Chapter %i%: A Long Closed Chapter
Chapter 1: A Long Closed Chapter
It had been many moons since the Princesses had declared the Windigo Winter over. Shortly after Nightmare Moon’s return, the Elements of Harmony were spent; their energies had all but been used up in trying to defeat the mad goddess.
In fact, too much energy. Harmony across the land had waned, the draw from these six ponies had sapped the land of harmony. Not even the Princesses could predict or explain what happened.
It started with petty theft in Manehatten, then an assault on a random bystander in Appleloosa. One by one, acts of disharmony began to spread. The Windigoes returned, bringing with them the coldest, darkest winter Equestria has ever known.
Only through the Element Bearers giving up their mantles did Harmony slowly return to the lands - but it was too late to prevent the damage done. Ponies were displaced by the harsh snows, some families torn apart - some snuffed out completely.
But, pony-kind as a whole struggled past and survived this cold Winter. Ponyville became the refugee centre of Equestria - friendships sprung and flourished, despite the tough times.
That Winter is gone now - society is returning to normal. Harmony and Friendship was returned to the ponies that inhabit Equestria.
Rainbow Dash counted the pegasi as they filed into the Tree Library near the centre of Ponyville. Like last time, they needed every wing they could get. “Eighty-two, eighty-three…Horseapples,” she swore to herself. “One short.”
Doing the headcount again, she made sure to find out which one was missing. No, Fluttershy was there. So was Thunderlane (No feather-flu for him!). Aha! She knew who the missing pony was.
“Dammit, I don’t have time to go fetch her now...she’s on the edge of the Everfree…” Sighing, Rainbow closed the door and continued her presentation.
The next morning, she flew over to the simple cottage on the edges of Ponyville. Knocking on the door caused a white unicorn with a fiery mane to open it, her purple eyes staring blankly past Rainbow Dash.
“Hello?” she asked, a thin white cane by her shoulder, held up by magic.
Rainbow looked past the unicorn, to the boxes inside still needing to be unpacked. “Uhh, yeah. Is Denith home?”
“A faint smile touched the unicorn’s face, as her eyes lit up in cheer, still gazing past Dash in their blindness. “Yes! Of course, Rainbow Dash. I’ll go fetch her for you.”
Denith and Alatea. They were two of the refugees from the Winter. Rainbow had helped them when they were still homeless and living in tents. Then again, most of Ponyville had helped as ponies flocked from all corners of Equestria...
A turquoise pegasus with thick, red-rimmed glasses came to the door, a slight but noticeable limp in her gait. She had a dull gray mane in a thick braid and three interlocking clockwork gears for a cutiemark. “Yes…?” she asked, eyebrow raised.
“Denith...It’s Rainbow Dash,” she began sheepishly. “Look, I called for a meeting regarding the Cloudsdale reservoir and you missed it last night.”
Denith continued to look impassively at Rainbow. “And…?”
“And, well, I could really use every wing I can out there. I can understand you missing last night’s meeting - I mean, you’re still unpacking into your new house and all - but I’d really like it if you could help us with it. Maybe we can get a new record this year!”
Denith looked away for a moment, before sighing. “I’m...I’m sorry, Rainbow. I have other responsibilities. I won’t be able to make it.”
Dash gave her a disappointed look. “But we really - ,”
The other pegasus had a sudden firmness in her eyes. “No. It’s not happening. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m busy.”
The door was promptly closed in Rainbow Dash’s snout before she could interject again. Standing wordlessly outside the door, she tried to form a coherent thought. “What...just happened?” she asked herself. No - there had to be more to this. Stomping her hoof in frustration, Rainbow Dash took off.
~~~~
Weather duty that day had proven lighter than expected. Some emergency rainfall was scheduled for the area, and a quick scout over the Everfree had shown that plenty of clouds were on its way to Ponyville, even though the sky was mostly clear for now.
Rainbow Dash wrapped her scarf a little more snugly, relaxing on a cloud, idly looking at the ponies below as they continued their daily routines. The Windigo Winter had passed, but its chill still lingered in the air.
One particular pegasus caught her eye, walking with a distinct limp as she held a small basket with laundry on her back. Rainbow scooted her cloud a little closer, curiosity getting the better of her. ‘Other responsibilities, my flank,’ she thought to herself.
Denith began to hang up the washing on the line, her wings loosely spread out, until she paused, head tilting towards the Everfree Forest for a moment. Rainbow flew in even closer, eyes furrowed in curiosity.
The pegasus on the ground spread her wings out to their full span, twitching the angle of them every few seconds. Any normal pony would’ve seen a pegasus stretching her wings - only an experienced weather-pony - like Dash - could actually see something marvellous.
The individual currents of air as they fluctuated over each feather, each twitch in the wing slightly adjusting the angle as to get a different feel of the air. Heck, Denith probably wasn’t even aware she was reading the wind like that.
She stood for the longest while, Rainbow staring in amazement at what she was witnessing. Finally, Denith gave a resigned sigh, taking down her already hung garments and brought them back inside.
Dash was slack-jawed. Denith had just predicted the weather with her wings. There were few pegasi who could do that - heck, even Rainbow relied on have to be in the clouds to do it. (Then again, what most ponies had in innate abilities, Rainbow Dash made up for in pure Awesome and skill).
Hang on - there was still plenty of time until the rainstorm. Why was she taking in her laundry early?
Rainbow Dash turned and abandoned her cloud, taking off towards the Everfree. The rainclouds were coming in earlier than expected.
~~~~
“Denith Skies, Denith Skies, Denith Skies…” - irritated, Rainbow Dash muttered to herself - she was pouring through the Weather Control archives. “Skies…” She knew she’d heard that name before.
“Horseapples,” she swore. ‘No mention of Denith in here. Maybe she had a parent?’
She flipped a few pages before stopping. “Huh, that was quick.”
Soary Skies - Weather Control Head Controller. Retired almost ten years ago.
Rainbow took a few steps away from the thick tome, slack jawed. ‘Denith’s dad is the ex WEATHER CONTROL MASTER?’ This was astounding - no wonder she could read the air like that - it was in her family!
Rainbow Dash had no idea why a pony like Denith refused to help - but she intended to find out.
~~~~
Soon, the rainbow-maned pegasus was knocking on the small cottage’s door again. Luckily, Rainbow’s intended target answered first this time. The bespectacled mare glared, unimpressed with Dash.
“Yes, Rainbow?” she asked, voice sounding surprisingly friendly. “Can I help you?”
Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate. “I’m going to cut straight to the chase, Denith. I know who your father is - what he did.”
The clockmaker’s face locked up, an unreadable expression on her face as her whole body stiffened.
Dash continued. “I mean - seriously. Weather control runs in your family! It’s like in your...genes? It’s in your genes to help out!”
Rainbow didn’t notice the sickly look coming over Denith’s face. “R - Rainbow Dash...The answer is still n - no…” Denith said, her voice strained. Her face had become deathly pale all of a sudden. “P - please...just go. I can’t help out in the tornado funnel. I - Just...go.”
Dash gave her a confused look. “Hey, Denith...are you feeling okay?”
“No, I - I’m not…” she replied, before turning and closing the door again.
“Oh for pony’s sake!” Rainbow cried out, stomping her hoof. “What is that mare’s problem?!”
~~~~
There were still three weeks until Tornado Day. Rainbow Dash supervised the training, as usual, of the various pegasi of Ponyville in their endurance and strength-building routines.
But, at the back of her mind, she couldn't shake a simple thought. Denith looked like she had seen a ghost the other day just at the mere mention of her dad.
"No, I have to get to the bottom of this," she declared, stomping her hoof. A few other ponies gave a puzzled look, but otherwise continued training. 'Maybe Twilight can help me. She must know of some books or something that can find out what's going on.'
A moment later, Dash was inside the giant tree library.
Twilight gave the rainbow-maned mare a stern look. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," she sighed, "I cannot in good faith help you pry into somepony's private life."
"But Twilight, there's something big going on!" Rainbow retorted. "Why else would she act like that? Maybe she lost her dad in the snowstorms or something."
"Maybe that is exactly why you should leave it alone!" Twilight hissed, continuing to sort her checklists for the day.
Rainbow dash gave a disgruntled groan. "I need a pegasus like that on the team, Twilight. Heck, if I could, I'd get Denith on the weather team full-time!" Twilight was just an egghead unicorn - she probably wouldn't understand.
"I understand, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said soothingly. "But there are some things we should just let lie for now."
Rainbow Dash hung her head in defeat. "Fine...I guess I'll leave it. I at least want to find out what happened to Soary Skies. He's an ex Weather-Control Master, anyways." Rainbow Dash headed towards the door. "Thanks anyways, Twilight. I'll see you around."
~~~~
The next few days were mostly spent preparing the tornado team. What free time Dash did have she had spent at Cloudsdale's Weather Office in hope of finding out any and all info on Denith's father. Shortly after retiring he had moved to Fillydelphia with his family - his wife Grace Skies and two daughters, Deanna and Denith Skies.
At least, that's the only info that the weather office had. Since Soary travelled all over and beyond Equestria, they needed next of kin to notify in case anything happened to him.
That still didn't answer Rainbow Dash's question: What happened to him?
In her frustration, she finally decided to go to somepony who could at least point her in the right direction: the unicorn mare that lived with Denith, Alatea Tenera. They had found each other during the refugee camp days, and somehow had remained inseparable.
Rainbow found Alatea on her way home one afternoon, the blind using her cane and memory of the road to navigate. Even before Rainbow could land, the blind's ears picked up her approach, causing Alatea's head to turn in Dash's direction.
"Hey there, Alatea," Rainbow greeted, still thinking on how to ask the question.
Alatea broke into a small but cheerful smile, head fully turning to face the pegasus. "Good afternoon, Rainbow Dash. How can I help?"
Rainbow smiled nervously. "I need to ask you a question, if you don't mind."
Alatea seemed to ponder this for a moment, her head turning away ever so slightly. "Yes, of course. What do you need?"
"What happened to Denith's dad? I know he moved to Fillydelphia nine or so years ago."
Alatea's face softened into an unreadable look. "What do you need to know this for?"
Rainbow Dash hesitated, before picking up the confidence in her voice. "He's an old weather control master. I figured I'd learn a bit of history about some of Cloudsdales’ ponies."
It was a terrible lie, and Rainbow was sure that the blind would see through it. The two stood in an awkward silence before Alatea's head turned back towards Rainbow.
“I do not have the right to tell you what my wife doesn't want you to know.” Oh Celestia, she knows. Dash was about to start blurting out excuses when Alatea continued. “Something terrible happened in that town – to Denith's family. She will not talk to others of it and I respect her too much to tell.”
The pegasus hung her head low in defeat. Darn – she was hoping to at least get a straight answer out of the often-blunt unicorn.
The fiery-maned mare turned towards the path ahead. “That chapter is closed in her life. I suggest you leave it so.”
Without another word, Alatea's cane began to softly tap the cobblestone path as she continued her journey home. Rainbow Dash took off to the sky, dejected. She stopped suddenly, a frown on her face as she looked back down at the path.
“Wait, since when have those two been married?!”
~~~~
It had been a week. A whole week – and Rainbow Dash was still nowhere closer to finding out why a pegasus of Denith's calibre was refusing to help out. It just didn’t make sense - tornado duty wasn’t even dangerous!
She was back in Twilight’s library, looking through the ‘recent history’ section. Something - anything on Fillydelphia. Even with Spike helping out (Dash didn’t want to risk asking Twilight) they were getting nowhere.
Rainbow Dash was about to give up when Spike brought a book to her. “Fillydelphia: The Rebuilding,” the dragon offered. He continued, noticing Rainbow’s disapproving look. “It’s the closest I can find that has anything to do with that place in the last few years.”
The pegasus took the book, scanning over the back cover. ‘Covers the freezing and rebuilding of Fillydelphia during and after the Windigo Winter and tales of the brave ponies who risked their lives in restoring the glorious city.’
“This...might actually be what I’m looking for!” Dash exclaimed, face lighting up in hope. “Thanks, Spike! Tell Twilight I’ll return this later!”
She was gone before the dragon could even reply. “Oh come on...Now I have to clean this mess all by myself…”
~~~~
“Ugh...I never knew books could be so boring!” Rainbow groaned, trying to power through the pages. A good first half of the book was general history of the city itself. This was getting her nowhere.
Trying her best to keep in the scream of frustration, Rainbow Dash tossed the book idly onto her bed, collapsing onto the plush cloud-mattress. This was hopeless - there was no way she’d find out.
She picked the book up again, flipping through the pages irritatedly. A strange picture caught Dash’s eye - A whole page dedicated to picture of a burning house. Crawling back up into a seated position, she began to read out loud to herself.
“Regarded as the first act of Disharmony in Fillydelphia, the burning of the Skies Residence forcefully evicted the family of four from their home, forcing them to relocate to the temporary shelters set up for the homeless ponies of the city.”
A growing chill was growing in Dash’s stomach. Maybe she really didn’t want to read this chapter of Denith’s life.
Gulping, she continued. “The Skies Family was brutally murdered by the father, Soary Skies, oft-thought as the one responsible for the act of arson against their family home. Soary was deemed insane by the courts and committed to the Institute of Mental Health. His eldest and only surviving daughter was hospitalised, where she remained in a coma.”
Dash shook her head. No - this couldn’t be right. She checked the publication date; almost a year after the events.
She scanned the pages again. The First act of Disharmony in Fillydelphia...was caused by Denith’s dad. Everything had spiralled downwards from there.
Rainbow dash put the book down, closing it. She felt cold, a sick feeling crawling up her throat. No wonder the mare didn’t want anything to do with weather. Her own mother and sister…gone at the hooves of her father. It wasn’t right.
‘I - I need some air,’ she thought to herself, taking wing and flying out of her cloud mansion. It didn’t matter where she went - she just needed to get away from that book.
Her voice cracked. “Oh Celestia, what’ve I gotten myself into?”
~~~~
The inside of the cottage was cramped. There was never enough space even with all the boxes packed where they should be. There was only one bedroom shared between the two of them, the kitchen was always in a mess and the bathroom sink had a leak.
Denith Skies couldn’t have asked or wished for anything more - it was perfect. It was a home that was hers and nopony could take that away.
She lived here with her two foals and wife, Alatea Tenera - a blind unicorn. Fixing clocks and maintaining the Ponyville clocktower provided a stable-enough income for them to get by on.
The end of the day had come, and Denith was relaxing in the living room, gently rocking two young foals in her forelegs.
The blind walked over and nuzzled her love. “I understand, Denith. I just hoped you could find the strength.”
The pegasus offered a weak smile. Alatea couldn’t see it - but Denith knew she could feel the smile and change in her voice. “I know, Ally...I know…” She nuzzled back. “I just need time.”
~~~~
Twilight Sparkle’s brow was in a deep, frustrated furrow. Rainbow Dash had been avoiding her duties for the past two days - and now there was a book missing from her library. It was bad enough trying to coerce the pegasus into doing her job - but now Twilight had to sit and try to figure out exactly which book was missing.
Her whole morning had been taken up, doing a full stock take. Spike was out for the day, helping Fluttershy with her animal friends - leaving the unicorn in the dark regarding the state of the library.
She had only noticed it when she found one of the shelves had an empty slot but no matching record of it being checked out.
“Right - I’ve narrowed it down to recently published history books,” she muttered to herself, magicking over a fresh stack of books, making a note of each one on a piece of paper.
A victorious grin spread across her face. “Aha! Found it!” She stood up, almost doing a victory dance. “Fillydelphia: the Rebuilding - by Marifold Prancer!”
Her enthusiasm sunk - remembering a certain mare that wasn’t interested in tornado duty. No - this wouldn’t stand. She had to find Rainbow Dash and find her now.
Storming out of the library, Twilight headed towards the first hot-air balloon taxi out of Ponyville towards Cloudsdale. A few extra bits convinced the pilot to stop directly outside Rainbow’s cloud-mansion.
A quick cloud-walking spell later, and Twilight was knocking fiercely on Rainbow Dash’s door. The blue pegasus opened it meekly. “Oh, hey Twili - ,”
Twilight cut her off viciously. “Exactly what are you doing with Fillydelphia: the Rebuilding?”
Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly, darting around as they searched for lie, her stance stiffening. “I - uh - I was reading up on - you see - I wanted to know about the...the weather master! Yeah! I heard that there was a weather master who moved to Fillydelphia and I wanted to find out what happened to him!”
Twilight stared down Rainbow’s half-hearted chuckle into a guilty whimper. “I can’t believe you, of all ponies, did this! Denith is keeping her life private for a reason and you go in and snoop anyways!”
“I - I know…” Dash stammered. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I just needed to know why. A pegasus like that doesn’t happen often.”
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “I’m not the one you should be apologising to,” she said. “At the very least, you need to get back to preparing the tornado team - and I need to get my book back.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and returned with the item. Wordlessly, she gave the book back to Twilight, who put it into her saddlebag.
“I’m disappointed in you, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, before departing back to the hot-air balloon taxi.
~~~~
There was one week left until Tornado Day. Dash had resumed the training schedule. Things were looking up - nopony seemed to be coming down with anything, and even Fluttershy was keeping up a rigorous training schedule. So far, there was a 100% attendance record.
‘Well, 100% minus one pegasus,’ Rainbow thought to herself, gazing uneasily into the distance.
She had dropped the matter completely. What she had found had deflated any hope or enthusiasm of recruiting Denith onto the Tornado team.
They were preparing to wrap up the day of training, when a sudden strong breeze rushed past them. Sniffing the air, Rainbow turned and frowned in the direction of the Everfree. Taking wing, she soared above the clouds, wings spread out. Individual feathers twitched, reading the air currents and temperature fluctuations as they sent massive amounts of sensory information to her mind.
“Oh no…”
Flying further towards the Everfree confirmed her fears: dark, angry masses of clouds were rolling towards the town. Thunder flashed between clouds in a display that only confirmed Rainbow’s fears.
Almost clocking a Sonic Rainboom down towards Ponyville, Rainbow Dash began to gather up all the pegasi.
“Okay, Cloud Kicker - get to Weather HQ; there’s a freak storm on its way here and we have one, maybe two hours to get a team ready. I need you to get them on stand-by.”
The aforementioned pegasus took wing and bolted towards Cloudsdale as Rainbow turned to the others.
“Listen up!” she began, raising her voice into an authoritative bark. “Change of plans - there’s a massive storm heading in from the Everfree’s direction.” A few of the pegasi looked around nervously, mumbles exchanging between the group. “I want volunteers to help me size up the storm.”
The gathered ponies looked around at each other, before Rainbow facehoofed.
“I said -” she took a deep breath “- I want volunteers!”
Steadily, one by one, some of them raised their hooves until roughly quarter of them had volunteered. Rainbow nodded.
“Good,” she said, nodding. “Follow me so we can size up this thing.”
Taking off with the volunteers in tow, they flew towards the edge of the Everfree forest. Already they could see just the sheer scope of the storm rapidly closing in towards Ponyville. It was like a mass of mountains raging towards them all, stretching for miles in either direction. A wall of earthly terror.
Rainbow could sense the uneasiness of the others - a hesitation she shared. Even with the first blizzards of the Winter steeling them, Ponyville had always been spared the brunt of them. Now, of all times, when the Winter was finally gone, they faced it full on.
With little choice, Rainbow sped back towards the Town Hall.
~~~~
Dark clouds gathered overhead. Denith Skies worked her hammer furiously, banging nails into the boards over the last of her windows. Overhead, pegasi with megaphones called out a state of emergency, announcing the oncoming freak storm.
She was in a heavy sweat, eyes constantly darting up to the clouds. They had minutes before the first rains would hit - and the only thing important to her right now was to make sure her family was safe.
Going into her workshop one last time to ensure it was properly battered down and secure, Denith limped into the living room - the central part of the house. Her two newly born foals and her wife, Alatea Tenera, were already huddled in the center.
“We’ll be fine, love,” she whispered, nuzzling the blind unicorn as she took the two foals into her wings protectively. “The storm will be more rain and wind than anything.”
Alatea nodded. “I hope you are right.”
~~~~
Dark clouds gathered overhead. Rainbow Dash worked her wings furiously, darting back and forth as she gathered and organised a weather team for the oncoming storm. The pegasi with megaphones had gone from announcing the storm to asking for volunteers.
The Ponyville pegasi (and even some unicorns) were well versed in weather-control considering their long-standing tradition of Winter Wrap Up.
Earth-pony volunteers were galloping from building to building, ensuring that they were secured and any potential debris was either tied down or packed somewhere safe.
Ponyville had never really seen a storm this large before - they were worried something could be uprooted or blown away.
The volunteers organised into groups - several teams devoted to diverting what they could from Ponyville proper, some were dedicated to protecting the outlying parts of the town. Rainbow was overseeing the team preparing Sweet Apple Acres for the oncoming storm, tying down ropes to some of the older trees, pegasi and unicorns setting up wind breaks.
A deep crack reverberated through the air followed by rumbling from the sky. Rainbow gazed upwards.
“Oh horseapples…” she swore, a massive torrent of rain slamming into them like a brick wall. Ponies yelled orders and requests at each other as they all began to brace for the storm proper.
Rainbow Dash had one final stop to make.
She flew to a small, one-bedroomed cottage near the edge of Ponyville. Landing, and already soaked to the bone, Rainbow knocked loudly on the door as the rain pelted mercilessly at her.
Denith answered the door, her surprised expression immediately turning sour. “What?” she asked bitterly.
Rainbow hesitated, glancing away guiltily. “Denith, I…” she started, trying to find the courage. She looked back up, her eyes full of sadness. “I know what your father did. What he really did. And - and I’m sorry.”
Denith didn’t say anything as her face again stiffened, her body locking up.
“I went poking my nose where I shouldn’t have poked it,” Rainbow continued, “and I’ll understand if you never want anything to do with me, weather or Cloudsdale ever again. But I ask you one last time -,” she hung her head in shame, “- I’m begging you, Denith. Please help us. A lot of good ponies are out here and we need every wing we can get. You’re a weather genius, Denith.”
The other mare stood, silently, watching as Rainbow was continuously assaulted by the storm. Denith’s eyes moved back and forth between Rainbow and the storm behind her, judging, contemplating. Hoping.
A light flickered and died in Denith’s eyes as she moved to close the door. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I want my past to stay there - I have a family to take care of now.” Her voice cracked. “I could never forgive myself if I lost them, too.”
The door closed, an empty feeling settling in Dash’s stomach.
~~~~
A scared pegasus mare, her unicorn wife and her two foals lay huddled in the middle of the room as all they could do was listen to the storm rage around their tiny home. Denith had her wings extended around her family as she whispered sweet nothings to her filly and colt.
Their father was long-gone and had since dropped off the radar - leaving herself and Alatea to care for them. Denith didn’t mind - to her, caring for those two foals was the only life she ever needed.
“The storm is strong,” Alatea said in a low voice. Her face, from years of being unable to see and mimic other ponies’ expressions maintained a neutral calm. “They really do need the help of a pegasus like you, love.”
“I can’t go out there, Alatea,” Denith said. “I’m scared of what will happen out there.”
“I know. I’m scared, too. I’m scared of you walking out that door and ever coming back in.”
Denith nuzzled Alatea. “Please don’t say that - you know I can look after myself.”
A crack of thunder shook the house, the spatter of rain changing in tone, sounding a little more solid against the roof and boarded up windows.
“That sounds like sleet…” Denith remarked idly. Was it really that bad out there? How many ponies volunteered to help protect the town? Denith lowered her head. “Alatea...I’m scared of going out there. But…”
“You feel like you’re abandoning them,” Alatea said, finishing Denith’s thoughts. “I will not make the decision for you. There are good ponies out there who are risking their lives to protect what they love - but there are ponies in this room that will love you no matter what decision you make.”
Denith’s eyes widened as she stared at Alatea’s still blank expression. A smile softened Denith’s face, as she nuzzled and kissed the unicorn on the nose. “I’ve made my decision.”
Chapter %i%: The Coming of Abyss
Chapter 2: The Coming of Abyss
If Ponyville was a coastal town, Rainbow Dash would’ve called the behemoth before them a hurricane. The deep angry storm spewed forth at them was relentless. Every muscle burned as she and her team barrelled through clouds and created diversion wind tunnels in an attempt to push the torrential rain and sleet around Ponyville.
The biting sleet was the worst of it, the shards of ice beating against Rainbow’s wings and hide only worsened the aching of her muscles, the rain splattering and fogging up her aviator goggles.
She began twirling around, building up a wind-front to try and build up the wind break, when a powerful gust picked up the pegasus and sent her tumbling out of control, the continuous torrents of wind constantly pushing Dash’s wild spin further and further into disarray.
Her wings and hooves flailed wildly, a brief memory of when she broke her wing flashing in her mind only fueled Rainbow’s wild and futile flailing.
A set of hooves gripped her shoulders firmly, pulling her out of the uncontrolled spin. When she looked up at the pony who caught her, Dash’s eyes widened. A mixed feeling of confusion and relief swept through her, her aching muscles relaxing for a moment.
A turquoise pegasus with a dull gray mane wearing similar goggles to Rainbow’s was in the air beside her.
They shared a nod. They both knew what had to be done.
Working in tandem, the pair became their own team. Denith predicted air-currents before they even happened, shouting out and helping Dash control the storm in a way she could only dream of working alone.
The sleet and hail was battering any and all in its path, however the two pegasi continued strongly through the storm. Rainbow’s assigned weather team could only watch in awe as, like a delicate and powerful dance, the two created windbreaks, redirecting clouds and rain alike past Ponyville. It took them a few moments before realising that they also had a job to do, and resumed assisting them in breaking the front of the storm.
In almost no time at all, Rainbow Dash’s team had managed to divert the stormfront assaulting Ponyville, the town proper now no longer in danger.
Rainbow was about to congratulate the pegasi involved when a ragged pegasus flew up to the team. His feathers were at odd angles, visible bruises from hail starting to show. “R - Rainbow...Apple Acres...need help…” he panted, barely able to keep aloft.
“We’re on it,” Denith said, before Rainbow could even get a word in. She looked at Denith, eyebrows raising slightly. Denith looked back at Rainbow, before nodding again.
They arrived to Sweet Apple Acres being utterly demolished by the greatest ball of thunder, hail and lightning throwing every possible form of destruction at the orchard.
Rainbow’s and Denith’s teams immediately sprung into action. Pegasi surrounded the mass, bringing the massive hailstones under control. Rainbow was about to shout commands to begin dispersing the storm when a loud crack followed by muted screams echoed in the howling winds.
A weight dropped out the bottom of Rainbow’s chest as a sinking feeling followed with it, half a dozen pegasi free-falling towards the ground. She managed to catch two of them, Denith picked up a third while other ponies caught the remaining three before they plummeted to the ground.
Before they could even hope to gain the winds under control again, another clap of lightning shot out and struck another three pegasi, this time unicorns on the ground catching them, several earth-ponies and unicorns carrying them away.
No, this wasn’t right. Already Rainbow had lost half her team. Even in the icy rain, she could feel the cold sweat beading on her forehead, eyes darting and searching for a solution.
‘Dammit, Rainbow!’ she thought to herself,‘You can’t let them down! Think - there has to be a way through this!’
“Denith!” she yelled over the storm, a plan forming in her head, “We’re gonna split this thing in half! Just follow my lead and make sure it stays split!”
Denith wasn’t nearly as fast or strong as Rainbow, and they both knew that. Rainbow was counting on Denith making sure the storm didn’t close up behind them.
A look of determination in her eyes, Rainbow Dash lined up with the front of the mass, wings flaring out as she prepared to give it her all.
Then the impossible happened.
The swirling mass of primal fury slowed and stopped, the dark thunder clouds hanging motionless in the air before Sweet Apple Acres. Flashes of thunder arced around and through the mass.
“What the hay…?” Rainbow asked herself, shooting a quizzical look at Denith, who gave one back.
A powerful rumble shook up her train of thought. A desolate, howling screech echoing through the storm piercing through the air and straight into Rainbow’s mind. Screaming in agony, she clapped her hooves over her ears in a vain hope to drown out the soul-numbing pain eating away at them.
From the clouds arose a being of primal fury, an ice-white hide adorned with icicles and malice. The giant creature had a frosty blue mane, midnight black eyes boring relentlessly at the ponies before it.
The shrill screaming stopped, allowing Rainbow a moment to look up at the creature.
“Oh sweet Celestia no…” she whimpered, ears drooping. It was a Windigo - one larger than any encountered yet. Her heart raced, body tensing.
The greater Windigo cast her gaze towards Rainbow, eyes locking.
And Rainbow Dash saw the Abyss.
~~~~
She was standing in the Wonderbolts Academy training yard, lined up with the rest of the would-be candidates. It took the greatest effort than she had ever spent in her entire life to stand as still as she did now - she was in the Wonderbolts!
Spitfire marched and examined each one closely, stopping and eyeballing the recruits. She stopped by Rainbow, causing her to gulp nervously. No - she was taking too long, why was she eyeballing her for so long?
Spitfire’s comment, though under her breath, was caught by Rainbow. “Heh, pushover…” A part of her ached.
Two weeks into training - Rainbow is doing drills vigorously with the other cadets. Dodging obstacles while flying through a maze of rings and tunnels. Something catches her wings, sending the pegasus spinning wildly out of control and crashing into the maze walls.
Another week later - her wing is still healing. The doctors suspect nerve damage. Spitfire comes to visit Rainbow to check on her progress.
Rainbow can hear Spitfire having a conversation with the doctor outside, their words muffled. Spitfire walks in, an unreadable look on her face.
“Sorry, kiddo. I guess you just weren’t cut out to be a part of the Wonderbolts.”
A needle of terror shoots through Rainbow’s heart as the Wonderbolts captain picked up the cadet badge from the side table, taking it with her. Rainbow begged, pleaded to have one more chance but the doctor interjected.
“I’m..sorry, miss Dash,” his voice is calm, sending Rainbow into an even deeper panic. Doctors were only this calm when they had bad news. “You may never be able to fly properly again.”
Her world is collapsing. Despair crept into every corner of Rainbow Dash’s waking memories - all her training, all her daily drills and stunts. For nothing.
The ground was coming closer. It didn’t matter - life had no meaning anymore. She flattened her wings and closed her eyes, savouring the wind rushing in her ears one last time before it would all fade to a blissful black.
~~~~
A loud, terrified cry shot through the silence of Rainbow’s personal hell. “RAINBOW DASH!”
Eyes snapped open as wings flared out moments too late; the ground was too close and there was nothing she could do to stop the inevitable crunch.
Rainbow Dash tensed up, eyes closing instinctually as she waited for an impact that never came. Opening one eye, she found a magical aura keeping her aloft.
“Twilight!” she breathed in relief. “I - I saw…” She shuddered.
Twilight levitated and set Rainbow on her hooves. “It’s a Windigo - but something is off about it…”
Rainbow shivered as the memory resurfaced. No - it wasn’t a memory...she had experienced the nightmare. “I...I saw my worst nightmare, Twilight…That...that thing attacked me.”
Twilight nodded. “I know, Rainbow,” she breathed. “I saw it too. It was similar to when King Sombra made my worst fears come true.”
Rainbow looked up at the Windigo. The clouds formed a ring around its base, swirling and sending out arcs of lightning. Her eyes widened, wings flaring out as she saw a single pegasus mare still aloft before the being.
“Horseapples! Denith is still there!”
“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight yelled, running up to the spot where Rainbow was standing, too late to stop her.
~~~~
Denith Skies was the only pegasus left of the entire team. No fierce determination burned in her eyes, no will to finish the fight. There was no bravery to be had here.
Her body was frozen under the immeasurable gaze of the Windigo rising out of the eye of the storm, cold tendrils of energy snaking around the god-like being.
The Windigo’s gaze intensified, and Denith stared into Abyss.
~~~~
She was losing everything. Every piece of hope, love and life she had scraped together, Denith found it all falling away. She was not seeing a vision of the future, or an alternate timeline.
No, this was real. Hope was being drained into an utter pit of despair. Denith’s family was torn away, her home burnt to ashes. Alatea - her wife, her loving wife. Where others would have left her shivering in the cold snows, Alatea supported the mare. Understood her pain - shared it.
And she, too, disappeared. Gone - wrenched away by the utter despair gripping at Denith. Tears flowed from her eyes.
Her scream of utter hopelessness couldn’t soften or distract from any of the it.
Finally, her two foals sat before her. Her two, beautiful foals - the only things Denith could bring herself to ever love properly. A colt and a filly. A brief moment of respite, her tears slowing as Denith held the two giggling ponies in her forelegs, hushing and playing with them.
And they, too, began to fade.
“No…” Denith whimpered softly…”No...this can’t be real…”
The illusion stopped, and Denith no longer felt fear.
A low growl escaped her lips. “How dare you…” She flew higher, matching the Windigo eye-to-eye. “How dare you try to take away my foals from me.”
Abyss, the Goddess of Despair looked down at Denith. If any thoughts crossed its mind, the monstrosity didn’t show it.
Denith spread her wings briefly, before nose-diving. This...thing was a lie. All it did was spread lies and hopelessness.
She pulled up from the nose dive, wings flapping furiously to pick up speed. The wind resisted, pushing back against her physics-defying speed. On the ground, ponies could only stare in shock and awe, the pegasus mare rocketing towards the colossal Windigo.
“I swear to you - by Celestia’s tanned flank - not even Discord could take my foals away from me!” she screamed at the Windigo.
Denith impacted into the creature and disappeared into the icy depths.
Seconds passed. Everyone looked on in terror, in fear of Denith’s life.
The swirling mass of clouds began to slow, the Windigo doubling down as an unholy shriek of agony emanated from it. Cracks webbed out from the impact point as Denith shot out the other side, swinging around and making another beeline for the Windigo. The creature reached out and swatted Denith like a fly, sending her into a wild spin.
Denith folded her wings and allowed herself to free-fall for a moment before spreading them and pulling up, correcting her spin. Rocketting towards the Windigo, she swung out her right hind leg at the last moment and gave an earth-shattering buck right between the eyes of the giant.
A hollow wail of agony sounded, more cracks forming around the impact point as the Windigo’s endless pits of eyes flashed briefly. Its jaws expanded, several times too large to look natural, before biting down on the pegasus, engulfing her in its maw.
A few, tense moments passed before a series of cracks suddenly spread around the Windigo’s head, it giving one last whimpering cry before shattering into a thousand pieces.
Denith’s body was limp, wings flapping uselessly in the wind as she plummeted towards the ground.
~~~~
A multi-coloured streak bulleted through the air, catching the falling pegasus and setting her battered and bleeding body gently on the ground, her right wing twisted and mangled at odd angles. Taking a nervous gulp, Rainbow removed Denith’s goggles only to find her eyes brimming with tears.
Denith sobbed, head falling limply onto the dirt. Uneasy, Rainbow took a step back.
For the first time since meeting the mare, she noticed the odd, gnarly scaring on Denith’s left hind leg, the muscle withered away.
“I miss them, Rainbow…” the prone pegasus sobbed softly. “I miss my sister and my mom.”
Rainbow looked around, hoping for somepony to help - but they were too far away.
“I would come home - and Deanna would want to play. My mom would make us supper and we sat around the table.” Denith sobbed loudly, her body trembling each time, her eyes bloodshot. “We were happy. We had a family. I miss my mom and my sister - and I miss my dad for the pony he used to be, Rainbow Dash.”
Denith weakly stood up, gripping Rainbow tightly in a sudden hug, crying into her shoulder.
“Every day I’m terrified of coming home and finding my new family taken away from me,” Denith continued, as Rainbow extended an awkward foreleg around her. “I have nothing left but my family…”
Rainbow embraced the mare back, trying to sooth her. “I’m sorry I ever tried finding out, Denith,” she said. “It was never my place and I should have respected your privacy.”
Denith didn’t respond, just continuing to cry and sob into Rainbow’s shoulder. Rainbow could wait - some causes needed a different kind of loyalty.
~~~~
Tornado duty was cancelled. More than half of the able-bodied pegasi had been injured, and Cloudsdale had to rely on their reserve supply until Van Hoover could scramble an emergency team together. Rainbow Dash was disappointed that they couldn’t achieve a record - but above all else she was thankful everypony was still alive and alright.
She visited the Ponyville Hospital - there was a patient she needed to see. The doctors all had their hooves full with the sudden influx, but their caring touch and strong diligence made sure that nopony was left unattended.
The halls were filled with the coughs and groans of injured ponies, doctors and nurses shuffling past each other to tend to other patients.
She came to the end of the hallway on the second floor, the last door on the left. Rainbow Dash entered in the door tentatively only to have a thin, white cane come whooshing down and smacking around her withers.
“Ow - hey! What was that for?” Rainbow cried out, facing the blind mare. Even Alatea’s normally passive face had a stern frown to it.
“That is for needlessly endangering Denith.” The cane smacked Rainbow on the other side causing another yelp from the pony. “And that is for prying into somepony’s life when you shouldn’t have.”
A tired voice called out from one of the beds. “Hey! Leave her alone, she didn’t mean any harm.” Denith smiled apologetically at Rainbow. “I’m sorry about Aly, she can be...protective sometimes.”
Rainbow shook her head, smiling. “It’s okay, Den. I just wanted to check up how you were doing.”
Denith chuckled sadly, her eyes lowering. “Well, I broke my wing. Again. Apparently being chomped on by a primal force of misery isn’t conductive to good wing-care,” she deadpanned. “The doctor says I’ll be out of it for a while.”
Dash cringed, her own wings tingling at the mere mention of it. “Yikes - I’m sorry to hear that.” She took a few steps towards Denith, Alatea joining her wife’s side as well. “Look - I need to check up on everypony else. I just wanted to say - you did good out there. If you ever want a job on the weather-team we could use a spotter like you.”
Alatea, even though she were blind, glared needles at Rainbow.
Denith shook her head. “Sorry, Rainbow. I’m done with weather - properly this time. I have a family, and I’m not putting them through something like this again.”
Rainbow Dash nodded, turning back to the door. “I understand, Denith. Oh, and Alatea, I’m sorry for...well, for risking Denith’s life.”
The blind unicorn’s face softened into a smile. “It’s okay, Rainbow Dash. I understand it had to be done.” The cane swished forward slightly, making Rainbow jump back. “But don’t let me catch you doing it again.”
They all chuckled for a moment, before going their separate ways.
On the way back into town, she took a detour past Twilight’s library. Knocking, she entered without waiting for a response. “Twilight? You there?” she called out, looking and searching around.
“I’m over here!” a voice called out from behind a deep pile of books. Twilight pulled herself out of the booky mess, the smile on her face suddenly vanishing as she saw who it was.
The two stood awkwardly for a moment, before Rainbow finally spoke up. “Hey, Twilight, do you remember when Princess Celestia said that we all need to write friendship-reports?”
Twilight nodded impassively.
“I have a report I need to send her.”
The friendly smile returned to Twilight’s face as she magicked a quill and parchment.
Clearing her through, Rainbow dictated;
Dear Princess Celestia
These past few weeks have been a rough few. With the Tornado-duty and Windigo attack and all. But I learned that, when a pony is hurting, sometimes they need space. Prying into their private life isn’t always a good idea, as you could probably hurt them even more.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, let sleeping dogs lie.
Your faithful subject,
Rainbow Dash.