In the midst of Rainbow Dash coping with the loss of her lost lover, she discovers that there's a little piece of him that will never leave her.
Crying? The great Rainbow Dash crying? To most, the idea is unfathomable, to other the idea is possible, but to The Wonderbolts, it's no idea. Rainbow Dash was crying. She's been crying since it happened.
While she secluded herself from the hateful world, Rainbow begins to develop an odd sickness. Mornings spent throwing up. Fevers. And a whole slew of odd things.
But she soon discovers that Legs may not be as far away as she had thought.
A/N: Anthropomorphic, 1st person from Rainbow Dash's and Legs' point of view.
"...Have you head the news that you're dead?! No one ever had much nice to say...", the old stereo blasted.
The rapid succession of beats drove Spitfire to strike the punching bag at pace that could only live up to her name. She didn't mind the copious amounts of sweat pouring down her brow, she didn't care about the pain her muscles were screaming, nor did she care about her now-jumbled mind.
Spitfire remembered why she started attacking the bag, but for no reason could she fathom why she was still hitting it. Beating an inanimate object wouldn't fix the team, it wouldn't turn back the clocks, and it would certainly not get Rainbow to emerge from her room.
She turned off the blaring rock music, and sat down next to the bag. Now that it was free, her mind used it's liberty to wonder, and sure enough it wandered to the one place it couldn't escape. That day three weeks ago.
"This is nice and all," Legs said. "But who are all of you exactly?"
An innocent, unknowing smile drew itself on his lips. He stopped stroking Rainbow's mane as he awaited an answer.
"Wh-what? What are you talking about Legs?" Rainbow said, her voice reflecting a heavy amount of worry.
"Well it was nice and all for you guys to come visit me, but I have no real idea who ANY of you guys are."
"Legs! It's us! Your friends!", Rainbow shouted. "It's me, Legs."
"Yeah, you're you, my name is evidently Legs, and I guess you two are the crazy doctors."
"What the Tartarus are you talking about?" Spitfire shouted.
Legs pushed Rainbow off of him, and the small heartbeat monitor began to beep at an increased rate.
"What is all this shit?!" he shouted, and began ripping the IV tubes from his arms.
He removed the pads connected to the monitor, and the once erratic beeping turned into a high-pitched beep that filled the room. Legs' once calm demeanor was replaced with a visibly distressed expression, and his hands clenched into fists.
Spitfire saw his eyes lock onto the window beside Rainbow, and moved her hand to the leather weapon holster strapped to her waist. She didn't want to have to shoot Legs, but she knew that if he flew off, they'd never see him again.
"Legs!" Rainbow interjected, "Please think about what you're doing!"
She moved to grab one of his arms, but he grabbed her arm before he even got close. He jerked his arm forward, bring Rainbow to stand face to face with him. He stared into her eyes with an expression of pure rage, and then threw her towards the wall.
His stance changed, and right before Rainbow could make contact with the wall, he delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the base of her spine.
She cried in pain before slamming into the wall, the blow knocking her unconscious.
Spitfire removed the pistol from its holster, and leveled it at Legs' shoulder.
Unfortunately, Soarin' was ahead of her plan, and made a blind rush towards the now formidable Leg Sweep. His arm was raised, ready to deliver a blatantly obvious punch. Legs caught onto his actions, and readied himself for Soarin's attack.
As Soarin' delivered the punch, Legs gracefully sidestepped Soarin's outstretched arm, and was now right beside his elbow. Legs grabbed Soarin's wrist, and with his other hand, forcefully pushed Soarin's elbow in. The organic sound of cracking bones snapping overtook the drone of the monitor, before being replaced by a scream of pain.
Soarin' retreated from the attacking Legs, and crumpled on the ground, clutching his broken elbow. Seeing both of her comrades were now defeated, Spitfire knew it all came to her.
She drew the pistol from the waist, the same one that she had saved his life with one year ago, and aimed it at his head.
"Freeze!", Spitfire shouted.
He grip was anything but confident, and the the metal spine of the sights wavered s her hands shook in anxiety. She didn't want to have kill Legs, but if it came down to the worst case, she had no other choice.
Legs froze at the window of the hospital room, staring eye-to-barrel with Spitfire's gun. A small bead of sweat formed on his temple, and his fists clenched in fear of his future outcome.
"Please. Please, Legs, just calm down and we can work this out," Spitfire begged.
"Work out what? I think we're past that already!" Legs spat back.
"Think about everybody waiting for you!" Think about Rainbow!"
Legs clutched his head in form of pain he'd never experienced before. The back of his head was throbbing frantically, and voices he had never even heard before were swirling in a mix of images. He put a hand against the beige wall in an attempt to regain his balance and his coherence of the situation that had befallen him.
"Don't you see Legs, there's something wrong with you! All we want is to help!", Spitfire shouted at the pained Legs.
"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!"
With nothing but his bare fist, he punched out the window next to him, and jumped out.
Spitfire ran over to the window, aiming her pistol over, but a small crack of speed revealed that Legs had already gone. She let out a small, defeated sigh, and returned her pistol to its home at her waist.
Her attention returned to the ruined hospital room and her two downed friends.
"Man! What's his problem?!", Soarin' shouted in a mix of anger and pain.
Spitfire didn't have the energy to answer him, she could only shrug and slap he sides on the way down. Soarin's problems were the least of hers.
She could hear a faint whimpering coming from beside the bed. In the back of her head, Spitfire knew that there was nothing she could say or do that could make up for this disaster. But letting it sit there and doing nothing was just as bad.
Spitfire sat down next to Rainbow, and puled Rainbow to her breast. Rainbow didn't question Spitfire's motives, but instead continued to cry. Her arms slowly wrapped around Spitfire, seeking comfort on the tile floor.
"It's gonna be okay", Spitfire whispered, "We'll...we'll figure out something to help Legs. I promise."
Nothing Spitfire said had reached Rainbow. She knew that no matter what they could try, Legs was gone. For good this time.
Spitfire wiped away the one tear that had escaped her head, and got back to her feet. Her mind was now off of the concept of a work-out, and she had no desire to go back to hitting the bag.
She left the small, on-base gym, and walked back to the barracks. The night was crisp and cool, and small winds chilled Spitfire's exposed fur. A few lonely clouds hung in the sky, blocking the view of Equestria's moon. Spitfire looked up ath te stars, hoping to find some form of solace from the millions of small pinpoints dotting the black sky.
A small part of her had hoped that Legs would have some change of heart, and come home and free the base from its depressed slump, but a larger part knew that she might as well give up hope.
She continued onward until she reached the barracks. She opened the door, and stepped inside the heated building, chasing the cold from her body. Spitfire walked towards the girls' rooms, and opened the door to her own. She threw the small gym bag to the ground. Her eyes locked onto her bed and her mind begged for sleep, but there was something she had to do before she could even THINK about sleep.
Spitfire cracked the door to Rainbow's room, and took a peek inside. The blankets on her bed were thrown to the floor, and the curtains whipped around from the wind coming from the open window. Fearing the worst, Spitfire abandoned all attempts at stealth, and burst into the room.
"Rainbow!", Spitfire shouted, hoping to get any sign of her presence from the room.
Spitfire leaned out the window, and looked out into the Equestrian night, looking for anything at all. Seeing nothing, her quest took her all over Rainbow's room. She ripped open the closet door, and sifted through the piles of sweaty PT clothes and wrinkled uniforms, but found nothing.
She stormed the bathroom, but again found nothing. However, the bathroom wasn't completely devoid of signs. The trash can that would normally would sit next to the toilet, was in the middle of the floor and had all of its contents strewn about the bathroom. Spitfire leaned down and picked up an oddly pink box from among the tissues and other assorted wrappers.
It didn't take much effort to see what used to be in the box. Spitfire's eyes widened in an expression of shock.
I can't believe it! Why didn't she te-
Her train of thought was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps coming into the room. In a panic, Spitfire stuffed the pink box in her pocket, and turned to face the room. The bathroom door slowly opened, and the owner of the steps came into full view.
"Spitfire?", Rainbow asked, stepping into the bathroom, "What, um, what are you doing going through my trash?"
"Oh, well uh, I came to check on you, and you weren't in bed and...", Spitfire said, her voice trailing off, "Why were you outta bed anyway?"
"I was hitting the fridge. Ever had nacho cheese chocolate pineapple pizza?"
"N-no...I can't say I have."
"Well it's awesome! I'll make you some one day!"
"Thanks Rainbow," Spitfire said, exiting the bathroom.
"Hey! Spits!", Rainbow called.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For checking on me and all."
Spitfire cracked the warmest smile she could through her nerves, and walked into the hallway.
Her hand wrapped around the box in her pocket, and she frantically walked back to her room.
The freezing temperatures were taking a real toll on my body. The feeling in my wings and hands had long since faded, and now my legs were starting to give up on me too. I was clutching my bandaged hand closer to my chest, hoping to give it some kind of warmth in the cold autumn night. It had been almost a month since I had done my best to fix it, but it still showed no real signs of improvement.
At least it's not infected, I thought.
The walls of the stone houses of whatever town I had wandered into began to blur slightly, and my head felt extremely light. I had gone almost a week since I escaped the last person I stole from, and my body was dying from thirst. I had found a few lakes and rivers scattered around my path, them being my only source of sustenance in the past month of hardship.
I wandered into what looked like the town square. In the center was the multi-story town hall, looking over the entire town. There were benches dotted about the small circular path that surrounded the building.
I did my best to hobble over to one before my legs decided to completely quit on me. I crawled onto it, and curled up into a tight ball in an attempt to keep warm. My body was shivering and showed no sign of stopping.
Well, if I'm gonna die, might as well be where everyone can see., I chuckled to myself, ultimately accepting my fate.
The night was slowly getting colder, and with no food in me, the sheer freezing air would surely take my life.
I closed my eyes in a vain attempt to get some sleep in before I died. I turned over so that my face was against the backrest of the bench, and curled up tighter. My breathing eventually began to slow and my body felt relaxed for the first time in days.
I awoke from my short slumber to someone poking me in the ribs.
"Hey buddy! You're on my bench," the voice said.
I turned to look at the owner. She had a old worn-out coat wrapped around her small body. Her fur was a vibrant teal color, and her eyes were a warm shade of gold. In a contrast to her fur, her mane was a mix of varying shades of yellow, ranging from a similar shade of gold in her eyes to a dangerous shade of electric yellow.
She continued to look down at me with her gaze of annoyance, and she was tapping her foot in impatience.
"I'll...trade you...for some water," I croaked out.
Her eyes shifted from annoyance to sympathy.
"Are..you okay buddy?", she asked, trying her best to care.
I shook my head in a shivering motion, and curled up tighter.
"When did you eat last?"
"A week ago," I replied.
She looked around the park, and unwrapped her jacket. She reached inside and removed a can of soup.
"Uh look, it's not warm or particularly gourmet, but it'll keep alive through the night," she said, her sympathy genuine this time around, "We gotta look out for each other right?"
I took the chilled can, and nodded at her. My chapped lips did their best to form a smile, and I sat up. I offered the seat next to me, and she sat down.
"Got something to open this with?", I asked.
"No...can you use your pure masculinity and testosterone to pop it?", she replied jokingly.
"I don't think that's how it works."
"Well then, we have a problem buddy. I guess we just have to imagine how bad it tastes."
"Or we look for something metal and sharp."
I did my best to get up from the bench, and walked down one of the adjacent allies between a house and a building that looked to be made of gingerbread.
In the ally was a dumpster, and I opened the lid.
"You have fun!", the mare said, "I'll avoid dying from an infection over here!"
I rolled my eyes, and removed one of the black trash bags. I threw it to the ground with a loud clatter, and hopped down from the dumpster.
"Keep it quiet! You trying to wake the neighbors!", the mare hissed.
"Would you like to help?!", I snapped back.
She threw up her hands in surrender, and I went back to work.
I ripped open the trash bag, and the pungent odor hit me like a wall. The small of rotting fruit and discarded food caused me to gag and my eyes to water. I took a few steps from the bag to gather as much fresh air in my lungs as I could. I took a mighty inhale, and went back to sifting through the trash.
My hands pushed aside the fruit and cakes, until I came across something metallic feeling. I pushed aside some butter wrappers, and came across what appeared to be broken blade of a blender. It wasn't big, but it was thick enough not break when I stabbed the can, and what was better it was small enough to conceal.
This might come in handy, I said, leaving the mess I had made in the alley.
"Find something?", the mare asked.
I showed her the blade, and she made of face of mock approval. I took my seat next to her, and motioned for the can. She placed the cold metal in my hand, and I stabbed the top with enough force to make a small split in the lid. I wedged the metal in the split, and slowly but surely peeled back the lid of the soup.
I peeked inside, and looked at our meal for the evening. It was hay and daisy soup in some kind of broth. There were little bits of vegetable floating around the larger pieces of daisy petals and hay.
"Looks...uh...good," I said as genuinely as possible.
"I told you it would be bad, you just didn't listen", the mare replied, "Gimme."
She took a gulp of the soup, and grimaced as she swallowed.
"Yep, it was bad as I thought, but if it keeps you alive, you might have to settle," she said.
I took the can with a shivering hand, and took a sip of my own. The contrasting flavors of the daisy, vegetable, and broth were too great, and it was an overall struggle to swallow.
"Ugh! That wasn't fun...", I said to the mare, "Anyway, I never got your name."
"Lightning Dust," she replied, "And I'll take a guess that yours isn't buddy?"
"It's uh...", I said, racking my brain for something, anything to help me.
"Legs! It's us! Your friends!", the rainbow-maned mare's voice replayed.
"It's Legs," I finally replied.
"Well then Mr. Legs, you can finish the soup. Tomorrow I'll help you get some water, but on one condition," Lightning Dust said.
"And what's that?", I replied.
"You NEVER take my bench again," she said in all seriousness.
I chuckled and nodded my head. I took another swig of the soup, and watched her fiddle with something in her jacket. She removed a stained piece of paper, and looked at it sadly, almost like she longed for whatever was on it.
"What's that?", I asked her.
She jumped in surprise, and looked at me with a fake look of confidence.
"Oh, it's, uh, nothing important. Just some stupid letter I found," she lied.
"So why are you sad about it?"
She sighed in defeat, and handed it to me.
Congratulations Ms. Lightning Dust,
Your application to Wonderbolt Academy was accepted. Training begins on April 3rd at 08:00 sharp. We anticipate your arrival
With much congratulations,
Spitfire, Commander of The Wonderbolts
I handed the paper back to her, and searched for a clue at her sadness.
"So what's the matter? This sounded important!" I said to her.
"It already happened," she muttered.
"You missed it?"
"I got kicked out."
"But...how?"
"That blasted Rainbow Dash! She complained, so the commander played favorites and 'dismissed' me. I swear if I ever get my hands on her...she'll regret the day she ever met me!"
The name she said resonated in my head for a moment, and I began to place things together.
"What did she, uh, look like?", I asked as ignorantly as possible.
"Actually yes, she thought I was her boyfriend or something. the whole situation was...awkward to say the least," I said, remembering my escape from her and her friends.
Lightning Dust looked at me in a mix of anger and shock.
"You're her...", she said, her voice trailing off, "Never mind. Let's get some sleep."
She rested her head on my lap, and let out a loud yawn.
"Try to get whatever sleep you can. Tomorrow, I show you how to survive."
With her last statement, she drifted off to sleep. But I couldn't. Her statements about that Rainbow mare bothered me. She had some kind of personal vendetta that I wanted no part of. At least not yet.
"Wake up sleepy head!", Lightning Dust shouted at me, "The market stalls are opening!"
I shot awake, and looked around in panic.
"What's going on?", I asked her, wiping sleep from my eyes.
The sun had come out, and the square was alive with the ponies of the town bustling around the circle.
"Come on...it's time to shop," she said.
I got up from the bench, and wiped the dirt from the coat that had been given to me by a kind stranger. She walked off down one of the side streets, waving for me to follow. I walked down the street, taking in the scenery around me. I had to admit, the town looked much more happier during the day. The air was a little warmer, and the people didn't seem like the fighting type.
"So...how are we shopping without any money?", I asked her.
"Well, it was harder to get the good stuff from the mares running stalls, but now that I have you...", she said with a sadistic grin.
"I don't follow," I replied.
"We use our...natural born talents!", she said with the same smile.
I could only stare blankly. Nothing she was saying made any sense, but my dry throat and empty stomach just told me trust her methods.
"Celestia, you're dense! We use sexual favors for stuff!", she finally shouted.
My eyes widened at her proposal. I may not be able to remember most things, but I knew that wasn't the norm for something as...sensitive as sex.
"A-a-are you kidding!", I stammered, "We can't do that!"
"Of course we can you pussy!", she shouted back, "I've been doing it for years, and I've never had a problem!"
She walked out into the bazaar, and looked back at me.
"Watch!"
Lightning Dust walked over to a stall run by a young looking stallion, and leaned on the counter. She had a pretty look on her face, and I could see that the owner was flustered. He blushed heavily, looked around the square, and walked back into his tent. He returned with a bag of items, and handed them over to Lightning Dust. She just smiled, and walked back to me.
"See!', she said, showing me the bag. Inside was an assortment of fruits, some bread, and a couple bottles of water.
"Wow, I gotta hand it to you. This is a lot of food," I said in admiration.
"I told you it works! Now it's your turn!", she said, surveying the bazaar.
"There!", she finally said, "That blonde mare over there. Apples would be nice. So go over there, be sexy and get us some food. Water wouldn't hurt, but I have no idea if she has any. I owe some colt a blowjob, so if you could handle that while I handle him, it would be appreciated!"
She walked back to the stall she was at, waving at it's owner, making him blush again.
I took a step into the square, and looked own at myself. I took a sniff of the jacket, and decided to hide it behind a trash can in the side street. I looked down at the clothes I had found, and decided that they would be good enough to seduce someone.
From behind maybe..., I thought.
I did my best to emulate a cocky kind of stride, and walked over to the back of the apple stall.
The mare was leaning over the counter, giving me a good view of her rump. She was wearing a pair of short shorts made out of denim, but most of it was covered by her orange plaid shirt. The shirt almost blended into her orange fur. Its color reminded me of the vibrant oranges of a sunset, and her blonde mane was the yellows of the same sunset. Her mane was tied loosely at the end by a red hair tie, and followed the curvature of her back.
I had to admit, I almost felt guilty having to seduce a mare I didn't even know, but it was me or my morals.
I took a few cautious steps behind her, and wrapped my arms around my waist. She jumped in surprise, and threw me off. Before I could regain my footing, she landed a strong kick to my gut, and I toppled over.
"What in Equestria are ya doin' grabbing me like that ya-", she shouted before stopping suddenly.
She looked me over for a second, and then her anger shifted to shock.
Another day, another morning spent puking up what ever was left in my stomach., I thought.
It seems like my life was now dominated by the sight of my own vomit in the toilet water, day in and day out, 24/7. I couldn't hold any food down since Legs'...accident. It seemed like anything I tried to swallow larger than a breath mint came right back up with another five minutes spent at the toilets.
The gang was getting increasingly worried. Eating made me sick, and no food meant no energy which in turn meant no practice. I couldn't preform, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, but on top of it all...I was getting FAT.
I didn't get it! I threw up everything I ate, but somehow I had rapidly gained weight in the past two months. Spits had urged me to go to a doctor to figure out what was going on with my stomach, but I didn't need any doctor to tell me what was wrong.
Even if I didn't go to a medical doctor, Spits had been sending me off to some lame psychiatrist. I had been seeing him since Legs ran out, and I guess he was helping a little.
He said my constant nausea was a form of depression and that I needed to get a hobby since I wasn't practicing anymore. I don't know where he even got depression from. I felt better since it had happened, and most of my time spent crying was now spent vomiting.
My dad once told me at a parade that I couldn't dwell on the painful past. He told me I had to move on and face the future with a smile. Of course, this was around the time mom died. Dad was a mess of depression. He'd get drunk and yell and all around was a pretty shitty person. But he got the same help I did, and he got better pretty quickly.
As an apology, he took me to see his old high school's marching band perform in the welcoming parade for The Games Committee. That's when he told me those words of wisdom...or did he tell me to save those "broken" people? It didn't matter, I remembered that quote from somewhere, and that's the only reason I even went to see that shrink in the first place.
I left the bathroom and looked at The Wonderbolt wall clock of moi, and I shrugged. I had to goo see Dr. Mindbend in ten minutes, but I didn't feel any urgency to get myself...presentable.
I was in a pair of Wonderbolt sweatpants and one of Legs' t-shirts. It was a few sizes too big, so It fell of one my shoulders, and it made me look ten pounds heavier than I felt. I lifted one of the corners to my nose, and I took a small sniff.
I had worn the shirt on multiple occasions, but it never seemed to cease to smell like Legs. I felt a few tears burn at the back of my eyes, but I shook them back. I told myself that Legs was gone, and I had to move on, seek greener pastures. But no matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to be chasing a ghost.
After Legs's attacked me and Soarin', we had to come up with a story on Legs's...prolonged absence. I had offered up a multitude of different suggestions, but Soarin's broken elbow and Spits stern face always turned them down. After what had seemed like hours in that meeting, we as a team came to a cover story.
Legs had died in the hospital due to his injuries.
I don't remember much after that, or even the press conference I attended, I just remember crying. That was when all the weird stuff started happening.
It began with me missing my period. I hadn't thought much about it, but when the vomiting and anger started getting worse, I took matters into my own hands.
I begged rarity to go buy me one of those fancy in-home pregnancy tests, and mail it to me. She told me that it was already pretty clear what was happening, but I just had to be sure. I peed on that stupid little stick, and waited. What was only a few minutes in real time, was an eternity in my mind.
It came back positive, but I threw the thing at the wall. I knew in my mind that it was wrong, I had heard stories about all those "False Positives", and went on with life. I couldn't let a foal wreck my career. I had to maintain a predetermined weight after all. Gaining an extra ten pounds would surely destroy that number.
Spits kept urging me to see a doctor after I took the test, but there was nothing wrong with my body. And it's not like she knew anyway! I didn't even tell Rarity the results. It was like Mindbend said, I just had some head problems to deal with.
A knock came from the other side of my door.
"Hey Rainbow, it's Soarin'. Ya decent?", Soarin' said from the door.
I looked down at my stained shirt and baggy sweatpants.
"Uh, define decent...", I replied.
"Can I see your nipples or hooch?"
"Nah, come on in," I laughed.
He opened the door and leaned against the door frame. He looked me over with a pretend glare of distaste.
"Jeez, you weren't kidding. This has to be the most unattractive I've ever seen you," he said.
"Gee thanks! Come and get it McFly, my body is ready!", I said back in sarcasm.
"So are you gonna see the Doc in that, because you wouldn't be the first one who walked in wearing sweats and their dead boyfriend's t-shirt. But I thought you were one for appearances."
I took off Legs' shirt and threw it at him.
"Let me get ready, and NO PEAKING!"
"Or what?"
"Or the imminent threat of castration!"
Soarin' flinched at the threat to his balls, and held the T-shirt closer to his eyes.
"I read you loud and clear!"
I walked over to my dresser, and grabbed one of my new bras. I couldn't tell you why, but with the swelling of my gut, came the swelling of my boobs too. I had grown an entire cup size, and now all my old essentials didn't fit. I looked down at my belly, and grabbed at the fat forming around my waist. Some of it felt hard, but the other parts I knew were fat.
A second opinion couldn't hurt, I thought.
"Hey Soarin'?", I asked.
"I swear to Luna I'm not looking!"
"I know," I consoled him, "I just have a question is all."
"Oh! Phew! Go on, shoot."
"Do you think I'm getting fat?"
"Oh sweet Celestia," he muttered, and then cleared his throat, "Oh no! Beauty is on the inside! You'll always look gorgeous! No number on a scale could never be greater than my love for you!"
"So...yes?"
He threw the shirt to the floor, and shrugged.
"Promise you won't hurt me?", he asked innocently.
"I swear," I replied sincerely.
"Maybe...just...a little, tiny, bit," he said softly, looking around to see if anybody had heard.
"Thanks, I guess it's my own fault. This whole 'depression' thing got to me I guess," I said sadly, "Anyway, where'd you learn such a corny line like that anyway?"
He looked away as I took off my sweatpants, and grabbed some underwear.
"Senior prom. I told my girlfriend that she should buy a bigger dress. I couldn't walk for a week."
"Way to go McFly!", I said putting on some reasonable pants, "I'm ready to go now."
The small, little cat clock continued to tick with the seconds as the end of the session drew nearer. Dr. Mindbend was writing some notes down in the drowning silence. i was growing more uncomfortable by the minute, and I could feel another wave of nausea coming on.
He cleared his throat, and put down his pad.
"Well then Ms. Rainbow, anything else you need to say?"
Aside from a glaring possible pregnancy?, I thought.
"Nope! What's the prognosis, Doc?"
"Well, since the examination is over, your diagnosis is still a minor case of depression," he said leaning back in his chair, "Have you been exploring those hobbies we talked about?"
"Yeah, I tired a few things," I confessed.
Dr. Mindbend smiled, knowing he was making progress.
"That's great, Ms. Rainbow. Why don't you tell me about them."
"Well, I tried getting back into reading.."
"Okay, go on."
"It was going along okay, until frequent trips to the bathroom kinda took the fun away from it."
"Oh my, that's quite unfortunate. Is that all you tried?"
"Nope. I also tried sewing with my good friend Rarity."
"Yes, and?"
"One too many pokes from needles and those angry flashes you talked about kinda bittered up the whole situation."
"Ah, it's quite a shame to fight with a friend. Especially when it's a close one. Do you want to talk about it?"
"I don't it was a real life-altering argument. I think I handled it well enough."
"If you insist so. So sewing and reading are both out, did you try anything other than them?"
"Not that I can recall."
"Well then, do you mind if I put in my opinion?"
"Go ahead."
Dr. Mindbend put down his pad and removed his glasses. He looked sincerely at me, and crossed one of his legs.
"What I honestly think is that all of your memories of your dead lover are contained here in Cloudsdale," he said.
I gave him a confused look, and allowed him to continue.
"What I think you need, in all honesty, is a change of scenery," he said, the same smile plastered on his face.
"I'm sorry?"
"In Lehman's terms: Get outta town! Go see friends or your father. Just enjoy your life however you see fit!"
I rose from his couch, and a smile crept onto my face. I had been dying to see my dad, but constant training and...nausea prevented me from visiting.
"Yeah!" I said letting the excitement get to me "Yeah! That sounds like a killer idea doc!"
"That's what I'm here for" Dr. Mindbend said with a smile.
"Thanks a ton!" I shouted, and ran out of his office.
A soft knock came from the other side of my bathroom door. I wiped the traces of vomit from the corners of my lips, and flushed the toilet. The knock came again, but in a more rapid and worried pace.
"Rainbow? Are you okay in there?" Spitfire's voice came from the other side.
"Hmm? Yeah, yeah I'm good!" I called back.
I exited the bathroom, and looked over to Spitfire. She looked nervous about something. Her hands were clenched into fists, and she was pacing.
"Hey Cap, is something wrong?" I asked her.
"Can we talk for a minute Rainbow? Like, girl-to-girl?" She said, her nerves reflecting in her voice.
"Yeah, sure."
Spitfire sat down on my bed, her head looking down at the floor. I sat on the opposite side, and looked back at her.
"Rainbow, how have you been feeling?" She asked.
"Uh, well, the nausea hasn't gone away, and my stomach will start hurting out of the blue, but otherwise it's all good!"
"That's what I was afraid of," she whispered.
"What was that?"
"Rainbow Dash, when did you last have your period?"
"What?"
"I mean, you've gone two months, and never complained once about cramps. I know you Rainbow Dash, and I know when you start cramping. What's going on?"
"Nothing is wrong, Cap! What are you trying to get at?"
"Um, well..."
"Spitfire! Tell me what's wrong!"
Spitfire, looked back at me with a sympathetic glance, and sighed in defeat. She reached into her jacket, and withdrew something smashed and pink. She handed the thing to me, and let me look at it.
I did my best to reconstruct the item, and almost dropped it in surprise. It was the box from the last pregnancy test I took. Spitfire took it, and now she's jumping to conclusions! I got to my feet, and glared at her accusingly/
"Spits, how did you get this?" I asked with mild anger.
"I took it the night I broke into your room. It was with the trash on your floor."
"I can't believe you! You stole my trash?!"
"Rainbow, just calm down. I'm not done yet."
"Calm down? Calm down? How can I calm down knowing my commanding officer is sifting through my garbage?!"
"Rainbow Dash, stand down!" Spits shouted, rising to her feet, "That's an order!"
I bit my tongue to prevent anything too venomous from spewing out, and sat back down. Spitfire remained on her feet, and did her best to collect herself.
"Rainbow, I have one last question, and then you can continue to pack. Okay?"
I nodded, and fought back another wave of vomit.
"Rainbow, there's no real easy way to ask this..." she said, her voice trailing off.
"What? Just say it Cap. You aren't one for fear." I said back to her, my anger subsiding.
"Uh, well...Rainbow are you, um, pregnant?"
My mouth fell agape, and I nearly lost my lunch right there on my floor.
She can't be serious! I'm not...there's no way I'm...
"N-no Spits, what, no!" I stammered, blush filling my face.
"Rainbow, I'm sorry. I just had to be sure." Spitfire said, her own blush burning.
"I promise that's not what's going on. I mean it!"
"Alright Rainbow, I'll leave you to packing." Spits said, leaving the room, "Say hi to your dad for me."
Spitfire closed the door, and my mouth was still gaping. I couldn't believe how forward she was. Not knowing what to do, I ran back to the bathroom, and emptied my stomach again.
There's no way I could be a mother, not without Legs.
I looked around at the spanning orchard. The trees were stripped of their summer leaves to make room for the snow. The wicked branches held what snow they could, leaving the rest for the ground below. The sun was peaking over the hills, spilling some of its morning gold over the snow. The reflective ice shone back in a wondrous light that cascaded over the entire orchard. Each little flake turned into a diamond of its own, and even created tiny rainbows.
Looking out over the orchard, it was hard to believe that the white powder that shone so beautifully almost killed me a week ago. Ever since I...accosted Applejack at her stall, she had given both me and Lightning a place to stay. Lightning was quite reluctant, but with nowhere else for me, I had no choice to accept. I had told Lightning she could go if she wanted to, but she remained at my side. Secretly, I was glad she decided to stay.
I couldn't place my feelings for Lightning. Sure, she had saved my life from freezing to death, but at the same time she seemed disinterested in me. Her feelings would hit odd extremes; sometimes she was cold and bitter, but others she was promiscuous and sly. I was certain that there was something she wasn't telling me, but any push for information was met with a default, "No".
I took a few steps further into the orchard, reflecting on my total life of two months. I had tried everything I could to regain my memories, but nothing was working. Whenever I tried to remember anything before waking up in that weird white room was met with a sharp pain in the back of my head. It felt like I had taken a bullet or a train engine to my head, and I usually couldn't bear it for long. Applejack had told me about a healer in The Everfree Forrest, but she wouldn't return until the beginning of the spring.
My wanderings into my amnesia usually led me to speculation. I wondered about what kind of person I was, who I left, who knew me, or even who loved me. Was I a scumbag or a millionaire? Did I kill other ponies or poverty? Was I a playboy or was I a Colt Cuddler? The questions would rocket between my ears before I had lost interest in them. Sure it was fun to think about who I was, but I had to focus on who I was now.
"Hey Legs! What are ya'll doin'?" A voice came from behind me.
I turned to face my other saving grace, Applejack. She was huddled under a coat that looked to be a few sizes too big before, and her usual Stetson hat hid her blonde locks. A red flush was forming across her cheeks and nose, but was hard to see under her tangerine-colored coat. I was transfixed on her emerald eyes, which reflected a look of confused worry.
"I was just, uh, taking a walk. I needed to think," I replied.
"Legs," she said flatly, "It 28 degrees outside. Get your grey flank back inside."
"But-"
"No 'buts' mister! You may not be my kin, but I'll sure as Celestia treat ya'll like one! And I'm not leavin' ya' outside in the stinkin' snow!"
I rolled my eyes, and flashed a friendly smile.
"Yes ma'am," I said sarcastically, "I'll stop freezing my ass off."
"Good girl!" Applejack mocked, "I'll have a nice doggy treat waitin' for ya' inside!"
I walked back towards the house, but before I could reach Applejack, a snowball collided with the back of my head. I reached back, and wiped the powder from my hair. I spun around, and heard an amused cackling coming from somewhere in the snow clouds.
"Oh, Lightning Dust!" I shouted, "When I get my hands on you, you're gonna wish you froze your ass off in the snow!"
"Ah, just leave her," Applejack commented, "She's just tryin' to get a rise outta ya'."
"Sorry AJ, but the damage is done!"
I stretched my wings, and crouched to the ground. The tension was rising in my muscles, and I furled my wings closer to me.
"Lightning Dust, YOU HAD BETTER BE READY!" I shouted.
I rocketed up from the ground, and burst into the could layer. The grey snow clouds would grant no camouflage for the teal mare, making my hunt for her easier. I could still hear her faint cackling coming from the clouds, and by the sound of it, she was close.
I set my hooves onto the cloud, and did my best to play stealth. If she knew I had landed so close to her, I would certainly get a cloud of snow dumped on me. I took a few cautious steps toward the sound of her voice, but the closer I got, the quieter it seemed to get. I knew I wasn't walking the wrong way, I tested it with a few steps in the other direction, but her voice became very faint. A new sound, however, began to dominate my ears.
It was the obscure sound of a mare...crying.
I took a sharp left, and began walking towards the new sound. The sound of Lightning's laughter had faded completely, and now I could focus on the distressed mare.
"H-hello?" I called to the empty bank, "Is anybody here?"
No response came from the grey clouds. I slowed my pace, and clenched my fists in fear.
"I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to help!"
Again, no reply came from the bank.
I took a few large steps towards the spot, and the crying began to increase in volume. I could see a small clearing in the clouds, and I decided that it was the source from the crying.
The crying became a low roar as I walked closer to the clearing, and my head began to throb. The spot in the back of my skull began to burn with its usual sensation. I grabbed my head with one hand, and continued to take labored steps.
A strange phenomenon happened as I got closer to the clearing. A blur, shaped like a huddled pony, began to form in the center of the clearing.
"H-hey!" I called to the blur, "Are you okay?"
The blur began to develop more distinct features. Her fur was a beautiful cyan that stood in contrast with the grayness of the clouds. She was wearing the tattered remains of a blue and yellow jacket, and her hooves were only occupied by socks. The most incredible about her, however, was her prismatic mane. Six distinct colors stood out from her coat. Red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple all stood in even streaks in her short mane.
As her features became more noticeable, so did the pain in my head. It felt as if something was trying to claw its way out of my head. I took a few more steps toward her, before the pain brought me to my knees. I grabbed my head with both hands, and panted heavily. I took another glance back at the mare, but she was gone. I looked around in a panic for her, before looking back to the clearing. I was met with a pair of legs.
I looked up at the legs, and saw the mare standing above me. Her wounds were completely gone, and her jacket looked brand new. For the first time, I saw her eyes. They reflected a stare of pure evil. Her eyes were a blood red, and she looked down at me like I was a meal waiting to be eaten. The mare smirked, and she brought one of her hooves down on my head.
The clouds beneath me spit, and I felt myself descending back toward the ground. Her blow to my head blurred my vision, and it was fading fast. I blinked worriedly, but when I stopped, the clouds were gone. Instead of the winter day I was just in, it was replaced with an inky night dotted with stars. The clouds were white again, and were formed into an arena of sorts. I looked to my left, and saw the burning wreckage of something. The fire had engulfed most of the structure, and was consuming it rapidly. On the other side of me, I could hear a shrill screaming of a mare. I didn't have the strength to spare another glance to her. The arena was getting smaller as I fell, and I could the air getting faster against my fur.
Right then, something clicked in my head; a switch flipping. I shook my head of the odd fog it was in, and slackened my jaw. I was trying to form a word, but before I could get it out, my back collided with the earth.
"...egs? Legs? Do you hear me?" something said.
Everything was black, and I could feel nothing but air around me. My mind was trying to piece itself back together, but it couldn't find all of the pieces.
"I can't believe you threw that damn snowball at him!" the voice shouted in the black.
"Me? ME?! This is my fault?! He didn't have to follow me up there!" another voice said from the void.
"Yeah! But he wouldn't have if you didn't antagonize him!"
"Okay, like it's my fault he was playing in a cirrus! Any pegasus who knows how to fly knows to stay away from cirrus clouds! They couldn't hold a feather's weight!"
"Are you seriously blaming Legs? He almost DIED, and you're pinning the whole fiasco on him!"
"Yes! He shouldda known better!"
"I cannot believe you Lightning Dust! You better hope he wakes up, or else you'll have to hope I'm in a good mood!"
"Oh yeah! Like I'm scared of the farmer's daughter! Bring it on hayseed, I can take you!"
The voices were ringing in my head, and everything began to gain coherence again. I could feel that I was laying in a bed, my heavy winter clothes replaced with something lighter. Sitting on top of the clothes was a heavy blanket, restricting everything but my head.
I could feel the various parts of my face again, and I tried opening my eyes. They slowly peeled open, and everything was a little fuzzy. My stomach was alive with nausea, and I tried to form a word.
Instead of something I knew how to say, a pained groan leaked out. My vision was getting clearer, and I saw the source of the two voices. Lightning Dust and Applejack were standing close to each other, each of them wearing an angered expression.
"Hey! Look!" Applejack's younger sister, Apple Bloom, said over the commotion, "He's wakin' up!"
The two mares looked back at me, and their anger melted away.
"Legs! You-"
"Oh thank Celestia!" Lightning Dust interrupted, "I thought you died!"
Her eyes looked like they were brimming with tears, and she walked over to the bed I was in.
"W...what happened? Why am I in bed?" I asked wearily.
"First things first. Who are you?" Lightning Dust asked, a bit of worry riding on her words.
"Legs."
"And who am I?"
"Lightning Dust."
"And where are you?"
"Sweet Apple Acres."
"Good! Now we don't have to start over!"
Applejack shot her a confused glare, and walked to my bedside.
"The answer to your earlier question was that ya'll fell out of a cloud," she said, not looking away from Lightning Dust, "You took a pretty nasty fall."
"Do you remember why you were playing in a cirrus cloud in the first place?" Lightning asked.
"I heard something," I answered, trying to recall the events before my fall, "Crying I think."
"Did you see the pony who was crying?"
"Kinda. She was blue, crazy-colored mane, and red eyes. At first she looked all beat up, but when I tripped, she was all fine. Then...then...she kicked me in the face, and...I fell?"
Applejack's face was frozen in shock, but Lightning Dust had a look of genuine worry on her face. She knelt down beside me, and caressed my face.
"Don't worry, we'll find the bitch who did that. I have a few ideas on who it might be. Just try to get some rest, we can discuss it tomorrow."
She got up, and walked out of the room, not looking back at anyone. I looked up to Applejack, and her face was still a mess with shock.
"AJ, are you alright?" I asked.
"Y-yeah," she stammered, looking back at me, "Just go back to bed."
She too left the room, and slammed the door behind her. I could feel the weight returning to my eyelids, and fell back into my deep sleep.
I was roused from my sleep once again by sounds coming from the room. However this time, I knew the sound all too well.
Crying.
I opened my eyes, and scanned the room. Sitting next to me in a chair, was Lighting Dust. She had her head buried in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking with her sobs.
"Lightning?" I asked groggily.
She looked up at me, her tear-filled eyes reflecting a look of shock.
"I'm sorry L-Legs," she said between tears, "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay," I replied, smiling, "I like talking to you. What's the matter?"
"I'm apologizing dammit!" she shouted, "I shouldn't have thrown that snowball at you, I shouldn't have laughed at you, and it's all my fault that you almost died because of me!"
"Lightning," I said calmly, "Calm down. It's okay."
"No! It's not okay! I could have killed you!"
"But you didn't! And that's what's the most important. I'm not mad at you."
"Y-you're not?"
"Why should I be? It's not like you curb stomped me."
She nodded, sniffling back more tears.
"What's got you so upset? I've never seen you this guilty before."
"I-it's that apple bitch. She's been giving me grief all day about what I did. I just want to leave this damn farm!"
"Well," I said, considering our options, "Do you have a place to go to?"
She nodded, and wiped her nose with her sleeve.
"It's a friend's place. An old warehouse outside of town."
"Do you really want to leave?"
She nodded again, looking up at me.
"Alright. Help me up so I can talk to Applejack."
"You want to WHAT?!" Applejack shouted.
I recoiled at her sudden outburst, and leaned against Lightning.
"I said that we're gonna move on. I really appreciate your help, but Lightning has a place for us to go."
"You can't leave Legs! You almost died today, and on top of that, it's ten degrees outside. Ah can't let you leave this house."
"Applejack," I said, anger rising in my tone, "You can't tell me what to do. I'm not some kid. We need to go, and we're going tonight."
"After everything I've done to you, this is how you repay me? Running off into the night with some street girl? Can't you understand how ah feel?"
"Can't you understand how I feel?! How Lightning feels?!" I shouted, "You've been giving her nonstop Tartarus for something she didn't do! Why does she deserve that?"
"The same reason why you deserve to be homeless! Cause yer both WORTHLESS!"
Applejack was huffing in anger from her sudden rise in volume, and she sat there glaring at us. I nodded lightly, and shifted on my feet.
"I think it's time we went," I said softly.
I guided Lightning towards the door, and I opened it to the bitter winter night.
"Legs! If ya'll walk out that door, you better never show yer face around here again!"
"Challenge...accepted," I said, and slammed the door.
Applejack fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face already.
"Oh sweet Celestia, what have ah done?" she cried.
The walk to the warehouse wasn't far. It was close to town, and it even had a path leading up to it.
The warehouse itself stood looming over the quiet town. It's exterior was rusted with age, but mysteriously all the windows were intact...and painted black. The warehouse gave me a seriously negative vibe, and I was wary about sleeping there.
"You said your friend lives here?" I asked Lightning Dust fearfully.
"Yep," she answered, "She should still be here if I'm right."
Lightning walked up to the large metal doors, and fiddled around with a control panel. After a few seconds of messing with the small box, the metal doors began to groan. They slowly began to split open, revealing the way inside.
"Come on!" Lightning said grabbing my arm, "It's warmer inside!"
She guided me into a large, empty room. The lights were all turned off, giving the room a freaky vibe. The walls seemed to breathe, and the wind was amplified by the metal roof.
"Home sweet home," Lightning muttered, "My friend should be here in a sec."
"Who the fuck is there?!" A voice called from the shadows.
"It's me, Gee. And I brought a friend!" Lightning called back.
Row by row, the lights snapped on, illuminating the storeroom. It was empty as I predicted, save the raised loading area. Standing on the platform, however, was Lightning's friend.
She was a decently sized person, her body filling out in all the usual places for a girl. A rough leather jacket was thrown over her shoulders, and two brown wings extended from her back. Her legs were squeezed into a pair of skinny jeans, and her feet were concealed by a pair of black combat boots.
The most disturbing of all, was that she wasn't a pony. Instead of a snout, a yellow, razor sharp beak extended from her feathered face. The feathers on top of her head were spiked out to one side, giving the illusion of actual hair. From the one eye I could see, her eyes were the color of golden wheat, shining lightly in the fluorescent lights. Her other eye, though, was concealed by a black eye patch.
I stepped further into the light, and I saw her beak curl into a vicious smile.
"Holy. Fucking. Shit!" she shouted at me, "If it isn't little Tiny Tim!"
"Wha-" I tried asking before she cut me off.
"Oh? What's the matter? Don't remember me?" she asked mockingly.
She burst forth from the platform, and seized me by the collar of my shirt. The mystery girl had me pinned against one of the metal walls.
"How could you forget me? After all, there's a piece of me that'll never leave," she cooed.
She took one of her taloned hands, and lifted up my shirt, exposing my ribs. I looked down, and saw three lines of raised scar flesh. I had seen them plenty of times before, but never knew where they were from.
"Yeah, this was supposed to kill your rat ass, but things don't always go as planned!"
She threw me back into the center of the room. I landed on my shoulder, and tried to roll over, but before I could move, the girl pounced on me. She was straddling my hips, and had once again seized my collar.
"Now, doesn't this feel...familiar?" she asked, toying with me, "This was the same position we were in before i gutted you!"
I struggled beneath her grip, but was met with a hard slam to the ground.
"Except this time, Spits won't be here to stop me! Any last words, meat?"
"Three," choked, "Who are...you?"
"You can't be serious!"
"I am. I haven't the smallest clue as to who you are?"
"You're trying to tell me you don't remember the raid you conducted in the name of that cunt Rainbow? Where you went all macho and tried to kill me. And then I served your lung on a silver platter before Spits put one in my eye?"
"Not...a...word."
The girl released her grip on my collar, and looked down at me with an unsure glance.
"Maybe I could use this to my advantage," she muttered to herself.
She stood up, and offered my one of her hands.
"Sorry about that," she said slyly, "Maybe we got off on the wrong hand."
I took her hand, and stood in front of the girl.
"I'm Gilda," she said, extending her hand again, "I think you and I can do some great things together."
"I'm Legs," I replied, taking her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
The outer edges of Cirrusnatti came into view. I had been flying for who knows how long, and the edges of the cloud city were a relieving sight. I had been dying to visit my old home, but 'fate of the world' issues usually stopped a friendly visit to my city. There were so many memories, both good and bad, living here that it was almost a sin that I hadn't visited earlier.
From the many phone calls from old friends and my dad, it seemed like I was a pretty big deal. There hadn't been a local hero from Cirrusnatti for almost an entire century! The last guy was some guard who took a blade for Princess Celestia. She awarded him some medal, and that was that.
I remembered reading about him in school, and how the story really got to me. It just seemed odd that the princess gave his coffin a medal, and all but forgot about him. A real hero didn't need to take a blade, or even need a medal! A real hero was someone who did things for the sake of helping other people.
It was at that time, my dream came into full realization. I wanted to be a real hero! The kind of mare who was known for her courage and stunning good looks! The mare who saved kittens and put out fires!
Looking back, it was a pretty lame dream, but when I was eight, that was all I ever wanted. And now look at me! I was one of the most famous fliers on The Wonderbolts. My entire town screamed my name, and I haven't visited once since being recruited. I guess some people were just born heroes!
I set my hooves down on the main road running through the city, and a vicious wave of nausea hit me. I looked around at the shops, and darted into a local coffee shop.
"H-hey!", I said to the barista, "Can I use your bathroom?"
She looked shocked at me, and nodded wordily. I scanned the building, and spotted the fillies room. My hooves carried me through the door, and eventually, the closest stall.
I bent over the toilet, and emptied whatever was left in my stomach. I never felt a more violent wave of vomit, and the pain in my stomach continued to build. Tears were forming in my eyes, threatening to go down with the puke.
I put my back to one of the walls, and hugged my knees close to my chest. The pain in my stomach hadn't dulled, and it even seemed like it was getting worse. I could feel the tears streaming down my concealed face, and I allowed my self to choke out a single sob.
"M-ma'am?", a voice came from the door, "Are you okay in there?"
I sniffed loudly, and tried to form the words in my mouth. Instead of a coherent answer, another choked sob came out.
"Do you need me to call somebody?", the voice asked, "A family member, a friend, a doctor even?"
The strength was slowly returning to my body, and I did my best to stand up.
"I...I think I go this," I muttered to the stall door, "Can I just have a minute?"
"Okay ma'am, just contact any of us if you need help."
I unlocked the stall, door and looked at the voice.
She was a few inches shorter than me, and also looked like she was a few years younger too. Her eyes were a vibrant sapphire color, and her gold hair was tied down under her uniform cap. Over her black t-shirt, a brown apron was tied around her waist and hung over her neck.
Her face was a mess of confusion and worry, and she was wringing her hands in anticipation.
"Hey...wait a minute," she said quietly, "Aren't you a Wonderbolt?"
"Oh, w-well, um, yes, but I'd really appreciate it if you-"
"Oh my gosh! Aren't you Rainbow Dash?!" she asked rather loudly.
"Yes, but-"
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! I'm like your biggest fan!"
Any trace of worry she once had was now flooded with her admiration and giddiness. If her voice got any louder, I'd never be able to leave the coffee shop.
"Shh!" I hissed at her, "Just...just stay quiet! I need to get out of here without any incident!"
"But you're like a massive hero here! How could I just keep this a secret?"
"Because your biggest idol is asking you nicely! Please, I'm not feeling too hot, and my dad's expecting me. Do it for me?"
The barista nodded, and her smile faded from her face.
"Okay," she sighed, "I'll leave you alone."
I felt bad about killing this mare's dreams, but I doubt a crowd of admiring fans would appreciate being attacked with projectile vomit. The less attention she gave, the easier my daring escape would be.
I walked out of the bathroom as stealthily as I could, and closed the door quietly. The patrons of the shop were either buried in their laptops, or deep in conversation.
I guess this'll be easier than I thought, I thought.
"Hey! Isn't that that Wonderbolt mare?"
"Who Rainbow Dash?"
"Oh my Celestia! It is her!"
"We love you Rainbow Dash!"
Fuck...
The crowd began to swell, and I was pinned against the restroom door. Everybody seemed to have a piece of paper or body part that desperately needed signing, and it seemed like my former plans would have to wait.
I sighed, and grabbed a permanent marker from somebody, and began my quest to leave the shop without loosing too many articles of clothing.
Note to self, viciously beat Dr. Mindbend at my next appointment.
After my perilous experience at the hands of the rabid coffee shop fans, I was all but certain that the rest of this trip would be uneventful by comparison. I knew these streets like the back of my hand, and I was able to take some short-cuts to avoid any more fan confrontations.
Don't get me wrong, I loved my fans like family, but I was focused on one particular family member today. My old apartment building came into view, and I took a sigh of relief. I was finally home.
It wasn't the most glamorous place in the sky, nothing like Ponyville, but it was where I had lived almost my entire life. I remembered the first time I invited Fluttershy over, and how scared of the place she was! She was totally set on the fact that we'd be mugged, or kidnapped, or murdered, or raped.
Looking back, she had her points, but I always told her that if anything happened, my Mom would kick the flank of anybody who touched a hair in my mane.
When my mother wasn't being an untouchable badass, she was probably the kindest person I knew. She would go out of her way just to assure that Fluttershy always felt comfortable. She made that apartment seem like a palace.
Growing up, I never complained or asked why that we lived in such a small place. All the other kids had wondrous cloud homes or even just a nicer apartment than me, but never once did cry over it. Of course, my friends were a little...offed on the first time coming to our little home.
I took a few steps up to the rusted call box, and took a look up at the sweeping wall. The stains of mold and other grime stood in contrast to the sand colored bricks, drawing lines all the way up to the roof. Some of the visible windows were either painted black, or were just plain boarded up.
It was a really off putting site to anyone who probably had a brain, but I couldn't help smiling whenever I visited. There were just too many memories to be superficial about the appearance of the building.
I pressed the small button for my old apartment, and smiled even wider.
"Hello?" the crackle of the intercom said.
"Dad?" I asked back.
"Well I'll be damned. Rainbow, is that you?"
"Do I have another sister that I need to know about?"
"Well...Not one you need to worry about."
"Dad!"
"I'm just kidding! Come on up!"
I opened the door, and started the ever daunting task of climbing thirteen flights of stairs.
I gave a few quick raps on the door of my old home, thanking Celestia it hasn't changed too much. I could hear a small clamor coming from the other side, mixed with a few mismatched footsteps. After what sounded like a small war finishing up, my dad opened the door.
"My little Dashie," he said, pulling me into a warm hug, "It's been way too long!"
I squeezed him tighter, burring my face in his shoulder.
"I know dad," I said through his shoulder, "I promise it won't be this long between visits again."
We separated from each other, and I got a good look of him after so long. Age had been kind to him, even if it was a little obvious in his face. Wrinkles drew themselves around his eyes and nose, and his coat had faded quite a bit. His once prismatic mane had also dulled; the colors had lost most of their vibrance.
"Anyway, stupid hellos aside, why not come in?" he asked me jokingly.
"Cause I might meet a sister I never knew about!" I said, and punched him lightly in the arm.
"Ha-ha!"
He closed the door, and walked over to the kitchen. The small little apartment was a little messy, but not all that different. He still had the big, brown couch that we had for as long as I could remember. He still had those stupid red curtains that mom hated with every fiber of her being. Even the paint on the walls was the same, but even with all of these reminders of a better time, my old home still felt so...alien.
"So," Dad called from the kitchen, "What are you thirsty for? Water, soda, milk, or maybe something a little harder?"
He removed two bottles of lager from the fridge, and just smiled.
"Ooh, jeez Dad! I'd love to, but, uh, Spits says that I kinda need to...cut back on my alcohol consumption," I said sheepishly, rubbing my arm.
"Oh," Dad said, his smile shattered, "I get it."
He replaced one of the lagers into the fridge, and closed the door. Dad looked genuinely crushed. It was apparent that he'd been waiting a long time for this moment.
Dad sat down on the couch, and patted the seat next to him. I sat, and looked down at the floor for a while.
"Okay Dashie," he said noticing my behavior, "You have something important to say, don't you?"
I nodded, trying desperately to avoid his magenta eyes.
"Dad, this is really complicated, and it's kind of awkward to ask, and I just-"
"Dashie," Dad said, cutting my panicked ranting off, "Just ask away."
"What...what did mom do when she found out that she was...was...going to be a mother? I mean, like, how did she take it at first?" I said through a mental wall.
Dad took a hearty sigh, and reclined into the couch, taking his turn to avoid my gaze. The words in his mouth were causing him visible pain, and I swore I could see a tear.
"Your mother", he began, "Was...a little less than happy to find out she'd be a mother."
I stared in honest disbelief. Never in my life could I see my mother unhappy to see me. Mom always loved me, even before she...left. Why would she hate being pregnant?
"It hit her like a freight train, knowing that he care-free life was now over," he continued, "She just had no idea what to do."
"D-Dad, I don't understand," I said with a fading voice.
"Your mother, before she met me, had her own unique way of living. She saw everything at a break-neck, supersonic speed, and hardly ever slowed down to see the world like the rest of us," Dad began, "Firefly had a hard time coming to terms with anything that happened to her. Every little moment of trauma was just brushed under the rug, and put onto the back burner. Hell! I was lucky she slowed down to even acknowledge me."
"But pregnancy, looming motherhood, that was the figurative wall that slowed her down. I still to this day wonder what her plan was even going to be. Granted that her..."problem" was half my fault, but she took this burden all alone. I couldn't get to her. Captain Jetstream couldn't get to her. Her own damn parents couldn't even her to talk about it. She just...shut down."
The story felt like a dagger in my stomach, and with each additional word, an extra twist to the blade. All of my memories of Mom until she died were some of the best I ever had. She was always so happy and bubbly and awesome, I couldn't believe that I once hindered her.
"It got worse as it went on," Dad continued, "You...well you...could've been...dead."
"W-what?" I asked, avoiding the weight to the words, "Dad, I don't get this! I don't get any of this!"
"You mother felt so devastated to the point where at one point she saw death as her only escape," Dad said.
He paused for a moment, allowing the words to echo around the empty halls. He took a deep breath, and opened his mouth, but the words just rotted away.
"I...I don't even know what to say, Dashie," he said, his voice quavering signifigantly, "Your mother almost took her own life because of a pregnancy. I wish I could tell you a happier story, but I think you know how it ends."
"It's okay, Dad," I said, doing my best to soothe him, "I asked you a question, and you answered me honestly."
He just looked off to the side, almost like he was looking at his late wife.
"Can I ask you one now?" he asked the wall.
"Yeah, Dad, please ask me one," I said to his adverted eyes.
"Why are you asking me this? Such...an odd question, it just strikes me as weird," he said, reuniting his eyes with mine.
"Well, uh, Dad," I began, not sure how to respond to his queary, "I think...I'm not certain, but I have a feeling that...I might be pregnant myself."
I readied myself for some halestrom of emotion, but all I got was a stern, powerful look.
"Promise me one thing," he said listlessly.
"W-what, Dad?"
"Don't behave like your mother. Love this foal even before they're born. Give them a chance to feel things like happiness and joy without even having to be alive. Enjoy motherhood before it even has a chance to hurt you," he said, pouring ever emotion left in him into that one small speech.
"I promise," I said back to him, brandishing a warm smile.
He laughed joyfully, and hugged me. The fact of his upcoming grandchild finally hitting him. A few tears fell, but his elation was obvious. He was going to be a grandfather, and his grandchild is going to have the best mother in the world to raise him!
