. With the memory of bone-chilling rumors, the cyan filly took her designated seat and sighed heavily. That was going to be a long day. Rainbow put her heavy head in her hooves and stared at the green chalkboard. The name “Miss Stormy” was written in bold, white letters. She already hated the class. At least she was the only fourth grader with a picture on her flanks. If she were lucky, she may even get mistaken for a fifth grader! She already was as awesome as one! 
After a minute of dreading the school day, four high-pitched dings announced the beginning of the school day. The grouchy mare quickly closed the door and locked it before turning to her unenthusiastic class. Most of them were in their seats already, but a few were still scattered around the classroom standing about. The reminder instantly sat at their desks after a long, disdainful look from the teacher at the board. She didn’t stop staring at the class until everypony quieted down. It was the fifth graders who were silent before the younger students. Finally, the teacher spoke in a rough, unattractive voice. 
“Alright, class… Normally, the teachers at this school start out with a little exercise to get to know each other. You all, however, aren’t babies anymore! I’m not going to waste an entire day letting you make friends! School isn’t about friends!” Rainbow already hated that teacher. Her tone then became less irritating and far calmer. “I will, however, allow you to share one memory from your summer vacation if you please. After that, we’re going to dive straight into a lesson.” 
A lesson? On the first day? This pony was absolutely evil. The thought of an approaching lesson forced a few hooves into the air. Rainbow looked around and decided to share her little summer achievement. It would only stall the dreaded school work further. 
“How about…you? Sandstorm?” The teacher pointed to a little colt way in the back. He had a dusty, yellow mane and orange coat. His eyes were vermillion  and his voice was quite deep. 
“I went on a three-week camping trip with a few of my uncles!” He announced with pride. 
“Alright, good. You?” 
A sheepish, little filly smiled. Her eyes were the color of sapphires. “I went all the way to Los Pegasus with my family to visit some relatives.” 
Through both of the ponies stories, Rainbow’s hoof remained high in the air. She grew a bit impatient as her arm started to ache. Silently, Miss Stormy pointed to another colt, leaving Rainbow’s efforts to get her attention unnoticed. 
“I went to my aunt’s house and stayed there for a couple weeks! She taught me how to make gingerbread and candy carrots!” 
At that moment, Rainbow Dash could have definitely used some candy carrots. She continued to keep her hoof up high and wait to be called on. At long last, the teacher quickly nodded at Rainbow who smiled widely given the opportunity to speak. 
“I went to Summer Flight Camp, and did the first ever Sonic Rainboom!” She smiled and levitated a couple feet from her seat. “I also got my cutie mark!” She announced with pride, pointing to her flanks. Her cutie mark was the shape of lightning coming out of a cloud, but the bolt itself was blue, yellow, and red. The teacher rolled her eyes at the young filly. 
“Oh, great! This year, we have not only a showoff, but a liar!” 

Rainbow sighed as she began nibbling at a cheese sandwich her father had thrown together for her before she left.The whole grain bread and Swiss cheese was far too healthy for her taste. He'd also packed a bag of chips, a juice box and a home-made brownie . She preferred to just nibble on the thick piece of bread, though. 
Rainbow hadn’t been having the best day… To start, her teacher didn’t seem to be too fond of her. She explained to her in front of the entire class how impossible it was to break the sound barrier, and she needed to stop telling fibs. After rudely accusing her telling a lie, she forced them to do a lengthy assignment. First, they had to write three paragraphs about themselves. Second, they had a timed worksheet to do. All of it was basic multiplication and division. Miss Stormy scolded her and accused her of cheating when she got all the answered right. She had been seated between a couple of fifth graders, after all. After she finished both assignments, she then had to suffer through a good thirty minutes of quiet reading. Because the assignment was unbeknownst to the little pegasus, she was forced to read articles from a newspaper. She really hated reading. Reading was for eggheads. 
Lunch that day was the first time all that morning that she actually felt relaxed. She sat on the soft, puffy cloud and stared into the clear sky. Clouds were starting to pile up, though. She had been stressed over the never-ending assignments, and was so relieved when she at long last had a moment to sit down. 
Rainbow took a few more bites of her sandwich before giving up on it and tossing it to the side. Maybe, it’d be a wiser decision to simply munch on some chips for the rest of the lunch. She dug her hoof into the little, blue lunch bag and pulled out a smaller baggie within it. It was clear, and held a good amount of salty potato chips. She unzipped the bag and dug her hoof into it. She pulled out a little hoof-full of crunchy chips and popped them in her mouth. The savory taste of salt, vinegar, and potato invaded her mouth and brought a smile to her face. It did taste pretty good. The salt did have a way of drying her mouth, and she decided to then take a sip from her juice box. It had a green covering and an apple on the front. Daddy knew she loved apple juice. She loved apple cider more, though. With a long sigh, Rainbow separated the straw from the container it had been glued to with her teeth. She spat a bit of plastic out and pounded the top of the straw against her hoof. It would have only slipped through the cloud layer and she’d have to squirt the contents into her mouth. She knew that from experience. Finally, Rainbow poked the straw through the box of juice and smiled. She raised the white bendy straw to her lips, but didn’t even get a chance to take a single sip before she heard a familiar, annoying voice behind her. 
“Well, well, well… If it isn’t the legendary Sonic Rainboomer.” 
Rainbow turned her head to the little filly and stared in disbelief. She had a blue mane tied back in a pony tail, and a light blue coat. Her eyes were a dark shade of blue and her smirk was as menacing and provoking as always. 
“What about it?” Rainbow asked. 
“Oh, nothing… Everypony knows you’re just lying about that because you want attention. Nopony’s ever pulled that off? What makes you think you’d be good enough to even attempt something that big?” 
Rainbow growled. “How dare you! I did too do it! And I didn’t try to do it, it just kind of happened!” 
“Oh, yeah… I totally believe you!” she rolled her eyes and smiled at the filly. “What’s your cutie mark for, anyway?” 
“Flying.” Rainbow answered simply, and tried hard to get back to her mean. 
“Flying? Really?” The rude filly snickered. “You mean, the thing every pegasus in Equestria can do? What’s are you other hobbies? Walking? Breathing?” she asked. 
Rainbow’s mouth dropped. “Hey! I’m good at flying! I also race and stuff!”
“Because flying and racing will get you so far in life! Your ‘talent’ is just as useless as you are!" 
“Hey! At least I have a talent! I don’t see you with anything but a blank flank!” 
“I’d rather have a blank flank than a talent as insignificant as flying!” 
“My talent is awesome!” Rainbow argued with more aggression building in her tone. 
Windy spoke up again in the most mocking tone she could. “’OH look, I’m Rainbow Dash! I fly and race and stuff just like any regular pegasus!’” She smirked evilly at the tormented filly. “I always knew you were pathetic!” 
Pathetic? That was it! That was the last straw! Rainbow growled at the little brat before pouncing on her. She used all of her bodily strength to pin her to the cloud layer below. The little bitch kicked and wailed and screamed when Rainbow landed a hard smack on her mouth. All of her anger went into the blow, and left a red mark under the filly’s right eyes. That was enough to draw in the attention of bystanders. Rainbow lifted her hoof and smacked her face again with all her strength. She hit her face again and again. She did nothing to fight back, but heavily cried and screamed for help. Rainbow’s anger was dropping as she saw the little filly crying. She’d wanted to do that for such a long time… 
As Rainbow was going in for her sixth hard blow, she suddenly felt a pair of hooves wrap around her torso and desperately try to separate her from the victim of her anger. Rainbow struggled hard to remain connected to her venerable, crying target. 
“Let me go!” She demanded and kicked furiously. 
The mare that had picked up the angry, little filly turned her around and met eyes. The teacher’s were full of anger and hate. Rainbow gulped as she slowly faded back into reality and was presented before the worst teacher she’d ever met. 
“I’ll see you after class…” 

For what felt like the millionth time, Rainbow Dash wrote “I will not attack my peers” on the green chalkboard. Her jaw was starting to ache from the excessive writing, but she so desperately wanted to get it over with. It was the worst of her punishment, along with eating in the office for a full two weeks instead of outside with the rest of the fillies and colts. Not that she ever ate lunch with anypony anyway. Windy, on the other hoof, got off with nothing but a black eye and sympathy from her peers. It would be only dreaded moments before her father would fly in and see what had happened. She dreaded that moment so, so much. She didn’t want him to know a thing of it, but it was all inevitable. She hated it when her father was disappointed in her. It made her feel like an awful pony. 
Unfortunately for Rainbow, her father arrived the same time as usual. Five minutes after school ended. She was going on nearly her sixtieth sentence when the stallion popped his head in the room. Rainbow turned her head and dropped the chalk when she heard the classroom door open. At first glance, he already knew Rainbow was in trouble. He remembered writing sentences after class quite a few times when he was a young colt. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was still far better than his alternative, corporal punishment. 
Slowly, Rainbolt read through the sentences. He thought his eyes were deceiving him at first. Rainbow looked away from her father, just knowing his face was probably burning with disappointment. She couldn’t stand to look at him for more than a second. She instead looked at the ground in shame. 
“Seriously?” Her father finally spoke up in a more firm tone. “Fighting?” 
Rainbow turned to her father and frowned. “Sorry…” was her only response. 
“Sorry? Rainbow, this is serious! You could have gotten hurt or something! What were you thinking?” His tone was quite angry, but he managed to keep the volume as low as he could. 
“Well…I….” She thought for a moment and swallowed. “Dad…Can I talk to you…i-in private?” 
Rainbolt glanced at the teacher, who was stamping papers over and over again. She looked up at the stallion. 
“There’s nothing to explain. Some filly was making fun of her, so she pinned her to the ground and punched her in the face.” 
“Rainbow!” The stallion raised his volume in disbelief. 
“Daddy, I’m sorry! You should have heard the things she was saying to me, though!” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Rainbow, there’s no excuse to fight if she didn’t strike you first!” 
“Dad….” She repeated in a more serious tone. “Can I please just talk to you in private?” 
Rainbolt hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should or not… She was in mid-punishment, and there wasn’t anything left she could say to make it any better… Maybe it wasn’t related to the whole situation, though, although…chances were it was. If she was that desperate to say something personal to him, than he supposed he should at least be considerate enough to accept her offer. 
“Alright…” The stallion started. “Let’s go into the hallway…” 
Dash forced a smile and bolted into the hallway before her father moved an inch. He sighed heavily and trotted out after her. Once at his desired location, he closed the door with his hind leg and stared at his daughter. 
“Daddy….” She started. “Do you think I’m useless?” 
Rainbolt was instantly confused by the question. “Of course not…why in all of Equestria would I think you’re useless?” 
Dash’s eyes began to water. “B-because…My special talent is flying…” 
“And?” 
“And everypony can fly, Dad! Just because I’m better at it doesn’t mean anything!” 
Rainbolt stared his daughter for a long moment. 
“Why would you think that, Sweetheart…?” 
She stared at the ground, and then back to her father with watery, sad eyes. “Why do you think I got into a fight to start with…?” 
That’s when it sunk in. Everything she was asking him was all taunts and provoking insults said to her by a mean old filly. 
“Rainbow… Listen, that’s still not a good reason to fight, but….” 
“But?” 
“But I can at least see why you’d do that…” He looked at his sad daughter. “Rainbow, do you remember what I told you when you first got your cutie mark?” 
“That the Sonic Rainboom was just a myth, and you didn’t think I actually did it?” 
Rainbolt sighed. It was true; the thought of his own filly achieving something that legendary was extremely hard to believe. At that point, he did lie a few times and said he believed her. There still was never enough proof, and he couldn’t help but think it was only her imagination sometimes. He did want to believe her, however, and he did try his very hardest to force the tale into his stubborn mind. 
“No, Sweetheart…what else did I tell you?” 
The cyan filly thought a moment. “That you’re proud of me?” 
“And?” 
“And that I have a very special talent…” 
“There you go…” 
“But why…? I’m nothing special… I just fly… It’d be like if you were good at breathing…” 
“Sure…” Rainbolt started. “You may be able to fly like everypony else, but you’ve taken that ability and done amazing things with it… You’ve proved that there’s more to flying than just transportation. You’re a great flier, Rainbow…” Rainbolt wrapped a hoof around his daughter. “No matter what anypony says, you’re an amazing filly, and you have so much talent… Besides, I don’t think any normal pony could break the sound barrier.” 
Dash returned the hug. Her eyes started to glisten and her mouth turned into a smile. The warm comfort of her father’s embrace, along with his kind words cheered her up dramatically and made her feel less terrible about the terrible day. 
“I love you, Daddy…” She said into his ear. 
“I love you, too…” he stated back and hugged her a bit tighter before breaking away. 
“Now, I think you have some sentences you should attend to.”  

> 20. Sweet Dreams 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     As spring arrived, things began to change for the worse. Mainly for Dashie and her dear friend, Fluttershy. Over the course of Summer Flight Camp, Dreamscape thought it would be a good idea to send his daughter there along with Rainbow. He thought that it’d be a chance for her to make friends and even improve her flying. Although Fluttershy didn’t come home with stories of new-found friends or improved flying abilities, she did come back with three pink butterflies on her flanks. The very day he’d picked her up from Summer Flight Camp and the mark of destiny had appeared, he’d stopped sending her to the awful place. That very day was a pretty big scare for him, however. When he first arrived at the camp, a couple administrators told him Fluttershy had fallen nearly seventy-five feet below the cloud layer. That news alone nearly made him pass out. He was beyond grateful when he they immediately proceeded the bad news with the brighter news that she’d been returned safely in one piece. He was so happy to see her, and although he asked a million times if she were okay, he was still worried she was somehow hurt. She claimed to have landed on a migrating swarm of butterflies and that was the reason she hadn’t been severely injured from the fall. When she reached the ground below, a loud boom caused a whole bunch of animals to be frightened away. After comforting the poor creatures and calming them down, she earned her beautiful cutie mark, and her father and mother had never been more proud. 
There was, however, one set-back that came with her great achievement. She was destined to care for animals and tend to their needs and desires. Animals were a rarity in Cloudsdale, with the exception of a few migrating birds and pegasi who owned their own pets. If she ever wanted to expand on her talents, they’d have to relocate. Although Dreamscape and his dear wife loved living in Cloudsdale, they knew they had to move for the sake of their child. If her destiny rested on the ground, that’s where they’d venture. Even if it were a bit hard to leave their hometown… 
Moving itself wasn’t an easy task. They first searched tirelessly for a good location. Within only a week, however, they found a nice, little cottage on the far outskirts of Ponyville. It was located near the Everfree forest, as well, which promised a good population of animals for Fluttershy to tend to. The next step was saving up for the little home. Dewdrop picked up some hours babysitting and Dreamscape saved as much money as he possibly could from his job. After months of saving up, they were finally able to afford the home. That February, they’d gathered all their savings and paid for the home. When the caring parents told their little filly, she was both shocked and excited. She told her parents multiple times that they didn’t have to do that for her, but they would simply smile and shake their heads, telling her that they wouldn’t consider themselves real parents if they didn’t do something to allow her to explore her newly-found passion. Since then, Fluttershy had been over the moon about the move. 
Not everypony had been excited for their departure, however. Rainbolt was a bit saddened when he first heard the news. He enjoyed having the convenience of having his best friend living so close by. He’d visit him every so-often, and was the go-to babysitter for Dashie. He’d still see Dreamscape every once in a while, but it wouldn’t be as often. Rainbolt supposed he could visit him when Dreamscape was on break at work or something… As long as he still had access to his good friend, everything would be alright. 
Dash was unbeknownst to the news at the time. In fact, a week before the family was going to move, Dash still hadn’t the slightest clue they were leaving. Rainbolt wanted to tell her, but didn’t want to make her sad. The news had to be thrown at her eventually, though. Breaking the news was on Rainbolt’s shoulders. It had to be done, and he knew it’d be difficult. Nearly every other weekend, they’d visit their home for a play date. The two fillies bonded quite a lot, and letting go wasn’t going to be easy for Dash. The trips to their house would be longer, so fewer visits were sure to come. Rainbolt only hoped his daughter wouldn’t take the news too badly. He didn’t know exactly when it would be a good idea to tell her, so he went to Dreamscape for advice. Dreamscape wasn’t the best when it came to lending other ponies’ a hoof with their problems, but he was good when it came to foals. It was no wonder Fluttershy had been turning out so well. Rainbolt decided to visit his friend the one time he was available; during break at work. Dreamscape would usually stay in his office and munch on a packed sandwich, fruit, and vegetable crisps. It lasted an hour and started at quarter ‘til one. At times, Dewdrop would pay him a visit during lunch and surprise him. Rainbolt, however, rarely visited anyone if he didn’t have to. This trip, however, felt mandatory. Rainbow was at school, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. 
The periwinkle stallion shot through the lobby doors and through the hallway. It was aligned with one door on the left, and the other on the right, and one in the very back that lead one to the actually factory. Rainbolt opened the door at the very end. Inside were hundreds of pegasi noisily moving around. Loud machines rumbled and gurgled, sending storms of noise throughout the industry. Rainbolt ignored the noisy machines and flew towards his dear friend’s office. He didn’t knock or hesitate to invite himself into the large room. It was pretty big with a singular machine in the back. That workplace was shared by nearly twenty ponies. As he suspected, Dreamscape was sitting a desk, munching on a peach. Sweet juice dripped from his mouth and down to his chin. After Dreamscape met eyes with his good friend and took a moment to grasp the situation, the stallion wiped the peach’s blood off his mouth with his light blue hoof. 
“Hey, Rainbolt… Didn’t expect to see you here.” He said in shock. 
“I know, I know…I just needed some advice.” The stallion replied, closing the door behind him. 
“Oh… Well, you couldn’t have waited until this afternoon or something? Is it that urgent you had to come all the way to the Weather Factory?” 
“Well… It’s about Dashie…” 
Dreamscape perked his ears up and stared directly at his friend. Rainbolt used to constantly ask him parenting tips, especially when Firefly first left him. As Dash grew older, however, he steadily stopped asking for advice and simply did what he thought would be a good idea. 
“I’m listening…” he started. 
“Well… I still…haven’t told her about Fluttershy moving… I don’t know how to… I mean, I know I have to… It’s just going to be hard… Do you know how bad she’ll be hurt?” 
Dreamscape blinked, and then thought for a moment. 
“Well…when I first told Fluttershy, she was a bit sad about being distant from Dash… I promised her that we’d visit you guys at least once every month…” Rainbolt smiled a bit simply from knowing that. “But I don’t know how Dash will react. She and Fluttershy are pretty opposite… Maybe you could start off by telling her that we’ll only have a play date once a month. When she asks why, just tell her about our move… It shouldn’t be that hard…” 
“Alright…I will… Still don’t know what I’m going to do if I need somepony to watch Dash on short notice.” 
Dreamscape chuckled. “There’s always Surprise, ya know.” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes. “Would you trust Surprise alone with your kid? She’s sweet ‘n’ all, but if Dashie were to run off, I don’t think she’d know what to do.” 
“Oh, yeah… Anyway…  I think I should get back to my lunch… My shift restarts in about…” He turned his head and peaked at the clock. “Thirty minutes….” 
“Oh, yeah…sorry…” Rainbolt blushed and smiled. “I didn’t mean to disturb you or anything.” 
“You didn’t… Sometimes, I like having company when I eat.” 
“Be grateful. I never get company when I work.” 
Dreamscape smiled. “Maybe you would if you didn’t work during the night. I know I wouldn’t get my butt up at three in the morning just to visit you.” 
“I wouldn’t with you, either.” 
The two stallions smiled at each other a moment. Neither knew how to continue the conversation, but fortunately, neither had to. It was a sudden, quite startling moment when Surprise jumped up between the two from seemingly nowhere. Her hooves wrapped around both of their necks, forcefully bringing them closer together. 
“Were you two talking about me?” She asked in her usual, cheerful voice. Both stallions were shocked by her sudden appearance, and both slowly nodded. The white pegasus smiled and released the two from her harsh grasp. “Thought so! I get these little tingly feelings that let me know stuff!” 
Rainbolt and Dreamscape tossed each other a confused and unsure expression. Surprise could be…quite strange sometimes. 
“Surprise….” Dreamscape started. “We weren’t talking bad about you or anything… We were mostly just talking about how I’m going to move here soon…” 
“Oh, I know!” Surprise chimed, and then her optimistic vibe subsided and morphed into a more serious one. “I remember when my best friend moved away…. The night before we had a huge sleepover. We made popcorn, and watched movies, and talked, and played truth or dare, and sang, and whatever else we wanted!” 
Rainbolt glanced at his friend.
“That may not actually be a bad idea…” 
“What? Gettin’ the fillies together for a sleepover?” 
“Well yeah… I think it’d be good for Dash and her to get a good night together before Fluttershy departures for good.” 
Dreamscape took the idea into consideration. They never had a sleepover together before… Maybe it would be sort of nice. 
“At who’s house though?” he finally asked. 
“Either. I mean, if it were at my house it’d have to be a Saturday night, because I work Sunday through Friday…. I think your house would be the safer bet, though. I know how Fluttershy is when it comes to adapting in new locations. Plus, Dash has a sleeping bag already.” 
Dreamscape took a moment to consider the plan. Dash wasn’t a bad foal at all, but she could be troublesome at times. She was a best friend to Fluttershy, and a night together wouldn’t hurt at all. They may even grow closer. 
“Sure… How about this upcoming Friday? You wouldn’t have to worry about bringing the rascal to work with you.” 
“Alright, sounds good. I’m sure Rainbow won’t mind at all…” 
The two stallions exchanged smiles. 
“Well…” Rainbolt continued. “I think I’d better be going. There’s only around a half hour ‘til Dash gets out.” 
“Have a nice day!” Dreamscape waved to his friend before taking another bite of his juicy fruit. Rainbolt slowly flew out the door and began to trot off. It wasn’t a moment later Surprise quickly flew in front of the stallion with a wide smile. Rainbolt stopped in mid-tracks and stared at the high-spirited mare. 
“Oh, and by the way, if you ever need somepony to baby sit Dashie, I’m your mare!”

Rainbolt silently entered his home with a frown on his face.  His little daughter followed closely behind him. Nearly the whole flight, he’d been silent. His only questions were asking about her day and what she’d like for dinner that evening.  Other than that, no words left his lips. Rainbow was confused by his awkward silence, and wondered if he were mad at her or upset. 
Rainbow set her saddle bag down on the couch and followed her father further as he headed down the hallway. He turned his head when he heard the little hoof-steps against the cloud floor. He turned and looked directly at his daughter. 
“Why are you following me?” He asked. 
“Why are you upset?” 
“I’m not upset…” He replied and his eyes met the floor. 
“Then why are you being so quiet?” 
Rainbolt sighed and stared at his daughter. 
“Rainbow, listen…there’s something… I need to tell you…” 
Rainbow cocked her head curiously. What was he hiding?
“What is it, Dad?” 
Rainbolt took in a breath and sighed. Telling her the awful truth wasn’t going to be easy… but it was absolutely inevitable. Was it the best time, though? It had to be done, and although the time didn't seem right, it was better than letting the inevitable drag out even longer.
“Well… First of all…” He bit his lip and tried to continue. “Rainbow, take a seat…” Dash didn’t go to a chair, but instantly lowered her rump to the cloud floor beneath her. Rainbolt sat down, as well. “To start, you have a sleepover with Fluttershy this Friday.” 
“Well…that doesn’t sound too-too bad….” 
“That’s not the bad part… Well, on top of that you’ll now be seeing Fluttershy…around… only once every month…” 
Rainbow cocked her head. “Why?” 
“Well…here’s where the bad news comes in….” Rainbolt bit his lip and looked down at his little filly. Curiosity filled her eyes. She didn’t seem worried or scared of the news whatsoever. “F-Fluttershy…a-and Dreamscape are… moving….” 
Rainbow did nothing but stare at her father with a blank expression. Had she…heard what she said? Was she having problems comprehending it? Was she internally sad…? The stallion gave his daughter a moment to speak. She was silent for the longest moment, but at long last spoke. 
“But I’ll still get to see her every month?” 
“Yeah, I promise.” 
“Okay!” was her only reaction. Her tone actually seemed…. Giddy. “Can you cook now?” 
Rainbolt stared at his daughter in disbelief. 
“You’re not….sad or anything that Fluttershy’s leaving?” 
“No…If I still get to see her, why would I be?” 
“I… Don’t know…. I was just expecting a bit more out of you….” 
“Sorry…” Rainbow apologized. “Can we cook now, though?” she repeated.
“It’s like two-thirty in the afternoon!” 
“But Dad…” she whined. “I didn’t eat lunch today!” 
Rainbolt seemed rather shocked by his discovery. 
“Why…Why not?” 
"Because..." She started, staring at the ground. "You made a bad one today..." 

“Alright…Ready to go?” Rainbolt asked his daughter, who at the time had a little saddle bag on her back. Inside rested some snacks, a sleeping bag, her tooth brush, and a family friendly VHS for the ponies to enjoy. Rainbow smiled at her father and nodded. “Alright…” The stallion continued as they headed towards the door. “Now, remember to be on your absolute, most perfect, most wonderful behavior for Mr. Dreamscape and Ms. Dewdrop! If I hear you did one little thing to make their evening imperfect, you’ll be grounded.” 
Rainbow sighed. Every time she went anywhere, she was always given a long, verbal warning about being good.
“Okay, Dad… I will…” 
Rainbolt nuzzled his daughter softly as he opened the front door. She passed him and smiled as the cool, spring air reached her nostrils. Spring always smelt the best. 
“Sorry for lecturing you so much, it’s just I really get nervous sometimes… You’re a good filly, you can just be a bit rambunctious at times…” 
“I know, Daddy…” 
With no more words, Rainbolt and his daughter shot up into the atmosphere, and headed towards the Fluttershy’s home. 

Rainbolt landed before the front door of his dear friend, Dreamscape. Rainbow beat her father there by a few seconds. She’d went easy on him. 
“You’re gettin’ really fast, Rainbow…” 
“I know!" She chimed with tons of pride. “I’m probably the fastest filly in all of Equestria!” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes and chuckled as he raised a hoof to the wooden door. He gently pounded against the door three times. 
“I’m coming!” a familiar, masculine voice called from the inside. 
Rainbow Dash and her daddy waited patiently, but were greeted within very little time. Dreamscape wore a smile on his face as he saw the two pegasi before him. 
“Come in, Rainbow…” he said, stepping to the side to give the filly room. Rainbow looked around the house as she entered. The white, cloud walls were puffy just like the ones at her own home. Their living room was much neater than hers. It had a sofa, along with coffee table in the center. There was a pink, circular rug under the table and a flower vase set on top of it. In the back of the room, there were several large boxes filled with items. Their house seemed oddly barren in contrast to how it normally was. Dewdrop was in the kitchen, mixing a large pot of pasta while humming a joyful tune. Fluttershy, however, was no place to be found. The cyan filly set her saddle bag down on the floor and galloped towards the mare in the kitchen. 
“Mrs. Dewdrop? Where’s Fluttershy?” She asked in the most polite manner she could.
The mare set her large mixing spoon down. She spoke in a soft, gentle tone. “In her room, chances are… She’s been pretty excited for the sleepover. She’s been talking about since the moment she got up…” 
Rainbow smiled. She always looked forward to spending time with Fluttershy. Although she’d never slept over at her friend’s house, she knew it would be just as fun, if not, more. Fluttershy was rather timid, so they always ended up doing mostly what Dashie wanted to do. Fluttershy never minded, considering Dash’s ideas were normally quite fun. 
“Thanks, Ms. Dewdrop!” Rainbow chimed and flew down the hall into the familiar room. She knew Dreamscape’s house as well as she did her very own. She sped towards Fluttershy’s chamber and gave the door three quick taps. From there, she simply opened the door. Even if Fluttershy did tell her to come in, she spoke far too soft to even be heard through the door. Slowly, Rainbow poked her head into the door. Even Fluttershy's room had several large, moving boxes. As she suspected, the butter-colored pegasus was lying on her polka dot bed, reading a book. Fluttershy was an egghead, just like Rainbow’s daddy. 
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow spoke up, and the little filly perked her ears up. She turned her head, and made eye-contact with her beloved friend. 
“Oh…hey Rainbow….” She said quietly. “Ready for our sleepover?” 
“Well duh!” Rainbow said with a smile. “It’s not like I came here for no reason!”       
The little pony blushed when she realized her mistake. She felt so stupid sometimes… 
“Oh…I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to…..” 
“Why are you apologizing?” Dash asked with a chuckle. “It’s not like you did anything wrong! I was just bein’ sarcastic. No need to get all apologetic over it.” 
Fluttershy again looked at the ground. “I’m sorry…” 
Rainbow laughed. “Seriously, Fluttershy, stop with all the apologizing.” 
“O-okay…” 
“So…” Rainbow started. “Watchya readin’?” 
The little pegasus smiled and held up a book. It must have been at least three inches thick. The front cover displayed the image of a few animals. One was a bunny, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a gopher. Rainbow cocked her head and internally read the title The Many Habits of Animals and How to Care for Them. Fluttershy frowned when she saw the confused look on her friend’s face. 
“Daddy got it for me when I for me when I first discovered my special talent… It tells all about animals and how to care for specific ones. That way, when we move to the ground I’ll already have tons of knowledge in advance!” 
“That’s cool… I guess…” 
Before Rainbow had a moment to respond, a blue-coated stallion stuck his head in the room. His blue eyes stared directly at the two fillies. 
“We’re cooking. You hungry Rainbow?” 
The little filly nodded with a smile. 
“Daddy made me a sandwich for dinner, but it tasted bad so I threw it away when he wasn’t looking.” 
Dreamscape chuckled. “I think your dad’s a pretty good cook.” 
“Only when he makes food on the stove or in the oven. Never when he makes cabinet food, though.”
“Well, alright, Rainbow. Whatever you say. Are you alright with having green beans with pasta?” The stallion then entered the entire room, getting bored with being in the hallway. 
“I don’t eat green beans. I do eat pasta, though.” 
“If you don’t eat your vegetables you won’t get desert.” 
Rainbow frowned. “But don’t like them!” she protested. 
“Whatever… Guess you don’t want apple pie, then.” 
Rainbow gaped. She loved apple pie, but only got to eat on rare occasions. During the holidays, her father would make the homemade desert. It always came out with delicious, warm, flakey crust. It was always filled fully with apple chunks and cinnamon. She always had it with a sweet scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The diary product would melt over the warm treat and lighten up the rich flavors. Her mouth watered a bit simply thinking about it. 
Rainbow snapped out of her memorable fantasy. Dreamscape was already heading out the door with a smile.
“Wait!” Rainbow said, holding a hoof up. Dreamscape turned to her with a friendly grin. The stubborn filly sighed. “I’ll eat the veggies…” A shudder ran up her spine at the profane thought of the disgusting taste. “As long as I get apple pie…” 
The stallion smiled in satisfaction. “Adda girl. Now, be a good little filly. Your dad firmly instructed I tell him if you do anything inappropriate.” 
“I know. Dad lectured me, too…” 
Dreamscape headed towards their bedroom door to exit. “Food should be done in around ten minutes I’ll call you two when it’s finished!” 

Rainbow took a seat at the dining table. Unlike her household, they had the table neatly set up for four. Plates the color of ivory rested before each chair. Silverware rested next to each plate and shimmered below the light bulb above. There were two large bowls in the center. One was filled with butter-drenched pasta with herbs. The other was smaller and filled with a disgusting, green vegetable. Rainbow almost felt like gagging when her pink eyes set on them. Fluttershy and her father were already seated. Dewdrop, who had prepared the lovely meal, finally sat down across from her family. She smiled and took in a breath. 
“I’m so happy I’m finally done with all the cooking…” 
Dreamscape leaned in and wrapped his hoof around his wife. He smiled and kissed her gently on the cheek. 
“You did a good job, Baby… I love you.” 
The pretty mare smiled. “I love you, too.” 
With that, the married couple leaned in and sensually kissed each other on the lips. Fluttershy smiled and let out a long “Awe!” while Rainbow gagged on the site before her. 
“Oh, be quiet!” Dreamscape playfully scolded. “Just ‘cause your old stallion doesn’t get any action, doesn’t mean it’s nasty!” 
“My daddy’s too cool for mares!” she argued. 
“Alright, Sweetie…. B-but it’s still not gross or anything…” Dewdrop defended her husband with a smile. 
Dreamscape leaned in and whispered in his beloved’s ear. “We could make it gross if you wanted to…” 
Dewdrop’s soft, yellow face lit up a bright shade of crimson as the stallion landed another soft kiss under her eye. 
“Gross!” Rainbow whined. “Ugh… I think I lost my appetite.” 
“That’s fine.” Dreamscape replied nonchalantly. “You can just wait for the rest of us to be done eating. You can go get ready for bed.” 
“No… I want to eat…” Rainbow grumbled. 
The mare and stallion smiled at the young filly. Silently, Dewdrop picked up the hot plate of pasta and passed it to her daughter on the other side of the table. She took it with verbal thanks and smiled. She set the heavy bowl next to her plate and took a nice, big scoop of pasta onto her plate. Transparent steam rose from the freshly cooked meal. Rainbow felt her mouth watering as the delicious smell of butter and herbs invaded her nostrils. 
After taking a small serving, Fluttershy slowly handed the bowl to the cyan filly next to her. She set the bowel on the right of her plate and took a generous scoop of pasta for herself. The savory meal was sprinkled in parsley and chives. Butter was melted over it and rested in a puddle at the bottom. There were several steamed vegetable chunks in the mix. She didn’t mind the carrots, broccoli, and squash chunks. She still, however, dreaded having to eat green beans. They were truly the most disgusting thing that ever existed on the planet. 
After each pony took their helping of pasta, the large container was again set in the middle of the table, still halfway full. It was not another second later Dreamscape stretched across the wooden table to hand his daughter the large bowl of steaming green beans. The sour smell of the healthy vegetable reeked in Rainbow’s nose. If she were lucky, green beans would be Fluttershy’s favorite food and she’d hog the entire bowl of them, not allowing her to get a single one. Unfortunately, Fluttershy did nothing except take a little ladle-full. She then handed the bowl of nasty veggies to her friend with a smile. Rainbow hesitantly took them and shuddered at the odd smell. She looked up at Dreamscape, who did nothing but smile at her. 
Yeah… Rainbow thought to herself. Smile at my misery…
With an exaggerated grunt, Rainbow set a very small spoonful of beans on her plate. She only had around seven total. 
“That’s all you’re going to take?” Dreamscape teased playfully. Rainbow sighed and dished a few more onto her plate reluctantly. The stallion nodded approvingly and Rainbow handed the bowl to his wife across from her. 
“Thanks, Sweetheart.” Dewdrop said with a smile and dropped a little pile of veggies on her plate. 
The little, cyan filly gazed down at the plate below her. They actually expected her…to eat that? Were they insane? Forks began to clank against plates as the ponies dug into their meals. Rainbow sighed. She’d start with the pasta and slowly work her way to the worst part of her meal. The savory, little bowties tasted twice as good as they smelt. The sweet, saucy butter filled her mouth. It tasted so, so good. Her fork went down and pierced a few more pieces of her delectable meal. The rest of the family relished in the delectable flavors as well. 
“Thank you for cooking, Mom…” Fluttershy stated quietly. 
“Oh, no problem, Dear… You know I don’t mind cooking.” 
Fluttershy smiled and her mother grinned back. 
“Seriously, the meal is great, Honey…” Dreamscape complimented. The little mare blushed. 
“Th-thanks, Babe…” 
The meal proceeded silently. Rainbow frowned as she grew nearer and nearer to finishing her yummy pasta. She only had a few pieces left, and whole half plate full of greens. She gulped. Maybe, she could drown out some of the awful taste with a bit of the pasta. With a sigh, she pierced a piece of pasta and stabbed a bean, skewering them onto the same fork. Rainbow Dash hesitantly lifted her fork to her mouth. Dreamscape silently smiled and watched as the little filly placed the profane food in her mouth. The awful taste of the veggies stung her tongue and made her want to barf the food back up. The pasta only helped slightly. 
“Not that bad, is it?” 
Rainbow forced herself to gulp down the ugly food. She shuddered as it slithered down her throat and left the harsh taste on her tongue. 
“Awful!” She argued in a huffy tone. 
Dreamscape chuckled. “Tell you what; if you can eat all of what you took, I’ll make sure you get an extra big slice of pie.” 
Rainbow frowned. That sucked so, so much, but… I nice, big piece of pie sounded really good at the moment.
“Okay…” Rainbow finally agreed, which earned a smile from the rest of her family. 
Reluctantly, Rainbow lifted her fork to her mouth and took another bite of the disgusting veggies. 

Rainbow had to admit, powering herself through the vegetables was one of the hardest tasks she’d ever faced. It took her longer to eat her greens than it did to get ready for school. However, she was rewarded with a nice slice of apple pie, which almost made up for the pain of having to consume the disgusting abominations. They finished their meals, and both little fillies were instructed to get themselves ready for bed. 
Rainbow’s toothbrush swished from each side of her mouth. Mint-flavored suds poured from the sides of her lips and fell onto the counter below. Dreamscape watched as his daughter and her friend thoroughly cleaned their food-stained teeth. Rainbow swished the cleanser around her mouth for a minute before spitting it all out. 
“Do we really have to go to bed now, Mr. Dreamscape?” Rainbow asked. 
“Sorry, Squirt. Fluttershy always heads to bed at this time.” 
“But it’s a sleepover! You’re supposed to stay up late ‘n’ stuff! It’s only, like, eight-thirty!” 
Dreamscape thought for a moment. “Dash…. What time does Rainbolt put you to sleep?” 
“I don’t have a bedtime. I normally go to bed around ten, though. That’s when Dad gets to work.” 
“Ten?!” The stallion asked in shock. Even Fluttershy was agape. “I… That’s really late for a filly your age…” 
“Sorry…” Rainbow apologized. 
“No need…. I, uh…wow.” He thought for a moment and then thought of something that seemed almost ingenious. “That’s pretty dangerous, you know?” 
Both filled cocked their heads, but Rainbow was the one to speak up. 
“Why?” 
The stallion smiled. “Get your beds set up and I’ll tell you both….” 
Rainbow grunted. Nothing was free in their household. 
Both pegasi set their toothbrushes back on the counters and flew off to the bedroom they’d be sleeping in. Rainbow instantly flew over to her backpack and pulled out the desired item. Her yellow sleeping bag slid out of her backpack. She looked down into her saddle bag. Movies and good snacks gone to waste. The evening hadn’t been all she planned. Just as she did every night during her father's work, she unfurled the portable bed and lied it out neatly. It came with a large lump at the end to serve as a pillow. 
“Why do you go to bed so early?” Rainbow asked curiously as she slid into her sleeping bag. 
The filly shrugged. “I get up around five in the morning… I guess it’s just always been that way…” 
Rainbow chuckled. “That’s kind of lame… I mean, no offense. I’d just much rather sleep in until ten or eleven! If I didn’t have school, I’d sleep-in every day!” 
“Oh…sorry…” 
“Stop apologizing for everything! It’s not like I’m mad at ya or anything!” 
“Sorry…” The yellow filly repeated. 
Before Rainbow could once-again tell her to stop saying ‘sorry’ Dreamscape entered his daughter’s room with a smile on his face. 
“Are you two tuckered out yet?” 
“No!” Rainbow answered proudly. “I’m bursting with energy!” 
The stallion giggled. “Alright, but listen… I’m going to tell you two ponies why it’s best to go to bed early. Will you listen?” 
Fluttershy did nothing but nod. Rainbow shrugged. There was no excuse to go to bed early in her opinion. 
“Alright. This is a legend I remember hearing once when I was young... don't remember a lot of the specifics, though..." 
Rainbow grunted. “You’re going to tell us a story?” she whined. 
Dreamscape rolled his eyes. “Yes, Rainbow… Now… This is a little scary, so you might get a bit frightened.” He turned to his daughter, to see if he caught approval in her eyes. 
Fluttershy sheepishly hid behind her blanket. Her father had told her a few scary stories in the past. Although they all scared her, she never told him. If he enjoyed spooking her, she didn’t want to cut into his fun… even if it wasn’t that fun for her. Besides, she assumed Rainbow would want to hear the story… Who was she to take that away from her friend? She was nine, so she knew she could handle it, anyway. 
Dreamscape knew his daughter was rather shy, but never actually thought he scared her too badly. She never once showed any signs of fright from his stories, and even seemed to enjoy them. Normally when she was afraid, she’d wake up in the middle of the night and cuddle into bed with him and Dewdrop. She’d never done that after a scary story. He’d come to a point where he was sure his little daughter only knew it as fiction and nothing more. Still, he needed her approval before trying it.  
“I love scary stories!” Dash chimed and sat up straight in her sleeping bag. Dreamscape smiled. 
“Alright, Sweetheart. Is your dad okay with me telling you this?” 
“Well, duh! I’m not a baby!” 
The stallion simply rolled his blue eyes. She was a cocky little thing. 
“Alright…here goes…” The stallion cleared his throat. “The reason Fluttershy- and you, too, Dash- should go to bed early is because of one, little reason….” He smirked at the two fillies. Fluttershy was already trying not to shiver from the dark tale. “There’s a pony of the night… He has big, purple eyes and a dark coat, with itty, bitty fangs in his mouth. Nopony knows his name….” The light-blue cheeks of the stallion lightly blushed pink. He’d been too lazy to name the pony of his made-up legend. Not giving him a name or background did seem rather stupid of him. “He’s a very special pony. Do you know why that is?” Both fillies shook their heads. Rainbow had become intrigued rather quickly. Dreamscape took in a breath. “Because this pony can see you anytime he wants… When he awakes in the night, he can use his powers to watch all the little fillies and colts… Yet, most of the time, they’re all dead...” Fluttershy’s teal eyes went wide and Dashie smiled brighter. “Or…at least he thinks they’re dead… In reality, they’re all sleeping like good little foals should. However, sometimes he sees other little ponies that are awake and active. That makes him very, very happy to see. So happy that he decides to visit the little ponies so he can have somepony to play with. He’ll enter through some kind of entrance in the house. It could be a window, door, chimney, or whatever. He’ll enter your room and realize what a playful little spirit you are…then… he’ll want to play with you. Forever.” The stallion smiled at the ponies. Fluttershy trembled beneath her sheet with a frown. “Every little pony he ever visited never returned… And that, my little ponies, is why you should always go to bed early…” 
The little duo stared at the stallion in wonder. Rainbow cocked her head with a frown. 
“That’s…it?” she asked. 
“Uh…yeah…why?” 
The little foal chuckled. “Ha! If anypony like that tries to get me, I’ll beat ‘em up! ‘Sides, it’s just an old mare’s tale!” 
“That may be so, but still… I think it’s time you two get to bed.” 
“Awwe!” Rainbow whined. “But I’m not even a little bit tired!” 
“Fluttershy’s tired, though!” 
The little filly stared at the ground. “I… I-if Rainbow wants to stay up I wouldn’t mind... I mean, sh-she’s the guest and all…” 
“See?” Rainbow pointed to Fluttershy and argued with the stallion. “Fluttershy doesn’t have any trouble with it!” 
“Rainbow, listen… Your father told me to give him an honest report of your behavior. Being argumentative isn’t going to get you a good report.” 
Rainbow grumpily landed her head onto the pillow beneath her. She’d lost that battle effortlessly. 
“Alright.... fine…” 
Dreamscape smiled and flew over to his very own daughter. Her pulled the pink blanket up to her chin and gently kissed her forehead. 
“Don’t let that old tale spook ya, okay?” 
Fluttershy nodded and rested her head on a neat stack of three pillows. 
“Okay, Daddy… I love you…” 
The stallion smiled. “I love you too, Sweetie Pie.” 
With that, the stallion went over to the door and flipped off the night switch. The previously bright room turned black.
“Goodnight you two… Sweet dreams...” 

Fluttershy’s eyes popped opened. Nothing but pure darkness surrounded her. She shivered in the cool air of the crisp night. What time was it…? The little filly turned her head and stared in the eyes of a virtual clock. One in the morning? The pony sighed and lifted her head. She saw a bright beam of yellow light leaking from the crack below the door. The loud snores coming from her best friend reassured her that she wasn’t alone. Maybe, that was a good thing. 
Slowly, Fluttershy swept back her soft covers and landed on the cloud floor below. The absence of light wasn’t the most comforting thing at that time. It may have been a better idea to sleep in the living room or something. Slowly, the pegasus wrapped her hoof around the door knob and slowly opened it. The wooden slab swung opened with a loud creak. Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she looked back to make sure her friend was still in slumber. Fortunately, Rainbow was still snoring away and drooling all over her sleeping bag. 
Fluttershy walked into the hallway. It was brightly lit up for some reason. Were her parents really up that early? Maybe they simply forgot to turn the lights off before they went to sleep... 
The little filly ventured deeper into the hallway. The restroom door was wide opened with a light on. There was a puddle of water on the floor. Fluttershy felt a cold jolt rush up her spine. What was going on…? Maybe then would have been the best time to find her parents. The state of house was completely unfamiliar, and was actually quite frightening to the little filly. 
“Mom? Dad?” She called out in a whisper. “Guys…?” 
In growing fear, the little pegasus galloped deeper into the hallway, running towards her parent’s bedroom. She shot down the hall, made a left, and stopped at a door. It was firmly shut with no signs of light on the inside. Fluttershy again considered calling out, but didn’t want to be rude and awake them at that time in the morning. It probably was nothing but them being forgetful and not shutting off the lights. Fluttershy decided it would be best to turn the lights off for them, and return back to bed. She was slightly spooked by the scary story her dad told her… The sooner morning came, the better it would be. 
As Fluttershy started to turn away from her parent’s bedroom, her ears perked up at the sound of something strange…. Something odd to hear during late hours at the night. 
“Squeaking…?” she asked herself in a very quiet whisper. 
Her guess was confirmed by another moment of distant, short squeaking. What in all of Equestria could have been making that sound…? Fluttershy turned her head. The closer she listened, the more squeaking she heard. She curiously continued to listen. Fear ran through her mind and made her want to run. Where was it coming from? It wasn’t until the little pony heard a soft, yet audible moan that she quickly turned in the opposite direction and sped off down the hall. Her heart beat fast and sweat build on her forehead as she zipped down the hallway and into her own room. 
“Rainbow Dash!” she shrieked in a shrill voice. “Rainbow, wake up!” 
The cyan filly raised her head from her pillow. Drool dripped down her cheek and onto the sleeping bag below. Her pink eyes were tired-looking, and her mane stood up as if a balloon was rubbed against it. 
“What do you want…?” she asked in an annoyed voice. 
“Rainbow! I th-think that pony my dad told us about is in our house!” 
The little filly let out a grunt and shoved her face back in the pillow. 
“That’s what this is about?” she asked, muffled by the thick bedding. 
“Rainbow! You d-don’t understand! I heard creaking and moaning from Mommy and Daddy’s room! I think he’s after them!” 
Rainbow lifted her head once more as she heard the genuine fear in her beloved friend’s voice. Fluttershy was always there for her… Even if it were one in the morning and she was tired, Rainbow still knew what the right thing to do was. With a heavy sigh, the pony stumbled onto her hooves. 
“How about this; I go check up on your parents. If the mysterious night-stalker is there, I’ll scream and you make a run for it. Okay?” 
The little filly thought for a moment and nodded. She knew she was probably letting her imagination get the best of her. Besides, Dash was a strong pony and could fight her way out of the stallion’s grasp easily. 
“Alright…” The filly awkwardly walked out of the room and into the hallway. Before continuing on too far, Rainbow turned to her friend. “By the way, I wouldn’t do this for anypony else.” 
Dash’s comment made Fluttershy smile. Her heart grew nervous, however, when she went on with her dangerous mission. Dash really was a brave pony. 
Slowly, Rainbow made her way down the hallway. She knew where Dreamscape’s room was. What Fluttershy could have possibly been hearing, Rainbow had no idea. Why would there be creaks and moans in the middle of the night? Didn’t ponies have lives or something? 
As Rainbow approached the door Fluttershy had previously run from, she heard exactly what Fluttershy heard, only a bit louder. Squeaks and soft, strange-sounding moans could be heard behind the door. Although they were muffled, they were still clear as day. Rainbow stared in disbelief. What the heck were they doing up so early?
Bravely, the little filly lifted her hoof to the wooden surface and gave it three loud knocks. Suddenly, all the moaning and squeaking almost instantly stopped. All that could be heard was dead silence for a good minute or two. Rainbow kept her ears opened and awaited a response. When nothing was heard, she again raised her hoof to the surface and gave the door a few more knocks. She impatiently tapped her hoof against the cloud floor. There was then some unrecognizable whispering, followed by brief silence. At long last was Dash greeted by Dreamscape. He didn’t look tired at all. His eyes were alive, but he was sweating with a red face. 
“Rainbow…? What are you doing up this e-early?” 
“Stop being so noisy!” Dash said to the adult. “You scared Fluttershy and made her wake me up!” 
“S-scared her? She..heard… What’d she hear?” 
“You know, all that weird stuff coming from your room? She thinks some maniac broke in or something….What the hay are you even doing up this early, anyway?” 
The stallion blushed. “Listen, Dash, I’ll keep the noise-level down… Just go back to bed, alright?” 
“What are you doing, though?” She repeated. 
“Nothing!” He answered quickly. “Just, go back to bed!” 
“If I had to be woken up at one in the morning, I’d at least like to know why!” 
The stallion sighed. “Listen, Rainbow… I want you and Fluttershy back in bed…” 
Rainbow growled. With the memory of almost getting a bad report, the filly went off into the other direction. 
“Fine! But I’m going to get answers if it’s the last thing I do!” 
Angrily, Rainbow trotted away and disappeared into the hallway. Dreamscape sighed and wiped a few droplets of sweat off his forehead. He went back into his room and quietly shut the door with a click. He turned to his wife, who was covering her neck with her blanket. Sweat glistened off her forehead and she stared at her husband with a heavy blush. 
“What’s going on…?” 
“Nothing…it was just Rainbow asking about something…” 
“Oh…” 
The couple awkwardly gazed at each other for a long, endless moment. 
“Think we should just go to bed?” Dreamscape finally asked. 
“Yeah…” 

> 21. Wonderbolts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The pink-coated mare’s eyes squeezed tight and tears rolled down her wrinkled face. Her ears flattened against the back of her head and she let out an agonized yell. She wrapped her hoof around her pain-consumed stomach and tightly squeezed her coltfriend’s hoof. In the most stoic tone he could force, the stallion tried hard to comfort his marefriend in her time of anguish.
“I-It’ll be okay… It’ll be okay, I promise… W-we’ll get through this together… I…” 
“Y-you wouldn’t understand!” Firefly cut him off. “Y-you’re not the one having to….” She sharply inhaled through her teeth. “Give birth to the d-damn thing!”  
The stallion put his hoof on the belly of his beloved and gently rubbed. 
“I’m sorry…” was all he said. 
Firefly then felt a sharper pain in her lower abdomen. Her purple eyes went wide and she let out a whine. 
The baby had been nearing closer and closer to the exit for what seemed like hours, but was mere minutes. When the foal finally started to slide out of her body and dramatically expand her exit, she screamed. The scream was high-pitched and made Rainbolt cover his ears. His heart rate increased and he wrapped his arms around his beloved. She was panting and pushing and her own, blue mane was drenched in sweat. Her eyes watered and she tried hard to compress any screams or yelps as the hard task ensued. 
Within the minute, a hoof made its way out in a smelly, clear sac. Firefly bit down on her tongue and her coltfriend squeezed her hoof and rubbed her back. He wasn’t sure what to say or do, but was pretty sure physical comfort was the best option. The poor, poor mare… her screams, cries, and yelps... The stallion couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through. He only wished there was some way to make her pain go away. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a simply remedy for that sort of thing. 
The mare pushed harder and harder, wailing in anguish as more of the foal came out of her. Her belly heaved in and out as she tried hard to push. The head, torso, and front hooves were already making their way out of the agonized mother. Her heart rate increased and tears continued to roll down her cheeks. The pain became unbearable and the little pony’s body gave in. She fell limp and allowed the bodily torture to consume her. 
“P-please… Just pull him out…” The mare begged in defeat. 
Rainbolt nodded quickly. As he moved closer to the back of his marefriend, he noticed the colors of the foal and smiled. He had a drenched, rainbow mane and little, cyan body. His hind legs were the only thing stuck in his mother. He wasn’t fighting too badly, though. No wonder Firefly had to put so much effort into it. 
Actually… 
The newborn wasn’t just not fighting… he wasn’t moving at all. Upon closer inspection, Rainbolt grew worried and lifted his newborn’s torso. His eyes were closed tightly and his body was limp. His father’s heart filled with dread. He placed a hoof on the chest of his foal and felt a tear trickle down his face. 
No heartbeat. 
“Oh, no no no no no no no no! This can’t be! This can’t be!” Tears overflowed and trickled down his face rapidly. His heart speed grew even faster as it broke in two. “No! No! No! No! No! No! No!” 
Quickly, the stallion reached for his unborn son and pulled him out all the way. Gallons of smelly fluids poured out along with the foal, but Rainbolt didn’t care. 
“What’s going on…?” Firefly asked. 
The stallion ignored the mare and continued holding his precious gem with care. His vision of the lifeless pony became blurred with tears. He cried harder and harder as the realization burned in his soul. 

Rainbolt awoke with a jolt. He was breathing heavily and drenched in his own sweat. He brought a periwinkle hoof up to his face and felt his cheek to make sure he was back in reality. His own face was covered in wet tears. His hoof went up further and lifted up his sopping, multihued mane, which was practically glued to his forehead. He let out a sigh of relief when he realized where he was. 
“Thank heavens it was only a dream….” 
Even as he realized the reality of his situation, he still felt dread in his heart and increasingly uncomfortable. Even if he knew it was only a dream, he wouldn’t be reassured otherwise until he saw his sweet, little daughter that morning. Rainbolt swept his blanket to the side and rose from his comfortable bed. He didn’t take a moment to stretch, check the time, or anything. He flew out of his room, across the hallway, and into his daughter’s chamber across from his. He opened her door very slowly and peaked inside. There was his daughter, sleeping quietly. She snored loudly and had her pink blanket up to her chin. Rainbolt smiled and almost felt his eyes rewetting. She was so…beautiful. Looking at her after his awful nightmare made him feel…different. The child before him was possibly the only daughter he’d ever have… Just the thought of her never being brought into his life made him want to cry. He’d given into lust and went against his morals… only to create something more meaningful than anything else. He seldom thought about how special his daughter was to him, but the rare occasions he did warmed his heart and really got him thinking. To lose her would be to lose just about everything he had. 
“I love you so, so much….” He said under his breath, but maybe a bit louder than he intended. His little filly started wrestling in her blankets and groaning distastefully in her sleep. She felt the presence of her father in her sleeping state. She felt the stallion’s existence and uncovered her face from her blanket. Her pink eyes shot opened. Wearily, she turned her head to her father, who’d been standing at her door. 
“Dad…?” She asked, still half asleep. 
“Morning, Sweetheart…” He started with a smile. “Happy birthday.” 
“Dad…” She moaned angrily. “I want to sleep.” 
Rainbolt chuckled and flew over to her bed. Instead of respecting her wishes, he gently put his hooves around her and sat her up, embracing her with a smile. He rubbed her back and gently kissed her forehead. 
“Why do you smell sweaty?” the little nine year-old asked. 
“I had an awful dream…” 
“About what?” 
Rainbolt looked down at his daughter. Curiosity filled her eyes. The topic, however, wasn’t something Rainbolt wanted to discuss with his filly. 
“Nothing… I mean, I don’t really want to talk about it.” 
“Okay….” Rainbow said quietly. She looked up at her dad and saw the red in his eyes and the dimming pink in his cheeks. She noticed the bit of runniness dried under his nose and the glistening in his big, yellow eyes. “Were you crying?”  She asked. 
Rainbolt sniffled. “Yeah…” He admitted. “A bit… Why? Do you think I’m a wimp or something?” 
“Course not.” She said with a smile. She stood on her hind legs, leaned up, and gave her father a peck on the cheek. “You just got sad. Your dream was sad, wasn’t it?” 
“Yeah…Rainbow… Have I ever told you how happy I am to be your father?” 
The filly’s pink eyes shot downward. “I don’t know. Maybe.” 
“Well I am… I love you very much…” The stallion tightly squeezed his foal. “You’re a great filly and I love you very, very much…” 
“Awe, come on Dad. Don’t get all sappy on my birthday…” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “Sorry, Sweetheart. I just get these moments sometimes…”  
Rainbow smiled. “Well, I’m awake now. Can we get some breakfast?” 
“Sure thing. What would you like?” 
Rainbow thought for a moment. On her birthday, her dad usually cooked anything she wanted for breakfast. She sometimes chose French toast, pancakes, waffles, or something rather unhealthy. When she was four, she even asked for cupcakes. 
“Pancakes.” She finally answered with a smile. 
“I figured as much. I got some ingredients the other day…” 
Rainbow smiled at her father with wide eyes. “Thanks Daddy!”  
With that, the little filly broke away from her father, only to tackle back into his chest and take him into a warm embrace. Although he was a bit shocked at first, Rainbolt returned the generous hug and lightly patted his daughter’s back with a chuckle. 
“Alright, Cutie. I’ll get cookin’.” The stallion lovingly rubbed his daughter’s rainbow mane and exited the bedroom. He smiled at her before disappearing completely. He made his way to the kitchen and stopped as his hooves touched the tile surface. He for some reason felt… uncomfortable. It wasn’t any different than a regular morning, but at the same time… It felt different. Something in the far depths of his mind was uncomfortable. The unexplained, but seemingly obvious solution rested in his conscious brain. 
“Rainbow!” the stallion called. 
“Yeah?” He heard a loud, but muffled voice call from the bedroom nearly five meters away. 
“Get out here.” 
There was a brief pause before his young filly shouted back. 
“Why?”      
“Rainbow! Don’t question your father!” 
There was another long, uncomfortable pause before Rainbow spoke up. Her voice was a tad bit shaky that time. 
“Am I… in trouble?” She finally asked. 
“No, Sweetheart! I just want to see you!” 
Hesitantly, the little filly made her way out of the room. She was still rather unsure about whether she was in trouble or not. 
“Hey Dad… What’s up?” 
At that moment, Rainbolt heart felt at ease. All the strange tension that had built up in the atmosphere had evaporated. He smiled at his angel for a moment. 
“Nothing Sweetheart…What are you doing?” 
Rainbow cocked her head at her father’s strangely happy tone. 
“Just…trying to wake up I guess….Why?” 
The stallion smiled. “I don’t know… I just… I don’t know… It just feels nice to see you. Think whatever you’re doing you could do in here?” he asked. 
“I….guess… why?” 
Rainbolt proceeded to remove some ingredients from his cabinet. The first thing was a large bag of flour, and then some sugar. 
“Oh, I don’t know… I just enjoy the company…” 
The stallion proceeded to hum a little tune as he grabbed a few more ingredients and a large mixing bowl. Rainbow watched curiously. Her father was usually in a pretty good mood, but rarely did he seem in that great of a mood. She assumed it was because of the event, and the fact he slept in until nearly eleven. 
“Okay, Dad… Need some help cooking?” 
“Umm…want to help me mix some things together. If you’re lucky, I’ll let you lick the bowl.” 
Dashie smiled and flew into the kitchen. Her grin grew wider as she landed on the tile floor. She always loved helping Rainbolt cook, but was never too good at it. She may have made a few mistakes now and then, but her father always told her she could do nothing but improve. 
“What do I do?” was her first question. 
“Just mix two cups of flower with quarter a cup of milk, two eggs, a cup of water, and-“ 
It was at that very moment the stallion’s ears perked up at the sound of three loud bangs. Both pegasi’s ears perked up and Dashie stared up at her father with a smile. 
“Mail pony?” She asked hopefully. 
“Maybe… but don’t be disappointed if it’s not. They don’t usually run this early.” 
Rainbow smiled and kept her hopes up as her father trotted out of their dinky kitchen and into the living room. He hurried to the door to make sure the visitor didn’t have to wait too long. As he heard another round of knocks, he quickened the pace and opened the door as quickly as he could. The moment the entrance swung opened, the stallion was tackled to the ground by an unknown force. His body ached as it hit the cloud floor. His yellow eyes opened to reveal a beautiful, young mare looking him in the eyes. 
“Surprise?” He asked in shock. 
The pegasus chuckled lightheartedly. “Yeah… I mean, when I heard it was Dashie’s birthday today I just couldn’t wait to see her and wish her a happy birthday.” 
The stallion stared up at the mare confused. 
“It’s Saturday…shouldn’t you be at work…?” 
“Well, yeah but…” The mare blushed and leaned down, placing her lips near Rainbolt’s ear. “I lied to Mrs. Skies and told her I was in heat…” 
Rainbolt stared at the mare in confusion. “You mares can use that as an excuse to get off work?” 
Surprise smiled with a nod. "Hey, unless you want rape to happen, then you have to be cautious!" Rainbolt's face lit up and Surprise felt awkward for bringing it up. "So..." She chuckled. "Where is the little birthday filly...?"  
Rainbolt pointed to the kitchen. It was surrounded by white walls and had Rainbow’s curious eyes peaking from around the corner. She said nothing, but simply watched from the shadows. 
“Oohh… I see. Special birthday breakfast, huh?” 
“Yeah… We were just about to make it… together…alone… you know, father and daughter bonding?” 
“Yeah, yeah, I get it…” She smiled as she ignored the stallion and trotted over to Dashie. The little filly’s eyes set on her and her grin grew wider. The stallion followed closely behind the mare and landed on the tile floor when she did. Rainbow seemed beyond pleased to see her. 
“Surprise!” She chimed and forcefully hugged the friendly mare. 
“Rainbow Dash!” She responded and pat the birthday girl’s back lovingly. 
“What are you doing here?” The little filly asked. Rainbolt was wondering the same thing. 
“Oh, you know… Just to give you a surprise and wish you a happy birthday, but first….” The mare cleared her throat and took in a large breath. 
She’s not going to….is she…? Rainbolt thought within his head. 
Unfortunately, the mare did as the stallion had expected. She burst into the most random, spontaneous song for the birthday filly. 
“Happy, happy birthday, 
to the filly of the day! 
I didn’t mean to interrupt, 
but I just wanted to say: 
Happy birthday little Dashie, 
you’re finally older by a year! 
You’ve made it this far, 
so let’s celebrate with love 
and hugs and cheer!” 
With that, the mare wrapped her hooves around the smiling filly and placed a party hat on the top of her head. Rainbow returned the generous hug and snuggled her head into Surprise’s warm chest. Rainbolt watched the scene and smiled warmly. Surprise really was a sweetheart at times, even if she was awkward. 
“So…anyway….” Surprise sang as she broke away. “I had a little something for Dashie today. Since it was, you know, her birthday and everything….” She chuckled lightheartedly and reached from behind her back. She pulled something out with a wide smile on her face. In her hooves, she held three small slips of paper. Rainbolt focused on them for a minute before gasping. 
“You didn’t…? How could you…? I mean-“ The stallion took one of the small paper slips and examined it carefully. “You…How’d you…?” 
“Easy! My cousin’s a Wonderbolt! I make their team treats for a week, I get tickets! Simple as pie!” 
“But…” Rainbolt stared for a minute more before turning to the mare. He accepted what she did for them, and cautiously took the mare in for a hug. “Thanks, Surprise…this is really meaningful. Dashie’s never been to a Wonderbolt’s show before. I think she’ll like it…” 
Rainbow grew curious and invited herself into the situation. Her pink eyes darted between the two pegasi. 
“What’s going on?” she asked. 
Rainbolt smiled at his friend and nodded, allowing Surprise a moment to explain the situation to Dash. 
“Well… I don’t know if you know this, but…. I just so happen to be related to a Wonderbolt, and when I-“ 
“What’s a Wonderbolt?” Rainbow suddenly cut the mare off. 
Both pegasi stared at the nine year-old in disbelief. Was she…serious? She’d been on that Earth for a full nine years and she didn’t know what a Wonderbolt was? Hadn’t she heard of them at school? From friends? Anything? 
“You…don’t know what a Wonderbolt is?” her father asked in disbelief. 
“Well…no… Why? Should I?” 
Surprise gasped. “They’re only like the most amazing, spectacularest fliers in all of Equestria! And I scored tickets to go see ‘em!” Rainbolt nodded in agreement. 
“You…sure you haven’t heard of them?” Rainbolt asked uncertainly. 
“I’m pretty sure.” 
“Never heard of them from friends?” 
“Fluttershy’s like, my only friend!” 
“School?” 
“I don’t pay attention in school.” Rainbow bluntly admitted to her father. 
“Rainbow!” he snapped, before calming himself and taking in a breath. “Listen… It’ll be fun. They the greatest fliers in all of Equestria! You should feel happy to get to see one of their shows. 
“So… I have to go and see some ponies fly around…?” Rainbow asked. 
“It’s not just flying around…” the stallion reassured his daughter. “It’s kind of like a show. They do tricks and stuff… I thought it would be boring when I first went to see a show as a teenager, but it was pretty exciting.” 
“Still sounds boring.” the stubborn pony argued. Her father let out a long sigh. 
“Rainbow, come here…” The stallion started off out of their kitchen. Rainbow was hesitant to follow him in fear of being lectured. Slowly, she walked into the kitchen with her eyes towards the floor. Her father led her out of the kitchen and behind a nearby corner. 
“Listen, Rainbow…” He started. “I love you, but I want to make one thing very, very clear; Surprise is doing a very kind deed for you. She’s taking you to something I can’t exactly afford to do. I don’t care if you have the most awful day ever; you still need to act entertained. Be grateful, and be happy!” 
The little filly grunted. “But Daddy I-“ 
“No buts! Surprise is being very, very generous… I didn’t even think she’d do something this sweet…. She really is a nice pony….” His words trailed off for a moment before snapping back into reality. “Anyway… just be sweet to her is all I’m asking, okay? Act excited, and show her how grateful you are.” 
Rainbow sighed. “Okay, Daddy… But I don’t see how forcing me to do this is nice…” 
“Rainbow!” The stallion snapped. “You’ll like it! I promise! We are talking about the most elite fliers in all of Equestria. You may even pick up some tips just by watching them. You do want to be a great flier don’t you…?” He pointed to his daughter’s flank. “Didn’t earn that for no reason.” 
“I…” The little filly attempted to argue, but felt herself go dumb. “Fine… but only because it might help me…” 
Her final acceptance made a smile appear on Rainbolt’s face. 
“Good girl. Now… I think we’ve kept the filly waiting long enough.” 
Rainbolt headed back into the kitchen to meet with Surprise. Dashie followed sheepishly. Even though Surprise hadn’t heard a word from her father’s mouth, she still felt oddly embarrassed from being lectured. She hated being lectured… 
As the two pegasi walked in, Surprise was scanning their cozy kitchen with a smile. What was going through her mind neither had the slightest clue. 
“Hey…” The little filly started rather shyly. “Thanks for everything…” 
Surprise simply smiled. “No problemo! Gettin’ tickets was no big deal. Plus, considering you’ve never seen ‘em will make this so, so much better!” The pony smiled. “Gosh, I just can’t believe it… my daddy took me to see them nearly five times by the time I was… I don’t know eleven or something.” 
Rainbow thought for a moment. “Was it fun?” 
“Oh yeah! Fun is the LAST thing you’ll have to worry about! ‘Sides, why would I take you to something if I didn’t think you’d have a blast?” 
“I don’t know…” Rainbow replied hesitantly. 
“Well… You can always, always trust me when it comes to this sort of thing… So… the show’s tomorrow at exactly one in the afternoon… Maybe I should come get you around noon? Pick you both up and we can head over there. I know it’s not too far off, but the place fills up pretty quick. We should probably get there before it gets too-too crowded.” 
“Well… I guess… but how are you going to get out of work tomorrow?” The stallion asked curiously. 
“Oh, silly stallion! ‘Heat’ lasts four to eight days! So I am good!” 
Rainbolt blushed as his daughter perked her ears up at the unfamiliar term. 
“What’s heat?” The innocent filly asked with much curiosity. 
Her father blushed heavily and Surprise looked rather confused.  
“You haven’t told her about that kind of thing?” 
“Well…I…” The stallion’s cheeks lit up crimson. “N-not really but I…” 
“If you want me to I can. I mean, I’m comfortable about that sort of thing, so you know. And she’ll probably start going through it a couple years from now.” 
“Surprise!” He snapped. “Not now, okay? She’s still young…” 
“You just can’t hide the world from her. I mean, you have to tell her eventually!”
Before Rainbolt could respond, his eager daughter interrupted them. 
“What is it? I want to know!” She turned to her father. “Daddy please, please tell me!” 
Daddy. Although Rainbow usually referred to her as “Dad” at her age, she did use “Daddy” if she wanted something very badly, or was trying to be cute or get out of trouble. Sometimes, it would even slip out if they were having a more heartfelt moment. 
“Maybe when you’re a bit older, Dash…” 
The filly tried hard to wet her eyes. 
“Please, Daddy? Please…?” 
“Like I said, later, okay? I just want to enjoy the day…” he quickly tried to change the subject. “So, Surprise, would you like to stay for breakfast. You know, since you’re off work and everything?”
The mare gasped and a huge smile spread across her face. “Oh my gosh! R-really? You want me to stay for breakfast?” 
Rainbolt smiled and nodded. “It’s no problem, Surprise… I mean, you’re already doing so much for us…” 
The mare practically sprang out of her own body. Her purple eyes glittered with joy and her smile grew wider. Her hooves wrapped tightly around Rainbolt, who at first flinched before accepting the hug, and eventually returned it. 
“We’re having pancakes… Dashie’s request.” 
“Can…I help…?” 
Rainbolt turned to his daughter who did nothing but stare blankly at her father. 
“Well…. Rainbow and I were already going to start at it…” He smiled. “Don’t stress about it… Just relax, and we’ll notify you when it’s ready. Kay?” 
Surprise smiled. “Sure… No problem… May I be excused for a moment…?” 
“Ummm….sure.” Rainbow stated hesitantly. 
“Thanks!” 
With that, the pony quickly bolted out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the restroom. Their restroom was small, but comfortable. The bathtub was small and still glistening with water. The sink was practically battling itself. Rainbolt was constantly wiping it of messes, while Rainbow continued brushing her mane in the mirror, letting her multihued mane litter the counter below her. The white mare noticed no details, however. 
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I’m going to a Wonderbolt’s show with Rainbolt!” She giggled and smiled widely, before quickly adding. “Oh, and Dashie!” 

“Almost ready, Rainbow?” Rainbolt asked as he peeked into his daughter’s room. 
As expected, Rainbow Dash was lying on her belly, moping on her bed. Her pink eyes were saddened by force. 
“Rainbow…” Her father started in disbelief. “Surprise is going to be here in ten minutes! Now, please try to act like you’re excited!” 
The filly sighed. “But Daddy…. I love you…” 
“And I love you, too…” The stallion entered the room. “Listen, I know it’s a Sunday, and you would much rather stay at home and relax, but this is a very rare and special opportunity for you. Besides, how do you think Surprise would feel if we just rejected her like that… Some things you just can’t say no to.” 
“You say no to me all the time.” Rainbow argued. 
“Rainbow, you’re different.” 
“How?” 
“Rainbow… You ask to do things that are ridiculous!” 
Rainbow huffed, and then sighed. “Daddy, I love you….I’m going, I’m just not going to enjoy it.” 
“How do you know that for a fact? You may have a great time!” 
Rainbow rolled in her sheets and acted as miserable as she could. “Why do this to me…?” 
The stallion sighed and grabbed his daughter by the hooves, gently pulling her out of her comfy bed. She whined a little as she was separated from her one true love. Rainbolt placed his reluctant daughter on the ground below. 
“Go finish getting ready before Surprise shows up.” he ordered firmly.
“But I’m already ready!” She argued and tried to crawl back into her welcoming bed. 
“Did you brush your mane?” he asked, which made Rainbow stop in her tracks. 
“Maybe….” 
Rainbolt sighed. “I’ll go get your hairbrush. I don’t want you going in public looking like you just got out of bed.” 
“But Dad! I brushed it yesterday!” 
Rainbolt sighed and started out of the room. “Too bad, when you’re going out of the house you should at least try to look nice.” 
Not allowing his daughter to answer, he dashed out of the room, and went across the hallway to the restroom. In there rested two hairbrushes on the back of the toilet seat. Both of them had hairs of every color tangled between the bristles. Rainbow’s however, was a soft shade of green. The stallion picked it up and headed back to his daughter’s room. There, he tossed it on the bed, where she’d already taken her place once more. 
“Mane. Brush. Now.” 
“Dad…” The filly started as she picked up the brush. She placed it at the top of her head and stroked downwards. The worst knots were at the tips of her mane. “Why are you acting so… you know, cranky about this?” 
“I’m not being cranky at all…” 
“Well sure you are…” His daughter argued. “Is it because you’re trying to impress Surprise? ‘Cause that’s what I think.” 
“I’m not trying to impress her!” Rainbolt blurted out, almost shocked. “I’m just, you know… parents take pride in how well their children look. I just don’t want you looking like you don’t care…because that makes it seem like I don’t care…” 
“That makes no sense…” 
Rainbolt grunted. “I know, I know…You’ll understand when you have children.” 
“I’m never going to have foals!” Rainbow protested. 
Quietly, Rainbolt muttered under his breath, “Yeah…that’s what I thought, too…” 
Rainbow winced as the brush harshly combed her tangled mane. It was then, Rainbolt heard three loud knocks at the front door. 
“That’s her. Look nice and get ready, okay?” 
Dash nodded as Rainbolt exited the bedroom. He zoomed down the narrow hallway, passed the kitchen, and to the front door. He landed softly and opened his door with a smile. There, the hyper mare stood with a bright grin.
“Afternoon Surprise.” The stallion greeted with a bright, cheery smile. 
“Actually, it’s exactly noon, but still!” The mare welcomed herself into the stallion’s home. 
“Yeah…So, ready to go? Rainbow’s almost done preparing…” 
“You bet!” She smiled. “You have no idea how long I’ve been looking forward to this!” 
“You’ve been planning this a while now...?" Rainbolt asked.
“Only for a while now. I mean, I have been looking forward to seeing one of their shows again!” 
"Okay....So, need anything before we go?” 
“Nope! I’m all ready! I even brought some water incase somepony gets thirsty!” 
“You didn’t have to do that, you know…?”
Before the happy pegasus could reply, a little filly stepped out of her bedroom. She faked a smile and galloped towards the two older ponies. Rainbolt sighed. Her mane was still as much of a wreck as it was before. Surprise smiled when she saw her. 
“Wow, Dash! You look great!” She ran up to the filly and gave her a quick hug. “What’s it like bein’ nine?” 
“It’s kind of like being eight but different!” 
The mare chuckled. “That’s nice, Sweetheart…” 
“So… are we one hundred percent ready to go?” The stallion asked for a final time. 
“Yep!” The two girls chimed in a perfect unison. 
The stallion opened his front door, allowing the two ponies to go on after him. His daughter zoomed out, followed by a very happy mare. 

A brown-coated stallion cleared his throat and spoke in a gruff, excited voice into a microphone in the middle of the stadium. He wore dark black shades and had a blonde mane. 
“Alrighty, folks! Wow… We sure are having a beautiful afternoon, aren’t we?” The large crowd of ponies cheered and stomped their hooves. Surprise was no exception, but Rainbolt and his daughter simply sat awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He continued on. “Celestia’s sun is big and bright, and our Wonderbolts are ready to give you folks a good show!” He smiled at the large crowd, who smiled and roared with excitement. Rainbow Dash covered her hurt ears and growled. 
“Why is everypony getting so worked up over a freakin’ show!” she whined. Rainbolt nudged her with his hoof. 
“Try to have a good time!” He reminded. “I know, it’s loud, but it’s kind of rare for the Wonderbolts to do a full show like this. Getting two hours of entertainment from the greatest fliers in Cloudsdale isn’t just something that happens every day! Appreciate what you’re about to get!” 
Rainbow sighed. “Okay, Dad…” 
The little filly then felt a hoof tightly wrap around her torso and pull her into a warm, fuzzy chest. Rainbow awkwardly rested there. 
“Dad!” she hissed. “We’re in public!” 
“I know, Sweetheart…” He pulled her in closer. “It’s my job to embarrass you.” 
Rainbow sighed before gently pushing away and sitting awkwardly. Her father smiled at her and blushed. 
“You know…” Surprise started. “My cousin’ll be in this show.” 
“Really?” the stallion asked curiously. Surprise nodded. “That sounds pretty cool. I wish I were related to somepony famous.” 
The mare giggled. “You could be by marriage.” 
Rainbolt blushed heavily and looked away. He shifted a little closer to his daughter and was glad when the announcer finally stopped rambling on. After a brief moment of silence, a trio of pegasi shot into the sky to introduce the show. They all wore traditional Wonderbolt attire and goggles. Rainbow watched with a blank expression as they shot skyward. They steadily grew closer to each other until they reached the top and separated as if they were a firework. They then reformed, along with several other pegasi that shot up from the area below. They did what seemed like a dance in the sky; dodging each other, looping each other, disconnecting, and reforming again. All of it seemed rather…. Strange, but somewhat intriguing to the young pegasus. Her pink eyes became glued to the show before her. 
As the rest of the pegasi backed up, a solo performer got a chance to show off their skills. As the pegasus backed up, sped across the sky, and flew in a zig-zag pattern to avoid closely put-together obstacles, the crowd cheered and stomped. Even Dash had to admit, it did look very hard… 
Another eager Wonderbolt got a chance to show the crowd their stuff. This one had a gorgeous white body with a sleek, dark blue mane. She had a confident smile and seemed rather cocky. 
“That’s my cousin!” Surprise whispered to the stallion on the right of her. 
“Wow…she’s pretty…” Rainbolt commented, admiring the mare from a distance. 
“Yep!” Surprise said proudly. “You could say good-looks run in my family!” 
The stallion simply shook his head with a smile and continued to watch the performance displayed before him. The mare in the spotlight shot upwards, and out of the opened stadium. The whole crowd’s focus gazed upon her as she shot back down with a veil of static around her. The crowd gasped as she stopped in her tracks, spread out her wings, and in an instant sent the lightning flying in every direction. It calmly faded into the atmosphere and Rainbow’s eyes grew as large as saucers. That was…impossible. It had to be an illusion of some kind…it simply wasn’t possible. 
The little filly’s grin grew as she thought about what had just happened. Her hooves rose to her face and she beamed. 
“That…Was…AWESOME!” 

For Surprise, the day was turning out to be a complete success. Her crush was having a fantastic day, and her desired lover's foal was having just as much fun. Although Dash didn't seem enthusiastic about the idea at first, she couldn't keep her eyes off the fantastic fliers after only a few performances. Heck, by the third performance, she was on her hooves stomping and shouting. She even told her dad that she'd like to be a Wonderbolt one day. He told her that if she worked hard enough, she could achieve anything. Neither Surprise or Rainbolt himself had seen such vivid determination glitter in her eyes before that moment. 
As much as the trio of ponies were enjoying the show, they were all glad when the announcer reentered the stadium and announced the beginning of a brief intermission. A break was something all of them needed at the moment. Especially little Dashie and Surprise, who had been aching with the desire to get up and take a moment to stretch their legs. The moment the stadium of ponies were given a break, large groups of pegasi rose from their seats and headed towards all different areas. Many were dying to go to the restroom. Rainbow Dash just happened to be one of them. 
"Dad..." The filly whispered to her father. "I have to use the bathroom..." 
Rainbolt rose from his seat. "Alright... I'm not exactly sure where it is, but we'll find it." The stallion turned to Surprise, who was staring off into the distant with unknown thoughts circling her mind. "Hey... Do you know were a bathroom might be?" he asked her.
The mare blinked before answering. 
“Yeah… It’s just up in the main lobby, then you go to the right, down that one hall we passed when we first entered, and it’ll be on your first door to the left!”   
“Thanks, Surprise…” Rainbolt turned to his daughter and took her by the hoof, then stopped. Something unusual began to brew in his stomach. An odd feeling overtook him as he imagined entering the crowds with his daughter. He felt almost... nervous. 
Okay, Rainbolt…This stadium is filled with hundreds and hundreds of ponies you don’t know… I want to be able to keep a good eye on her and make sure absolutely nothing happens… I mean… She’s so sweet and innocent... I don’t want to lose her. Jeesh… When’d you get so worried about this? You take her to the restroom in public all the time! This just feels…different… Maybe it was that dream… Rainbolt tightened his grip on his daughter’s hoof. Ugh! Don’t think about it… I just don’t want to not live without her… You can’t follow her into the restroom, though… His attention then turned to the daydreaming mare who remained in her seat. 
     “Hey, Surprise…” Rainbolt started as he turned around. “Could you maybe take Dashie to the bathroom for me…?” 
Rainbow looked confused by her father’s actions. He normally had no issues just taking her to the restroom. Even Surprise seemed kind of confused. 
“Uh, why…?” 
“Well… You just seem to know the place so well, and you can actually go in the bathroom with her… to you know…make sure she’s okay…” 
“Dad!” the little filly protested. “I’m a big girl! I don’t need help peeing!” 
“It’s not about that…” 
“Then what’s it about?” The mare asked curiously. 
Rainbolt gestured for Surprise to come closer. She didn’t hesitate to comply. Gently, the stallion put his lips to her ear and whispered quietly. 
“I had a nightmare the other night… and its sort of been paranoid ever since…” 
“About what…?” 
“About…you know… Dashie…” 
Surprise blinked. “Well… Okay, Rainbolt. Anything for you…” 
The periwinkle stallion let go of his daughter’s hoof, only for it to be immediately taken by the mare’s. Although her hold wasn’t as firm as Rainbolt’s, she still made sure the filly wouldn’t escape her grasp. 
“Remember!” Rainbolt hissed in a whisper. “Make sure you can see her at all times! Don’t let her out of her sight for one measly second! Don't even let go of her hoof!" 
“You got it!” Surprise chimed with a smile and saluted the stallion. 
Slowly, the two made their way down the stairs and past rows and rows of seats. Rainbolt watched very carefully to make sure the mare had Rainbow in a firm hold. He grew increasingly nervous as Surprise and his daughter turned a corner and disappeared behind a wall. He couldn’t help but think about the possibility that Surprise might lose her…Maybe he should have went instead of her. Maybe, there was enough time for him to speed ahead and catch up to the two pegasi. Maybe… 
“Maybe I should just sit here and relax…” The stallion thought aloud. “I mean… Surprise probably knows what she’s doing… She can be responsible… S-sometimes…” 

“Alright… Sure you don’t want a drink or snack or something before we get out of here?” Surprise asked the little filly as we left the restroom. 
“I’m good!” She reiterated for the millionth time. 
“Just checkin’…” 
Rainbow followed the mare closely as she led her through the large crowds of ponies. 
“Hey… Do you know why Dad was acting so strange about the whole thing…?” 
“I don’t know, he said something about paranoia.” 
Rainbow simply shrugged it off and continued to follow the mare into the large crowds of ponies. They shuffled and squeezed their way through, avoiding as many ponies as they could to get to their desired location. Surprise let out a grunt as she tried hard to move faster in the large crowds. 
“Ugh! Can these ponies move any slower?” 
Rainbow awkwardly tried to move through the ponies, but became impossible as Surprise held onto her hoof tightly.  The little filly turned to the mare, but when she looked up noticed something skyward. Her frown turned into a smirk. 
“Hey…” She started, thinking aloud. “Those ponies are flying above the crowd…” 
Surprise looked up and nodded as she saw what the pony was talking about. There were small groups of pegasi that decided to take a shorter, simpler route. Surprise smiled at the filly and nodded confidently. Simultaneously, they both shot up into the air and traveled with the other pegasi. The sky traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as the ground traffic. Why other ponies didn’t do that, they had no idea! 
Even as the two ponies flew above the rest, Surprise kept a tight grip on Rainbow’s hoof. Although the filly didn’t enjoy being restrained, she knew the reasoning behind it. She was a bit irritated, but knew why it was needed. 
The two ponies soared as they continued flying above the large crowds. It was then the mare noticed something. 
“Oh! I see why so many ponies stay on the ground! The exit’s only six or seven feet off the ground! We’ll have to land if we want to get through it!” 
The filly grunted when she noticed the mare was right. 
“Fun…” she said sarcastically. 
The two fillies neared the exit closer and closer. They both smiled at each other, and it was then Rainbow heard something. Her little ears swiveled, trying to make sense of the odd noise. She turned her head and gaped when she saw a blue figure spiraling towards her. Whoever it was had been screaming, but she only then heard it. The large crowds of chatting ponies didn’t help her hear the sound, either. 
“Surprise! Surprise!” Rainbow shrieked, struggling in the mare’s grasp. 
“Wha-“ 
The mare was cut off as she felt the little filly practically being ripped from her grip. The sudden blur of a pony flew by, taking Rainbow with them. The ponies below gasped when they heard the two, screaming pegasi, and moved out of the way. They landed in the area cleared for them. Surprise gasped and tears fled her eyes. This was bad… 
As quickly as she could; Surprise flew past the ponies on the ground. Dodging them was a challenge, but they eventually allowed her through. She flew up the staircase and zoomed over to Rainbolt, who had been waiting nervously in his seat. His heart twisted when he saw the mare unaccompanied. 
“Wh-where’s Rainbow?” was his first question. 
Surprise was panting, sweating, and too worried to spit out a proper answer. 
“Fly! Crash! Land! Squashed! Danger! Rainbow! Now!” 

Rainbolt sighed as he stared at his daughter. His eyes were swelling with tears and his heart was broken. Surprise stayed by his side with guilt consuming her steadily cracking heart. She could have gotten severely injured… How stupid was she…? 
For their luck, Rainbow wasn’t injured too badly. Her left wing had been broken, her hind legs had been sprained, and she had a bruise on her nose. They were both grateful she hadn’t been hurt any worse. Both of them were in deep regret. 
“I’m so, so sorry…” Surprise apologized. Her usual poofy mane had gone a bit flat. “I…didn’t mean for this to happen. I feel awful.” 
The stallion put his hoof to her shoulder and held her closely. 
“I-it’s okay…I’m sorry I yelled at you… I just got worried and scared and… I didn’t know how to express it… It was an accident… I shouldn’t have taken it out on you…” He sighed. “Besides… I’m sure the same thing would have happened if I would have taken her.” 
Surprise slowly eased her way into a loving embrace. 
“Thanks…but this really was all my fault…” Surprise blinked back tears. “Can I tell you something…? And when I do, promise you won’t yell at me…?” 
Rainbolt smiled at the mare and reassured her with a gentle back rub. 
“Promise.” 
“I… I didn’t even do this because of Rainbow… I did this all because of my own greed… I just wanted to hang out with you guys so much that I used her birthday as an excuse to take you out somewhere… In reality I wasn’t thinking of her…I was thinking of myself…”
The stallion smiled as Surprise forced out her confession. He broke away from the embrace and smiled at her. What she said didn't shock him, but he did admire her bravery and honesty.
“You know… if you just wanted to hang out you could ask.” 
The mare smiled back. 
“Good.” 
It was then the two ponies flinched as a pink-coated nurse opened the door to the room. She held a clipboard in her hoof and wore a smile on her face. 
“How’s the little filly holding up?” 
“Actually…” Rainbolt started. “I think she’ll be alright… This whole thing was just really sudden, and we’re both feelin’ kind of guilty. Rainbow passed out a little bit ago. I think she’s just exhausted from the long day.” 
“Well…. As far as we know, she’ll be alright. There’s no internal damage, but I can’t say she’ll be getting off the ground anytime soon.” 
Rainbolt turned to his injured daughter and smiled. 
“I’m so happy to hear that… I was so, so worried…” 
“All parents are…” The nurse smiled at the two. “Neither of you should feel guilty for this… It was nopony’s fault. Accidents like this just happen…” 
“Thanks…” Rainbolt said, still unsure of himself. The mare smiled. 
“This might shock you, but Rainbow Dash has a guest…” 
“A guest…? Like, to visit?” the stallion asked. 
The nurse nodded and turned her attention down the hallway. 
“Come on! Don’t be shy!” Rainbolt and Surprise tossed each other unsure glances.
With some encouraging words, a light blue colt sheepishly entered the room. He couldn’t have been any older than thirteen or fourteen, and by the looks of it he was a guest of the hospital as well. His front hoof was wrapped tightly a bandage and his hind legs were both wrapped tightly in the same material. His minor injuries caused him to walk in an awkward pattern. He had bright, green eyes and a dark blue mane that fell awkwardly over his lightly bruised face.  
“H-hi…” He greeted shyly. Rainbolt and Surprise both looked at him in a confused manner. “I…I’m the colt that…. Sort of… C-crashed on your daughter…” His voice was squeaking and nervous. 
Both Rainbolt and Surprise were left with no words. Neither hadn’t the slightest clue what to say to him, and neither really knew how to feel. The colt took the awkward silence as his cue to continue on. 
“I…I really didn’t mean to hurt her… I was just daydreaming and I… got caught off guard… My wing hit the side of wall, and I lost control from there… I’m so, so sorry…” 
“I… I-it’s okay… You didn’t mean any harm, and I’m sure it was an accident…” 
The colt smiled as he was forgiven by the father.
“Thank you, sir… If there’s any bills that need to be covered, I’d be more than happy to pay them. I have a part time job… I don’t make much, but I’m sure I could help somehow.” 
“No, it’s fine, really… I’m just glad my kid wasn’t injured too bad…” 
“Yeah…How is she holding up?” 
The stallion moved to the left, allowing some room for the young colt to see. In the bed, the little filly rested. Her hooves were wrapped around a teddy bear provided by the hospital. Her eyes were twitching and her nose was scrunched up. 
“Gosh… I didn’t think she’d got hurt that bad…” He examined her casted wings and sprained hooves with a sigh. “I’m so, so sorry… How could you just forgive me after this…?” 
“Hey, you didn’t mean it… Besides, you seem like an honest kid.” 
“Thanks….” The colts eyes never left the sleeping filly. It was then her eyelids twitched and her pink eyes fluttered opened. The smiling stallion was the very first thing she saw. 
“Are you the doctor…?” she asked weakly. The colt laughed. 
“No, no I’m not… I’m sort of the reason you’re here, actually…” 
“You… you’re the colt that flew into me…?” 
“Yeah…. Sorry about that… It was an honest mistake, and I wish I would have been paying more attention…” 
“Thanks to you, I won’t be able to fly for a while!” she snapped, still angry about her predicament.  
“I know, I know… I-if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, I gladly would…” 
Rainbow stared at the stallion for a moment, before darting her eyes towards Surprise. She shrugged. Her pink eyes then turned to her father. He gave her a look that challenged her to try her luck. Then, for the final time, Rainbow’s eyes rested on the guilt-filled colt. 
“I want tickets to the Wonderbolts.” 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Firefly sighed as she stared out into the cold, jeweled night. 
Well… The mare thought to herself. It’s her birthday today… Rainbow’s ninth birthday…. I really hope she had a nice day… I wonder what her and Rainbolt did together. He probably got her some presents and took her to a park or something. I…I bet she had a great day. I hope she did… I’m sure Rainbolt knew how to make her feel special… That was one of the main things he was good at… She chuckled, looking back on fond memories. He really was something… I’m sure that little filly’s going to turn out great… I may not be there to see it, but… I just know she’ll do great in life…
The pink-coated mare flinched as she heard a door open behind her. She turned around and laid eyes on a light grey stallion. He had a soft, pink mane and green eyes. His smile was pure perfection. 
“Hey, Babe…” he greeted quietly with a chuckle. “Did I scare you?” 
The mare shook her head and smiled at him. There was something strange twinkling in her eyes that evening. 
“What’re you thinking about?” he asked, closing their bedroom door. 
“Nothing…” she lied, giving the bright, milk-white moon her attention again. 
“You seem worried…” 
“I’m not worried…” 
The stallion flew over to his lover and turned her around. Her lovingly took her into an embrace and rubbed her back. 
“Is this about the foal?” 
“No.” 
Her fiancé broke away from the embrace and looked his beloved in the eyes. 
“Sweetheart, you can tell me if you’re not ready for this foal… we can take classes and stuff to prepare us if you need to…” 
“No…” She said with a reassuring smile. “I promise…I’m ready to have a foal…” 
This time…


> 22. What's a d!ck? 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbow hadn’t gone to bed early the night before that one. In fact, she stayed up until nearly eleven in the evening. Eventually, she did pass out in her sleeping bag in the back of her dad’s office. The rest of the night, she peacefully slept until she was awakening at seven in the morning. It was at that time she would be forced out of her comfortable sleeping sac and had to fly home. The filly was extremely tired when she woke up, and even more tired after a long, ten minute flight to her house. Almost the second she walked in the door, she crawled down the hallway and into her room, only to plop onto her bed and pass back out. Usually, she was used to sleeping in until ten or eleven in the morning when she returned from her dad's job, so waking up only twenty minutes later was awful to her. It was her father who had the responsibility of getting her butt up that early. 
Gently, Rainbolt shook his daughter out of her short slumber. 
“Rainbow…” he said in a calm voice. “Time to get up, Sweetheart… School’s starting…” 
The little filly distastefully moaned as her father urged her to get out of bed. She turned around with an annoyed moan and put her hooves to her ears. 
“No!” She protested. “I don’t want to! I’m not feeling better yet!” 
“Rainbow…” He sighed. “Not only did you get your cast off last week, but you’ve been flying ever since. You’re not helpless….” 
“You can’t prove anything!” the filly argued. 
Rainbolt grabbed his daughter’s blanket and quickly ripped it from her. Her pink eyes shot opened as she jolted, sitting upward. 
“Give it back!” she cried and tried desperately to grab at her soft treasure. 
“Well…looks like you’re awake now…”
Rainbow became irritated and jumped from her bed. She reached out her hooves and tried desperately to cling onto her comforting, soft, blanket. Her father continued to keep it way out of her grasp. 
“Nope! You’re grounded from blankets until you get home from school today!” 
The little filly reached out further and further. 
“No! I need sleep!” 
“Rainbow… It’s going on seven-thirty…. School starts at eight.” 
The little filly grunted and tried to grab at her love. Rainbolt remained firm and kept it in the air. He proceeded to fold it up and tuck it under his wing. 
“Please, Rainbow… I know you hate going to school, and the first day is always the worst, but can you please be a good little filly… For me?” 
The cyan pegasus sighed. 
“Fine! But only because it’s your birthday!” Rainbow slowly rolled out of bed. “You should let me stay home to celebrate with you!” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “Sweetheart, you going to school is my birthday present!” The stallion then felt a sudden pain in his heart when his daughter looked up at him with big, sad eyes as if she were insulted. “I mean, I loved spending summer with you, but I also enjoy some alone time!” 
Rainbow rose to her hooves and stared at her dad. 
“It’s not like it’s that much different…” 
“Well… it sort of is… I rarely got any time to myself, so I think it’ll be sort of nice… You like your alone time, don’t you…?” 
“Well, yeah, but you’re my dad!” 
Rainbolt sighed. At that point, it seemed much wiser to simply drop the argument. 
“So, you hungry, Dashie?” 
“Yeah... What do we have?” 
“Umm…we have cereal and some oats…Maybe some crackers.” 
Rainbow sighed and left the room. 
“Do we at least have sugar?” 
Rainbolt left his daughter’s chamber along with the unenthusiastic filly. 
“Uh, yeah… Just don’t overdo it, alright…?” 
“I won’t! Promise!” The little filly smiled as she trotted down their hall and into their kitchen. Up in their cabinet rested a nice, big box of oats. Her father knew how to cook them just right with some water, sugar, and if she were lucky, cinnamon. 
With a determined smile on her face, Rainbow flapped her at long-last repaired wings and levitated off the ground. She flew upwards and swung opened the door to the little cabinet. In there rested several boxes of unopened cereal and a large container of oats. Rainbow smiled as she took it down. She set the cylinder on the counter as her father entered to kitchen. Rainbow looked at her dad and smiled. 
“Can you make me oats?” 
Her father let out a sigh as he stepped onto the tiled area. 
“When are you going to learn to make your own breakfast? You’ll be grown up and out of the house eventually. What’ll you do without me?” 
“Pssh! That’s won’t be for like, another ten years! I have tons of time!” she chimed brightly, looking up at her daddy. “Besides, I know how to cook it, you just make it a lot better!” 
Rainbolt then looked at his daughter for a moment before smiling widely. “Alright, Sweetheart… I’ll cook this morning, but when you get into the sixth grade, you’re going to start cooking all by yourself.”
Rainbow smiled. Sixth grade? That was a full year from then! She didn’t have to worry about cooking for a long while. 
“Okay, Daddy… I love you…” she said, nuzzling her head against his chest. The stallion gently wrapped a hoof around his foal and rubbed her back. 
“No problem, Sweetie. Now, go get showered or something.” 
Rainbow grunted. “But Daddy! I hate bathing!” 
“Rainbow… If you want to go to school smelling bad, that’s your problem.” 
“It’s not a problem. It keeps the other foals away from me.” 
Rainbolt stared at his daughter a moment. He then blinked and shook his head. 
“Just go be productive… And if you don’t shower, I’ll spray you done with my cologne.” 
Rainbow did nothing but smile and nod at her father. “Okay Dad!” 
On several different occasions, Rainbolt had masked his daughter in the masculine sent when she didn’t shower. It was rather strong, but she never seemed to mind much. She’d simply lift her head up and proudly accept several squirts to her neck and forehooves. She didn’t like the strong odor, but preferred it to showering by a longshot. After a few days of not showering, however, she was forced to wash no matter what. 
As Rainbolt started cooking breakfast for his filly, Rainbow left the kitchen and bolted to her bedroom. As tempted as she was to go back to bed, she knew it would only make her more attached to her wonderful sheets and mattress once more. Instead, she went to her saddle bag and opened the pocket in it. Double checking her items was always a good idea. Miss Stormy would surely have work on the very first day, and coming to school with no pencil wouldn’t have been the best idea. She stared down into her opened pocket and examined her materials; paper, pencils, folders, a notebook, and…crayons. 
The moment the pegasus remembered her colorful, waxy sticks, a grin spread across her face as she thought of an idea. 

“Rainbow…” the stallion started, entering his daughter’s room. “Breakfast is ready. I put your sugar on so you don’t take too much…” 
There, in the center of the room, Rainbow was scribbling something on a folded sheet of paper. A light blue crayon rested in her mouth as she continued to write. At the sound of her father’s voice, Rainbow spit out the utensil and looked up at her dad. 
“Dad!” she chimed brightly. “I made you something!” 
Rainbolt raised an eyebrow. “Made me something? Really?” 
“Yeah….” Happily, the little filly raised her paper into her father’s view. On the front, it had the words “Happy Birthday” written in big, red letters. The paper itself was regular, boring, lined paper. The stallion smiled to himself and felt sudden warmth in his heart. Rainbow occasionally made him letters for his birthday, but every time she did it made him very happy. Simply to know she put effort into something to make him feel good was enough to put a smile on his face. 
“Awe… That’s so sweet…” Dash simply nodded with a cute smile. “May I see it?” he asked after a brief pause. 
“Sure!” Rainbow picked herself up off the ground and brought her father the miniature masterpiece she’d worked on. He took the paper in his hooves and smiled as he opened it. The inside was written in a soft shade of purple and covered nearly the entire page. There was a little drawing on the left side that could be depicted as him and Rainbow hugging. 

   Dear Dad, 
I just wanted to say happy birthday and I love you. Thank you for cooking and cleaning and other stuff you do to make me happy. You’re the most amazing dad I could ever ask for. I don’t remember how old you are, but I think you’re like twenty-five or something. I don’t want to get sappy or anything, but you’re cool and I love you. I hope you have a nice day and have fun and stuff. 
Love, 
Rainbow. 
P.S.: You should let me take off school. 

Rainbolt smiled and occasionally chuckled as he read the letter. Rainbow was never that good with words, but he still felt melty when he read the sweet message. 
“That’s really nice, Sweetheart…Also, nice try. You’ve had nearly three months off school.” 
Rainbow sighed in defeat. It was worth a shot, anyway. 
“I know… just trying…” 
Rainbolt giggled. “Also, I’m twenty-eight.” 
The cyan filly looked up at her father. “Wow, Dad… You’re old.” 
“I’m not old!” he argued. “You can call me old when my mane turns gray and I get wrinkles!” 
“You’re still old.” 
“Maybe in comparison to you I am…” 
Rainbow looked up at her father a moment before smiling. In her opinion, twenty-eight did seem like a lot, and in her mind, her father was still old. If he was delusional enough to believe he was young, then that was his problem, and he would have to face the consequences later on in life.
“Whatever you say, Dad!” 

Rainbow flew next to her dad as they soared onto the grounds of her school. The outside area was littered with a whole bunch of colts and fillies of all different ages and sizes. Most were running around, hugging their parents goodbye, or talking with missed peers. Rainbolt and the unenthused filly landed on the large patch of sky supporting the prison. 
“I hope you have a nice day, Sweetheart.” 
“Not likely.” the filly bluntly stated. 
“Hey, come on. Go in with a positive attitude, and the rest of the day will be better. Nothing ruins a good day like a negative attitude.” 
Rainbow did nothing but grunt to show her frustration. Slowly, the stallion leaned down and gently nuzzled his sweet daughter. She blushed heavily when he landed a soft kiss on her cheek. 
“Dad, you’re embarrassing me!” she squeaked and shuffled away from her caring parent. 
“Sorry… I’m just trying to make you feel better…” 
“No, I’m sorry…” She let out a long sigh before quickly hugging her dad. “I hope you have a nice day, Daddy… I’m sorry I haven’t been in a good mood this morning.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to. I was always a sourpuss every time I had to face a new school year.” 
Rainbow smiled. “Thanks, Dad…” 
“Anytime, Sweetie. So…anything else before I buzz off?” 
The pegasus simply shook her head, and with that, her father shot up into the light blue sky with a quick "Goodbye". She was again left alone to defend herself against the large school. Not even a moment had passed when Rainbow heard an obnoxious, familiar voice from behind her. 
“Well, well, well… If it isn’t Rainbow Crash….” 
The filly turned around to lay eyes on two colts she never thought she’d meet again. One had a shabby, extremely light brown mane with a dark brown coat. His eyes were a pretty shade of blue and he wore an unattractive smirk. His partner had an unappealing shade of orange for a coat and painfully long, brown bangs that swooped in front of his green eyes. 
“What are you two doing here?” she asked, slowly gaining cockiness in her tone. Ever since she’d drilled them both in a race at Summer Flight Camp, she’d gained tons of pride. To see them at her school was something she hadn’t expected. 
“Our parents got together and moved.” Hoops said with smirk before blowing his messy, brown mane away from his green eyes. 
Oh, great. Just what she needed to start her school year off; two annoying colts to share her class with. What more could she ask for? She even muttered the words, “Oh great…” under her breath. 
“So…” Dumbbell, the idiotic partner of Hoops started off. “Was that your dad back there….?” 
“Uh, yeah, why…?” 
The two colts stared at each other for a moment and started to snicker. The filly began to fill with anger as her father was being laughed at behind his back. 
“What’s so funny?” she asked in anger. 
“Oh, nothing…” the orange colt said with a chuckle. “It’s just, he looks really gay…” 
“Gay…? What’s gay mean?” 
The two colts glanced at each other, trying hard to suppress their laughter. Was she dumb or something? 
“It means he likes to suck dick.” 
Rainbow tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. 
“What’s a dick?” 
It was then the two colts could no longer hold it in, and both burst into volatile laughter. Maybe, she was a little stupider than they originally thought. 
“You seriously don’t know?” Dumbbell teased harshly. 
“Well… I mean, yeah…Like, what is it? And why would you suck it…? Is it a food?” she replied, then felt oddly embarrassed. 
One shot the other a smug smirk. 
“Well maybe you should ask your daddy! I’m sure he would know!” 
“A little birdie told us you’ve been motherless your whole life!” Hoops added on. “No wonder! You’re dad looks more like a mare than a real stallion!” 
“Hey!” Rainbow snapped angrily. “You can’t talk that way about my daddy! Nopony does! I’ll beat you both up!” 
Rainbow didn’t want to admit it, but she felt tears starting to invade her glistening eyes. Why would they say that about her father…? Was it the small amounts of affection he gave her as he left the school grounds? Was it his vibrant, pastel colors? Did he give off some sort of vibe or something…? Maybe, it was simply the rude, immature colts that wanted something new to make fun of. 
The two colts simply snickered at her empty threats and walked away with some sense of triumph in their hearts. Rainbow stood there, doing nothing but simply watching them walk away. She let out a sigh and made an attempt to wrap her mind around everything she’d just heard. Although she was overflowing with anger, she still was a tiny bit curious… 
What was a dick…? 

Rainbolt sighed happily as he went through old boxes stored away in his closet. Maybe reflecting on life wasn’t the best thing to do on his birthday, but it was certainly something to ease his boredom. Besides, he hadn’t gone through his old mementoes for a very long time. With his room cluttered in old memories, he pulled out the fifth box that morning. It wasn’t too heavy, or too big, but did catch his attention nonetheless. The stallion set the cardboard box on the floor and slid the lid off. When his yellow eyes set on the memory below him, he took in a gasp and smiled. Inside the box, there was a large, dusty book with cobwebs forming at the edges. Rainbolt almost instantly remembered the cover and lifted his prized possession out of the box with a smile. 
“My old photo album…” 
Rainbolt smiled as he slowly flipped opened the cover of the aging book. The very first page displayed him and his siblings as very young foals. Rainbolt smiled at the picture of himself wrapped up in a blanket with a bottle in his mouth. Next to him was a picture of Sunshine, who had the most adorable smile as a foal. She was in a pink diaper and was sucking on a pacifier cutely, lying on her back in her crib. His other sister was shown in a little diaper with a smile spread on her face. She, however, was covered in gooey fudge and had a tangled, messy mane. Then, in the bottom right corner was his brother, who was a surprisingly adorable foal. He was smiling gleefully with a teddy bear wrapped in his hooves. Rainbolt simply sighed and turned the page. The content on that page made his smile grow. It was a photo of him, all his siblings, and his mother and father. Rainbolt was only two when the photo was taken. He was smiling widely and being held in the arms of his father. Prism Streak was standing proudly, and his brother was standing next to Sunshine Blue with a smile. It was a strange sight, but was oddly heart-warming. 
“I bet Rainbow would like to see some of these…” he thought aloud, as he continued scrolling through fond memories. His beamed brighter as he turned the page and saw him and his eldest sister hugging when he was only six. Even he had to admit he was a cute, little colt. At the time, his rainbow mane was tangled and his smile was awkward. A few other pictures were of his parents kissing each other and holding new-born foals in their hooves. 
Rainbolt then flipped a few more pages, getting closer to pictures of him as a teenager. He smiled and blushed as he landed on one that brought back tons of memories. He was forcing a smile, showing off the bridge of metal that covered his teeth. His hoof awkwardly wrapped around his older brother, who was forced to hug him back. He used to remember his mother saying “Now act like you love each other” when she’d take pictures. Although the smiles were often times faked, there were still emotions deep within their hearts. It may not have been love, but it was most certainly an emotion. 
Rainbolt flipped through a few more pages only to lay eyes on something…he didn’t exactly remember putting in there. For on one of the last pages, there was a picture of Rainbolt and Firefly lovingly hugging each other. Large, genuine smiles were plastered on their faces. Just by looking at it, one could tell how deeply in love they were. Rainbolt felt his eyes start to water as he closed the book and tossed it aside. He let out a long breath and stared at the ground as he remembered how it felt to be deeply in love with somepony. 
“I’m going to die alone…” He then looked up and took in a long breath. As he knew, moping about his troubles wouldn’t get him anywhere. If anything, he needed to something productive to get his mind off the subject. 

Rainbow’s day sucked, to under exaggerate. It had started with Windy boasting about her new cutie mark and how great it was. Rainbow didn’t find anything interesting about it. The mark was nothing but a cloud with some wind going through it. And she thought my cutie mark was useless…
The day continued out, growing increasingly crappy. Miss Stormy assigned them an essay, explaining how summer break caused young foals to struggle in school. That was a subject Rainbow had no intentions to write about. With questions circling in her mind, she didn’t want to write about anything. She didn’t want to do a lick of work, but Miss Stormy had other plans for the young filly. 
After starting her crappy essay, she was sent out to lunch with the rest of the fillies and colts. She sat in a remote area away from everypony else. Not only did she not have any friends at school, but she didn’t want to be approached by the two irritating colts or her dreaded enemy. She dined on nasty leftovers and potato chips. When she returned from lunch, she was given a math quiz to see how much she remembered from the summer. Surprisingly enough, she failed. Math was never her forte. 
The day continued to inch along slowly with long reading passages, a history lesson, and hardly any free time. Finally, after a long six hours in school, three dings released her from the awful prison. The moment the clock hit two, all of her peers left the room. She, however, had to remain seated and wait for her dad to come get her. There, she’d get started on any homework that was assigned to her. Unfortunately, she was given the kind of teacher that would give her homework on the very first day of school. 
Silently, Rainbow sat at her desk and tackled her worst assignment; finishing the essay. She always hated writing assignments. The topics were boring and uninteresting, but she knew she’d have to get it done eventually. She knew if she let her grade slip, she’d be grounded for a little while, and that was something she did not want to see happen. 
As Rainbow examined her paper, she felt nearly defeated when she realized she’d only written a little over a paragraph. Why did life have to be so cruel?  Why couldn’t she have just finished the damn thing at school? 
Reluctantly, the young filly started her assignment with dread in her heart. She put her sharp pencil to the paper, but was immediately stopped by a stallion opening the door. Her pink eyes darted from her unfinished assignment to her father. She smiled and instantly tossed her paper back into her saddlebag. 
“Dad!” she chimed happily. 
“Heya, Sweetheart. How was your day?” 
“Eh… okay…” she lied and threw her saddle bag onto her shoulders. “How was yours?” 
“Pretty good…” he admitted. “I got bored halfway through the day and made some cupcakes.” 
Rainbow smiled. “What kind?” Slowly, the father and daughter abandoned the classroom. 
“Chocolate. Our favorite.” 
Rainbow smiled. Her day may have been quite crappy, but that was at least a decent way to end it. 
“Chocolate frosting, too?” 
“You bet!” He licked his lips at the thought of it. “I haven’t tried one yet. I didn’t want to eat one without you.” 
Dash grinned as they continued down the hallway. She truly did have one of the greatest fathers alive. The duo made their way down the hall in silence and exited the double doors at the end of the hallway. There, they both stared into the clear, blue sky. Rainbolt turned to his daughter, and nodded to her with a grin. She nodded back, and they both proceeded to shoot up into the atmosphere.  

Rainbow took a bite of the sweet, tasty cupcake before her. The cake itself was soft and moist, but deliciously topped with a creamy, white frosting. The delicious treat was easily penetrated by the filly’s teeth and sent a storm of sweet flavors into her hungry mouth. She moaned as the flavors filled her mouth. Yet again, her father’s cooking didn’t let her down. 
Rainbolt was also munching on the well-baked treat. He’d learned the simple recipe from his mother, and held onto it ever since. He always did enjoy cooking with her as a teenage colt. 
“Wow…this is really good…” Dashie commented as she popped another bite of the delectable treat in her mouth. 
“Thanks, and I know…So,” the stallion swallowed another bite of the cupcake. “What’d you do today?” 
“Well… Miss Stormy made me write an essay on why summer was bad or something like that…” 
The stallion simply chuckled. “I bet you can’t wait until this school year is over… I know Miss Stormy hasn’t exactly been your favorite teacher…” 
“Yeah…she hasn’t…” Rainbow smiled, thinking back on more of her day. “We also took a math quiz… It was on everything we learned before we were let out for summer… I failed it.” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes. “Well, at least you have something to put in your essay about why summer’s bad and everything…” 
“I guess…” she started hesitantly. “Oh, and remember those two kids I told you about that went to Summer Flight Camp with me?” Her dad thought for a moment. 
“Actually…you told me about quite a lot of foals from Summer Flight Camp… could you be more specific?” 
“Remember the two colts I beat in a race that got me my cutie mark?” she reminded him in a some-what prideful tone. 
“Oh, yeah… What about them?” 
“They moved closer to our area, and now they go to school with me…” 
“Oh…And that’s a…bad thing, right?” he asked hesitantly. 
Rainbow simply nodded and took another bite of her desert. “They’re little bullies…” she said with a mouth stuffed with cupcake.  
“Oh…I’m sorry to hear that…” 
Rainbow brushed it off and looked at her cupcake. “It’s not like it’s your fault or anything…”
It was then Rainbow remembered something that had been fading in and out of her mind all day long. The two obnoxious colts had mentioned something called a dick. She didn’t know why she’d been so curious about the subject, but it just seemed significant. They talked about sucking it, which made it seem like a food, yet…the way they talked made it seem as though they meant it in a mean way. What food could you eat that could possibly get one made fun of so harshly…? It had also been annoying her that they thought she was somehow stupid for simply not knowing what it was. It was then she decided to get everything straightened out. Surely, her father would have the answers to her unasked question. 
“Hey Dad?” she asked. 
“Yeah, Rainbow?” 
“Can I...ask you something?” 
The stallion smiled. “Sure thing, Sweetheart. What’s on your mind?” Rainbolt quietly took another bite of his delicious, homemade treat and awaited the question. 
“What’s a dick?” she asked bluntly. 
As the words left his daughter’s mouth, Rainbolt’s yellow eyes went wide. His heart skipped a beat and he almost coughed on his desert. She…couldn’t have just asked what he thought she did… Could she…? 
Nervously, the father swallowed his bite of sugary goodness and stared at his daughter with a blank expression. 
“I…beg your pardon…?” 
“What’s a dick?” she reiterated. 
The stallion blushed and stared at his little filly with a heavy blush. His eyes were still wide and his heart beat heavily. 
“Rainbow…I…” He thought for a moment… Maybe, if it were used in the right context, he could wiggle his way out of that one. “Sweetheart… What was the sentence?” 
“I don’t know… A couple foals at my school just mentioned something about sucking dick… What’s that mean…?” 
Rainbolt froze. His daughter… His sweet, innocent daughter knew nothing about sex whatsoever, and there she was casually saying the word “dick” as if there were nothing wrong with it. She…wanted to know… And eventually, he knew she was going to find out. She was nine years old, and there was no way he could hide the simply facts of life from her forever. Maybe he could just tell her a wishy-washy version of the process or something… He knew he could just tell it was a male’s private part, but she’d still be confused about the sucking and everything else. 
Just face it, Rainbolt…this had to happen eventually. Be a good dad and tell her what she wants to know… it’s either you tell her, or she’ll find out from kids at school… And if kids at school tell her, it may be worse… Don’t you think she at least deserves to have a long talk with her parent about it? I think that’d be more meaningful than some snotty kids trying to tell her about it… They won’t be able to answer the questions like you would. Besides, I think she’d be a bit more comfortable learning this from me than anypony else… The stallion looked at his daughter and sighed. Come on…Just do it before she learns the hard way… I just hope this doesn’t kill her innocence…
“Rainbow Dash…” he finally said. “I…think it’s time you and me had a little talk…” 
The filly cocked her head. “A talk?”
“Yeah…just a one-to-one chat… But I think we should go to your room…it’d be more comfortable in there.” 
Rainbow was still rather confused. Why did they have to go in a completely separate room just to talk? It seemed rather odd, but surely her father knew what he was doing… 
“Okay…” 
Rainbolt removed himself from his seat and started to go down the hallway. 
“Bring your cupcake, Sweetie…” 
Rainbow obeyed, hopping down from her chair and galloping towards her own bedroom. Her father opened her door, and allowed her to go inside first. She hesitantly entered her chamber and felt a shiver go down her spine as Rainbolt closed the door behind them. That day, her room seemed darker and less comfortable to be in.  
“Have a seat on your bed… We may be here a little bit…” 
Rainbow looked back at her father and quietly made her way to her bed. She sat on top of it and quickly finished her cupcake off, never removing her eyes from her dad. With a quickly thumping heart, he sat on the bed next to his daughter. He felt his pulse rising and heat in his cheeks as he stared in the eyes of his innocent sweetheart. 
“Okay, Rainbow Dash…” he started, wrapping a wing around her slowly. “We’re… about to have a conversation that’ll change the way you see life… If anything comes to your head that you want to ask, don’t be afraid to let it out.” Silently, the filly nodded. Rainbolt continued. “To start off… I’ll answer your original question. You want to know what a, ummm… dick is?” 
“Yeah…” 
The stallion took in a deep breath. 
“Well… you know your… private place…?” Rainbow nodded. “Well…instead of having what you have, a stallion or colt has a dick… it’s actually called a penis, but…you know…” he looked at his daughter who was even more curious than before. 
“How’s it different…?” was her second question. 
“Well… it’s kind of shaped like this…” The stallion drew a phallic symbol in the air with his hooves. “Like, it goes outwards instead of inwards…” 
“Oh…” was all she said. “So… why would they mention.. sucking it?” 
“It’s kind of because… to some ponies, that feels good…” 
“But…wouldn’t that be nasty…?” 
“It is…” was all he said with a hot blush smeared on his face. “But… it just…Rainbow, do you…know what sex is?” it was a dumb question, but necessary at the time.  
“Umm…no…” 
“Well… it’s sort of how kids are made… If a stallion and a mare have sex, the mare will get pregnant and have a kid…” 
“Oh… How do you do sex?” 
Rainbolt hesitated before answering her question in the most modest way he could think of. 
“Well…it’s kind of like… their privates’ touch, and after a while, it’ll end and then the mare will get pregnant…” 
The filly cocked her head. “So…that’s what you did to make me…?” 
“Well…sort of, yeah…” he blushed heavily. 
“What’d it feel like…?” 
The stallion couldn’t help but smile as he thought back on the night of his eighteenth birthday. “Well… It kind of feels good… But, don’t do it… It should only be done when two ponies love each other very much, and they want to have a kid.” 
Rainbow chuckled. “Well…I won’t do that ever because I don’t want foals!”
“Good... I hope that’s true.” Rainbolt smiled at his daughter. To his shock, explaining everything wasn’t too hard. 
“So... what’s gay mean? Hoops and Dumbbell just told me it means you like to suck dick…” 
“Not exactly...” Rainbolt thought for a minute and smiled. “Actually, he was way off… Do you know how mares fall in love with stallions and everything?” Dash nodded. “Well, gay simply means you like the same gender. Like, mares fall in love with mares and stallions fall in love with stallions…” 
Rainbow smiled. “That’s sort of sweet…” 
“Yeah… It is…” 
“Dad…?” 
“Yeah, Dashie…?” 
“The colts from my school thought you were gay… Are you?” 
Rainbolt actually laughed at the accusation. “No, Sweetheart… I’m not… I don’t exactly roll that way…” 
“So… if you were that means I could have two daddies?” 
“Yeah… but sorry, I’m just not into other stallions… I hope I didn’t disappoint you.” 
“No, I was just curious…” 
The stallion warmly brought his daughter in for a hug. She wrapped her hooves around his torso as well. 
“You know, if you ever have questions about this kind of stuff, don’t be afraid to ask me, okay…?” 
“Okay… I will…” 
Rainbolt felt his daughter breathing out hot air onto his chest. He smiled, looking down at her with pride. Even if that day hadn’t gone too well for either of them, the results were still pretty good. Luckily for Rainbolt, the explanation of the birds and the bees hadn’t turned out so bad. It wasn’t until a long minute had passed that Rainbow spoke up again. 
“Dad…?” 
“Yeah, Rainbow?” 
“Does…sex make ponies sweat…?” 
“I, uh…yeah, sometimes…” 
She then thought for a moment longer. 
“Does it make them moan?” 
“Yeah…sometimes….why?” 
The little filly looked up at her father with tears invading her eyes. 
“Wh-what’s wrong, Rainbow…?” 
“Daddy…I…I think I prevented Fluttershy from getting a little brother or sister…” 

> 23. Her Smile
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rainbow Dash smiled as the cold, refreshing liquid ran down her throat. The sweet, citrusy taste awoke her taste buds and made her crave the delicious flavor more by the second. Within five seconds flat, she’d already gulped down the delicious juice. She set the glass down with a gasp and wiped her upper lip of the orange residue. 
“Why don’t we get orange juice more often?” she asked her father, who was sitting across from her, reading a newspaper and sipping on freshly brewed coffee. 
“Because when I do you drink it all in like, a day.” 
“So? That means it’s good.” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “If you can make this gallon last a week, I’ll buy some more, okay?”
Rainbow frowned and sighed. “Okay…. You have way too high of expectations, though.” 
The stallion did nothing but roll his eyes. 
“Okay, Rainbow… Just remember what’ll happen if you drink it all too quickly, alright?”
The filly nodded and went to the fridge with a broad smile. 
“What are you doing…?” Rainbolt asked hesitantly. 
“Gettin’ more orange juice.”  
“You’re going to run out by tomorrow, you know…” 
“No I won’t! I’m going to save some at the bottom and not drink it for a week!” 
“Well what if I drink it?” 
Rainbow paused for a moment. “That would be your fault, now wouldn’t it?” 
“Yeah, but still.” 
Rainbow took the large gallon of the sweet, orange liquid out of her fridge. After only the short day they’d had it, it was already a quarter of the way gone. The little filly always gulped down orange juice as if it were nothing. 
Slowly, the filly picked up the gallon and made her way back to the table. She hovered above her glass and tilted it forwards. The golden waterfall of goodness began filling the plastic cup. Slowly, the liquid started filling the cup. When Dash saw it was halfway full, she tilted the gallon jug backwards. Unfortunately, some of the orange juice ended up spilling out of the lid and onto the dining table. Dash set the galloon back down. 
“I’ll clean it!” Rainbow reassured quickly, not giving her father a second to respond. The stallion simply smiled with a nod. 
“Also, if you want it to last, you should probably space it out a bit more.” 
“I will…” she said, rushing into the kitchen and pulling a hoof towel from the counter. She dashed back and started cleaning the miniature puddle she created. The towel soaked up the juice and even picked up a few abandoned crumbs. “But I’ll just be more conservative later in the week.” 
“Alright, Rainbow…” 
The little filly screwed the cap back on the juice and picked it up along with the used towel. She went back to the kitchen and threw the used, filthy rag onto the counter. She then proceeded to open up the cool fridge and place the orange juice back inside. The little filly then made her way back to the table and swallowed down some more of the sweet juice. After taking a couple big gulps she set the large, plastic cup back down on the wooden surface. Her tongue glided across her upper lip where she was given a sticky, orange mustache. She then looked to her father, who’d already given his attention to the black and white print again. 
“Hey, Dad…?” she asked hesitantly. 
“Yeah…?” he replied, never once looking away from the article before him.
“Since it’s spring break, do you think we could maybe go to a park, you know…later this week. Or today…” 
Rainbolt removed the newspaper from his vision and stared at his little filly on the other side of the table. She was wearing a large, innocent smile and cute, sparkling eyes. 
“Maybe not today… It’s the only day I have off of work.” 
“But Dad! You work at night! Besides, that only makes a better reason to go! It’s when you’re not that busy!” 
“Rainbow… I’ll think about it, alright?” 
“Okay… Please, though…” 
“Dash, I said I’ll think about it. Also, I won’t take you anywhere if you don’t shower…” 
The little filly crossed her hooves and huffed angrily. “Ugh… I don’t like showering…” 
“When was the last time you showered…?” Rainbolt asked hesitantly, barely being able to remember himself. 
“Umm… I don’t know… Wednesday or something….” 
The stallion took a moment to count the days in his head. 
“Rainbow! You’ve gone three whole days with no shower!” 
“So…?” 
“So, you’re going to take one today!” 
The filly’s face twisted into a frown. “If I do will you take me to a park?” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Dashie… You shouldn’t have to be rewarded for something as simple as showering… but if you really want to go today….” 
Without warning, the little filly sprung from her chair and tackled her dad with a wide smile. Her hooves wrapped around his torso and she dug her head into his fluffy chest. 
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You’re the best dad ever! I love you!” 
The stallion sighed and then smiled. Gently pushing Rainbow away, he chuckled. “Alright, Sweetheart. We’ll head up there sometime soon, but you have to take a shower...” 
Rainbow nodded with a wide grin and dashed off. She flew out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into the restroom. Rainbolt smiled in satisfaction when he heard the door click shut. 
 Well, Rainbolt, you now have some time all to yourself… Although, she’ll probably be done five minutes from now… Eh… A few minutes is better than nothing….
     The periwinkle pegasus smiled and picked up his little, white mug of fresh coffee. Steam rose and entered his nostrils. He took in a deep breath of the dark, delicious liquid. As the mug rose and the ivory rim touched his lips, he heard three loud knocks at his front door. He gently set the caffeinated drink down. 
Well, there goes my five minutes of me time…
     The stallion sighed and rose from the stool. He trotted over to his front door. Before he made it halfway out of the kitchen, another impatient knock rippled through the house. 
“I’m coming, I’m coming…” he called as he picked up speed. He didn’t want to keep his uninvited guest waiting. 
As the stallion finally opened the door, his eyes met with a bright pair of dark blue ones. The mare wore her multihued mane in her usual, uncombed style swept to one side. Her light pink coat was radiant with no effort. She smiled widely and welcomed herself into the home with no invitation. 
“Umm… Come in…?” 
Prism did nothing but chuckle. “Oh, come on, Rainbolt. You act like you actually care or something.” 
“I don’t mind you coming in…” the stallion closed the door as his confident sister entered. “I just wasn’t expecting you…” 
“What? You’re big sister just can’t drop in every once in a while?” 
“Never said that...” He smiled and turned to her. “So what’s the news?” 
“Just because I drop by suddenly means I have news, huh?” 
“I assume. Normally if you want to catch up with me you just send a letter.” 
Prism Streak chuckled. “Okay, you got me. Mom’s sixtieth birthday’s next Saturday. Me and the rest of us are planning her party.” She smiled. “If you have any spare time, you should help us. Sunshine’s cookin’, I’m decorating, Moonstruck’s letting us use his house, and we’re each gettin’ her a little something.” 
Rainbolt cocked his head. “Wait… This will be at… Moonstruck’s house… as in, he’ll be there and stuff?” 
She grunted. In her heart, she knew her little brother would be completely turned off by having to spend time with his brother. She was hoping, however, he wouldn’t make a huge deal over it. 
“Come on, Bolty! You can only turn sixty once! What if this was Mom’s last birthday, and you weren’t even there to celebrate with her? What if the family reunion we had a while back was the last time she got to see Dash?” 
“Actually, Mom came to visit last Hearth’s Warming…” He sighed. “Listen… you know how Moonstruck and I are… And you know how I feel about letting him near Dashie. I know we’ll all be around family, and he won’t do anything weird… Also, he might be a tiny bit angry when we talk about the letter Dash was supposed to write him…” 
The mare did nothing but smile at her brother and roll her eyes. “You’re being silly. I know you’re still a bit scared of him, but he hasn’t hurt anypony since his rehabilitation…” 
“That we know of…” 
Prism giggled and wrapped a hoof around her brother. “Listen.. . I won’t force you to do this, but it would mean a lot to the family… And Dashie. I’m sure she’d love to see some of her other family members… Oh! And if you come you’ll get to meet my marefriend.” 
Rainbolt almost smiled. “You have a marefriend now?”
“Yep! What about you?” 
The stallion looked away. “Well… There’s a mare who likes me and she’s really nice and everything. She’s pretty, too, but-“ 
“So where is Rainbow, speaking of the little kid. You know I haven’t got to see her with her cutie mark yet.” 
The stallion blinked after being rudely cut off by his sister. 
“Well… She’s in the shower right now…” 
“Oh, I see… So… I’m not in a rush to get home anything. Wanna catch up?” 
Rainbolt smiled genuinely. “Sure. I have to take Rainbow to the park later, but I don’t have any other plans until then.” 
“Good! I didn’t spend twenty minutes flyin’ up here just so you could say no…Also…Is it a yes or a no?”
“Is what a yes or a no?” 
With that, Prism brought her hoof up to her forehead in a swift motion and grunted at her brother’s stupidity. It was then the stallion realized his mistake.
“Oh! You meant about Mom’s birthday… Gee, I don’t know…” 
“Please?” 
“I… Don’t… I mean, I’d like to, but…” 
It was then that Rainbolt’s ears swiveled and perked up. Down the hall, he could hear a very familiar voice calling “Dad” over and over again. 
“That’s Dash…” he confirmed aloud. “Sorry, Sis, I’ll be right back… Gotta go see what she wants.” 
Prism nodded and Rainbolt zoomed away from her, down the hall, and stopped at the bathroom door. Inside, he could here Rainbow still calling his name. The volume and urgency in her voice escalated each second. With little hesitation, the stallion knocked on the bathroom door and the calling stopped. 
“What’s up, Sweetheart?” 
Slowly, Rainbow poked her head out of the bathroom door. Her rainbow mane was sopping wet and her coat had darkened by a shade.
“There’s no towel in here… I remember last time I got out without drying off first, you were kind of upset…especially when I got your bed wet…”
The stallion chuckled. “Thanks for telling me this time. It shows you’re learning and maturing.”
Rainbow blushed, and beamed with pride from her father’s compliment. 
“What took you so long?” Dashie asked before her father could retrieve a towel. 
“To what?”
“To come when I was calling…” 
“Oh! Your aunt Prism’s over and-“ 
“My aunt’s over?!” the filly asked in excitement. 
“Yeah, but-“ 
The stallion couldn’t finish his sentence before his little filly burst out of the restroom and zoomed down the hall, still soaking  wet from head to hoof. She dashed down the hall, through the kitchen, and smiled widely when she set eyes on her aunt. She flew with all her might, and tackled the mare down in a wet, loving embrace. Prism gently pushed the excited filly away. There was a large wet spot on her chest. 
“Rainbow!” she snapped. “You got me all wet!” 
“Sorry… “ 
The mare made an attempt to wipe some of the liquid out of her coat to no avail. 
“You’re so lucky you’re not my child…” the mare grumbled under her breath.  
“I said I was sorry… Why’d you visit?” 
“Trying to change the subject, eh?” The mare’s frown turned into a little smile as she thought of herself as a little filly. “Well, I was going to invite your dad to your grandma’s birthday party…” 
Rainbow’s pink eyes lit up. “So… I’ll get to see Grandma and Grandpa again?”
Prism streak nodded affirmatively. “And your aunts and uncle.” 
The filly’s wings shot out in excitement, sending a few droplets of water flying. Her smile grew wider as her father entered the scene with a look of disappointment on his face. In his mouth, he held a white, shabby towel. 
“Daddy, did you hear? We get to see our family!” 
Without responding, Rainbolt threw the towel on his daughter. Temporarily, she stumbled over her hooves, blinded and struggling. Her father grabbed the towel and started roughly rubbing the little filly’s body. She screamed out as the rag vigorously dried her. Prism curiously watched as the scene unfolded before her. 
“I thought you were getting mature, but no…” her father teased as he continued rubbing her. Rainbow struggled as the towel ruffed up her coat. 
“I’m dry! I’m dry!” she cried out. It was then the towel stopped and she was taken into a loving embrace. Rainbolt ruffled at her mane and she let out a long whine. 
“Don’t do that again, okay?” 
“Okay, Dad.” 
“So…” Prism interrupted. “Are you going to help with Mom’s birthday, Rainbolt?” 
Rainbolt grew a tad bit angry with his sister at that moment. By the sly smirk on her face, he could tell she was mentioning the topic in front of Rainbow on purpose. They were both well aware of her brilliant plan. 
“Can we, Daddy? Please? Please? Please? I really want to see the family again!” 
Rainbolt stared down  into the watering, pink eyes of his daughter. Her lower lip was trembling as she put on the cutest beggy face in history. It was at that moment he knew he was defeated. 
“I guess…”

Unlike her father, Rainbow Dash was gushing excitement and joy for the occasion. Rainbolt however, was dreading the approach of his brother’s house more every second. Yes, Prism did have a point when she said it was possible it’d be his mother’s final birthday, and that she would be disappointed if one of her children show, but that didn’t make him any more comfortable with visiting his brother. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he would be able to avoid Moonstruck without acting like he was trying to. 
At the time, both ponies were walking. Rainbolt carried a large container on his back. Inside was a cake for his mother’s birthday. He used an old recipe he found in one of his cookbooks. The cake itself was yellow, moist, and sweet to the tongue. The frosting that masked the top was butter cream. He’d made it himself, with Dashie as a taste tester. Rainbow, however, was carrying a small box on her back. Inside was a bottle of perfume that smelt like lilac. Although neither Rainbow or Rainbolt were fond of the smell, he knew his mother would like it, anyway, and that’s all that mattered.
“Are we almost there?” the little filly asked as they continued to walk through a dark neighborhood of Manehattan. 
“Yes, Rainbow…” he said with a sigh. “We’re almost there. He only lives a few more blocks away.”
Unfortunately.
     “Oh… Dad, you’re not going to get into it with Uncle Moonstruck again, are you?” 
“I’ll try… But I can’t promise anything.” 
It was silent for a moment, before Dash and her father smiled at each other unsurely. They continued down the street silently for a good minute. Rainbolt made a few curves as he slowly started to recognize the area more and more. Each moment, the dread in the stallion’s heart grew. 
“Dad?” Rainbow asked as they grew nearer to Moonstruck’s home at the end of the street. 
“Yeah?” 
“Why do you hate Uncle so much?” 
“I don’t ‘hate’ him, Sweetheart… We’ve just had a lot of complications in the past… I’ll tell you more when you’re older, okay?”
“Okay.” The filly agreed. “I think he’s nice… I mean, he seems nice… I guess…” 
Rainbolt unsurely stared at his daughter a moment. In some ways, it was hard to believe that the greatest thing that had ever come into his life loved the worst thing to have ever come into his life. Maybe one day, he’d tell her the truth about his brother. Until then, he didn’t want her to fear her very own family. 
“He has his moments…” Rainbolt hesitantly responded. 
Rainbow walked a few more feet before smiling brightly. At the very end of the street rested a small, yellow house. It seemed to be constructed of brick and was a bit old-looking. 
“Is that it?” 
The stallion nodded.
“Alright!” she cheered. “I can’t wait!” 
Without the consent of her father, the Dash flapped her wings and bolted ahead. Rainbolt went agape before getting a little bit frustrated with his filly.  
“Rainbow!” he called. “Come back here! I didn’t say you could go ahead!” 
Dashie ignored her father’s calls and continued to fly ahead. Not wanting to drop the load on his back, the stallion attempted to walk at a slow enough pace. 
“Rainbow! Stop! Now!” He shouted loudly to his daughter, who continued to speed ahead with a certain sense of pride building within her. She smiled widely as her wings continued to beat with every second. 
“Rainbow Dash!” He called in the most assertive tone he could force. The new anger in her father’s tone caused the little filly to stop in her tracks. She turned back. From where she was, her father had shrunken dramatically in size. “Get back here right now or you’re grounded!” 
With that, the little filly turned around in disappointment. It wasn’t her fault her daddy was so slow… she just wanted to get ahead and not go two miles per hour. Her ears flopped down and her head hung low as she continued down the path. 
“Sorry, Dad…” She apologized as she approached her not very pleased father. 
“Sorry? Come on, Rainbow! You know I hate it when you run ahead of me like that!” His worried tone soon turned to anger. “Don’t ever do that again! I don’t care where we are, what we’re doing, or anything! If you get too far ahead, you could get kidnapped! You know how paranoid I am about that, Rainbow! If this happens again, I’ll ground you with no warning!” 
“Okay…” The filly sighed and continued on next to her dad in disappointment. “I don’t see why it’s such a big deal. You could see me from where you are…” 
“I don’t care, Dash. It still worries me.” 
“You act like somepony’s just gonna come down from the sky and take me away. I’ll never get kidnapped, Dad. Never have, never will!” 
Rainbolt let out a sigh as he continued down the sidewalk. 
Yeah… I thought the exact same thing…

The periwinkle stallion felt his heart rate dramatically rise as he stood before his brother’s door. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and his insides twisted and twirled within him.
“Can I knock on the door?” Dash asked with a smile on her face. Even if it was faked, it was still the first smile she’d put on since she’d got yelled at by her father. 
“S-Sure, Sweetheart…” 
“You…okay?” 
“Yeah… I’m just a little bit nervous is all….” 
The filly shrugged it off. Why her father was so scared about visiting family was beyond her. With a smile, she lifted her hoof to the door and gave it three loud knocks. Inside, there was a bit of shuffling heard. Rainbolt  froze as his ears perked up to the sound of hoofsteps approaching. When the door was answered, however, his heart stopped for a brief moment. There, a white pegasus stood with a smile on his face. His blood red mane was swooping downward and was worn in a style that reflected Rainbolt’s. His purple eyes pierced through his flesh and deep within his soul. 
“It’s so nice to see you two decided to show.” he greeted in a surprisingly pleasant tone. “Please, come in. Both of you.” 
With the invitation given, Rainbow flew into the room with a smile. Her dad made his way in a bit nervously. As he passed by his brother, he could hear his own heartbeat over everything in the room. Inside his house was lively, which was an expected relief for Rainbolt. His sister was setting up some trays of delectable snacks while Prism Streak was blowing up a balloon. There was a rather large pile of balloons gathered in one corner. Some were filled with helium, while the majority only held air. Balloons weren’t the most appropriate decoration for a sixtieth birthday, but they worked well with the big, colorful banner hanging at the top of the room. 
“Where can I put this?” Rainbow asked, holding the sloppily wrapped gift up for Moonstruck to see. He smiled at the young filly, who smiled back widely. 
“There’ll be a corner in the living room for that. Just ask one of your aunts.” 
“Thanks, Uncle!” 
Rainbow smiled as she set the present down and wrapped her hooves around her uncle. Not expecting the sudden signs of affection, he flinched and blushed a bit, but quickly wrapped his hoof around her back.
“Alright, alright… Go socialize while you can.” 
Rainbow nodded and quickly trotted off to the living room with a smile.
Her smile… In Moonstruck’s eyes, Rainbow had the most beautiful smile in the world. When she smiled, he smiled. It was the only smile that wasn’t fighting against all his faults… It was the only smile that was completely unaware of anything he’d ever done wrong….
There, she abandoned her father, who was still within a foot of his brother. His heart rate sped up again. And to think it had been going down for a minute…. 
“Ah, such sweet innocence…” the stallion behind him said with a smile. “You were the cutest little thing when you were her age…” The pegasus chuckled, looking back on fond memories. “Too bad you had to grow out of it.” 
“I, umm…thanks, I guess…” The stallion’s voice was timid and his eyes remained glued to the floor. 
It was then, Rainbolt felt a gentle, but strong hoof wrap around the back of his neck and stop at his shoulder. A shiver went up his spine as he felt the heat of his brother’s breath against his cheek.
“Come on, now, there’s really no need to be shy. If there’s something bothering you, you should just tell me…” 
“Nothing’s bothering me…” Rainbolt lied. “I, umm… Just need a place to set this…”
“Ah, gotchya. Just find a cleared space on a counter. I have candles, if you didn’t bring any.” 
“No… it’s fine… I already put some on…I’ll just go now…” 
Quietly, the stallion trotted into the kitchen with the semi-heavy cake weighing down his back and wings. Quickly, he found an opened space to set it on. He made his way to the counter and extended his wing. He tilted his torso, and allowed the large container to gently slide onto the counter. He pushed it further back away from the edge with his hooves. 
Alright…Talking to Moonstruck again wasn’t that bad, but…it can always get worse from here…
     The stallion proceeded to leave the kitchen and make his way into the living room, that was just outside of it. Unsurprisingly, Dash was flaunting her cutie mark to certain relatives who were yet to see it. Sunshine Blue seemed impressed by it. She was smiling at the little filly, and telling her how amazing it looked on her. Prism was giggling on the couch with a mare wrapped in her hooves. Moonstruck wasn’t in the scene, which made it a bit more comfortable. Rainbolt simply chuckled. Rainbow wasn’t the most modest pony, but she was still a good kid. Besides, his relatives didn’t seem to mind too much. Every foal brags when they’re talking about their cutie mark. 
“So, how’d you get it?” Sunshine asked in curiosity. 
“Oh, this is good!” Rainbow started proudly. “It all started at Summer Flight Camp, and these two colts were talking bad about my friend Fluttershy, so that’s when I swooped in and told them to stop pickin’ on her!” 
Rainbolt smiled and shook his head at the exact same story he’d heard nearly twenty times at that point in his life. Although hearing it again wouldn’t be harmful, the repetitive tale wasn’t something he looked forward to sitting through again. 
Slowly, the couple on the couch rose to their hooves and walked up, heading towards Rainbolt. One he easily recognized as his sister, and the other looked oddly familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d seen her before. Her light pink eyes were glittering under the light. She had a snowy white coat, and was a pegasus just like his sister. Her wavy, white mane neatly boarded her face and had a dark pink stripe in the front of her silky-looking locks. 
“Rainbolt…” Prism started with a smile. “This is my marefriend. Her name Cherry Pop.” 
“Hi…” Rainbolt greeted with a smile, and held out his hoof. She gladly took him in for a hoof shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you…” 
“You too….” She stared at the stallion for an odd number of seconds. She cocked her head and squinted her eyes. “You look…really familiar…” 
“Umm… You do, too…” 
Prism stared with a confused expression on her face as the two’s eyes remained glued on each other’s faces. 
“Rainbolt went to Manehattan Flight School, if that helps…” 
Cherry Pop continued to stare at the stallion, and he looked back. Both weren’t quite sure what to say. When neither could place their tongues on where’d they previously met, they gave up and sighed. 
“Oh well…” Rainbolt started. “I’m sure we just bumped into each other in public by accident or something…” 
“Yeah… probably…” 
The moment became awkward and heavy as the room filled with unnatural silence. All three ponies stared at each other, none knowing what to say to one another. 
“Alright, well… Me and my mare are goin’ to go grab something to snack on. We didn’t exactly get lunch or anything…” 
Cherry glared at her marefriend for a moment. “Maybe we would have if somepony wasn’t rushing us.” 
Prism returned the angry glare. The disapproving stare lasted for nearly ten seconds before they simultaneously smiled at each other. 
“Okay, Sweetheart. Let’s get somethin’ to eat.” 
“I already said that!”
Both were giggling as they left the kitchen. They lovingly fell into each other, smiling as their hearts were consumed by love for each other. Rainbolt smiled to see his sister that happy. Being in love really was great… It certainly wasn’t an emotion that could easily be replaced. 
Almost a second after the two ponies left, Moonstruck entered to replace the void. Rainbolt felt his heart instantly flee at sight of his brother. He wanted to run and hide, but remained stiff in his place. 
“Why are you in the kitchen alone?” was the stallion’s first question. 
“Well… I was… Prism and her marefriend… I was going to the living room, but then Prism Streak and Cherry came in and distracted me, and then they left…Which speaking of the, umm… living room, I think I should get back there…” 
Rainbolt turned away with a forced smile. As the stallion rotated his body a full one hundred-eighty degrees, he heard his brother clear his throat behind him. Rainbolt’s body and heart froze. 
“Bolty… We need to talk….” 
Rainbolt felt sweat forming on his face and nervousness building in his heart. He wanted to…talk with him…? Coming from his brother, Rainbolt knew it wouldn’t be good… Slowly, he turned back around and met eyes with his brother. Rainbolt gulped and smiled. 
“T-talk? About what? Can’t w-we just chat in here?” 
“No, talk in private.” 
Private…There’s no way this can be good… Maybe this has to do with the letters, or me, or him…or Dashie… I hope this doesn’t have to do with Dashie.
“I…would rather not…” 
“Rainbolt!” he snapped in a whisper. “We’re going to my bedroom, now… There’s something very important we need to discuss…” 
“Moonstruck…I….” 
The tone in his brother’s voice didn’t leave much room for argument. Whatever he wanted, he wanted badly. Moonstruck always won their miniature battles or arguments. Rainbolt had learned by then, he wasn’t going to win that one, either. 
“Okay…” The stallion finally agreed. “I’ll go…” 
“Good…Now…” 
Moonstruck lead Rainbolt down the hall. In his kitchen, there were three exits and entrances. One was accessible when one entered the door, and was one of the first things one saw when they entered his house. The next exit led to the living room, and was on the opposite side from the entrance near the front door. The final exit was to a hallway, which had Moonstruck’s room, a restroom, and a guest’s room. Unfortunately, that was the exit Rainbolt was led down. His brother’s room was the first door on the left when he left the kitchen. Slowly, the pegasus opened his bedroom door. He tossed his brother an emotionless expression as he held the door opened for him. Slowly, Rainbolt walked inside. His room was an impressive size, being nearly fifty percent bigger than Rainbolt’s. It had a large bed in the center, along with a dresser, a shelf, a nightstand, and a closet. The stallion felt a shiver run up his spine as his brother closed the door behind him. 
“Now…Rainbolt, you know I love you sincerely.” 
 Yes, you love me so, so much… Because over all the years I’ve lived, you’ve  shown it in so many way… Really, Moonstruck? I knew you were sadistic, but I never thought you’d be liar, as well… Actually… Ugh, nevermind…
“I love you, too…..” 
Rainbolt felt as though he had to force the words off his tongue. Not even he could tell if he were lying or telling the truth. 
“And, listen… I’m not stupid. I’d believe you didn’t send Rainbow’s letter to me over a dumb excuse like it got lost in the mail. I know you’re trying to keep Dashie and I apart! That’s sort of obvious.” 
“How do you know that? Maybe Rainbow was just lazy and didn’t send a letter!” 
Moonstruck smirked. “Is that what she’d tell me if I asked her personally?” 
“Well…I… No, but…I…” 
Rainbolt stopped himself from continuing the sentence. There was no possible way he could wiggle himself out of that one. 
“Exactly! Now, be honest with me; why?”
“Because… I don’t know, you’re kinda sadistic and stuff… I just don’t... Based on the stuff you did to me as a colt, I don’t think I could trust you sending letters to my daughter… I don’t know what you’d say to her and how you could influence her… I just don’t trust you…” 
Rainbolt’s tone had been unnaturally shaky. Telling his brother everything bluntly seemed like the right -and wrong- thing to do. He was being honest, but he had hoped he wasn’t harshly honest. 
“Alright… I can respect your decision…” 
The stallion was almost shocked at his brother’s answer. It was so casual and so accepting… It seemed so out of his character. If he were any younger, he would have sworn he’d be hit with an object over the head for saying something like that. 
“You…really?” 
Moonstruck nodded. “If you don’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do to stop you… You’re just being a parent…” 
“Gee…thanks, Moonstruck… That’s really…wow…” 
Before Moonstruck could properly reply to his brother’s response, he was cut off by his bedroom door being swung opened. There, Prism was smiling widely. 
“Hey, you guys! Aunty Silver just arrived! She said Momma’s on her way with Sunshine!” 
The little mare smiled and bolted away from the room with excitement filling her heart. 
“Well…” Moonstruck said with a smile. “Looks like we’re ready…” 

“Alright…we’re almost there…” Sunshine coaxed her parents closer and closer to the front door of their eldest son’s house. Her smile was huge and bright as they entered the porch. 
“You made us come all the way to Moonstruck’s house because…?” 
“A reason…” she said hesitantly. 
“Why’d I have to bring Spectrum?” 
“Yeah, why’d I have to come?” her father asked in a teasing manner. 
“Just…for some reason…” 
Her mother sighed with a smile and shook her aging body. Water flew off in all directions as she stepped closer to the house. 
“Well, at least the rain stopped...”
“Haha, yeah…” 
With a smile, the light blue pegasus opened her brother’s front door. The inside of the house was pitch black, which confirmed both of the parents' suspicions. Sunshine smiled as she flipped on a light switch on the wall. It was then six ponies exposed themselves from individual places and shouted “SURPRISE!” in a loud voice. 
The set of parents both tried to act as surprised as they possibly could at the scene before them. Although they knew what was going to happen the moment Sunshine was short of an explanation, it was still a great way to end their evening. 
“Oh my goodness!” the birthday mare said with a smile. “You are the greatest kids a mother could ask for!” 
The mare entered the home along with her husband. Both were smiling from the great surprise. All of their children huddled around them in a big, sweet group hug. Even Dashie tried to push herself into it. The mother was happily smiling as she was huddled by her priceless gems. 
“I love you all so much!” 
When they all broke away, their delicate mother was on the verge of tears. 
“You guys didn’t have to do this… I mean, you’ve already all done so, so much for me…” 
“Oh, nonsense!” Prism said with a smile. “We couldn’t do any less for the greatest mother who ever lived!” 
“Aww… you’re so sweet…” 
Prism Streak then received a tender kiss from her old mother on the cheek. 
“Thanks, Mom… How was your trip?” 
“Eh, pretty good…Except we did go through a little bit of rain on our way here…” 
It was Moonstruck who spoke up to that comment. “I’m not blaming anypony specifically for that, but Rainbolt works in weather….” 
Moonstruck smirked at his brother, who glared at him back.
 Yeah…we’ll see who’s smiling when I drench your house in rain next week…
     “Hey, leave your brother alone! I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm!”
“I’m just joking around, Mom…” 
“Still…” 
“Alright…enough bickering.” Spectrum butted in. “We still have a whole night ahead of us to celebrate your mom’s birthday!” 
Quickly, Spectrum landed a soft kiss on his wife’s lips. Rainbow Dash gagged in disgust at the sight. Rainbolt nudged his daughter as a way of telling her to behave. 
“Alrighty, then. Let’s get this started!” Prism chimed sweetly. “And I know just how Mom loves to spend all of her birthdays…” 
With that sentence, the majority of the ponies in the room let out a long, distasteful grown; all except Rainbow and her grandparents. 
“Photo album!” Sunshine said with a smile as she held up her own personal copy of the old, dusty book. 

The first half of the evening was fun, embarrassing, amazing, and involved a lot of reminiscing. They looked back on photos of Rainbolt, his parents, and siblings. The stories behind many of the photos were shared as well. Most of them were positive, some were negative, and a few were utterly embarrassing. One photo of Dash’s grandparents getting married even made the mother cry. After a long session of hugs and comforting, she stopped. For the most part, however, it was fun. There were even some photos of Dashie from the previous family reunion. 
After the ponies were finished going through the photo album, they cut the cake. Rainbolt received many compliments on his baking skills, and how well he was improving. His mother loved the cake. She always had a thing for vanilla and the sweet taste of sugar. The only pony who wasn’t too pleased with the cake was Rainbolt’s aunt, Silver, who couldn’t stand anything remotely sweet. Her loss. 
The final event was one everypony had anticipated the most; gift opening. The entire family gathered in the living room and looked to the mother, who was very appreciative about the things she received from her children. There, she sat in the middle. Her smile was wide, but she almost felt embarrassed to be in the center of everything. She always felt embarrassed when she was given presents. Her family, however, was beyond eager to present their gifts to her. 
“Alright, everypony!” Prism spoke up with a smile. “We’ll give her our presents one at a time! When you’re ready, go ahead and give them to her! I assume most of us are mature enough to handle this!” 
With that, Prism floated to the ground with a wide smile. 
“I’ll go first, considering I did most of the planning for this party!” 
With nopony objecting, the pink pegasus smiled and retrieved her present. Hers was neatly wrapped in multicolored paper and had a nice little bow placed on the top. Her mother blushed as it was set in her lap. Everypony stared at her with wide eyes as she was about to open her present. She placed her hooves on the top and ripped away some of the wrapping paper. The inside revealed a cardboard box. The mare continued ripping deeper into the present and placing the ripped paper to the side. She smiled as she flipped opened the flaps of the cardboard box. When her yellow eyes rested on the treasure within, her smile grew. 
“Oh, Sweetheart…this is so meaningful…” Slowly, the mare pulled out a large bottle of bubble bath. She flipped up the cap and deeply inhaled the sweet, berry scent. “Man, that smells nice… Come here, Sweetheart.” 
Prism stood and approached her mom, who was resting peacefully in her chair. With a smile, she wrapped her hoof around her daughter and kissed her on the cheek. 
“Thanks, Mom… I love you…” her face was lit up as her mother kissed her with soppy, wet lips.      
“Can we go next?” Rainbow blurted out. 
“Rainbow! Just let everypony else take their turn!” her father reminded in the nicest tone he could force. 
“Oh, don’t be like that, Bolty! Mares and foals first!” 
After her grandmother’s kind words, Rainbow sprung up and gave her the poorly wrapped present. The wrapping paper was sticking outward at all corners. Tape was twisted around the square item as a whole. 
“Awe, did you help your daddy wrap, Sweetheart?” 
“Nope!” she said with a smile. “He did it all by himself!” 
At that moment, the entire room couldn’t help but burst into volatile laughter. Rainbolt blushed heavily and hid his reddening face behind his hoof. As if embarrassing foalhood stories and pictures of him as a teenager weren’t enough humiliation for one day…. 
“Okay, okay….” The sixty year-old pegasus said with a smile. “Let’s just see what you got me…” 
Slowly, the mare unwrapped the present with a smile. The tape made it rather hard to be undone, but she managed. She ripped the wrapping paper away until the dark-blue shell was completely eliminated. Inside was yet again a cardboard box. It was dull and brown, but as she opened the flaps, she smiled widely and pulled out the item within. A small, transparent bottle with a good amount of liquid in it was revealed to the family. She read the label. 
“Awe, this was so sweet, Bolty! Come on, hug your mother!” 
Rainbolt blushed heavily. With his mother, hugs and kisses were always inevitable. 
Slowly, the stallion rose and made his way to his mother. He took her in for a hug and received a tender embrace in return, along with a sloppy kiss on the cheek. As soon as it was possible, he broke away and wiped the wet mark his mom gave him. 
“Hehe… I love you too, Mom…” 
Rainbolt and his happy daughter sat back down. 
“Alright, who’s next?” Prism asked. 
For a good, long moment, the room was completely silent. Nopony volunteered or even spoke up for the longest time. At long last, Moonstruck sighed and shattered the silence. 
“Alright, I guess I’ll go…”  
Everypony smiled as Moonstruck got up off the couch. He was already holding his gift, which he hadn’t wrapped, but put in a gift bag with tissue paper. He set it on his mother’s lap, who tossed him a smile. A smile that was only as real as it seemed….
After another awkward pause, the mare placed her hooves in the bag and dug deeply into the sea of tissue paper. What she pulled out made her gape and then smile brightly. 
“Oh my gosh, Sweetheart…” 
The mare pulled out the mystery item at last. It was a little, pink jewelry box with artificial gems decorating the boarders. She smiled and opened it. The inside was spacious, and had tons of little compartments for individual items. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the little masterpiece. She looked back up to her son, who was wearing a heavy blush. He approached her once more. 
“Yeah, yeah… Just kiss me or whatever….” 
Without hesitation, the loving mother took her son in for a long kiss on his cheek and a tender embrace. He didn’t put that much of an effort into hugging back, but was relieved when she finally let go. 
Awkwardly, Moonstruck sat back down in his original seat and glanced at Rainbow, who tossed him a wide smile. Her smile…was so real… 
“Rainbolt!” The white-coated pegasus stood from his seat. “Come to my room, we need to discuss something!” 
The whole room was a little shocked by his actions, but nopony said a word. Rainbolt looked up a bit confused. 
“Ummm…okay…..” he agreed, not wanting to make a scene. 
Slowly, the two brothers went into the kitchen, down the hall, and back into Moonstruck’s room. For the second time that day, he’d been brought in there. The first chat hadn’t gone too bad, so that one would be just as good…hopefully. 
Even though Rainbolt wasn’t too nervous, he still felt a little rush go up his body when the door clicked closed. 
“Rainbolt…” Moonstruck started. “Can we talk about Rainbow….?” 
Rainbow? What could he possibly need with Rainbow? The sudden bringing up of his daughter made Rainbolt feel slightly less comfortable. 
“Rainbow…?” 
“Yeah, I mean…you know…your daughter…” Still a bit confused, Rainbolt slowly nodded his head. “Well… you haven’t told her about…all the bad things I did to you when I was younger, did you…?” 
“Well…Not yet…” He paused. “But I plan to.” 
“Oh, no, no, no! You can’t do that!” 
The stallion’s confusion then turned to shock. 
“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked in an almost aggressive tone. “You treated me like crap the majority of my life!” 
“I know, I know…and I’m sorry…” 
The tone his brother was giving off was definitely not something he was used to… It was gently, timid, and almost sensitive… Why was he acting so….sweet all of a sudden? 
“You’re…sorry…?” 
“Yeah…for everything… Just, please don’t tell Rainbow about all the things I did to you!” 
“Why…? If you’re a bad pony, she at least deserves to know…” 
“I’m not a bad pony!” Moonstruck snapped at his younger brother in rage. “Do you know what those damn pills have done for me? Nothing! I’m only trying to act better! Seriously, does it make one a bad pony to imagine violently murdering somepony or internally laughing at the sound of tears?”
“Umm….I don’t know…” 
“No! It doesn’t! What made me a bad pony was giving into those urges!” His tone grew quieter. “Rainbolt…I love you… And I’ll admit it, I love seeing you hurt… but I don’t hurt you anymore, because I know it’s wrong… I resist every urge in my body when it comes to this… I’m resisting now, to be honest…” He chuckled, and Rainbolt grew nervous. “I’m sorry… I hurt you a lot… I wanted to, and I still want to, but given the chance… I wouldn’t…. Even if there were no consequences afterwards….” 
Rainbolt thought for a moment. “That’s umm…well… I don’t know… I’m sorry…”
“Just don’t tell Rainbow… When she smiles at me, it’s so real… Everypony else…When they look at me, I see something else in their eyes….They're thinking of every bad thing I'd ever done... I know they’re all just hiding it, but…. Dashie’s is so real… If she found out the truth, she wouldn’t smile at me like that anymore…  Sometimes, I miss seeing genuine smiles with nothing behind them… A lot of times, I can't even see authenticity in Mom's smile....That hurts...." He sighed and fought back tears  forming in the corners of his eyes. Rainbolt had never once seen his brother that emotional. "Can’t you just promise me you won’t tell her…?” 
“I…Moonstruck, I don’t know…” 
“I can’t force you to do anything, but…” 
Rainbolt stared at his brother for a while. He couldn’t believe the way he was acting…It was all so unlike him… At that point, he didn’t know… After everything his brother did to him, it only seemed fair Dashie knew. Then again, he was being apologetic…. 
“Okay, Moonstruck… I’ll make you a deal…” 
“Yeah…?” 
“If you can manage to never do something cruel or awful to another pony ever again…I won’t say a word, but the moment I hear you do something wrong… I’ll tell her….” 
Moonstruck did nothing but nod. “Okay… I might be able to do that…So, you promise none of it will get out to Dashie if I’m on my best behavior…?”
Rainbolt smiled. “I promise…” 
     
 

> 24. The Truth Is... 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The stallion chewed on the edge of his pencil as he stared at the assignment below him. Again, he had to plan weather. The daily routine of coming in at ten at night and not getting home until early the next morning was never fun. Over the years, it had grown into a bigger pain, especially for Dash, who constantly complained about always having to sleep in the uncomfortable sleeping bag and never in her comfortable bed. Rainbolt had been dealing with the same problem longer than she had. 
However, Rainbolt didn’t hate his job. He made decent bits doing it, and there were so many other worse jobs he could be doing… like grave digging or something… 
Even though Rainbow hated staying those late hours at night and considered her sleeping bag uncomfortable , she still managed to fall asleep within very little time. In the back of the room, she’d snore quietly with her face in a pillow. Drool would stain the side of her face and drip down her cheek. Dreams would circle within her mind and cause her to occasionally grunt or mumble in her rest. Her father thought it was adorable, even though she’d been growing up, and was losing her cuteness in exchange for beauty.  It almost hurt Rainbolt that his little girl was growing so quickly. Before he knew it, she’d be out of the house with her own kids to care for… 
Pushing the thought out of his mind, the stallion went back to work. The last thing he wanted to think about was Dashie growing any older. It was rather hard, however, considering her tenth birthday had just passed. 
Come on, Buddy… he thought to himself. Just get back to work… You can do this… Now, let’s see… You’ve already figured out that you can put ninety clouds in Canterlot… It’s supposed to be less wet, so try to keep things at a minimum… Hmm… But then you’d have to put forty clouds over Ponyville…could that be too little…? Maybe… Then again, Ponyville is pretty small… The stallion continued to chew his pencil. Wait, okay… don’t do that… Rainbolt erased some of the marks he’d made over Canterlot. Now… Just relocate a few and- 
     The stallion’s trail of thought was disturbed by a door slamming opened behind him. Rainbolt hadn’t even flinched. He simply turned around and met eyes with his boss. Her blue eyes didn’t seem pleased in the least bit. They were stern and emotionless, but glistening with something more. Her mouth was at a frown. Lately, her mood wasn’t that great. Rainbolt never really asked why. He just assumed it was a mare thing or it was none of his business.
“Good evening, ma’am…” 
“Hey…” Her tone was boring and unpleasant. “How’s work going?” 
“Umm…well. I’ve got some stuff down and I don’t think it’ll take much longer for me to get this all done…” 
“Good…” was the only word that came off his boss’ lips. 
“Alright… I hope you have a nice evening…” 
“Doubt it…” 
Silently, the mare flew out of the room with no more words. She’d abandoned her employee, leaving him a bit confused. 
Maybe… you should have asked her what was wrong this time… it’s getting worse…
     It was then Rainbolt’s office door creaked opened again. He looked back, only to see his boss again. She was still as down as she had been before. She’d only put her front hooves, head, and chest into the little office. 
“Hey, Rainbolt…” 
“Ma’am…?” 
“Can you do me a favor?” 
This time, Rainbolt turned around completely in his chair, facing her and staring her in the eye. 
“Of course. Anything for you, ma’am.” he replied, trying to sound as sweet to her as possible.
“Can you cover a shift tomorrow?” 
“Tomorrow…? But that’s Saturday!” The mare shot him a look of disdain. It was then Rainbolt cleared his throat. “I mean, it’s the one day I get off, so I’ll have plenty of time to do whatever shift you need covered… What time is it?”
“Umm…” she thought for a moment. “I don’t know, ten am? Yeah… Just come in at ten… You  have cloud bustin’ duty at…” she thought for a moment. “Ponyville… Yeah, Ponyville… Go clear the sky or whatever….” 
“Umm… Okay…” He then internally scolded himself for the screw-up. “I mean, yes ma’am…” 
“Good…” She sighed. “Eventually I’m going to have to expand this dump! We need sections in different parts of Equestria… I can’t have a business in Cloudsdale, and then send my employees out to areas miles away!” 
Dump. Mrs. Skies had never referred to The Weather Factory as a dump. Not even once… Her increasingly negative change of attitude was not only concerning, but bothering Rainbolt. 
“Ummm… Okay…” 
“Well, have a nice night, Kid… I’ll see you some…other time…” 
With that, the stallion’s boss backed out of the office and closed the door. This time, the stallion rose from his seat and followed her outside of the office. He opened up his door and saw Mrs. Skies trotting away. Quickly, she turned around. Her previously emotionless eyes seemed to be shimmering with salt water. As soon as she noticed Rainbolt, she blinked madly, trying to shoo her vexations away. 
“Umm, ma’am… I’m not trying to be disrespectful or anything, but…are you okay…?” 
The green-coated mare huffed, as if she took it as an insult. 
“Of course I’m fine! I don’t pay you to worry about my personal problems!” 
“Miss… I’m concerned… You aren’t usually like this… Are you sure there’s nothing you don’t need to talk about…?” 
“Oh, come on! I’m not always going to be sunshine ‘n’ rainbows, okay! What? Is it a crime for me to be upset or something?” 
The periwinkle stallion shrunk down before the anger in his boss’ tone. His ears flopped against the back of his head and his heart clenched within him. 
“I… n-no, ma’am… I’m sorry… I just wanted to know if there was something I could do to make you feel better…” 
“You wanna make me feel better, huh? Go do what you’re good for! I pay you to work, not comfort other ponies! Jeesh!” 
With that, the mare stormed off. She held her tail high but her head low. There, Rainbolt was left baffled at everything that had just happened. He watched as his boss flew out of the area and into the lobby, only to leave completely. It took the stallion a minute, but he finally turned around and left, still confused. Slowly, he made his way back into his office. He closed the door, leaving the little lamp on his desk with the responsibility of keeping the room illuminated. 
“Dad…?” he heard a weak voice mutter from the corner where Dashie slept. 
“Yeah, Sweetheart…?” 
“What was all that screaming about?” 
“I…don’t know… Aunty Skies is in a really bad mood, but she doesn’t want to talk about it…” 
“She’s been that way a lot lately…” Dash pondered. 
“Yeah… I have a shift at ten tomorrow…. I have to fly all the way to Ponyville, though…” 
The little filly lifted her head up and gaped in shock.
“Wait… You’re not going to make me stay here the entire time, are you?” 
“Well… I don’t know where I’d be able to find a babysitter on such short notice. 
Rainbow looked up at her father in disbelief and raised an eyebrow. They stared at each other for a good moment. Their eyes widened and neither blinked. 
“What…?” the stallion said at last. Rainbow’s pink eyes circled to the back of her head. 
“Surprise!”  

Rainbolt grew rather nervous as he approached the mare’s front porch. She’d added an arrangement of yellow flowers on her windowsill. Pink curtains blocked anypony from seeing the insides of her home. Asking for her to watch Dash on such short notice seemed a bit rude, but necessary  under the circumstances. Although the stallion trusted Surprise, he was a little unsure about leaving Dashie with her. She didn’t exactly seem like the most… responsible pony around kids. 
“Are you sure you want to do this, Rainbow…? I’ve never left you alone with Surprise… Besides, she might not even be up for it…” 
“It’s worth a shot!” his little filly encouraged. “Besides, anything’s better than spending in all day in that old factory!” 
“Hey, be nice to the factory! You may be working in weather one day!” 
“Doubt it…” 
Rainbolt simply rolled his eyes. Doing mathematics in the late hours of the night wasn’t his dream job. 
“Whatever. Let’s just do this… I have to be back at work soon…” 
With that said, Rainbolt lifted a hoof to the door and gave it three loud taps. Unsurprisingly, he heard a familiar, feminine voice sing, “Coming!” cheerfully. 
It took a long minute of waiting, but at long last, Surprise opened the door. Her yellow mane was sopping and wet. Instead of its usual bounciness, it was drooping in front of her face in beautiful lumps of curls. There was still water glistening off her neck and cheek. Rainbolt blushed heavily as his wings sprung up. The wet mane actually looked rather…sexy on her. 
“Heya, Rainbolt!” the mare smiled and threw her hooves around his neck. The stallion hesitantly returned the hug as her wet mane dampened his coat. 
“H-hey, Surprise…You’re wet….” 
“I know!” she chimed with a smile. “Just got out of the shower!” She put her hooves up to her mane and twisted her blonde locks. Slowly, water fell out of her absorbent hair and onto her porch below. “Sorry about that…” 
“Oh, no problem…” He smiled and cleared his throat. “Anyway… I was wondering if maybe you could watch Dashie for a little bit… I have to pick up an extra shift at the Weather Factory….” 
“Oh, no problem! I don’t go in ‘til five today!” 
Rainbolt’s golden eyes lit up at the mare’s enthusiastic answer. “Awe, thanks! Do you want me to pay you or something?” 
Surprise chuckled. “No, no, no! Don’t worry about it! You’re old pal Surprise has got this completely taken care of!” Her white face then lit up a light shade of crimson. “But if you really wanted to make it up to me….” 
Rainbolt blushed as well and put a hoof up to silence her before he sentence continued. 
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you something or whatever… Just….” He smiled at the mare. “Make sure she’s safe and happy, alright? I can trust you with my child… right?” 
Surprise raised her forehoof to her forehead and smiled. “Of course you can! I used to babysit my cousins when I was a teenager!” 
“Well…alright… You sure you don’t want me to pay you?” 
“Pay me with your friendship!” she said brightly. 
The stallion chuckled. “Alright… I will…” 
Even though the mare seemed confident, Rainbolt still wasn’t that convinced. He never felt comfortable putting his only daughter in the hooves of somepony else, but at certain times, it was necessary. Surprise was trustworthy… he just didn’t know how trustworthy she was with children. If she were telling the truth about her past experience there was nothing to worry about…. 
Right…? 
“Well… I’ll see you later, Dashie…” He quickly gave his daughter a hug, who accepted it with red building in her cheeks. “I love you and hope you have a nice time without me.” 
“I will….” She looked away from Surprise and spoke as quickly as she could. “And I love you, too….” 
“Awe! Isn’t that sweet!” 
Rainbolt smiled at the pegasus’ comment, but Rainbow scolded her with her eyes momentarily. 
“Alright, Sweetheart. Be good! I’ll see you later!” 
With one final goodbye, Rainbolt flew off, leaving Rainbow with Surprise, who seemed rather pleased to be watching the filly on such short notice. 
“Alrighty!” Surprise chimed the second the stallion was out of view. “Let’s get you in and settled.” 
The white-coated, psychotic pony marched into her home with Rainbow Dash following closely behind her. The moment they entered the room, the fresh smell of vanilla and tropical fruits reached the ponies’ nostrils. Dashie even took a moment to deeply inhale the delicious scents. The house itself wasn’t too, too big. When Dash entered, she was immediately greeted by a staircase that led into a hallway. To the left of the staircase was a small kitchen, and to the right of it was a tidy, little living room with a coffee table, loveseat, and radio. In contradiction to Surprise’s personality, her house was extremely mellow. 
“Nice house.” Rainbow commented as Surprise closed her front door. 
“Thanks! I put everything in it!” She beamed with pride at her neatly arranged home. “Well… If you’ll excuse me, I still need to dry myself off….” 
The little pegasus spread her wings and flew upstairs. Rainbow tagged along, following her closely. 
“Hold on! You’re just going to leave me in this house with no supervision?” 
The white mare instantly halted at the young filly’s words. She turned to make eye contact with the little pony. 
“Hey, come on! It’ll only take five minutes! I just need to dry my mane and I’ll start playing with you again!” 
Rainbow smiled. Honestly, she hadn’t perceived being left alone for a few minutes as a bad thing. Heck, she’d even get an opportunity to explore the unfamiliar home. The few times her dad had brought her to Surprise’s humble home, she’d only seen the kitchen and the living room. Even if it weren’t a real adventure, it would still be more of an adventure than anything she’d done recently. 
“That’s okay! I’ll wait here!” 
With a smile and a nod of approval, `the mare went off into the restroom, leaving the filly with no supervision. That pleased Rainbow Dash very much. With a mischievous grin, she wondered further down the hallway. There were only two rooms at the very end. One was a closet, and the other was the bedroom of the mare who owned the house. Assuming the door to her right would be more interesting, she opened the door. Inside was a small, twin-sized bed, a lamp, a drawer, and a window with closed blinds. She looked around in wonder. The bedroom itself was no bigger than Dash’s. Slowly, she entered. She left the door behind her wide opened and approached the desk. On the surface of the wooden desk was a whole bunch of photographs. Each one of them was framed as if it was the most amazing picture ever taken. Rainbow scanned her eyes past them. The first one was displayed in a purple frame. The ponies in it were Surprise, an old stallion, and an old mare she’d never seen before. The stallion was light pink with a bouncy, yellow mane. His eyes were teal and reminded Rainbow of Fluttershy’s. The mare was snowy white. She too had a mane full of curls, only hers was pink. Her eyes were a dark shade of magenta. Rainbow assumed it was Surprise’s parents and move on. 
The next picture clearly depicted a very young-looking Surprise. She must not have been fifteen yet, and her mane was even puffier back then. Her purple eyes were brightly shining at the camera as she held up a set of frizzy pom-poms. 
“Surprise used to be a cheerleader?” Dash asked aloud, staring at the picture. She shook her head and moved on. 
The next photo was of her and Rainbolt hugging in a red frame. It didn’t shock Dashie that Surprise would hold onto that photo. It was even obvious to Rainbow that she’d been crushing on her father. Although she wanted to think it was icky to imagine them together, a little part of it told her it was cute. She stared at the photo a moment and smiled inevitably. 
They’ll get married one day…
     Rainbow then moved to the next picture. That one was rather… odd to her. It showed a young version of Surprise with a small group of ponies. Dreamscape was there. He looked much older than the rest of the teens, but much younger then he was at the time. There was also Dewdrop. She looked so shy and quiet… just like Fluttershy. Next to Surprise was Dash's father. He was very young, and in his arms was… a mare. The mare Rainbolt had his hooves wrapped around looked extremely familiar. She had a rough, blue mane tied back in a ponytail and deep, purple eyes. Her coat was a soft shade of pink. She was smiling widely along with her father, whose happiness seemed so genuine and amazing… She’d never seen his eyes glitter they way they were in that photo. The mare had the same sparkle in her eyes… 
”Who is she…?” 
_______________________________________________________________________________

“Oh, yeah, well you’re a bitch!” 
“Ass!” 
“Cunt!” 
Mrs. Skies was taken back in shock at the insult spewed to her. The fire behind her eyes was glowing madly as she gaped at her husband. 
“How dare you say that to me! I’m the one who makes all the damn money around here! The least you could do is show me a lick of respect!” 
The teal-coated stallion spoke in a rude, mocking tone. 
“Oh, well I see somepony’s taking their work with them again. Just because you’re the boss of everypony at the factory doesn’t mean you’re the boss of me!” 
The mare glared angrily at the stallion. “I never said I was the boss of you! But seriously, all you do is sit on your lazy ass all day while I’m the one providing for the damn family!” 
“Oh, wow, you provide a roof for two ponies! I’m so impressed!” 
The mare stared at her husband in disdain as his tone drowned in sarcasm.
“Coming from the pony who doesn’t do shit!” 
“Hey! I’m trying, okay? You think I like being unemployed?” 
“Okay, but you could at least help around the house once in a while!” She huffed angrily and growled at her husband. “I swear, ever since you got laid off you’ve been nothing but an ass!” 
Her husband’s purple eyes went wide. “Maybe because I’ve had to spend more time with you! That’s something that would get anypony in a bad mood!” 
The mare gaped. “Ugh, you know what, buck you! I am so done with your shit! I’m being honest, while you’re just being an asshole for no reason!” 
Mrs. Skies turned around and left the leaving where her and her beloved had been arguing. 
“Can’t even having a damn lunch break without you trying to start something!” 
Angry and upset, the mare trotted out of the living room, holding her head high as if she still had all her dignity. She arrived at the front door and took a breath, knowing she was only going back to work. Before opening the exit to her disturbed household, she looked at a picture displayed next to the entrance. It showed her and her husband on their wedding day, fifteen years before that one. They were smiling and holding each other in their arms. They looked so, so happy… Mrs. Skies felt tears swelling up in her eyes. 
What happened…?
_______________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow continued to stare at the picture before her. Where had she seen that mare before? She looked so, so familiar… Rainbow couldn’t place her tongue on where she’d seen the mare… Somewhere in the back of her mind, a memory of her lingered. Where, though? Why was she holding onto her dad like that…? Could that have been her…mother…? 
No, no… It can’t be… Rainbow looked at the mare once more. Maybe she could… I don’t know…
Well, if she wanted an answer, she’d have to ask somepony a question. Fortunately, there was an adult around who would most definitely have the answer she was seeking for. Rainbow Dash left the room with the picture in her mouth. She galloped down the hall and to the restroom Surprise was in. She lifted her hoof and applied four knocks to the restroom door. 
“I’ll be out in a minute! It takes a long time to get all the water out of this mane!” 
“Surprise, I need to ask you a question!” 
The mare poked her head out of the restroom. Her mane was still soaking wet and dripping onto the cloud layer below. 
“What’s up?” 
Rainbow held up the picture for Surprise to see. The mare’s eyes went wide and she felt a sudden sense of guilt. If she would have known ahead of time Dashie was coming over, she would have removed every picture with Firefly in it. 
“Who’s that?” the filly asked, pointing to Firefly. 
“I, umm… J-just an old friend of mine…” 
Rainbow cocked her head. “Why is my dad holding her like that?” 
Oh, crap! She’s onto you, Surprise! How to deal with this? How to deal with this..?
“I, umm… M-maybe you should ask your daddy… He’d know the answer better than I would…” 
“Okay…So… can I borrow it?” 
“Borrow what?” 
“The picture… To show him?” 
“Oh…. Well… I… S-sure! I’m sure Rainbolt would be thrilled to tell you about it…!” 
Surprise put on a fake smile, looking down at the little filly. Rainbow sent her a more sincere smile and put the picture under her wing. 
“Thanks, Surprise! I wonder when Dad gets off work…” 
The mare shrugged. 
“I don’t know, but I’m sure he’ll be really happy to see you again…” She nervously chuckled, thinking about the inevitable fate that was sure to come. She was completely sure her little crush wouldn’t be all that pleased with her….      
“So, uh…” Suddenly, getting her mane dried wasn’t a concern. She stepped out of the restroom, flicking the light off behind her. “You, uh… Wanna make some popcorn…?” 
Rainbow cocked her head. “Popcorn?” 
Ah, yes, food… The perfect way to change any subject. 
“Yeah! I have this huge bag of kernels that we can pop over a stove! It tastes like, a million times better than regular popcorn!” 
Dash smiled. “Awesome!” 
“Oh, yeah! So, let’s go!” 
With that, the mare raced down to the kitchen with Dash following closely behind her. Instead of flying like she usually would, she simply galloped, having to carry the picture under her wing. She ran awkwardly, stumbling over the stairs beneath her hooves. She usually never had to worry about stairs with the convenience of wings. 
When the multihued filly approached the kitchen, Surprise was already down there, tearing opened a sac of popcorn kernels. She smiled as she set the ripped bag on the counter and reached in a lower cabinet for a pot.
Surprise’s kitchen wasn’t at all messy. It was very neat, clean, and sweet-smelling. She had honey-colored tiles for flooring and clean, white counters. She had a row of cabinets above her counters, and a row of cabinets below. There was a table arranged for four in one corner of the room. 
“So… How do we cook it…?” Rainbow asked. 
“We just put some oil in the pot, put the kernels in, and then put ‘em on the stove, put a lid on the pot, and wait for ‘em to pop!” 
“Oh… seems simple enough…” 
Surprise smiled with a nod. “And when we’re all done I’ll let you put butter, salt, cinnamon, whatever you like on it!” 
“Alright…” 
The cyan filly set the photo down on the dining table and made her way over to Surprise. The mare smiled at the filly, but kept her purple eyes locked firmly on the photo the filly set down. 
“What can I do to help?” 
“Oh, umm…” The mare thought for a moment before flying up to the cabinet. She got down a large bottle of vegetable oil and gave it to the little filly. 
“Just put a couple tablespoons of that in the pot, and then put it over the burner on high…” 
Quickly, the pegasus fluttered her wings and saluted the older mare. 
“Got it!” she beamed with a grin. 
The mare nodded to the filly, but continued looking at the framed picture on her dining table. 
I’ve got to get her to forget about the thing… Before her father gets back... _______________________________________________________________________________

Mrs. Skies marveled the framed picture of her and her hubby at her desk. For nearly the fourth time that day, she felt her eyes watering over that picture. Her mind had abandoned her work to look at the picture before her. 
Look how happy we were… We used to be so close… Look at that smile on your face… Look at the love in your eyes. Look at how happy you were… The day we promised to share with each other a lifetime… I still want to keep that promise so, so bad…The mare picked up the picture and looked at her past self with tears blurring her vision. Oh, Mr. Stormy Skies… Please don’t leave me… I still love you…I hate how much we’ve been arguing lately… I’m terrified we’re going to split… We’ve been together fifteen years, though… We can’t split… We wouldn’t split. There’s no way you’d divorce me… She frowned and felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Please don’t go… I just wish there was some way I could go back in time when you were happy… When we were happier together. I just want you to be happy… I want us to be happy….
     The mare hugged the picture like a newborn foal and tried not to think about her love. It hurt her so, so bad to know that any day he could get sick of it all and file for divorce… What if there was no way to save her marriage? 
It was then, Mrs. Skies heard three loud knocks at her office door. She quickly brushed away the tears from her cheeks. 
“Come in.” she said as stoically as possible. 
Her office door opened to reveal another stallion that seemed to be more argumentative lately. His mane was every color in the rainbow, and his coat was a soft shade of periwinkle. 
“Rainbolt…” 
“Yes, ma’am?” 
“I don’t know… Why are you here?” 
“Well… I just finished cloud busting in Ponyville… I was wondering if you needed anything else before I go…” 
“Nope, you’re dismissed. Have a good day…” 
“Umm… alright…” 
Slowly, the stallion headed for the exit. As soon as he met with the door, however, he stopped in his tracks and turned around. 
Don’t push your luck, Rainbolt… Mention it again and she’ll blow your head off… Just mind your own business and turn around…
     Rainbolt stared at the mare for a good minute. She glanced up from her work occasionally, looking him in the eye, and then glancing back down. For the longest moment, nothing was said. There was only silence. At long last, the stallion disturbed the silence.
“Umm… Ma’am…?” 
“Rainbolt?” 
The pegasus felt a shiver rush up his spine as his boss’ dark, scorn-filled eyes leered at him. Maybe, it would have been better to just walk away at that moment… 
“Are you… feeling alright…?” 
It was at that moment, the mare looked up at him with an anger-filled expression. 
“I mean, I… I’m not trying to be mean, it’s just… I’m-“ 
“I thought we discussed this last night! It is none of your damn business and I’m perfectly fine!” 
“But you’re not!” Rainbolt argued, not sure of what to say. “You called the factory a dump, you’re yelling at me for being concerned, and you’re not your high-spirited self! You haven’t been for weeks! Something is wrong!” 
“Oh, so you know my life now, huh? You think you know everything about me? What I do? Where I live? What I like to do on my free time?” 
“Well, I… umm… n-no, ma’am… I just know you’re not acting your usual self… You’re not as happy, and bossier, and-“ 
“Bossy?! Really? You just had to say I was ‘bossy’? Ha!” She growled at her employee. “You’re no better than my husband!” 
There was a moment of silence that proceeded after that statement. It was at that moment, it all clicked in Rainbolt’s mind. She always, always loved her husband. She had a picture of him on her desk, always talked about him on their anniversaries, and came to work very happy when she had plans with him… There she was, with the picture in her hooves, stating Rainbolt was no better than him for calling her bossy. 
“Ma’am… It’s…. It’s your husband, isn’t it…?” 
Mrs. Skies was taken into shock by the question. How did he…? She just sat there, not knowing what to say. It was Rainbolt who again broke the silence. 
“I can’t force you to tell me about it, but if you need to talk about it… I’m here…” 
It was then, the mare ignored the stallion and opened her drawer. Rainbolt stared curiously as the mare pulled out a piece of parchment from her desk. She took a pen from the cup on her desk and scribbled down something on the top. Using her hoof, she gestured Rainbolt over, who obediently approached her desk. He was a bit nervous, but would have seemed like a child to question why. The moment Rainbolt was close enough. He flinched when the piece of paper was slammed on the desk in front of him. 
“Rewrite ‘I will mind my own business’ one thousand times! Give it to me tomorrow!” 
Rainbolt’s expression went into shock. She couldn’t have been serious… could she? He wasn’t a little school colt or anything…. 
“Don’t give me that dumbfounded look! Go! Now!”
Although the stallion was still in shock, he managed to say a quiet, “Yes, ma’am…” and head for the door. Slowly, the stallion walked away with the sheet of paper. He didn’t even know what to think about the whole thing. Before he could make it out of the mare’s office, he was stopped once more. 
“Oh, and Rainbolt, if you don’t turn it into me tomorrow, you’re fired.” 
_______________________________________________________________________________

“And… there we are!” 
Surprise smiled as the mixture of popcorn, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon mixed together. The sweet smells of the delectable desert rose from the popped kernels. Steam rose to their noses and made them deeply inhale. Both pegasi were drooling over the delectable scent. 
“So…” Surprise started. “Who’s gonna taste it first?” 
Rainbow smiled at the mare. 
“I don’t know… Whoever gets to it first…” Dash slowly moved her hoof closer and closer to the bowl of freshly made popcorn.  
The pegasus giggled. “Go ahead. I’ve tried it millions of times!” 
Given permission, Rainbow stuck her hoof in the bowl and picked out a piece before popping it in her mouth. She noisily chewed on it with a smile. 
“That’s good!” 
“I know, right!” she chimed brightly. 
The two pegasi stopped when they heard a few, loud knocks at the door. Both looked at each other with a smile. 
“Dad’s back!” 
Before Surprise could even speak a syllable, Rainbow dashed off to the front door. Without even checking to see who it was, she opened the door. There, her dad stood with a not-very-amused expression on his face. He walked into the house, holding a piece of paper and wearing a frown. Both ponies stared at him. Why was he so… sad-looking? 
“What’s wrong?” the white mare asked. 
The stallion let out a long sigh. 
“Mrs. Skies is a bitch.” 
Surprise didn’t seem the least bit shocked, while Dash was agape. 
“Yeah… she’s been kind of… on edge lately.” The mare admitted. 
“You noticed, too?” 
Surprise nodded affirmatively. 
“The other day I saw she was kind of upset, so I tried to comfort her. She sort of yelled at me and made me write sentences…” She blushed, knowing she sounded like a school filly in trouble instead of a full-grown mare. 
“Yep, same here…” The stallion held up a piece of paper with a single sentence written at the top. He then turned to his daughter. “Rainbow, don’t talk to Mrs. Skies… I don’t want you to get in trouble with her, too…” 
“I won’t….” Rainbow seemed rather disappointed to have to disconnect from her adopted aunt. 
“Good… Sorry about this, Dashie, but it’s for the best… When she eventually gets better, I’m sure you can talk to her again…” 
“Okay…” was Dash’s only response. 
Surprise looked at the filly, then back at Rainbolt. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten the chance to hide the picture, and it was still out on the kitchen table. Maybe, Rainbow would forget… Maybe they would both go home. Maybe… Everything would turn out awfully and she’d have to explain the picture and feel awful for exposing the truth Rainbolt had always tried hiding. 
“Hey, Dad…” Rainbow spoke up after a brief moment of silence. “Wanna try some of the popcorn I made with Surprise?” 
The stallion sighed and nodded. Sure, he had a crappy day. His boss yelled at him, his back ached from cloud busting, and he was given a punishment that would have been more affective on a young colt, but that was no reason to not try to make the best out of e rest of the day. 
The little filly rushed into the kitchen for a moment, leaving Surprise and her dad alone. 
“So… how was your day besides troubles with Mrs. Skies…?” 
“Umm… mediocre… I had to go to Ponyville for cloud busting…” He stretched out like a dog and felt his back pop. It felt good, and even relaxed his muscles. “Oh, man… I hate physical activity…” 
Surprise rolled her eyes. “Says the stallion who used to be amazing at sports…” 
“Yeah… that was me before I had a kid…” 
The two looked at each other a moment. Nopony spoke. 
“Speaking of Dash, thank you so, so much for babysitting her today… It means a lot…” 
“You’re welcome… Actually… there’s something I need to tell you about…” Her eyes grew sad as she spoke. “Don’t be afraid to yell at me or anything… Just… please forgive me… I didn’t mean for it to happen…” 
“Surprise…what are you talking about?” 
Before the mare could answer, the little filly came popping back with a large, steamy bowl of delectable treats. 
“Try a piece!” Rainbow encouraged her father by nudging the bowl closer and closer to him. 
Slowly, Rainbolt took a piece out of the bowl and popped it in his mouth. The delectable taste of cinnamon filled the stallion’s mouth and made him smile. 
“Wow…that’s really good…” 
“Thanks!” the filly chimed happily. She set the bowl down before her dad. “Have some more if you like…” 
Rainbolt smiled happily and accepted another hoof-full of popcorn. It was then Rainbow sprung up with joy. 
“Oh! Wait! There was something I needed to ask you!” 
Rainbolt cocked his head and glanced at Surprise, who was giving him the most innocent look she could force. Rainbow flew back into the kitchen and retrieved an object from the dining table. Surprise’s heart filled with dread, while Dashie ran back to the room. She wore a bright smile on her face as she lifted the photo of him, Surprise, Dreamscape, Firefly, and Dewdrop from many years back. His eyes went wide as he looked at the picture. 
“Who’s the mare you’re holding in your hooves?” 
Rainbolt blushed and instantly went dumb. How was he supposed to answer that…? Surely, he couldn’t tell her that it was her mother, but…What other option did he have? She was ten years old, and she would have to find out the truth one day. It would be best to just get it over with, but at the same time… 
“Rainbow, I…I, umm… She was….” 
“Was she my mom?” 
When those words left his daughters lips, Rainbolt felt tears swelling in his eyes. She knew… She knew and there was no way to hide it. There was nothing more he could say. 
“Rainbow…the truth is….yes… She is your mother…” 
At that moment, Rainbolt’s eyes met the floor. He didn’t want to make eye contact with his daughter, who had just discovered one of the biggest mysteries of her entire life. Surprise looked away from both of them in shame. Rainbow did nothing but stare at the photo for a good minute. 
“Dad…?”      
“Yeah, Sweetheart…?” 
The little filly looked up to her father. He looked at her as well. To his shock, her eyes didn’t seem to be that sad. 
“How’d you get such a sexy mare?” 

 


> 25. The Worst of Two Fates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warning: This chapter contains a scene of parental corporal punishment. If that's a sensitive or offensive subject for you, I'd suggest not reading.   

“I can’t believe it!” the cyan filly chimed with a bright smile. “You’re going to be a full twelve years old!” 
Rainbow smiled as she threw her hooves around her dearest and sweetest of friends. Fluttershy blushed and returned the hug. 
“Oh, i-it’s really no big deal or anything…” 
“No big deal? It’s a pretty big deal! I mean, I’m only ten!” 
From the side, two stallions watched, smiling at each other. They both held a beverage in their hooves as they watched their two fillies talked about the upcoming event. 
“You know, Dash, Fluttershy won’t be twelve for a full two months.” 
The filly turned to Dreamscape and tilted her head. She raised an eyebrow as her pink eyes sparkled with curiosity. 
“Then why are we celebrating her birthday next week?” 
“Fluttershy didn’t tell you?” 
Both fillies gave the adult their attention and shook their heads negatively.  Fluttershy usually didn’t say much. Whoever she talked to, she always seemed to be the one to say nothing but a few words. Even though she was extremely comfortable around Dash, she still wasn’t too talkative around her. 
“Well… There just so happens to be a wildlife preserve on the west side of Equestria.” He smiled at the thought. “Fluttershy’s going there to observe wildlife, and Dewdrop’s going to visit some family.” 
“And you’ll be…?” Rainbolt questioned. 
Dreamscape chuckled. “Trying to avoid my in-laws at all costs. You’re lucky you have no in-laws.” 
The new, unfamiliar word grabbed Dash’s attention.
“What’s an in-law?” she asked the two stallions before her. 
Rainbolt and Dreamy looked at each other for a brief moment before smiling. 
“In-laws….” Dreamscape started to explain. “Are a blessing and a curse. They’re simply the ponies that are related to whoever you marry…” 
“Oh…” was all the little filly said. She seemed almost confused. 
“Like…” the stallion continued on. “If your dad were to get married, your stepmom’s parents would be his in-laws.” 
“Yeah, yeah, I get it…” 
The two stallions looked at each other for a moment. It wasn’t uncommon for Rainbow to not care about new ideas. The tone in her voice wasn’t exactly… polite, however. 
“You should get married, Dad.”
Rainbolt’s face immediately lit up at Dash's suggestion. He sheepishly smiled at his daughter, whose face remained serious.
“Rainbow… I… that’s um…” He cleared his throat. “I can’t get married. I don’t even like anypony.” 
“Marry Surprise.” 
At that statement, Dreamscape chuckled and nudged the stallion. Fluttershy did nothing but watch as the others tormented Rainbolt. 
“Yeah Rainbolt, marry Surprise… I’m sure if you asked her she’d say yes in a heartbeat.” 
“I’m not marrying Surprise… That’d just be, uh… weird, you know?” 
Dream and Dash looked at each other for a moment. They spoke with their eyes, first glancing at Rainbolt, and then at each other. They giggled softly under their breaths, leaving the victim and the butter-colored filly as their audience. The stallion rolled his yellow eyes at their childish behavior and took another sip of his tea. 
“Whatever, Dad…” Rainbow’s ears then perked up and she turned to Fluttershy. She was staring at everypony. In her eyes, one could tell she was longing for something, but was far too shy to speak up for herself. “Wanna go into your room?” 
“Well… I-if you don’t mind, I guess….” 
Being shy, Fluttershy struggled to get her word in when facing one pony. Being placed in a room with three other ponies only made it harder for her to speak. With only her and Dash, she knew she’d be able to get more involved. 
“We’re going in Flutter’s room!” Dash announced. 
“Alright, play safe.” Dreamscape reminded the two. Fluttershy nodded affirmatively.      
“You got it!” Dash beamed, puffing out her chest and quickly saluting the stallion before flying up the stairs. Fluttershy preferred to weakly trot up the staircase. 
Neither Rainbolt or his daughter were rude enough to mention it in fear of offending the little family, but their house- or cottage, as it was- wasn’t very roomy whatsoever, especially in comparison to their old cloud house. It only had one bedroom, which the parents allowed Fluttershy to have. Unfortunately for them, they had to sleep on the couch in the living room together. It would spread out so they both had enough room, but wasn’t all that comfortable. Yes, the ceiling was tall, but that really didn’t contribute much to the living space. 
“So…the kids are away… Just you and me.” 
Rainbolt raised his glass of tea. Dreamscape chuckled and clanked the plastic container to his friend’s. 
“Yep. Wife’s foalsitting at the time, so I thought I might invite somepony over while I have the time off.” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “So, what’s the plan? This Saturday we get the fillies together, they sleep over at my place, and that’ll give you and Dewdrop some alone time?” The periwinkle stallion winked at his friend with a smile. 
“Hehe, yeah…” He blushed heavily rubbed his neck. “We really haven’t been able to do much since we moved here… We used to have a bell at Fluttershy’s door so we would know when she came out, but she convinced us it was scaring the animals away…” The stallion sighed. “So…. a little bit of alone time would be rather nice…” 
“Alright…” Rainbolt smiled at his friend. “Besides, ever since Dash told me about her little encounter at sleepover a while ago, I haven’t been as okay with letting her stay the night at your house…” 
“Hey, that was over a year ago!” the stallion reminded him. “Besides, you can’t tell me what to do with my sex life!” 
“Well, when my daughter is slightly involved, I think I have a little bit of a say…” 
Dreamscape mumbled something inaudible under his breath and took a long sip of his sweet, brown beverage. 
“What was that?” Rainbolt asked in a semi-serious, semi-playful tone. 
The stallion simply smirked back and spoke up. 
“I said, ‘At least I have a sex life’.” 
“Wow, real mature… You’re thirty-four, Dreamscape. Maybe eventually you should consider calming down about that kind of stuff.” 
“How can you lecture me about my sexual habits when you haven’t got any in over ten years?” 
“Well… You don’t have to be a gardener to tell when a vegetable’s gone bad.” 
The two friends glared at each other a moment before smiling at each other sincerely. They chuckled and both took a drink of their beverage. Rainbolt chugged the last few ounces down before setting his cup to the side and wiping his lower lip of any residue. 
“So…” Dreamscape started up again. “Dash tells me that you and Surprise are…you know… bonding well.” 
“Me and Surprise….? Well, I…we, no…. but… She has a thing for me, and I don’t like her in that way back.” 
“Why not?” 
“I don’t know… it’s kind of just… I just don’t, alright?” 
Dreamscape thought for a moment. 
“Remember when you and Firefly first met…?” 
“Yeah….” 
“What if the same thing would have happened with Surprise? Would you have fallen in love with her the way you did Firefly?” 
Rainbolt thought for a moment.  
“I….don’t know…” 
The stallion’s teal eyes lit up as he stared at his friend. For a long moment, they just looked at each other. 
“Think about it.” 

“Fifteen bits, Rainbow. No more than that.” 
The little filly nodded with a wide grin. 
“I know, Dad! You’ve told me like, one hundred times!” 
“I’m just reminding you… Also, don’t wonder off without me! That is the absolute most important thing!” 
Rainbow sighed. Every single time she’d gone in public with her dad, it was always the same warning; stay by my side or you could get hurt, kidnapped, dead, blah, blah, blah… In her opinion, he was overreacting by a ton. She was in a public flea market, with hundreds and hundreds of ponies. Nopony was going to hurt her. Why her dad couldn’t grasp that simple concept, she had no idea. 
“Fine….” 
Rainbolt scolded his daughter for a moment. “I beg your pardon?” 
“I will, Dad…” She corrected herself in a far more polite tone than before. 
“Good girl…Now, what do you think you’ll even get Fluttershy for her birthday, anyway?”
“I don’t know… Nature or something… All I really know is she loves animals.” 
The stallion thought for a moment as they trotted through the crowded streets of the market. There were venders at every corner and around every turn. Most were selling crops, but some were selling kitchenware, toiletries, and other items. 
“Why not get her a stuffed animal of some kind?” 
Rainbow looked up to her dad and frowned. 
“Don’t you think that’s kind of lame?” 
“Hey! It is not! I had this one stuffed animal until I was eleven!” 
“Really?”
The stallion nodded with a slight blush on his face. 
“Oh…sorry… I mean… It’s just not my kind of thing…” 
“It’s okay…”
“No, I’m really sorry!” With that, Rainbow gave her daddy a quick hug. “You’re not lame! You’re cool!” 
Rainbolt patted his daughter’s back lovingly. 
“I’m glad you think so, Sweetheart. I never told anypony about it because… I did feel kind of lame about it….” 
“Did you grow out of it or was it embarrassing you too much?” Rainbow asked curiously. 
“Neither. Your uncle got mad at me and burned it in a fire.” 
“Oh…that’s kind of mean…” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “Yeah… But that’s just what siblings do to each other. He was young and immature at the time… So was I, I guess…” 
“Do you think I’m immature?” 
Rainbolt stopped walking where he was and stared at his daughter for a moment, who was giving him a very cute, innocent face. 
“Well… I mean…you’re only ten, and I considered myself immature up until I was around fifteen or so…” 
“So…you think I’m not mature?” 
“Well… No…” 
Rainbow walked off and her father followed behind her. 
“That’s okay. I was just curious ‘n’ all.” 
“So…You’re not mad?” 
“Nope!” she chimed with sincerity in her voice.  “I was just wondering. I don’t think I’m that mature, either! I mean, I’m more mature than most foals my age, but still….” 
“Well… I’m glad you’re not offended or anything…” 
Rainbolt hadn’t actually expected her to be offended. She would verbally fight back and claim her opinion before she got offended. 
“Why would I be?” 
“Umm… I don’t know….”
Both of their thoughts trailed off. They walked a minute more into the market. Crowds of bustling ponies moved at one hundred miles per hour. It wasn’t for a few minutes that Rainbolt stopped in his tracks along with his daughter. 
“I need to stop here.” 
“Stop where?”
Instead of a verbal reply, Rainbow was answered with her father’s action. Rainbolt trotted over to a nearby stand that sold a vast majority of fruit and vegetables. A cheery face belonged to the owner of the stand. She had a silky-looking red mane with a light pink face. Her eyes were a bright shade of cherry and her cheeks were dotted with adorable freckles. 
There was a large stand set out.  There were peaches, pears, apples, strawberries, cabbages, asparagus, tomatoes, garlic, and carrots. Each one looked tasty in their own way, but only a few were on the stallion’s shopping list. He’d also need some milk, but that was a rarity to find in a local, outside market. 
“Alright, what can I get ya?” the mare at the counter asked in a sweet tone. 
Rainbolt looked at the selection of fruits and vegetables. 
Alright…Let’s see… Umm… You needed apples, carrots, and…. maybe cabbage. Cabbage is good in soup… So are carrots, though… Maybe you should get some tomatoes and carrots… That’d make good soup, too… Soup… Why am I thinking of soup? That wasn’t even a concern until now… Soup does sound good, though…
“Hey, Rainbow… What would you think about having soup tonight…?” 
The stallion waited a moment. Silence. 
“Rainbow?” 
Suddenly, Rainbolt turned around. His eyes darted in every which direction. No Rainbow. Nowhere. 
Are you serious? That damn kid can’t stay in one place for one minute! 
The stallion sighed and turned to the cashier. 
“I’ll be right back! I have to go find my daughter!” 
The mare simply nodded in understanding and allowed the stallion to race off into the market. He tried his best to dodge ponies that were trotting in the opposing. He blurted out random apologies to anypony he may have bumped into on his way through the busy streets. Although he upset quite a few ponies, he was far too worried about his filly to pay much attention. He turned his back for two seconds and that happened!
The anger brewing within the stallion made his pace quicken. His eyes darted in every direction in search for his rebellious daughter. Why was such a simple order so hard to follow? It's not like Dash was stupid or anything! 
Rainbolt stopped as he got nearly thirty feet away from his location. He’d looked all around, left and right for his little filly. Every which direction he looked she was nowhere to be found. 
Did….you go the wrong way…? Damn it! Now she’s probably even further away! Ugh! Why can’t she stay in one place?
With tears of guilt, confusion, and fear invading his eyes, Rainbolt fled from the one area and shot upwards into the sky. Ponies below glared at him as he soared above their heads. As carefully as he could, he looked down at the heads below. Manes of purples, pinks, yellows, browns, and grays all huddled together. Nothing with more than three shades, though… 
Oh, Rainbow… I really, really hope nothing bad has happened to you…No, no… Don’t think like that… She’s only been gone for a minute… That’s still just enough time for her to get dragged away and have something horrible happen to her….
Rainbolt shook his head and continued to fly over the large crowds. He headed in the exact opposite direction he did before. Over head, he saw nothing. He only saw hundreds upon hundreds of ponies… A ten year-old filly could have easily gotten caught in the mob… She could have been anywhere at that point… Hurt, lost, scared… 
 Oh come on! She hasn’t been away that long! I’m sure she’s not…hurt…
With that, Rainbolt peered as deeply as he could into the crowds. He didn’t see anypony that remotely resembled his baby girl. Giving up on the opposite direction, he landed back into the crowds. There weren’t enough ponies to not leave space, but it definitely could have been a little more opened. 
With no words, the stallion landed on the ground below him. The cloud streets were soft on his hooves as he galloped down the way. Clumsily, he ended up bumping into a few ponies on accident, all who cursed him silently under their breath. 
Oh come on! Where in Equestria is she? 
As the nervous stallion turned a corner in search of his daughter, he met eyes with a vender who was selling oddly scented candles, incents, and wax. Rainbolt approached his stand with a heavily beating heart. The stallion at the stand had a dark brown coat, sparkling green eyes, and a little black beard and well-styled mane. He was very slender. 
“Sir!” Rainbolt started. “Have you seen my daughter? She’s about this tall…” He quickly lifted a hoof in the air to show her approximant height. “She has a rainbow mane like mine and she’s sky blue.” 
The candle maker thought for a moment. 
“I don’t know… I may or may not have….” 
“You don’t know? How can you not know? She sticks out like a sore nose!” 
The vender shrugged. “Can’t exactly remember that clearly… Now that I think of it…. I may have seen a filly similar to what you described going in a certain direction….” 
Rainbolt’s eyes went wide and he almost felt relieved. 
“R-really? Where is she?” 
The stallion shrugged with a smirk. 
“Buy something and I’ll consider telling you…” 
“What?! Sir, my child’s life is endangered! I don’t have time to buy your smelly…..things! Just please tell me where she went!”
The loud outbursts of the concerned father caused some rather… unwanted attention from around him. Mares, foals, and stallions all stared at him as if he were an alienated creature from an unknown planet. 
“That’s not my problem…” the stallion said stoically. 
Rainbolt let out an irritated grunt and tossed a little pile of coins on the counter. The stallion across from him nodded approvingly and swept the coins into his hooves. 
“She went that way.” The stallion smiled as he pointed to the right. Without a thank you, Rainbolt zipped down in the right lane. He searched as carefully as he could. His eyes darted in every direction. Multitudes of venders and other citizens stared at the panicked pegasus. 
Okay, not there, not there, not there….oh, damn.
The stallion had to remain focused on both finding his daughter and not to ramming into anypony. He was failing pretty badly at both tasks. The stallion looked around every vender and in between the gaps of ponies. 
How far did she get ahead….? Seriously! What the hay is wrong with that filly? Rainbolt felt tears reinvading his eyes. This is my fault… I should have kept my eye on her…and she should have never left my bucking side! 
As the pegasus continued zipping through the large crowds of ponies, he thought for one moment he saw a flash of soft cyan in the corner of his eye. 
Rainbow…?
Quickly, Rainbolt slowed down and turned his head. Unfortunately, it was only a cute, little mare with cyan locks of mane. Too bad… 
Before the stallion could turn his head to make sure he wasn’t about to hit anypony, it happened. He accidently bumped into somepony, knocking them over and sending them to the ground. Rainbolt stopped immediately when he felt his front hooves push another pony down. 
“Oh my gosh! I’m so, so sorry, I-“ 
A sudden wave a relief went over the stallion as he noticed the sight before him. There, his daughter rested on the ground. She’d brought her hoof up to her head and was rubbing it. Her ears flopped down as she met eyes with her dad. 
“Rainbow!” he snapped. “Where in Equestria have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” 
The little filly shrunk back at the stern assertiveness in her dad’s voice. 
“Don’t act like it’s not your fault!” she hissed back. The tone of her voice was equally as assertive but much louder. Rainbolt was taken back by her accusation. At that point, neither cared if they were making a scene.
“My fault? You run off into who knows where, while I have to spend nearly ten minutes looking for you, and then you have the nerve to blame me for this?” 
“It didn’t even take that long!” she argued, attracting the attention of a few bystanders. “I just saw something I thought Fluttershy would like, so I quickly went to look at it! It was a stand that was only a few feet away…” Rainbow paused to see her dad’s reaction. Like every other time she got in trouble, he allowed his daughter a moment to explain what had happened. As the filly continued, the anger in her voice steadily subsided. “When I turned around to show you what I found, you weren’t there. I thought you were going to take a minute at the stand, and I always wonder a few feet away…. I didn’t think anything would happen….” 
As Rainbow explained what happened from her point of view, the stallion had taken a moment to calm down himself. 
“You should have waited for me to finish, Rainbow! I had to look all over for you, bumped into a few ponies on the way, and buy a candle I didn’t even want…” Rainbolt then thought a moment. “Actually, I didn’t even get the candle because I was too worried about you! What part of ‘Don’t wonder off by yourself’ is so hard to grasp?” 
The filly looked down as she felt tears invading her eyes. 
“I’m sorry, Daddy….” she mumbled quietly beneath her breath. 
“Good to hear….” the stallion said in a surprisingly calm voice. “Then I guess you understand what you did wrong, right?” Slowly, Dashie nodded in confirmation. “So… That means there shouldn’t be any argument about your punishment?” 
Punishment? 
“But Dad! I’ve wondered off a few feet lots of times and nothing’s happened! It’s kind of your fault for leaving the stand so quickly!” 
“Rainbow!” 
The filly looked up at her dad. “I… I guess…yeah…” 
“Good.” He frowned at his filly who was giving him the I’m-sorry-Daddy-please-be-lenient look. Rainbolt sighed. “I’m canceling the sleepover for you and Fluttershy.” 
“What?!” she asked in shock. “But that’s not fair! It’s for Fluttershy’s birthday! That’s like punishing me and her!” 
“Rainbow, her birthday’s not for another two months! You can just celebrate with her when she gets back from vacation!” 
“But Daddy! Fluttershy’s been acting so, so happy about the whole thing! She’s going to be so upset when she hears about this!” 
“Well, maybe you should have thought about this before you decided it’d be a good idea to wonder off.” 
“It was like, five feet, though! You’re the one who wondered off further than that!”
“I don’t care if it was five feet or five miles!” the stallion argued with anger rising in his tone. “You still wondered off and you know that’s my number one rule! No more arguing about it!” 
Rainbow opened her mouth to get a final word in, but stopped herself. When her father said “end of argument” it meant end of argument. Unless she wanted to get him really upset or punished more severely, she knew it was a good point. 
They walked a few minutes in pure silence. The awkward tension in the air continued to build until. It was Rainbolt who broke the silence. 
“Dashie… You know I love you very much…” he said quietly. Rainbow looked up at her dad. 
“I love you, too, Dad…” 
The stallion took in a breath. 
“Sorry I yelled at you back there… I was just really worried and stressed… I let my emotions get the better of me…”
“It’s fine…” The filly paused and took a moment to swallow her pride. “I’m sorry I wondered off… Probably should have stayed with you the whole time….” 
Even though nothing would have bucking happened to me… I don’t see why he worries so, so much about this… It’s really annoying…
“It’s okay… Don’t do it again, though…” Rainbolt wrapped a wing around his daughter, who felt an odd amount of undeserved comfort. 
“Hey, Dad…” 
“Yeah?” 
“I know I’m grounded and everything, but… Is it okay if I at least still get Fluttershy something for her birthday?” 
“Depends….” Rainbolt said with a smile. “Does she like candles?” 

Rainbow raised her cyan hoof to the door and knocked on the wooden surface three times. On her back rested a little, paper bag that was painted a light hue of pink. She and her father waited patiently at the doorstep. Within little time, it was answered by a blue-coated stallion. His yellow mane was standing up in all directions and his eyes were boarded with dark circles. He did not look amused to have guests at that moment. 
“Ugh… Rainbolt…” The stallion groaned as he brought a hoof up to his eye and rubbed some of sleep away. “Can’t a stallion get some sleep before work…?” 
“Sorry, Dreamy… I just needed to tell you that the sleepover’s off…Hope you’re not mad…”
Rainbolt sounded rather sorry about the whole thing. Dreamscape was still too tired to care that much. 
“Oh…Okay…” He yawned. “I’ll have to tell Fluttershy… Why?” 
“Dashie’s on punishment.” 
Rainbow shamefully dug her hoof into the ground. Her ears flopped downward in sadness. 
“What’d she do this time?” she heard a sleepy, masculine voice ask. 
“Rainbow?” The filly’s ears perked up at the sound of her father’s voice. She turned her attention to him. “Would you care to explain?” 
That wasn’t a question. That was an order. 
“E-earlier today me and Dad were at an outdoors flea market, and….well…  I walked a few feet away from him, and then he tried to look for me, but I went to look for him… And now I’m in trouble…” 
Dreamscape looked up at Rainbolt with a raised eyebrow. 
“That’s it…? You’re punishing her because she ran five feet away from you…?” 
“She was still wondering away, though!” Rainbolt argued in his own defense.
“Five feet away, though…? As in she was in your sight range? As in, if you looked hard enough, you would have found her? Five feet as in she could see you the entire time and if you would have looked in the right direction you would have easily seen her? As in, there was absolutely no harm in it?” 
“Hey!” the stallion snapped. “I don’t need your… whatever you’re doing! All I know is I turned around and had to go looking for her for a good ten minutes!” 
Dreamscape looked at Dash, who gave him a pitiful look. He then glanced at Rainbolt. 
“Bolty, you’re overreacting…. A lot…” 
“What? I’m not overreacting! I had every right to be upset!” 
Dreamscape sighed. “Rainbolt, come inside. I think we need to discuss this… Dash, you can go upstairs and talk to Fluttershy for a few minutes.” 
“Thanks!” Dash chimed to the adult who had just gained a lot of points with her. 
Before her father could get a word in, Rainbow flew up the stairs with the candle on her back. The one she picked out smelt like lilacs. She knew Fluttershy would like, considering she loved animals and plants alike. Sure, she may not like fire, but it she could just smell it unlit. 
“Now, Rainbolt, come in here…” 
Unsurely, the stallion made his way inside the little cottage. His best friend closed the door behind him and took in a breath. 
“Listen… I can’t tell you how to parent, and I can’t control what you do to you kid. Usually, you’re very lenient with Rainbow…” He yawned again and placed his hoof to his mouth. “I know you can get very worried about her because of…” Dreamscape lowered the volume of his voice dramatically. “Different events…” He cleared his throat and continued in a louder volume. “But it just seems like you were punishing her because you got scared, not because she actually deserved it…” 
“Dreamscape, listen… I know that’s what it seems like, but I didn’t even see her when I turned around like, at all…” 
“And… How long exactly did you spend looking in your original area…?” 
“Well, I mean, I glanced around a few seconds and left, but-“ 
“And if you would have found Rainbow right then and there, would you have punished her?” 
“Well, no, but-“ 
“But you didn’t see her immediately, so you got scared, and you punished her because of your own fault!” 
The younger stallion stood there, agape for a moment before closing his mouth. 
“Whatever. I’m just putting my hoof down. I couldn’t tell where Dash was for a good ten minutes. I told her not to wonder off at all, and she did. Even if it was just five feet it was still enough to cause trouble…. She wasn’t even at the same stand as me….” He sighed. “I know I may be being a little strict, but it’s for her own good… Even if she wondered off five feet, that’s still enough time for somepony to come up and snatch her… Nopony would notice because of how big the crowd was…” 
“Don’t you think Dash is smart enough to scream? Sure, the other ponies would think she was just a little brat crying over something she wanted, but you’d recognize her scream instantly. If it was only five feet away, you’d surely hear it over the hustling crowds… Childish fits just don’t go unnoticed…” 
“True… But…” Rainbolt’s voice was reduced to a whisper. “Remember that time she got stolen in Manehattan? She was only ten feet away from me… Ten feet away!” 
“Yes, but that was also in a dark alley, located in a dangerous town, and she was out of your sight….” 
“Well, I know, but still… Five feet can have a lot of effect… Today, for example. Who’s to say this couldn’t happen again? Who’s to say she couldn’t move five feet away, I freak out, and again, five feet turns into fifty or sixty feet? Then it becomes dangerous….” 
“Well, it was still kind of in your fault that you didn’t look hard enough…” 
Rainbolt sighed. “Maybe so, but I’m stupid sometimes. I could easily do it again… The point is, I don’t want her dislocating from me in public anymore… Five feet alone can cause ruckus and panic… I just don’t want another fiasco like this one to happen…” 
Dreamscape nodded. “I understand… I’d still say you’re being a tad bit extreme, but you have your reasoning, and I trust you as a parent…” He smiled at his friend. “So…since you cancelled it and everything… Do you maybe, want to try it again when we get back? I’m sure this whole thing will blow over by then…” 
“Sure thing… also… Where’s Dewdrop?” 
“Bathing…” He sighed. “Don’t get a marefriend, Rainbolt… Your water bill will double in size…” 
The stallion chuckled. “Thanks for the advice… You think Fluttershy will forgive me?” Rainbolt asked with a smile. 
“Yeah… I’m sure she will… but I won’t... Seriously, me and Dewdrop have been planning that night for days!” 
Rainbolt giggled. “Sorry to disappoint you…Maybe after you get back I’ll watch her two weeks in a row?” 
The periwinkle stallion winked to his friend, who smiled back. 
“Alright, alright… just get your kid out of here before this conversation gets any stranger, okay?” 
Rainbolt nodded to his friend and called up the staircase. 
“Hey, Rainbow! You ready to go?” 
The cute, little filly poked her head out of the room and called back down to her dad. 
“Just one second! I have to finish telling Fluttershy about this thing that happened!”
“Alright! Just be quick about it! You are on punishment!” 
Rainbow nodded and reclosed the door to her friend’s bedroom. The inside had several animal cages with adorable critters in them. The room itself smelt like pee, dirt, and fur. Every second Dash spent in there made the birthday present seem more and more necessary. 
“Alright, you got the plan?” 
Shyly, the filly nodded. 
“Dash…You, um… d-don’t have to do this you know… It doesn’t really seem like the best idea…” 
Rainbow beamed and reassuringly glanced at her friend.
“Of course I have to do this! If my dad thinks I’m immature and can’t be ten feet away from him without getting hurt, I’ll have to prove to him I can!” 

Rainbolt placed a hot bowl of steamy, vegetable soup in front of his daughter with a smile. She stared at the bowl with half-opened, drooping eyes. She didn’t even inhale as the delectable scents rose to her nostrils. 
Today was supposed to be the day. It was going to be the day they celebrated Fluttershy’s birthday with her. They were supposed to have an amazing sleepover, watch movies, and eat cupcakes. Was she living out what she planned, though? No. She wasn’t. She was spending her Saturday evening like she always would… Talking to her dad and doing basically nothing. Only that day, she wasn’t allowed to do anything that brought her joy. No flying inside, no going outside, no playing, no watching movies, no anything. She was only given the options to write, read, draw, study, do homework, or talk to her dad. Nothing outside of that was permitted. All because her dad thought she would die if she spent one minute separated from him. 
That night, though, she would prove him wrong. That night, she would prove to him she could be on her own for twenty minutes outside of the house, and she could be over two hundred feet away from him with no problems whatsoever. She was going to prove how amazing she could be without parental guidance. On top of it all, however, she was going to fulfill her promise to Fluttershy and be there for her on her twelfth birthday! 
Soon enough, Rainbolt sat down across from his daughter. He too had a nice, steamy bowl of soup. The liquid itself was a brownish red with large chunks of vegetables within it. He tossed his filly a reassuring smile. 
“You know… It’s not that bad… It could always be worse.” 
“I know…” She sighed. “It’s just, today was supposed to be special… I really wanted it to be, but…” 
“I know, I know… You weren’t the only one whose plans I crushed…” 
“Yeah, Fluttershy’s…” Rainbow reminded him in a harsh tone. 
“And Dreamscape’s and Dewdrop’s….” 
Rainbow cocked her head. 
“How’d you ruin their night?” 
The stallion simply shrugged. 
“Sometimes adults just want to be alone…” 
“Oh…” was her only response. 
Silently, the two pegasi started eating their meals. The only sounds at the dinner table were the quiet clinks of the spoons connecting to the bottom of the bowls. They ate peacefully with the thoughts of the past few days on their minds. 
I don’t know…. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken away this night from her… It was kind of like punishing both her and Fluttershy… Maybe I should have given her a boatload of chores yesterday. I’m sure that would have got through to her just as well, and you wouldn’t have had to get Fluttershy involved… Ugh, I feel like a jerk sometimes… Maybe I was in the wrong… But maybe if this prevents her from getting kidnapped, raped, or brutally murdered one day, it would have been worth it. Besides, she’ll get to sleepover with her after she gets back from vacation…
Across the table Rainbow sighed heavily and took another bite of her soup. 
 Dad really shouldn’t have taken this night away from me and Fluttershy! Why should she have gotten this night taken away from her when it was my fault? He could have at least done something that only affected me… like a boatload of chores or something… I would have still learned… Ugh, he can be such a jerk sometimes… He was seriously in the wrong. What’s he think’ll happen to me? I’ll get kidnapped, beaten up, or brutally murdered? I can’t wait to see his reaction when I get my sleepover tonight and nothing bad happens to me…
Rainbow took a long slurp of her soup and wiped her lips of any remaining liquid. She looked up at her dad, who was only half way through his. She then glanced at the clock above the stove. 5:55? Good. 
“Hey, Dad…” 
“Yeah, Dash?” 
“I’m going to bed…” The little filly stretched out and faked a long yawn. 
Rainbolt cocked his head and looked at the clock. 
“It’s…not even six yet…” 
“I know…” she said with a smile. “I just am pretty bored… The quicker I go to bed, the quicker I can wake up to a bright, new day!” 
“Umm...Alright… Go, then.” 
“I want you to come with me…” 
From there, the stallion’s confusion only escalated. 
“Come with you…why?” 
“Tuck me in…” 
It was then, Rainbolt received the most adorable, innocent smile the filly could make. 
“Tuck you… in? Rainbow, when you five years old you stopped letting me because ‘being tucked in was uncool’.” 
“So…? Maybe I want you to tuck me in… I have some stuff I want to say to you, but it would be more meaningful there…”  
Rainbolt steadily felt his heart warming up as his sweet daughter looked down sheepishly. She was so, so cute. 
“Well, in that case, of course I’ll tuck you in… It’ll be our little secret if you want it to…” 
“Thanks, Dad…” She smiled to him and blushed a bit. “Can we go now?” 
“Now…? But I’m not even done eating, and….” He looked at his daughter, who was giving him the beggy face. He sighed and set down his soup-masked spoon. “Alright, alright…you win, Dash…” 
He got up from the table and made his way from the dining table. The duo happily trotted to the hallway and to the first door on the right.  There, they went inside the filly’s bedroom. Her bedroom was decently clean, but unorganized in a few different places. Her bed sheets were slopped over from the previous night. With no words, she flew over to her messy bed and plopped onto it with little grace. Her father chuckled and closed the door behind them. Rainbow smiled as she laid uncovered on her bed. He made his way over to the bed. 
“Alright, Sweetheart… What did you want to tell me?” 
“Well… I just wanted you to know that after this night, you’ll never have to worry about me being alone in public anymore…” 
Rainbolt smiled and tenderly wrapped his hooves around his dear daughter. She hugged him back and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She smiled. 
“If you can make that true, I’d be the happiest stallion in Equestria…” 
Rainbow smiled happily. 
“You will be, trust me…I promise….” 
The little filly broke away from the embrace and fell onto the bed below her. She put her hooves up into the air and Rainbolt merely giggled. It reminded him so much of when she was a little filly. 
With a smile, the stallion reached over and pulled the filly’s blanket up over her body until it reached her chin. She smiled and snuggled deeply into the warm blanket. 
“Thanks, Dad…” 
The stallion leaned down and kissed her forehead again before gently rubbing his hoof through her mane. 
“Have a good night, Sweetheart….” 
Rainbow nodded affirmatively. 
Oh, I will…

Rainbow’s pink eyes shot opened. Surrounding her was pure black with the exception of a few strands of moonlight seeping through her curtain. Suddenly, the filly rose and sat up. Her eyes carried crust in the corners and her mane was a bigger wreck than usual. She didn’t care, though. Her biggest concern was the time. Slowly, she turned her head. When she met eyes with the digital clock, her mouth formed into a little smile. It was only eleven at night. She’d be given plenty of time to get to Fluttershy’s before she was too comfy in bed. After that, her father would be proven wrong! She could survive a full night alone without getting hurt! 
Slowly, the filly arose from her bed and fell to the cloud floor. Luckily for her, cloud floors didn’t make much of a sound. She trotted very quietly and right out of her room. Unfortunately, her bedroom door made a loud creaking sound as she exited. She internally cursed the ugly noise and continued down the hall. From where she was, she could hear her father snoring in bed. She smiled at the good sign and continued to trot down the hallway. The helpful cloud floor helped to mute her hooves. She grinned as she went passed the living room, into the kitchen, and stood at the front door of her home. With a smile, she reached up and opened it. The chilly breeze blew through the filly’s mane and made her smile. The night air was crisp and turned to frost when she exhaled. Above her, the jeweled night sky twinkled happily. She looked up and squinted. Something… seemed to be coming closer. It was if a chunk of the night was hurtling towards her. As it came closer and closer, she realized what it was and gasped. 
“Bat!” 
She ducked under her hooves as the scary pest flew into her beloved home. She turned around and looked deep within her house. The bat was gone… 
“Oh, well…that’s Dad’s problem now…” 
With a smile, she closed her front door and flew off into the beautiful night sky. 

Rainbolt’s ears perked up in his sleep. Was that…banging? Rustling…? Noise… Strange, strange noise… 
When the stallion’s conscious mind kicked in, he awoke with a jolt. His suspicions were confirmed as he heard the banging of pots and pans within his house. Sweat began to build on his forehead and he felt his heart skip a beat in fear. 
Was it…Rainbow? Robbers? Raccoons? 
Don’t be stupid, Rainbolt… Raccoons don’t live in the sky…
Slowly, the stallion removed himself from his inviting, warm bed. The pots and pans continued to clank together. 
With sweat pouring from his forehead, Rainbolt made his way to his bedroom door. He shuffled his hooves a little in fear as he felt perspiration dripping from his nostrils. 
Alright… If it’s robbers, give them what they want and protect Rainbow at all costs… If it’s Rainbow question her actions… If it’s an animal, abandon the house and get Fluttershy to deal with it… Alright… I got everything worked out….
Still a bit scared, the stallion reached for his doorknob and twisted it. His heart skipped a beat as his door swung opened. He nervously entered the hall and flicked on a light. In the living room, he could clearly see a few things knocked over, but no signs of any full-grown ponies… 
“H-hello…?” he called nervously through his damaged living room. “R-rainbow…?”
No response….
Rainbolt swallowed a pit of saliva that had formed in his mouth as he wondered deeper into the living room.
“I-if there’s a-any robbers in here…p-please don’t hurt me… I’ll give you anything you want…” 
Silence. 
“You don’t have to hide from me… I-I’m a g-good pony… I can give you some food…or a place to live or…s-something…I don’t bite…” 
The stallion walked deeper and deeper into his own house fearfully. 
It was then he heard…chirping? No, screeching….No…Something…
His ears swiveled in every which direction, trying to pick up where the sound was coming from. Trying to get a better idea, he looked up. That’s when his eyes shrunk and his knees began to shake. Hanging from the ceiling was a little, furry, blob. It protected itself with thin wings as it gripped onto the ceiling. As soon as Rainbolt got a hold of himself, he ran directly into his daughter’s bedroom. When she was eight, a bat had gotten into the house and she shooed it out successfully. Bats were one of Rainbolt’s biggest fears, and he had no intention on staying in a room with one. 
“Rainbow!” he cried as he entered his daughter’s room. “There is a big, hairy bat in the l-living room and it’s scaring the heck out of me….” Quickly, he felt tears invading his eyes. “I-I know you’re probably still m-mad at me, but please, please help me out here…”  
After a brief moment of hearing no response from his daughter, he flicked on a light switch to see nothing in her bed. Instead of the little filly, there was a flat blanket swept to the side. 
“R-Rainbow?” he choked out in fear. His breathing intensified. 
Quickly, the stallion opened her bedroom door a little tiny crack. 
“Rainbow!” he called out into the living room and hallway. 
No reply. 
The stallion turned to her bed and felt tears welling in his eyes. 
You promised….

Rainbow Dash landed on the windowsill of her friend’s bedroom. Slowly, she peaked inside. Her friend was peacefully snoring and cuddling in her own blanket. The rambunctious filly hopped into the room and smiled at her friend. Fluttershy didn’t snore at all. She just slept there peacefully. 
With a mischievous grin, the little filly ripped the blanket off of her friend’s body. Fluttershy awoke slowly and blushed heavily in front of her friend. Her hooves reached up and covered her chest and she smiled nervously. 
“Happy birthday Fluttershy!” she whispered with a grin. 
“R-Rainbow Dash…? You actually did it…” 
“I know right! And my dad thought I’d die!” 
“Wh-what’s your dad going to say…? What if he’s mad?” 
Rainbow thought for a moment. 
“I mean, I’m sure he won’t be that upset. I’m alive, aren’t I? I think this’ll just get him to realize there’s nothing to worry about!” 
“Oh, I don’t know… It doesn’t seem like he’d be too happy. I mean, he yelled at you for getting lost in a flea market…” 
Rainbow nodded, taking the possibility into consideration. 
“Well, if he is… I guess… I don’t know. I haven’t really thought that far ahead…” 
Fluttershy whimpered at the thought of her friend’s father yelling. She hated it when ponies yelled…
“I…hope everything turns out okay…” She then thought for a moment. “What if my parents get mad at me…?” 
“Mad at you? Why would they get mad at you?” Rainbow asked as if she’d been asked the stupidest question ever. 
“I don’t know… wh-when I was younger I got yelled at for lying… but then I never lied again…” She smiled slightly. “Daddy comforted me when I started crying, but….” She frowned. “Mommy always told me not telling somepony when you know something bad happened is as bad as lying… S-Somepony might get mad at me if I try to hide you…” 
“Oh, I’m not trying to hide!” Dash boasted with pride in her tone. 
“You’re not…?” Fluttershy asked in shock. 
“Nope! I want them to know I made it all the way here with no problem!” 
Fluttershy smiled. 
“So… I-I can tell my parents you’re here…?” 
Dash nodded approvingly. 
“Oh, good…” she sighed in relief. “I’ll go tell them…” 
Fluttershy scrambled out of her bed and went over to her door. Hesitantly, she turned back to Rainbow Dash. 
“A-are you sure…? I mean… I wouldn’t want to get you into trouble…”
Rainbow laughed. “Your parents can’t punish me! Besides, everypony’ll find out anyway!” 
“Oh…okay…” 
With little confidence, the pegasus flew out of the room. She went downstairs and to her living room where her parents were resting. Her dad was snoring loudly with her mother wrapped in his hooves. They looked so, so peaceful… She didn’t want to wake them… 
  No, Fluttershy! It’s imperative your parents know immediately! Dash knows what she’s doing is wrong… Well, I’m sure she does inside… She doesn’t seem too worried about the trouble she might get into… She even seems proud of it. Oh, but she needs to get home! Her dad must be so, so worried about her… I wonder if she’s even considering how he feels…
She looked to her parents, who’d dozed off hours before then. 
“Ummm…. M-mommy…? Daddy…?” she whispered in a quiet tone. 
No response. 
“Oh, well… It looks like they need their sleep, anyway…” 
Before Fluttershy could fully walk away, she heard her father mumbling something. Slowly, he lifted his head. He saw his little daughter’s teal eyes staring at him deeply. 
“Fluttershy…?” he asked, rubbing an eye. A trail of dried drool stained his cheek. 
“Hey, Dad…” 
The stallion yawned. 
“What’s up, Honey?” 
“Oh, umm… I just wanted to tell you that Rainbow Dash just snuck into my window…” 
Still half asleep, the stallion plopped his head back on his pillow. 
“That’s nice, Sweetheart…” 
“Well, I mean… I thought her father might need to know…” 
Again, the dozed stallion lifted his head and spoke in a deep, tired voice. 
“Whose father?” 
“Rainbow’s….” 
The stallion yawned. 
“Why would Rainbolt need to know anything…?” 
“Because… umm… Rainbow Dash snuck into my window…” It was then the stallion’s teal eyes went wide in shock. “She flew all the way here from her house…” 
Dreamscape jolted upward with wide eyes. He immediately sprung from the bed and raced upstairs. Before Fluttershy could respond, her dad went up into his daughter’s room and opened the door. There, in the middle of the bed rested a young, smiling foal. 
“Rainbow Dash?!” he cried in shock. 
“Yeah…?” 
The stallion was agape. His eyes darted towards the clock. 11:30? Was she crazy…? 
“Rainbow! It is nearly midnight! You should be at home in bed!” 
The filly blinked once and shrugged. 
“I went to bed super early.”
“I don’t care what time you went to bed!” His anger was brewing deep within him. “You should be at home! Do you know how flippin’ dangerous it is to fly this late? What’s your dad going to think?” 
The filly shrugged. 
The stallion let out a breath and grunted. 
“Because of your rebellion, your dad is probably flipping out right now! He’s probably searching mad for you and crying because he feels awful! I honestly feel bad for that stallion with all the crap you put him through!” 
Rainbow shrunk back at the adult’s anger. Yes, she’d been yelled at by a few teachers, but never by Dreamscape. 
“I thought you said you thought my dad was overreacting!” 
“Yeah, I thought he was overreacting about you getting lost in a flea market! But sneaking out in the middle of the night all by yourself? I don’t care how he reacts to this! There is nothing he could do that I’d consider overreacting!” 
Rainbow looked at Dreamscape guiltily. Suddenly, she felt an odd sense of regret lingering in her heart. 
“Do you think my dad’ll be mad at me…?” 
Dreamscape looked at Rainbow in disbelief. 
“No, Rainbow Dash… I think he’ll be pissed….” 

Rainbolt didn’t know how long he’d been flying through the heavens. Time wasn’t important. The only thing that was important was finding his daughter, wherever she may be. His number one guess was Dreamscape’s house. Where else would she have been? She wasn’t at home like she was supposed to be. The only other pony’s address she knew by heart was Surprise’s. She had no reason to go to Surprise’s, though. She did, however, have a reason to go to Fluttershy’s. 
The stallion soared towards his destination with fear in his heart. Why would she do this? What was he going to do when he found her? 
 If… 
Oh, Rainbow! I thought we had this all worked out! I thought you said I’d never have to worry about you doing something this stupid again? Why won’t you just listen to me…?
The stallion flew through the night with a heavy heart. He grew closer and closer to Dreamscapes house. When it came into his view, he was relieved. Over hundreds of tall treetops, he saw a little cottage at the edge of the forest. 
 Alright… I see their lights are on… Maybe that’s a sign… Oh, they’re going to be pissed at you! Well, Rainbow at least… I can’t believe this… 
The stallion sighed as the gentle breeze of night wiped away his dripping tears. 

“You are so, so lucky you’re not our filly!” Dreamscape continued to lecture Rainbow in a harsh tone. “We’re so lucky Fluttershy’s always been such a great kid! We’ve never had to discipline her that much at all…” He smiled at the thought of his little filly for a moment before returning to the one below him. “Anyway, some foals don’t need that much discipline! You on the other hoof are a completely different story! I’m surprised Rainbolt hasn’t completely lost it with you!” 
Rainbow looked up at both of the parents with tears leaking from her eyes. If somepony else’s parents were upset with her, surely her own dad would be… Why’d she have to go do something so stupid? Why did she have the need to prove herself…? 
“I’m sorry…” the filly muttered under her breath. 
“Oh, you will be! When we return you to your dad, I’m sure you’ll be in for it!” 
Rainbow continued to stare at the ground. Her confidence was lost, her chances of impressing her dad were lost… She was lost. 
“I don’t see why Fluttershy wants to hang around such a bad influence as yourself!” the stallion went on. 
That struck Rainbow in the heart. She’d known Fluttershy since she was in diapers and now… her father was questioning their friendship. It struck her like an arrow in the chest. 
“M-Mr. Dreamscape I’m sorry!” she whimpered out. “Fluttershy’s my best friend! Please don’t separate her from me…” Tears were then visibly going down her cheeks. “Please…. I’m so, so sorry…” 
Fluttershy and her mother lovingly cuddled in the other side of the room. Dreamscape had been firmly lecturing her since he discovered her presence in the household. 
The stallion was taken in shock by the filly’s reaction, but also his own words. 
“Sorry…” he apologized. “That was a little harsh… I’m just frustrated! I don’t appreciate being woken up at nearly midnight, either…” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Dash… In general, you’re a sweet kid, but this is seriously bad! I can’t believe you did this…” 
“It’s okay…” was all the filly said. 
It was then the entire family stopped what they were doing. Three loud bangs could be heard from below. 
“I think we know who that is…” Dreamscape announced to the filly across from him. She nodded in agreement and waited in the room while the stallion zoomed down the stairs. When Dreamscap had been out of the room for a good ten seconds, Rainbow got up from where she was and snuck out of Fluttershy’s bedroom. The two ponies in the back watched as she left the room and sat at the top and left the bedroom. Dewdrop and her sweet daughter watched as the filly made her way to the edge of the staircase. She put her head on her hooves as her ears flopped down. She watched silently as the stallion opened the door. Just as she’d imagined, the pony waiting on the other side was her dad. He looked so…sad. Dash had never seen him with such a pitiful look in her life. His ears were glued to the back of his skull and his eyes were glittering with tears… 
“I hate to be a bother at this hour, but-“ 
“She’s upstairs…” Dreamscape interrupted. 
“She.. is?” Rainbolt asked with a smile spreading across his face. 
The stallion nodded and was instantly taken into a hug by his best friend. 
“Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I was so, so worried!” 
Dreamscape nodded. “No problem…” 
Instantly, Rainbolt rushed upstairs, only to be stopped at the very top of the staircase by a very cute obstacle. His daughter looked up at him with sad eyes. The sight of his own daughter made his heart instantly melt. She was so cute…so sweet…so innocent-looking… but in so, so much trouble. 
Instead of hugging her and planting a million kisses on her face like he wanted to, Rainbolt chose to remain stern. 
“Rainbow Dash. We’re going home… I want you to use our flight back to think long and hard about your actions… When we get home, we’ll discuss your punishment and everything else. Do you understand?” 
Silently, the filly nodded. She rose from her position and looked up at her dad. Both were dreading the return home, but both knew it was inevitable. The father and daughter duo trotted down the staircase and glanced at Dreamscape. 
“Dream… I’m so, so sorry that you had to get all caught up in this… and thank you so much for watching over her for however long she’s been here…” He sighed. “I’m sorry you had your night interrupted… I owe you one…” 
“No problem, Rainbolt… I don’t blame you… I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now…” 
“Thanks…” 
The stallion silently walked passed his friend and to the front door. Before leaving completely, Dash stopped before Dreamscape. No emotion was shown in the older stallion’s eyes. 
“I’m so, so sorry…” she whispered. 
Dreamscape stared at the filly a moment. He continued to frown and stare at the little filly with a hint of fatherly disdain. 
“When Rainbolt forgives you for this stunt, I will too.” 
Rainbow simply nodded, accepting the stallion’s terms. When her father would ever forgive her, though… She had no idea. 
Slowly, Rainbow made her way back outside into the cool, winter air. Without words or a signal, both pegasi shot up into the sweet, tame air. 

Rainbolt took in a long, deep breath as he stared in the mirror before him. His pale, yellow eyes were filled with a mixture of many negative emotions. He was frowning and trying to hold back from letting tears escape. 
Come on, Rainbolt… You absolutely have to put your hoof down and be firm… You can’t let this slide! There is absolutely no way in Equestria I could let something this big go… Why doesn’t she realize she’s putting her life in danger? I’ve thoroughly lecture her about the subject, warned her numerous times to stay by my side, and now, I’ve even grounded her over it! She acts like all these evil ponies in this world don’t exist… I mean… It’s one thing to run off in public. It’s a bad thing, yeah, but she bucking sneaked out in the middle of the night! The middle of the freaking night! She flew all the way to Dreamscape’s house and end up disturbing their household! I will just never understand how she thought this was a good idea…. How are you going to punish her…? I haven’t even thought about that… This is worse than anything she’s ever done… and she’s done a ton of crazy things! Rainbolt took in a breath as he considered different options. Maybe…you should tell her about when she actually did get kidnapped…. Almost instantly, the stallion shooed that thought away from his mind. No! No! No! No! Dash can never know about that! I’d rather see her confused and reluctant than see her sad because she knows the awful truth… Who knows what memories that could stir up for her…?  Rainbolt took in a few deep breaths and tried hard not to think about that awful possibility. Maybe you should ground her for a month or two… or three… I mean, she was already grounded before this and she not only did it again, but she completely amped it up! She went from picking at the sand to digging her own grave! If grounding her didn’t work the first time, who says it would work a second time… The stallion grunted. Maybe you should make her do a boatload of chores, even though I’ve never done that before… She should probably already start to have regular chores around the house, anyway… If you get it in her mind that chores are a punishment, she’ll think you’re just punishing her when you assign her chores as she grows….What other options do you really have….? Come on, what would your folks have done in this situation? That’s when a completely different thought emerged from the stallion’s mind. They would have...spanked you.....
At that very thought the stallion shook his head. 
Are you crazy…? You could never do that… I mean, after this ordeal, she probably deserves it, but… you know… It’s just…I don’t even think I could bring myself to do that… When I first became a parent, I vowed to never use that method of punishment unless nothing else was getting it through her thick skull, she did something extremely bad, or she risked her life….
Doesn’t this apply to all three…?
Rainbolt stared at himself in the mirror for a good, long minute. Until that point, he’d never once considered spanking his daughter. For every wrong thing she did, she’d been grounded, severely lectured, or put in time-out when she was very young, but the stallion had never once laid a hoof on his daughter for the purpose of hurting her. He never wanted to… He couldn’t even imagine how badly that’d hurt him. The very thought of doing such a thing made his insides churn and his heart sink. Yet there he was, considering corporal punishment. 
You…can’t do this… You just can’t…Ugh, why am I actually considering this…? I’ve never considered this… This is wrong… You can’t hit her… That would hurt her. The stallion hit himself in the head with his own hoof. That’s the point, dumbass! She sure as buck doesn’t fear getting kidnapped, raped, or killed, so you have to give her a reason to be afraid! If she doesn’t think the outside world will hurt her then you take the responsibility into your own hooves! Rainbolt felt tears invading his eyes. Come on, Buddy… Not only does she deserve it, but it could keep her from doing this again… it could prevent her from getting kidnapped… It’s avoiding the worst of two fates… Rainbolt turned and abandoned his reflection. He closed the bathroom door and nervously made his way down the hall. He hadn’t seen that damn bat since he got home, but something told him it was still in the house…. 
Quickly, Rainbolt tapped his daughter’s bedroom door and instantly opened it. The moment they arrived home, the stallion sent his filly to her room and ordered her to wait. If she had any sense in her, she’d at least obey that command. 
As Rainbolt opened the door, he saw his little filly curled up on her bed. She seemed sad, a little confused, but she was drowning in guilt and regret. 
“Hey, Daddy…” 
The stallion nodded to his filly.
“Rainbow Dash… I hope you’ve been thinking about the past night…” 
The father quickly closed her bedroom door and joined her on her bed. She was still laying down, but quickly sat upright and inched over to the edge of her bed where her dad was. She let her back hooves dangle of the edge as she scooted closer to her dad. He gladly wrapped a wing around her for comfort. 
“Dashie…. I love you very, very much… I just want you to keep that in mind as we talk about this…” 
“I know, Dad…” She sunk her head into his warm, periwinkle fur. “I love you, too…” 
“Good… Now, can you tell me why what you did was stupid?” 
Rainbow sighed. 
“Because I could have gotten hurt….” 
“How could you have gotten hurt…?” 
Rainbow looked up at her dad. “I…you know…ponies…” 
“Other ponies could have hurt you?” Dash nodded. “How?” 
“They could have kidnapped me… and hurt me and not let me leave….” 
Rainbolt nodded. 
“Rainbow, I’m sorry if I make it seem like I worry too much, but I do… What if somepony would have seen you outside of their window as you were flying, flew out of their house, and then kidnapped you and we never saw you again…?”
The filly shrugged. 
“I dunno…” 
The stallion gently put his hooves under his daughter’s chin and lifted her head so that their eyes met. Rainbow’s eyes were watering as she stared into her father’s. 
“Rainbow…. I would have been devastated. You mean the world to me… If I lost you I would have absolutely nothing… That’s the only reason I keep you on such a tight leash… I love you so, so much…” 
“I love you too, Dad…” 
Rainbolt smiled. “I know, Sweetheart… I just want to know one thing, though…”  
Rainbow frowned.
“What?”
“Rainbow…why in Equestria would you do something this dangerous? I’ve warned you numerous times not to go out in public on your own… And you even promised I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore…. You broke that promise…” 
The little filly was tearing up again. 
“Daddy, I’m so, so sorry… I just… I promised that because I thought if I went out and I could travel a really far distance without anypony else, you’d see I was mature enough and that I would be safe on my own….” 
“If only that were true…” the stallion said, letting out a sigh. “I’m not even safe in public alone…” 
“You’re not?” Dashie asked, almost shocked. Rainbolt shook his head. 
“I could get hurt very easily, too… You could get hurt much, much easier, but I still have a chance of getting hurt or killed just like you…” 
“I’m sorry…” 
Rainbolt chuckled. “It’s nothing to be sorry about, Sweetie… I just never, ever want you to wander off like this again.” 
“I won’t…” 
“Good…” 
There was a long, awkward moment of silence. Neither pony spoke up. There was simply a big glob of awkward that ate up all the thoughts of the two ponies in the room. 
Well, Bolty, it looks like she’s starting to understand more, but… I mean she gets the concept and everything, but this is still something she’ll have to remember for a very long time. She still did something very bad, and needs to be punished for it… Should you…No, you can’t, but…
“Dad…?” 
“Yeah?” 
“I thought a lot on the way back here…” 
“Good… Have you discovered anything new?” 
“I…don’t think so… I mean… I know I could get hurt and everything, but… I don’t think I will… Like, even the thought of going back out there doesn’t seem scary…” 
“Why not…?”
“I don’t know… I’m a really fast flyer, and I just don’t think it’ll happen, but I know it could…” 
Rainbolt sighed. 
“Just don’t do this kind of thing, okay?” 
“Okay…” 
The two sat there again for another moment. The silence was eating at their stomachs as they felt emptiness within. 
I seriously don't think I'd ever actually get hurt, but... I mean if both Dad and Dreamscape think I could have, I guess they're right... Thinking of Dreamscape, he seemed really pissed off about me... Like... I hope he gets over it eventually. He was kind of like an uncle to me, and I love him like family. I hope he forgives me... I hope Dad forgives me... I hope I forgive me...
“Rainbow…?” Rainbolt finally said. 
“Yeah?” 
“I know you understand why the stunt you pulled was dangerous, but do you understand why it was bad? Like, if you take out all the danger from tonight’s situation, can you tell me why it was bad?” 
The filly thought for a moment. The whole flight home, she was only considering why what she’d done was dangerous, but not once had she considered why it was bad… It just sort of slipped her mind. Dumbfounded, she stared up at her dad, expecting him to simply hand the answer to her. All the support for why the performance was dangerous had been based off of different things her dad had previously told her. For that, however, she had nothing to go by… 
“I, umm… I don’t know…” she admitted in defeat. 
“I’m not just going to tell you the answer…” 
Rainbow looked away from her father and took another lengthy minute to think. When she finally got around to speaking, her tone was a bit shaky and unsure. 
“Umm… because I was already grounded?” 
“Well, that’s part of it…” 
What else was there…? 
“I…can’t think of anything else…” 
“Well… you got the biggest part right. Another big chunk of the dilemma was the fact you got Dreamscape and Fluttershy involved. You disturbed them in the middle of the night so you could what? Prove yourself?” 
“Well… k-kinda… when you put it like that it sounds…really bad...” 
“It was pretty bad, Rainbow…” He then took in a deep breath. “Tomorrow we’re going back to their house so you can give them a very sincere apology…” 
“Okay…” 
Rainbolt swallowed as he looked back at his daughter. That night, she certainly had gotten herself in a lot of crap. It was something Rainbolt had taken very seriously, and it was obviously something that was just then starting to click with her. There was still that dread-filled moment that was yet to come. 
Alright, Rainbolt…it’s time to get down to it… It’s a very hard decision and you have a very short amount of time to make it…..
“On top of that…there still has to be your regular punishment.” 
Rainbow nodded. Unlike other times, she didn’t groan or argue or anything else of that ilk. She just nodded, as if she were agreeing with him.
“Well, Rainbow…I’ve been thinking a lot, and I…” He took his daughter by the hoof and squeezed it gently. She squeezed it back. “I…I’m not going to ground you any more than you already are…” 
“Alright…” was Rainbow’s only response. 
Well, you’ve eliminated one of the three options… You don’t have to do this… You can just make her do chores or something… You don’t have to get physical… I don’t want to… I really, really don’t want to… I couldn’t even imagine doing something like that…. 
“Rainbow, I…I’ve umm…. There’s….a thing and… I was thinking that maybe… You see, when I first became a parent, I…umm…. ” 
Seriously, how do you expect to go through with this if you can’t even get the words off your lips…?
“Dad…” Rainbow started. “Just say it, okay…? I won’t be mad…” 
“Well…I….I’ve n-never considered spanking you up until this point and I-“ 
It was then Rainbolt felt his daughter’s hoof break away from his own. 
“Dad!” the filly exclaimed and backed away from her parent. “Y-you’re not being serious…. Are you? You wouldn’t actually do something like that, would you…?” 
Rainbolt took in a breath and fought back tears. He didn’t even know she knew what that word meant, but it became evident she did. 
Well, here it is… This is where all the begging starts…Just try to remain firm and get through this… You just got yourself into this mess….
“Rainbow, listen, I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, but you not only disobeyed me, but you risked your life, got Dreamscape involved, and you did it all out of your own selfish desire! You got punished for something, and then while you were still on punishment for what you did, you went and did it again, but you made it ten times worse! I’m sorry, Dash, but what you did today was very bad, and I’m not going to let it slide!” 
“I never asked for you to let it slide, but… You…. You’ve never done anything like this and…I don’t want to know what it’s like… Please just do something else… please…” 
Rainbolt felt tears of sympathy welling up in his eyes as she begged. The tears that were already invading her eyes made him want to drop everything and not go through with it…. Why’d he have to say it? He should have just done something completely different… He hadn’t even laid a hoof on her and she was begging and on the edge of tears. How was he ever going to go through with it…? 
“Rainbow, I love you… You’re amazing, and I never wanted to do this either, but I really need this day to stick in your head…. I want you to remember this the next time you consider running off from me in public… I swear, it’ll be over before you know it…”
The filly shook her head and defiantly remained in her corner. 
“No!” 
Rainbolt sighed. 
You shouldn’t have done this… Why’d you mention it…? Why? Why didn’t you just stay away from the topic…? I mean, she deserves it, but… I don’t want to dish it out to her... even though that is kind of your responsibility… Damn…. This is one of those nights you wish you would have put more effort into finding her a mother… Obviously, you haven’t been being strict enough or clear enough.
“Rainbow, listen… This is not optional. When I was a colt your age, I was given absolutely zero option on how I was punished and the rules won’t be bended for you!” 
The filly looked up at her father for a long minute. Tears were beginning to fall down her reddening face. 
She was afraid… 
She was never afraid of anything… 
Except then… She looked terrified. 
“Dad…I’m sorry… I love you, and I swear I wouldn’t have done something this stupid if I knew these were the consequences!” 
“You shouldn’t have to know the consequences of an action before you do it! You should just be able to know what a stupid choice is and what’s not! You’re ten years-old, Dash… You’re smarter than this and I know that…”  
“Sorry… Daddy, I’m really, really sorry!” 
“I’m really glad to hear that, Rainbow… I really hope you mean that…” 
“I do!” 
With that, Rainbow made her way back over to her dad and tightly hugged him. Her hooves stretched around his torso and tightly comforted him. He smiled at her efforts. This time, however, he didn’t hug back. Instead, he smiled at her sweetness and gently pushed her off and tightly grabbed her hoof to keep her nearby. 
“So… we’ve gotten through a lot of the warm, gushy stuff… Are you ready to get this over with?” 
Rainbow gulped and tried to pull away, only to find she was immobilized by her own father’s hoof. 
“You’re still…on that? But I…” 
The stallion felt a sudden swarm of regret fill his heart as tears started to come back to his daughter’s eyes. 
“I know, I know… Dash, this sucks… Everything about this sucks. What you did sucks, and what I’m about to do sucks… Trust me when I say I seriously don’t want to do this… At this point I regret mentioning it and I wish the concept didn’t even exist…” He sighed. “But it does and it is what it is… I’m sorry about this… I know you’ll probably hate me a little bit after this, but if this sticks in your head and prevents you from getting kidnapped, raped, or killed, it’ll be completely worth it.” 
“O-okay…. Daddy… How bad is this going to hurt?” 
The stallion but his lip as salt water glistened on the surface of his eyes. 
“I don’t know…” He smiled and sniffled. “When I was a little colt, I got it really bad, but… I don’t think I could ever bring myself to spank you as hard as I was… Trust me; it’ll still have a decent amount of sting behind it, but nothing that won’t fade away after a few minutes… It’s probably not going to be as bad as you think…” 
Rainbow nodded. 
I hope so… I mean it’s just a little bodily pain. Nothing you can’t handle, right? You’ve gotten hurt tons of times without even crying! Why worry about a quick, little spanking? Besides, this is your dad we’re talking about! He’s as soft as cotton! He couldn’t possibly hurt you that bad…could he? 
Despite all her reassuring thoughts, Rainbow still had a pit of nervousness within her. She’d never experienced anything like this… Sure, she’d been hurt, but this time she was going to be hurt because she did something wrong. She was paying the price of her actions through pain. That felt completely different to her in her heart than an accidental injury.  
Just take in a deep breath… Like Dad said, this’ll be over before you know it… I hope. 
“Dad…” 
“Yeah, Sweetheart?” 
“I think…. I think I’m ready…” 
The moment the words left her lips, she felt dread in her heart. She’d just dropped the flag for a big race. She just gave her dad the cue to start the punishment… At that point, there was absolutely no turning back. She agreed to it, and it was set. 
Rainbow flinched as she felt one hoof wrap her shoulders and guide her into her father’s body. He’d taken her into a warm embrace and had a wing wrapped around her. Her head was leaning into his shoulder and she was up on her hind legs to keep balanced. She was leaning at an awkward slant, but felt surprising warmth in the arms of her punisher. 
“Alright, Rainbow… Just remember; I’m going to hate every second of this more than you will…” The filly nodded. He could already feel her body trembling under the comfort of his hooves. “I’m going to do this in the same position we are now… If you feel the need to kick, bite, curse, or struggle, go for it… I’ll endure whatever you do; I just want this to be as easy for you as it can…” Rainbow nodded once again. A shiver went down her spine as she felt her dad’s right hoof lift off her back. “Are you comfortable…?”
He’s about to start, he’s about to start… The little pony felt her breathing rate increase. He might right after this question… I’m really not ready for this…
Slowly, the filly nodded affirmatively, anxiously awaiting her unpleasant punishment. 
“Ready…?” 
Again, the little filly hesitated to nod her head. Tears were escaping her closed eyelids. She clenched her teeth and awaited the first smack. She’d heard so many teachers, fillies, and colts talk about spanking before. From what she heard, it wasn’t pleasant, but it was pretty fast. 
I can’t believe you’re about to do this… I never imagined I’d have to do this, but… It just seems inevitable at this point. Just make it as quick as you can and don’t be too gentle, but don’t be too hard, either…The stallion raised his hoof nearly a foot away from his victim’s targeted area. His hoof was trembling and his heart rate dramatically rose. Three…Two….One…
When his mind arrived on one, Rainbolt swiftly brought his hoof down. When it made contact with his daughter’s rear, she squirmed a little and whimpered into her daddy’s shoulder. Rainbolt hesitantly raised his hoof again and brought it down. It wasn’t too hard of a slap, but it definitely made a noise and forced a little whine out of his daughter. The stallion gently rubbed her back reassuringly. 
Come on, Rainbolt! Just do it as quick as you possibly can! It’ll only take a few seconds if you put the effort into it…
The stallion took in another breath and gave his foal a quick little storm or swats. As they quickly rained down one after another, Dash started twisting, turning, and crying by the fifth smack to her backside. Her hooves dug into her father’s chest and her back legs kicked as they trembled. She let all her tears stream onto his shoulder, dampening his periwinkle coat. To Rainbolt, it was only a cruel reminder of what he was doing. Her wails and shrieks only made the process harder on both ponies. Both were breaking every moment the punishment lasted. 
Within only seven seconds it all ended. As Rainbow heard, yes, it was quick, but yes, it was very unpleasant. Rainbolt wasn’t sure how many times his hoof had made contact with the poor filly’s rump. He knew it couldn’t have been more than ten or eleven. He also knew without a doubt that he’d never propose that punishment again. It was the worst seven seconds of both their lives. 
Rainbow Dash didn’t need to be swept into an embrace. Instantly, she was hugging her father. Her heart rate dropped when she felt both hooves gently massaging her back. 
“There, there… It’s okay… It’s all over now.” 
The poor filly was too choked up in her own tears to pay much attention to the love her father was providing. She simply nodded and tried to take in a few deep breaths. Her father then leaned her back slightly and looked her in the eyes. Tears were running down her red cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was wrinkled. Gently, Rainbolt expanded his wings and used the very ends of his feather tips to wipe away some of the tears on her eyes. She forced a cute smile as he did. 
“I love you, Rainbow… I love you so, so much… You mean more to me than anything on this earth…” 
“I love you, too…” she cooed softly as her tears subsided. 
“Was it… that bad…?” 
“Well…” The filly sniffled deeply and looked up at her dad. His gentle hooves patted her back and eased her pain. “N-not that much… More on the inside than anything…” 
Rainbolt smiled at his angel for a moment. 
“So I take it you don’t hate me…?” 
“No…” She shook her head. “I could never hate you…” 
“Good…” The stallion ruffled his daughter’s mane lovingly. The little filly smiled and sniffled. 
“I need a tissue…” 
Rainbolt took a moment to look around the room. Her blankets…? No. Umm… Cloud floor? No… Walk across the hall and risk being killed by a pint-sized bat? Heck no!
“Umm…Just use….Hmm….” The stallion looked around a moment longer and glanced briefly at his back. With little hesitation, he expanded his wing out to his daughter and smiled. “This!” 
The filly raised an eyebrow at her father. 
“Your wing?” 
“Yep…” 
Unsurely, Dashie grabbed the end of her dad’s feathers and blew into them. Rainbolt winced as a large glob of mucus shot onto his feathers. He slowly refolded his wings as his daughter wiped her nostrils with the back of her hoof. The stallion smiled reassuringly. 
“Thanks, Dad…” 
“Umm…hehe, no problem…” 
Rainbow smiled up at her dad. 
“I love you…” 
Rainbolt hugged his daughter lovingly. 
“I love you, too, Sweetheart…” 
The two ponies sat there a moment, lovingly rubbing each other’s backs. 
“Dad…?” 
“Yeah…?” 
“Do you think that maybe… I don’t know… “ She blushed a little and looked away from her father as she spewed out the question. “Can you tuck me in again…?” 



> 26. The Moon and The Sky, Part One: A Gleaming Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Two droplets of salt water fell from the green-coated mare’s red cheeks. Her heavy heart was anchored down to her stomach as she stared at the picture below her. 
Fifteen years… 
  Fifteen…
years… 
We were together so, so long….
     The mare brought the picture close to her chest and let a stream of salty rivers flow down her cheeks in internal misery. Her heart burned tremendously as thoughts of her ex husband went through her mind. 
How could you let this happen…? You… Ugh, I hate you sometimes, Sunny… It sucks, though… We were so, so close…
So close…
     Mrs. Skies felt more tears trickle down her face, hug her chin, and splash onto the picture frame below her. Her heart sank as she sobbed over her expected divorce with the stallion of her life. Through blurred tears, she looked at the sweet, memorable photo. He… was holding her. His smile was wide and his eyes were full of love as she dug her head into her chest. They were in love…So deeply in love. 
 Oh… If only you could hold me like that one more time… Kiss me gently on the neck… Tell me how much you loved me just one…more...time… 
     At that point, the river of the mare’s salty tears intensified as she cried harder. Her beloved was gone forever and there was nothing she could do about it. What ached the most in her breaking heart was the fact he was still alive… breathing, feeling, and moving on with life, yet she couldn’t be with him. She couldn’t see him, near him, or talk to him… 
The shattering victim sniffed dripping mucus back into her running nose and slid her left hoof beneath her eye, wiping away some tears. Her heart rate went up as her depression carried on. Although it had been months since she’d last seen her ex, she still had a heavy ache in her heart. Her life had changed so dramatically…and it hurt so, so bad. 
No! Keep it together! With anger filling her soul, the mare angrily slammed the picture onto the ground beneath her. As the piercing sound of shattering glass pierced her ears, Mrs. Skies felt tears running down her face. Damn it… I’m going to have to replace that…again. 
     With a long sigh, the upset mare threw her head back and gazed at the cloud ceiling, trying hard to relax her body and think positively. Her hooves made their way up to her temples and started to gently rub them. 
Just concentrate on work…Get your business done, and you might not have to stay late again… ugh, now where was-
    Mrs. Skies’ sudden trail of thought was rudely cut off by a door swinging opened and smacking the wall next to it. Although the mare flinched, she wasn’t all that shocked at the sudden entrance. The little mare before her had a cherry red mane with a light pink body. Her eyes were magenta and little, white freckles were neatly arranged on both her cheeks. Mrs. Skies raised an eyebrow. 
“Yeah, just barge your way in the damn office without knocking.”
The little mare was taken aback by her boss’ sarcastic tone and lingering anger. A blush arose to her cheeks and she spoke up shyly. 
“I, ummm… M-Mrs. Skies… There’s sort of a problem with the c-cloud-making machine, and I was just wondering if-“ 
“And this is my problem because…?”   
The little employee gulped and behind her wings.
“W-well…you sorta run the place and I just thought-“ 
“Well, you know what? It’s not my damn problem! Want it fixed? Find a mechanic!” 
“I-it isn’t my responsibility and I-“ 
“Well if it’s not your responsibility, then don’t bitch about it! Let somepony else deal with it!” 
“B-but…” the mare had tears swarming her eyes. 
“No buts! Now go find somepony to fix the problem!” 
The little mare nodded and quietly whimpered “Yes, ma’am” before fleeing the room with tears running down her face. 
“Jeesh…” Mrs. Skies mumbled as her office door was closed. “Some ponies are just too damn sensitive…” 
The mare looked back at the door and again felt tears swelling in her eyes. 

The periwinkle stallion let out a hot, exaggerated breath as he looked down at his assignment. Familiar demands were written in his boss' cursive. Unsurprisingly, the ink was fogged by dried tears of a heartbroken mare. Ever since the predicted divorce, Rainbolt noticed the liquid stains on his assignments. It was obvious to nearly every worker at that point that there was something wrong with Mrs. Skies. She'd been spending additional hours in her office after the sunset, was far less talkative, and much more of a downer. Although she'd never been too springy or loquacious, she had still dramatically changed in personality. Some employees felt bad for her misfortune, while others remained angry at her for her harsh treatment, despite the situation she was going through. Rainbolt specifically had sympathy for her. He too had experienced the pain of being left by a significant other. 
In the back of the dinky office, Rainbow Dash was tucking herself away beneath the puffy covers of her orange sleeping bag. That week was increasingly hard to get through for her, considering the fact spring break would be the next week. Every second lasted nearly a minute as the thoughts of a full, marvelous week away from school circled within her mind. The fact that it was a Thursday night made her even more excited. As much as the filly cherished sleep, she knew it'd be a challenge to fall asleep that starry night. 
To Rainbow Dash, Mrs. Skies shift in behavior was unacceptable, even under the circumstances. She had always been Dash's aunt. and to rudely cut Dash off just because the love of her life left her was inexcusable. In her mind, just because Mrs. Skies heart was broken, didn't mean she had to go around an break Dashie's. She missed spending time with her aunt...she missed when she actually acted happy to be around her. Maybe when Mrs. Skies' heart was repaired, she'd talk to Dash again and they'd again be adopted family members. Until then, Rainbow would just have to wait for the return of her unrelated relative. 
In the silence of the night, Rainbolt took out his pencil and immediately started at his work. The only benefit from the entire situation was the fact Mrs. Skies left much later. He didn't have to rush into the assignment and risk making a mistake for his boss to angrily correct. She'd come in an hour or two after he arrived and got started. He'd take his time and make minimal mistakes. Although the stallion enjoyed having more time to get at least something done to present to his boss, he did despise it when she'd noisily come into the room in the midst of his daughter's sleep. Nearly every time Rainbow would wake up, and nearly every time she woke up, she'd have complications going back to sleep. One night it even took her a little over an hour. 
Alright, Rainbolt.... the stallion spoke to himself within his mind. It's nearly ten-thirty.... Mrs. Skies probably won't be back for a good hour or so... If you're lucky, she won't be as bitchy tonight...Ugh...when's she going to get over this whole divorce thing... Or, I mean, at least stop taking it out on her employees! Rainbolt sighed and thought back to when he was first dumped by his dear beloved. You can't really be talking, Bolty.... You were just as bad when you were heartbroken. Heck, you used to yell at Dash when she was only one! Rainbolt felt tears swelling in his eyes from the awful memories. He turned around and glanced at his daughter, who was on her side facing the opposite direction. She'd only been asleep for a few minutes, and was already snoring away. Slightly,  he smiled, with wetness still in the corners of his yellow eyes. I doubt she even remembers how awful you used to act... I still feel bad about that sometimes... I guess I can't really blame her... I went through the exact same thing and acted just as bad... If it took you nearly a year to get over somepony you were dating two years...imagine how awful she must feel and how long it will take her heart to heal.... The stallion's eyes darted at his reflection in the metal cup that held his writing utensils, and then back at his daughter in the corner. Already, she had shifted into a new position. She was so cute when she slept... Rainbolt sighed, envying his daughter, and looked back to his work. Just...don't think about it...right now you have a responsibility to live up to...Now...where was I...?
Rainbolt looked at his work below and gnawed at the eraser-end of his pencil. He'd barely figured out anything on his map, but did put nearly three hundred clouds above Canterlot to use to base the rest of the towns around it. If his calculations didn't add up, he'd have to go back and again plan his thinking, but from the few major towns he'd charted out and determined a plausible total of, three hundred clouds for Canterlot seemed like a very good approximate value. Hopefully, the rest of the towns would work themselves out and no problems would get in his way. 
Alright... So, if Canterlot has approximately three hundred clouds, and Manehattan has two hundred-thirty, then Ponyville must have.... The stallion flipped his pencil around and wrote out some math on a handy-dandy piece of scrap paper. His calculations gave him the number he had originally estimated. One hundred-twenty! Ha! Just like I thought! The stallion beamed brightly as he wrote down some numbers on his chart of all the town names, and then narrowed his eyes at a rather particular town. But, wait....If Fillydelphia has two hundred, then... Again, the stallion scribbled down some calculations and threw his hooves up in frustration at the results. Damn it! Seriously...? Seriously! But if Ponyville had one hundred-ninety clouds, it wouldn't add up right in comparison to Manehattan! In aggravation, the stallion threw his head into his hooves and took in a few deep breaths. His anger took a minute to subside, but through the assistance of some positive thinking and deep inhales, Rainbolt finally lifted his head. His multihued mane was sticking up from having his forehead pressed against his hooves. 
Alright...just... Go all the way back to the beginning and redo your math... I just don't see how I could have already messed up! Ugh, I'm a failure.
Flipping his pencil back around, the pegasus used the pink nub at the end of his pencil to erase his original game plan entirely. Starting over sucked. The stallion hurt a little inside just knowing he wasted fifteen minutes of his life doing math that was utterly pointless. Taking in a breath, Rainbolt again started his long, complicated math equations.
Great job, Rainbolt. You tried taking your time and now you failed. 
The stallion sighed and glared at the evil task before him.  
Okay, just start over and… wait! I think I know where I went wrong! All I forgot to do was-
     Suddenly, the stallion’s thoughts were disturbed by the loud sound of a door slamming opened. Rainbolt tensed up as sweat bullets formed at the top of his brow. 
Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! It’s Mrs. Skies…She’s early… Holy crap, she’s going to be pissed when she sees I haven’t done anything! Just…Look at the wall in front of you and stay calm…
     As reassuring as his thoughts were, Rainbolt still felt his heart rate dramatically rise as hoofsteps approached him at a steady rate. He swallowed a pit of saliva in his mouth as the being drew nearer to his chair. 
“G-good evening, ma’am…” 
“I wasn’t aware I switched genders…” 
It was that moment Rainbolt’s heart stopped for one moment. His pupils shrunk and sweat dripped down his nose. Instead of the feminine, slightly-annoyed tone he expected, he received a masculine, yet stoic voice from behind him. Rainbolt turned around and was agape to be looking into a deep set of purple eyes. 
“Moonstruck…” Rainbolt gasped at his brother. 
“Rainbolt.” Moonstruck replied with emotionless eyes. On his back rested a medium sized cardboard box with opened flaps. That detail wasn’t the most significant to Rainbolt at the time. 
For a brief moment, the two simply stared at each other. Rainbolt was baffled. He hadn’t had guests at work for months, and even then, it was usually Surprise or Dreamscape. Out of all the ponies in Equestria, he never once expected his brother to visit. 
“Why are you here…?” Rainbolt whispered as softly as he could. 
“Oh, you know…” The white-coated stallion said in a much louder tone. He slid the box off his back and smiled. “Just dropping off some of your old stuff from when you were like, I don’t know, five or something.” 
Rainbolt glared at his brother. 
“And you mean to tell me you couldn’t have given it to me when I was at home?” the stallion hissed. 
“Well, I would have but somepony’s a bit too stubborn to cough up their address, but everypony in the family knows you work for weather.” 
Rainbolt sighed and stared at his vexation. “You know what? Just set the stuff down and go! If my boss knows I had a guest during work hours, I’d be in deep trouble!” 
Moonstruck simply shook his head. “I didn’t fly all the way out here from Mother’s so you could immediately kick me out!” 
“But I didn’t ask you to come here! Just go! Before Mrs. Skies kills me or Dashie wakes up!” Rainbolt then paused for a moment and stared at his brother. “Wait…why were you at Mom’s house?” 
Moonstruck smiled. “You know, just going through our old things. When Mother found a box of your old stuff she volunteered to deliver it to you, but… What kind of gentlecolt would I be to make her fly all the way out to your home… wherever it may be?”  
Rainbolt rolled his yellow eyes and sighed. 
“Just go. I need to get to my work and concentrate… Thanks for dropping off my stuff, though…” 
“Oh, I’m not leaving. Why would I go when we haven’t even got to catch up…?” 
“Seriously! My boss will flip out if she sees you here. Just saying, she’s turned into a total bitch since her husband dumped her.” 
Moonstruck did nothing but chuckle. 
“Oh, Bolty…you really think I’m afraid of a middle-aged mare with temper management issues?” 
“No, but I am! Last week she nearly fired me because I spilt a little coffee on her desk! If she found out I had a guest, she’d kill me! Now go!” 
This time, Rainbolt semi-aggressively pushed his brother away from him and pointed towards the door. The thought of his most significant recent conversation with his brother was the only thing keeping the authority in Rainbolt’s tone. For the first time in his life, the stallion actually believed his brother wouldn’t harm him. If Moonstruck were to make an attempt, or mere threat to lay an unloving hoof on his brother, Rainbolt wouldn’t have hesitated to give him a harsh reminder of their deal. 
Again, the white stallion simply chuckled. 
“I haven’t seen you in ages and the first thing you want to do is rid me away?” 
“I saw you last year!” Rainbolt whispered in a harsh hiss. “Just go! We can talk some other time if you want to that bad!” 
Moonstruck simply shrugged. His brother grunted and swiveled around to face the direction of his work. 
Just ignore it… Maybe it’ll go away if you do.
     With no more words spoken, the stallion went away at his work with a frown. Concentrating on the math below him wasn’t easy with another pony staring down from over his shoulder. His brother’s shallow breathing could be heard from the mere inches his was away from Rainbolt. The working stallion dug his teeth into his pencil in attempt to relax. He stared at the numbers below him, neatly written out on the chart. Making sense of the numbers had never been such a challenge. The only subject his mind could concentrate on was the pony lingering behind him. He didn’t look back to see where exactly his brother was, but he didn’t need eyes to sense the presence of his sadistic sibling. 
Slowly, Rainbolt tried to at least act as if he was concentrating on his work. Maybe, that would show his stubborn brother he really wasn’t in the mood for chatting. 
Come on… Just right down a number or something…Do fake math….
Hesitantly, the stallion wrote the number twenty-three down on his scrap piece of paper. 
 So far, so good…
Rainbolt then drew another number next to it. He chose eight for simplicity and proceeded to act as if he was doing math. Moonstruck lurked over hum. Sweat began to form on Rainbolt’s forehead as two detached numbers looked him in the eyes. 
“So…this is your job…?” Moonstruck asked after only a short minute of silence.
The stallion let out a heavy sigh. 
“Yes, now leave so I can actually work!” 
“Hey! I didn’t come all the way here, spend twenty minutes looking through files to find where your office is, and then deliver your stuff just so I could immediately leave!”
“Wait…” The younger brother’s ears perked up and he looked up to Moonstruck with confusion in his pale eyes. “How’d you find the employee files for the factory?” The stallion then thought for a moment later. “And how in Equestria were the employee files easier to find than my office?”
“Easy! The pony that runs the front desk has a whole list of them! Silly fellow just tossed the book into an unlocked drawer!” 
Rainbolt sighed. “You know...that guys’ our bookkeeper! If you keep going through his stuff, you could possibly mess something up and Mrs. Skies would turn into even a bigger bitch than she already is!” 
“Wow, I’m sure your boss would just love to hear all the kind words you have to say to her!” 
“Moonstruck, I’m serious just…go…please…?” 
The stallion smirked. “You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you, Bolty?” 
Rainbolt frowned. 
Come on, your boss’ll be here any minute…Just… I don’t know… Force him out. Ugh, and it’s just so, so weird when he calls me Bolty. Look at the crap you start, Firefly!
     “You know what? No! You’re leaving right now!” 
With his final command said, Rainbolt rose from his seat and pressed his front hooves against his brother’s chest in an attempt to push him out of the room. Moonstruck, however firmly placed his hooves in the cloud layer beneath him. His younger sibling struggled to push his brother a mere inch. After a moment of pushing, Rainbolt got back onto all fours. There was a dull ache in muscles from his failed attempt to move his stubborn sibling. 
“You haven’t grown any stronger, have you?” 
“Hey!” The stallion cried. “I’m getting a little stronger…I think…” 
Rainbolt blushed sheepishly and dug his hoof into the ground.     
“Oh, yes, because you’re just so masculine!” The white pegasus teased in a mocking tone. 
“Hey! Shush it! My daughter’s trying to sleep!” Rainbolt whispered harshly. 
“Oh, I’m sorry…wouldn’t want her knowing the truth about you!” With no hesitation, Moonstruck dug his hooves into the cardboard box and pulled out a little memento from Rainbolt’s foalhood. His eyes went wide upon seeing it. A deep shade of crimson invaded the stallion’s cheeks and he instantly tried to snatch away the beloved item from his brother’s hooves. As if he were again an immature colt, the stallion raised the item way above his younger brother’s head. His wings outstretched and allowed him to gain altitude, making the precious memory even more out of reach. 
“’Ooh, look!’ ” Moonstruck mocked, holding the little doll up in the air. It was a light shade of blue with googly eyes and a lacy, white skirt around its waist. It was about as tall as a ruler, and was ragged, stained up, and old. “’Mrs. Snuzzles looks so pretty today with her fru-fruey skirt and little sunhat! I shall play make-believe with her and do her mane! Oh, if only I had real friends to satisfy my social needs!’” 
Rainbolt’s blush didn’t subside as he flew up and snatched the toy away from his brother’s grasp. Moonstruck was giggling to himself while his brother wore an irritated frown. 
“Really? You’re going to laugh at me for how I was when I was only five!” 
“Oh, come on, Bolty! Take a joke! It’s not my fault you’re like, ninety percent estrogen!” 
Rainbolt sighed and rolled his eyes. 
“Yeah, yeah…Now please, please leave before Mrs. Skies comes in here and-“
At the moment her name was spoken, the office door swung opened to reveal the subject at hoof. The green-coated mare’s eyes were puffy at the eyelids, and her cheeks were a light shade of pink. Her eyes widened at the sight of uninvited company. She gaped at the sight before her and already felt anger brewing within her. 
“Rainbolt…” Mrs. Skies started in a very angered tone. “You have three seconds to explain to me why you have a guest during work hours…”
The stallion gulped and glared at his brother and cleared his throat. Her tone was surely loud enough to wake Dashie. 
“Ma’am… I didn’t invite him… He invited himself and I swear I tried to get him to leave!” 
“Oh, so you apparently have enough friends that ponies just visit you without an invitation I see! Mr. Popular over here’s too wrapped up in conversation to properly escort his guest out of the factory!” 
“No, Mrs. Skies I swear I tried to make him leave! H-he just-“
“Oh, yes. Because a stallion like you would totally just make company leave him in the long hours of the night when you should be working! Ha! Do you think I’m really that gullible?” 
Rainbolt shrunk back and gulped in the presence of his boss. 
“N-no, ma’am of course not!” 
“Well then, maybe you should think before you-“
“Actually.” Moonstruck stoically interrupted. “Rainbolt’s telling the truth.” 
The sudden disturbance in the two-way conversation caused both Mrs. Skies and Rainbolt to look in Moonstruck’s direction. All the ponies could hear Dash tossing and turning in her sleep, awaking slowly from the noise. 
“And who the hay invited you into this conversation?” 
The stallion smiled. 
“Me. Just as I invited myself into my brother’s office. You know, it’s not cool to just jump to conclusions. No wonder Rainbolt thinks you’re a bitch!” 
Instantly, the employee looked away from his boss’ face and gulped. Sweat formed and was running down his nose, forehead, and onto the cloud floor beneath him. His heart speed increased as Mrs. Skies approached him. 
“Oh, so I’m a bitch now, am I? Is that what you’ve been saying about me?”
Rainbolt backed up and looked up. His boss’ eyes were on fire as her eyebrows scrunched closely together. 
“O-of c-course not, I umm…j-just said you weren’t in as good of a mood as usual a-and I… was only saying it as a warning, I wasn’t trying to insult you, I p-promise!” 
The mare shot her employee an “I don’t believe you” look and forced him back into the corner even further. 
“I don’t believe you, Rainbolt! I honestly think you would call me a bitch!” She frowned. “And if you think I’m a bitch, I will show you how much of a bitch I can be!” 
With no warning, Mrs. Skies flew up, over her employee and near his desk. There, she picked up his work and held it up. With a smile. 
“Since you think I’m a bitch, let’s see how much of a bitch I am when I destroy…all…your…work…?” 
As the mare observed the paper closer, her eyes went wide and she gaped. 
“Y-you haven’t done anything yet?” 
“Well, I did, but then I, and he…and…y-you know…”
“No, I don’t freaking know! All I know is you should have made progress by now and you shouldn’t have had any damn guests!” This time, the volume in Mrs. Skies’ voice could have been heard in another country. “You’re being lazy and irresponsible!” The mare slammed the paper back on her employees’ desk, causing everypony in the room to flinch. “I want this all done by morning, and I don’t want a single error in the whole thing! Am I making myself clear?” 
Rainbolt looked up at his boss. Tears were invading his eyes, but he still raised a hoof to his forehead and gave his boss a proper salute. 
“Yes, ma’am…”
“Good!” 
With that said, the mare stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her. At that point, Rainbow was well awake. Her head still rested on her pillow and she looked up at her two relatives. She forced a smile at them before rolling back onto her opposite side and trying to go back to sleep. She was too used to her “aunt’s” bitchy behavior and too tired to ask why her uncle was suddenly present. 
“My goodness…” Moonstruck said agape. “You were right, she is a bitch!” 
“Yeah, no thanks to you! What the hay was that about?!” 
Moonstruck shrugged. “Just wanted to see if you were right…” 
“Yeah, well, I’m right, now go home and leave so I don’t get fired!” 
The stallion simply smiled, ignoring his brother’s commands as he stared at the door where Mrs. Skies had previously stormed out. His eyes remained glued on it as he thought of the mare. 
That strength in her voice…that tone, that attitude! That intimidation and her way to make others feel bad! Holy crap…she was so beautiful…
Suddenly, Moonstruck felt heat rise to his cheeks as he stared at the door. Rainbolt stared at his brother, who was in deep hypnosis. 
“Umm…you can go now…” 
Moonstruck smiled a bit and felt an odd sensation building in his chest. His eyes fell half-closed as he wondered deeply into the events of a few minutes ago. 
“Yeah…I’m going to go… and you know…talk to her….” 
“What? Talk to… Oh, no! You’re not getting me in anymore trouble than you already have!” 
“No, I’m not getting you in trouble…don’t worry…” 
“Then what are you-“ 
“Bolty, listen; yes, she was a complete and total cunt. She was intimidating, bitchy, and worse than any mare I’ve ever seen…but, she’s perfect…” 
“Wait…what…? You’re not saying that you….” 
Moonstruck simply ignored his brother’s question and his ears perked up. His wings sprang up and he turned to his brother. 
“Wait! She’s not leaving for the night, is she?”
“I don’t know! She could be going back to her office or-“
With no further answer said, Moonstruck flew out of the room as quickly as he could. In a mere second, the pegasus was gone. The stallion’s office door swung opened and remained that way. Rainbolt let out a long sigh and simply turned around to again get started at his work. 
Moonstruck flew a few feet out of the door before catching the sight of the bitchy boss. She had already made it all the way to the other side of the factory room, near the exit. Suddenly, the love-struck stallion’s eyes widen upon the sight. His heart started to pound as his lips curled into a smile. Usually, his emotions were balanced evenly, and he normally never felt strongly for affection. The sudden rush of the positive emotion made him feel like unstable jell-o. 
Come on! You can’t lose her! The stallion spread his wings and started off after her. This is a rare occurrence, and the possibility of ever seeing her again is slim….Although, with my priorities, I’d much rather come back and risk getting Rainbolt in trouble than not see her again. Then again, Rainbow would be devastated and pretty pissed at you. Oh, that niece… She’s such a sweetheart… Don’t take her happiness away for your own greedy desires! Just slow down and consider your options…Oh, what options? You take the opportunity now or…Wait! That’s perfect! 
In a flash, Moonstruck turned around as fast as he possibly could. His mane flew back as he again entered Rainbolt’s office, who had already figured out his cloud count for Canterlot. He’d only flown around fifteen feet away from his brother’s office before reentering. Without a word, he quickly stuck his hoof in the box and pulled out a large piece of cloth before zooming back out. This time, Rainbolt didn’t even look back. He simply continued at his work as his brother came in, and then raced back out of the little room. 
As fast as he could, Moonstruck soared down the hall. The mare on his mind was already gone. His speeds increased as he flew faster and faster to meet her. He felt his heart beating quickly as he flew. Sweat dripped down his nose as he continued to fly towards his sudden crush. 
By the time Moonstruck arrived at the exit to the factory, his wings ached and his face was red from the heat building in it. He opened the door, and zipped down the narrow, short hallway, through the lobby, then right out the front door to the lobby. The cool, early spring air hit him like a ton of bricks. The atmosphere was cool, crisp, and pleasant. Stars freckled the night sky, and within it, was a little, green figure, slowly flying towards her home. 
Nice! You didn’t miss her! Now…take a deep breath. Act calm. You’re some socially awkward pony who can’t talk to mares…then again, you’ve had very few romantic feelings in your lifetime. Your little experience won’t come in handy in this situation… Ugh, Moonstruck…you’re also not stupid! You don’t even know the bitch and you already think high of her… Then again, it’s hard to find a mare with her attitude. Oh, her attitude…It’s so awful and bitchy and so….perfect.
At that moment, Moonstruck again felt heat rising to his face. The corky, cute vibe that most mares set off was a complete turn off to the stallion. The fierce, bold, brutal vibe that vibrantly glowed off the gorgeous mare melted Moonstruck’s heart. She was so unusually bitchy and so bold in personality. Never before had the stallion felt so attached to somepony he’d known for such little time. 
Come on, Moonstruck! Don’t be a wimp! Just go up to her! What’s the worst that could happen? She cusses you out?The stallion smiled and felt his wings spring up. That’d actually be sort of hot… Moonstruck shook his head. 
Purging the thought, Moonstruck flapped his wings and flew up towards the mare as fast as he could without being too loud. His heart speed increased. Nervous certainly wasn’t an emotion he was used to. As he drew nearer to the pegasus above, he gained speed steadily. The sweet air ran through his mane and helped cool his nerves. Luckily, Mrs. Skies wasn’t too far ahead; maybe twenty-five feet at the very most. He continued traveling skywards towards the mare. As he came closer to the beauty, his pulse rose and his . Suddenly, he saw Mrs. Skies freeze in the night sky. 
Oh, shit! She probably heard me! Just… keep on going…
Increasing his speed, Moonstruck drew closer to closer to his crush. He felt a little bead of sweat roll down his nose as he approached her. When he was only a few feet away from her, she turned around. Her eyes went wide when she saw him. 
“What the hay are you doing following me?” she screeched. Her cheeks were visibly stained with tears, and glittered under the moonlight. 
Moonstruck instantly acted to be taken back. 
“Following you? Who, me? Oh, I wouldn’t!” He smiled to the mare. “It’s just an odd coincidence that we happen to take the same path home.” 
Mrs. Skies raised an eyebrow. 
“Oh, really? Then why are you exactly coming up behind me, huh? Is there some reason for that, Mr. Stalker?” 
Oh, you’re so cute when you’re a bitch!
“That’s a strange question. I just thought it would be a bit more entertaining to fly with a partner rather than unaccompanied.”
“Oh yeah? Well you can just go find somepony else to talk to! I’d rather be alone!” 
With a harsh push, Mrs. Skies continued off into a different direction. Moonstruck simply smiled at her as she went off into the night sky alone. Ignoring her request, the stallion flew after her, catching up to her in little time. 
“What’s got you so steamy? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, eh?”
Mrs. Skies glared at the stallion before sticking her muzzle up and continuing on. 
Ooh….I like it when they play hard to get…
With a smile, Moonstruck went after the mare with determination in his heart. 
“Got a name, Sweetheart?” 
The mare simply continued on silently. This time, however she didn’t fly ahead. She remained flying next to the stranger in an awkward silence. 
“Come on, don’t be shy. I’m sure you’ve got a name…” 
Quietly, the mare choked out the answer in the crisp night. 
“Sunny Skies…”
“Sunny? Your name contradicts your personality pretty well. Is there a reason you’re bitter?” 
“I…I don’t want to talk about it…” she replied quietly, sniffling at the thought. 
“Well, private information certainly isn’t something I’d force you to share with me…” he smiled. “Here, take this…” The stallion held out a purple piece of cloth for her. She looked at it oddly for a moment before raising an eyebrow. “It’s rather chilly out tonight. Thought you might need something to warm yourself up.” 
Mrs. Skies hesitantly took the present from her newly found friend and unraveled it. She smiled lightly and slung the soft scarf around her neck. She looped it around twice and wore it casually. 
“Thanks….” 
“No problem. Keep if it you’d like.” 
“You’d just…give me your scarf?”
“Well, it’s not mine.” Moonstruck confessed. “It’s Rainbolt’s. His marefriend bought it for him because she thought it’d make him look good. He never told her that he hated it, but he did tell me.” He smiled. “I don’t think he wants a memento of his ex. My mother tells me how heartbroken he was when he got dumped. Poor sucker had it pretty bad.” 
Sunny looked away with a frown. 
“Yeah… I can relate.” She said under her breath. 
“What was that?” Moonstruck asked, even though he already knew what she was referring to. 
“I…I…got a divorce a while back… It hurt really bad… I still does…” 
“Oh…really? Why would somepony ever abandon a mare as lovely as you? Or was the stallion to blame in this case…”
The mare sniffled. “I-I don’t know….It was a lot of stuff, I guess…I just really hate him….And…how can you call me lovely when I’m kind of…not?”
“Lovely comes in many forms, Sweetheart…”
Mrs. Skies smiled, blushed and looked away. She hadn’t been complimented in such a long time, it was almost foreign. She did like it, though. 
“Thanks… you’re umm…a real gentlecolt.” 
“It’s all due to upbringing, my dear.” 
As the two continued to fly in the night sky, they smiled because of each other’s presence. Their hearts beat calmly as the situation brought comfort. 
“So… How much further away is your home?” 
“Not too far…” Mrs. Skies replied with a tad bit of disappointment in her voice. “I live pretty close to the weather factory.” She smiled at Moonstruck. “It was kind of nice to have somepony to talk to for a change…even though our conversation wasn’t that long or anything.” 
“Wasn’t it? I guess we could all use a little somepony to keep our minds occupied.” 
“Yeah…it feels nice to get my mind off…certain topics.” 
“Yep… “ Moonstruck looked down at the cities below the clouds. His heart rate increased. 
Come on, Moonstruck! This is the perfect opportunity! Just…ask her out or something… Are you crazy? You just can’t jump into this….Still… A broken heart is the most naïve kind…     
“You know…” Moonstruck continued. “Maybe this doesn’t have to be the last time we meet up…”
“What do you mean…?” 
“I mean, I think we should get together sometime. Obviously, your heart needs a way to recover and your mind needs to find new topics to set on. I think socializing would be the most obvious solution, and well, maybe I could assist you on being part of that solution…?” 
Oh my gosh, why can’t you simply say, “How about we go out on a date?”
“Do you mean like…you want to hang out…?”
Both pegasi were blushing deep shades of red. 
“Well, I mean, yes… Maybe not ‘hang out’ but, you know…” 
“Date…?” 
Moonstruck gulped. Fear. What a strange emotion. It definitely wasn’t something he was used to feeling.
“In a sense, yes. I know your divorce was but mere months ago, but if that jerk gets to happily move on, then you deserve the same.”
“I...don’t know… I mean… I’m not completely over it, and I don’t even know if he moved on yet….”
“Either way, you don’t deserve to as miserable as you are. We’ll try it once, and if you still feel shattered afterwards, I’ll drop the attempt if it pleases you. The worst that could possibly happen is no change whatsoever…” 
“Well…I guess…” 
“Good! Now… I’m sure if you spared some time and got off of work early, I could bring you to my house and we could spend some hours getting to know each other better. I could cook, if you want….” 
“Oh, that sounds nice… but I mean… Isn’t it kind of a big step to invite me over to your home soon?” 
“Don’t worry about it! If you can trust Rainbolt spending a full night at your pride and joy unattended, then I’m sure you could trust somepony of the same upbringing.”
“Well…I mean…” she smiled. Even with the risk of being violently murdered in somepony’s basement, there was always a chance she would be repaired once again, and that was something she wanted more than anything. “Sure…I-I’d love to…” 

Slowly, Rainbolt lifted his groggy head from the short night’s rest. The entire night consisted of doing his working, redoing his working, rechecking his work, triple checking his work, unlocking the bathroom for his daughter, and then checking his work once more. At long last, he fell asleep at nearly four in the morning. Waking up by seven to get his daughter to school wasn’t an easy task. 
As Rainbolt opened his yellow eyes he heard…paper shuffling?
The stallion’s ears swiveled as he tried to detect the sound. As the sound continued on, the pegasus lifted his head. His multihued mane stuck to his forehead and drool stained his cheek. What a night. 
“Morning, Rainbolt!” a gleeful voice sang as. In an instant, Rainbolt turned his head to meet eyes with his boss. She was…cheerful. There was no disdain or anger towards the world in her sparkling eyes. Rainbolt cocked his head and stared at her. She hadn’t shown the slightest hint of happiness in months and now she was…happy. Her sudden mood shift was a bit…creepy to Rainbolt. 
“What’s wrong?” she asked with a smile. “Didn’t expect to see me in such a good mood?” 
“Well…no... Not really…” 
“Well I am!” she chimed brightly. 
“Well…I’m happy for you. What’s gotten into you?” 
She giggled. “Nothing special. It’s just yesterday your brother flew me all the way home! It was the sweetest little thing!” she sighed happily. “And tomorrow, we’re going on a date! Well... I don't know if it's a date-date, but I'd like to believe it is!”
“A what?!” Rainbolt asked in shock. “You can’t go on a date with my brother!” 
Mrs. Skies frowned at her employee. 
“And why can’t I?”
“Well, I mean… it’s my brother and-“
“And you think it’s awkward for me to be dating your family member? Come on, Rainbolt! It’s not that big of a deal, okay?”
“It has nothing to do with that! I just really think you’d be making a mistake!” 
“A mistake?” She asked, almost laughing. “He’s one of the sweetest gentlecolts I’ve ever met! Sure, it’s kind of sudden, but I’m happy and I don’t want to change that!” 
“Ma’am… listen; I can’t control you, but I really think you should listen when I say this is a bad idea!” 
“Oh, and you suddenly know about love, huh? I think you’re just jealous because he’s having an easier time getting a mare than you, and he’s better looking!” 
Rainbolt sighed. She certainly was stubborn. 
“I, umm… I don’t think he’s better looking…Also…” Rainbolt shut himself up. He'd need much more time to absorb everything to make a proper argument. Sudden information received when one is only half-awake isn't easily processed. “I need to get Dash to school…So…” 
Rainbolt’s boss nodded in approval as he changed the subject. 
“Good… Now… I’ll be in my office. Also…” She smiled. “You did really well with weather yesterday! Keep up the good work!” 
With a bright smile and cheerful tone, Mrs. Skies happily trotted out of the office with a skip in her step. 
She seemed so happy…and yet, Rainbolt hated to see her and Moonstruck together. He knew the twisted mind he had. He knew of his inner desires, and the thought of him with anypony was scary to him. 
“Wow…” a delicate, sleepy voice said from behind him. Rainbolt turned around to meet eyes with his beloved daughter. “She was in a really good mood…” 
“Yeah...” Rainbolt agreed hesitantly. 
With a smile, his little girl got onto her hooves and stretched out her body. Her wings unfurled and she yawned widely. Rainbolt smiled at his daughter, despite his internal stress. 
“Mornin’, Sweetheart… It’s weird seeing you awake this early.” 
Dash’s pink eyes darted towards the clock on the wall. It was nearly seven-ten in the morning. 
“Yeah… Aunty Skies came in humming really loudly… I guess that kind of woke me up… And then…” Again, Dash’s mouth opened wide and she yawned. “When she saw I was awake she gave me a noogie and told me how amazing the morning was.” 
Rainbolt sighed. 
“Yeah… your uncle stopped by here last night.” 
“He did?”
“Yeah… He thought Mrs. Skies was pretty so he decided to ask her out…” 
Dash’s eyes went wide and she smiled. 
“Really?” 
“Yeah…” he sighed. “I love seeing her in a good mood, but…” 
“But now this means Mrs. Skies could actually be my aunt by marriage!” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes with a frown. Of course Rainbow would find it a positive thing. If it meant her "aunt" was happy again, that’s all that mattered. 
“Yeah…she could… Now, I packed you a breakfast and your brush. Get ready for school and we’ll leave at seven-thirty!”
“But Daddy!” Rainbow whined as if she were seven again. “All we’re doing today is watching a movie! Do I really have to go to school? Besides, it’s just today and then it’ll be spring break!”
“You’re right! All you have to do is watch a movie and then get a full week off! That sounds so dreadful!” Rainbolt mocked in a playful tone. “How will you ever survive?” 
Rainbow grunted. 
“But Dad! I’ve already seen the movie, it’s a Friday, I think I have stomach pains, and Windy’s a bi….scut…” 
“Sorry, Dash, but I never got free days off when I was your age, so neither are you!” 
Rainbow sighed with a frown. “Fine... you… thing...” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes and chuckled. 
Just let her go… Get her to school, and then you seriously need to talk to Mrs. Skies again…This is bad…
“Alright, I’ll get your breakfast….” 
Rainbolt quietly made his way over to his desk and pulled opened one of the wooden drawers. In it rested a banana, some granola bits, and room-temperature box of apple juice. Rainbolt took out the breakfast items and tossed them to his daughter. The first item was the banana, which she caught in her mouth. The next item was the bag of granola bits, which Rainbow caught in her hooves after fumbling it. And lastly, he tossed the juice, which landed safely on her sleeping bag. Dash smiled. 
“Thanks, Dad!” she chimed as she opened her baggie of granola bits. Her father chuckled. 
“No problem, Sweetheart, just remember to-“ 
“What’s that?” Dash interrupted. 
Alright…she seriously needs to work on interrupting ponies… 
“What’s what?”
“That.” 
Rainbow’s cyan hoof extended out and pointed directly towards a small, cardboard box under his desk. Rainbolt blushed slightly and gulped. 
“Nothing, Sweetie…It’s just nothing.” 
“You sure?”
“Umm…yeah…kinda…” 
Rainbow popped some of the nummy granola into her mouth. The sweet taste of nuts, vanilla, and cranberry all blended sweetly with the tasty chunks of granola. 
“Show me.” 
“It’s nothing, Rainbow…Just some stuff from when I was younger. It’s what your uncle dropped by last night…” 
“Can I see it?”
At that moment, the thought of every embarrassing stuffed animal, doll, book, and item he had from many, many years ago flashed through his mind. He blushed deeply and looked at his daughter. 
“I don’t think that would be a-“
“Pleeeaaase?” she asked pitifully. 
Rainbolt frowned and took in a breath. 
“Fine… But if you make fun of me in any way, shape, or form, I will be very upset with you!” 
Sheepishly, he took the box out from under his desk and slid it over to Dashie, who was smiling widely. She set down her food and opened the cardboard flaps with a grin. She immediately started going through it. The first thing she pulled out was the same thing he’d been teased about the night before; Mrs. Snuzzles. Instantly, Dash looked up at her dad with a bit of confusion. Rainbolt blushed heavily and hid behind his hoof. 
“Why did you play with dolls?” 
“I…you know what? Yeah, I had a doll, but I was lonely, and I liked it, so…I mean…It’s embarrassing, but… it made me happy…”
“Oh…cool…” 
Rainbow tossed the doll aside. Her father silently thanked the heavens for keeping her teasing at a minimum. Rainbow dug deeper into the box and pulled out another memento; a baseball cap with little wings attached to the side and a Wonderbolt’s logo on the top. Rainbow looked up at her dad, awaiting an explanation. 
“I got that from my first Wonderbolt’s show.” He said proudly. “A little souvenir my grandma got me because it was my birthday.” 
Rainbow nodded with a smile before placing it on her head. It was a little loose for her, but she still looked adorable in it. 
“Wanna keep it?”
Rainbow’s eyes widened and she smiled brightly. 
“Really?” 
“Well, yeah. I don’t really need it anymore…” 
Dash beamed brightly and tackled her dad into a loving hug. He fell to the cloud floor with a smile and chuckled as his little filly nuzzled his chest. He rubbed her back lovingly and returned the hug. 
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you so, so much, Dad!” 
Rainbow’s daddy smiled and patted his daughter’s head. 
“I love you, too, Sweetheart…” 
With new-found excitement in her heart, Dash rushed back to the box with a smile and dug through it, avoiding all the useless-looking knick-knacks and books. It was then something…peculiar caught her eye. 
“What’s this…?” she mumbled as she picked something up at the very bottom of the box. On it was a large, mouth-written note. She raised it up and out of the box looking over the note on top. The very moment she pulled it out, Rainbolt recognized the arrangement of colors and photos on the back of it. His heart nearly stopped as he swooped in a snatched the very familiar item from his daughter. 
“Hey!” she exclaimed as the item was stolen from her. 
“Rainbow!” Rainbolt’s face was a dark shade of crimson and his heart was about to explode out of his chest. “You can absolutely not see this! It’s not your fault but you can’t! You just can’t!”
Dash was rather confused by her father’s sudden outburst. 
“Why?”
“Because, Daddy was a very curious fifteen year-old and he did some inappropriate things that you can’t know about! My mom found out and, umm…confiscated this…And I don’t even know why she’d keep it!” 
Rainbow shrunk back as sweat dripped off her father’s reddened face. He’d been talking loudly at a million miles per hour. Rainbow was rather confused, but just sat there, looking up at her father. 
“Oh my gosh! Don’t look at me! Just, brush your mane or something! I need to calm down…” Rainbolt took in several deep breaths as his daughter stared at him.
“But I haven’t even finished my breakfast yet!”
“I don’t care! Just give me one minute alone! Please!” 
Hesitantly, Rainbow rose to her hooves and left the room, still rather bewildered by her dad’s actions. 
Oh my gosh! I can’t believe my mom would even have this… Slowly, the stallion turned the magazine over. Thankfully, there was a huge sheet of lined paper to block the cover. Silently, he read the note. 

Dear Bolty

Remember this? I do. Gosh, precious memories… You were quite a hoof-full, but we never expected you’d ever get into this kind of stuff! Your father and I were shocked. I know, there was some yelling, and some tears, but it’s over now. At least now you’re finally old enough to legally enjoy this!

XOXO,
Mom 

Oh, Mom…why? Don’t you know I have a kid, like…what? Ugh…This is so, so weird! Why didn’t you throw this out ages ago! Rainbolt blushed heavily and opened one of his desk drawers, tossing the inappropriate memory into it and closing it. I can’t really take it home to throw it away, but I can’t leave it here at work… Mrs. Skies would flip out if she found it…. Ugh, just make sure Dash doesn’t see it… That’s so nasty… I’m not a curious little teenager anymore! For heaven’s sakes!  The stallion’s heavy blush finally faded. Whatever…Just, come get it sometime after you drop off Dashie. While you’re here, you can try to talk some sense into Mrs. Skies…If not...you’re going to take a little trip to Manehattan. 

> 27. The Moon and The Sky, Part Two: The Sky is Falling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Rainbolt took in a breath as he approached his boss’ office door. The wooden slab looked him in the eye fiercely. The unsettling swirls in the wood glared at him in disdain, encouraging him to go elsewhere. 
Come on, Rainbolt….just do it…. She seemed like she was in a really good mood this morning, so it’s not like she’ll fire you or anything…. I mean, she might, but chances are she won’t. Yeah, there’ll be some yelling, but you’re awake now! You’ve had plenty of time to let the whole thing sink in, and you have your arguments ready! You’re just looking out for her… You’ve known her since you were sixteen, and she’s like family… I don’t want to see her hurt again. If this were Rainbow Dash, you’d do the exact same thing! Just... be brave…
Slowly, Rainbolt raised his hoof to his boss’ door. His heart beat soundly in his chest as a single droplet of sweat dripped off the edge of his muzzle. He drew back his hoof and wiped the perspiration away. 
Come on, Rainbolt! Somepony’s heart’s on the line, and if you were her, you’d want somepony to step in for you, too! Okay, it may not be any of your business, but it’s still your responsibility! I don’t think she’ll be too eager to take Moonstruck out on a date when she finds out he was in an insane asylum for eight years... Or that he killed my goldfish. Okay, I don’t think she cares about your fish, but you could at least say he’s killed animals before!  Just…do this, and warn her. Wait! Don’t tell her not to go on a date with him, just sprinkle in some information that would be… interesting, and I’m sure she’ll make her own decision based off common sense. There you go…You've got this all figured out! 
Almost without thought, Rainbolt again lifted his hoof to his boss’ door and gave it three sturdy taps. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized his hasty actions. 
“Come in!” he heard a cheerful, feminine voice sing from the inside. His insides swirled as he brought his hoof up to the doorknob. Slowly, he opened it and peeked his head through. Her office was surprisingly clean and organized. There wasn’t even a hint of shattered glass anywhere. 
“Oh… Rainbolt…” The mare was sitting in her chair at her desk, looking rather unenthusiastic at her employee. “Is there a reason you’re visiting me beyond your working hours?” 
“Oh, I umm… you know…” Gently, Rainbolt extended his hind leg and pushed the office door closed. 
“No, I don’t know…” The mare placed her hooves on her desk and rose a few inches out of her chair. “But I am starting to think this has something to do with my date with Moonstruck…” 
“Well, yeah, but-“
“Then you can just leave! I don’t want to hear anything about it!” The volume of her voice escalated along with her anger. 
“Oh, no, no, no!” The stallion said quickly. “I came here to pick something up, and I just wanted to give you a bit of a…not warning, but Moonstruck is a bit sensitive about certain subjects that I think you should be aware of.”
Mrs. Skies raised an eyebrow to her employee, but did turn to face him. She kept her suspicions up, but did think it was then a good idea to maybe listen about. 
“Sensitive topics?” 
“Yeah…” The pegasus reached his hoof around to the back of his neck and rubbed it. “It’s just…different things…” 
“Like what?” Mrs. Skies asked inquisitively, calming herself a bit.      
“Well….”  Alright, Rainbolt, you have her attention with a plausible excuse. If you can execute this just right, she may just cancel the date with your brother. Oh my gosh...why are you being so stupid? You seriously didn't know what your were doing... Just...play it smooth.  “To start, he doesn’t really like talking about his past.” 
Mrs. Skies gave her employee a confused look. 
“What do you mean…?” 
“Well, the main thing is he spent nearly eight years in a home for the criminally insane, and-“
“I knew it!” The mare screeched before Rainbolt had a chance to finish his sentence. The stallion’s ears flopped back and he took a couple steps backwards. Heat rose to the mare’s cheeks as her anger erupted. “You came here to make up crap so I wouldn’t go on a date with Moonstruck!”
“What?!” The stallion asked in shock. “I wasn’t lying I was just-“ 
“Just what?”
“Well…” Rainbolt took several steps back as perspiration dripped down his muzzle. His insides were clenching and he felt as if he was going to puke.
“You just don’t want me to be happy!” the mare roared in anger. “You want me to be sad and depressed and miserable like I was before!” 
With closing eyes, the mare brought a hoof up to her forehead and tilted her head at an angle to block her face. Fresh tears bled from her eyes as she let out a whine. Quickly, Rainbolt flew up to the emotionally unstable mare and made an attempt to comfort her. 
“D-don’t cry…please don’t cry…” The stallion held his hooves up in fear she’d lash out at any moment. “I was just trying to…” Don’t even think about it, Rainbolt! She doesn’t want to hear it! “I…I’m so sorry….” 
“You should be!” Mrs. Skies uncovered her face to expose the rage plastered upon it. 
“M-ma’am… Please just take in a few breaths…” 
“Why?! So you don’t have to face the anger you so rightful deserve?!” 
Rainbolt covered his face with his hooves as several droplets of saliva landed on his face. 
“No m-ma’am… J-just do it for you…not for me…” 
The mare opened her mouth, about to argue, and then suddenly, stopped. Her lower lip connected to her top lip as she took the stallion’s words into consideration. She took in a deep breath and sighed. As he heard it happening, Rainbolt unshielded his face. Finally, she was calming down. One by one, she took in deep, calming breaths and at long last spoke, in a stoic, yet slightly shaky tone. 
“Rainbolt, listen…I-I’ve been through a lot lately a-and it’s hurt a lot… but for the first time in a really long time, I feel h-happy…” She sniffled. “P-please don’t take this little bit of happiness away from me…” 
Rainbolt too made an attempt to speak calmly. 
“Listen, ma’am… I’m just…worried about you… I don’t want to see you get more hurt than you were before…” 
Mrs. Skies forced a smile and blushed lightly at the stallion. 
“That means a lot..thanks… Rainbolt, listen… I’ve known you for…a long time, and I love and trust you like a distant cousin, and I can see what you’re doing for me, but…” 
“I know, it’s hard…” He sighed. “I know what a really bad heartbreak feels like, and… I’m really sorry this all happened to you. I just…I want you to be cautious… And believe me when I say he actually did go to a home for the criminally insane…”
Mrs. Skies sighed and looked towards the wall to her right. White sunlight highlighted her face and reflected off her watery eyes. 
“I-I believe you…I just don’t want to…” She sniffled. “I just want to let all my walls down and put my trust in somepony again…” 
The stallion passed her a reassuring smile. 
“I know what that feels like… It may not be the best feeling in the world, but it’ll build you…. Just… keep your guard up, okay?”
Mrs. Skies looked back at Rainbolt, and then smirked. The determination in her smile matched oddly with the sadness in her eyes. 
“Ya know what, Bolty? No! I’m not going to keep my guard up!” The mare smiled, outstretched her wing and soared up into the higher levels of the office. “I’m going to give into fate, and completely let my guard down!” Her determined smile then turned a bit weak. “B-because it makes me happy, and I don’t want to be worried! I just want to be free of this awful emotion, and again know what it’s like to be in somepony’s heart and soul…” Mrs. Skies’ smile faded as she turned to Rainbolt. “And you know what else, Bolty?” 
Hesitantly, Rainbolt shook his head, feeling oddly nervous in her presence. 
“You’re not going to convince Moonstruck out of this date… If you do, I won’t fire you, but I will make your life so awful that you’ll want to quit!” Her anger grew as she pushed against the stallion’s nose with hers, yet, her smile never subsided. “Am I making myself clear?”
The stallion took a moment to clear his throat and absorb the threat his boss laid out. 
“C-crystal, ma’am….” 

Gosh…Look at you… Mrs. Skies admired her reflection with a grin. Her long, dark blue mane cascaded down her shoulders and ended in little curls. Her sparkling eyes flickered with excitement of the upcoming evening. She’d rid herself of her glasses in exchange for a nice pair of contacts. You look… fantastic! I can’t remember the last time I looked so good…
The gleeful mare stroked her hoof through her silky mane and giggled like a child. 
You haven’t put this much effort into your appearance in well… a really long time! Wow… I just can’t wait for this evening!
The mare stared at her reflection with a semi-confident smile. All her pain seemed to vanish, and all of her happiness had been brought to her by one pony alone… It was amazing how significantly a stallion she’d known for a day could have such a significant influence on her feelings. 
With a dazed look in her eyes and a goofy, smile, the mare held her mirror in her hooves and leaned back in her swivel chair. 
Oh, Moonstruck…You’re so cute and so smart and so much fun to be around… So what you spent a few years in a mental home or something…? Rainbolt could have just been making stuff up…you know how he is…  The mare giggled to herself and continued to slip into her day-dreamy thoughts. This date is going to be absolutely perfect… I hope Moonstruck and I have the best possible time we can… Just be sweet, caring, and not too talkative, and the evening should be a success…And whatever happens, try to be positive… Try not to think of all the things Rainbolt’s been telling you… 
The mare took in a short breath before sitting up in her chair and setting down her mirror. With a smile still plastered on her face, she opened the bottom right drawer of her desk. Out of the drawer, she pulled a small folder with an arrangement of papers in the middle. 
Speaking of Rainbolt, you’d better put his assignments on his desk before you forget. You may not be back once you leave. At least, I hope I won’t be.
The green-coated mare tucked the folder of work under her left wing and left her office with her mind focused on that evening. Although flying was impossible in her situation, she still had a little hop in her step as her heart filled with joy. As she wondered across the hall to her employee’s office, she noticed the factory was slowly becoming less active. There were very few ponies left, and the ones who were left were either checking out or powering down the machines. 
Wow… I can’t believe I’m actually going on a date! It’s so… different! Mr. Skies never took me on dates… or took a moment to compliment me…or, you know… ask me what was wrong when I was down. I can’t believe I met somepony so contradicting to my ex…it’s just… amazing. He’s amazing… I know, I know, I’ve only known him for a day, but I honestly believe we could go somewhere if tonight’s a success! This could lead to my next marriage… This could lead to me having a kid, or falling deeply in love, or more dates, or a wedding, or-
The mare’s trail of thought was cut off by the chest of a familiar stallion. The mare fell back and dropped her folder, allowing all the papers to escape into the factory’s atmosphere. She let out a sharp yelp and rubbed her head, before looking up at a stallion. His blue eyes were widened in shock. He had a gray coat and an uncombed, black mane. 
“Oh my gosh! Ma’am I am so, so sorry! I didn’t mean to knock you over, I promise! I was just heading towards the exit and I guess I didn’t see you and I…” the stallion trailed off. Fear was visible in his eyes and perspiration dripped down his muzzle. “P-please don’t be mad! I’ll get this all up!” 
In a swift motion, the pegasus started cleaning in fear of possibly being fired. He scooped up the swarms of paper that had landed on the ground and handed them over to his boss as quickly as he could. Mrs. Skies did nothing but watch as the nervous stallion was sweating bullets. 
“Alright…thanks…” With a sincere smile, she accepted the stack of papers. Quickly she put them all back into the folder with no consideration of organization. “You have a nice evening, alright?” 
A bit taken back by the mare’s stoic response, the little, grey stallion nodded slowly and affirmatively. 
“Umm…you too, ma’am… thanks…” 
“No problem!” the mare chimed and started off towards her employee’s office. The stallion she left behind simply wondered off towards the exit of the factory, internally questioning why he was still alive. 
Within less than a minute more of trotting, Mrs. Skies arrived at her employee’s office. She smiled and opened up his door to reveal an empty office with nothing but a filing cabinet, desk, chair, and rolled up sleeping bag in the corner of the room. The air was unusually thin smelt like rusting metal and dust. Her eyes met with the desk as she approached it. Without thinking to reorganize the chaotic folder, she opened up one of the drawers of Rainbolt’s desk and plopped the assignment right in. She smiled in satisfaction and used her right flank to close the door shut. Her eyes then wondered up to the clock in the office. 
“Only 7:30…?” Mrs. Skies took a moment to think and looked back up at the clock. “Alright…you have enough time to go home and make something for the date… I’m sure he’ll appreciate it he’s not the only one who has to make something… And while it’s cooking, maybe you can spoof yourself up a bit more…”
The mare sighed and head off to leave the room. With her mind in the clouds, she almost forgot to stop herself at the door to the office. After stopping dead in her tracks, she quickly turned around and made her way back to the desk in the back of the room. She took some of the stallion’s scrap paper and set it down on the surface of the desk. She then grabbed one of the pencils from his utensil cup and started writing out a note with her mouth. 

Rainbolt, 
as you know, I’ll be going on a very important date this evening, so please remember to lock the factory once you enter. There will be a key on the windowsill of the window of my office. Unlock the factory, lock it, and return the key to the top right drawer of my desk (Oh, and there’ll be a few lollipops there for Dashie. Don’t worry, they’re sugar free!). At around six-thirty in the morning, unlock the factory and return my key to the same drawer. I will not be here, so if there’s an emergency, I’ll be at your brother’s house. If it’s sometime past ten or eleven, you should probably check my place first. 
Mrs. Skies.

After signing her name at the bottom of the note, the mare reread it when the obvious dawned on her. In realization, she let out an annoyed grunt. 
You idiot! How the hay is he supposed to read the damn thing if you leave it in his office with the factory locked! Just… maybe you could nail it to the door to the factory… You idiot! That’s worse than leaving it unlocked! Ugh… Well you just can’t leave the factory unlocked! Ugh! Why didn’t you discuss this with Rainbolt when he was here earlier! Again, she grunted in frustration. Oh my gosh! Just um… I don’t know…you might have to pay him a visit on your way home… I don’t really see any other way around this freaking mess…
The mare picked up the letter and grumpily flew out of the little office. She took in a deep breath as she flew all the way to her office and gathered her key and scarf. She left the office and stopped herself before she left. She heard nothing. No machines, no hoofsteps, no flapping of wings. Unfurling her wings, she flew as quietly as she could out of the factory. Before going, her she examined the employee check-out sheet. The employee would write the date, time they came into work, their signature, and the time they’d leave. She rarely ever referred to it, but that day, her eyes scanned the sheet several times to make sure absolutely every employee had checked-out that day. When the good news was confirmed, she smiled and nodded in satisfaction before flying off with eagerness in her heart. The moment she walked out of the factory’s doors, she turned to lock them, and then turned around to meet eyes with the clear, opened sky. It was then, she took in a deep breath. 
Well…looks like I’m going to have to pay a certain employee a visit this evening… 

“Rainbow Dash…” the periwinkle stallion said in a threatening tone. “Give it back…now!” 
“No!” Rainbow smiled cockily and held the treasured object above her head. 
Rainbolt took in a sigh and glared at his reluctant daughter. 
“Rainbow, listen… I love you, but that medal is very important to me… please just give it back…” 
“Then you give me back what belongs to me!” 
It was then, the stallion and his daughter stared at each other in a bit of anger and stubbornness. 
“Rainbow, listen… You’re a child. I’m not letting you have a can of pepper spray you found in school yard… It’s not safe, and I know how many ponies you’ll want to use it on…” 
“But Dad! If Windy is-“ 
“Rainbow Dash! I said no! It’s way too dangerous and you’re way too reckless! Now… must I repeat myself?” 
The little filly sighed and placed the little medal at her hooves. Getting grounded didn’t seem like the most pleasurable thing at the time. Even if he didn’t make the threat, Dash knew he was on the edge when he got the little flecks of fire in his eyes. 
“Good…” Rainbow’s pink eyes darted away as she sighed in disappointment. “Now…” The stallion smiled a bit and flew over to his daughter nearly ten feet away and picked up his old medal with his hoof. He grinned at it with half-opened eyes. It’s glimmering, gold surface smiled right back at him. “You know… I should really tell you about how I earned this little thing…” 
The cyan filly forced a smile and weakly looked up at her dad. 
Oh no! He’s going to tell me one of his cheesy old stallion stories! Maybe you can think of some kind of excuse before he starts…
“You see, Rainbow Dash, when I was in flight school, I didn’t do much, and I would always get bored in the evenings because I didn’t really have anypony to hang out with or anything special to do….”
Damn it! Too late...
“So one day I had to stay after school to make up a test. The teacher felt kinda bad for me because I-“                   
Suddenly, the stallion was cut off by three loud bangs at his front door. His daughter’s unenthusiastic face lit up as the story was interrupted. 
“I’ll get that!” she chimed brightly and flew out of the hall, straight through the kitchen and to the front door. Rainbolt hesitated to go after her at first. Who would be visiting at nearly eight in the evening? Surprise? She had a tendency of dropping uninvited. Dreamscape? Normally, his visits were planned and not so late at night. Unless it was an emergency… 
A bit confused, Rainbolt started off after his little filly. His wings unfurled and he flew through the same obstacles she did, only to reach the door within ten seconds. At that point, Rainbow was simply staring at the wooden slate with wide eyes. The stallion stared at her for a moment. After around nearly seven seconds of staring at the door, Rainbow looked at her father with confusion. 
“It’s Mrs. Skies…” she said bluntly. 
“Oh…why didn’t you open it?” 
“Because…she needs to know what it’s like to be shut out.” 
Rainbolt sighed. 
“Alright, Dashie, just…move and let me deal with it. Later I think we should have a talk about this whole thing, though…” 
“Why? We have already…” 
“I just want to tell you about the things I was going through when I was first left by your mother…Maybe it’ll help you understand a bit more…” Rainbow already knew it would be a discussion she wasn't looking forward to. 
Without any more waiting, Rainbolt opened the door and met eyes with his boss. One thing that stuck out almost instantly was the bowl on her back, covered by a thick layer of tin foil. Ignoring the minor detail, he smiled at her and examined her let down mane and unshielded eyes. 
“Wow…you look…really nice…” 
“Thanks!” she chimed brightly. “I uh… hope I do…” Her mind wondered off, thinking about her date that night, and all that fateful evening promised. 
“You do.” Rainbolt reassured her with a smile. “So…what brings you here?” 
The mare smiled at her employee. She looked left and right swiftly before lowering her voice and discussing the plan to the pegasus. 
“Listen here, Rainbolt… Do you know where my office is on the outside of the building?” He nodded affirmatively. “Well, on the windowsill of my office door, there’s the key to the factory. Get it, unlock the factory, re lock it, and unlock it again at around six in the morning. Got it?”
“Well…yeah, but…” The stallion lowered his voice to a whisper. “Why didn’t you just bring me the key instead?”
Mrs. Skies frowned. 
“Because, you’d probably lose it in between here and the factory.” 
Rainbolt simply shrugged at her accusation. Although it was extremely unlikely, he knew he’d probably manage to, anyway. 
“Alright… I hope you have fun on your date. I have some pepper spray if you need any…”
The mare shot daggers at her employee through her glaring eyes. 
“Rainbolt…” she started in a threatening tone. 
The stallion just chuckled and blew off his joke. 
“I was just…you know… kidding. I didn’t mean any of it.”He paused. “But I do actually have pepper spray…” 
“Well, I’m not going to need it! Your brother’s a gentlecolt, and I cannot wait for this evening!” she giggled happily and felt her heart grow warm in anticipation. “I even made macaroni for it.” The mare blushed. “It’s not the… fanciest dish, but it’s the best thing I could make… I just didn’t want to come with nothing to offer.” 
“Completely understandable! Just… have a nice evening, okay?” 
“I will! Oh, and… I left some suckers for the kid in the top right drawer of my desk.” She leaned into the stallion and cautiously whispered, “Don’t worry! They’re sugar-free!” 
“I heard that!” Rainbow shouted from behind the two adults. Both ponies shook their head with a smile. Mrs. Skies even rolled her eyes at the little filly. 
“Thanks. Well…you should probably get going. Wouldn’t want to keep your date waiting or anything.” 
“Alrighty! Have a nice evening, you two!” 
With a smile and wave of the hoof, Rainbolt closed the door to his home and turned to his daughter. She was frowning. 
“Oh, come on, Dashie! Did you see how happy she was?” 
“Well, yeah… It just feels like she abandoned us when she was upset, but now that she’s all happy, we’re suddenly her friends again.” 
He sighed. “Rainbow… She never stopped being our friend… She just had to take a long time to recover, and she was going through a lot. I’m sure the last pony on the earth she wanted to hurt was you…” 
The little filly raised an eyebrow. 
“Really…?” 
“Positive, Sweetheart… I’d know from experience…” 
That final statement made the little filly smile a bit, besides the circumstances. 
“Yeah… I guess so. Thanks. I’m sure after a bit more recovery, she’ll be more… social again.” 
“Yeah…” Rainbolt looked out the window near his door to see the little mare flying off into the distance. He sighed, and then his eyes went wide. “Uh oh…” 
“What is it?” Rainbow asked, slightly concerned about the urgency in her father’s tone. Rainbolt turned his head and met eyes with his daughter. 
“Nothing that affects us…” He smiled, and internally chuckled. “It’s just something Mrs. Skies is going to find out in a not-so-good way…” 

Alright, Sunny… Think positive thoughts. You look good, you smell good… What’s the worst thing that could happen? I mean, he obviously likes you. Heat rose to her face at the simple thought of Moonstruck. He is such a gentlecolt… Just smile, be polite, cheerful, and everything should turn out okay. You even brought food… I mean… It doesn’t matter that much, but it’s still a plus. Ugh…just knock on the freaking door, you wimp! Everything will be okay!  The mare sighed, and again brushed her hoof against the wooden planks below her. Don’t be stupid, Sunny… Don’t ruin this by being late. You don’t want to make a bad second impression…
Taking in a deep breath, the mare raised her hoof to the door before her. It was trembling in nervousness. 
Just do it, just do it, just do it, just-
Mrs. Skies’ thoughts were cut off by the sound of a door swiftly opening before her. She flinched and nearly dropped the well-prepared dish on her back. Moonstruck giggled at her jumpiness. 
“Oh, do come in, Sunny… I didn’t mean to frighten you. Please forgive me.”
Mrs. Skies caught herself off guard, simply staring at her date in confusion with an agape mouth. 
“Come on, Dear. You’ll let insects nest in there if you keep it opened for too long.” 
The mare blushed and instantly closed her mouth. She giggled sheepishly.
“Umm...thank you.” 
Slowly, the mare made her way into the stallion’s recently cleaned home. The inside smelt like cleaning products and freshly cooked food. With a smile, the mare took in a deep whiff and exhaled. 
“It smells really nice in here.” 
“Thank you, Sunny…” With a little smile, he looked up at the clock right above the entrance to the kitchen. “Eight thirty-one, eh? Looks like somepony enjoys being fashionably late.” 
“Umm… thank you.” She smiled to the stallion. “I guess I was just…you know…” 
The white pegasus chuckled. “Come on, Sweetheart, there’s no need to take everything so seriously. Now, allow me to escort you to the kitchen so you can set your dish down.” 
“Oh, thank you!” The mare blushed as her kind date trotted into the kitchen a few feet away. She trotted in after him at a rather slow pace, trying hard not to drop the opaque bowl on her back. She’d flown all the way from her house to the stallion’s place without having it plummet towards the ground, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen at the safest of moments. 
Upon entering the kitchen, Mrs. Skies looked up at the table. Resting upon it was a steamy bowl of freshly made mashed potatoes, some rolls, and in the center, a large plate of vegetable stir-fry. Mrs. Skies smiled at the meal the stallion had prepared for them. He almost instantly cleared his throat, however. 
“Sorry if I made a bit too much food… I didn’t want to make too little by accident.” 
“Oh, it’s no problem at all! I only made a little something more for the same reason.” She smiled at Moonstruck. “Where can I set it?” 
“Oh, of course!” He smiled and took the bowl from her back. It still felt warm against his hooves, yet the smell was hidden beneath a thick layer of shiny tin foil. Carefully, he set the bowl on the counter with the rest of the food. “What is it, exactly?” the stallion asked in curiosity. 
With a light blush on her face, the mare walked over to her dish and peeled back the foil. Inside was a good amount of macaroni and cheese, with a thick layer of crumbs on the top and gooey, melted cheese beneath. Steam rose from the dish and spread the fumes throughout the room. 
“It’s just a little something…I…” The mare stopped when she saw her date looking rather… uncomfortable with her the dish she’d prepared. “Something wrong?” 
“I, umm…” Moonstruck hesitated. “I’m really sorry, I probably should have told you before, but… I’m extremely lactose intolerant. As much as I’d love to try it, I’d be in the hospital by the end of the night if I did…” 
“Oh…I’m really sorry about that…I’ll just…” Slowly, the mare brought the foil back over her well-prepared addition to the dinner. 
Wow, this is embarrassing…. Thanks a lot, Rainbolt…
“Oh, it’s not your fault, honest… I should have given you’re a fair warning ahead of time. It just kind of... you know, slipped my mind. My apologies…” 
“It’s okay… it’s mostly Rainbolt’s fault, though. I went to his house to tell him about his job tonight. When I told him about the dish I made, he didn’t say anything about you being allergic to it.” 
Moonstruck smiled to his date. 
“Well, it’s over. Let’s forget about the whole ordeal and move on with our evening. Would you like to sample some of the food I’ve prepared? You must be awfully hungry after such a long day at work. It’s far past eight in the evening, after all.” 
The mare smiled back, trying hard to blow off the first misfortune of that evening. 
“Sure, I guess.” She then blushed. “I-I mean I’d absolutely love to!” 
“Great. Go on, have a seat.” 
Moonstruck encouraged his date, pointing towards the seat at the end. She gladly accepted it, placing herself in the hard, wooden chair. Even if it wasn’t the most comfortable chair, it still felt nice to sit down after a long flight. The owner of the home took the seat next to the mare. A light shade of pink was very noticeable through his pale, white cheeks. 
“It’s an honor having you here tonight. Tell me, how was your trip up here?” 
The stallion took a sip of water, while the mare answered his question. 
“It was decent. Nothing special, but I guess it’s a pretty nice night out…”
“Good…” 
Well, damn… Looks like somepony turned sweet over a matter of twelve hours… Her bitchy attitude has almost…vanished. Just… give her the evening for it to return… She’s just… like…not nearly as attractive as she was yesterday.
“So, what are some of your hobbies?” The mare asked, trying hard to brew up a conversation. 
“Oh…I do enjoy a good story from time to time. I like writing poetry and contemplating my existence by the light of a single candle before the sun rises.” 
“Oh…” Mrs. Skies said hesitantly. “Interesting… I would like to hear some of your poetry later on if you don’t mind…” 
“I could recite some to you if we have time later this evening. Now, umm… what are your hobbies, Sunny?” 
“I like cooking and working… And umm… I like stargazing.” 
Moonstruck internally cringed at the thought of romantically stargazing with a mare at his side. 
“Wow… that’s all quite fascinating…” 
“Oh…” She blushed and twirled her mane around in her hoof. “It’s not that interesting or anything…” 
You’re right about that… 
“Don’t be so modest! You really are quite different than a lot of mares I’ve met.” 
“Well, thank you… That’s really sweet.” 
“It’s nothing, my dear.” The stallion grinned and took another sip of his water. “Are you waiting for me?” 
“Huh?” 
“To eat. You can serve yourself, you know?”
“Oh! Uhh…right!” 
Sheepishly, the mare took the plate Moonstruck had already set out for her. She took a medium sized serving of stir-fry from the large dish in front of here. It was still steamy and had a wide variety of peppers, tomatoes, onion, and squash in it. The sweet steam rose to her nostrils and forced the mare to deeply inhale. She smiled, and then helped herself to a roll, and a small scoop of mashed potatoes. She did seem a bit nervous, and was afraid she was taking too much. It had been a long, exhausting day, and Mrs. Skies knew she needed a good meal. She hadn’t eaten in eight and a half hours, after all. 
“Sorry… I don’t know if I took too much or…” 
“Oh, no! That’s very much alright! I understand that a hard-working pony needs to fill up after a long day!” 
“Thanks…” With that said, Moonstruck started serving himself, taking little bits of his own creations. “Speaking or work…What do you do for a living?” 
The stallion was reaching across the table to scoop a chunk of mashed potatoes onto his plate. 
“Me? Umm…” He placed his rump back into his seat and looked at the mare. “I don’t have much of a profession… I mostly just help in construction and stuff… Nothing special.” 
“Oh. Well, what would you like to do?” 
Moonstruck thought for a moment. It was never a question he even asked himself. How was he supposed to give a response when somepony else was asking the question?
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that. I honestly haven’t the slightest clue as to what I wish to be.”
“Maybe a poet?” 
“Maybe…” 
Ugh, how’d she get so encouraging and well-mannered since I last saw her? Stupid bitch.
Smiling towards her date, the mare picked up the roll and took a bite out of it, before making a twisted face and nearly spitting it back out. She powered through, though, and swallowed the chunk of the roll she’d taken off with as much will power as she could muster. 
“Something the matter?” Moonstruck asked. 
“Nothing! That’s just a rather…odd taste.” 
“Well, yes. The recipe called for milk, so I replaced it with a non-lactose soy substitute. I didn’t think the flavor would be that noticeable.” 
“Oh..it’s not…it’s just.” 
“If you don’t like them, you can just spit it out and not eat it. I won’t be insulted.” 
Mrs. Skies hesitantly pushed the odd-flavored roll to the opposite side of her plate. 
Damn…she had the perfect opportunity to lash out at me and she didn’t… Why is she suddenly so damn polite…? 
“Sorry…” 
“No need to apologize. Just eat up.” 
The mare looked at the stir-fry and sniffed it as the steam rose. She poked at it with her fork and glanced up at Moonstruck. He sighed in a slightly annoyed tone. 
“There’s nothing weird in that, Sweetheart. Trust me.” 
Smiling in acknowledgement, the mare took a bite of the stir-fry. The seasoning in it was a tad bit spicy, but still very good. The delectable arrangement of vegetables filled her mouth and made “Mmmm” as bliss swarmed over her taste buds. After thoroughly chewing it, she swallowed. 
“Wow…that’s really good…” 
“Thanks. I put my best efforts into it.” 
“You know, I wish I could try some of your cooking one of these days. I’ll bet you’re a great chef.” 
Mrs. Skies blushed and looked away. 
“Awe, thanks… I mean, I may be able to make some lactose-free cookies or something sometime.” 
“Well, I’d love to try anything you cook that wouldn’t potentially harm me in any way.”
Mrs. Skies giggled at his comment. Moonstruck did nothing but smile back. 
Seriously…? What the heck was so funny about that comment? Nothing! Ugh! Why won’t your sexy, adorable, simply amazing bitchy side come out? That would be absolutely amazing! The stallion inhaled and took a bite of his dinner, keeping his eyes on his lovely date. Maybe she’s just hiding it to make a good impression… Or maybe in reality, she isn’t a bitch. Moonstruck felt an unsettling pit in his heart at the very thought of her not being the rude bitch he’d imagined her to be. In a situation like this, there’s only one real way to find out… I know I said I wouldn’t use it, but she’s been far too cheerful, and something needs to happen.
“Sunny, darling?” 
“Yes?” the mare asked before taking another bite of her food. 
“I was just thinking… It’s such a rare occasion for me to have guests over, that I thought I should go out of my way to get us a little something for this evening.” 
Mrs. Skies’ ears perked up and she blushed. 
“Really…? This evening meant that much to you…?” 
“But of course! Spending an evening with you meant everything!” 
The stallion smiled and made his way over to one of the higher cabinets of his house. Mrs. Skies simply stared in curiosity. Moonstruck took a few moments of rummaging through his cabinet before pulling out something that made the mare’s blue eyes widen in shock. It was a large, twenty-four ounce bottle of grape wine, nearly filled to the top with the alcoholic liquid. The mare simply gaped. 
“W-Wine…? I haven’t drunk wine in…well, years!” 
“Oh, don’t worry about this old stuff! It probably won’t do any more than buzz you at the most. It’s very good wine, too. Nearly thirty years old.” 
“Whoa…” Mrs. Skies watched as the stallion came closer to the table. He used the counter to the left of him to pop off the bottle top. It came off with ease, and there was instantly the sound of hissing as it did. Before returning to the table, he grabbed a plastic cup and set it in front of the mare. Without her complete consent, he poured some into the cup. She looked up at him with a heavy blush as the purple waterfall glided into the cup. He pulled a cup up next to him and poured himself a tall glass as well. 
“Are you…sure we should be drinking so much of this?” The weather pony asked unsurely. 
“If I had my doubts, I wouldn’t be allowing you to have so much of it. Don’t worry, Darling. Enjoy your meal with this good wine, drop all your worries, and let us drink deep!” 

Moonstruck lifted his weary head from his sweat-stained pillow. His red mane stuck to his forehead and was drenched in cool sweat. Crust had formed at the edges of his baggy eyes. On both sides of his face were long, crusted lines of drool. His throat felt dry and there was a dull ache in his head. He lifted a hoof up to his aching head and set up. He let out a grunt as pain jolted through his cranium. 
“Uergh…. What in Celestia’s name happened last night?” 
Looking to his right, he saw his digital clock displaying the time; 7:43. He blinked several times to shoo off a bit of the blurriness. When his vision became totally clear, he turned away from the clock and looked to the left. In his bed was a mare tucked into his large, grey blanket. Her dark blue mane was just as much of a wreck as his was. Frizzy locks stuck out in every which direction and a puddle of drool formed on the pillow beneath her. Her eyes were still shut tightly and little snores escaped her half-opened mouth.
Lovely… Moonstruck thought in a sarcastic tone. Just… What happened? There was that blasted date and the cheese and the wine… And…ooh! That hurts! The stallion rubbed the side of his aching skull. Dude, you are most definitely in the midst of a hangover… This is just lovely… Ugh…. I can’t remember a thing from last night… The stallion looked over at his date and sighed. Ugh… I think I lost my virginity…
Letting out a long exhale, the stallion put his hooves on his friend and shook her gently. 
“Sunny… Sunny…wake up… I think you should be getting ready for work…” 
The mare slowly opened her eyes and distastefully moaned when she realized she was awake. Almost instantly, she closed her eyes again. 
“Five more minutes…” she muttered in her sleep. 
“No… I think you should get- Ow!” 
Mrs. Skies opened her eyes and lifted her weary head. She then lifted her hoof to her skull and rubbed it gently. 
“My brain hurts…” she whimpered. 
“Yeah… We got wasted…” 
The mare moaned and sat up in her half-asleep state. 
“What…what time is it…?”
Moonstruck turned his head and made contact with his clock. The dim, digital numbers burned his eyes, causing him to look away as soon as he could. 
“It’s It’s seven forty-five.” 
“Seven forty-five….” The mare mumbled under her breath. Slowly, the mare put her head back on her pillow. Her eyes closed and she felt the peacefulness of sleep start to consume her. Moonstruck mimicked her actions with no further thought. 
Seven forty-five…that’s not bad… you don’t even have to be at work until seven….
It was then, in a sudden realization, her blue eyes shot wide opened. 
“Oh shit! I’m going to be late! I am late!” 
As quickly as she could, the mare hopped out of the bed, fully alert. Even as her stomach and head ached severely, she still knew her responsibilities were first. 
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Moonstruck!” 
Wearily, the stallion lifted his head and looked at the mare. 
“I just want to thank you so, so much for the amazing night! Thanks for the food, the wine, your time, and everything!” 
“Yeah, whatever, no problem…”
“And umm… I was just wondering. Do you think we could maybe do this again sometime…? We could meet at my house next time or a park or something…” 
“Actually, Sunny…” The stallion sat up where he was and let out a short breath. “Listen, you’re a fantastic mare… You’re great, and I’m sure somepony will feel something for you some day, but it won’t be me.” It was at that moment Mrs. Skies almost felt her own heart shatter into two as the stallion confessed his feelings bluntly. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re great and everything, I just liked you better when you were a bitch. That’s all. You’re just too…sweet for me.” 
For the longest moment, Sunny just stared at the stallion. Her temper was slowly brewing inside. 
“So…you like me better as a bitch..?” Moonstruck nodded affirmatively. “Okay…” 
With her last word said, she slowly backed out of the room, closing the door and going down the hall. 
Thank heavens…Now I can sleep…
Moonstruck happily tucked his blanket up to his chin and stuffed his head into his pillow. He felt happiness swarm over him as the tranquility of sleep swept over him slowly. His eyes started to feel extremely comfortable closed and his body sunk into the wonderful mattress. He smiled to himself and yawned widely before wrapping his hooves around the pillow Mrs. Skies was previously sleeping on and brining it inward. As much as he hated to admit it, Moonstruck loved sleeping while cuddling something soft. It was a habit he couldn’t seem to break, and definitely one tried his best to keep hidden. Slowly, his mind drifted off into a deep, sweet rest. 
“Is this bitch enough for you?” 
The stallion awoke with a jolt as the voice of an angered mare penetrated his eardrums. He sat up only to find his ex date hovering above him with a dark green bowl in her hooves. Before he could even react, he was attacked by a large serving of cold macaroni and cheese. As soon as he realized his predicament, he guarded himself with his hooves and closed his mouth as tightly as he could. He felt the cold, gooey pasta roll down his body and make him gag. His heart rate rose and he felt almost squeamish as the last bits of it fell on him. The moment it stopped, the plastic bowl fell onto his head and the excess cheese dripped onto his muzzle, ears, and in between his eyes. All he heard after that was his bedroom door slam shut with a loud thud. There he was, left in the room, covered in his own enemy. 
Damn….
That was hot….

> 28. The Moon and The Sky: Epilogue 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

      There she was; a broken mare with a shattered heart, resting on her bed in pure internal agony. Her once again shattered heart burned with sorrow. Her heavy head rested on the pillow beneath her, which was drenched in her own tears. In her hooves was another pillow she hugged onto tightly for comfort.
Please…Please just make it stop… Please just make all the pain go away…It hurts…so bad.   
The mare deeply sniffled as tears cascaded down her red cheeks. Her swollen eyes burned under the intense heat of her bedroom lamp. Her heart ached, and had been all that day. Just one night earlier, she’d been on a date with high hopes and a steadily healing heart, but everything was shattered when she was told she wasn’t a big enough bitch. 
Seriously? The depressed mare cried out in her head. How do I get denied because I’m too nice…? How?! The mare sniffled up some mucus and wiped away some tears with her hoof. Sure, I may not be the prettiest mare, or have the best breath, and I can sometimes be socially awkward when it comes to attractive stallions, but I’m not that bad! I just want…somepony to love me again….I want somepony to think I’m perfect… I want them to love me, cherish me, cuddle me, kiss me, and make me happy… I just want to be happy again. Is that too much to ask…? At that moment, the mare felt more tears gush from her reddening eyes. Her heart thumped soundly and her insides ached. I just want the pain to go away…
It was then, the mare heard something completely unexpected. From her living room came three loud taps. Somepony was at her door. 
Instantly, the mare’s ears stood up erect and her heart skipped a beat. Almost all sadness seemed to evaporate from her at that moment. 
Who could that be…? Moonstruck? Maybe he came back to apologize for the previous night! Maybe it’s Mr. Skies… I mean, probably not, but…you never know. Oh, I just hope it’s some sweet, dashing, loving stallion to make everything feel better. Or… you know, a distant relative.
With a little ounce of hope in her, the mare got up from  her comfortable bed and left her room, went down the hall, and then proceeded down her staircase. She quickened her pace every second to make sure her guest didn’t leave or think of her as rude for not answering quickly enough. Soon, her steady trot became a gallop as she raced down the stairs. 
From the bottom of the staircase, Mrs. Skies trotted down her hallway, and into the living room. When she was mere feet away from the door, another series of knocks came. 
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" 
Ugh, freaking impatient ponies! 
Not even taking a moment to look through the peep hole, the mare wrapped her hoof around the doorknob and swung opened her front door, only to be greeted by-
“Rainbolt…” 
With a nervous grin, the stallion dug his hoof into the cloud base beneath him. 
“Yeah…” 
“What in the name of Celestia could be so damn important, that you couldn’t even wait to get to work to tell me? I mean, it’s eleven at night! This is your day off! Go home and make spaghetti with the kid or something!” 
A bit angry and annoyed, the mare then proceeded to slam her front door closed, leaving her employee out in the cool, night air. Instead of angrily storming away like Rainbolt wished to, he sighed and put a hoof to the mare’s door, giving it another knock. 
“Ma’am… I know you’re upset… I heard you crying in your office yesterday evening…” 
To that statement, Mrs. Skies went agape and frowned a bit, embarrassed to have had her weaknesses show. 
“I just wanted to let you know that I understand what you’re going through, and there’s no need to be ashamed about it.” The stallion cleared his throat and continued to speak through the door. “When Firefly first broke my heart, I was devastated. I felt awful, hated everything and everypony, and took my anger out on innocent targets.” Rainbolt felt tears in his own eyes. “I-I don’t know what you need to get over this, but I thought I could provide you with some company or something to help you…” 
There was then a moment of silence. Mrs. Skies was on the inside, laying there and listening. For a moment, she didn’t reply. She simply stared off into space and continued to feel sorry for herself. She then heard the stallion on the opposite side of the door let out a breath and continue on. 
“Listen… I know the past few times I’ve offered my help, you’ve completely denied it, and you can again, but…” There was a brief pause and some rustling noises beyond the door. “I’m leaving you some comfort food at your door to help you through it… I’ll just, you know stand out here for a minute so you can make up your mind.” 
Again, there was nothing but silence. Sunny felt tears reinvade her swollen eyes. 
“R-Rainbolt…?” 
From the other side of the door, Rainbolt pressed his ear against it. 
“Yes, ma’am?” 
His response didn’t come verbally, but with the opening of the nearby door, which almost made the stallion fall. He looked his depressed boss in the eyes and smiled softly. She, however, didn’t smile back. 
“What’d you’d bring me?” she asked in a very quiet tone. Rainbolt’s smile became more genuine as he shoved the dark blue gift bag towards the heartbroken mare. Raising an eyebrow, Mrs. Skies brought the bag closer to her and took out a rumpled sheet of tissue paper. She gasped at the item inside and pulled it out. The item was a good sized, brown box with a pink ribbon around it. The mare looked up at Rainbolt with an almost confused expression. Across the top, the box read El Charco: An Arrangement of Supreme Chocolates.
“Why’d you…get me this?”
Rainbolt blushed. 
“It’s umm… the same thing I used to binge on when Firefly broke up with me,” he admitted, still smiling. “I know you may not have the exact same taste in comfort food, but it was worth a shot. Most ponies don't complain when they get chocolate, though...” 
Mrs. Skies, for a moment, simply looked down at the chocolate, then up at Rainbolt with an agape frown. Slowly, the frown formed into a smile, and tears of joy fled into her eyes. 
“B-Bolty…this is so, so sweet…. Why would you-? How could you-? I mean, I this is just…” 
Having troubles verbally expressing her gratitude, the mare simply wrapped her hooves around the stallion with no warning. He was a bit taken back, but accepted the hug anyway and even gave her a few reassuring pats on her back. 
“It’s okay… I know how you feel… I’m sorry about all this…” 
In that moment, the mare felt happy in the hooves of another, and it made her heart soften like butter. Her eyes closed as comfort surrounded her. 
This…This is just what you needed. All you needed was somepony to comfort you. Why didn’t you accept this before…? You really were a bitch... 
Shooing away her guilt, the mare got  comfortable in the hooves of her employee and rested her head on his shoulder. For the first time, she accepted all the comfort with no guilt or shame, and actually felt very comfortable.                                          
This is nice…this is so, so nice…     
For the longest moment, both ponies said absolutely nothing. They just remained in the comforting position for another long moment. 
“Rainbolt…?” Mrs. Skies asked after a good minute of calming down. 
“Yes?” 
“Why’d you do this for me…?” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes and smiled at her question. 
“I’ve already answered that more than once. I know how you’re feeling…and, well, I just want to provide you with the comfort I wish I could have had...”
It was at that moment Sunny felt herself tearing up at the stallion’s statement. 
“But I treated you really…bad at times…” 
“I know… but that’s when you need me the most…” It was then, the stallion broke away. “Listen, ma’am, I always fully respected you as my boss, but I also respect you as a pony. That’s why I was so persistent… I know what it all felt like, and…I just didn’t want to see it happen to you, too… You’re kind of like family to me, and I don’t like seeing you down.” 
“Thanks… That means a lot…” 
“Anytime. Just know I’m here when you need comfort. It’s not something I’m always the best at, but I try…” He smiled. “Just let me know if you need anything…” 
“Okay…” She sniffled. “Thank you so, so much…” 
“You’re welcome.” 
Mrs. Skies didn’t respond, but awkwardly shuffled her hoof in the cloud layer below. Her blue eyes looked up at the full moon above. She looked back to Rainbolt, who was becoming slowly uncomfortable with the silence. 
“I think… I should be going… It’ll be a long day tomorrow, and I really should be getting to bed.”
“Oh, no problem!” Rainbolt smiled. “I’m just happy I get to sleep in tomorrow!” The thought of sleep in the moment made the stallion yawn. 
“Lucky!” She said with a smile and giggled. “Well… I’ll be going.”
The mare turned around and went into her house, and watched as her comforter walked away and prepared to take off into the night sky. A sudden urge formed in her stomach that didn’t cease easily. She stood at her doorway and watched as the stallion unfurled his wings. It was then she knew she couldn’t let him get away. 
“Wait, Rainbolt!” 
Almost immediately, the stallion stopped in his tracks and turned his attention to the mare. 
“Yeah?” 
“Could you come here?” 
Rainbolt hesitated, but slowly put back his wings and trotted towards the mare in curiosity. 
“What do you need?” 
“Come here.” The mare pointed towards the spot in front of her. The stallion started to feel uncomfortable as he obeyed his boss' order. When he was in the spot she’d asked him to be in, she instantly wrapped her hooves around him, leaned in, and unexpectedly pressed her lips against his. Rainbolt’s face instantly lit up a dark shade of crimson as the familiar sensation took place. For the first time in ten years, Rainbolt felt the soft massage of somepony else's lips against his. As spontaneously as she’d started the kiss, she ended it with a smile. 
“You have a nice evening, okay?” 
“U-Umm…. O-okay. You too, ma’am…” 
With no more words, the mare closed her front door, leaving Rainbolt confused and a little embarrassed.  
Well, umm…that happened.

> 29. You Can't Buy Happiness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The little, yellow filly lifted her her hoof to her forehead and wiped away several beads of salty sweat. Her back arched as she tried her best to close the stuffed suitcase. She had the container between her and the wall behind her as her back pushed against it.
Come on, Fluttershy! Just a little bit more...      
The little pegasus fluttered her wings and put all of her might into pushing the suitcase further and further against the wall. She held in her breath and used all of her strength to push as hard as she possibly could on the overflowing suitcase. After putting in more strength than she thought she had, the filly smiled at the sight of both halves slowly meeting. She pushed as hard as she could, trying to meet her goal. 
Almost… there...
It was then, Fluttershy lost the battle.The suitcase sprung back opened and dozens of items spilled out onto the floor below. The filly squeaked as she looked at the mess before her. 
“Oh, dear…” 
Usually, Fluttershy didn’t pack too much for trips out of town. When her mother had first announced they were going on a trip to Fillydelphia to see her aunt, she was enthused, but the real hype for the trip started when her father also added the part about her aunt and uncle owning six dogs. At that moment, Fluttershy started packing dog biscuits, brushes, treats, blankets, toys, and a whole pound of nutritious food she’d made herself. She only hoped the dogs would like her and that they’d easily get along together. 
Oh no… It spilled...again. Maybe I should go get Daddy. He’s strong  enough to help…
With that in mind, the little filly made her way out of her room. As quietly as she could, Fluttershy trotted down the staircase, only to see the living room a little ways down. There, her mother and father were eagerly packing for the trip as well. Dreamscape had a large, blue suitcase which he mostly filled with toiletries, snacks, blankets, pillows. and anything else he found necessary for the trip. Dewdrop on the other hoof, had a green saddle bag with some blankets, brushes, bits, books, and maps. 
Oh! They look busy… I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience. 
Slowly, Fluttershy made her way back up the stairs. Before she could even place her hoof on the next step up, her father’s ears perked up and he swiftly turned his head to see his little filly heading back to her room.
“Fluttershy.” He said in a gentle tone. Quickly, she turned her head to meet eyes with her dad. “Was there something you needed?” 
“Oh, well… I mean, I was just going to ask for your help, but since you look busy, you should just continue what you’re doing…” Fluttershy tossed them a genuine smile and received one back. 
“Nonsense, Sweetheart. I’ll be right up there to help you with whatever’s needed.” 
“A-are you sure you don’t mind?” 
“Of course I don’t.” The stallion put down his work and set his suitcase aside. He smiled and grabbed his wife, pulled her in, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll be right back, Honey Pie.” 
Dewdrop smiled cutely and nodded her head. As her darling husband exited the room, the yellow mare lifted her hoof to her cheek and felt where her lover had so gently kissed it. She giggled lightheartedly and smiled, thinking of him. 
“Oh, Dreamscape…” she cooed dreamily with memories of him swarming his head. She plopped backwards onto the couch with a dreamy sigh. 
Even though Dreamscape could lose his temper once in a blue moon, he was overall the sweetest stallion Dewdrop had ever met, and the greatest blessing to come into her life. She had no regrets of dating him, and knew how amazing he truly was. 
When their relationship first started, however, it was definitely far more complicated.Their age gap was the biggest difference and cause the most complications. They were constantly teased, harassed, and made fun of because of it. Neither of them cared much about it, though. Dewdrop smiled as memories of her earliest years with Dreamscape filled her mind. 
When they first met, Dewdrop was only eighteen. Dreamscape, however, was a full five years younger than her.They’d first met when Dewdrop was flying over a small town from work one evening. Out of boredom, she’d usually keep her eyes connected to the  ground below. When she was nearly home, something below caught her eyes. At first, she couldn’t tell what it was. From her perspective, she saw nothing but a large group of dots, with a small leader dot in front of them all. Upon a closer inspection, she saw a large group of dogs chasing a small colt in the front. As she grew closer, she could hear the little colt crying and begging the dogs to not eat him alive. In the heat of the moment, the mare swooped down and picked the colt up off his hooves.  As fast as her weakening wings could carry her, the mare flew up and above, before setting the terrified colt down on a nice, puffy cloud. Almost in an instant, he wrapped his trembling hooves around her torso and sobbed in her warm, fuzzy chest. He described the events that lead up to the dogs chasing him after taking a moment to calm down. Dewdrop then proceeded to walk to poor colt home, where his parents were more than happy about his return. 
The two ponies didn’t start dating instantly after that incident, but after a few times of meeting up to hang out, Dreamscape stopped before leaving the mare’s house completely. Nervously, he leaned in and gave her a small peck on the cheek. He panicked a bit after that and ran as fast as he could away from her home. The next day, instead of being freaked out, she met him after school and returned the kiss. After that, there was the awkward, “You kissed me, so does that mean…?” conversations. 
Dewdrop smiled brightly as thoughts of her adorable husband circled within her mind. She’d been with him through criticism, struggles, and even being called names as cruel as “pedophile”. Even so, she had absolutely no regrets, and loved Dreamscape more than just about anything in the world. 
Letting out a dreamy sigh, the mare sunk deeper into her couch and started to cuddle a nearby cushion. She was so caught up in her romantic memories, she hardly noticed when there was a loud knock at her front door. She gasped and sat up. Usually, it was her lover who took the responsibility of answering the door. With him away, the job was rested on her shoulders. 
“Oh no..” 
Sitting up and removing herself from the couch, the mare trotted over to her front door and took in a breath. Before opening the front door, however, she boosted herself up onto her hind legs and looked out the eye hole. From her perspective, she saw a familiar stallion. Dewdrop got back onto all fours and opened her door. The unicorn on the other side greeted her with a smile. 
“Good morning, Dewdrop.” 
“Oh, good morning, Blueshift.” the mare replied in a quiet, yet audible tone. 
Blueshift had always been a good friend of  theirs. His coat was light hue of blue and his mane was darker blue with lighter blue highlights. The style of his mane was rather messy, and his choppy bangs awkwardly wrapped around his horn. His eyes were a deep shade of purple, which matched the aurora of gorgeous constellation on his flanks. 
“Listen, I don’t really know how good of a time this is for you guys, but I was maybe wondering if I could ask for a favor?” 
“Oh….” Dewdrop felt a sudden pit of dread in her heart. More than anything, she loved helping ponies out when they needed it, but on such short notice when she was so busy, she knew it simply wasn’t possible. “Well, umm… If it’s really quick I guess I could…” 
“Oh...so you’re busy?” The stallion’s calm, but masculine voice sunk to a rather sullen tone. “I was just wondering if you could maybe foalsit my kids today…” 
Dewdrop’s ears pressed to the back of her skull. 
“I’m really, really sorry… I just can’t. Me, Dreamscape and Fluttershy planned on leaving today for our trip to Fillydelphia.” 
“Oh…” The unicorn’s ears flopped down in disappointment. “It’s just, I really, really need somepony to look after them because my job told me this morning that we’d be having a meeting this afternoon that I didn’t know about but I have to attend it or I may be fired, but I probably should’ve quit three years ago but I needed to support my kids and I’m just really, really stressed because I don’t want to leave them alone and every other pony I’ve talked to is busy!” Blueshift took in a deep breath. “And I was really hoping you guys could help…” 
Dewdrop took a moment to absorb all the information before letting out a deep sigh.      
“I’m really, really sorry I can’t help you… And I thought Dreamscape told you about our trip?”
“Well, yes… But he said it was on the fifteenth.” 
Dewdrop took a moment to do a little math in her head. Almost instantly, her pink eyes widened and she frowned. 
“But...how could he think it was next week…?” The mare took in a breath and turned to the inside of her house. “Dreamy…” Dewdrop called in an indoors voice. A few seconds later, her husband came galloping down the stairs. He made his way over to his beloved wife and put a wing around her. 
“What’s up, Sweetie Cake?” 
Shyly, the yellow mare raised a hoof and pointed at Blueshift, waiting for him to explain the situation. 
“Oh, it’s nothing really… I just needed a last minute foalsitter and I thought you guys were available. It’s just somepony told me it was a week later than it actually was.” 
“Oh… I’m really sorry about that, man…” The pegasus chuckled nervously. “I honestly didn’t even know it was today until last night…” 
“Oh…” Blueshift thought for a moment. “Well… If you guys can’t help me, do you know somepony who could?” 
Dreamscape and his beloved wife looked at each other unsurely. Yes, they knew quite a hoof-full of parents, but most of them they know were busy, especially on the weekends. In addition to that, most ponies didn’t enjoy being asked to foalsit on such short notice. Not even Dewdrop was a particular fan of it. 
“Well… I mean…” Dreamscape started hesitantly. “We do know a couple parents that could maybe fill in.” 
At this, Blueshift perked his ears up and a little bit of hope brewed within him. 
“Really…? Who?”
“Well, not anypony you’d know…” That statement made the stallion’s hopeful expression die down. “But I know and trust them, so…” 
Blueshift did nothing but stare unsurely at his neighbor. Yes, he trusted Dreamscape very much. He’d known him for nearly ten years, and trusted his opinion on just about everything. On the other hoof, the thought of leaving his only foals in the hooves of somepony he didn’t know seemed a bit scary to him. He did have to attend his responsibilities at work with no option. At that point, his only options were to either leave his kids alone in the house for a few hours, or to let somepony he didn’t know watch over them. 
“Well… How well do you know them? And how much do you trust them?”
The pegasus thought for a moment and mentally scanned over his options. 
“Hmm… There are…” The stallion thought for a moment. “Two parents that could foalsit on such short notice.” 
“Who?” 
Again, the couple unsurely glanced at one another. 
“Well… Strawberry Cream and Rainbolt. I’ve known both of them since I was in flight school, and I trust them both.” 
“But…” Dewdrop spoke in a soft tone, but went unheard. 
“Well, which one do you think would be the most convenient?” The unicorn asked, calming down more every second.
“Honey, I-”  
“Well,” Dreamscape interrupted his timid wife. “Strawberry lives in Canterlot like you, but Rainbolt lives all the way in Cloudsdale….” 
“Oh… Well, since me and Strawberry both live in Canterlot, it would only make sense for her to help me, if she could.” 
“But…” It was then, Dewdrop lifted her hoof and tapped her husband on the shoulder. He almost immediately gave her his attention. “Strawberry Cream already has four kids. Watching seven at one time would be near impossible, even for me.” 
“Oh...sorry.” Pink formed in the stallion’s cheeks as he yet again made another mistake. “Well, there’s always Rainbolt. I’ve known him for a very long time, and I trust him as a parent. He only has one kid.” 
“But that would mean he doesn’t really have experience with more than one kid…” Dewdrop pointed out. 
“Nonsense!” Dreamscape forced a confident smile. “He’s watched Fluttershy many times before.” 
“Well, I mean…” Blueshift took in a breath. “If you think he’d be up for it, then could you maybe ask him?” 
Dreamscape smiled and nodded affirmatively. “Sure thing. And, uh...What time do you need him by?” 
“Two, if he says yes.”  
“Alright, and how long will you need him?”
“Only a few hours or less…” He then thought for a moment, and his purple eyes widened in remembrance. “Wait! Make sure you bring him by as soon as you can so I can get to know him a bit.”
“Oh!” The pegasus chuckled. “You’re going to be putting him through an interview, eh?” 
“Yeah...why’s that so funny?” 
“Because he’s going to hate it.” 
Before the unicorn could respond to his friend, Dewdrop tapped her lover’s shoulder and nudged her head towards the inside of the house. Her husband nodded and gave his sweet wife a quick peck on the cheek. She smiled and went back inside the house, bored with the back and forth conversation between her husband and friend. 
“Hey, my interviews aren’t that bad.” 
“Yeah...they kinda are… If you put me through that long of an interview to foalsit your kids, I can only imagine how bad it’ll be for Rainbolt.” 
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad! Besides, the first time you watched my foals, I’d only known you three years!”
Only… 
“Well… I think I should get going. You should head back home to Canterlot, and I’ll go up to see if Rainbolt can help you out, okay?” 
“Alright. Just… Thank you so, so much for your help. I’d be out of luck without you ponies!” It was then, Dreamscape felt the stallion’s hooves wrap tightly around his torso. In shock of the sudden hug, the pegasus didn’t return his friend’s aggressive embrace. Trying to escape, Dreamscape brought his hooves down and tried to push his friend away. Luckily, Blueshift was bright enough to take the hint and almost immediately broke away. 
“Hehe...sorry about that. Didn’t mean to get too huggy.” 
Dreamscape smiled to his friend. 
“It’s okay… I just need to.. well, you know, try to get my friend to foalsit for you.” 
“Ah, right…” The stallion sheepishly chuckled and turned around, heading homeward. “Thanks for all your help!” 
Dreamscape waved to his friend with a smile before turning around and closing the front door. The first thing he saw in his living room was his beloved wife zipping up a few pockets on her saddle bag. Dreamscape let out a long sigh and wiped his forehead of perspiration.
“So you’ll be going to Rainbolt’s?” 
Dreamscape nodded to his paramour before turning around and peeping out the eye-hole to make sure his friend was a good distance away. He then turned back around to his wife and frowned. 
“I don’t know about this whole thing. I mean, Rainbolt’s a good parent and all, but do you really think he can handle four foals at once?” 
“I...I mean, I don’t know...maybe. He does know how to handle Fluttershy pretty well…” 
“Oh, Dewberry, I think we both know Fluttershy is nothing compared to these foals.. I  just don’t know if Rainbolt will be able to handle it.” 

“Pssh! Of course I’ll be able to handle it!” the periwinkle pegasus said in a confident tone as he took a long sip of his sweet, brown liquid.  His friend was agape at his eagerness. Slowly, he blinked several times. Was he serious? Surely, Rainbolt wasn’t that confident in his ability to handle more than one foal. 
“Rainbolt… Listen, I know you’re a good dad and everything, but I seriously don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into…” 
The stallion did nothing but chuckle. 
“Come on, Dreamy. I’ve been raising Rainbow for eleven years now. I mean, what’s the difference between one foal and four foals?”
Dreamscape raised an eyebrow to his overly confident friend.
“Rainbolt, listen to me. I’ve foalsat these kids, and they’re all pretty rambunctious. I know Rainbow’s pretty rambunctious herself, but imagine trying to take care of four little Dash’s.” 
The stallion simply sighed and took a long sip of his iced tea and smiled. Slowly, he removed the glass from his lips and looked at his fiend.
“Honestly, I think I can handle it.” 
“Listen, Rainbolt…” The light blue pegasus put his hooves on the table and looked his friend dead in his eyes. “I have complete faith in you as a parent, and I think your pretty responsible. I’m just stating the simple fact that it won’t be easy taking care of four foals.”
“And I honestly think I’ll be able to handle myself. Just think of the foals as individuals instead of a whole group.” 
Dreamscape did nothing but shake his head. Usually, Rainbolt didn’t have that much confidence in himself, especially when it came to tackling a difficult task. Suspectfully, the stallion’s teal eyes scanned between his best friend and the glass of tea. 
“What is in that drink…?” 
“Nothing.” Rainbolt took another sip of it with a smile. “I’ve just been feeling really confident lately.” 
“Why?” 
The stallion set down his sweet, cold drink and grinned to his best friend. 
“Well, you know Mrs. Skies, right?” 
“Umm...yeah. She’s kind of my boss, too, you know.” 
“I know, I know. I’m just stating who we’re talking about. Well, you know how she’s been having those really unpredictable mood swings lately?” Dreamscape nodded. “Well, she was in a real good mood last night, so she gave me a raise.” 
“Oh, really?” The stallion asked, genuinely surprised.      
“Mmhm. I’m getting paid a full thirteen bits an hour now!” Dreamscape’s eyes went wide at the rather large amount. “Yeah, I know, right? Well, anyway, I was walking through Cloudsdale and a local vender sold me these weird tea bags that had all these strange herbs from the Everfree Forest in them. He said it would help give me energy and help me do better and stuff. So, that’s why I’m all confident and happy and what not.” 
Dreamscape sat there a moment, slowly taking in his friend’s story. He then sighed and planted his hoof to his forehead. 
“You do realize it’s all in your head, right?” .
“Nope, it’s just the energy. More energy equals being more productive, and the more I get done the happier and more confident I become. It’s not psychological, it’s just nature and stuff.” 
“But… But you drink coffee every day. That gives you energy, and you never act all confident and stuff over it.” 
“I’ve grown immune to coffee. Besides, this is a different kind of energy.” 
Dreamscape sighed and shook his head. Rainbolt was most definitely not acting his usual self. Whatever was in the tea, he was one hundred percent sure was not healthy. Then again, if his friend was convinced it worked, so be it.
“If you think it’s really helping you I guess that’s your business. I just want to know if you are or are not going to help him?” 
“Oh, yeah, of course! I thought we already established that.” 
“Alright, but you have to go to Canterlot now. Blueshift kinda has a thing about interviewing his foalsitters.”: 
“Ah. Right. That’s completely understandable. I’ll just get Dashie and we can go, okay?” 
“Alright, but ummm… the interview isn’t going to be short, and I don’t think he’ll want your kid around during the thing.” 
“Oh...why?” 
Dreamscape shrugged. 
“He doesn’t even let his kids around during the interview. Trust, me I’ve been through one.” 
“Oh. How long is it?” 
“Eh. Maybe five minutes. I’m sure Dash can wait outside with me during the whole thing.” 
“Alright, thanks! I just don’t trust Dash to be home alone quite yet.” 
Dreamscape nodded in agreement. 
“I wouldn’t trust Dash alone either.”
For a moment both stallions smiled at each other. Their eyes met and the silence quickly became awkward. After a moment, both pegasi looked away from each other. The silence continued to sustain for another minute or so. At last, Rainbolt cleared his throat and spoke up. 
“Yeah… I’m just gonna go get her.”     

“So you’re Rainbolt?” 
“Mhm.” 
The periwinkle stallion awkwardly shuffled in his provided seat. The stallion on the other side of the table didn’t seem to be in too playful of a mood. The moment Rainbolt entered his house, he instantly sent his foals off to their rooms, and instructed the foalsitter to the kitchen, where he was placed at a hard, wooden table. The stallion had brought a clipboard, glass of water, and pen with him to the questioning table. Rainbolt was quite nervous over the whole thing. Before any real questions started, sweat was already building on his forehead. Naturally, he blamed himself for drinking too much energy-infused tea for his uncontrollable nervousness. 
“Ah. Now, Mr. Rainbolt, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a series of questions.” 
“Of course not.” Rainbolt awkwardly looked at the ground during his questioning. 
“Just to start, how old are you?” 
“Twenty-nine…” 
“I’d prefer you look at me when you answer.” 
The stallion looked up at his questioner obediently and gave the same response he had before. 
“Okay. And how do you make a living?” 
“I work in weather,” the stallion answered with his eyes glued to Blueshift’s. 
“Mmkay… How old is your foal?” 
“She just turned eleven.” 
“Alright…” The stallion looked over to his clipboard. “Do you take any kind of drugs, even if perscription?” 
“No.” 
“Good. Do you drink?” 
“Not since I became a father. And before then I only drank alcoholic cider once.” 
“Okay, good…” The stallion scribbled down a few notes on his clipboard and read the next one. “Are you a smoker?” 
“No.” Rainbolt answered, almost cringing at the thought of having a nasty cigarette in his mouth. 
“Alright. Hmm…” Blueshift used his magic to write down a few more notes. “Would you consider yourself a violent individual?” 
“Not at all.” 
“Ah… Are you currently in a relationship, single, or married?” 
“Single.”
“For what reason?” 
Rainbolt frowned and sighed.
“My marefriend left me when I was only nineteen.”
“Wait, so you had sex before you were married?” 
“Well, my eighteenth birthday, and I was kind of drugged, so...” 
Out of all the answers, that seemed to be the one the stallion was least impressed with. He scribbled down a few more notes before looking back up at Rainbolt. 
“So, currently, are you sexually active?” 
To that, Rainbolt blushed heavily and chuckled nervously. 
“Only with myself.” 
You idiot…. I can’t believe you just said that! Like, out of all the things you could have said..you said that. 
Rainbolt’s face turned a hot shade of crimson and he looked away from his questioner in shame. Fortunately, Blueshift had a good sense of humor, and chuckled at the stallion’s response.  
“Hehe, I know that feeling, Bud.” He again giggled and took a moment before moving on. “Alright, so how often do you desire to have a sexual relationship?” 
“Umm… not too often. I mostly just want a real relationship.” 
“Ah...okay. Now, how’s your criminal record?”
“Clean as a whistle!” 
“Wow, that was a bad simile….” The unicorn took another moment to write something down. “Now… I think we’re all set. Here…” The unicorn’s magic engulfed a nearby stack of papers and levitated it over to the foalsitter. Rainbolt took it in his hooves and briefly scanned over each of the three pages. “There’s one page for each of my foals. Page one is Luminescence, or Lumi for short. If you forget everything on that list, just remember never stare at her eyes or wings. Also, since you’re a pegasus, she may hate you right off the bat. It’s a personal thing with her.” 
“Alright…” Rainbow continued to read down her list, questioning several of her major traits. 
“Then the second page is Gemini; he’s the youngest of the three.” Rainbolt flipped the paper out of the way to reveal another page. “He’s a bit awkward, and he loves to socialize, but he kind of has….” Blueshift lowered his voice to a whisper. “...Multiple Personality Disorder. Well, we don’t know that for sure, but he does kind of show signs of it. Most of the time he’s pretty sensitive, really sweet, but kind of reluctant when it comes to eating foods he dislikes.” 
“Okay… And what about the last page?” 
Slowly, Rainbolt turned over the paper to see the last list. 
“Sparky. She’s my youngest daughter. The main thing you should remember with her, is that when she was little, she was struck with lightning, and can produce sparks through her horn. So, don’t get her angry.” 
“Alright, well…” Rainbolt put the papers back together and blinked a few times. “Your foals seem quite…” He paused, trying to think of a good word. “...interesting.”
“Thanks, I guess. I’m sure they’ll get along with your kid pretty well.” 
“Yeah… I hope.” Rainbolt nervously looked up the stallion’s staircase where his foals had previously scurried off to. In that short meeting, his overall confidence had went from high to low. Sure, he could handle foals, but… Foals with multiple personality disorder, the capability of electrocuting him, and one who would have problems with him simply because of his race all seemed a lot more challenging. 
I’m sure they’ll like Rainbow, but, I just hope they’ll get along with me. 

“But why?” 
“Because, Rainbow, the poor guy needs a foalsitter. I already agreed to it and I know I can’t let him down.” 
“But why us? I mean, we don’t even know him, and it’s not like it’s our problem.” 
“Rainbow Dash!” The stallion snapped at his daughter. “Listen, we may not know them, but I agreed to the responsibility. Plus, you could make some new friends out of this.” 
“Yeah right…” The cyan filly mumbled under her breath. “Are we almost there yet?” 
“Almost.” Her father reassured her. “We only have maybe a quarter of a mile left.” 
Ugh, stupid unicorns living all the way in Canterlot. Eh, at least you’re getting a pretty good flight out of this. That nice wind does feel pretty good. Dash took a moment to inhale the sweet, summer air deeply. And it smells pretty nice…  
“So, like, how many other foals are you going to be watching along with me?” 
“Three. Two fillies and a colt.” 
“Oh.” 
There was an awkward pause for a moment as the two pegasi continued to soar through the bright, summer sky. After a brief moment, the stallion spoke again.  
“And, uh, the colt is only seven, so don’t, you know…” 
“Dad!” The filly snapped. “I don’t even get crushes on colts! I’m not going to do whatever you think I’m gonna do!” 
“Yeah… I know.” Rainbolt blushed. “I’m just kind of worried about that kind of stuff. You know how dads are.” 
Dash rolled her eyes before glaring at her father. Sure, she loved her dad a ton, but like all foals, she occasionally got annoyed with him. Why he would even think she’d be remotely interested in dating was beyond her. 
“So, are all the foals going to be that young? There will be some that are at least ten, right?” 
“Oh, yeah. Gemini’s seven, Sparky’s eleven, and Luminescence is thirteen.” 
“Wow…” 
“Hm?” 
Rainbow turned to her father with a raised eyebrow. 
“Those are some pretty strange names.” 
“Be nice, Rainbow. I’m sure they’ll think your name is weird.” 
“How?” 
“I.. don’t know. Just be nice to them, okay?” 
“Sparky sounds like the name of a dog.” 
“Yeah, don’t say that to her. She knows how to shock ponies.” 
“How?” 
Rainbolt sighed. 
“Well, according to her dad, she was struck by lightning when she was young, and well, now she can electrocute ponies that make her upset.”
“That sounds like complete horse apples…” Rainbow mumbled just loud enough to be comprehensible to her father’s ears. 
“Hey! Language, Rainbow!”
“Sorry…” 
“Besides, about how many of the foals would believe you if you told them you broke the sound barrier when you were only eight and no other pegasus in all of history had ever accomplished the same thing?” 
“I don’t know…” Rainbow sighed. “Besides, it’s not like you even believe me…” 
“Hey! I do, too! I just didn’t at first, alright…?” 
“Yeah, sure…” 
At that moment, if Rainbolt hadn’t been flying, he would have hugged his daughter and reassured her he really did. There, the only reassurance he could offer was verbal. 
“Sweetheart, I really, really do. I’ve told you that a million times, and I’d do anything I could to prove it to you.” 
Dash, being as stubborn as she was, simply looked down and ignored her father’s comment. Some part of her believed him, while the other part told her he was just saying that to make her feel better. 
The next few minutes of their flight was completely silent. Rainbolt didn’t want to say anything to possibly upset his daughter further and Rainbow was too upset to even talk. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Why would her dad even bring up such a sensitive topic? He knew she used to get bullied over the whole thing, and yet he still insisted on bringing it up! What was the big deal? Despite her unending anger, Rainbow knew it was most likely an honest mistake. Her dad wouldn’t genuinely try to hurt her feelings. In a way, she even blamed herself for the whole thing a bit. She might have been acting a tiny bit rude… just a tiny bit. 
“Rainbow, look!” was the first thing said in many minutes. “That’s their house right down there!” 
Rainbow’s pink eyes scanned downward at a wide variety of buildings. Most of them were a pure shade of white with a yellow, orange, pink, or blue rooftop. There were many ponies below, most of them being unicorns. The little filly could only guess the house she thought was it and follow her father’s lead. Not a surprise to Rainbow, her father flew in the almost opposite direction from which he pointed. Nevertheless, the filly followed him without question. Rainbolt flew downward, curving left to a nearby house and landing safely on the ground. Dash landed a few seconds later. The house presented before her was a two-story home with a blue-plated rooftop and creamy, white walls. Rainbow looked up at it in awe, envying its beautiful structure and cleanliness. Taking in a breath, she whistled in admiration. 
“Wanna knock?” Rainbolt asked his daughter. When she was a very little filly, Dash insisted on knocking on nearly every front door they came in contact with. It was a habit she eventually grew out of, but still carried small fragments of. 
“Sure, I guess…” 
Almost in an unsure manner, Rainbow lifted her hoof to the sleek, ivory surface of the door and gave it three firm taps. The door was answered almost instantly by Blueshift, who had a suitcase in his hooves and a panicked expression on his face. His hooves wrapped around Rainbolt and pulled him into his home. Not wanting the same fate, Rainbow willingly trotted in herself. 
“Oh my gosh, you’re late! You are so, so late and I’ll probably be late cause you’re late and oh my goodness, this is terrible!”
“We’re not that l-” 
“No, you’re late! I said be here at two, and it’s seven minutes past two! I was supposed to leave at two and now I’m going to be late!” Before Rainbolt could even respond to the stallion’s urgent behavior, he was handed a little, brown box. “In there’s a copy of the house rules, biography and warning’s of each kid, the key to my room, and a whistle in case you can’t yell loud enough!” The unicorn took in a deep, expansive breath. “I really need to go, thanks for doing this at last minute, good luck, don’t die, and I’ll be home by five!” 
With that said, Blueshift quickly gave Rainbolt a hug as a physical thank you, and went out his door in a hurry. There, the pegasus was left with his daughter in an unfamiliar household watching foals he’d never met. He knew he’d have to introduce himself sooner or later, but there were other things he needed to do before he could even think about introducing himself. The first thing was to quickly go over the copy of the warnings of each child. It wasn’t something he’d memorized yet, and he knew he’d have to quickly go over it. Rainbolt reached into the box and pulled out the three pieces of paper that had been neatly folded together. 
“Dad...where are the foals?” Rainbow interrupted before her dad could even start to reread the papers.
“Probably in their rooms…” he muttered under his breath. “There are some warnings I’m gonna have to read off to you first, though… Well, not all them, but the most important ones..”  
“Why?” 
The stallion took in a breath. 
“Because, Dash, we don’t want to upset them. Foals are like a loaded weapon; press the wrong button and somepony could get hurt…” 
Rainbow nodded in understanding, but still didn’t see what could so easily set off a foal. Her father got to reading the first page of the guide. 



Luminescence (Lumi):
1.) She’s sensitive about her eyes, so don’t look directly at them.
2.) Don’t mention her wings or even look at them. 
3.) She’s pretty stubborn and won’t open up to you easily. 
4.) She gets upset very easily, so watch what you say. 
5.) If she won’t come out of her room during dinner, put the plate at her door and tell her to come get it. When she stays in her room, it usually means she doesn’t want to talk. 
6.) If she gives you a warning about anything, listen. 
7.) Don’t ask her about her potions. 
8.) Don’t joke around with her. She doesn’t have that great of a sense of humor, and takes everything personally. 
9.) If you’re gentle with her, she might like you. 
10.) She doesn’t like pegasi that well. 
11.) Don’t call her Lumi unless it looks like she likes you. 
12.) If she asks you to drink/test one of her potions, say no. 

Luminescence is the oldest of my children. She may be a hoof-full, but after she gets to know you, she’ll probably like you. I hope you get along with her and nothing bad happens with her. Good luck.



Rainbolt stared at the paper and reread it quite a few times in his head. He then looked at his daughter, who awkwardly looked at him. 
“Yeah… I would just not talk to Luminescence if I were you…” 
“Why?”
Rainbolt said nothing, but showed his daughter her list of warnings. After simply scanning through the paper, Dash nodded in agreement, realizing her father’s reasons. 
“Just be cautious around her… Now, for the next one…” 
Rainbolt flipped over the paper to reread the warnings of the next foal. 



Gemini:
1.) Although he’s never been diagnosed, we believe he has MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder). The first personality we tend to notice in him is his regular, social, sensitive, sweet self. Some days (and lasts for days straight) he’ll act quiet and shut off the world, but seem more mature and intelligent for the most part. Other times, he acts energetic, humorous, and a bit obnoxious. Lately, he’s been acting how he does the vast majority of the time; sweet, sensitive, and social. Sometimes, if you say the wrong thing, he’ll switch personalities in a matter of minutes. 
2.) Try to talk to him when you get the chance. He loves talking to other ponies, but his sisters tend to ignore him. 
3.) He typically has a good sense of humor, and has a long list of jokes himself. Just don’t joke about him.
4.) He’s a bookworm, so if you don’t hear any activity coming from his room, he’s probably in a book.
5.) He can be especially reluctant to brush his teeth after dinner. Make sure it gets done. 

Gemini’s a pretty sweet kid. Keep him happy and he’ll like you by the end of the day. 



Alright… well, he most definitely seems simpler….Gosh, this guide’s a lot more detailed that the original one he gave me… Maybe he was trying not to scare me.
“Alright, Gemini -the only colt in the house- definitely seems nicer. He’s probably somepony you could even make friends with.” 
Rainbow looked up at her dad for a moment and blinked three times. Her expression turned into a more confused one.
“But isn’t he like, six?”
“Seven. And at least this kid seems pretty nice. Just don’t make any jokes about him.” 
“Okay.” Rainbow said in an almost displeased tone. The thought of hanging out with a seven year-old wasn’t her cup of tea, but so far she didn’t have many other options. “Well, what about the last one?” 
Hesitantly, Rainbolt turned the page over to the most dangerous sounding of the three children; Sparky. 



Static Sparkle (Sparky):
1.) Her horn can conduct electricity. Don’t get her upset or she’ll probably shock/electrocute you. 
2.) She’s a bit reluctant when it comes to eating vegetables. 
3.) She’s a bit rambunctious and energetic, so make sure she doesn’t break anything. 
4.) She might ask you to help style her mane. If she does, try your hardest to do something. It’s the easiest way to bond with her. 

Sparky’s a pretty good kid and usually takes a liking to most of our foalsitters. She’s pretty sociable and will probably talk to you quite a lot. Her and Gemini are pretty close, but can fight at times. 



Well, this one seems much better and nicer to deal with. I bet Dashie would get along with her pretty well.
“Yeah… I think you’d make pretty good friends with Sparky. She seems nice…” 
Rainbow raised an eyebrow and looked at her father. 
“The one with the electric horn?” 
“Yeah…” He smiled. “Just don’t make her upset or anything…” 
“I won’t!” Dashie chimed. “But I still don’t get how she can electrocute ponies…” 
“Well, she can, so don’t try to make her upset or ask for demonstration.” 
“Yeah, yeah, I won’t…” 
Dude, how can I not ask her for a demonstration of something like that? I mean, even if she gives me a little shock, I’d still want to see it!
“Now… House rules and then I think we’ll be all set to introduce ourselves.” 
“Well, can’t I at least go introduce myself?” 
“Rainbow, no…Not yet at least.” The stallion took out the remaining piece of paper from the bottom of the box. “I still have to read you the rules.” 
“What?! Why?” The filly’s eyes went wide as her enthusiasm sunk. 
“Rainbow, these are his house rules. Just because he’s away for a couple hours doesn’t mean we should disrespect his house rules. If I hired a foalsitter for you, I wouldn’t want him or her letting you fly around the house performing stunts. Respecting their rules would only be the right thing to do.” 
Rainbow huffed, but didn’t argue any further with her dad. She instead chose to sit and listen with little patience. After a brief moment of silence, Rainbolt took that as his cue to read out the final piece of paper. The stallion cleared his throat and started the list: 
“One; Everypony must eat dinner by four in the afternoon. I want them all in bed by nine, so they can’t eat too late.” 
Rainbow let out an irritated grunt. 
“Really? They eat that early?” 
“Rainbow Dash!” Her father snapped. “We will respect Blueshift’s decision. If you don’t want to eat that early, I’ll take you somewhere for dinner afterwards, alright?” 
“Fine…” 
“Okay, good. Two; don’t give them their special cookies until they’ve eaten dinner. They’re in the top right drawer of my dresser. Each kid gets three.” The foalsitter paused a moment, waiting for his daughter to make a comment. She remained silent. “Three; no child is allowed in my room under any circumstances. Good rule.” Rainbow gave her dad a stern look of disapproval. He only smiled and went on. “Four; If they shower, they’re not allowed more than fifteen minutes.” To that, Rainbow giggled. 
“You wouldn’t survive a day in this house, Dad!” 
“My showers aren’t that long…” Rainbow looked to her father in disbelief. “Forty-five minutes isn’t that long, Dash!”      
“Yes it is! I only take five minutes!” 
“Hey, I pay the bills! I can shower for however long I want!”
Rainbow huffed out and sighed. Yeah, but you never save any hot water for me...
“Yeah, I know… Just, what are rest of the rules?” 
“Five; I want all misbehavior and disobedience reported to me. I will believe you over them. Don’t sugar coat it.” 
Rainbow looked over the rules once more. 
Alright, simple enough. I should probably get to introducing myself.
“Alright… I think the kids are in their rooms. Ready to meet them?” 
Rainbow nodded. At school, she’d had a hard time socializing. Maybe the confinements of a stranger’s home would be easier to make friends in. Who knew? 
With no more words, the two pegasi made their way beyond the living room, past the kitchen, and up the stairs. Naturally, Dash insisted on flying up the steps. Before she even made it up three steps, her father turned around and scolded her. With no verbal warning, Dash obediently fell to the ground and walked up the stairs like her father. The last thing Rainbolt wanted was a broken picture or valuable that didn’t belong to him. On the wall bordering the set of stairs was several family photos. Unbeknownst to Rainbolt, some even had Blueshift’s deceased wife in them, standing with a much younger version of the family. 
Soon, Rainbow and her nervous father reached the top of the staircase, only to be presented before a long, narrow hallway with five doors; two on the left, two on the right, and one at the very end. The stallion examined the hallway and looked at all the door options before him. 
“Which should we knock on first?” 
Rainbow simply shrugged at her father’s question, leaving the decision completely up to him. Unsurely, Rainbolt made his way to the first door on the right. The door was wooden and solid with very little light seeping from the cracks. Hesitantly, he squeaked out a tiny, “Hello?” 
No response. 
After a moment of silence, Rainbolt lifted his hoof to the door. He felt a little bead of sweat roll down his cheek as he gave the door three loud taps. 
“You know…” A deep, feminine voice started from behind the two. Rainbolt and his daughter turned to meet eyes with an unfamiliar filly... The stallion could only assume it was Luminescence by how old she looked and the pair of feathered beauties on her back. She was a dark shade of purple with an even darker purple mane that drooped down to her chest and was streaked with shades of light blue. Her eyes were blue, only one was a much darker shade of blue than the other. “Nopony’s in the bathroom. You can go if you need to.” 
Rainbolt blushed and nervously giggled. 
“Hehe… that’s okay. I was just trying to… you know, introduce myself. I-I’m your foalsitter.” The stallion smiled and awkwardly held out a hoof. “I’m here if you need anything or somepony to talk to.” 
Lumi did nothing but stare at the potential hoofshake and back at her foalsitter with an unenthusiastic expression on her face. For moment, there was complete silence. She then looked directly at Rainbow Dash and back at Rainbolt. 
“I knew my dad would hire a pegasus again… It’s like he’s trying to mock me. You mock me.” 
The mare leisurely placed her hoof at Rainbolt’s and forcefully lowered it. Her tone hadn’t an ounce of positivity in it and the foalsitter could instantly tell she’d be the biggest challenge. Although her judgement made him a bit angry, he knew he had to stay calm and be as gentle and kind as possible. 
“Gee, Luminescence… I’m sorry you feel that way. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll try to stay away from you.” The stallion forced a smile. “Just tell me if you need anything, alright?” 
From that, the filly grew a tad bit angry herself. She’d expected him to be offended, and wished he would have. Looks like her father had put a bit more of a warning on her this time around. 
“Fine!” She squeaked as calmly as she could and huffed out. “But don’t come in my room!” 
“I won’t, promise!” 
“That…” The filly pointed to the room parallel to the bathroom. “...is my room. The one at the end of the hall is Dad’s room, the one on the right over there…” She pointed to the right room in the back. “Is Sparky’s room, and the other one is Gemini’s. Go mess with them, not me!” 
“You got it!” Rainbolt chimed, trying hard not to seem offended or bothered by her attitude. Frustrated, the little pegasus growled and turned away, stomping madly into her room and slamming the door. The father and daughter duo flinched as the loud noise echoed throughout the hallway. There was then a brief moment of silence before Dash spoke up. 
“How in Equestria could you just let her talk to you like that without getting upset?” 
“Rainbow, I’m a parent.” He knelt down to his filly and lowered his voice. “I’ve learned that if you just take some time to and be nice to ponies they’ll eventually come around. Besides, starting an argument with her wouldn’t do anything but cause more trouble.” 
Rainbow looked away and rolled her eyes. She hated when her dad took the peaceful, easy route and left her boiling pot of anger unsatisfied. If she would have been in his position, she would have punched her in the nose. Her dad was well-aware of this. 
“Just let it go, Rainbow. We need to meet the other foals.” 
In agreement, but not total satisfaction, Rainbow followed her dad down the hall and stopped at the door next to Luminescence’s. On that door was a little sign that read “Gemini” in large, blue, bubble letters. Rainbolt raised a hoof, and with more confidence than last time, knocked. 
“You can come in!” A cute, premature voice called from the inside. Rainbolt accepted the invitation and opened the door. The moment he entered, he met eyes with a small, seven year-old colt. His coat was a soft shade of blue just like his father’s. His eyes had the color and shine of a bright sapphire. His mane was a deep shade of purple that was choppy, uneven, and quite messy, like he’d cut it himself. In his hooves was a novel-sized book and his head was on a pillow. 
“Gemini?” 
The little colt blinked twice and stared at the unfamiliar stallion. 
“Foalsitter?” 
Rainbolt nodded affirmatively. To this, the little colt smiled wide. 
“I, umm… just tell me if you need anything or somepony to talk to, I’ll be here. My name is Rainbolt, by the way…So, uhh… Need anything?” 
“Yeah!” The little, cute colt chimed brightly. 
“What do you-”
“Come here so I can tell you about this book I’m reading!” 
Rainbow almost immediately left the room at the sound of that. Rainbolt, however, felt it was his responsibility to listen to the foals, no matter what they needed, even if he didn’t have a true connection with them. 
“Alright, tell me about your story...”
The stallion made his way over to the edge of Gemini’s bed and looked over his shoulder. The book he was reading was nearly two inches thick and probably contained more words than Dash had even read in her lifetime. Gemini’s beautiful eyes sparkled as he pointed to his complex novel. His horn illuminated and he closed the book with a bit of struggle, and showed Rainbolt the illustrated cover. The text read The Many Mysteries of Crystal Falls, Book Three: The Mare and the Maniac. Written and Illustrated by Feather Quill while the illustration depicted a small mare with a disturbed, yellow mane back-to-back with a cloaked figure. In Rainbolt’s opinion, the mare looked a tad bit like Surprise if she were an Earth Pony with a straighter mane and blue eyes. 
“I just started the series this summer, but it’s really good so far! It’s about this mare who just moved to Crystal Falls with her two foals, but her foals go missing in the busy streets one Nightmare Night!” Rainbolt frowned at the familiar-sounding story. “So she spends all her time trying to recover her lost foals and there are so, so many characters that she’s added into this!” The little colt squealed happily in a fillyish way. “But in this one she met this stallion who she suspect has her foals, and is starting to get close to him, but now he’s starting to get feelings for her so they might just get married, and if he has her kids and claims they’re his kids, then she’ll be successfully reunited!” Gemini sighed happily at the thought of a happy ending. “And, this is the last book in the trilogy so I’ll get to see how it ends in merely one hundred thirty-eight pages!” 
Through the whole rambling session, the foalsitter listened with great patience. He was used to Rainbow telling him long stories with little to no hesitation. Absorbing all the information was a little more difficult.    
“But… you’re only seven. My eleven year old daughter hasn’t read more than ten words of a novel.” 
“That’s kind of sad..” He said with a frown. “And also, I’ll be eight next week!” He smiled. “When I was three, my mom started teaching my to read, and I haven’t really stopped since…” The little colt sighed and felt tears invading his eyes. “I miss my mommy… Whenever I read it reminds me of her.” 
It was that moment Rainbolt felt his heart break as little tears trickled down the unicorn’s face. Sure, he could mend the pain of a scraped knee, failed test, or broken heart, but the pain of a lost parent was an unfixable ache that could last a lifetime. The most Rainbolt could do in the situation was wrap a wing around the little colt he barely knew. Gemini accepted the affection easily, cuddling the wing of the pegasus as if he were a newborn. Like most of the time he focused on his mother, he sniffled deeply and tried to think of the positives in life. At least since then he’d got to experience a wide variety of fun foalsitters. 
“Thank you, Mister…” Gemini squeaked after inhaling deeply. 
“Anytime… Need anything?” 
“I don’t know...some water?” 
“Sure thing. I’ll go see how Sparky’s doing and then get you some, okay?” 
The little colt nodded affirmatively and inhaled his runny mucus once more. Rainbolt was a bit unsure about leaving him alone. He didn’t seem fully ready to be left alone, but if he really needed more comforting he would’ve asked for it. 
Unsurely, Rainbolt proceeded to refold his wing and make his way out of the room. He gently closed the door and then proceeded to put his ear against it. He waited almost a minute, just listening closely into the room. No crying. Eventually, there was the faint sound of page turning, which was enough to satisfy the concerned foalsitter. He then turned around to the only door that belonged to a child left; Sparky.     
Taking in a breath, the stallion made his way over to the final door. Instead of instantly knocking, however, he took in a few deep breaths. At that point, he didn’t even know where Rainbow was. As long as she hadn’t left the house, he was sure he could find her. 
Alright… Just be as sweet as you can so she doesn’t shock you. If she does… I don’t know, just endure it and ask her not to again.  
Nervously, Rainbolt lifted his hoof to the door and gave it three loud taps. Almost immediately, he received a response. 
“Come in!” A cheerful, feminine voice called from the inside.
With that, the stallion entered the little room. To his surprise, his daughter was in there, already talking to the little unicorn filly. She was the the second oldest foal and almost as cute as Gemini. She had an extremely light hue of lavender for her coat. Her eyes gleamed a bright shade of yellow very similar to Rainbolt’s. Her mane was pretty frizzy, but short. It was a deep shade of royal blue with a white stripe in the center. 
“Hey, Dad!” Dash chimed on the little filly’s bed. Sparky turned around and looked at Rainbolt. Her eyes lit up and she waved with a grin. 
“Hey, foalsitter!” The eleven year-old filly greeted towards Rainbolt’s direction with a salute. He smiled back to her. She seemed pleasantly calm. 
“If you need anything or somepony to, uh…” The stallion stopped himself in realization she was already talking to Rainbow and clearly didn’t need company. “...nevermind. Just, if you need something, I’m here.”
“Alright, Mister.”  
Slowly, Rainbolt backed out and closed the door, leaving the two to talk. 
Well, looks like Dash made a little friend already. I’d better go get that one kid his water. I sure hope he’s feeling better… 
Rainbolt made his way downstairs to the kitchen. There, he looked through several cabinets before at long last he found one in the upper right cabinets above the sink. He briefly checked the fridge to see if they had any refrigerated water. After finding nothing but a few bottles of pop, some juices, and some leftovers, Rainbolt made his way to the sink where he filled the plastic cup to the brim with tap water. He then poured a bit out, figuring it was a bit too much. He then made his way back up the stairs and to Gemini’s door. As quietly as he could, the stallion set down the glass of water and placed his ear at the door. No sobbing. No crying. Nothing. The only sounds were from the door across from it; pure laughing and chatting. It was nice to see Rainbow making friends that weren’t Fluttershy. 
After confirming the colt was no longer mourning, Rainbolt placed his hoof at the door and knocked three times at a medium volume. This time, the colt hesitated before giving him the verbal okay. 
“Come on in!” 
The foalsitter picked the cup up with his teeth and kept it at an awkward angle to assure none spilt out. He had to turn the handles with his wings and push open the door with his haunches, but did manage to get in without spilling a drop of the cool liquid. The little colt smiled when he saw the foalsitter with his promised drink. Though he was grinning, Rainbolt could clearly see dim redness in his slightly puffy eyes. The stallion set the drink down on the nearby drawer. 
“Y’okay, Buddy?” 
Gemini nodded affirmatively. 
“Of course I am… Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know...you look kind of down.”
“Eh… it’s nothing, really…”
“Alright…” Rainbolt paused for a moment. “Need anything else?” 
“Nope...I just want to finish my story…”      
Luckily for Gemini, this foalsitter took the hint and made his way out of the room with no further questioning, but an “Okay”. Rainbolt shut the door quietly and stood out in the hallway, wondering what to do next. 
Well, Gemini seems pretty occupied with his book, Sparky is talking to Dash, and Luminescence clearly does not want to be bothered… What’s left to do? Maybe I could do a bit of light housecleaning to occupy myself. I don’t think Blueshift would mind that much…I did notice his dishes weren’t done. I could probably do that without breaking anything. Rainbolt decided to tackle the challenge and started to trot down the stairs. Halfway down, he found himself chuckling at an old memory. Remember when Mom used to sing that song when you were little and you’d help her do the dishes? Ah, she’s a great mare... The stallion then caught something that stopped him dead in his tracks. A glimmer of white light reflected off one of the family photos. One depicted a younger version of the foals with Blueshift and a mare he didn’t recognize. Her mane was a deep shade of blue and styled in a very similar fashion to Lumi’s; wavy, shoulder-length, and very neat and clean. Her eyes were yellow and her coat was white as snow. Rainbolt felt tears invading his own eyes at the memory of Gemini’s pain, and the beautiful smile on his face in the photo. But it looks like these foals don’t even have a mom…     

_________________________________________________________________________________

Sparky and Rainbow smiled as the foalsitter left the room without too much conversation. Dash was especially happy her father didn’t do too much to humiliate her. The last thing she wanted was a potential friend to think she was being raised by a complete dork. Fortunately, the little unicorn saw Rainbolt in a pretty positive light. 
“Dude…” Sparky started in a semi-dreamy tone. “Your dad is hot…” 
“What?!” Rainbow shrieked. “No he’s not! He’s old!” 
“So? He’s still hot!” 
Rainbow sighed. Never before had she heard somepony call her dad hot. Well, maybe Surprise a few times, but Dash thought she was kind of kooky anyway. 
“Don’t say that! It’s weird!” 
“But true!” 
“No… Just weird. Can we not talk about it?”
“Well, we kind of need to… Not about how I find him hot, but about other stuff.” 
“What other stuff?” 
It was then the filly’s expression morphed into a devious smirk and her gold eyes lit up with ambition. She gestured Rainbow to draw nearer. Dash complied easily. Then, the filly spoke in a much quieter tone. 
“You see, my siblings and I have numerous foalsitters in the past three years. Some we like, some we dislike, and some we try our very hardest to drive away for good. You feel me?” Understanding, yet not understanding, Rainbow slowly nodded in agreement. “Good! And around twenty minutes or so we all enter a meeting to discuss if we like the foalsitter or not. If we like him or her, we decide to be as welcoming as possible and get them to stay. If not, we’ll try to drive them out. That simple.” 
“So, uh… How does this involve me?” 
“See. this is the best part. We usually don’t have the foalsitter’s kid with us.” She smirked deviously. “If the majority doesn’t like him, we can use you…” Sparky gently pressed her hoof to Rainbow’s chest. “...to tell us all his weaknesses.”
Rainbow was taken back in shock for a moment. Be disloyal to her own dad? He who had provided her with food, comfort, a place to live, and anything she needed? Was that the price of friendship? If so, would it even be worth it? Her father loved her unconditionally, so she wouldn’t be losing his love, just gaining other ponies’. If they were friends for years to come because of it, while her dad forgave her the next day, nothing would be lost, yet there would be things gained. 
“I-I don’t know about all this… I mean he’s kind of my dad and he means a lot to me… I don’t think telling you his secrets would be the nicest thing to do.” 
“Oh, you don’t have to be a part of this. I’m just saying if you did, it’d be a great for us and you could possibly make some friends out of it.” 
“I… I mean, I’d love to, but, what if I lost my dad’s trust?” 
“Listen, I’ll make sure he never knows. Oh, and if you help us and we succeed, we’ll split the reward with you!” 
Reward? So, not only would she have the possibilities of making new friends, but she’d also be rewarded outside of that? The temptation was becoming stronger by the moment. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could resist it. 
“What kind of reward?” the filly ask curiously. Sparky smiled. 
“You see, my dad has these cookies. I don’t know what they’re called, but they’re sooo good!” The filly licked her lips at the thought of the delicious treats. “But our dad only lets us have three cookies a day after dinner. So, if we can force your dad to give us the key to get the cookies, we can eat as many as we want.” 
“I see… I mean, if you don’t harm him, I guess we could…” 
“Oh…” Sparky blushed. “I wasn’t going to hurt him too, too bad, but when we usually do this we tie the foalsitter to a chair or the ground and shock them until they give in…” The filly sheepishly smiled as sparks danced around her lavender-tinted horn. 
“You’ve done that…?” 
“Yep! My dad didn’t find out because we all convinced him the foalsitter didn’t care and let us eat as much as we wanted. We can’t really do that with ponies he’s known for a super long time.” 
“Ah…” Rainbow awkwardly made eye contact with the floor. She was still debating. She could possibly gain friends and cookies in exchange for her dad’s trust. Sure, it wasn’t the best possible trade, but more than anything she just wanted some friends outside of Fluttershy. She was given a bright opportunity. 
“So, do we have a deal? You help us, we pay you in cookies.” 
Rainbow thought for another long moment before saying anything. She thought about her dad, friendship, trust, cookies, and everything that could either be ruined or gained through the deal. After a long moment she looked at Sparky unsurely. 
“So, um, how good did you say these cookies were?” 

Luminescence’s room was the chosen spot for the meeting, and according to Sparky, it was the most common location for the meeting. Lumi’s room was a bit bigger than the others, but there was far less room to move around. She had many, many shelves attached to the walls of her room. Each shelf was stacked with potions, empty glass bottles, containers filled with ingredients, and a  few even had bowls with fish or frogs on them. Her bed was a bit small in comparison to everything else. It had five large, overstuffed pillows with blue sheets and a multicolored quilt for a blanket. Next to her bed was a nightstand with a large crystal ball placed on it. The pegasus filly had instructed all of them to stay off her bed, leaving the floor as the only place to sit. Her siblings didn’t seem to mind, but Dash awkwardly shuffled around on the firm carpet. 
“Now…” The eldest of the children started. “I didn’t talk to the guy that long, but I think we can all agree he’d be the perfect victim for us. I’m sure after two or three shocks he’d give in and hand over the keys to Dad’s room.” 
“I don’t know…” Dash started in defense. “My dad has a thing about playing the rules… It might take a little bit more persuasion than that.” 
“Hm…” Naturally, Luminescence was the first to respond to a potential problem. “Sparky, how much voltage can you produce?” 
“I donnu. Depends on how much energy I have…” 
“Hmmm…” Lumi thought for a moment. “Go ask the stallion for some coffee. I’m sure you can convince him to give you some.” 
The filly smiled at her older sister brightly. Her dad never let her have coffee under any circumstances. Ever. A few times, she’d sneak a few sips from his morning cup and she loved every bit of it. Her father didn’t exactly have the greatest reaction when he caught her sipping some, though. The thought of getting a full cup all to herself didn’t even seem realistic. 
“Alright! Let’s hope this one’s gullible!” 
With that, Sparky proceeded to exit the room and make her way down the stairs to find the foalsitter, leaving Luminescence, Gemini, and Rainbow Dash in the room all alone together. At first, there was silence. Luminescence had nothing left to say, Rainbow had nothing intelligent to say, and Gemini was too shy to say anything. 
At that point, Rainbow was slowly starting to regret her decision. Her father had never done anything bad to her, and there she was plotting against him. He’d fed her, bathed her, cared for her when she was sick, cleaned up after her, provided her with a bed, clothes, toys, and anything else she felt she needed in life. If anything, he deserved to be repaid with gratitude and kindness. Instead, she was turning against him simply to impress a group of foals she’d known for less than an hour. A large pit of agonizing guilt had filled her heart. Luckily, the only colt in the room spoke up before she started to feel too bad about herself. 
“I...I don’t know about this…” Gemini spoke quietly. 
That got the sister’s attention instantly. Usually, she was the ringleader of the “torture” sessions. She decided whether or not the foalsitter should be tied up and electrocuted until they gave up the location of the key. She was the one to divide the keepers from the non-keepers, yet she was the one who often knew the least about the sitters.  
“I beg your pardon?” Luminescence asked her youngest sibling in a semi-rude tone. That did nothing but intimidate the young colt. Gemini never felt like a strong colt, but in the presence of his sister he felt like a mere ant. Sure, she’d never actually hurt him, but her verbal assaults had the impact of a grenade. 
"N-nothing..." he answered in a voice so quiet it could be mistaken for a whisper. "I just ummm... I just think that the foalsitter isn't that bad, and he's actually really nice. He listened to me talk about my story and he comforted me when I was sad... So maybe we should just take it easy on him...?" Gemini smiled cutely in an attempt to convince his sister to rethink her rash decision. 
‘     Rainbow smiled at Gemini from the opposite side of the circle. He'd been brave enough to stand up for her dad, yet she was too scared to simply tell them she didn't approve of their plans. She internally gained a little bit of respect for the seven year-old. He seemed to be the nicest of the three siblings in both Rainbow and Rainbolt's opinion.
"Well, I don't like him too well." Lumi bluntly admitted. She then scoffed at a recent memory. "Just this morning he... Ugh! He was just so... I don't know! I don't like him!" The filly folded her hooves and grumpily pouted.
Really? Are you serious?! My dad was nothing but respectful towards you! How can you be upset with him when you were the only one acting rude? Rainbow felt her anger building. I'd really like to punch this bitch...
"Oh... Well, what did he say to you...?" Gemini asked hesitantly, which only earned him a dirty look from his sister.
"Does it matter? He said...well, he... He said something, alright! And I didn't like it all! What happened then doesn't matter. All that matters is I don't like him and that's final!"
Yes, because Heavens forbid somepony act maturely enough to brush off your bitchy behavior and be polite. The only thing he said is how he'd stay out of your mane and respect your feelings. How in Equestria did that offend you? Ugh. I really want to say something to this filly...
"Well..." the little colt started, regretting his decision the moment it happened. "I-I think you should go kind of easy on him c-cause I thought he was nice and-"
"Nopony asked your opinion, Gemini!" Luminescence snapped in a vicious tone. "I don't like him, that's it! If you don't like it, leave! I don't care!"
The filly growled at her baby brother, who was swelling up with tears from her verbal assault. He blushed heavily and whimpered in sadness.
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Good!" The filly smiled in satisfaction and wrapped a wing around her brother with a smile. She gently stroked his back to comfort him and took in a breath when she saw two little droplets of salty water rolling down his cheeks. "Hey... I'm sorry I snapped, alright…? I just... I'm frustrated... I love you."
"I love you, too..." Gemini whimpered, wiping away a stray tear from his cheek. "And I understand. I know how you can get sometimes..."
Lovingly, the filly kissed his forehead and patted his back. This made Rainbow raise an eyebrow. She seemed like such a jerk, yet she was being so sweet to her littlest brother. She supposed it was a sibling thing. They must have had an unbreakable connection that only they felt.
I wonder what sibling love feels like... Dash thought as she saw the two in the comforting hug. 
"You forgive me?" Luminescence asked in a quiet tone.
"Of course I do..." Gemini smiled. "Sorry I kept pestering you about it..."
"No, it's fine. I shouldn't have gotten so mad over you having a different opinion than me." Even though the pegasus felt guilty for making her little brother sad she still had her opinion and was going to make sure her wishes were met. "So, I presume we're at a point where we can just reach an agreement?" Gemini nodded. "Good. I assume we're going through with my idea?" To this, the unicorn hesitated to answer. He was still in a disagreement with her, but really didn't want to make her upset again. Slowly, he nodded affirmatively, which made Lumi undoubtedly happy. 
After that moment of pure, beautiful, emotional silence, everypony flinched at the sound of the bedroom door flinging open. All were taken back and in fearful shock as Sparky made her way in with a full, steamy cup of fresh coffee.
"Guys! He bought it! He really did!" The little filly smiled and chugged down a large gulp of the hot liquid without the slightest expression of pain or distress. "I didn't think he'd buy it, but then he reread the house rules and Dad didn't put a 'no coffee' rule so he made me some!" Again, the excited filly took a long sip of the drink. "It's a bit dark, but it's good!"
Holding the cup firmly in her hooves, the unicorn took a seat back where she originally was and chugged down more of the steamy beverage. Rainbow simply looked at the eager filly in confusion.
"Why are you holding it with your hooves when you could use magic?"
At that, Sparky simply giggled.
"I don't have magic, silly! The only thing that comes out of this horn is pure electricity!"
The unicorn did a brief demonstration by allowing a spark of electricity to escape. The hot, white spark danced around her horn and then seemingly vanished. 
"Pretty neat, eh?"
"Yeah..."
"Hey, save the sparks!" Lumi teased playfully. "We'll need those in a half hour or so..."
"Ah...right." The little, lavender unicorn then smiled cheerfully. "You know, I really like this foalsitter. He's the first one to make me coffee, and he's pretty cute." Rainbow narrowed her pink eyes at Sparky for the "cute" comment, but the unicorn chose to ignore her. "I think I'll go kinda easy on him with the shocking."
To that, the eldest sibling looked away and felt heat of anger rush to her cheeks. Why everypony was so happy with the new foalsitter, she hadn't the slightest idea. In reality, it simply made her hate him more.
Oh, am I going to love seeing him get electrocuted...

"So, umm...What do you want me to do again?" Rainbow asked as she was sent out into the hallway and get the foalsitter. The three foals behind Luminescence's door all agreed Dash would be the best one to get her father into the trap. She was his daughter, and her voice calling him would be more urgent to him than if one the other foals did.
"Just call your dad up here, okay?" Lumi reminded her for what felt like the hundredth time. "We'll get him to the ground and tie him up. Trust me, we've done it before."
“I don’t know…” the little pegasus hesitantly started. “Doesn’t this seem a bit excessive to do just for cookies?” 
“Well, for regular cookies maybe…” The eldest sibling explained. “But these cookies are far different. The moment you’ll taste one you’ll understand. They just make you feel good all around…” 
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. Sure, she'd had a wide variety of amazing foods in her lifetime, yet not one tasted so good that she’d tie somepony down and electrocute them to get some. 
“But you’ll be getting some after dinner in an hour or so anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to just wait?” 
Lumi growled at the young filly. Dash personally wasn’t scared of her, but nevertheless, she decided to stop arguing with her. If she really wanted Dash to do this, she’d get her one way or another. It was three against one, and one of the ponies against her could fry her. Her best option seemed to be to simply obey. 
“Dad!” Rainbow called down the fleet of steps. 
“Yeah?” 
From down there, Rainbow saw her father poke his head out and look up at her. 
“Could you come up here for a minute?” she asked. Her pink eyes darted towards Lumi’s door, which had been shut firmly. She didn’t want to put her father in harms way. She really, really didn’t. Guilt was already consuming her soul and nothing had even happened to him yet. More dread started to fill her heart as the stallion actually started to gallop up the stairs. His mane was a bit of a wreck from doing household chores, but he still wore a smile on his face. 
“What do you need, Sweetheart?” 
Sweetheart. That title stung her soul like a bullet. 
“I, umm… I...c-come closer, please…” 
A bit confused, Rainbolt tossed his daughter an unsure look. Hesitantly, he complied, coming nearer to his daughter. Within a moment, he was standing right in front of Lumi’s door. 
“What do you n-” 
Before the stallion could finish his sentence, the door flung opened to reveal a little trio of hungry children. With no hesitation, they all tackled him to the ground. In fear and shock, the stallion instantly started thrashing his body and squirming under the overpowerment of the foals. Gemini and Sparky put all their weight on their sitter’s legs, while Luminescence put all her weight on his back. In fear of the unpredicted situation, Rainbolt cried out a series of pleas, questions, and commands. Most of them were along the lines of “Stop!”, “What are you doing?”, and “Please get off me!”, and all were deaf to the foals ears. All except Rainbow’s. 
“Stop moving!” Sparky demanded. It wasn’t a surprise to anypony that Rainbolt didn’t stop moving. “Stop it right now or you’re getting electrocuted!” 
That threat was enough to instantly make the pegasus stop rocking. The last thing he wanted was a fried body and frizzled mane. 
“Good…” Luminescence started in a calming tone. Slowly, her hoof ran up the stallion’s back to lower his nerves. “Gemini, go get the rope.” With a salute and a smile, the little colt ran off into Luminescence’s bedroom to retrieve the requested item. 
“Rope..?” The foalsitter gulped. “Why would you need-”
“Sparky!” 
It was then, Rainbolt felt the hot sensation of sparks running up his body. He trembled under the jolting lightning and felt his heart beat rise dramatically. His yellow eyes rolled to the other side of his head as the white lightning ran through his veins. As suddenly as the sensation had started, it ended. He’d only been shocked for a few seconds, but he was still panting and woozy-feeling at the end. Rainbow was gaping in shock at what she’d just witnessed. They hadn’t even told him what they wanted and they were already shocking him for practically no reason. 
“Hey!” Rainbow squeaked. That got the two fillies’ attention. “You just can’t shock him like that! He didn’t even do anything!” 
To that, Rainbolt smiled a bit. His daughter sticking up for him like that was pretty sweet, but then again… she was kind of the one to get him in the mess. Lumi and the little unicorn weren’t nearly as amused with her reply, however. 
“Calm down. It was just a test spark to let him know we’re not afraid to get physical.” She smiled. “We promise, though, we won’t cause any fatal injuries.” 
It was then Gemini re-entered the hallway with a long piece of rope in his mouth. The two fillies deviously smirked. Rainbow tossed her dad a look that read “I’m so, so sorry…”. The stallion simply nodded and tossed his daughter a reassuring smile to forgive her. She smiled back and watched as Lumi took the rope and tied her father’s hooves behind his back. He didn’t even make an attempt to struggle. He simply laid there and took whatever the fillies had coming to him. Surely, they didn’t want to harm him and there’d be something he could do to make sure they didn’t get violent. Internally, Luminescence was happy he didn’t struggle. Not having magic already made the task difficult enough. Trying to do the same thing on a freaked out, tossing foalsitter was a completely different challenge. Finally, after a good minute, his hooves were tied firmly behind his back and blocked his wings. Satisfied, the thirteen year-old filly removed herself from the stallion’s back. 
“There...all nice and tight…” Lumi grinned and made her way to the front of Rainbolt so he could clearly see her. “Now… all you have to do to be let go is tell us where you’ve put the key to Dad’s room. We’ll get in, take some cookies, leave, and dine. Deal?”
To that, the stallion seemed a bit unsure. Not only did Blueshift tell him not to give his kids cookies before dinner, but he also said nopony was allowed in his room and everypony was only entitled to three cookies. He wouldn’t have felt comfortable violating one of the stallion’s household rules. Violating three sounded like a prison sentence.
“I...umm…” Rainbolt forced a smile. “H-how about if I were to get you the cookies now, and then give you four each instead of three?” 
It was then, the stallion felt another strong surge of lightning flow through his body. Rainbow winced at the thought of being in his position and watched as his entire body shook and white lightning hopped around every inch of her father’s body. After a good ten seconds, Sparky finally stopped. Rainbolt let out a long moan as the pain settled into his body. The stallion’s coat was a bit charred in certain places and his rainbow mane was frizzled and burnt. 
“Now… I’m going to ask you again… Where are my dad’s keys?”
The stallion was too busy taking in pants to even speak a word. 
“Hm…?” 
Still, Rainbolt was too busy trying to regain his breath to try to answer. He instead tried to make motions with his mouth to speak to the pegasus. 
“Sparks, why don’t you help loosen his tongue?” 
Sparky smiled and gave Rainbolt a quick shock that lasted no more than a second. He jolted once and then did his best to get the message to her verbally. 
“P-p-please, Luminescence… Y-you’re dad gave me a rule guide and I want to follow it. P-please let me go...I-I’m sure we can come to some kind of agreement so that both parties wi-i-i-i-i-i….” 
Again, the stallion was rewarded with a harsh shock through his body. Because the electrocution started when he was speaking, the whole time he was at a shaky vibrato. This one was far more powerful than the last one and had his body thrusting in every which direction. His pulse dramatically rose and his heart felt like it was going to explode within his chest. He felt his eyes roll to the back of his head once again. This time, he ended up foaming a bit from his mouth. After nearly twenty seconds, Sparky stopped. Rainbolt was uncontrollably panting with saliva coming from either side of his mouth. He could hardly breathe, let alone talk. 
“Now… you are going to tell us where you put the keys or you’ll be getting a good forty-five seconds of white, hot electricity.” 
That was a threat that terrified both Rainbow and her bound, exhausted father. His eyes were watering as they looked into the dark blue and light blue eyes of the eldest child. 
“P-please no more…” He weakly croaked out. 
“If you don’t want anymore, you speak up.” 
Rainbolt looked up at the filly pitifully. At that point, he knew he didn’t have much of an option left. Exhausted, he nodded his head affirmatively and continued to breath. This brought a smirk to the filly’s face. Behind Rainbolt, Gemini and Sparky hoofbumped in victory. Rainbow just stood there, watching. Her heart practically broke in two as they celebrated their triumph against her dad. And she helped them…
No… 
Rainbow stood up from her spot and marched over to the little foals where they stood. Her heart beat in pure anger at the fillies and colt. They seemed so nice, yet to an adult, they acted so rude and disrespectful. Maybe if it were a different adult, she’d have only been mildly bothered, but this was her dad. Her sweet, loving, amazing father who deserved far more respect than most parents she knew. 
“You!” She started in a semi-aggressive tone. All three foals instantly gave Rainbow their attention. “All of you! You should be ashamed of yourselves! You’re so greedy that you can’t wait an hour to have your fair share of cookies! You bring harm to other ponies just for your own greedy desire! You put somepony through extreme pain for what? So you can steal from your dad, break the rules, and eat as many cookies as you want. I’d be ashamed to be as greedy as you all! He said no, and that’s it! He’s in charge around here, and none of you were given special privileges. Honestly, would your dad approve of this behavior?” 
Before Rainbow could finish her speech, her father was smiling with pride and Gemini was in tears of guilt. Sparky wasn’t crying, but she still felt awful about herself after all that was said. Even Luminescence felt a little twinge of guilt in her heart. Unsurprisingly, the youngest colt was the first to apologize. He shamefully made his way up to Rainbolt with tears running down his face. 
“I-I’m so sorry I h-helped do this to you… I-I think you’re nice and you don’t deserve this…” Gemini wiped a tear away from his eye. “I-if you don’t want to give me cookies, then I understand… I’m sorry.” 
Rainbolt smiled up at the little colt. 
“N-no it’s fine.” The stallion coughed. “You’re a good little colt, Gemini. I accept your apology.” 
The little unicorn smiled and hugged the stallion’s head gently. He then backed away and Sparky made her way into Rainbolt’s vision.  
“I-I’m sorry I electrocuted you… I really am…” 
“That’s okay…” 
“No, really…” The filly brought her hoof up to her horn and gave herself a pretty powerful shock. It only lasted a mere second, and when she stopped, she smiled. Her blue and white mane was standing up in all directions, which made Rainbolt chuckle a bit. 
It was then, the two ponies looked at Luminescence, who turned her gaze away and folded her hooves grumpily. 
“Sorry…” she mumbled under her breath. Rainbolt smiled at her… attempt to apologize. 
“And Dad…” Rainbow Dash made her way to the front of the crowd, closest to her father. “I’m sorry I chose to be loyal to them instead of you. I just thought it’d be an opportunity to make friends… I’m sorry for going against you like this. I never wanted to…” 
“It’s okay, Dashie…” The proud father smiled at his daughter. “I understand what it’s like to put friends over family, but that’s a story for another day…” The stallion looked around at the foals and sighed. “Can you maybe untie me now?” 

At that point in dinner, all eyes were set on Sparky, the slowest of the eaters. While everypony else had finished their macaroni and cheese with string beans, the little filly was still munching on her creamy, cheese-coated pasta. She only had a few bites left, but the tension in the room was unbearably thick. All foals of the household were anxious to get their after-dinner cookies while Rainbow was anxious to simply try one. 
“Hurry…” Lumi encouraged her. 
“I’m trying…” 
As fast as she could, the young filly stuffed spoonful upon spoonful of the macaroni. Her cheeks were filled with the yummy dish as she tried harder and harder to stuff her face more and more. Rainbow had only eaten a small portion of macaroni, while Rainbolt ate nothing. Both, however, sat at the table the whole time to make sure the others finished eating. The foalsitter already had the large bag homemade desserts prepared and ready to serve when they were done. 
At that point, there were still spots in Rainbolt’s mane that were crispy and his coat was still frizzled. Some of his feathers had been burnt, while others had just been burnt off. All was forgiven, though. Rainbolt still told the children that he would be telling their father the way the acted, which none of them argued against. 
“Ugh!” Luminescence grunted out. “Can’t you just give us the cookies if she’s going to be slow?” 
Rainbolt shook his head. 
“You’ve waited this long for them, and you can wait another minute or so for your sister to finish.” 
On top of that, Rainbolt felt Luminescence was the least deserving of the three for cookies. Even though he knew he couldn’t favorite children of his own, Rainbolt did have a favorite of the three children he was foalsitting; Gemini. He definitely was the sweetest of the three, and Rainbolt appreciated his optimistic, yet sympathetic and sweet nature. Well… Rainbolt thought he seemed optimistic. All though he’d cried twice in the short amount of time he’d spent with him, he seemed to be pretty happy most of the time. Sparky was a pretty nice kid, too. She seemed happy and energetic, and was extremely polite when she asked for coffee. Luminescence, on the other  hoof, hadn’t had one nice moment towards Rainbolt. He still liked her and all, but he did think she had tons of room to improve her behavior. Then again, he couldn’t say anything different about Dash at times.
Finally, Sparky swallowed her last bit of food. The rest of her siblings smiled as the little lump of pasta slid down her throat. She smiled, as well, and pushed her messy, cheese-stained plate away. She then smiled up at Rainbolt expectantly. He returned the grin as he unzipped the large, plastic bag the cookies had been placed in. The quartet’s eyes grew much larger. Even to Rainbolt, the cookies looked delicious. They were soft, fluffy, and chocolate chip with a thick layer of chocolate on the bottom of the cookie. He of course wasn’t going to try one, unless of course he was offered one or told he could take one. 
All the mouths at the table were practically watering. The first three cookies Rainbolt took out of the bag were handed to the child closest to him: Gemini. The little unicorn made an attempt to take them with his magic. A deep blue aurora surrounded the yummy treats. After a moment, however, his magic flickered and completely disappeared. He sighed and took them how he usually does; by hoof. He set them on a nearby napkin and tried his best to experiment with his levitation skills once more.  Unfortunately, he could barely lift the treat an inch off the ground and decided to plop it in his mouth instead. He moaned as he ate the delicious cookie.
The next three cookies went to little Sparky across the table from him. She was more than happy to pick the cookies up and gobble them up within little time. Her yellow eyes then widened with remembrance. 
“Thank you!” The filly chimed with a mouth full of cookie. Several chunks of saliva-drenched cookies flew onto the table. 
“You’re welcome, Sweetheart…” 
Rainbolt then turned to Luminescence. 
“Listen, Luminescence, I can’t force you to like me, be my friend, or even tolerate me, but can I ask that you at least make peace with me. For whatever reason, you don’t like me, and I understand that. I don’t dislike you, though.” He smiled and scooted the three cookies over to the young filly. “So what do you say? Friends?” 
The pegasus sighed and looked at her foalsitter. 
“I’m sorry, okay…? I hate just about all the foalsitters I’ve ever had. Nothing personal…” She bit off the edge of her cookie. “I mean, if you weren’t a foalsitter, I’d probably think you’re an okay dude… Just feed your spawn or whatever.” 
Rainbolt smiled at his daughter and dug his hoof into the cookie bag. 
“Your dad won’t mind if I give a few to my kid?” 
The three foals all looked at each other and tossed one another unsure glances. They then turned to Rainbolt and shrugged. The stallion looked at his daughter. She smiled cutely to him. 
“Alright… I guess it couldn’t hurt you…” 
It was that moment they all heard something none of them expected to hear; the front door unlocking. All the foals turned around to face the front door, which was only a mere ten feet from the entrance of the house. He seemed quite tired. His mane was a fluffy mess and his energy was extremely low. Almost instantly, the foals rose from their table seats and ran over to their loving father. Like always, he was talked with love and affection. Luminescence was the first to ram into a loving hug with him, while Gemini and Sparky came after. Blueshift smiled and took his children in a loving hug. All of them received kisses on their foreheads and back rubs. 
“Awe… You’re all so sweet…” Blueshift at long last broke away from the hug. “Did the foalsitter already give you your cookies?” 
“Yep!” 
“Just now!” Sparky added with a smile.
“Good, good…” He lovingly rubbed Sparky’s mane and did the same to Gemini with his other hoof. It was then, Rainbolt got up from his seat and made his way over to the stallion and his foals. Rainbow followed closely behind. When the stallion got a look at the foalsitter, he went agape. Rainbolt’s mane was still frizzled and black on the ends. Some of his feathers were missing, while others were a nice shade of brown or black. Parts of his fur were still scorched from the shocking experience. 
“Sparky!” the father instantly snapped. “Why do you insist on electrocuting half of our foalsitters! This is why nopony wants to watch you guys!” 
“Oh, no, no!” Rainbolt started with a smile on his face. “This was an accident!” 
“It..was?” Blueshift asked in a unconvinced tone. 
“Oh, yeah! You see, she needed help doing something with her mane, so I offered to help. In the middle of me doing it, I must of scared her somehow because she accidentally shocked me pretty bad. She apologized afterwards, though, so it’s all good…” 
At that all the foals were agape, including Rainbow. 
“Oh...sorry, Sparks.” He smiled to his filly. “I just kinda… because you do it so much, I just thought you would have…” 
“It’s okay…” Sparky smiled at her father reassuringly. 
“So, um…” The unicorn turned his attention back to Rainbolt. “How were they? You know, overall?”
“Oh, they were complete angels!” The stallion lied with a smiled. “None of them gave me any problems, and they seem to all like me pretty well.” 
“Awe, good job guys! I’m proud!” 
“Eh, umm…” Rainbolt started awkwardly. “Would you mind if maybe my kid had a few of the cookies? Your kids keep telling how great they are-” 
“Oh, no… You can’t have any of them…” Quickly, the stallion yanked the bag of cookies away from Rainbolt. “Sorry, I… I need to put these up..” 
What…? 
“I’m sorry, but-” 
“No, don’t be sorry!” The stallion galloped off, heading towards the staircase. 
Rainbolt, now feeling oddly suspicious, spread his wings and took off after him. All the foals watched in confusion, and mentally decided it’d be better not to get involved. Seeing Rainbolt flying after him highly encouraged the stallion to gallop faster. Fortunately for Rainbolt, his flight allowed him to go upstairs far faster than a pony on hooves. He flew over Blueshift with ease. In fear, the stallion tried his best to pick up the pace, only to have his competitor land at the top of the staircase right in front of him. Blueshift stopped and felt his heart nearly jump out of his chest. 
“C-can you just let me through?” Blueshift asked desperately. 
“No!” Rainbolt placed his hooves firmly on the ground. “What’s with those cookies? You feed them to your kids every single day after dinner, yet my kid can’t have one? Are they that special?” 
“It’s just… secret family recipe. My mom doesn’t like knowing that anypony outside our family has them…” 
“Why do your kids act so addicted to them?” 
“These are...really good cookies…” The stallion smiled fakely and tried again to get around Rainbolt. 
“Why are they only allowed to have them after dinner?” 
“I don’t want them to ruin their appetite.” 
“Why do you act like they have to have the cookies?”
“I don’t know! They like them!” 
“Why do you only allow them to have three each?” 
“Because I don’t want them to overdose!” 
It was then, Rainbolt’s eyes went wide and Blueshift threw his hooves over his mouth. 
“I...I-I-I….” 
Overdose...?  
“You...There’s drugs in them…?” 
Blueshift dropped the bag of cookies and sighed. He looked up at Rainbolt with tears invading his purple eyes. 
“I… c-can I tell you a story…?” 
“I… suppose…” 
Unsurely, Blueshift took a seat at the top of the staircase next to Rainbolt. The pegasus awkwardly sat next to the unicorn and decided to take a listen. 
“I…I’ve never told anypony this… Only me and my friend know about this, and I guess now you will…” The stallion gulped and took in a breath. “Just save your questions until the end, okay?” Rainbolt nodded, and Blueshift started his story. 
“Around two years ago my wife died. She was extremely close to my kids. I mean, I was working most of the time and she had to run the household. All of them were really close to her. I mean, really close… Especially Gemini. When she died, he was the one with the most questions. A lot of them were hard to answer, and most made his depression worse… All of my kids were affected, though. They’d spend nearly all day in their rooms crying, wishing there was some way to bring her back. Gemini stopped reading, Lumi stopped making potions, and well, Sparky stopped… sparking. The only time they ever came out of their rooms was for dinner. Gemini rarely ever made it through a full dinner without heading off to his room to cry… Every night I started tucking him in. Every night I did only ended in tears.” 
Now, all of this happened for months and months. It was awful. Nopony ever smiled, every day was filled with tears, and most nights ended with sobbing. I started letting the kids sleep in my room if they needed it, but it hardly ever helped. It got to a point where I just couldn’t take it… So, I went to this pharmacy and bought a whole bunch of these over-the-counter antidepressants. I knew they wouldn’t take them directly, so I started mixing them in cookie dough and feeding it to them. It didn’t work… I tried it for a few weeks, and nothing happened. Some nights there wasn’t as much crying, but I didn’t think that had anything to do with the drug…” 
Now, I have a friend. His hobby is weird and exotic drugs. I went to him and explained everything and asked if there was anything he had that could possibly help my foals. He said he only had this one drug called ‘Adradian’. He explained to me how it worked, and I was very skeptical, especially considering the fact it’s illegal. He told me some of the side effects were hostile behavior, anger management problems, allergic reactions, illness, and sometimes even death if it was taken too excessively or with other drugs. I was really scared to try it.. I didn’t know how it would effect my kids, but one night I put it into a batch of cookies anyway. I gave it to them, and after only a few days, Sparky tossed me a bright smile and a ‘Hey, Dad’ one morning. It took a while for it to effect the others, but it happened…” 
Now, I started testing my limits. I put up pictures of their mom around the house, mentioning her, and even sharing memories of her. Gemini seemed, and well, still seems to be the only one truly affected by memories of his mom. Sure, the others still miss her, but he always had a connection with her, and no drug in the world could make him forget that…” 
Anyway, I once took them off the drug, just to see what would happen. This was around six months ago… They became, well, depressed again. I don’t know if I didn’t take them off it steadily enough or what, but… it’s the only thing keeping them happy and me sane…” 
I know Gemini doesn’t have MPD, the drug just sometimes doesn’t work on him. I know Lumi doesn’t have hatred within her, she’s just experiencing problems managing her anger… Sparky, though. She seems to be the highest effect by it in a positive way. She’s a sweetheart…” 
For a moment, Blueshift paused and smiled at Rainbolt. Tears were flowing down his face. 
“I bet you think I’m an awful parent… I got my seven-year old addicted to drugs, and I’m doing all this illegally without my foals’ consent, but...they’re happy.” He smiled. “And that makes me happy…” 
Rainbolt stared at the stallion and blinked. 
“I… I don’t know what to say… I really think you should take them off it, though. If you don’t, they might never be able to find happiness on their own… I know it would be depressing, but it definitely isn’t helping them…” 
“I know… and I will… one day…” 
   
     

> 30. It's All French to Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

    My Dearest Rainbolt, 
So, the school year's started once more. As you can imagine, that has an affect on my children's schedule. You know... pill schedule. It's nothing too major, I guess. Luminescence gets out at 2:00, Sparky gets out at 4:15, and Gemini gets out at 3:00. This isn't a problem, though. Lumi is walked home by one of her friends and a parent. I have to pick up Gemini and Sparky, though. It's not that difficult, I suppose, considering all of their schools are within walking distance. The hardest part is having to leave my kids alone at home to pick up another. Sometimes when I come home, I catch them fighting, trying to get into my room, or trying to cook by themselves. I know I may act a bit overprotective when I tell my thirteen year-old I don't want her cooking alone, but that's just me, I guess. I mean, I'm sure the thought of your daughter cooking with no supervision doesn't make you all that happy. 
Another thing that's been troubling me as a parent lately is Sparky. Nothing about her personally, but she's been acting really colt-crazy these days. They've only been in school a month and she's already liked almost three different colts! Fillies are crazy. I suppose it's just a phase they all go through... Speaking of that, has Dash had any crushes this year? I know she's the same age as Sparks, so I'm just wondering. It may just be her, though. 
So... Anyway... I'm not sure what more to say. There's really not much going on in my life. How about you, though? Anything interesting happening? I know you mentioned something about your boss acting whackier lately. How's that been working out for you?       
So... that's really it. Thanks for all the advice and everything. I hope to hear from you soon. 
Sincerely yours, 
Blueshift. 

Rainbolt smiled as his eyes scanned over the sheet of paper over and over again. He was in the front of the schoolhouse waiting for his daughter to be released as he read the letter. He giggled, frowned, and smiled over the course of the short reading. At first, he was unsure if staying in touch with Blueshift would be that good of an idea of not. After some convincing, however, Rainbolt agreed. He decided it would be nice to keep in touch with him and see how his kids were doing. Maybe, he could even make him agree to cut down the doses until his cookies were made with nothing but love, sugar, flour, milk, butter, and eggs. 
"I'll have to write him back eventually..." Rainbolt muttered to himself with a small grin. "Maybe later today.... Hmm... Maybe when I'm done at work.... Or maybe-"
Suddenly, Rainbolt was cut off by three loud, high-pitched dings. They were dismissed. The stallion's ears perked up as his eyes met the schoolhouse. Within a short moment, the front doors swung opened. A little group of fillies and colts swarmed out of their classrooms with wide smiles on their faces. They galloped happily into the hooves of their guardians who were waiting right outside the schoolhouse. The stallion felt himself smile at the sight of the young foals with so much excitement to see their parents. It made him think of when Dashie was that young and was that excited to see him at the end of every day. His grin grew at the thought of her innocent smile, little hooves eagerly galloping towards him, and the forceful embrace she'd take him in the moment he entered the school building. Heck, when she first started school, he would even receive the occasional, "I love you", "I missed you," or "Hi, Daddy". 
Well, she still says hi to me... She just hardly ever calls me "Daddy".... Unless, of course, she wants something...
The stallion sighed and remained standing where he was. More and more foals rushed from the schoolhouse. Rainbolt yawned as the moments quickly passed. Slowly, his mind started to slip into thoughts, bored with the scenery around him. 
I wonder how long it'll take Dash to get out. I mean, she's usually not too late... Eh, she's probably just using the bathroom or something... She'll make her way out eventually. Just don't try to make a big fuss over it. It's no big deal... What else is there to think about? Blueshift... I really don't know what to tell that guy. I mean, I'll keep trying to convince him the best I can. Maybe I should ask Surprise what to do... She usually knows how to talk to ponies. Well, not usually about serious things, but she does have a way of convincing ponies to do stuff.... Maybe that's just you giving in easily. Then again, she did convince Mrs. Skies to not fire an innocent employee when she was in a pissed off mood. I'm really tired of her mood swings... I mean, she's been yelling about just about everything, having an abnormal appetite, whining, and just too hard to bare....I really don't think her going through menopause is a good excuse... Personally, I'd like to really like to- 
"Hey!" A high-pitched, feminine voice squeaked in a semi-angry tone. Rainbolt snapped back into reality and quickly looked down to meet eyes with a filly. Her medium blue mane cascaded down her shoulders and had curly ends. Her eyes were a very dark shade of blue, and her coat was such a light shade of blue it was almost white. "Can you like, not block the way of everypony?" 
For the longest moment , Rainbolt simply stared at the little filly with wide eyes and a frown. Was she serious? He was simply leaning against a gate, out of the way of all ponies. Her rude accusation was completely unjustified and unreasonable. The stallion blinked, slowly trying to figure out how to respond. 
"Umm, hello? I asked you a question!" 
Rainbolt took a moment before closing his mouth, smiling a bit, and making an attempt to speak. 
"Oh, I beg your pardon. I didn't realize standing off to the side next to a gate completely out of the paths of everypony would be considered blocking." 
The filly scruffed up her muzzle and her face grew red. 
"You know, it's really immature of you to sink down to a foal's level of maturity!"     
The stallion blinked, trying hard to even understand where her logic was even coming from. 
"Yes, because pointing out the flaws in your argument makes me less mature." He frowned and looked at the filly. "Listen, I'd move if you asked politely, but just barging into me and demanding I move isn't cool." 
To that, Windy responded physically. She pressed her head into Rainbolt's chest and forcefully tried to push him as hard as she could. He at first took a step back, but put his weight down, knowing the little filly was no match to him. 
Okay, this is really ridiculous... 
Rainbolt sighed and quickly stepped backwards. Unfortunately for Windy, she wasn't expecting it and ended up falling face-first into the large pile of fluff. The stallion chuckled and the little filly got up, only to growl at him for causing her misfortune. 
"You! I'll get my daddy to beat you up for this!" 
Rainbolt shrugged and chuckled. 
"Okay, Sweetheart. I'll be sure to tell him the little part about how you constantly bully my daughter." Windy gasped to that remark. Her eyes were no longer narrowed and her mouth was at an agape position. The stallion smirked a bit and continued on. "Yeah, Rainbow Dash has pointed you out several times to me and told me about all the rotten things you say to her. It would be a real shame if your dad found out about how poorly you treat your peers." 
To that, the little filly scrunched up her nose and and turned away with all her pride. 
"Whatever! Just go and let me be with my leaning post!" 
The stallion blinked and looked at the filly with a bit of confusion. 
She forced me to move out of the way... Just so she could lean on the post? What a brat!
Angry, but not wanting to make a scene, the stallion swallowed his anger and walked in the direction of the school house. It wasn't long before his eager daughter flew in front of him with an a half-angry look on her face. 
"Whoa!" Rainbolt took a step back and smiled. "You just kinda came out of nowhere..." 
"Why are you socializing with the enemy!" The filly shrieked at her dad. 
"Rainbow..." The stallion blinked and looked at his filly. "I wasn't just chit-chatting with her. She came up to me and forced me to leave where I was..."
"What'd you say to her?" she demanded to know. 
"I..." The stallion chuckled. "Well, I threatened to tell her dad about her bullying you, and I kind of made her fall down." 
Rainbow Dash felt a bit of pink rise to her cheeks. She was slightly upset, but did like the idea of her most hated classmate being tripped and threatened. 
"Yeah... Whatever. I just hope she doesn't say anything about it in class tomorrow..." 
"I hope not either." The stallion looked at his daughter and forced a smile. "Listen, if she says anything, tell her I'll get the news to her parents. When I made the threat to, she seemed a bit intimidated." 
"Yeah..." Rainbow still didn't seem a lick enthused about the idea. She did, however, quickly look back up at her dad and put a genuine, cute smile on her face. "So... Dad..." The filly reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a piece of white paper. Rainbolt took it as the filly handed it over to him. "Today, we were given these fliers to see the Wonderbolts next Monday! They're performing at the school and I need five bits to see them!" 
"No problem, Sweetie." 
"Buuut..." the filly started with a little smile on her face. "If you give me fifteen bits, I'll get to show them my stuff and get constructive criticism!" 
"I..." The stallion thought for a moment. If he gave her the fifteen bits, he may not have enough to buy the things he needed to bake muffins for the picnic him and Dash planned to go on with Surprise that Sunday. He could however, buy some from the store and still have enough for Dash. Surprise would never know the difference. Maybe he could just splurge and spend an extra thirty bits that month. They could just buy less expensive food the last couple weeks. "I suppose I could give you the money if it really means that much to you..." 
"Yes!" The filly tackled her dad into a hug, but quickly broke away, not wanting others to see her being affectionate. "You're the best dad ever!" she chimed with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah..." The stallion smiled and spread his wings, gesturing for his filly to do the same. Naturally, she did, and was the first to take off. Rainbolt followed behind quickly, soaring upwards and right next to her. 
"Oh man! This is going to be so awesome!" Rainbow hoof-pumped in the air and smiled at her dad. "Once the Wonderbolts see what I can do, they'll probably just go right ahead and let me join the group!" 
To that, Rainbolt rolled his eyes and smiled. 
"That may be a bit of a stretch, but I'm sure if you worked hard enough you could get a bit of admiration." 
"You bet!" The filly grinned cockily in her dad's direction. "Besides..." Rainbow proceeded to twist around a nearby cloud in a swift, fluid motion. The white puff went from wide and fluffy to narrow and thin in mere seconds. Rainbow flew back to her original position next to her father. "It's not like I'm not one of the best flyers in my age range." 
"Yeah... I mean, you're much better than me when I was your age."
"I know!"   
"I was also a lot more modest than you..." he commented with a smile. 
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a bragger, but, I mean, at least I have something worth bragging about!" 
"I guess..." Rainbolt smiled at his daughter. "So,what kind of stuff are you gonna do for the Wonderbolts?" 
"Hmm..." The filly thought for a moment. She knew basic cloud shaping and spiral stunts. She even had a few original tricks, but she didn't know how she'd combine a routine for them. "Do you know anypony that could help me get something together?" Her eyes then lit up. "Or even help me so I can fly really, really good? Like, give me critique and advice and stuff so I can be perfect!"
Rainbolt thought for a moment. The only pony that could probably give her some really good pointers would be his sister, Prism Bolt. She, however, would probably be too wrapped up with her marefriend to even make time for Dash. Besides, just asking her to sacrifice her time within days notice didn't usually roll well with her. 
"Not off the top of my head..." 
"How about you?" 
To that, the stallion almost laughed out loud as if it were a joke. 
"Me? Rainbow, I couldn't teach you anything in a million years! I wasn't too athletic when I was young... I mean, I was. I loved playing sports and stuff, but I wasn't good at it..." Rainbolt sighed. "I seriously think you wouldn't want to take advice from somepony who wasn't accepted onto a single sports team in flight school." 
"Awe..." Rainbow frowned and looked away, trying to think for a moment. "What about Surprise? She's related to a Wonderbolt." 
"I know, but... you know, she might not be available or something. It's kind of rude to just barge into someone's house and ask for a favor." 
"But it's worth a try! By now she's probably off for the day!" 
"I thought her shift was four to nine with a couple hours in the morning?" 
"Didn't she tell you? Her shift changed from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon." 
"Oh..." Rainbolt blushed a bit. "I guess I just wasn't paying attention or something..." 
"Yeah... Anyway, can we go? Please?" 
"I..." He paused. "I suppose we could, as long as-" 
"Awesome!" The filly did a backflip in the air and pumped her hoof. "Love you, Dad." 
Rainbolt exhaled. 
"I love you, too..." 

Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rainbow knocked three times at Surprise's front door, then stepped back to wait for the answer. Rainbolt wasn't nervous about the visit, but did feel a bit guilty about allowing his filly to ask for assistance flying from her on such short notice. Maybe they could simply plan a day for Surprise to help her. Then again, that Monday was only four short days away. 
After a brief moment of waiting, Surprise at long last answered the door. When she opened it, there were little bits of batter scattered around her face and crusted into her mane. She was wearing a little, pink apron and mini chef's hat. 
"Ah, Rainbolt! Rainbow Dash!" Both ponies instantly tilted their heads at the odd way Surprise pronounced their names. "Bienvenue!" The mare smiled and stepped aside, waiting for her guests to come in. 
"Uhh... Thank you..." Rainbolt replied hesitantly. 
"De rien!" the mare chimed brightly. 
"What's up with the fancy talk?" Rainbow asked in a semi-rude manner. Her father quickly nudged her with his wing as a reminder to watch her manners. 
"Oh!" Surprise giggled. "Just catchin' up on my French!" 
"Oh. Why?" 
"Parce que mes cousins et mes oncles seront présents à la réunion de ma famille, et ils parlent un français impeccable! Alors, si je ne connais pas mon français à la réunion, je ne pourrais pas leur parler! De plus, mes parents pensent que mon français est parfait. Je n'aimerais pas les décevoir!" 
"Huh?" the two ponies asked in unison. 
Surprise sighed. 
"My parents think my French is perfect, but I've been so out of whack with it lately, I might not be able to talk to half my family! Half my cousins don't speak a lick of English, so when I go to the family reunion this Saturday, they might not be able to talk to me that well because I'm really rusty..." She sighed. "My parents and aunts speak English, but some of my cousins and uncles don't." 
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." 
"Merci beaucoup, Rainbolt." 
"Wait!" Rainbow interrupted. "How do your aunts speak English, but your uncles don't?" 
"Because, all of my uncles are related by marriage. My dad's an only child, and my mom has two sisters. Both of them went on to marry stallions that spoke fluent French. That is our native language." 
"Well, I mean, if you'd like us to go, we can." Rainbolt suggested.
"Oh, no. C'est bien! Err..." The mare stuck her tongue out and thought for a moment. "Est-ce que tu veux manges des petites gâteaus?" 
To that, the two ponies glanced at each other, unsure of what the mare was trying to say. They looked back up to her, silently asking for a translation. The mare giggled a bit. 
"Want to sample some cookies?" 
"Oh, sure!" Rainbolt said with a smile. 
Surprise gestured for the two to follow her, but the stallion was quickly stopped by his frantic daughter.  
"But aren't you going to ask her?" 
"What? Me?" Rainbolt raised an eyebrow. "It's what you want, you ask her." 
"Um, Surprise?" Rainbow spoke up. 
"Oui?" The mare stopped in her tracks as she was about to enter the kitchen. 
"Do you maybe... You know, have any way of helping me with flying? Next Monday I'll get to perform in front of the Wonderbolts, and I really, really want to be absolutely perfect for them!" 
Surprise smiled at the filly, to Rainbolt, then back at his filly. Almost instantly, her muzzle scrunched up with a snort. Tears began to glass over her purple eyes. Not a moment later, she burst out into loud crackles. She fell to the ground as her loud laughter echoed throughout the room. Rainbolt and Rainbow stared emotionlessly as she continued to have a laugh-attack. Eventually, she found her strength to stop and rose from the tile floor. She brought a hoof up to her eyes to shoo off some dripping tears. 
"Tu es trop drôle, Rainbow Dash!" She giggled again with a snort. "I don't know anything about professional flying!" 
"But your cousin's a Wonderbolt!" 
"Yeah, we're cousins! But we barely ever talk to each other! I mean, we do once in a while, but not too much." She smiled. "Actually, she's the cousin of mine who speaks the most English. She prefers French, but had to learn the basics of English to be in the Wonderbolts. Now she can almost speak it perfectly!" 
Rainbow sighed and frowned. 
"Thanks, anyway, Surprise." 
"De rien!" She cleared her throat and looked at Dash. "Sorry I'm not much help, but I know what'll cheer you up!" 
"What?" Rainbow asked with a pitiful tone in her voice. 
"Some slightly overcooked lemon squares with a side of chocolate chip dough-crisps!" 
"What?" the filly asked, cocking her head. 
Surprise blushed and chuckled while rubbing the back of her neck nervously. 
"I may have read the instructions en Français..." 

"Can I?" 
"No."
"Please?" 
"No." 
"But, Dad, I-" 
"Rainbow Dash!" 
Rainbolt turned around and met eyes with his pitiful filly. She was sitting on her sleeping bag in the corner of his office. She should have fallen asleep an hour ago, but instead, she spent the whole time begging. It definitely wasn't something easy to work to.
"What?" she asked innocently. 
"You are not  going to ask Mrs. Skies for flying advice." 
"Why not?" 
"Because she's going through a very stressful time in her life. She doesn't need to be bothered anymore." 
Rainbow huffed angrily. 
"She's been going through mentlapause for like, four months now. She needs to get over it." 
"Menopause, Rainbow. Also, when you go through when you're fifty-something, I'm sure you won't be any more pleasant." 
"But still. She's been all grumpy and stuff and it's not fun..." Rainbow looked up at her dad. "Come on, Dad. Just let me ask her. The worst she can do is say 'No'." 
"No, the worst she can do is fire me. Just leave it alone, Dash." 
"But she won't!" Dash reassured with a smile. He frowned and turned back around in his chair. "Just let me do it." 
"No." 
"Please?" 
"No." 
"Please?" 
"No!" 
"Pretty please?" 
Rainbolt folded his hooves and growled. 
"I said no, Rainbow...." 
"Please...?" 
The stallion turned around and met eyes with his daughter, who at that point had the most pitiful expression on her face. Her eyes were watering and her lower lip was trembling. The stallion sighed. 
"Fine..." 
"Yes!" Rainbow Dash smiled brightly and pumped her hoof. "Thanks Dad! Love you!" 
"I love you-" Before Rainbolt could even finish his sentence, Dash zipped out of the room with all the energy in the world. "Too..." 
The stallion shook his head and turned back around to resume his work. Meanwhile, Rainbow eagerly flew out of his office, across the other side of the factory, and quickly landed at the front of her artificial aunt's office. She smiled widely and gave the door three firm knocks. 
"Come in..." a weak, but familiar voice called from the inside of the office. Rainbow didn't hesitate to lift her hoof up to the doorknob and push it opened. The first thing she saw when she entered the room was an exhausted, wheezing Mrs. Skies lying on the ground. Dash's eyes went wide. 
"What's wrong?" 
"My tummy hurts..." the mare admitted. 
"Why?" 
"I don't know..." The mare rested her hooves on her aching belly. "I think I ate too much chocolate..." 
Rainbow looked at the mare inquisitively. Her mouth had little bits of chocolate around the edges. Ever since the mare started the inevitable phase, she'd been a bit more emotional, was constantly bingeing on chocolate, and had gained quite a bit of weight. She wasn't really fat, but she had grown quite the belly. 
"I'm sorry." Rainbow said in an almost sympathetic tone. 
"Not your fault..." 
"So, umm... I was just wondering if you could somehow help me train a bit. I get to perform in front of the Wonderbolts, and I really, really want to impress them!" 
The pegasus simply looked up at the filly and shook her head. 
"Sorry, Dash. That's not really up my alley..." The mare groaned and wrapped her hooves around her belly. "Ugh... It feels like my stomach's trying to fight me..." 
"Oh, Sorry. Should I leave or...?" 
"Just leave..." she huffed out. "I need some time alone." 
"Alright..." 
Awkwardly, Rainbow Dash walked out of the office and shut the door behind her. She sighed and felt more and more hope slipping away from her. 
Well... that was a complete fail. 
Slowly, the filly flew all the way across the factory and back to her father's office, where he was working diligently on that night's assignment. She could only hear the scribbles of his pencil and his breath whistling between his teeth and the eraser. She slowly crawled over to her sleeping bag and lazily plopped onto it. That sound was enough to get Rainbolt to spit out his pencil. 
"How'd it go?" 
Rainbow shrugged. 
"She was too busy being in agonizing stomach pain to help." 
"Ah. She okay?" 
Again, the filly merely shrugged. 
"She said she wanted to be alone, but you can check on her if you'd like." 
"Eh, I'd rather not be bitched at." 
"But, Dad!" Rainbow put on a sly smile. "Butting into other ponies' business is like your specialty!" 
To that, Rainbolt smiled a bit and rolled his eyes. 
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just go to bed and get some shut-eye. You have school tomorrow." 
The little filly responded with a yawn and nod. 
"Goodnight, Dad..." 
"Night." 
With that, Rainbow drifted off to sleep within the hour, and Rainbolt did his best to get his job done. 

"How is it?" Surprise asked with a smile. Rainbolt took a bite of her delicious homemade brownies. They were perfectly gooey and tasted like a slice of heaven on the stallion's tongue. 
"Awesome." he said with a smile. 
The two pegasi had gotten their picnic as planned. The stallion ended up buying the muffins at a store. He did, however, make the sandwiches himself. He only hoped Surprise didn't realize. She was kind enough to make cookies, brownies, and potato salad homemade. Her cooking was very good, and definitely something the stallion came to appreciate. 
As the two dined on the delectable deserts and delicious food, Rainbow found herself practicing for the Wonderbolts the next day. They did, after all, choose her favorite park to have the picnic at. Why shouldn't she kick back and practice her stunts? It's not like she had many other options. 
"So, how did the family reunion go?" Rainbolt asked, keeping an eye on his daughter at all times. 
"Très bien!" she chimed. "After getting in there and socializing a bit, a lot of the French started to come back to me." 
"Good to hear."
"Yeppers. So, did Dash ever find somepony to help her with the Wonderbolts thing?" 
Rainbolt sighed and shook his head. 
"Unfortunately, no. I wish I could help her. I mean, I only know the very basics, and I'm sure it's stuff she already knows. She tried to ask Mrs. Skies, but she was having belly troubles." 
"Yeah, I heard she's taking menopause pretty hard. You know, last weak she threw a candy bar at me?" 
"Really?" the stallion asked with a chuckle. 
"Yep! I caught, said, 'thanks' and left! Totally worth being yelled at!" 
Both ponies giggled at the story. 
"Man, that's pretty...." Rainbolt paused with his golden eyes staring at the puffy horizon. "Where's Dash?" he asked in a semi-panicked tone. 
"Relax." Surprise encouraged. "She probably just did some trick that required she go below the cloud layer." 
"Oh.. okay..." Nervously, the stallion glanced back and forth between the mare and the cloud layer. It didn't take long for Surprise to notice. 
"Hey, ummm... What kind of muffins did you make?" she asked, trying to change the subject. 
"Strawberry." 
"That sounds really good..." the mare cooed with a smile. 
With that, the mare took one of the muffins from the little basket and slowly peeled away the muffin liner. 
"You know, my mom can make the best strawberry cheesecake muffins." 
"Sounds good..." the stallion commented, still glancing nervously at the sky. 
The mare frowned and took a bite of the muffin. Almost the instant the treat touched her taste buds, she made a face and spit the half-chewed muffin out into the liner. Rainbolt frowned at her and cocked his head.
"Something wrong...?" 
"I thought you said you homemade these!" She frowned and made a face. "These are obviously store-bought!" 
The stallion's face lit up and he nervously bit his lip. 
"Sorry..." he apologized. "It's just... y-you know.. Rainbow with the school thing. I had to make compromises and I-" 
Before Rainbolt could even finish his explanation, the sound of a familiar filly screaming rang in his ears. His ears flickered and his eyes met the sky's. The first thing he saw was his daughter hurdling towards the ground. 
"Dashie!" he cried. 
The stallion spread his wings and leapt into the air. His wings fluttered fast as he flew towards his falling filly. Almost instantly, he felt the impact of his daughter against his chest. Him and Rainbow fell down to the cloud at a very high speed. In a few seconds, they both felt the impact of the cloud against them. Rainbow fell deeper into her dad's gut while she remained unharmed. Surprise gasped and ran to the two pegasi. The stallion was aching in the area he fell in, while his daughter almost instantly got up and went to her dad's side. 
"Dad!" she cried. "Are you alright?" 
Rainbolt coughed and held his ribcage where he felt the most impact. He winced as his hoof brushed passed at good-sized bruise on his chest. 
"I... I'm hurting..." 
Surprise gasped again in a dramatic fashion. 
"Do you need a hospital?" 
"No..." Rainbolt took in a breath and winced as he sat up. "I'm okay... Just hurt..." 
"I'm sorry, Dad..." Rainbow apologized with a blush. "I didn't mean to. I was just trying to sonic rainboom... The air kind of built up and turned against me."  
Rainbolt sighed and got up onto all fours. His chest stung from the harsh impact his daughter put on him. He hoped he hadn't broken a rib or anything, but the pain didn't seem severe enough for that. 
"It's okay..." The stallion took in several deep breaths. "I just need to lay down..." 
Surprise felt her heart shatter a bit. The physical pain her crush was experiencing sent an arrow through her heart. She loved to see him happy with a bright smile on his face. Seeing him with anything less than a joyful expression was heart-breaking to her. 
"How about we go back to my place?" the mare suggested. "It's closer, and I think you could lay down at my house for a little while." 
Rainbolt was still panting with a hoof on the most hurt part of his chest. His eyes were glossed with tears and his heart was still thumping a million miles an hour from hurling himself into the air to save his daughter. Finally, he spoke. 
"That'd be nice..." 

Surprise frowned as she looked into her bedroom. Her queen sized bed was occupied by the stallion of her dreams. The bruised, battered, and aching stallion slept peacefully under the thin covers and on the thick, soft mattress of the mare's bed. A melted ice pack stained the sheets with water on his bruised chest. His breathing was heavy, yet delicate. A pump of the chest would expand slowly, then fall within a second. His eyes were fluttering under the influence of a dream. 
He's so cute when he sleeps... The mare thought. Oh, listen to yourself, Surprise. You sound just as creepy as he probably thinks you are. I mean... He's just so amazing. I wish he'd even consider me as a marefriend. Just... Just to have one little ounce of him find me remotely attractive. It's so unlikely, yet so wonderful to think about...
The mare felt herself tearing up as she approached her bed to get a closer look. Her crush looked so dazzling under the moonlight. The silver rays casted down onto his face and mane. He looked oh so wonderful. In his sleep, he wore a little frown with beads of sweat rolling down his body. Surprise sighed and went over to the fan in the corner of the room. She clicked it on and pointed it towards Rainbolt, hoping it would cool him down a little. His mane blew around gently in the artificial breeze. The mare felt herself smile a bit. 
You're so beautiful, Bolty... Please don't change.
The mare looked over to the digital clock on the wall. It was nearly one in the morning. Dash had passed out on her couch hours ago, while she was still awake. Surprise yawned, tired from the long day. 
Well, Rainbolt's in my bed. I want to sleep next to him so badly... but at the same time, I can't. It would just make him feel really awkward. I'd rather see him non-creeped out than me happy... I just can't scare him away. 
Surprise felt her heart ache as she looked at his sleeping. In her heart, she knew they'd never be together. That's what he wanted. If he was happy being her friend, than she could be happy, too. She wasn't his marefriend. She couldn't invite herself into bed with him, even if it was her bed. 
You may not be able to sleep with him, but you can at least bid him goodnight, I guess.
With tears swelling in her purple eyes, Surprise went over to the side of the bed where Rainbolt lay. She felt her heart beat soundly in her chest as she bent down and whispered to his sleeping body. 
"Goodnight, Bolty... Please feel better in the morning..." 
With that, the mare leaned in and gently placed a peck on the stallion's cheek. She felt her face light up as she pulled away. She looked at him. He was sleeping like a foal, unaware that she'd just kissed him. She felt her insides swirl as a new idea came to her. Her cheeks lit up crimson as she leaned in once more and planted a soft kiss on Rainbolt's lips. She closed her eyes and felt a million kisses at once. She felt the first kiss on a romantic date, the soothing kisses he'd place on her lips in her worst days, the hot, passionate kisses for when the time was right, the sweet little pecks he'd land on her lips leisurely after a long day at work, and the sweet, sweet kiss she'd receive to tie their knot. She kept every one of those kisses in her heart as she broke away from her unconscious sweetheart. Her purple eyes opened as she looked onto his sleeping body. A little smile formed on the stallion's face as the sensation lingered on his lips. Two tears ran down her face and splashed onto the stallion below. Her heart sank and her breathing became heavier.
"Je t'aime, Rainbolt..." 

Rainbolt awoke with a jolt. His heart was pounding against his chest as he looked around the room. He was in pink sheets with a fan blowing towards him. His mane was a wreck and his eyes were boarded with crusties. Almost instantly, his hoof went up to his chest when the pain sunk into him. It was still sore, but not nearly as bad as it'd been the day before. 
Oh, man, that hurts... The stallion gently circled his hoof around his chest. Man.. What a night... What time is it?
The stallion's eyes made there way to the clock and instantly widened. It was nearly three in the afternoon. His heart pounded in realization. His hoof went up to his face. 
"Work! Work! I-I missed work! Mrs. Skies'll kill me!" 
"No she won't..." A high-pitched, girly voice said from the hallway. Rainbolt turned his head to meet eyes with Surprise. "Last night after Dash went to sleep, I flew up to the factory and explained everything to Mrs. Skies. She said she'll deal with, and she's not taking away your pay for that day because of it." 
Rainbolt took in a breath. 
"Thanks, Surprise." He smiled. "You're a great friend." 
"De rien..." she said with a chuckle. "So, uh... Are you feeling better? If you need me to, I can get a nurse to check on you." 
"No, it's fine..." Rainbolt blushed and grinned. "I'm feeling better." 
"You sure?" Surprise asked genuinely. The stallion nodded. "Good. I, uh... took Rainbow to school and brought her back. Took the day off work to make sure you didn't need anything. Didn't want you to wake up all confused in the middle of the day." 
Rainbolt smiled and gestured the mare over with his hoof. She came hesitantly, and when she did, her crush sat up and took her into a hug. She felt her pulse rise as her hooves wrapped around him. 
"Thanks for caring about me." 
"It's okay..." 
The two broke away and Surprise smiled. She turned around and poked her head into the hall. 
"Hey, Rainbow Dash! Your dad's up!" 
The mare put her head back in the room and looked at Rainbolt with a sincere smile. Within a moment, the stallion heard his daughter zooming up the stairs. She landed with a thump at the top of the staircase. She had her saddle bag on along with a frown.
"Hey, Dad." she greeted in a surprisingly quite tone. "You feeling okay?" 
"Yeah..." He tossed her a smile. "How'd the Wonderbolts thing go?" 
"It didn't..." The filly looked away shamefully and sighed. 
"Oh. Why?" 
Surprise smiled as the filly walked up to her dad with a sparkle of regret in her eyes. 
"Dad, I'm really sorry. I got my mind so wrapped up in the whole Wonderbolts thing. I didn't listen to you when you told me it'd be rude to just ask Surprise for help. You told me it was a bad idea to ask Mrs. Skies for help, but I ignored you. I just kept begging you until you gave in to me. Heck, I even disobeyed you when you told me not to go beneath the cloud layer. I was so absorbed with my own greedy intentions, I ended up hurting you a lot..." The filly looked up at her dad with gloss over her eyes. "Today, when the teacher collected bits, I was thinking really hard. I decided that for once, I wasn't going to be greedy, even when I was so close to achieving my goal." 
The filly then opened up her saddle bag and took out a little, plastic bag wrapped around an item. It was square and pretty big. She gently placed the covered block on her dad's lap and looked up at him. 
"I hope you like it... And that you'll forgive me for everything. I'm sorry." 
Rainbolt looked at his daughter, and then down at the present. He took his hooves around it and slowly removed the item from the bag. Inside was a large brick of rose-scented soap from Canterlot. It was light pink with a tight wrapper and label on the front. 
"Surprise took me to a soap shop in Canterlot..." Rainbow explained. "It costed me thirteen bits, and then I spent the rest on a snow cone." 
"Awe, Rainbow..." Rainbolt smiled as he examined the large chunk of soap. "Thank you so, so much... That was very thoughtful." 
"De rien." Rainbow said with a smile. 
Rainbolt and Surprise chuckled at the comment. 
"So!" Surprise said at random. "I have dinner cooking! I hope you all like asparagus and left over potato salad!" 
"I do!" Rainbow chimed, then blushed at her childish comment. 
"Good. Will you go set the table?" 
Rainbow quickly saluted Surprise and buzzed downstairs to take care of the request. The moment she left, the mare turned to Rainbolt. 
"So... Are you going to go home tonight, or do you need to stay here another day?" 
"I... I don't know. I'm still pretty sore, but I think I can fly on my own." He grinned. "I think I'll even be able to make it to work tomorrow." 
"Oh, good. I mean, it's really no problem if you need to stay another night." 
"No, that's fine." 
"Alright. You rest here. I'll go make you a dish." 
Rainbolt nodded and smiled. Surprise made her way to the doorframe. Before leaving, she turned to Rainbolt and winked. 
"Tu es très mignon, Rainbolt." 
With that, Surprise turned the corner and started giggling to herself. Complimenting her crush in French certainly gave her the satisfying feeling of flirting without all the harsh embarrassment. It wasn't until she heard a reply that her face went red, ears stood up, and she took in a gasp. 
"You're cute, too, Surprise." 
     
> 31. Once in a Blue Moon, Part One: Under the Full Moon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Spring had at long last returned after a hard, colt winter. Although Rainbow found joy in rolling around the snow and making snowponies with Fluttershy, she still hated the cold. Most days, she was required to wear clothing, which was often times itchy and uncomfortable. Flying was a bit more complicated at times. Some nights Rainbolt didn't even make it to work due to a heavy, snowy blizzard. Dreamscape and Dewdrop even reported being snowed in on certain occasions. Although the weather was chaotic, the ponies still had control over it. Rainbolt still divided out clouds, while weather ponies still went through with the orders. The only good thing that came from the weather were the several days Dash was let off school because of it. After that winter, she even went as far as to claim it was her favorite season. Her father, however, knew by that summer, the answer would be different. 
As the seasons changed, however, so did other things. One thing Rainbolt was proud to say changed was Blueshift. That New Year's, his biggest resolution was to cut the pill dosage. Both ponies were more than pleased with his decision, and even happier when he went through with it. Him and Rainbolt had continued keeping in touch, which allowed the concerned stallion to check his friend's progress. 
The other significant change was Rainbolt's job. Nothing too major happened, except he started leaving earlier. Mrs. Skies allowed him to leave work at six in the morning instead of seven. With that schedule, he had far more time in the morning to get ready and go back to sleep. That change wasn't so good to Dash, who hated having to get up earlier, just so she could get ready earlier. The only thing she personally liked about it was the fact she had far more time to get ready. Also, on weekends and days off, she had more time to sleep in her wonderful, soft, cozy bed. 
That night, however, she didn't get to sleep in her cozy bed. She and her father had to go to work, as per usual. 
Rainbolt sighed as he opened his office door along side his little filly. Same office, same job, same tasks, different day. Although the stallion was aware it could be worse, he still didn't take pleasure in doing the same job every single night. Dash was up his alley, only she hated sleeping there almost every single night. Some days, she felt as if she'd do almost anything to just stay home and pass out in her own bed. Some nights, she begged. Others, she tried to bargain. Of course, her father was always strict about her going with him, because if she stayed home alone for five minutes, somepony would surely break in and kidnap her. 
"Here we are again..." the stallion said with very little enthusiasm in his tone. 
"Thanks captain obvious." Rainbow snarled. 
Rainbolt sighed and rolled his eyes. Dash wasn't usually rude to him, but she could have her days when she was really pissed about something or another. Her most common excuse was having to go to work, while others usually revolved about having to do something she hated or being angry about something at school. 
"Sorry I made you come, Dash, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving you home alone. If something bad were to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." 
Rainbow sighed. 
"I know... I just... I'm just irritated by the whole thing." 
"I know, Rainbow... Maybe one of these days I'll ask Surprise if you can sleep over at her house. It'd probably be during the summer, though." 
Rainbow grunted and made her way over to her sleeping bag. She frowned as she started to unhook the straps around it, letting it naturally unfurl onto the cloud floor. 
"Yeah..." Rainbow finally responded. "Because all foals my age get foalsat." 
"Rainbow, you're eleven... In my opinion, you're too young to be left home alone with no supervision. I'd be far too nervous. Maybe when you're older..." 
The filly growled under her breath, but wordlessly sunk into her sleeping bag. Her father proceeded to make his way to his desk and open the drawer where his assignment was usually placed in. In it, however, was nothing but a solid, wooden drawer bottom. 
Hmmm... Maybe Mrs. Skies accidently put it in a different drawer this time...
The stallion opened the drawer beneath it. It was filled with with some old scrap papers, pencils, pens, erasers, and a highlighter. He cocked his head, and then turned to the left side of his desk. Surely, she wouldn't have put them in the left-hand side. She never had, but it was worth checking anyway. 
As Rainbolt opened the drawer, his accusation was confirmed to be true. In there was nothing but old papers, a few wrappers, and a loose bit or two. He closed it with a bit of aggression.  
"What's wrong?" Rainbow asked, tucked under the sheets of her portable bed. 
"Mrs. Skies didn't give me my assignment yet..." The stallion paused and took a moment to glance at the clock. It was going on 10:30 at night. Usually she'd have it in there by ten. 
"Want me to go ask her for it?" Dash suggested. 
"No..." The stallion sighed. As if he hadn't put up with enough of her bad attitude, yelling, and mood shifts, now she was just being neglectful and irritating. "I'll go ask her for the assignment. You stay here and try to get some rest. Alright, Dashie?" 
Rainbow blushed at the cute nickname, but quickly nodded affirmatively. She rotated to the opposite side and began staring at a wall. Her father, on the other hoof, made his way to the office door and opened it. Large rays of artificial light leaked through the large crack and onto the filly's body. She grunted and turned around, stuffing her face into her pillow, only for the light to flee a few seconds later. 
The stallion flew from his office, across the machine-cluttered factory room, and landed in front of his boss' door. He folded his wings and almost instantly heard an odd sound; moaning. Unpleasant, pained, and loud moaning. The stallion didn't knock, but did press his ear to the cool, wooden surface. The moaning became more audible, and was definitely Mrs. Skies. 
Feeling concerned for his aching boss, Rainbolt raised a hoof to the door and gave it a few soft taps. 
"You okay in there?" the stallion asked. 
The only response the stallion received was a long, pained moan. He removed his head from the wooden door and look at it in a concerned manner. By the sounds of what was behind the door, he wouldn't have been shocked if his boss were dying. Quickly, he wrapped his hoof around the doorknob and opened swung opened the slate of wood. Looking in the room, he saw his boss scrunched up on the floor with her hooves cradling her stomach. 
"M-ma'am..." Rainbolt closed the door gently and gaped at her position. "A-are you okay?" 
The mare growled at her employee and looked up at him. Her dark blue mane was a wreck and her eyes were bloodshot. 
"Do I look okay to you?" she screeched. 
"N-no, ma'am! You look r-really bad I just..." He blushed and shut up, realizing he probably said the wrong thing. 
"Thanks!" the mare replied sarcastically.
"Do you need any help?" the stallion asked in an unsure tone. 
"Um, no!" The mare cringed as sever pain rocketed through her body. She let out a pained moan as her ears flopped back. "Just go do your job and leave me alone!
"Well, I mean, you didn't exactly give me an assignment or anything..."
"Do you expect me to do-" Mrs. Skies paused, only to let out an unpony-like screech as pain consumed her stomach. "Everything around here?!" 
"No ma'am... I-I just... wh-where'd you put it?" 
Mrs. Skies growled and let out a huff. She felt her insides swirling and her body trembling. Tears were quickly invading her eyes as she felt more cramps than she had in her entire life. 
"I..I feel like my belly's going to burst..." 
"M-ma'am, I think I should go get a nurse or something... Seriously." The stallion trotted over to his boss and calmly spoke to her in an almost motherly tone. "I know you usually hate it when I try to help you, but I think this is really serious..." 
Sunny Skies took in a breath and looked up at the stallion. Her eyes were desperate and bloodshot as her pain grew more and more severe. 
"I-I just don't know what to do, I..." She took in a sharp gasp. "I've never felt pain this bad before!" she cried out.
At that point, Rainbolt was very unsure and panicked, not knowing exactly what to do. He could try to get a medic, but that would require leaving Mrs. Skies alone with no help. He could stay by her side, but if the pain worsened, he'd immediately have to get somepony, and that could take ten to fifteen minutes. Unsurely, he put his hoof on the mare's back and gently rubbed, relaxing her body and trying to sooth her. To his surprise, the mare didn't deny his comfort. 
"Try to take in some breaths... calm down..." Mrs. Skies tried hard to comply, taking quick breaths in and out as quickly as she could. "Now... do you think you need a nurse?" 
"I...I... I don't know... I just started feeling real achy and then it got worse and I don't know what to do." 
"It's okay, it's okay. It's going to be alright..." The stallion gently patted her back. His words didn't take away her worries, but in a way, it did relax in her in the moment. "I can get somepony to come here and help. Would you like me to get Dash to stay by your side?" 
Weakly, the mare nodded affirmatively. The stallion tossed her a sincere smile and removed his hoof from her back. 
"Alright... I promise I'll be back in ten to-" The stallion paused as the mare sharply gasped. Her blue eyes shrunk and her mouth went agape. "Wh-what happened?" he asked nervously, placing his hoof back on shoulder for comfort. Slowly, the mare's green hoof slid down to her thighs and reached between them. She dragged her hoof back up and examined it. Both her and the stallion took in a gasp. Her hoof was wet. The clear fluids glistened off the hoof under the silver rays of the full moon. It had no color in it, so it surely wasn't urine, and it wasn't nearly thick enough to be anything produced by arousal. The stallion blushed and felt his heart skip a beat in realization. 
"Y-y-your water broke!" 
"What? N-no! You're crazy!" The mare blushed and clenched her hind legs as she suddenly felt a weight of pressure on her lower region. "I-I-I c-couldn't be p-pregnant!" 
Rainbolt felt his heart ache as swarms of memories flew threw his mind. 
"I-it's okay, it's okay..." the stallion reassured in the more stoic tone he could force. Gently, he grasped her hoof. She squeezed back as if it were a stress ball. "Mrs. Skies, listen... I-it's going to hurt, b-but it'll only last ten minutes, twenty tops..." 
"No! No! No! No! Th-this can't be happening!" 
"Shh..." The stallion, like he did in his last birth delivery, gently comforted the panicked pony. He kept his hoof around hers and his other hoof trailing up her spine. "The sooner you relax and accept it, the sooner it'll be over... I promise." 
From those words, the mare tried to shoo away her worries and actually listened. She could already feel the foal trying to escape, and there was no turning back at that point. She grasped onto the hoof as if her life depended on it. She laid back and shakily spread her hind legs. Her breathing calmed down a bit as she started to relax a little. 
"Good... Now, push." 
Mrs. Skies glared at her employee for giving the obvious command. She did, however, listen without an argument. The mare deeply inhaled before sitting upright and forcing pressure onto her lower section. She let out a long moan as she felt the child slowly pushing out of her. 
"Hurts..." she whimpered with tears rolling down her face. 
"I know, I know... You're doing good..." 
The mare quickly pushed herself upwards and bit her lip as pain shot through her body. Her breathing started to speed up again as she heaved in and out. She closed her eyes tightly as sweat dripped down her reddened face. Rainbolt gasped and tried not to smile as he saw a gunk-coated hoof starting to poke out of her. 
"Th-this foal's gonna tear me opened!" she cried out. "I-I... It hurts!" 
To that, the comforter got on a more personal level and wrapped both hooves around the mare, hugging her and repeating little words of encouragement softly into her ear. The mare pushed harder and harder, desperate for the pain to go away. She felt like somepony had shot bullets into her uterus while simultaneously trying to rip her opened. 
Suddenly, the mare felt the stallion unwrap his hooves from her torso. At first, she was a bit upset. Until, of course, she heard the loud cries of a newborn. She gasped and opened her eyes. The foal, although still halfway inside her, had its front hooves and head out of her. Despite all the awful pain she was in, she couldn't help by smile a bit. 
"Alright..." Rainbolt started, examining the situation. "The foal's out for the most part. You just need to push out its hindquarters and back legs." 
Mrs. Skies nodded weakly and pushed as hard as she could. Slowly, the foal's back-end slid out of her. The innocent newborn started waving around its front legs in desperation. Rainbolt gently put his hooves underneath those of the foal, guiding it from its mother's womb. Just like Dashie when she first arrived, this foal came in a protective, transparent bubble. The material it was composed of was slimy and thin. The stallion tried not to think of it as germy or gross. 
With one final push, the little foal completely came out of its mother, crying and messy from her afterbirth. She let out a long sigh of relief and went limp. Gently, the stallion popped the placenta bubble with his hooves and peeled it away from the newborn foal. Even without the sac, it was still covered in gunk and smelly fluids. 
"I..." The mare weakly lifted her head, trying to get a look at the foal. "Wh-what's it look like?" she asked with a quivering tone. 
Rainbolt smiled a bit and gently wrapped his hooves around the crying infant before carefully taking it to the exhausted mother. She felt herself smile as the foal ended up in her hooves. It was definitely a cutie. The foal had a white coat and light blue mane with a lighter blue highlight running down the middle. Due to both parents being pegasi, it was too. The eyes, however, were still glued shut by the mare's birth-ooze. 
Gently, the mare rubbed the foal's back. Rainbolt couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two. The mother was smiling, as well. Her eyes were glossed with tears and her heart was returning to its naturally pace.
"You're so beautiful..." Sunny muttered under her breath. She looked up at Rainbolt with a smile. "I love it..." she cooed. 
"I'm glad." The stallion smiled to see his boss in genuine happiness. "I think he likes you, too. Or she... Didn't really check." 
The foal had stopped making whiny noises, and at that point was simply relaxing in its mother's hooves. She smiled a bit and looked at her child with pride. She never thought she'd be a mother, but at that moment, she felt absolutely no objections. 
"I don't really care what it is... I'm just so happy I finally have somepony worth living for..." 
Mrs. Skies felt herself tearing up as she looked at her child. Little, salty droplets rolled down her cheeks and onto the foal bellow. It responded with a muzzle scrunch. After a short minute, Rainbolt cleared his throat. The mare looked up with tears welling over her bottom eyelids. 
"Could you... I know it doesn't really matter, but I'm just curious as to what the gender is." 
The mare smiled and nodded. She gently tilted the foal backwards to get a glimpse of its lower regions. 
"Looks like... it's a colt." 
"Awe, sweet!" Rainbolt smiled and looked at his nephew. He was still messy as could be. "Don't you think we should get him washed off?" 
"Oh... right." Mrs. Skies felt herself blush. "Do you think you could maybe wash him off? I need to do something real quick."
"Oh, uh... Sure!" Rainbolt gently wrapped his hooves around the little colt and scooped him up. He whined a bit when being detached from his mom, but quickly grew used to the soft coat of his uncle. "Would you mind getting the door for me?" 
"Sure thing!" 
Wearily, the mare rose from her position and made her way over to the door, only to open it a few seconds later. The stallion carefully made his way out of the room, cradling the child. He flew around the corner, down the hallway, and to the closest door on the right. Thankfully, it was cracked, and all the stallion had to do was press his back against it to open it all the way. The bathroom was cold, damp, and dark when he first entered. Quickly, he used his shoulder to flip on the light. The foal wined a bit from the sudden burst of light. 
"Shh... It's okay. Just a little light." 
Rainbolt made his way over to the sink and turned on the cold water. He hiked the foal up to his shoulder and kept him supported with one hoof, while using the other to feel the water temperature. When it reached to about room temperature, the stallion plugged up the sink and waited for it to fill a little. When there was a few inches of water in the sink, he gently set the messy newborn in. He let out a long whine in protest, furiously swinging around his front hooves in an attempt to escape. Rainbolt chuckled a bit and gently rubbed the foal's back to calm him down. 
"It's okay... Just a little water. Nothing to be afraid of." 
Although the foal continued to squirm as he was getting used to the water, he did calm down a bit. The stallion smiled and gently splashed some water to the foal's face. The water wiped away very little gunk. Rainbolt thought for a moment, before feeling like a complete idiot and going for a paper towel. He dipped the towel in some water and gently pressed it to the colt's face. He trailed it down, wiping away a good stream of afterbirth from his eyes, forehead, and cheek. He then folded the paper towel and wiped it down the opposite side of the foal's face. Rainbolt wadded up the used rag and tossed it in the garbage nearly five feet away. When he turned back around, he noticed the foal had opened his eyes. They were scanning the room in curiosity. The pretty orbs were bright, blue, and looked just like his mother's. Rainbolt smiled. 
"Awe... You have such beautiful eyes." 
The colt gurgled as he turned his attention back to his uncle. 
"Alright, cutie. We have a little more to wipe off you, then we'll head back to see your mommy, okay?" 
The foal didn't respond, only continued to look around the room as his uncle wetted a new paper towel and gently wiped his chin, ears, neck, and chest. Before he could move on to the rest of his body, he had to get another rag. 
"You know... Your mother's a very nice mare." the stallion informed the newborn as he wiped his shoulders off. "I mean, she was pretty nice before she got divorced.... I just think she'll brighten up a bit now that she has you in her life. I mean, the way she smiled at you... I've never seen her smile like that before." The foal giggled as the stallion wiped off his belly and sides. In return, Rainbolt smiled. "Ticklish, eh? Dash was the same when she was a foal..." He sighed. "Man, you kids grow up so fast. Before you know it, you'll be a full grown stallion running this factory." He chuckled. At that point, the foal wasn't even looking at him. "That's a weird thought... I mean, tonight I helped deliver you as a foal, but twenty or so years from now I could be taking orders from you! If your mom makes you the heir of the factory, that is. I mean, I don't see why she wouldn't. The factory's been in her blood for generations! Then again, you could always make your own road in life. I'm sure Mrs. Skies would rather see you happy than see her business be carried down to a new generation." The stallion threw another paper towel away and examined the foal. "Hmm... Looks like you're all clean. Better get you back to your mommy." 
Rainbolt picked up the dripping wet foal and pressed him to his chest. He then unplugged the sink and let all the water drain out. The stallion flicked off the bathroom light, left the door opened, and made his way back to the new mother's office, all while securely carrying the foal. Instead of knocking, however, he simply spoke to get his boss' attention. 
"Mrs. Skies!" he called. "Can you get the door again?" 
The stallion received no verbal response, but was greeted not too long afterwards by the mare. Over the short time he was gone, she'd combed her mane and put on a happier face. When she saw her son, her smile only got wider. 
"Oh my gosh! His eyes eyes are so pretty!" she cooed. Gently, she took her baby boy back. He smiled as he wound up in her hooves again. He placed his head against her chest and looked up at her sweetly. "Awe... So cute!" 
The mare looked up at Rainbolt. Her eyes flickered with joy and pride.
"Thank you so, so much!" 
"It's no problem, really! I've done it before!" 
"I-I know, but still... This is such a miracle. Come here." 
The mare smiled as she slowly made her way back to her desk. Rainbolt curiously followed as the mare sat in her swivel chair. She kept her foal held in her hooves as she picked up a white slip of rectangular paper. She smiled to her employee and handed it to him. 
"What is this...?" 
The stallion reached out for the paper and soon realized what it was; a check. On the front of it was the amount, Mrs. Skies lovely signature, and Rainbolt's name. He gasped as he read over it and looked at his boss. 
"One hundred bits...? What for?" 
"You helped deliver my foal." She said with a smile. "Any hospital would have charged me a lot more to do that." 
"B-but, ma'am, you're a new mother! You're going to need the bits for foal supplies; food, blankets, furniture, diapers, shampoo! Ma'am, it's really expensive to care for a foal!" 
"I know, I know... But you deserve it, honestly. I'm a decently wealthy mare! Besides, you don't think I'm going to be getting support from Moonstruck?" 
"Moonstruck!" Rainbolt gasped under his breath. "You need to talk to him about all this..." 
"I know! I was just about to now!" She smiled. "Think you could watch after Bluey for me?" 
"I..." Rainbolt paused. "Bluey?" 
"Well, I mean, I named him Blue Moon." 
"When?" 
"Just now." The mare smiled and looked at her son. "I mean, to start, he was born under a blue moon, and he kind of reminds me of one. His mane reminds me of moonbeams..." The mare gently stroked the foal's light blue, highlighted mane. "And his coat is the color of the moon!" Mrs. Skies playfully poked the foals belly, causing him to gurgle. "Blue Moon. I think the name suits him well." 
"Oh..." Rainbolt smiled. "It does suit him..." 
"I know! So, yeah... Would you mind watching him for me?" 
"Well, ma'am... I don't think that'd be a good idea. Foals usually eat within the hour they're born, and I can't exactly... lactate." 
"Oh! Right!" Mrs. Skies blushed heavily and chuckled. "I'm not really used to the whole 'mom' thing... You're right, though. I need to stay with him to make sure he's okay and everything." 
"Good. Oh, and, remember; when a foal's hungry, you can usually tell because they'll start crying or acting really uncomfortable. He might not be able to find your, uh... milk-makers right away, but when he should be able to suckle naturally. It's just instinct." 
"Okay. Thanks again... So, do you think maybe you could at least go see Moonstruck for me?" 
"I... but ma'am, who's going to plan the weather?" 
"Oh, don't worry about it! I'll have it under control!" The mare tossed her employee a reassuring smile. "Just go get the word out to him. Tell him he can either watch the foal half the time, or pay child support. It's his option." 
"Alright. I suppose I can do that..." Rainbolt made his way to the office door and opened it, ready to leave. "Oh, and if Dash wakes up, please explain everything to her, and tell her I'll be back in the morning!" 
"Will do. Oh, and Rainbolt?" 
"Yes ma'am?" 
The mare smirked a bit. 
"Tell Moonstruck that if he isn't willing to come to an agreement, I'll be more than happy to take him to court." 

Rainbolt swallowed nervously as he approached the door of his brother's house. Agreeing to the task was easy. Actually performing it, however, was a whole new challenge. He didn't know how upset his brother would be, and if he were upset, if he'd take it out on Rainbolt or not. He was afraid of being hit, stabbed, screamed at, or anything else his brother would do out of sheer anger. The scariest part, however, was knowing there were no witnesses. Since Moonstruck had been rehabilitated, Rainbolt had never been alone in a house with him before. A room, yes, but not an entire house. 
Maybe you can just turn around while you're ahead. Rainbolt thought to himself before knocking on his brother's door. Maybe you can just tell Mrs. Skies he wasn't home, or that he was asleep and didn't answer. But if he was asleep, how would you know without intruding? Whatever. I just really, really don't want to be the one to tell him such news. But then again, if Skies tried to tell him, she'd be far more unaware of his impulses. He'd be more likely to lash out on her, considering she's the reason for this news... It's probably a lot safer to simply tell him yourself. I mean, come on, there's no reason to be a baby! He's been rehabilitated with his meds and stuff... I just hope he can control his anger...
Unsurely and a bit shakily, the stallion lifted his hoof to the wooden door. 
Okay... Three.... Two.... One!
The moment the stallion thought "One!" in his mind, the front door swung opened, not even giving him the chance to knock. Rainbolt was a bit shocked by his brother's timing, but soon closed his mouth and remembered who he was dealing with. 
"Good evening, Rainbolt." Moonstruck greeted in his usual stoic tone. 
"Umm... G-good evening." 
"Come in." The pegasus moved to the side, allowing his brother room to enter his house. Rainbolt entered his brother's house. He could already feel sweat building at his forehead and his heart rate increasing. The house itself smelt very clean. He'd obviously done some decorating since he was last there. Photos of family and ponies he didn't know hung from the walls and odd collectables rested on tables and shelves. Rainbolt felt a shiver rush down his spine at the sound of the front door clicking closed. "What brings you here at this hour?" 
"Oh, I just... I just wanted to have a little talk with you." Rainbolt forced off his lips. 
"A chit-chat? With me? Don't you have other friends you can bother at this time of night?" 
"Well... I just wanted to talk to you personally about something specific..." 
"Oh?" Moonstruck made his way to the other side of his brother, looking him in the eyes. "What's on your mind?" 
"Well, I... y-you know..." Rainbolt swallowed. "Do you think we can maybe sit down for this?" 
"I suppose so..." The stallion felt rather nervous at that point, which was an emotion he hardly ever felt. Never before had his brother flew all the way out to Manehattan simply to deliver news to him. Whatever it was must have been awfully important. "Come with me... You can tell me whatever it is in my living room." 
Rainbolt nodded as his brother wordlessly. His insides swirled and his legs began to tremble. There was no more time to run away. He had to go through with it. The walk to the living room, which the nervous stallion was hoping would be much longer, only lasted around twenty seconds. His living room was still the same as the last time he saw it; decently spacious with two recliners and a sofa. There was also a book shelf off to the side and a large, glass door that lead onto the porch. Moonstruck didn't hesitate to sit on the couch. He gestured his guest over, who came hesitantly. Rainbolt awkwardly placed himself a little bit away from his brother. 
"Comfortable?"
"Y-yeah I guess..." Rainbolt leaned back in the sofa and tried to enjoy the plus cushions while he could. 
"So, what was it you needed to tell me?" 
"Well... I-I... M-Moonstruck, listen. In life, we face a lot of ups and downs and challenges and whatnot, and sometimes life takes  us by surprise and just kinda... you know, either ruins your life or makes it better." 
Moonstruck sighed. 
"Did you come all the way down here to give me a lecture I could easily hear in a third grade classroom?" 
"N-no... Moonstruck, just let me tell continue, okay? I'm just trying to say, when life gives us new responsibilities, we can either chose to fulfill them or ignore them. Do you get where I'm coming from?" The white-coated stallion raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He didn't know where his brother was going, but it was certainly starting to make him feel uncomfortable. "Now, do you remember your date with Mrs. Skies nearly a year ago?" 
"Oh, yes, yes! That bitch! Who could forget such a night?" 
"Well, I mean... Since you remember, would you like to tell me what happened?" 
"Oh, we just sort of ate dinner and slept together. I prepared a meal, gave her a bit of wine, we got drunk off our asses, then I woke up the next morning with no memory beyond that." 
"Alright, good to know... Well, Mrs. Skies doesn't really remember either, but she thinks you two might have had sex..." 
"Pssh! So do I! I couldn't even recognize half the fluids I woke up in that morning!" He chuckled. "But why does she suddenly have that realization now, instead of nearly a year ago?" 
"Well, I mean..." The stallion gulped. 
Come on, Rainbolt! Just say it! What's the worst that could happen? He might hit you or something, but I don't think he'll hurt you too severely. Besides, he has to find out one way or another. Might as well just tell the poor soul now... 
"Moonstruck..." Rainbolt felt his body trembling as he looked into the intimidating eyes of his brother. "Tonight I didn't get my assignment at work, so I went into Mrs. Skies office to see if she had it. When I got there, she was in severe pain, and..." He took in a deep breath, making a failed attempt to calm his nerves. He instead felt as though his lunch was coming up. "She kind of sort of... h-had a f-f-foal and you're the dad..." 
To that, his brother's purple eyes went wide and his heart skipped a beat. 
"N-no, that c-can't be right! I can't be a dad! Rainbolt, I wasn't meant to be a dad! It must be some kind of mistake or misunderstanding or..." To Rainbolt's surprise, Moonstruck was quickly getting emotional over the fact. He'd never seen his brother act so nervous in his life. His chest was heaving as he tried to take in breaths. "Y-you're not serious, are you? I mean, does it look like me? D-did she sleep with any other stallions?" 
"Not that I know of..." Rainbolt frowned as his brother freaked out. "And he does have your coat color and stuff..." 
"Oh, so now it's a him?" 
"Well, I mean, yeah... Foals usually have gender." 
"Oh great...." The stallion was on the verge of tears. "I-I can't be a dad, Rainbolt! I c-can't be!" 
For the first time in his adult life, Rainbolt actually felt sorry for his brother. He'd never once seen him cry, so seeing water glistening over his eyes was extremely weird, and a bit saddening. 
"It's going to be okay... Calm down..." 
"I...I don't... I..." 
With all the pressure and stress built up inside him, the stallion sat up straight, looked at his brother, raised his hoof, and sent a hard smack to the side of his cheek. Rainbolt let out a cry from the unexpected smack, and almost instantly put a hoof up to his bruised face. He looked up at his brother with tears invading his eyes. 
"Thanks." Moonstruck said stoically before his brother could even respond. "That helped... a lot." 
"Umm... N-no problem." The younger brother forced a smile as a single tear trickled down his face. "Listen, Moonstruck, I know the thought can be scary, but you have two options with the whole thing..." 
"Um, a-alright." The stallion lifted a hoof to his eye and wiped away a tear. Finally, he seemed as though he was starting to calm down. "What are they?" 
"Well, you can either take the foal half the week, or pay child support." 
"I... Oh, those both sound dreadful! I don't have enough bits to pay for child support! I have enough for me, my home, and food. That's it!" At that point, Moonstruck felt tears re-invading his eyes. "Listen, I... I need some time to prepare for this. I need to start investing in things for the foal... Oh, this is a nightmare!" Moonstruck rubbed his temples. "Listen, tell Sunny this for me; I'll split the time we take to parent, but I need at least a week to prepare for this. Can she at least have the decency to give me that much?" 
"I..." Rainbolt thought for a moment. Mrs. Skies didn't act too urgent about the whole thing. "I think she can do that for you..." 
"Good." Moonstruck tossed his brother an unsure look. He blushed a bit and nervously rubbed his neck. "Do you... you know..." 
Come on, Moonstruck! Swallow your pride! You don't know a damn thing about caring for an infant. Your brother does... If you want that foal to survive a day in your care, you're going to need some outside assistance. 
"Do you think there's a possibility you could maybe... help me with the foal?" 
"Sure thing!" Rainbolt replied almost instantly. "I may even have some leftover stuff from when Dash was a foal!" 
"Stuff? Stuff as in..?" 
"Oh, you know; toys, bottles, blankets. I think I may even have her old crib stashed away in a box." 
"R-really?" Rainbolt nodded affirmatively. To both brothers' shock, Moonstruck wrapped his hooves around his younger sibling and took him into a hug. "Oh, thank you so, so much Rainbolt! You're an amazing brother!" 
Rainbolt awkwardly wrapped his hooves back around his brother. The only other time his brother hugged him was for forced family photos. Feeling real, genuine emotion in a hug was definitely something he wasn't used to. 
"Alright." Moonstruck sighed as he broke away. "Enough with the gushy stuff. I'm going to be drinking deep tonight." The stallion removed himself from the couch. Rainbolt stood up not too long after. "Care to join me?" he asked. 
"Well..." The younger brother playfully smiled. "Considering what happened last time somepony drank with you, I'm going to say no." 
The stallion simply smiled and shrugged. 
"Suit yourself. I'm going to brew up a nice Screwball. If you change your mind, I'd be happy to make us a few drinks." 
"Eh.... I really need to go back to work. Besides, I have to take Dash to school in the morning. Flying with a hangover isn't the most pleasant experience." 
The stallion smiled to his brother and started towards the hallway. 
"Good luck, Moonstruck. You're going to need it." 
With that, Rainbolt made his way down to the hallway. He opened the door, and closed it with a click, leaving Moonstruck to think about everything. The unexpected news had put quite a damper on his night, and all he needed to do was relax. Maybe a long night of drinking wasn't the healthiest solution, but it was a solution nonetheless. All Moonstruck knew is the moment he pressed his lips to the rim of an alcohol-filled glass, he wasn't going to stop. 

"Moonstruck...?" 
Rainbolt slowly opened the bedroom door with a loud, creaking noise. Moonstruck, who'd been peacefully sleeping in his bed, angrily flicked on a light. He glared angrily at his younger brother, who at the time was only around seven. His yellow eyes were glassed over with tears and his expression couldn't have been more pitiful. He was holding a pillow in his hooves and was wearing a set of blue pajamas.
"What in Equestria do you want?" the older brother growled behind gritted teeth. The little colt stepped back and frowned. 
"M-Mommy and Daddy aren't home yet..." 
"I know..." The older colt sighed. "They went out on a date. Sometimes they get drunk and don't come home until morning. It happens." Moonstruck clicked his bedside lamp off and stuffed his head back in his pillow. "Now go away and go back to bed!" 
"But Moony! Mommy and Daddy aren't here and Prism already got mad at me, Sunshine's sick, and I need somepony to sleep with!" 
The colt grumbled and flicked his light back on. 
"No, Rainbolt, you don't. You want somepony to sleep with. The only thing you need to do is go away if you don't want me to hurt you!" 
"Please?" the colt asked pitifully, trying his best to look as sad as possible. "I had a scary dream and I can't sleep.... I promise I won't be annoying and I'll be nice and really sweet and stuff." 
Moonstruck growled and pounded his hooves into his pillow. 
"Fine!" 
Rainbolt's face lit up as he galloped over to his brother's bed. He hopped up onto it and cuddle himself against his brother. Moonstruck was still rather annoyed with his brother as he angrily flipped the light back off. He closed his eyes and tried hard to go back to sleep. He, however, didn't have his eyes closed for a moment before his little brother spoke up again. 
"Hey Moonstruck." 
"What?" 
"Do you love me?" 
The colt frowned and sighed. 
"If it helps you sleep at night." 
"Okay... Because, you know how Mommy says there are different kinds of love, and when she hits me sometimes, it's not because she's angry, but because she loves me?" 
"Yes..." 
"Well, I was thinking... Maybe that's why you hit me. Because you love me and you don't know how to show it." 
Moonstruck growled and felt his anger building. He raised his hoof and blindly gave his brother a hard smack on his shoulder. 
"Owe!" Rainbolt moved his hoof up to his shoulder and rubbed it. He then smiled and innocently wrapped his hooves around his brother. "I love you, too, Moony." 
The colt looked away and grit his teeth. 
"Whatever. Just, go to bed." 
"I will when you tell me you love me." 
"How about I punch you again?" 
"No, say it with words. And put some emotion behind it." 
Instead of giving in to his little brother's request, he simple got mad and pushed him to the floor. Rainbolt landed with a thud and whimpered. 
"Sleep on the floor." 
"No!" The little colt tried to hop onto Moonstruck's bed, only to be pushed off again. "You don't have to love me! Just let me sleep with you, please!" 
"No." 
"Please!" 
"No!" 
"Moony!" 
The colt angrily grabbed his little brother's pillow and threw it in his face. 
"I said leave!" 
The young child removed the pillow from his face and started crying. Moonstruck frowned at the sound of his little brother sobbing. It earned Rainbolt no sympathy, and only made his brother more annoyed. He felt his anger build up, and he could no longer take it. 
"I said go!" He yelled with a scrunched up muzzle. "I don't care how sad you are! You can just go cry your self a damn river! Just leave me be and go be irritating someplace else!" 
With that, the little colt ran out of the room with tears streaming down his face. He abandoned his pillow and galloped back to his room, not knowing what else to do. Moonstruck, on the other hoof, tucked himself under his sheets and closed his eyes. 
Then, in the very pits of his conscious mind, the stallion heard a sweet, happy, premature voice say, "I love you, Daddy..." 

When Moonstruck awoke, his head ached severely along with his heart. That night, he had not a dream, but a memory come to him. That, along with the voice of his son. Before he even woke up, the stallion had tears running down his cheeks uncontrollably. He put a hoof up to his eyes and tried to rub away some of the streaming drops of water. 
You'll never be a good parent.... Your son's going to hate you. Maybe you should just get a side job and pay for the damn thing. The stallion's face turned pinkish as tears continued to roll down his face. Never before had he felt so much for care for somepony he was yet to meet. His son, who he'd never seen claimed to already love him. His couldn't love him, though. He wasn't meant to be loved. He wasn't meant to have a foal. He certainly wasn't meant to be loved by a foal. Yet somehow, he felt the need to love him back. The moment he heard his voice say "I love you", he wanted to say it back. He almost felt excited to meet his son. He almost wanted to jump out of bed and fly to the Weather Factory with his aching hangover. He wanted to see his own flesh and blood that very second. 
Don't do it... 
Don't even try to be a parent. 
If you really loved him you wouldn't...
Everypony you love you just end up hurting with your damn sadism...
Why would he be any different? 
     

     
     
> 32. Once In a Blue Moon, Part Two: Responsibility's a B!tch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     "Whaaaaa!"
Mrs. Skies jolted awake from her short sleep. The shrill, irritating noise pieced through her eardrums and forced her hooves up to her ears, flattening them in a weak attempt to muffle the sound. She grunted and felt tears gloss over her eyes. She looked across the room to her digital alarm clock placed atop her counter.
Five in the morning? Really...? Ugh, I'm going to need to be at the factory soon. The mare rubbed her aching head and sighed. Might as well just get up. Besides, if I even try to fall asleep that little foal might just wake me up again... Ugh.
With that, the mare wearily tossed her sheet aside as the sound of crying continued to ring in her ears. She crawled out of her comforting bed and trotted to the other side of the room, where the foal rested noisily in his crib.
Mrs. Skies at first wondered if it would be a smart decision to put Blue Moon's crib in her bedroom. She'd debated on giving him his own room by making space in the guest's room. However, she chose her own chamber because it was more convenient. She'd be closer to him if he started crying in the night, and the poor thing could get freaked out if he was left alone too long.
The crib itself was a very nice crib. A shop owner sold it to her for a low price of forty bits. It was white, wooden, and had a dangling set of toys to keep the little one's mind and hooves occupied. The bedding in the crib had a soft, white mattress and built-in pillow. She found her own personal foal-blanket in her closet, and decided to let him use it. It was a light shade of pink with red hearts scattered all over it. Luckily, the foal was far too young to feel embarrassed over any girly stereotypes.
Gently, Mrs. Skies wrapped her hooves around her crying foal and hoisted him up near her shoulder. Almost immediately, she felt his bubbly snot and tears leak onto her coat. She tried to ignore it and instead gently pat her foal's back.
"It'll be okay..." the mare reassured Blue Moon in the most motherly tone she could force. He, however, continued wailing. The mare frowned and started asking a series of questions. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Need a change?" Her only response was the continuation of loud shrieks and gurgled whines.
With a sigh, the mare carried her foal carefully out of the room. Those days, Sunny typically left her door cracked at night so she could leave easily with the newborn in her hooves, and so a ray of light would seep in and make the young one less afraid of the dark. Because of that, she also kept her hall light on. It was something she'd learned to do within the first few days of parenthood. Unfortunately, when she came out of her room in the morning or at night, it'd nearly blind her and cause the foal to whine.
Wearily, the mare took Blue Moon down the bright hallway, downstairs, across the living room, only to make a right into her dark kitchen. She used her wing to flip on her light switch and the room illuminated instantly. The mare sighed as she looked around the room. She still hadn't done the dishes from last night, being a bit too busy with her child. Even then, she felt it was more important to get her son to stop crying than to get chores done. She grumbled as she tiredly set the crying foal down in his highchair, which had been generously given to her by a friend whose kids had just outgrown it. She set him in it gently. At that point, he was still sobbing miserably, but had quieted down a little bit since his mother took him into her comforting hooves.
Mrs. Skies went to the fridge after setting her foal down. As she opened the door, a cold chill went down her spine and flooded the area around her. She grumbled a bit as she took out a gallon of her own milk from the fridge. She had a couple other gallons in the back she'd saved to give to Moonstruck when he took over. She was at a point where she preferred giving her baby milk from a bottle instead of her body. She didn't like the way his tongue tickled her or his excessive amounts of slobber. Blue Moon, on the other hoof, enjoyed sucking it from her fresh. At some points when his mom played with him, he'd even make attempts to go for her milk-making gems, only to be stopped and fed by an artificial sucker.
The mare placed the milk on the table and turned back around to retrieve a bottle. When the little foal laid eyes on the sweet milk, his crying died down a bit more, but he was still sniffling and whining a bit.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting it," the mare muttered as she pulled his bottle down from the cabinet. She gently closed it and made her way back to the table. She set the bottle on the wooden surface and unscrewed the lid. She then proceeded to unscrew the lid of the milk gallon and pour a good serving of it into the foal's cup. She screwed his lid back on and looked at her son. He was extremely happy at the sight and started gurgling and whining, trying to reach for the delicious meal. What he wanted, his mom delivered. She gently pressed the tip of the bottle to Blue Moon's lips and he started suckling. As soon as the foal tasted the milk, he made a face, but continued sucking anyway.
"Yeah, yeah, it's not warm. Please don't throw a fit over it." The little colt made a whiny noise through his bottle, and Mrs. Skies gently took it away from his lips so he could catch a breath. "I'm just happy you're dad's going to see you the next few days... I mean, it's nothing personal, you're just a lot of hard work. Especially as a single parent." She smiled a bit as her son sucked down milk. "I hope you like your daddy and he knows how to care for you... I mean, I barely know how, and well..." The mare frowned and looked at her son. The thought of anything bad happening to him due to improper parenting made her almost want to not even give Moonstruck the chance to see him.
Mrs. Skies steadied the bottle as the foal continued to drink. He was quite the heavy eater, and usually went through six or seven servings of milk a day. By that rate, she'd probably have to drop off more gallons of her milk after only a few days.
"You know..." The mare started the one-sided conversation with her foal again. At that point his milk was almost half way gone. "I never really considered having a foal... Well, I mean, I did when I was married, but recently, I completely got rid of the idea. To tell you the truth, I didn't think it'd be so much hard work..." The mare smiled and removed the bottle from Blue Moon's hungry mouth, hoping he'd had enough. Unfortunately, he only whined, begging for more. Mrs. Skies complied. "You're a heavy eater, aren't you? You probably get that from me." She blushed and chuckled. "Yeah... I probably need to cut down on the sweets here soon. I have been gaining quite a few pounds."
The mare took the bottle from Blue's mouth again. He gurgled and put on a little smile.
"Think you've had enough, Buddy?"
The mare lifted the bottle to her eye-level and examined it. There couldn't have been but a couple ounces left in it. Shrugging, she set it down and lifted her foal up. up into her hooves. Mrs. Skies then proceeded to give his back a few gentle pats until he let out a soft burp. The mare giggled a bit and nuzzled her son.
"That's a good boy. Now, how about you let Mommy get ready for a bit? She still has to figure out how she's going to carry you, two gallons of milk, and myself all the way down to Manehattan."
Her son merely gurgled in response. Mrs. Skies hoped that was a yes and kept her foal supported near her shoulders. She flew back up the stairs, down the brightly lit hallway, and back to her room. At that point, Celestia's sun was just starting to rise above the cloud layer and shine hot rays onto the thick, puffy cumulous. The mare frowned as she gently placed her son back into his crib and placed the blanket over him. As much as she hoped he'd fall asleep, his sparkling, blue eyes were still shining with excitement for the new day.
"Please go to sleep, Sweetheart. Mommy needs some time to get ready."
The foal did nothing but look up at his mom and smile widely. She smiled a bit, leaned down, and gently landed a peck on his forehead. He giggled and his mother turned around, hoping the message would sink in that she wanted him asleep. She went to the back of the room and opened the curtains and let the light bleed in. Mrs. Skies smiled in satisfactory and made her way to the exit of the room.
"Sweet dreams..." she whispered before quietly closing her bedroom door and looking into the hallway. She took a moment to flick off the irritating hallway light.
Well, now that Blue Moon's been taken care of, I think I can get some time to shower, do the dishes, maybe even put my mane in a bun... Heck, if the little guy falls asleep, I could even make breakfast for myself, catch up on the news. Maybe if I get ready really fast, I could even read a bit, relax, do something to take my mind off things... Man, that sounds- It was then, the mare was cut off by a shrill, loud screeching coming from her room. She felt her hopes abandon her and her hooves move up to her ears. Like it's not going to happen...

Darkness. There was nothing but pure, black darkness. The stallion wasn't surrounded. He wasn't there. It was simply darkness, with an odd trace of echoing lingering within the void. Soon, the echoing turned to voices... familiar voices. And various set of them, too. Voices that continued to haunt them even to that day.
"Ponies like you deserve to be locked up!"
"You make me sick!"
"Begging won't get you anywhere. You're only making yourself look pathetic!"
"At this rate you'll never leave this place!"
"Outside?" The masculine voice scoffed. "Ponies like you don't get to go outside!"
"Increase his dose... This one's going to need it."
"Normal? Ha! A pony with as many problems as you could never be normal!"
"What? This one? Oh, he may act sane, but he's as much of a disgusting waste of life as everypony else in this joint is!"
"You're what's wrong with Equestria! If ponies like you didn't exist, the whole world would be better off!"
"Another chance? Ha! You had a twenty-one year chance and you blew it!"
The darkness then subsided, only to reveal a white-coated stallion angrily bucking the door to his room.
"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!"
The stallion then saw himself scrunched up on his firm, uncomfortable bed.
"I can't take this anymore! I can't, I just can't!" He took in heavy breaths. "I need to go home!" His eyes began to water. "I-I'm loosing any sanity I h-had left!"
The scene quickly whirled away to reveal a foggy memory of the stallion gazing dead into the eyes of his parents. He felt hot, boiled anger rising to his cranium.
"Help me? Are you serious? You thought locking me up would help me?" The volume in the stallion's voice rose with each word. "You didn't help me at all! You've turned my life into a living Tartarus! I was a grown-ass stallion and I could have took care of myself!" The mare and stallion nervously huddled into each other's hooves at their son's rage. "You could have done me a favor by minding your own business and leaving me be!" 
Shakily, the mother was the first to speak up. 
"M-Moonstruck, Honey, we didn't mean for things to get this hectic, we promise! It's just, when your siblings told us how you used to act, we thought-" 
"I don't give a damn what you thought! You ruined my entire life without even asking for consent to help me!"
With that, the angry stallion threw his hooves onto the table, sending a loud echo throughout his small room. His parents flinched, and with a jolt, his eyes opened. Moonstruck's eyes darted around the white walls of his bedroom. Sweat was running down his forehead, stomach, and neck. As soon as he realized his location, he let out a sigh of relief, happy he'd been transported from his awful memories. He did, however, still feel a hot pit of anger boiling within him. Every time he thought back to his days at the Home for the Criminally Insane, he became angrier than he was when he was still living there. Waking up with such pique was the worst possible way to start the morning. 
Filled to the brim with aggravation, the stallion aggressively tossed his thin sheet aside and rose from his sweat-drenched bed. His red mane was a complete wreck and his white feathers were ruffled from the hard night's sleep. A dreary head was the least of his concern, however. The quotes from ponies he'd known so long ago lingered within his mind. Most of them came from a police that helped monitor the place. He had to help whenever there was a fight, argument, emotional breakdown, or somepony who was simply loosing all control. Although some ponies were far more off-the-wall than others, he treated them all like filthy animals who were a disgrace to the pony race. Moonstruck had many encounters with him, and didn't like him one bit. He was sane enough to realize when he was being talked down to. 
"Damn bastard!" the stallion grumbled to himself as he made his way from his room. "I'd love to stab him in the bucking eye with a knife! That'll show him who's criminally insane." 
With all the anger built up within him, the stallion rose onto his front two hooves and bucked the door closed with a loud slam. Although the kick allowed him to let off a load of steam, he still felt irritated from the dream. The fact a picture fell from the wall and shattered didn't exactly help, either. He looked down at it with disdain. The light blue, wooden frame faced the floor and the little shards of glass scattered around it. He was already steamed, so the fact that he'd broken his own property didn't help. 
Angrily, Moonstruck marched down the hallway, letting his hooves pound against the wooden floorboards. Even if he seemed a tad bit like a pouty foal when he stomped, it still helped him personally to release some of the rage within him. 
Only a mere three feet away from his bedroom was Moonstruck's bathroom. Like almost all mornings, the stallion started his day in his restroom. He entered the shabby latrine and flicked on the light with the edge of his wing. The dull room illuminated to reveal a messy bathroom with a few towels, red hair, and feathers all littering the floor. Almost instantly, a roach scattered across the floor and under a used towel in fear of the pony. The stallion kicked the bathroom door closed and looked at the light green rag with distaste. He then placed his hoof at it and kicked it aside. Two terrified roaches scattered across the tile floor, terrified of the angry monster. The white pegasus quickly lifted his hoof and stomped on one of the pests. It died with a disgusting-sounding squish. Moonstruck smiled sadistically as he lifted his hoof from the floor, only to see the squashed remains of his home intruder. 
"Ha! That'll teach the little pest to interlope on my property!" 
The stallion then looked around, trying to see where the little intruder's friend had scurried off to. Unfortunately, he was no where to be seen.
"Oh, well..." The stallion sighed and picked his head up, looking into the mirror. His aubergine eyes were bordered with crustie and drooping with bags. His red mane was an absolute mess and stuck out in every which direction. He frowned a bit, observing his reflection. 
"You'll never be normal..."
The stallion shook his head as familiar voices echoed within his mind. Killing the bug had made him feel loads better. The last thing he wanted was for the anger to return. 
"Come on, Moonstruck!  You're better than your enemies." he encouraged himself in an unconfident tone. 
With a sigh, the stallion grabbed the edge of his mirror and opened it wide, revealing his medicine cabinet. Inside were some pain relievers, bandages, itch cream, cold relief, and two bottles of pills that greeted him every morning; his risperidone and lithium. He felt his heart ache a bit as he glanced at the familiar bottles. Shaking off the awkward emotion brewing within him, he proceeded to do what he did most mornings; grabbing his half-way full bottle of lithium. He took the large, green-tinted bottle and unscrewed the cap and set it aside. Inside was a decent amount of big, white pills. He sighed and tilted the bottle until one dropped into his hoof. He set down the bottle, popped the pill into his mouth, and then proceeded to turn on his sink, keeping the pill secure under his tongue. He tilted his head and brought his lips to the running water, letting the liquid fill in his mouth. When enough gathered up,he swallowed the water with his medicine. The stallion took in a short breath after the swallow. 
Alright, you got the worst of the two over with... Moonstruck picked up the lid and screwed it back onto the bottle. He set it back into the medicine cabinet and picked up the bottle that usually rested right next to his lithium. This one was clear, and much smaller in size. He unscrewed the cap and peered inside the bottle to check the amount. Inside were a whole bunch of little, red tablets that greeted him every morning. The stallion frowned as he let a couple of the pills drop into his hoof. 
"What do you mean it didn't work?" A frustrated, female voice echoed within the stallion's mind. "You know what? Whatever! He's been in our home eight years now! Increase his dose, and if he doesn't get better soon, send him off to an asylum! We need more room, and he can't stay here forever! Maybe we'll ship him off to that one in southern Equestria. I heard they still use shock therapy!" 
Moonstruck felt tears glisten over his eyes as he looked at the two pills before him. He sighed and popped his medicine into his mouth. He leaned his head down, turned on the sink, and took a few gulps from the running, cool tap. The two pills easily slid down his throat and into his system. They were small enough to go down without much of a fight, but still made him want to gag as the slid past his uvula. He took in a gasped and turned off the running water. Repeating the process, the stallion put the lid back on the bottle and placed it right next to his other morning medicine. He frowned and gently closed the cabinet. The mirror soon came back into his view and he let out a long, unhappy sigh. His mouth had water running down the edges and his eyes were glistening. He blinked a few times, shooing back the tears. He took in a breath, trying to compose himself. 
Come on! Don't give in to it! Your stronger than that! You know you are! Had they seen the same things you had, they wouldn't hesitate to have made the same decision. Yet they judge you and call you murderous... How can they label me when the only damn pony I killed didn't exist in the first place! Just... just calm down. The doctors said it was a dream. All ponies dream. You're normal. You are normal... Just a bit sadistic. You're perfectly fine.
The stallion bit his lip a bit. The tears slowly started to flee, and he forced a little smile. He'd usually hate himself upon staring at his reflection, but that day, he felt a bit of pride. He was a father, a fighter, and nothing more. He knew he was sadistic, but that didn't mean he was insane. Sure, his past was filled with some rather odd hallucinations, but some ponies took drugs to experience the same trips he did. He knew that. Sometimes, he simply assumed his body was producing some form of drug to help him, but surely, he wasn't insane. Besides, even if he was, he'd been growing more and more normal over the years! A little bit of hope sprung into his heart as he tried his hardest to think positive. 
"Maybe one day I'll be considered normal without the aid of medicine..." 
It was then, the stallion felt something odd in his chest. His ears flopped a bit and his eyes narrowed. Something didn't feel right...He looked out his bathroom door and thought for a moment. He then sighed and rolled his eyes. 
"A visiter." the unamused stallion muttered to himself. "Just what I need at this time of-" He cut himself off, and then thought a moment. What day was it? Monday? His eyes widened and his memories kicked in. "The foal..." 
With that set in his mind, the pegasus flew right out of his bathroom, leaving the door wide opened. He flew past his doorway, across the hall, and into the kitchen. He did notice he'd completely abandoned a good sink-load of dishes, but at the time, he had more important things to attend to. Ignoring his minor responsibilities, the stallion flew from the kitchen, all the way to his front door. He sighed and put his hoof to the doorknob. Quickly, he opened it. He smirked a little to himself when he met eyes with his foal's mother. She was a bit shocked from his sudden answer. Her blue eyes went wide and she put her hoof down. She had her other hoof securing Blue Moon and a saddle bag on her back. Both pockets of the bag were sagging with milk gallons. Her mane was a wreck and her eyes were bloodshot from little sleep. 
"Well, you're looking quite lovely, aren't you, Sunny?" he asked in a sarcastic manner. The stallion stepped to the side and held the door opened for the mare, who walked in with a roll of the eyes. 
"Shut it..." the mare growled angrily as Moonstruck closed the front door. "Just... Do you have the supplies needed to take care of him?"
"But of course!" the stallion said with a smile. 
"Good..." The mare let out a sigh of relief and turned the foal to the side a bit, giving Moonstruck a clear view of his face. His royal blue eyes shone brightly and his mouth was instantly in a smile. "This is Blue Moon..." she informed him. 
"Tacky name..." Moonstruck commented. He looked at his son. In a way, he almost found the spitty, unintelligent creature to be adorable. "But I suppose it suites him."  
"Thanks, I guess..." The mare looked at the stallion awkwardly. Simply knowing they'd had sex wasn't a reassuring thought to her. "So, do you have a place to put the little guy?" 
"Of course." The stallion smiled and gestured her with his hoof. "Follow me."
Naturally, Mrs. Skies followed without question. She did, however, move at a rather slow pace. After being exhausted from flying around with a foal and two heavy sacs of milk. Next time she knew she'd be getting help. At the rate she'd been going, she'd probably make it to work a little late. Her back, wings, and hooves were sore at that point, and all she wanted to do was lay down and relax. 
"You know..." The mare huffed out. "You could be a gentlecolt and help me with my things." 
"You know, I think you're the last pony that should lecture others on being polite." 
"What?" 
"Oh, you know, I just thought how polite it was of you to tell me about your pregnancy before you gave birth to the damn thing! You know, most stallions appreciate a little notice!" 
"Hey!" the mare snapped. "I didn't know either! I mean, it's not like I expected it!" 
"Oh, sure, sure... And how in Equestria did you not notice? Were you sleeping during your entire pregnancy?" 
"Well, no, I mean... I just didn't notice, alright?" 
"Ah, yes. It's not like you didn't have signs or anything." 
"Well, I... I..." The mare blushed a bit and looked away. "I just didn't... I thought I was in menopause and my eating habits were caused by depression, and, well... I'd already had a bunch of mood swings." 
"Oh, right! I suppose coincidences just align like the stars, don't they?" 
The mare huffed a bit to herself and continued to follow the stallion. Only shortly after their brief conversation had ended, the two were in the stallion's living room. He had one long, soft couch with pillows and a blanket along with a recliner. Behind the couch was a clear, sliding glass door that lead onto his porch. In the center of the room was a little, red rug with a crib on top of it. The crib was a light shade of pink and had been donated to him by his brother. In the crib was a dark blue blanket with yellow stars on it. The bedding was light pink, and the pillow was light blue. It was a bigger crib, and looked like it could hold a two or three year old foal, not just a one week old one. Mrs. Skies was satisfied enough with the crib, but did have quite a few questions. 
"Why are you making him sleep in the living room?" she asked. 
"Well, you see, my room is far too dangerous and small to be comfortable. If I want to keep an eye on him at night, I think the easiest way would be to sleep in the living room with him." 
"Ah, okay... Can I please set him down for a moment?" 
"I won't stop you." 
"Thank you..." Gently, the mare carried her foal over to the crib. She gently lowered him into the bedding, setting him right on the blanket. He looked up at her with large, blue eyes. 
"Agooo!" He whined, flailing his front hooves up to his mommy, hoping she'd pick him back up. 
"Sorry, Sweetheart. Mommy needs a break." With a sigh, the mare turned to the stallion and frowned. "Listen..." she started. "I'm really sorry I didn't give you a fair warning about this whole thing."
"Yeah... You'd think somepony would have the courage to tell you how much weight you were putting on." 
"Hey!" the mare snapped. "I'm just trying to apologize! There's no need to be such an ass about it!" 
"What? I'm simply stating the facts; anypony with eyes could tell you've added on pounds!" 
Mrs. Skies growled a bit and scrunched up her face. Wrinkles formed around her eyes and nose and heat rose to her cheeks. 
"So?" she replied at last. "At least I told you the night of! I could have waited and have everything more last minute!" 
"Actually, Rainbolt was the one to deliver the news!"
"Well, I mean, I sent him! Excuse me for having to feed the foal so it could survive!" 
"Oh whatever!" The stallion's voice raised in volume. "I still shouldn't have been rushed into all this simply because you were too stupid to tell you were pregnant!" 
"I'm not stupid!" the mare yelled back. 
At that point in the argument, Blue Moon was swelling up with tears. His little hooves desperately swung at his ears, trying to  cover them. His mom rarely ever raised her voice in front of him, but when she did, it was usually at an employee. 
"Well, you certainly aren't intelligent. Seriously, what didn't you notice? The weight gain? Your lost menstrual cycle? The kicking? Pain? Food cravings? Heck, somewhere within the past few weeks I'm sure you noticed swelling in your-" 
"Okay, okay may not have been too bright, but..." The mare glared, narrowing her blue eyes on Moonstruck. "... there's still no reason to be such a son of a bitch about it." 
"Oh please, Sunny! I think we know the only genuine son of a bitch here is the foal." 
Mrs. Skies frowned and let out a grunt. Her aggravation was boiling within her cranium and her eyes narrowed on the stallion  who once brought her such wonderful limerence. Angrily, she approached him. He, however, was far too stubborn to move inch away from the mare, even smirking a bit, taunting her to simply try to do something. She raised her left hoof and sent her hoof flying against the stallion's white cheek. He flinched, only to bring his hoof up to his lower eye and aid it from the sudden pain. He gaped at the mare, shocked that she had it in her to do such a thing. His eyes went wide, and his mouth curved into a grin. He was about to compliment her on her aggression, but she spoke up before he even had a chance. 
"Don't you even dare bring our son into your petty insults! You should be ashamed!" she yelled. 
"Jeesh!" the stallion said, still smirking a bit. "I was merely trying to-" 
It was then Moonstruck was cut off by a high-pitched shrieking noise. His hooves moved up to his ears to muffle the shrill sound. 
"Get used to it..." Sunny muttered under her breath before making her way over to her foal. Looking over the crib, she saw his white face glow red with tears. His hooves were flailing and his face was all scrunched up. The mare gently wrapped her hooves around her wailing foal and hoisted him up. He cried over her shoulder, sending rivers of snot and tears down her back. He did, however, start to calm down as she gently pat his back. 
"Shhhh... Shhh... Calm down, Sweetheart. Mommy's here... Mommy's sorry she got angry at your daddy. He's just being a jackass." The mare glared at the stallion to emphasize the word "jackass". 
"Whatever. With you as a mother, I can see why he's so miserable." 
"Shut your face!" she responded in an immature fashion. Her foal was slowly settling down, and at that point, he was merely sobbing quietly. "He's a sensitive little guy and needs a good amount of attention." 
"Yeah, whatever." 
"Don't you dare 'whatever' it, mister!" the mare snapped with anger in her tone. "This is your foal, too, and if I find out you did anything but provide him with every ounce of attention he needs, I'll be livid!" 
The stallion smirked a bit and chuckled. 
"Oh yes, your little threats just terrify me, Sunny." Moonstruck replied in a semi-sarcastic tone. To it, the mare did nothing but sigh and roll her eyes. 
"Listen, Moonstruck, I don't care if you hate me, don't take any of this seriously, or whatever the hay you think, but this foal's important." She took in a breath as she lovingly patted her son's back. At that point, he was reduced to merely gurgles and quite whines. "And I don't want to have to make you pay child support, but if I find out you're not taking your job as a father seriously, I'm going to get the law involved." 
"Oh, come on!" The stallion smiled confidently. "Of course I'm going to be a good father! I used to foalsit my younger siblings all the time when I was a younger colt. Trust me, I know what I'm doing." 
"I sure hope so..." The mare put her little foal back in his crib with a reassuring smile. He gurgled in her direction. The mother responded with a smile and returned her attention to her foal's daddy. "Listen, not that I don't have faith in you, but I made a bit of a list."
"A list?" Moostruck questioned with a raised eyebrow.  
"Yeah..." The mare reached back into a small pocket of her milk-filled saddle bags and pulled out a medium-sized, yellow spiral journal. She flipped it opened to the first paged and handed it over to the stallion before her. He took it into his hooves hesitantly and scanned over it, reading briefly through the notes. 
"It's basically just a little guide about his feeding schedule, how to prepare his food, how to change him, how to bathe him, how to play with him, his sleeping schedule, and maybe a few other things. It's just so you know about how to do everything incase you get confused..." 
For the longest moment, Moonstruck said nothing. He simply scanned over the page multiple times, trying to absorb all the information. 
"There's a second page, too..." Mrs. Skies informed. 
The stallion sighed as he flipped over the page to reveal a brand new one. He had to admit, some of the information was new and fresh to him. Some things he knew, though, and seemed almost insulting to even mention. 
"Well... I know most of this, but I suppose stuff that goes along the lines of his daily schedule are a bit important." 
"Good. Sorry if I made it too long, I just really don't want to see anything bad happen to my foal." 
"It's fine." The stallion set the notebook on a nearby coffee table. He'd be sure to refer to it later to make sure he didn't throw his son too far off schedule. 
"Thanks." The mare said for reasons not even she was quite sure of. "So, uhh... I also brought some milk for him to live off of..." 
The mare removed her saddle bag, letting it slide off her back and onto the wooden floor. The bags landed with a thud and the milk swished around inside their gallon-sized containers. Moonstruck frowned a bit, watching the two lactose-filled bottles swish around, tormenting him in a disgusting fashion. 
"Ew..." The stallion muttered beneath his breath. The mare scolded him with her eyes.
"Shush!" she growled. "It's pony milk! Even if he is lactose intolerant, pony milk is different than cow milk. He was meant to digest it, and so far nothing bad's happened to him from drinking it." She narrowed her eyes at the disrespectful stallion. "Besides, you can't tell me you didn't drink your mother's milk when you were a little foal."       
"Yes, whatever. Forgive me..." Moonstruck muttered to a point it was almost inaudible. "I'll be sure to feed the kid whenever he's hungry and whatnot..." 
"Good!" Mrs. Skies took in a breath. "Well... I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome..." She tossed the stallion an awkward smile and started towards the door. "I'll be back to deliver some more milk in a couple days just to be on the safe side." 
"Alright. Have a safe flight." Moonstruck responded, yet not entirely sure why. 
"Umm... thanks." the mare replied hesitantly. The mare looked away awkwardly before glancing back up with an unsure smile. She unfurled her wing and waved to the stallion with her feather tips. She then aimed her attention back at the exit and walked away. Moonstruck simply watched as she made her way to the door. He felt a rather odd sensation growing within him as the mare opened the door and made her way out. Not limerence, of course. It was nothing even remotely similar. He simply came to realize the thought of her safety suddenly had significance to him. If she were to disappear, die, or become endangered in anyway, he'd be left raising a foal with no assistance. 
Taking in a breath and trying shake the dreadful thought from his mind, Moonstruck turned around and made his way over to the foal's crib. He peered over the bars of the bed and looked down at Blue Moon. He was idly gurgling, letting saliva drip down his chin and onto his chest below. His hooves were reaching skyward, trying to touch some of the dangly arrangement of toys above him. 
"You're quite the noisy foal. You know that, right?" 
To that statement, the colt disregarded his toys and looked at his daddy. He respond with a wide smile and short whine. Inevitably, the stallion felt himself smiling back. 
"Cute..." he commented with little emotion in his voice. "You know, you highly resemble the way I looked as an infant. I probably didn't produce half the sound you do, though. Probably get that from your mother." He chuckled, then found himself frowning. "I, uhh... I wonder what you got from me." He took in a short breath and sighed. "I've been wondering that a lot lately. I mean, to be honest, I never really imagined myself being a parent. And for good reasons, too..." Gently, the stallion lowered his hoof into the crib and let his foal grab at it. "If you were to pick up any of my sadistic traits I'd hate myself. I just... I wouldn't want to see any other living being have to go through what I did. Especially if I ever grow fond of you." Blue Moon simply replied by grabbing onto his father's hoof and trying hard to bring it down to suck on. "Looks like you're already fond of me." The stallion chuckled. "Chances are your first impression will differ from your last. I mean, I don't know if you'll like me or hate me, but I can cope either way." 
Moonstruck sighed as the little foal gently suckled on the edge of his dad's hoof. Whether the foal was hungry, trying to show affection, or simply partaking in one of his odd habits, the stallion wasn't quite sure. He was a tad bit grossed out, but he didn't think a foal's mouth could be that dirty. Besides, any bacteria he could simply wash off under a water pipe. 
"You know, just because your mother and I share mutual distaste for each other, she's still an awfully pretty mare, and can actually be rather nice when she grows fond of you." The stallion frowned at the foal. "Don't suppose you'll be throwing a hissy fit when you realize she's gone, will you? That's just an emotional mess waiting to happen." Moonstruck took in a breath. "But hopefully my damn brother will be here by the time it all sinks in."  
With that, the stallion removed his hoof from his foal's mouth. The foal gurgled in response, but in a rather playful manner. The stallion smiled and wiped away the thick residue from his hoof. Moonstruck had to admit, for the foal's age, he was extremely vocal and didn't hesitate to respond to anything. By the time he was a young colt, he'd probably be very talkative.
"So... Let's see what your mother's written for me, shall we?" 
Blue Moon smiled at his dad with flailing hooves. Moonstruck smiled back and made his way over to the table he'd set the little, yellow journal on. He flipped opened the spiral notebook and read the list over. 



Feeding:
Blue Moon usually has 5-7 bottles of milk a day. He'll usually eat when he first wakes up, brunch (around eight or nine), lunch (around noon or one, maybe two), a snack (three or four), dinner (in between five to seven), and before he goes to sleep (eight or nine). When you prepare the milk, make sure to put it over a burner on warm for a few minutes. Then, let it cool until it's just warm. Test it on your upper hoof. If he seems uncomfortable when you feed him, it's probably too hot or you have it at an angle he doesn't like. Make sure you remove the bottle from his mouth every so often so he can get a quick breath of air. When he's done eating, GENTLY pat his back until he lets out a burp. 



With that, the stallion turned his direction to the clock. According to the little, black hands of the clock, it was only 7:23. He still had a while to go before he had to be fed again. The stallion shrugged and went back to reading the list. 



Playing:
Bluey (My nickname for him) enjoys being played with a good portion of the day. Please don't forget to have fun with him. He does get bored of his crib, and loves being taken out of it to cuddle and be played with. When you play with him, keep in mind he's very young. Don't toss him like some parents do. Just lie him on the floor and let him crawl around. Have some toys for him to play with, but make sure you always keep an eye on him. If you want to get involved, blow raspberries on his belly or gently tickle him. He also likes being complimented and talked to in a cutesy-wootesy voice. It's also nice if you encourage him to play with toys, but don't let him put small objects in his mouth. Also, please foal-proof your house. 



Oh my goodness... There is no way I'm going to be talking to him a cutesy-wootesy voice. The stallion shuttered at the thought of being reduced to acting like a cheesy parent who shows their child no verbal respect. Ugh. Foals are a pain. Why'd I let myself have sex with the damn mare? Such a shame the bitch wasn't on the pill. The stallion clenched his hooves before taking in a deep breath. Come on, Moonstruck. You don't need to have anger attack in front of your infant. He doesn't need to hate you within the hour he meets you. Just, read the rest of what she's written... 



Changing:
Usually, you'll have to change Blue's diaper 8-10 times a day. Set him down on a smooth, flat surface and make sure he's extremely secure. Always keep a hoof on him so he doesn't roll off and hurt himself. Make sure you strap the diaper all the way up on his waist, so there's no gaps (You don't want pee to drip through the gaps and onto your floor. I learned that the hard way). Also, make sure you're very cautious when you go to change him. He may spray you if you're not careful. Make sure the diaper's not too tight when you put a fresh one on, and please put on foal powder (if you have any) when you're done. If you're low on any supplies and can't afford any more, just tell me and I'll get you some. 



Well, I suppose that's nice enough, but that's seriously disgusting as a whole. I know he's a mere foal and can't help it, but still. Whatever. If Rainbolt can power through parenthood, you have absolutely no excuse. Just read whatever she left you on the back page. The stallion sighed and flipped over the notebook paper. 



Sleep Schedule:
Blue Moon still hasn't fully been adjusted to a specific sleeping schedule. Just get him in bed by 9:30 at the latest. I'll be buying him pajamas when autumn comes along, so he'll have a nice pair to keep him warm in the winter. For now, though, tuck him in, maybe rock him in your hooves a bit. If your voice is pleasant, try singing softly to him. That always helps. He may wake up a couple times during the night if he wets himself, but other than that, he should sleep soundly. He'll probably wake up around five or six. Also, let him have a nap after lunch sometime. He likes naps. 



"Oh, well that just seems like loads of fun, now doesn't it?" Moonstruck grumbled to himself. "Because sleeping isn't already hard enough for me." With a frown and a sigh, the stallion continued reading on to the final paragraph. 



Bathing:
Blue Moon enjoys baths (He's a very happy foal, isn't he?). What you need to do is take him in a shallow bin and fill it with water. Make sure the water's lukewarm, and keep an eye on him. It's important he's supported at all times so he doesn't drown. When washing him, make sure you use a little bit of foal shampoo and massage it throughout his body. Clean his ears, coat, wings, mane, tail, and everything in between. When you're done getting him all sudsy, remember to gently pour the water over him to get the soap out. Don't get soap in his eyes, mouth, or ears. Afterwards, gently dry him off with a towel until he's completely dry. Put him back in a diaper, and set him in his crib. He may fall asleep or want to play afterwards. Whatever happens is up to him. 



With everything read, the stallion frowned and unenthusiastically looked the notes Mrs. Skies had sent him. His eyes grew as the sudden thought of all the responsibilities sunk in. With every little chore, he didn't see how he'd even manage to get any work done during the day. He still had to have a job to support himself and the foal, and he'd still need to find a way to get a foalsitter whenever he had work. If he were lucky, his brother would fill in. He did work at night, so it was a possibility. If he got off Rainbolt's good side for some reason, he'd be in a jam, though. The stallion scrunched his muzzle, suddenly realizing how much he'd be putting into the little accident. 
Maybe I should just pay child support...
> 33. Once in a Blue Moon, Part Three: Call Me Crazy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     "Open." the stallion commanded in a soft tone. He held the clear, plastic bottle up to his foal's mouth, who reluctantly turned his head away, not wanting any part of the delicious meal. 
"Blue Moon. Open." he commanded once more, putting the bottle closer and closer to the colt's mouth. Blue whined a bit and turned away, shaming the bottle of fresh, warm milk. 
"Listen, Son, it's nine in the morning. Your mother wants you good and fed by now, and I didn't spend three minutes warming your meal and enduring the nasty smells of your mother's milk in the air just so you could be disobedient. Now, open up." 
The stallion drew the bottle away from the little foal, only to bring it back in. This time, the foal didn't turn away; he simply backed his head away as far as he possibly could, trying hard to avoid his brunch. With anger brewing within him, the stallion set down the bottle and frowned. 
"You cried because you were hungry, I make you food, then you completely turn it away. What in Equestria can I do to make you satisfied?" 
It was then, the foal opened his mouth and let out a long wail. Taking the opportunity, the stallion quickly placed the bottle tip into Blue Moon's mouth so his lips were forced to close around it. Almost in an instant, his blue eyes went wide and he started to suckle. He smiled a bit, and his eyelids fell in the sweet, milky bliss that reminded him of his mother. 
"See? That's not so bad, is it?" 
The stallion felt himself push harder on the bottle, forcing it deeper in his son's mouth out of anger. Of course, Blue whined and uncomfortably tried to move his head. Moonstruck caught his mistake and lightened his force, which made it easier on the little foal. The one-week old gently suckled the bottle again, now starting to gain an appetite. He smiled, moaning cutely a bit as he sucked up his meal. The stallion took the bottle away to allow his son to breath. When he went to put the bottle back in, the foal smiled and clamped his lips shut, denying entrance. 
"Oh, you can't be serious," the stallion muttered under his breath. He angrily slammed the bottle down against the wooden counter and scolded his son. "You know what? You can just starve yourself if you're going to be immature about it! See if I care!" 
Blue Moon gurgled and flailed his front hooves, begging to be picked up and played with instead of fed, not really caring about his dad's anger. Moonstruck gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. Before he could get to caught up in his anger, however, his ears perked up and he looked away. In realization, his eyes widened and he looked at the foal. 
"I'll be right back!" he growled. "And don't you dare think of moving an inch!" 
The foal smiled, which only irritated his father further. Angrily, the pegasus made his way from the oddly-scented kitchen to the area that lead to his front door. Before he could reach it, however, he heard three knocks to the wooden surface. 
"I'm coming!" The stallion growled in an irritated tone. He made his way over to the door and slid the only chain undone. He opened the door with great haste, only to be confronted by his brother. He, much unlike Moonstruck, was wearing a smile on his face and had excitement glistening in his eyes. 
"Well, don't you look excited?" the elder brother started in a very unenthusiastic tone. The comment instantly turned Rainbolt's smile upside down. 
"Sorry for being happy and stuff..." the periwinkle stallion apologized. "I'm just kind of excited to be around a foal again. I mean, I remember Dashie as a little foal and I-" 
"Yes, whatever. Come inside," the stallion interrupted with little consideration. 
Rainbolt shut himself up and blushed a bit before hesitantly stepping inside the house. Moonstruck gently kicked his front door. It clicked shut with a small bang. 
"So, uhh..." the younger sibling started with hesitation. "Hard morning, I take it?" 
"Well, the damn thing won't eat its food, it doesn't shut up, it acts so innocent, and it just...." The stallion took in a breath and let out an irritated grunt. "It has no way of proper communication so I don't know what it wants ever!" 
"Well, I mean..." Rainbolt rolled his tongue around his mouth, searching for the right thing to see. "How long have you had him?" 
"I don't know, a couple hours or something." 
"And what've you been doing this whole time?" 
"Keeping the damn thing entertained while trying to not to kill it." 
Rainbolt forced a smile towards his brother. 
"Well, that's a good start, I guess." Moonstruck gestured his brother towards the kitchen and started making his way towards it. The stallion followed with no second thoughtd. "And what's goin' on right now?" 
"I'm making an attempt to feed it so it doesn't die, but he's being a little brat about it." 
"Probably not hungry." 
"Oh, well thank you sincerely for that deep epiphany. Anything else you'd like to add?" 
"Sorry..." the stallion apologized quietly. "Why not entertain him until he's hungry again? Maybe playing with him will tire him out. Or maybe he just doesn't like you." 
"Thanks for the reassurance." 
Rainbolt frowned. 
"Why don't you let me give it a try? I mean, foal's tend to like me, and he's seen me more and stuff." 
"Oh, be my guest. I doubt you can get the little brat to eat, though..." 
The stallion looked at the foal as they stepped hoof onto the honey-colored tile floor. He was drooling carelessly in his high-chair, letting out soft gurgles with a smile on his face. 
"Brat's sort of a harsh word for an infant..." the stallion said in defense of the little foal. 
"Whatever. Just feed him." 
Rainbolt nodded and made his way over to the little high chair the foal was sitting at. It was yellow, and had been previously owned by Rainbow. It was much bigger than what was comfortable for a foal his size, but Blue Moon didn't seem to mind. One thing, however. was a bit off...
"You didn't strap him in..." 
"And? It's not like he's just going to fall out or something." 
"He could!" Rainbolt took the little, black straps of the foal's chair and strapped them up and above his shoulders, only to click them to the opposite ends of the high-chair. He took the opposite side of the strap and put it over Blue Moon's opposite shoulder. He giggled happily before the stallion gently connected the two straps to a buckle in the center of his lap. 
"See?" Rainbolt asked in a semi-cocky tone. "Now he won't fall out and break a limb or something." 
"Yeah... I'm sure you just saved his life." 
"Never know." The stallion tossed his brother a smile. "So, the little guy won't eat?" 
"Nope."  
"Alrighty. Let's just see."  Rainbolt wrapped his hoof around the plastic bottle of milk and lifted up to the foal's eye-level. He leaned it in, hoping to gain entrance. Unfortunately, the foal simply turned away. "Come on, little guy." The stallion coaxed in a babyish tone, increasing the pitch of his voice by an octave. The sudden shift in pitch caused Moonstruck to wince and make a face. "You need milkies to grow up big and strong like me and your daddy." The stallion blushed a bit as he gently tickled the foal's side with his free hoof. He giggled happily. Taking the chance, Rainbolt placed the tip of the bottle gently to the foal's lips. Blue Moon instantly turned, denying the bottle entrance once more. Rainbolt set the bottle down and shrugged.
"He's not hungry." He concluded, setting his voice at its regular pitch. 
"No shit, Fetlock."
The stallion raised an eyebrow. 
"Then why are you trying to force feed him?" 
"Well, I mean... I thought you said you'd get him to eat!" 
"Well, I got his mouth opened. If he's seriously denying milk, he's probably too full to take it." He tossed his brother a reassuring smile. "Just wait an hour or so and see how he feels. Okay?" 
"Fine..." Moonstruck mumbled inaudibly. 
"Good!" the stallion turned to the foal and started unbuckling him from his seat. Blue Moon smiled as he did so, lifting his hoofs up in hopes of being picked up and cuddled. His mom always made time to cuddle him, so he was a bit confused on why he hadn't been snuggled once since he arrived at the mysterious pony's house. 
Rainbolt gently placed his hooves underneath the foal's arms and hiked him up, putting him onto his chest so he could rest comfortably on his shoulder. 
"So, you've tried feeding him and playing with him so far?" 
"Yes." 
"Well... Hmm, it's still early, so he probably still wants attention." 
"Ugh..." The new father muttered. "How much attention does the damn thing need in a day?"      
"Can you stop calling him that? You're going to hurt his feelings." 
"Ugh, whatever. Just, put him back in his crib or whatever." 
"What? No. He still needs attention. Isn't that right, buddy?" Rainbolt lovingly patted the colt's back, who gurgled in response. "See? Besides, I bet you don't know the basics of how to play with a foal." 
"What do you mean 'basics'? It's not that complicated." 
"Well, it's not, but..." The stallion bit his lip, searching for the right thing to say. It's not that he didn't trust his brother's style of parenting, but he couldn't honestly imagine him being too excited to sink down to a foalish level. "How exactly do you play with Blue Moon?" 
"I don't know. I suppose I simply talk to him and stroke his mane and such. There's really not much I can do." 
Rainbolt smiled at his brother, now realizing how uneducated he was when it came to parenting. He may not have been the biggest fan of Moonstruck, but he did admire his intelligence when growing up. Having the opportunity to finally teach his brother something meant a lot to Rainbolt. Even if it was something he considered common knowledge. 
"Oh, trust me. There is so much more you can do with a foal than just talking to it." Rainbolt thought for a moment. "Also, if you do talk to him, you should do it in a cute kind of way." 
Moonstruck made a semi-disgusted face. He would never reduce himself to such a juvenile way of speaking. Even if it was for the pleasure of his son. 
"'Cute kind of way'? Rainbolt, listen; I'm nothing like you. I'm not some cutesy-wootesy parent that's going to be best buddies with their offspring! I'm going to give it food, bathe it, and anything it may need to survive. I am not, however, going to bond with it by means of giving up my pride for its comfort." 
"Pride? Moonstruck, when you become a parent, the only thing you should have pride in is your children." He frowned a bit. "I know you're new to everything, and you may not feel that emotionally connected to the foal yet, but once you start to like him, it's like you never want to let 'em grow." 
"Rainbolt, I-" Moonstruck started in an angry tone, before stopping himself. The stallion took in a breath and restrained himself from saying anything rude too hastily. He did want assistance with the foal, and getting upset with the one stallion willing to give him help wasn't an intelligent decision. Letting out a long exhale, the pegasus continued in a calmer tone. "Listen, I love the foal, I really do... It just seems rather... weird for a stallion like myself to do it." 
"Weird?" 
"Yes, weird. I just... I can't see myself easily talking to him in an immature fashion. It just... You get where I'm coming from, right?" 
Rainbolt thought for a moment. To think of it, Moonstruck hardly showed any strong emotions aside from anger and frustration. The thought of him putting on a playful or loving act was an odd vision. 
"Yeah, I guess..." The stallion finally agreed. "But you could at least try." 
"I... Rainbolt, I don't..." The older brother frowned. He just couldn't argue his way out of that one. "I suppose I could give it a try." 
"That's the spirit!" Rainbolt chimed with a smile. His grin, however, quickly faded when he saw the narrowing eyes of his brother. He blushed a bit, knowing his sibling didn't like being talked to as a child. "Sorry..." he apologized. 
"It's fine. Just... Do whatever it was you were going to." 
The younger sibling smiled and thanked the stallion with his expression, who simply nodded in response. Rainbolt turned and headed to his brother's living room. It wasn't far from the kitchen at all, and only took several steps to meet the next room. The problem the stallion carrying the gurgling foal instantly noticed was the flooring of the living room. 
"Your living room is wood..." 
"Thanks for notifying me." Moonstruck said in a sarcasm-drowned tone. "Anything else you'd like to inform me of while you're at it?"
"Well, no, but I'm not going to set the foal on hard wood."
"I have a carpet." 
Rainbolt paused for a moment, glancing at the carpet sprawled out in the middle of the floor. He sighed and looked back at his brother.
"That still seems really uncomfortable for the little guy." 
"Oh, boo hoo. Seriously, how heavily do you want me to pamper him?" 
"Just..." Rainbolt glanced around for a softer-looking place to set Blue Moon. "Can I put him on your couch?" 
"I suppose..." the stallion agreed hesitantly. 
"Great!" 
With that said, Rainbolt made his way over to the medium sized couch. He gently set the squirming colt onto the soft, blue surface of the sofa. He squirmed a bit at first, trying to feel the details of his new setting. The stallion smiled at the foal, who giggled happily and sprawled his hooves out towards the bigger pony. 
"He's such a cutie..." Rainbolt muttered before turning around and looking at his brother. Moonstruck was still at the door frame of the kitchen. His eyes were widened for some reason and his expression was dull and lifeless.
"You okay...?" the younger pony asked in concerned. The paralyzed pony's eyes darted from the ground to his sibling. He blinked a few times before returning to reality. 
"Yes, of course. I was just wandering somewhere. Sorry." 
Rainbolt raised his eyebrow at the way he said "wandering", but quickly shrugged the odd term off and went back to giving the foal attention. 
"Come here for a moment." 
Moonstruck, although hesitant at first, did comply and head over to the couch. He looked down at his son, who was reaching up skyward in the most adorable manner possible. While one stallion let out a long, "Awe...", the other hid his behind forced, unenthusiastic expression. 
"So... Have you played with him at all? Well, you know, beyond what you consider playing?" Rainbolt asked. 
"Not exactly."
"Well, you should try." 
With that said, Rainbolt smiled at his older sibling, who awkwardly gazed back. Moonstruck knew what his brother was expecting, but didn't entirely feel comfortable going through with it. Awkwardly, the older pony lowered his hoof onto the foal. Like last time, the foal reached for the giant hoof and gently suckled on the edge of it, gurgling with joy. The stallion blushed and looked away, hoping that was the most affection he'd have to give to his son. 
"That's a good start... Now, why don't you try doing something a bit more?"
"Oh, so letting it slobber all over me isn't enough?" Angrily, Moonstruck removed his saliva-coated hoof from the foal's mouth. 
"No..." Rainbolt frowned and looked at Blue Moon. He then smiled, as an idea popped into his mind. "Oh, wait! Wait! You wanna see something foals love?" 
With a frown, Moonstruck rolled his eyes. 
"I suppose..." He mumbled unenthusiastically. 
With that, the younger brother lowered his head near the foal and pressed his lips to the soft, baby belly. At first, Blue Moon struggled, unsure what to think. Then, he found himself laughing aloud as his uncle blew raspberries onto his little stomach. He started to squirm violently, but the tickling didn't stop. His shrill shrieks forced his dad to cover his ears. After a moment of sustained belly blowing, Rainbolt lifted his head and smiled. 
"See? He loved it." 
Hesitantly, Moonstruck lowered his hooves from his ears. The foal's laughs had reduced to mere giggles and his squirming had ceased almost completely. 
"I didn't..." 
"You could try," Rainbolt suggested calmly. "Unless you have some other way of playing with him?" 
"Ugh. I thought I already showed you my method..." 
Rainbolt found himself chuckling at his brother. Yes, he knew he must have been going through quite a bit of struggles accepting his new fate, but his reluctant attitude and new circumstances made the whole thing a bit funnier. 
"Don't laugh!" Moonstruck snapped. His sibling fell silent and shrunk back from the crack of the voice. A little part of the white pegasus felt bad for intimidating Rainbolt, while the other half stuck with the anger he originally displayed. 
"Sorry, I-"
"It's fine. Just... I suppose I was being a bit irritable... I'm just sort of stressed, is all."
"No, it's good."  
"Alright." The stallion glanced away and shuffled his hooves into the wooden floor. So far, he hadn't been getting along with his brother too well. He had planned to get on Rainbolt's good side. Why did it seem so difficult? He wanted to get along, but with their pasts in consideration, it was hard. Moonstruck had to admit, though, his sibling was trying, and if he wanted to stay on his good side, he'd have to step outside of his comfort zone a bit. "Just... Could you possibly teach me to do that thing with your mouth?" he asked, glancing away as scarlet filled his cheeks. 
"Oh, that's simple..." The stallion's voice had been a bit more quiet this time. "Just open your mouth, press it to his belly, and blow." 
"I knew that," the pegasus growled. 
"But, you..." The stallion cut himself off, deciding it would be better to simply shut up. 
"Yes, whatever." 
Moonstruck avoided eye-contact with his brother as he looked at his son. He was silent at the moment. To go through with it would cause him another headache and lost in pride. If he were to go through with it, he could have possibly earned more of his brother's trust and support. Hesitantly, he shifted himself to a different angle and knelt down. His muzzle gently brushed against his son's side. Already, he was giggling. His hooves reached towards the sky, hoping to give his father more room to tickle. Reluctantly, the stallion gently pressed his lips against the foal's side. Blue Moon already started to squirm, before the stallion even blew. When he did, however, his body flailed and his cries of joy filled the room. Moonstruck blushed, and only blew raspberries for a few brief moments. He quickly broke away from the affection, and looked down at his squirming foal. His expression was nothing but pure joy and excitement. His grin was so innocent and adorable, the stallion felt his heart warm a bit. 
Oh, come on, Moonstruck! You seriously can't be giving into him that. You have far more strength than that... Then, again.... The pegasus worriedly looked at his foal. 
"He is adorable..." 
"He really is. Good job." 
Really? Good job? You may as well compliment me for something as effortless as breathing! Bucking... Ugh! Am I supposed to feel pride from that? Can you just-
"Shut it!" The stallion snapped. Rainbolt at first flinched at the sudden surge of anger. He couldn't say he didn't expect to be lashed at once and a while for minor things, but simply complimenting him wasn't one. The stallion mumbled an apology. He did defend himself as he did when he was a younger colt, but like then, it was nearly at a whisper. 
"There's no reason to be mean..."
"Yeah, whatever. If you could stop congratulate me on surviving, that'd be fantastic." 
"Okay... Sorry." 
"It's fine. Just..." Moonstruck searched his mind for a different topic. "What more do you want me to do?" 
"I don't know... We could try interacting with him a bit more. Like, get to know him a bit." 
"Because an infant has a wide variety of interests and personality traits..." 
"Hey, you never know." Rainbolt smiled and placed himself on the edge of the couch right next to the foal. The cushion sank, causing the little colt to slide closer to his uncle. "The personality develops within the first six weeks. Just depends on how you influence him."
Wonderful.
With no words, Moonstruck took a seat on the couch, too. He chose to sit next to Blue Moon, as well, but on the opposite side. The little foal slid towards his father from the new slant. His head bumped the stallion's leg, which only caused him to giggle louder. Both fathers couldn't help but smile as Bluey reached for his daddy. Moonstruck gently pressed his hoof to the foal's chest, causing him to gurgle. He then made an attempt to suckle on his father's hoof. That, however, didn't become a reality. Moonstruck removed his hoof from Blue Moon's chest, leaving him bewildered and unsatisfied. He simply laid there, gazing up at his dad silently. After a short moment, the colt started glancing around every which direction, silently observing the room. The two stallions looked at each other. One was smiling, while the other seemed a bit confused. 
"He's not doing anything..." Moonstruck muttered after a brief moment of silence. 
"What'd you expect?" 
"I don't know... He's been so noisy the entirety of this morning." 
"Oh, I'm sorry. Ummm...." Rainbolt took a moment to think. He was having a little trouble recalling what he used to do to entertain Dashie as a young foal. As young as Blue Moon was, he didn't know how safe it'd be to be too aggressively loving. Kisses, blowing raspberries, and cuddling all seemed like safe options. However, bouncing him up and down on his knee, throwing him up and catching him, along with other things could have freaked the poor nine-day old foal out a bit. "Ummm.... I don't know...." He took in a breath. "Try playing peek-a-boo or something." 
"Ugh, no." 
"Oh come on, it's not hard! You don't even have to use your baby-voice or anything."
Moonstruck folded his hooves reluctantly. Rainbolt smiled, and tried to encourage his brother by giving a demonstration. 
"Blue Moon.... Buddy." The cooing of his uncle caused the little foal to give Rainbolt his attention. The stallion smiled and placed his hooves over his eyes. "Where'd I go?" he asked, in a very childish manner. Blue Moon looked up at the stallion, while Moostruck tossed him an equally bewildered expression. "Here I am!" He chimed with enthusiasm, uncovering his face and smiling. Almost instantly, the foal seemed to be taken back in shock, and then did nothing but stare, not really sure of what to think. 
"Well, aren't you just the entertainer?" 
"It used to make Dashie giggle..."  the disappointed stallion muttered under his breath. 
"Well, maybe my foal has higher expectations for life!" 
Rainbolt frowned and sighed. In a sense, he was starting to get a bit irritated with his brother. He knew him to be rude, and he was sure the stress of parenthood was getting to his head, but he didn't appreciate the lack of respect he showed. He did, after all, take time out of his day to help him. The stallion, however, thought it'd be better to simply not say anything. 
"Yeah, yeah...." The pegasus tossed his brother a forced smile. "So... Do you want to try to get him to sleep again?" 
"I don't know... He doesn't seem too worn-out yet. He's only been up but a few hours." 
"Well, I mean..." Rainbolt thought for a moment. "Maybe.... Maybe we could try to feed him again?" 
"Because that worked so well the first time." 
"Well, it's been a little while. The little guy could be getting hungry again."
"Fine. Go get the bottle." 
"Why me?" Rainbolt asked, hardly thinking about the question itself. His lack of thought ended up earning him a piercing gaze from his brother. 
"You came up with the idea!" he snapped. 
"It's your foal." 
"He's your nephew!" 
Rainbolt took in a breath and exhaled unenthusiastically. Reluctantly, he rose from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. If Moonstruck was going to be that stubborn, chances are he'd end up doing it anyway. Besides, what point would there be in continuing an argument if there was an easy way to resolve it? 
Making his way into the tiled kitchen, Rainbolt glanced around the area. There wasn't a lot within the room. Aside from a few odd and end dishes on the countertops, there wasn't too much to be seen. The desired item, however, was located where Moonstruck left it; on the table, near Blue's high chair. It was still eighty percent filled with Mrs. Skies' sweet milk. Rainbolt grabbed the bottle and took a moment to examine it. The liquid was still warm, and Blue Moon's saliva was still glistening on the nipple of the bottle. He wondered if Moonstruck had been at fault for the foal's lack of eating. If the milk were only lukewarm when he fed Blue Moon, the bottle wouldn't have been as hot as it was then. Shrugging it off, Rainbolt made his way back into the living room. His brother was in a bit of a haze, staring at his son with little interest. His purple eyes almost seemed sad. The stallion wasn't going to ask what he was thinking, but did want to announce his presence. 
"Hey," Rainbolt started in a soft tone. His brother looked up. His reply was a short nod of his head and a gesture take a seat. The stallion complied with no words, sitting next to the cute foal and his father. Blue Moon gurgled as his uncle sat down, which brought a smile to both adult's faces. 
"Sit him up." 
"Why?" 
"It'll make it easier for him to drink..." 
"Ugh..." As gently as Moonstruck could manage, he grabbed his son by the torso and set him upward. He placed his back to the couch, forcing him to sit. Blue Moon didn't seem to mind, though. He just sat there and waited for kismet to work itself. Slowly, Rainbolt leveled the bottle to the foal's eyes. The happy foal smiled and puckered out his lips. Carefully, the stallion moved the bottle towards the newborn, only to have him hungrily wrap his lips around the tip and suckle. Rainbolt smiled in success. 
"Good boy," he complimented in a soft tone. 
Quietly, Moonstruck watched as his sibling fed his son. His hoof was gently leveled, hardly using any grip. He let the bottle fall from the foal's mouth every once in a while, letting him take in a breath when he pleased. Blue Moon seemed pretty happy with the way he was being fed. His eyes were sparkling and his mouth found its way into a smile. 
Gosh, it looks so simple. Why couldn't I get him to eat that easily? Moonstruck thought for a moment. For the first time, he considered the possibility his approach was too aggressive. Maybe if he was more fatherly and gentle, his foal wouldn't be so hesitant to eat. It couldn't hurt to try... 
"Rainbolt?" 
"Yeah?" The stallion looked up and met eyes with his sibling. Swallowing his pride, the white pegasus bit his lip and spoke up. 
"Could I possibly have I go at it?" 
"Oh, sure!" Rainbolt removed the half-full bottle from the hungry foal's mouth and handed it over to his sibling. The new parent took it into his hooves and slowly leveled it to his son's face. At first, Bluey seemed a bit confused, but was still hungry nonetheless. He went in for the nipple of the bottle and began sucking again. As Moonstruck softened his grip, he felt the bottle bob up and down. After a few seconds, Blue Moon opened his mouth to breath, which naturally caused the bottle to slide out a bit. The stallion had to push it back in a bit to have the bottle be comfortable in his foal's mouth. 
This is far easier than I thought it would be... Celestia, I have a lot to learn about parenting. I'm not sure how easy it will be to bring out my ultra soft side, though... 
After a few moments of gentle feeding, Blue Moon whined in upset manner. Moonstruck removed the bottle from his mouth. It was nearly empty. 
"I don't think he's hungry anymore."
"It must have taken all your wits to figure that one out," the stallion sarcastically muttered under his breath. Although Rainbolt didn't quite catch what his brother said, he simply assumed the worst and didn't question it. Both of their minds, however, quickly drew away from the stallion's snarky remark. Their attention quickly landed on Blue Moon, who started making a series of awkward faces and noises. 
"What's he doing?" 
Rainbolt smiled at the foal and gently wrapped his hooves around his torso. The stallion brought him into his chest as carefully as he could. 
"Pay attention, Moonstruck," he requested in a soft tone. 
Usually, Moonstruck would be angered by being talked down to or asked favors, but he was starting to accept the fact he really did need to shut up and listen at times. At that moment, he was trying to practice said skill; gazing as his brother hugged his child. Softly, the periwinkle pegasus patted his nephew's back. The foal struggled for a moment, straining to make his insides comfortable. After a short moment, however, Blue Moon let out a quiet burp, then giggled. Rainbolt whispered "good colt" in his ear and carefully placed him back in his original position. 
"What'd you do?" 
"Burped him," Rainbolt replied. "Did you see how gently I did it?" Dumbly, the inexperienced parent nodded."That's how softly you have to do it." Again, Moonstruck nodded, yet didn't speak. "Would you like to try next time?" For a long moment, the stallion was silent once more. 
"I.... I suppose so," he finally replied, internally questioning if he could do it soft enough. 
"Good!" Rainbolt tossed his brother a smile. "Because you have a lot more to learn where that came from..." 

Blue Moon gurgled as he reached towards his father. His small, white hooves were desperate to latch onto the pony who was carefully setting him onto the kitchen table. The cool, wooden surface felt good against his soft feathers and fur. He chimed, happy with his new position. His uncle and father were staring down at him; one smiling at the adorable colt, while the other seemed to not care. 
"Hold him," Rainbolt said softly as his brother removed his hooves from his foal. 
"Hold him?" 
"Yeah... You don't want him to roll off or anything." 
Moonstruck muttered something inaudible under his breath and gently placed his hoof on his son's chest. For a moment, his breathing intensified and he looked up at his father wordily. 
Oh, don't give me that pitiful expression. I'm not going to crush you....
"Alright, now..." Rainbolt thought for a moment. "Would you like me to change him the first time?" 
"Be my guest." 
Happily, Moonstruck fully removed his hoof from his son's torso, only to be replaced by Rainbolt's a short moment later. Before he could touch him, however, Blue Moon gurgled and rolled around on his back, trying to avoid his touch. The smile on his face reassured his uncle it wasn't out of fear. 
"Awe, he's like a cute little rolley-polley!" Rainbolt commented, gently tickling the newborn's tummy. He giggled a bit, beaming at his attentive uncle. Before the foal could be loved on too much, Moonstruck interrupted the adorable scene. 
"Don't you have more important matters to deal with aside from making the damn foal giggle?" 
"Oh..." Rainbolt blushed lightly and looked down at the little foal beneath him. Blue Moon wet himself a little bit only a few minutes before that. Of course, the experienced parent recognized the problem within little time. The main conflict, however, had been finding a good place to lie the foal down to change him. Moonstruck didn't want a mess on his carpet, the bathroom was too small, his bedroom was "off limits", and well, at the time, the kitchen seemed like the only solution. Instead of setting him on the surface Moonstruck used to prepare food, they went with the more comfortable option; the smooth surface of his kitchen table. 
"So, Moonstruck, you need to pay very close attention to this." Rainbolt paused, and after hearing no response, continued. "It's a very delicate process. You just have to be as gentle as you can." Demonstrating his words, Rainbolt undid the straps of the foal's diaper. It loosened and became very easy to simply slide off the foal's sides. Unfortunately for the stallion, he'd never taken care of a young colt, and didn't expect the trail of pee that immediately followed the removal of Blue's diaper. Rainbolt blushed and tried as hard as he could to block the stream, while his brother found himself chuckling. After a few moments of holding the diaper in place, the stallion noticed the urine flow stop. Hesitantly, he removed the shield from the loaded weapon. Nothing. The only result left behind was a small puddle of urine on the dining table. 
"Golly..." Rainbolt started. "I wasn't really expecting that." He blushed and inconspicuously wiped a couple droplets of urine from his face. 
"I was." Moonstruck smiled, feeling almost proud of himself. "Sunny informed me of all his odd little habits. I thought you'd be experienced enough to know." 
"Oh..." The stallion frowned. "Well, I mean, I don't really know a lot about male foals..." 
The older brother simply shrugged. 
"Just do your thing..." 
"Okay." Rainbolt tossed his sibling one last glance before returning his attention to the foal beneath him. He was simply smiling, as if he were proud of his accident. The pegasus sighed and used his wing to brush the diaper away, careful not to touch the nasty parts. He the used the same wing to scoot the foal back a bit so he wasn't resting in his own pee. The relocation of the foal made Rainbolt lean over the wet counter to get to the sanitary wipes and baby powder. He brought them closer, but didn't immediately touch anything. 
"Now, what you're going to want to do is-" 
"I know how to do it, Rainbolt." Moonstruck interrupted rudely. Rainbolt twisted his lips and gazed at his brother. 
"Well, there's no reason to be all mean about it," he said after a few moments of silence. 
"Well, there's no damn reason for you to make me feel like an idiot, but you do anyway." 
"I'm sorry..." Rainbolt frowned. Internally, he was trying to figure out why his brother was so sensitive about his pride. He'd always seemed so calm and collected. He couldn't blame him, though. The whole ordeal must have been awful for him. It was still no excuse to be rude, though. "Why don't you do it if you know what you're doing?" 
"You offered." 
"And you should be grateful I even agreed to help you." 
"And you should be grateful I took my meds this morning!" 
"What? But your meds have nothing to do with your sadism!" 
"Yes they do!" 
"That's not what you told mom." 
Moonstruck, to that simply gaped. The thought of his brother and mother talking about him wasn't a pleasant one. He didn't want to think of the possible stories they'd exchanged. He wondered if they'd talked about him in a positive light. The fact his medication had been brought up, however, didn't exactly bring him any reassurance. 
"You and mother were talking about me?" His tone increased in volume, threatning his brother to tell the truth. 
"Well, yeah." Rainbolt stated bluntly. "Why wouldn't we bring you up now and again?" 
"Well, I mean, bringing me up in conversation isn't a problem, but why in Celestia's name would you bring up such matters?"
Matters?
Rainbolt paused a moment before answering. He'd been the one to bring up his medicine, yet he seemed beyond defensive to hear others talking about it. Besides, there wasn't a lot to discuss about Moonstruck outside of his issues. Maybe he was sensitive about others talking about his problems? Trying to set himself in Moonstruck's hooves, Rainbolt almost understood where he was coming from. 
"Well.... I don't know.... you're sort of family...." The pegasus' voice decrescendoed. Although he was at first confused by his brother's angered tone, he quickly understood where it had come from. It couldn't be easy carrying the reputation he had. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a soft tone. 
"It's fine," the older sibling replied, trying hard not to grit his teeth. His aubergine eyes wandered away, knowing if he made contact with his brother, it'd be far harder to control his brewing anger. 
"Okay..." Awkwardly, Rainbolt shuffled his hooves, giving the tension a moment to die down. The thick feeling filled the air even more every second. It got harder to talk. Both pegasi started to question which would break the tension. Fortunately for them, neither had to do the dreaded deed. The awkward silence was shattered by the soft gurgles of Blue Moon. The adults perked their ears up. 
"We forgot about the foal," the new uncle muttered under his breath. His brother replied behind gritted teeth.
"I realize that." The harsh tension in his tone caused the hair on the back of the stallion's neck stand up. The same fear that filled him as a young colt reinvaded his supposedly cured heart. 
"I-I can finish him up if you'd like." 
"Please do," he said with little emotion.  
Silently, the younger brother nodded. Moonstruck saw nothing after his brother turned around and got to business, but did hear the faint sound of hoofsteps against the tile floor. His sibling's hasty submission forced a small, sly smirk onto the stallion's face. 
Oh, Rainbolt... You're so damn easy.

The afternoon crept by slowly. The crazy day of fighting, messes, and the foal was hard for both brothers to digest. Even the more experienced of the two adults had been exhausted, and beyond ready to go home. The only factor keeping the stallion there was his concern for the newborn. Surely, Moonstruck wouldn't be able to take care of the poor thing all by himself. Heck, he had a hard enough time settling in with assistance! If Rainbolt didn't have to pick his daughter up from school that day, he would have convinced himself to stay later. Maybe, Rainbow would "need help with an assignment" or "have an event she urgently had to attend" for the remainder of the day. Sure, he could have easily told the truth and saved himself trouble, but he didn't want hurt his brother's feelings. He actually couldn't help but feel a bit bad about mentioning his medicine earlier. Well, technically he mentioned it, but Moonstruck was a bit scary when he was angry, and he didn't want to bring out his scary side in front of the foal. Or himself, for that matter. 
Luckily for Rainbolt, he only had an hour left to suffer before he was dismissed to his own parental duties. He would feel bad for Blue Moon, though. Hopefully, his brother would be responsible. In the case Moonstruck got confused or distracted during the day, Blue Moon had already been fed, well-rested, given plenty of attention, and at that point was receiving a bath. That was enough for a foal to survive until the next day... right? 
Brushing the thought off, Rainbolt concentrated on the moment before him; getting Blue Moon in the bath. The stallion gave his brother the old tub he used to bathe Dashie in. Sure, it had some years to it, but it was in decent enough condition. At that moment, it was resting in the middle of Moonstruck's regular tub. The owner of the house was sitting on the toilet next to the tub, holding his naked, squirmy foal securely in his hooves. His brother was on the ground next to him, secretly judging the filth in his bathroom. The water was running, and Rainbolt's hoof was lazily drooped over the edge, waiting for the temperature to be perfect. 
"Ugh..." The older stallion muttered under his breath. "Why is this taking so damn long?" 
"Moonstruck..." Rainbolt started in a calming manner. "You need to learn patience. It'll take a few moments." 
The stallion sighed and picked his foal up a bit more, bringing him into his chest. Blue Moon gurgled and put his hoof into his mouth. The younger sibling smiled at the image, while the other frowned and gently pat the foal's back.
He's learning...  
After a short minute, Rainbolt finally removed his hoof from the running stream of tap water. 
"Alright, that should be good..." he mused. 
At that point, the water had been lukewarm; perfect for a young foal. The stallion slid the plastic tub under the running faucet and allowed it to fill. When it was about two-thirds full with liquid, he shut the water off and pushed the container closer to the middle of the bath. 
"Now, you need to put him in gently." Moonstruck shot his brother a sharp stare for emphasizing the last word. Rainbolt replied to the scold with a sheepish smile.
"I know what to do, Rainbolt!" 
"Sorry... I just wanted to remind you is all." 
The white pegasus simply scrunched his nose and went back to the task at hoof; washing the newborn. Moonstruck lifted the foal from his shoulder, and kept a tight grasp on him to be sure he didn't slip. As slowly as he possibly could, the stallion went to putting Blue Moon in his bath. When the infant's hooves touched the surface of the water, he giggled and flailed his hind legs in a cute fashion. Water splashed outside the little tub and into the ivory one. Blue's uncle couldn't help but let out a long "Awwweee!", while his father only grew nervous. With all the foal's kicking, he was slightly afraid of positioning him wrong and possibly hurting him. 
Oh, come on, Moonstruck! Don't be a wimp! Just get him in there.
Awkwardly, the stallion set his son down in the rectangular tub. At first, Blue Moon had to oddly adjust his legs to get them to fit right, but quickly figured it out. The moment he was sitting comfortably in the tub, a large smile spread across his face. He giggled and happily started splashing around. Water went everywhere, and both parents shielded their faces; Rainbolt with his wing and Moonstruck with his hooves. After the aggressive flailing died down, both ponies lowered their defense, to see a happy, gurgling foal squirming around his tub. The proud uncle awed, and even the foal's father couldn't help but smile a little. Just a little.
"He's so cute..." the periwinkle pegasus said with a smile. Blue Moon responded to his uncle with a low whine and splash in his direction. Moonstruck chuckled. 
"I suppose he is..." 
For a moment, both pegasi said nothing. They simply stared at the small pony with amazement in their eyes. There was something about the beginning of one's life that was almost sad, yet beautiful. Even Moonstruck could admire the odd beauty. He simply never found pleasure in dealing with such beauty. 
"So..." Rainbolt started, shattering the silence after a few long moments. "Wanna get to washing him?" 
"Oh, right." The stallion was awaken from his daze. "I was just wandering a bit..." 
"I know." The experienced parent tossed his sibling a smile. "So, do you have any foal shampoo?" 
"Yes. I bought some the other day..." 
"Oh, good! Where is it?"
Moonstruck thought for a moment. Usually when he brought toiletries home, he'd either stick them in his medicine cabinet, or lazily toss them in the cabinet beneath his sink. At the moment, he didn't recall seeing the shampoo when he went to take his medicine that morning. It wasn't hard to figure out the likely place of the soap after that. 
"I believe it's somewhere in the sink cabinet..." 
Moonstruck rose from the toilet seat and made his way over to the white-painted counter. He opened the cabinet below, only to greeted by a rather large pile of trash, and a scurrying roach. The stallion stomped on the pest before it could even think about running away. His cabinets usually had bugs of some sort in them; especially the ones in his bathroom. In the bottom cabinet alone, there were several dead bugs, old wrappers, bottles of cleaner and soap, toiletries, and the plumbing system for his bathroom sink.  He stuck his hoof in it and made an attempt to find the desired item. He picked up a bottle of soap. The label read "Bubbles 'N' Suds: Lemon Scented Dish Soap". 
Why is this even in here...?
Disregarding of the bottle, Moonstruck tossed it aside and back into the odd and end junk. He picked up another promising bottle, only to realize it was conditioner he'd yet opened. That was tossed in the back of the cabinet with dish soap. The stallion shuffled through a few more items before at long last coming across the one requested. The shampoo was in a light pink bottle with smiling, well-drawn filly in a bathtub on the front. The label across the picture read "Lil' Loolies: Strawberry Scented Foal Shampoo (Tear Free!)". 
"Got it," the stallion announced as he closed the cabinet door. 
"Good!" 
While Moonstruck was trying to locate the foal shampoo, Rainbolt was busy lathering the young baby in water. Blue Moon, of course, thought of it as a game and tried to splash his uncle in return.  The stallion smiled and took the splashes, happy to see the foal enjoying himself. Blue's father, however, was only concerned with the amount of water he'd have to clean up when the ordeal was done. The stallion quickly decided it'd be better to leave his worries in his head. He relocated himself back on the toilet, and placed the bottle on the edge of the tub. Rainbolt stopped what he was doing and picked up the shampoo before briefly examining it. He chuckled when saw the label, and already went to getting it opened. 
"When Dash was a foal, I used to use this same brand on her." 
"Fascinating..." Moonstruck sarcastically murmured under his breath. 
Rainbolt, although aware of the sarcasm in his brother's tone, decided it would be best to simply ignore it. Instead, he popped open the royal blue cap of the shampoo and squeezed a sizable amount onto his left hoof. The liquid looked like jelly, and was a light shade of pink. The scent, however, wasn't anything close to the promised strawberry. 
"So..." Rainbolt started washing Blue Moon by putting his hooves at the foal's shoulders. "You're going to want to start at the shoulders and chest and whatnot. It's most comfortable for the foal." 
The stallion began his demonstration by gently rubbing the soap into the foal's fur, staying around the instructed areas. The liquid soap quickly turned to pink-tinted bubbles, which made it easier to see in his snowy white fur. Rainbolt continued to gently rub around the neck and chest, making sure it was extra foamy. Moonstruck watched with little interest. Was it that necessary to instruct him on how to wash a foal? How hard could it actually be? Aside from being violently splashed at, the task didn't seem too difficult. 
"And after you get it all good and foamed up..." The pegasus reached down to the water and gently splashed some up and over the foal's chest. The bubbly suds slid down the foal's fur and into the water below. After several splashes, the foal was almost completely foam-free. "And he's all good." The stallion paused and inspected the infant, making sure he didn't miss a spot. Once done, he smiled, and slowly turned the tub around, making sure he didn't freak Blue Moon out too badly. 
"What are you doing?" 
"Just turning him around so we can get his wings..." From that, his brother seemed a bit confused. Rainbolt cleared his throat, and went on to explain. "Well, he's a little foal, so he doesn't know how to preen yet. Even if you don't fly, there's still a lot of dust and grime that can build up between the feathers. And if you decide not to shower one day, you should still quickly wash your wings off." 
With that, Rainbolt repeated the process of popping off the lid and squirting soap into his hoof. Moonstruck simply stared in awe as his brother went to work on the foal's wings. He seemed so educated on such a simple subject. Could his brother really have been more intelligent than he was? The stallion frowned and shook his head, trying not to think of the possibility. 
Don't get ahead of yourself, Moonstruck. He's simply more educated in certain areas than you've had the chance to be. Plus, those eight years you spent rotting away in that damned mental facility don't even count as part of your life. It's almost as if Rainbolt's four years your senior... Don't get panicked over him knowing a few random facts you haven't got the chance to learn yet.
Even with his mental encouragement, the stallion couldn't help but feel a bit inferior at that point. He blushed, and let out an angry "I know," from between his teeth. His brother simply nodded, as if his mind were in the sky. His hooves gently stroked the feather tips of the foal's wings. The little colt seemed to enjoy it, and it even relaxed him. The light pink foam started forming between the feathers. He worked his way from the tips, and started going further to the base of his wings. Blue Moon let out little gurgles and moans, appreciating the heavenly massage. Rainbolt chuckled at the noises. 
"He's so cute..." the stallion said. He glanced over to his brother and tossed him a smile. "Do you think you could go get a cup to do his mane?" 
"Why don't you get it?" 
"Well, I mean, if you want to wash him instead, that wouldn't be a problem..." 
Moonstruck grunted in an irritated fashion. That only made Rainbolt equally as irritated. 
"You know... this is your foal." he reminded his brother harshly. 
"Yeah. And?" 
"And I think since he is yours you should maybe try pitching in a little more than what you've been doing." 
"Rainbolt, I don't know hardly a lick about what I'm doing."  
"Well, you know how to get a cup. And every time I try to explain something to you, you always tell me you already know." 
"That's because you always explain to me the simplest of things I already understand." 
"Well, I don't know what you do and don't know. I didn't know half the things I taught you when I first became a parent!" 
"Well, that's simply because-" Moonstruck cut himself off, thinking of the fact he may need his brother in the future. Calling him an idiot wouldn't have been the wisest decision. 
"Because what?" Rainbolt asked, raising the volume in his voice a little. 
"Forget it." 
"No, tell me!" 
"Can't you just learn to drop a conversation?" 
To that, Rainbolt puffed out his cheeks, trying as hard as he could not to let his anger get the best of him.      
"Okay, Moonstruck..." The stallion took in a deep breath as he tried to control himself. "Are you going to stay here and take care of the foal, or go to your kitchen and get a cup?" 
The stallion paused a moment, debating on how to respond
"You know, you should have told me we needed a cup before we decided to put the thing in the bath." 
"I forgot!" 
"Well, I hadn't the slightest clue foals needed cups when bathing, so it's sort of your responsibility!" 
"Well, this foal's your responsibility, but I don't see you doing an awful lot for it!" 
"Well, you offered to help!" 
"Yeah, help! Not do every damn thing by myself!" 
"It's not my fault you're so easy to push around!" 
To that, the younger sibling gasped. Sure, it wouldn't have shocked him to know Moonstruck was using him, but the explanation behind it did hurt quite a bit. He knew he was soft, but... Was he really that easy to take control of? 
"That's because you're freaking crazy and I'm afraid of you!" the younger brother responded hastily. Moonstruck instantly replied with anger. 
"I'm not crazy!" 
"If you weren't crazy, you wouldn't be on medication!" 
"I'm not, though!" Moonstruck defended himself with viciousness in his tone. His blood was boiling as his temper was being teased. 
"How can you even say that? Mom read your old journal entries and-" 
"And that's why she sent me away to living nightmare!" 
"She was just trying to help you!" Rainbolt argued his statement almost sympathetically. 
"I didn't ask anypony for help!" 
At that point, Blue Moon was covering his ears with hooves, desperately trying to block out the loud noise. He was whining at a decent volume, but the adults were to busy worrying about their argument to care at the time. Tears had already started to flow from the foal's royal blue eyes. 
"Well, you needed it! What did you want us to do?" 
"I-I don't know! Ask me before you ship me off to some damn asylum!" 
"It wasn't an asylum!" 
"So? I was still treated like an impony, immoral being! Just because it didn't have some label doesn't mean it was any less cruel!" 
"Cruel? Moonstruck, you were ill in the head! They're not supposed to treat you like you're normal!" 
"I was not!" 
"Yes you were!" 
"I wasn't!" With all his anger, Moonstruck pounded the bathtub, sending a canon-like bang throughout the bathroom. From that, the little foal went from sobbing to shrieking in an instant. Both adults snapped out of their childish argument to realize the foal they'd been abandoning. His wings were still foamy with suds, and his eyes were clamped tight in emotional agony. The two brothers felt very guilty when they realized their mistake. Although Rainbolt felt a bit worse about it, Moonstruck was the first to react. He slowly turned the foal's tub around and picked him up out of the soapy, wet mess. He hoisted the colt up upon his chest, not caring about the sudsy mess it'd cause. He took a moment to comfort his son. Whether it was out of instinct, or a way of slapping his brother in the face by saying "Look who's the better parent now", Rainbolt wasn't quite sure. All he knew, was he was still pretty steamed with the stallion, and didn't want to be in his presence any longer. 
"Look what you did," Moonstruck accused with an angry glare. 
What I did?
Rainbolt blinked a few times, trying to comprehend how he could have possibly been the cause of the foal's breakdown. His brother's accusation, however, did nothing to ease his anger. 
"Well, you know what, if you're still that delusional, maybe they should have kept you in there a few more years." The angered pegasus rose from his position and started towards the bathroom door. His brother gazed at him for the moment, still trying to calm down his upset foal and comprehend what he was just told. 
"Where are you going?" 
"Home," Rainbolt replied quickly, anger still lingering in his tone. 
"But you said-" 
"I didn't promise anything..." The stallion turned to his brother. "And I sure as hay don't owe you anything." 
Moonstruck took in a breath, but didn't reply. In a way, he was shocked. His brother had never stood up to him like that. Sure, he'd defended himself, told him to stop, and occasionally reminded him of his problems, but the simply fact he was told he could have used a few more years in the mental home pierced straight through his soul like a dagger, reminding him of his inner demons and the way they'd taunt him in the lonely hours of the moonfall. A part of him shattered from his brothers wishes, and his mind went into a panicked search for some kind of answer. It didn't take him long to be struck with the simplest solution. 
What if I'm the problem... 

Moonstruck sighed as he laid back on his bed. His aubergine orbs rested on the ceiling above. His mind was lost in an unorganized arrangement of thoughts, questions, and possibilities. Did his brother hate him? Would his son grow up to hate him? Did he hate himself? Maybe, Rainbolt was simply upset with him. Maybe he'd be opened to an apology. But how could he remain the superior sibling if he admitted he was wrong? Why was that so important to him? Was his pride more significant than his brother? Would his brother even want to talk to him after the events of that night? 
The stallion frowned as he glared up at the ceiling.
"Maybe they should have kept me locked up a few more years... Everypony would be far better off that way. Who has use for a lunatic like yourself?" The stallion felt cursed tears invading his eyes as he thought about himself. "How can anypony even love you? You had Sunny less than a day, but if she'd have known your past, there's no way she'd have gone for you so quickly." He sighed. "Even if that damn mare never found out about my less desirable traits, she'd still probably ditch me after her heart fully recovered." Trying to stay tough, Moonstruck raised a hoof to his eyes and wiped away a descending teardrop. "And to think everypony who's ever loved you was driven away... Rainbolt, Sunshine, Sunny... Even Prism not the biggest fan of you. Heck, eventually you'll end up driving away Rainbow Dash... Probably even Blue Moon." The stallion sighed and started blinking furiously, trying to shoo away his unwanted tears. "Ugh, you bucking wimp..." 
Moonstruck sat up. He met eyes with his closet across from his bed, and the clock above that. It was already eight in the evening. All day, he'd been extremely caught up with Blue Moon, and was very tired. After Rainbolt left him, he finished up the foal's bath, fed him again, changed his diaper a few times, made a slight attempt to play with him, fed him again a while after that, then put him to rest in his crib. Moonstruck said he'd sleep out in the living room with him, which he did plan on doing, but just wanted to think some things through in his room first. The empty atmosphere did allow him to think clearly, even in his wrecked state. 
I don't think I'll ever have the ability to sleep again....
Tiredly, the stallion plopped back onto his bed, landing in his thick sheets with a soft phomp!. His eyes were sagging with dark bags, and his mind was fogging up from stress. 
Ugh. Maybe there's a small possibility Blue Moon will still grow to love me. I mean, he seemed to like me pretty well a good portion of the day. Maybe if I simply show him affection and protect him to the best of my abilities, he'll manage to grow on me... It's a possibility. The stallion let out a long, unhappy exhale as he pondered over the price of love. If he displayed more of his affectionate, loving side, he could possibly win over the love of others. He wasn't an idiot, and it was something he'd recognized for a very long time. After experiencing Rainbow, Sunny Skies, and even reflecting on love others had showed him as a child, he was just then realizing the true value of love from another pony. Was it really weak to simply want love? 
Frowning, the stallion gave the ceiling his attention once more. He was more than conflicted at that point. He wanted to be loved, yet he didn't want to give up his pride. From what he could tell, there was no way to have both, so he'd have to choose. He just didn't know which would be the right decision, even though the solution seemed obvious. There was no reason to keep being a jerk for the sake of his pride, yet he didn't know how to easily get rid of all of it at once. Maybe there was a way he could slowly become nice to those around him, then receive their trust and love throughout time? 
Or maybe you could stop being such a baby and stop worrying about something as petty as pride.
Moonstruck let out a sigh. At that point, he felt more self-hatred than ever. He want to earn ponies' affection, but taking the sudden shift from mean-spirited to soft-hearted would be dramatic, and hard to get used to. 
The stallion frowned and turned from the ceiling, onto his side. He stared out the window, where he saw a half-moon over the sky, shining brightly over the deep forest. Large, swaying shadows of tree branches danced on the ground below, waving about. His eyes glazed over as he peered at the moon, thinking deeply of his son. 
Come on, Buddy... Maybe you should give your mind a rest for the evening. 
From there, the tired stallion closed his eyes, trying to get some rest. He was already feeling more relaxed. He tried hard not to think of anything, simply letting his mind go blank. His body softened, and he felt all the aches and pains of stress evaporate off his flesh. He smiled a bit, finally feeling at ease. 
This is really nice... Just get a good nap in here. If Blue Moon needs anything, he'll cry for you. Just relax and get a good night's-
"Daddy." 
Moonstruck's eyes opened at the soft sound of the boyish coo. He rolled over from his current position, until he faced the opposite side. In the hallway, he saw his son standing with little emotion in his eyes. He was eight at the time, possibly nine. His royal blue eyes had grown large, and were the highlight of his face. His mane had grown swooopy like his dad's, and was worn in a similar style, only with more bangs. His wings were far larger, and his coat looked healthy. On his flanks, rested his cutie marks. They were blue-tinted moons, both hidden behind a couple clouds. His father was shocked at first, and his eyes went wide. 
"Blue Moon...?" he questioned, gazing at his son. The young colt nodded. "I thought you went to bed." 
"I can't sleep." 
"Oh..." Moonstruck sat up, wiping away some crust from his eyes. He patted the edge of his bed, inviting his son to join him. Of course, the little colt complied and made his way into the bedroom, then up onto the bed with his father. The stallion yawned, which was echoed by his young son. His adorable, male-soprano voice was oddly cute to Moonstruck. "How are you feeling?" he asked. 
"I'm doin' okay." Blue replied with a smile. "What's up with you?" 
"Just going over some things... Thinking." his dad admitted. 
"Oh." Blue Moon shuffled a bit, getting a bit further from his father. "Was it about Uncle Rainbolt?" he asked. 
Moonstruck sighed. 
"He was a part of it, yes."
"Oh..." 
The soft, unhappy tone the colt spoke in worried the stallion. 
"Blue Moon?" 
"Yeah?" 
"Is there something on your mind?" 
"No," he lied. 
"Are you sure?" 
For a moment, the foal paused and looked away. When his eyes darted back towards his father, he seemed pretty nervous. 
"You have to promise you won't get mad at me if I tell you?" 
"I promise," Moonstruck agreed hesitantly. 
The young colt took in a breath before gazing at his father. His answer took a long time to come out, and when it did, it was incredibly short and false. 
"I-I don't know." 
"You can be honest with me..." The stallion reassured his colt with a soft smile. 
"I-I.... Dad..." Blue Moon paused another long moment. "I don't know... You seemed kind of... mean, today. Was there something wrong?" 
Moonstruck couldn't help but smile at the innocence in the young foal's voice. His eyes were glittering with regret, but the stallion knew it was true, which is why he didn't get too defensive. 
"That's okay, Son. I can see why you'd think that..." The stallion let out a sigh. "I was just a bit stressed is all." 
"Thanks. Was it my fault?"
"No, son." Moonstruck chuckled. "It was my fault for not anticipating such responsibility." 
"Oh..." was the only thing that left Blue Moon's lips after that. He glanced down, and thought for a moment. His awkward silence worried his father even further. 
"Are you alright?" 
The foal looked up at his dad again. His lips were quivering a bit, and his eyes were still consumed with nervousness. His dad picked up the hints quickly and tossed him another smile of reassurance. 
"Is there something you need to tell me, Blue Moon?" 
"I... I don't know..." Blue bit his lip. His father hadn't been mad the first time, so why would he the second? He took in a breath, and hoped his dad wouldn't snap over his confession. "I-I think you should maybe apologize." The colt blushed a bit. "I-I kind of want to see Uncle again... and, I'm afraid he won't come visit me if he doesn't like you." 
To that, Moonstruck frowned. He knew it as well as his son did; he did act like a jerk to his younger brother, and he had most his life. He'd never genuinely apologized for it, and maybe it was time he should at least try. Heck, maybe it was even the first step to earning love from him. He did not, however, believe Rainbolt would ever disconnect from his nephew, no matter how much he despised Moonstruck. 
"I know, Blue Moon... I just don't know how to at this point. From the events of today, he may simply assume I'm apologizing so I can get help from him once more. I don't want to look that way..." 
"Then maybe you should make it more special...." 
"How?" 
To that, the colt had to think for a moment. His hoof went up to his chin and he stuck his tongue out in concentration. Moonstruck took a moment to think, too, but didn't make it nearly as obvious. After what seemed like a minute, Blue Moon finally smiled with an idea. 
"Wait! I know something!" 
With that, the young colt hopped up from the bed. Moonstruck watched as his colt made his way towards his closet. Instantly, the stallion spread his wings and flew after his son, making it to the closet door moments before his foal. He blocked the entrance; denying his son access and giving him a stern look. 
"No going in my closet!" 
Blue Moon paused in his steps, and took a few paces back. Quickly, he nodded, not wanting to upset his dad. 
"Sorry..." 
"It's okay... I haven't warned you yet before. Just, what is it you need?" 
"I was thinking maybe there's something old you could give him. Like, I don't know, to show him you actually care. Maybe something from your foalhood..." 
Moonstruck stared down at his child, wondering what he meant. His mind was sorting through a cluster of old memories, trying to think of odd and end things he could have possibly held onto throughout the years. His mind was in a fog, yet he continued to think. After nearly a minute, the stallion's brain finally clicked with that of his foal's. 
"Hold on a moment!" Moonstruck smiled widely as he had a sudden realization. "I think I know what I can do..." Blue Moon smiled at his father, happy he'd had an epiphany. His father smiled back, but quickly realized he'd have to have his son leave the room for a moment. "Umm... Blue Moon?" 
"Yes?" 
"Do you think there's any way you could possibly excuse yourself for a moment while I retrieve something?" 
"Oh, uh, sure!" 
The colt smiled awkwardly, before silently backing out of the room. His father acknowledged his obedience with a smile, before turning to his closet. When he heard the faint sound of hoof-steps exciting the room, he suddenly remembered something and called down the hallway. 
"Hey, Blue Moon?" 
"Yeah?" 
"Do you think you could take care of yourself for a bit? Possibly a half hour or so?" 
"Ummm... Sure!" 
"Okay, good... I love you, Blue!"
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence. Moonstruck's ears stood erect, trying to listen. It wasn't for a good few seconds that he finally heard the sweet, emotional, "I love you, too" echoing from the hallway. 

Moonstruck awkwardly stared at the home before him. The fluffy, one-story cloud home made him nervous, simply knowing the ponies who occupied it. His heart was racing a million miles an hour, and his mind was going through a complicated series of confusion, anger, and fear. 
Maybe you don't have to do this... Maybe you can just go home and attend to your child. Maybe you can forget all about this and hope he forgives you in the distant future. Or there's always the possibility you never ask him for forgiveness, then you proceed have a loving relationship with your child. That could work, as well... Maybe you could abandon this entire country and pretend you never had a son or family to start with. You could start anew, find a mare, get married, and nopony would be around to expose your dark past. That actually doesn't sound like a bad plan... Maybe you could just tough this all out and proceed to have a happy life with your new son. That doesn't sound to bad, either... Ugh. Although this path may be easier, you still have to go through the humiliation of apologizing. I wish there were some way you could apologize to somepony from a distance. Well, I suppose you could send a letter, but that'd take far too long. Plus, it would make you seem childish for not directly saying what you need to. Whatever, you just need to knock on the door, say a few words, and then-
It was at that moment, Moonstruck's thoughts were cutoff by the creaking of the front door a few feet away from him. His eyes grew dramatically, and he tried hard to brush off his nervousness.  He took in a breath and calmed himself. He didn't want to seem too worried about the ordeal. When his brother opened the front door, however, all hope of remaining calm was lost. At least he didn't have to go through the heart-wrenching task of knocking on the door.  
"Hello..." The white pegasus started, in an almost nervous manner. 
"Moonstruck," his brother greeted in a surprisingly stoic tone. 
"I... I just wanted to stop by real quick to, uh...." The stallion gulped and shuffled his hoof in the thick, cloud layer. "Rainbolt, I.... I'm, uh... I'm really...." Moonstruck blushed and looked at his brother, hoping his eyes would convey the message well enough to get him off the hook. At that point, the younger stallion seemed to have a certain softness in his eyes. His brother seemed to be trying to apologize, which the stallion found sweet, but he still wasn't completely accepting after all he'd put him through.
"You're what?" Rainbolt asked. Moonstruck could tell by the cockiness on his tongue he teasing him. 
"I'm sorry..." the stallion muttered with frown. The younger brother took in a breath, ready to reply, but Moonstruck cut him off early. "And listen, I know you may not believe I'm sorry and whatnot simply because of my attitude towards you today, but I'm being serious." The pegasus paused a moment and looked at his brother, almost pitifully. "I, umm.... I... Rainbolt, I apologize for ruining your foalhood and everything. I really do... I should have shown you more consideration than I did... I-I'm sorry." 
In response to that, Rainbolt felt his yellow eyes widen. Sure, he'd expected an apology for the events that happened that day, but he didn't expect an apology for things that happened so many years ago. Had he honestly felt guilty about it...? From the words he spoke, and the tone in which he said them, it almost felt emotional. The stallion frowned, not quite sure how to respond. He always sort of wanted a genuine apology for all the trouble he caused in the past, but never actually imagined it happening. 
"Gee... I- I don't really know what to say to that." 
Moonstruck simply smiled.  
"Oh, don't say anything quite yet. I still have something I need to show you."
That line certainly struck Rainbolt's curiosity. He perked up his ears, and before he could even ask what it was, Moonstruck was making his way from the front of the stallion's home, to a corner cut-off by a tuff of cloud. Behind it, he hid a small, plastic bag with an item inside. The periwinkle pegasus couldn't quite tell what it was from the shadow, which only increased his fascination. 
"What's that...?" 
Moonstruck smiled. 
"It's just a little memento from our foalhoods... I don't suppose you remember that time I got mad at you and burnt your old stuffed bear, do you?"
"Oh, uhh... Yeah?" 
The stallion smiled and tossed his brother the bag. A light blush spread across his cheeks as he looked away. 
"Mother bought us all the same replica that one year... She found mine in an old box when we sorting through our old stuff. I have no use for it.... I know you probably don't either, but it's at least some way of making up for it." 
Rainbolt looked at his brother a moment, a bit shocked by his offer. He opened the bag, only to see what looked like an exact copy of the teddy he used to own. It was a light shade of brown, with black buttons for eyes, and a little, green bow tie around his neck. The stallion smiled at the children's toy, feeling a little part of him that was once shattered mend. He looked up at his brother with tears glistening over his yellow eyes. Moonstruck blushed heavier when he saw the emotions he'd brought upon his brother. 
"Gosh... This is really sweet of you." 
"I suppose..." 
"Well, I mean it is, and I just wasn't expecting this, but-" Rainbolt had to cut himself off, realizing he was too excited to talk. Instead, he showed his affection by forcefully tackling his brother into a loving hug. Moonstruck, of course, was a bit turned-off at first, but quickly came to realize it'd been what he wanted all along. He smiled a bit, and for the first time in all his lifetime, willingly hugged his brother back, placing a single hoof on his shoulders and rubbing gently. After a short moment, the two broke apart. 
"Thank you, Moonstruck..." 
"It's really no problem... So, I, uh... I suppose this means there's no hard feelings at this point?" 
"Well, I..." Rainbolt thought for a moment. "Not personally. I mean, you still scare me a bit, but that's okay." 
"It's fine... Also, I'd like to mention you don't have to pitch in with Blue Moon any longer." 
"Oh... Well, okay... I'm sure you'll still need some help though." Rainbolt paused for a moment. "Speaking of the little guy, who's watching him at the time?" 
Moonstruck chuckled. 
"Oh, don't worry about him! He told me he could handle himself for a half hour or so!" 
The smile on the younger pony's face instantly wiped away, only to replaced by a frown. 
"What do you mean... he told you he could handle himself?" 
"Oh, right! You see, he was the one who convinced me to come down here. We were just talking before I..."
Moonstruck trailed off, and his eyes widened in a sudden realization. 
Oh, shit!
"Rainbolt, I-I apologize once more, but I seriously need to get going..." He tossed his brother a smile and backed away. His wings spread opened as he neared the cloud. "It was a lovely chat, but I must be going... Umm... Have a nice evening!" 
With that, the stallion quickly swooped off the cloud and flew as fast as his weak wings would carry him through the cloudy skies. His heart was racing, and each moment he worried more and more about his young, sweet, and completely helpless Blue Moon, miles away from where he was then.