Lonely Mountains

by TadStone

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Sad, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 22254

Tears freezing on her cheeks in the cold mountain air, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes. In her final seconds, she could think of nothing but her daughter... Scootaloo... (Sequel to Guardians of Many Hues)

Tears freezing on her cheeks in the cold mountain air, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes. In her final seconds, she could think of nothing but her daughter... Scootaloo...

This is a sequel to my other story Guardians of Many Hues. I recommend reading it beforehand, although you should be able to understand most of it by just reading the recap.

Warning: death, war, mild torture, extremely sad
Rated Teen for adult themes and violence.

A huge thank you to my amazing editor and proofreader Kevinltk. You're more than just amazing! Also big thanks to twilight-the-pony for additional proofreading!

Image by Freefox

Published 2013-10-20 19:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-30 20:04:20 UTC

Recap - Guardians of Many Hues (read this if you need to refresh your memory)

Author's Note

Recap - Guardians of Many Hues

After an otherwise ordinary training session, Rainbow Dash finds Scootaloo sleeping on the graves of her parents. When confronted with the situation, the filly tries to flee, but Rainbow manages to talk to her. After Scootaloo reveals that she is homeless, but refuses to tell Rainbow any more than this bare fact, the grown mare decides to temporarily take the filly in

In the following weeks, Rainbow Dash unsuccessfully tries teaching Scootaloo how to fly, but that is only one of her problems as she can’t hide the fact that Scootaloo was now living with her forever. On one of the many evenings spent together, the filly finally opens up, telling Rainbow the story of how she had been abused and mistreated in the orphanage and how she therefore ran away.

Not knowing if the headmistress of the orphanage, Ms Birch, is still active in her position and possibly mistreating new foals, Rainbow decides to act swiftly. Overnight, with the help of her friends Twilight, Applejack, as well as Aegis, the leader of the Ponyville Sheltered Housing Scheme, she manages to put together the needed paperwork to gain temporary custody for Scootaloo. Plans are formed for Rainbow and Scootaloo to move into a flat provided by Aegis, so he can help the pair adapt to their new life and to allow the flightless filly to live a proper life on the ground.

The next morning, while Scootaloo is sent on a trip with the other crusaders to get her out of the way in case any problems occur, Rainbow and Twilight make their way to the only police station in Ponyville. However, the reception is not as they planned since the police officer is unorganized and tries to detain them for foalnapping. As it is considered high treason to try and arrest the Elements of Harmony, and the paperwork Twilight managed to assemble strongly hinted that no action had been taken against Ms Birch, Celestia and Luna are called to the situation.

While Rainbow grows more and more restless and anxious as time passes, the princesses arrive on the scene with a military task-force that is immediately ordered to take over the investigations against Ms Birch. A dose of Fliers Sprout, a military classified herb to boost pegasus magic, helps Rainbow to forget her fears for at least a few hours. After inspection of the paperwork, Luna promises to deal with the issue of temporary custody if the bigger issue of long term custody is resolved within the next week. For this, Rainbow and Scootaloo have to go through psychological assessment in order to determine their suitability and wishes respectively.

After Ms Birch is captured and Luna returned with the approved request for temporary custody, Scootaloo is taken to the hospital for a complete check-up. There the filly is diagnosed with a rare disability preventing her from flying since she cannot produce enough pegasus magic. The only possibly treatment is that Scootaloo must wear a magic crystal, that was pre-charged with the magic of another pegasus, at all times.

As charging takes a lot of time and crystals of these kind are rare, Rainbow decided not to tell Scootaloo until one of these stones is actually ready. Later, Celestia provides her with a gem that was once worn by Commander Hurricane’s daughter.

During the psychological assessment, Rainbow lives through a complete breakdown because of her fear of losing Scootaloo as well as her own insecurities. Doctor Staple manages to calm Rainbow down, and he approves of custody under the condition that Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash will undergo therapy with him.

At the end of the story, Scootaloo and Rainbow happily live together in their new flat. While Rainbow has come to think of Scootaloo as her daughter, no adoption has taken place so far. The crystal has not been given to the filly so far.

TL:DR

Scootaloo has been abused at her orphanage. Rainbow finds out and takes Scootaloo in.

Aegis: Leader of the Ponyville Sheltered Housing scheme. Rainbow and Scootaloo have moved into one of his apartments together.

Dr Staple: Rainbow and Scootaloo’s therapist.

Ms Birch: Former leader of an orphanage. Abused Scootaloo seriously in the past.

Crystals: These crystals can store pegasus magic. Rainbow has been given a crystal that was formerly owned by Commander Hurricane’s daughter. Rainbow is charging it for Scootaloo as this is the only possibility for the filly to fly.

Fliers Sprout: A military classified herb that boosts pegasus’s magic levels.

Sunshine and Rainbows

Lonely Mountains

Tad Stone

Editor and Proofreader: Kevinltk

Additional Proofreading: twilight-the-pony

Sunshine and Rainbows

Sunshine. The weather condition associated with happiness and laughter, times to play outside, times to have fun with your family.

It couldn’t be more inappropriate, more wrong, for the small crying filly.

They shouldn’t even be able to do the job properly without... her. Her mentor, the fastest mare in history, her new-found mother, although she had never brought up the courage to actually call the mare by that title.

The weather should be grey and soggy. It should weep as much as all the ponies surrounding her, but then the order to clear the sky had been issued by the highest power in Equestria, Celestia herself.

The solar ruler was the one to blame, not just for the atmospheric conditions. She had proposed the mission. She had sent the filly’s mother away.

And now, nothing was left but sorrow. A Pinkie Pie without a puffed up mane, hairs nearly dragging on the ground, head held low. Not a single word had left the normally never quiet and overjoyed pony for two days straight.

Next to her stood Fluttershy, or rather, what was left of her, a yellow and pink lump, the hollow image of her former self from only two days ago. By now, she should be dehydrated, a never-ending stream of hot tears running down her cheeks.

Rarity didn’t fare much better, showing up unkempt in public for the first time in many years, but that wasn’t even the worst part about her appearance right now, the remains of two-day old makeup smeared all over her face. No fancy dress enhanced her beauty today, only a hastily thrown together piece of black lace around her neck.

Applejack was no different than Fluttershy, weak limbs supported by the big, red stallion that was her brother, her Stetson pressed to her chest in a painful cramp. She had refused to eat since the news had reached her door.

And then there was Twilight, deep rings under her eyes, hair standing off in all directions, Spike right by her side. It was rumoured that Celestia had found her mere hours ago, wailing in a dark corner of the forbidden wing of the Royal Library, books about necromancy thrown all around the place. Knowing Twilight, it was probably true.

As bad as all the others were affected, it was the little filly whose fate was worse than that of all the others. She felt alone standing in the huge crowd, if standing was the right word to use. The only thing keeping the filly up right now were her two best friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, locked tightly against her flanks to her left and her right. They hadn’t left her since the news had spread to them, ignoring all other tasks at hoof and speeding to her as fast as possible. The same was true for Aegis, standing behind her right now, who had been the unfortunate dark envoy.

Scootaloo had refused to speak to any of them with the exception of her recurring pleas to just leave her to die or heartfelt howls that sounded more like a timberwolf than a pony. Not that she had found the strength to listen to them anyway, sometimes observing what was going on around her, but never for long.

Dr Staple had no luck either, talking over two hours to her without much progress. The news hadn’t fully sunken in yet, but it had reached her nevertheless. It was tearing her apart. One part of her ready to follow her mother on the spot, the other part not believing the recent events.

However, the scene before her did not leave much room for interpretation. A 6 feet high marble monument had been erected on a peaceful meadow not far from the centre of Ponyville and near the border of Sweet Apple Acres. The pure white stone had been chiseled into a huge lightning bolt by skilled unicorn masons. The front side was adorned with a colourful cutie mark: a cloud emitting a tricolour red, yellow, and blue bolt.

The intricately carved inscription read no more than three words:

Rainbow Dash

Loyalty

There was no inherent meaning linking the existence of the sculpture to a definite truth, but there was no mistaking the open coffin and the hole in the ground. Between thick oaken planks lay a beautiful mare, her rainbow coloured hair arranged into a coiffure combed more neatly than she had ever worn alive. Her expression was peaceful, as if she was smiling about an untold joke no one else in the audience got.

The morticians had done a great job hiding the huge, deadly penetration wound at the back of her head, showing the pony as intact as possible. Only a large cut underneath her left eye remained as the reminder of her violent death.

The Element of Loyalty had been placed around her neck one last time, the other elements resting on a display right behind the casket in between an ocean of freshly cut flowers.

Many captains of the Royal Guard stood at attention throughout the perimeter, each grouped with a squad of choice members under their command, all of them wearing matte black dress uniforms made of a heavy cotton fabric. Mourning badges had replaced their normal emblems, showing an equalized white five-pointed star on a black background on their chests.

Regular spears had been substituted by flagpoles, each soldier bearing the Equestrian flag, replicating the motif of two alicorns circling the sun and moon a hundredfold, the colourful fabrics flying in the soft breeze wafting over the funeral party.

None of the assembled ponies had been forced to be here, all had chosen to pay their respect to Rainbow, the first casualty to die in the service of the country for many years.

Half of Ponyville was present as well as many of the Canterlot and Cloudsdale elite. What should have been a display of many hues of fur and hair was turned into a black ocean, most guests wearing a black scarf or dress.

Unsurprisingly, all communication had been reduced to low whispers and sobs, even the birds kept quiet at the request of Fluttershy, cloaking the grassland into an unreal but unsurprisingly fitting atmosphere.

Only Celestia herself found the strength to break the silence of this day, slowly walking up the narrow aisle in the centre of the mass of ponies, Luna trailing directly behind her, and a slip of parchment hovering over her head. She didn’t need amplification as she started to speak, the natural force of her voice traveling far enough over the meadow.

“My little ponies, today is a day of great sorrow.

“We mourn the loss of a fellow pony. She was a good friend, a family member to some of us, and a great hero of this nation for all. She had saved Equestria more than one time together with her friends. She had helped to rebuild the Crystal Empire anew and free the crystal ponies from Sombra’s curse.

“She had done many deeds for this country and our community, big and small, every day. It is up to you to decide which one holds the most value to you.

“Some of you will remember her for her part in reforming the police forces of our nation, others for taking in a helpless foal without thinking twice. Yet others will remember her for her flight skills that found no match, not even in history. I fear the Sonic Rainboom has left this world again with her.

“For me, I am reminded of her actions everyday by the presence of my beloved sister who I had to miss for a thousand years.

“Rainbow has brought harmony and friendship to us all, let us continue her work, united. The Element of Loyalty will rekindle for a worthy successor, but she will be missed forever.

“I have seen many great ponies grow up and befriended most. It never gets easy to give a last goodbye to the ones you loved, not even for one who has seen as many deaths as I had to endure throughout the centuries.

“It is the ponies remaining in this world that motivate me to always press on. I want to see the future generations grow up, the heritage of my friends improving the life of every next generation to come.

“But no matter what your motivation is in life. No matter how harsh life seems to be on days like today. No matter how long your own life is going to last. Remember, it is the duty of the living to always carry on.

“For all of us, life has to continue in some way. Not just for yourself, but also for the other ponies around you, and for Rainbow. We are the ones who have to continue in her legacy.

“Knowing Rainbow, if she could speak to you right now, she would only ask you for one favour. Rainbow has left behind a foal. Even if you can’t give much, please help the filly through these hard times. Help her to grow into the great mare Rainbow wished her to become. Please... Make Rainbow proud of us...”

Celestia had to step back, tears clouding her vision and a big lump in her throat blocking any new attempts to speak.

Luna stepped up, taking her time to gently caress her sister’s neck with her own head before continuing for her.

“Rainbow died in a foreign country, protecting families she had never known. After so many things we had asked her to do, it was one too many.

“There are many words to describe feelings, some recently emerged, some long forgotten for all but a few. None of them are fitting for a situation like this.”

Luna walked up to the coffin, pausing for a seemingly long time in silence in front of it, looking at the body in front of her. A single tear ran down her cheek, a small smile crossing her face as memories flashed back through her head.

“Goodbye, Rainbow, for the eternal night is too dark to see for the living, even for me.”

With soft hooves, she removed the jewel around Rainbow’s neck, levitating it to a small table where a brand new set of flight goggles was waiting, polished glass shimmering in the bright sun contrasted by black frames. It was the kind only issued to members of the Wonderbolts.

Celestia took them carefully, placing them onto Rainbow’s head, correcting the coiffure to a messy state on the way.

“Wherever you go, you might need them,” she whispered to her dead friend low enough that only her sister could hear.

On a silent unspoken cue, the remaining five of the once six friends moved forward, each pony following its own unsteady pace. Scootaloo followed in their wake, dragged by the supporting fillies by her sides, rather than walk on her own.

One by one they passed the coffin, leaving a last gift and a few words, before returning to their places in the congregation of mourners.

Twilight left a book, a present that was meant to be hoofed over as a surprise to welcome back the hard working mare from her trip to the north: an autographed copy of the latest Daring Do that Rainbow had impatiently waited for, released only last week.

Lacking the usual strength of her lips, Pinkie left a single uninflated balloon that was soon joined by a rainbow coloured sweatband Rarity had kept for the mare’s birthday, but no longer felt the need to keep hidden in her closet.

Black lilies, intricately woven into a wreath, served as Fluttershy’s last parting gift, contrasting with the shiny red apple she placed onto Rainbow’s hooves along the flowers. The second gift had originated from Applejack, whose muscles no longer reacted in a proper way after polishing the fruit all night in a monotone and steady motion, matching her repeating thought processes.

And Scootaloo, she didn’t bring anything but herself, which was exactly what she wanted to leave. She wanted nothing more but to curl up and lay herself right beside her mother. There was no sense left in staying alive. Her life could only get more miserable. Not that there was much room left downhill.

The thought of a thick layer of earth cloaking her pain was wonderful, but her so called friends would not allow that, and she was well aware of that. They had vehemently denied her that wish every single time, always stating that she was too important for them and other nonsense. They surely would not change their minds now.

More feathers than necessary spun through the sky as Scootaloo bit down on her wing, drawing blood under the surprised and shocked voices of many bystanders. The filly didn’t even notice them, nor did she see Aegis and Twilight hurrying towards her or Celestia’s discreet signal to one of the army paramedics nearby. Blanking out her surroundings and most of her own self, like she had done during the past few days, she spat a wad of feathers into the coffin.

Satisfied but unhappy with her task, happy feelings being eradicated out of her life forever, she gave way to the two pairs of caring adult hooves leading her to the side. Scootaloo would have liked to stay, the throbbing pain in her oozing limb finally offering her an excitation that closely reminded her of being alive.

She hated her former friends. They took away all that she had, all that she had wanted. They didn’t respect her wishes. All she could do was to sit down and repress any unwanted activity in her brain, a task she had hardly mastered.

A numbing agent took her beloved pain and the rulers of this country took the pony she loved most. The last images of Rainbow burned themselves into the filly’s retina as they closed the heavy casket, using hooves instead of magic as was tradition.

“While most pegasi belong to the sky,” Luna began in a majestic voice, addressing all the gathered ponies at the same time, “great heroes have been honoured in the soil of this proud nation since time immemorial.”

“Find rest until the end of eternity,” the sisters spoke in unity, enveloping Rainbow’s container in a blazing swirl of cobalt blue and yellow as they lifted it in silence into the prepared earthen destination. Shovels of fresh soil followed the casket, slowly adding to the moist layer covering the grave. In her mind, Scootaloo could feel the weight of the earth piling up on her, stretching thin the last strings of sanity to the point that they finally snapped.

“Don’t take her away! I need my mommy!” The high pitched wail echoed through the air and hearts alike as the filly broke free of Twilight’s grip, speeding over to the hole on short but fast legs.

Things never went the way she wanted them to be. She couldn’t fly, she couldn’t have a family, and now she couldn’t even die the way she wanted to, a force field surrounding her mere inches before her goal. Life wasn’t fair to her, and all she could ever do was hammer against her boundaries like she was doing right now as more and more dirt separated her from her mother.

If front hooves didn’t work, maybe strong hind legs could. In a fast, smooth motion, she spun around, kicking the magic like an apple tree, only more forcefully. To her surprise, something did work, but she wasn’t sure what. Energy surged through her body, a red, ominous glow engulfing her from head to toe.

One more blow from the filly sufficed, and the magic blocking her way broke, shattering into a thousand shiny pieces. For a short period of time, her mind was free, reaching out beyond the borders of her body, transcending into a plane of pure darkness lit by a rainbow coloured speck in the distance.

She called out to it, shouting into the distance, mind and lungs on fire from exertion, but no words left her, silence pressuring painfully on her ear drums. She tried to run, but all progress was lost immediately, circles of darkness spreading through the room every time she took a step.

The other pony’s presence was pushing towards her, entwining with her, but not fully making contact, their minds separated by some kind of invisible, impenetrable wall. White glowing tears fell into the darkness, illuminating nothing on their fall to infinity.

She tried to surge forward, only to be dragged back again, comfortable warmth encompassing all of her being, luring her back to reality.

“Scootaloo”

The word was written in the air, white sine-waves superimposing and merging into blotchy letters, the filly hearing and seeing them in a joined sensation.

“Scootaloo”

It was there again, only stronger, painting the horizon in all directions.

“Scootaloo, look at the sky.”

She recognized what was tugging on her. It was Sweetie, tightly wrapped around her body. She was back to the harsh reality of the living world. Opening her eyes, she saw the last rays of red light diminishing, retreating to a glowing necklace shaped like thunder. Could she really have...

She had no time to answer that question, the soft snout of her unicorn friend nuzzling her cheek, pushing her vision from the freshly filled grave of her mother to the most impressive flight display she had ever seen.

Most of the pegasi had left the ground, now flying in a giant V-shape low over the meadow. Royal Guards and Wonderbolts led the formation at its peak, followed by a multitude of civil ponies, the perfect straight lines dissolving into chaos with the most inexperienced fliers. But that didn’t matter. What was important was the conspicuously empty space which should have been the second row leader... Which should have been Rainbow...

Author's Note

I'm so sorry I hurt Scootaloo and Rainbow. I actually still feel bad about it sometimes...

Of Fire and Ice

Of Fire and Ice

“Rainbow, we are surrounded!” The voice of the grey unicorn stallion was stern and unwavering, his expression, fierce. His ragged, scarred face was framed by long, white, straggly hair that dangled past his shoulders and had been cut unevenly with blunt tools. His white, dead eyes, the results of an illness that had struck him many moons ago, stared nowhere in particular.

A group of ragged soldiers dressed in crudely woven wool and metal sheets stood behind him in a formation loose enough that it would never pass as such in any Equestrian regiment. Newly polished blades on axes, swords, and spears alike shone brightly in the red glow of a huge bonfire at the centre of the cave.

“There is no news in that, Jǫðurr. We have been for a week.” The answer resounded from a deep hole of ice and solid rock, crude steps hewn into the side of it for the many earth ponies carefully mixing deep-red iron-oxide and finely granulated aluminium at the ragged bottom. Huge buckets attached to even bigger wooden winches, that had been anchored into the permafrost walls, dangled over the floor, secured to the left and right of the shaft with strong hempen rope. “One more go and we are ready to leave. I can feel the orb’s presence.”

“You don’t understand. They have closed down the secret pathway. Blenda has betrayed us. She is a turncoat. May the harsh winds smash her on her next fight!” He spat on the floor, missing his second-in-command only because he stepped back in time. “That bitch has united the tribes in their hunt for us.”

“All out!” Rainbow ordered, propelling herself to the surface with a few strong flaps.

“What is your plan?” She didn’t take the time to look at her conversational partner, instead hurrying over to a barrel filled with long bands of thinly-hammered magnesium. After weeks of repetitive, hard labour, her movements were more automated than free will. A thick layer of dust clung to her fur and feathers, emanating in small clouds around her every time she took a step. Soot and burned patches had ruined her once shiny, colourful mane. The only thing still glistening on her was the yellow, thunder-shaped jewel around her neck, patches of cyan creeping up on the surface of it.

“We don’t have a plan, Rainbow,” Jǫðurr stated while his head stood steady, his ears twitching around, searching for the mare he spoke to.

“Why does it feel like I'm part of every problem?” She trotted over to Jǫðurr, staring into his lost gaze close enough that he could feel her uneven breathing. “I have enough work on my hooves down here already.”

“Show a little more respect to our eldest.” A young, brown pegasus mare even younger than Rainbow stepped forward, her combativeness showing in arrays of scars lining her head and limbs. A spear matching the image of her cutie mark was fast aligned to Rainbow’s throat.

If anything, Rainbow Dash was not scared. She was more annoyed at the constant lack of discipline and respect in the clans. Ignoring the sharp edge on her skin, she turned around, facing the workers she had to yell at again. “Why the hell aren’t you cleared yet!? Move!”

Seeing the ponies visibly step up in pace, Rainbow returned to the annoying soldier. One swift motion took her to the side of the pointed weapon fast enough that her perplexed opponent could not react until their heads were at the same level with Rainbow’s mouth aligned to the warrior’s ear. A line of disarrayed fur had appeared on the cheek of the soldier, right under the border of her iron helmet, where thin metal had struck. The weaponized magnesium rod had already been placed back to its position tucked under Rainbow’s left wing.

“If you were faster than that, you wouldn’t have that many scars, Yrr,” Rainbow Dash snarled, deliberately taunting the mare. “Now move that spear of yours, or I swear I will be gone from here faster than you can cry for your mommy when the bad ponies outside come and get you!”

The sound of grinding teeth echoed through the hall as the weapon retreated, now pointing to stone again instead of flesh.

“Good for you,” Rainbow whispered into Yrr’s ear before stepping back again to address the whole party. “I suggest you all move to the security chamber. It will get a little hot in here in a few minutes.”

While all helping hooves had left the cave by now, exiting to the adjoining chamber through a thick, crude, pinewood door right behind the group, none of the soldiers had moved a single limb, all eyes fixed on their leader.

“You heard what she said!” Jǫðurr verbally lashed out. “You all could do with a little more respect to her. Move your lazy flanks!”

Grudgingly, the soldiers set off, but not before throwing venomous looks into Rainbow’s general direction, unnoticed by the eldest but not by Rainbow who chose to ignore them for now.

Content with the established level of security, she trotted over to the fire, lighting up the magnesium but searing even more of her hair in the proximity of the large flames. A bright white fire, burning even hotter than the igniting flames, gnawed at the metal, slowly moving towards the pegasus’s hoof but not fast enough to actually reach her. A quick check revealed that nopony was left at the base of the hole, leaving only the red and grey potent mixture filled into drilled holes and spread over the surface.

Without waiting another second, Rainbow let go of her rod, sending it tumbling down in a trail of light while she ran to the door. Great amounts of smoke and a wave of heat informed her of the success of the operation. A moment later, wooden slabs blocked her vision, just in time to hold off the shockwave hammering against the recently closed door with brute force before escaping through the numerous air shafts.

“And that is why I asked you to leave.” Rainbow smiled at the group waiting for her, kicking open the passageway again to reveal large chunks of debris thrown all over the room, partly hidden in the dark, grey smoke screen covering the whole room. Workers carrying heavy bellows hurried to the door, putting machines the size of three ponies into place and working them with magic and muscle.

“Now, what do you need to tell me, Jǫðurr?” Rainbow addressed the old pony, placing herself on one of the chairs set to a long table in the middle of the room. She thankfully accepted a large tankard filled with thin mead and took a big gulp before looking back up expectantly.

On Jǫðurr’s signal, a map was laid out before her, coloured stones depicting the positions of the enemy as reported by the many scouting pegasi out in the field. The enemy lines of the previous days had begun to advance on their defences, now encasing them like a snake wrapped around its prey, forming around the natural formations of the mountains they had retreated to. Previously unsupervised pathways had now been blocked off. It sure didn’t look good for them.

“Do we have the strength to breach their lines at a weak point? We could leave behind everything but the orbs and ourselves.” Rainbow climbed up to the table to improve her view of the battle plan, sending a few plates and mugs scattering to the ground in the process.

“I fear that is not possible. They have set up an air force a thousand ponies strong. We cannot outrun them.” The second-in-command had stepped up next to Rainbow, installing the missing pegasi pieces.

“But I can,” Rainbow retorted with a cocky grin on her lips. “They only want the orb. They will leave you unharmed if I leave with it.”

“No they won’t,” Jǫðurr explained, a deep sadness echoing in his voice. Somehow he had managed to directly face the cyan mare. “A messenger has returned, bearing a message from Blenda. She has ruled you an enemy of the tribes and threatened to kill us all should we not surrender you within the day.”

“You’re not going to, are you?” Rainbow jumped down from the table, landing in front of the stallion, closely monitoring his expression.

“Do you have the power to wield the orb?”

Rainbow could do nothing but stare at his unmoved features. She couldn’t believe he had just asked that question. A shiver ran down her spine on the sole thought of using it. She was one of only a few ponies, the only one in all the tribes, connected deeply enough to harmony to feel the strong dark aura of the mystical instrument, and it was creeping her out.

“Nopony can or should even think on doing so. If the world has to come to an end, it won’t be my making.”

“I am sorry I asked, Rainbow. I thought maybe your element could control the power long enough to give us a chance.” A heavy sigh escaped the dark stallion’s lips. “We don’t have many options left.”

“We should kill her and hide the orb.” It was Yrr speaking up from behind, drawing approving nods from too many of her companions for Rainbow’s liking.

“I know you can’t be picky, but you should think about the company you keep, my dear friend.” Rainbow took another sip from her mead before emptying the rest of the tankard over Yrr’s head. “That’ll cool down your hothead. Now leave the politics to the grown-ups.”

The expression on the young soldier’s face turned from a smug grin, congratulating herself for her statement, to pure hatred. The only thing holding her back from stabbing the colourful mare were her own friends restraining her, holding off her thrashing attempts to jump at her enemy.

A grey hoof made itself visible, silencing the commotion at once.

“I will heed your advice, Rainbow.” Jǫðurr’s blank expression had merged into a horrific smirk, dry lips moving to unaccustomed positions. “But for now, I like Yrr’s idea. I have to protect those I hold dear.”

Author's Note

Amazing. I got a dislike literally 2 seconds after publishing this chapter. Fascinating how fast some people can read...

Hard Lives, Hard Truths

Hard Lives, Hard Truths

Mental images came flooding through her mind’s eye, overlaying them with the harsh truth of the scenery before her, merging two realities that too closely resembled each other. They were recollections of a story she had read in the early years of her foalhood, pieces of memories forgotten not long afterwards in the myriad of other material flooding through her young brain but saved by a part of her subconsciousness that had deemed them important enough to keep.

The book had told her a tale about loyalty or rather its misleading character for those too inexperienced to fully wield its power. Modeled for a target demographic far older than the filly she had been back then, it closely followed the main protagonist, a dog that refused to leave the final resting place of his owner, ceasing to eat until his own death by starvation.

Scootaloo was no dog, nor were Twilight and her friends planning on letting her starve even if it would mean having to force feed her in the end. The parallel that drew Twilight’s attention was loyalty. The trait had been bred into the animal through thousands of years of artificial selection, and it was obviously strong in the foal. Only Scootaloo had the power to rekindle the lost Element of Harmony, but both the dog and filly greatly suffered, driven by their overly loyal attachment to their caregivers.

Twilight couldn’t change the past, nor could she and her friends fill out the large gap Rainbow had left in all of their lives, but the future was theirs to mould nevertheless, and they had all vowed to help create a great one for Scootaloo.

For the moment, that meant making the present bearable for the filly, postponing their own grief, if only for a few hours until Scootaloo was finally ready to go home.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had been forced home long ago for their own sake. They had wanted to stay, to help their friend, but they had already seen too much for their age and would have to endure more trials in the near future. They shouldn’t have to solve this problem. They should be granted time for their own mourning that had come short for the past two days.

Right now, the meadow was nearly empty, most of the funeral guests having left with the official end of the rituals. Some returned for a few solitary moments at the headstone in a small, steady stream, but most of them moved on to their homes or work as lives had to continue. Even Celestia and Luna were back in Canterlot, shifting the sun and moon as they were forced to do continuously, currently creating a twilight sky shining in the deepest red most ponies had ever witnessed, some of them pondering the meaning of it.

Many condolences had been given to Scootaloo over the course of the afternoon, all visitors finding nothing but nice words for the orange filly sitting on the freshly moved earth, a blanket spread over her little frame and half-touched, long-turned cold food waiting to her side. For Aegis, it had been the first time in his life that his food had not been devoured with great gusto: potato and tomato stew with lots of parsley, Scootaloo’s favourite.

The fact that she had not eaten anything but a few bites showed deeper rooted problems than just her refusal to move or talk. Whenever her second favourite caretaker had cooked, the filly had been there, even developing some kind of Pinkie Sense to guarantee being back home in time to witness the chopping and stirring.

Something had to be done, and it better be done fast. If Rainbow’s word could be trusted, and Twilight had no doubts it could be, only questioning her own memory, Scootaloo had a habit of sleeping on graves. She didn't want her to continue this, not on her watch. Twilight had pledged to the now dead mare to protect the filly with her life if necessary.

She would not fail Rainbow. She would not fail Scootaloo.

Right now, the filly should be at home sleeping, or at least lying in bed, beside someone who loved her. Twilight was ready to fill that part. After all, she did have affections for her student, coming to know the young pegasus quite well after all the private lessons on aerodynamics and atmospheric currents she had been asked to give because they were not taught extensively in earth pony schools as small as Ponyville’s.

At the moment, it was still Fluttershy and Applejack lying next to the headstone, hair standing out in all directions. Patchy, dull fur told the story about the mental state of both of them. Admittedly, this was a great improvement compared to a few hours ago, the effects of a nap, although forced onto them by family or animals, showing its great work.

Following Twilight’s wish, both had been kind enough to keep a closer look at Scootaloo for a short while, the unicorn herself retreating to a nearby tree, thinking.

Trying to remember everything Aegis and Dr Staple had told her about Scootaloo, Twilight had worked out a plan and she dearly hoped it would work. A single goal on her mind, she rose to her hooves, determined to make a difference. Slowly and unsteady, she trotted over to the filly, smiling weakly at her two friends who had gotten up to meet her halfway.

“Hello Twilight,” Applejack greeted, obvious concern seeping through her tired voice. “Are you sure you want to handle things alone?”

“I have a plan and I hope it'll work,” Twilight replied, drawing sceptic faces from her friends. “Any changes since my last watch?”

“None,” Fluttershy said meekly. “She is still not talking. We will wait over there if you need us.” The pegasus pointed at a lonely apple tree within shouting distance. “Good luck.”

“Good luck,” Applejack repeated, patting Twilight’s back affectionately before moving on.

Going deep inside herself, Twilight closed her eyes for a few seconds, evening out her breathing together with her unruly thoughts. She could do it. That is what she had to believe.

Not wanting to risk losing what little courage she had left, the unicorn stepped forward as fast as possible without actually starting out in a gallop.

“Hi Scootaloo.” Even a bold strategy has to start with subtle opener, she thought to herself as she sat down next to the waiting filly, at least receiving a small smile on the tear-filled face as a reply.

“Scootaloo, I want you to go home. Your home or mine, I don’t care, but I want you sleeping in a bed. Next thing in the morning, you can return here if you wish to. Promise.”

The meadow kept quiet, as was to be expected. It was time for her move.

“Your mom asked me to take good care of you, and I am not going to fail her in this task.”

A small, orange head slowly turned to her, staring at her with wide eyes but an otherwise blank expression.

“My mother?” The filly’s voice was hoarse and faint, strained by disuse and the physical afflictions of sadness.

“Yes, your mother. Rainbow adopted you before the mission.”

“Why?”

Although not intended, the word hit Twilight in the heart, only using the detour through her auditory system and her neural activity because of bare physical necessity. She had to close her eyes again and take a few deep breaths to stop her from crying right now and then.

An inner force had taken over her body, urging her closer to the foal, hugging her, nuzzling her. Looking into the giant, violet eyes, Twilight swept aside the filly’s tears with caring, soft hooves, ignoring the moisture rising in her own eyes.

“Because she loved you more than anything else in this world, even more than flying. I heard her once say that she would give it up for you.”

A new stream of hot tears emerged from Scootaloo’s eyes, running over mulberry hooves on their gravity driven path to earth. The filly kept quiet again for a while, pondering what she had just heard but not truly believing it. If it was true, her greatest wish had become reality, only that it really hadn’t. It was confusing, one part of her felt like rejoicing, another part feeling even more depressed.

She had wished to die all day, now she wasn’t sure anymore, as if her mother had crept into her brain and tried to take control.

“Let me tell you something.” Twilight’s warm words and muzzle brought the young pegasus back out of her thoughts, back into the world where she was tightly embraced, a snout playfully poking at her ear. “When Princess Celestia first proposed the mission to Rainbow, she had accepted only under two conditions: That she would only leave if you were her daughter, and that we, meaning Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, and I, would raise you to the best of our ability should something happen to her. Princess Luna forced the adoption through the system, and we all agreed without thinking twice about it.

“And do you know why, Scootaloo?”

Twilight laid her head on Scootaloo’s which was already resting on her shoulder. Burying her nose in the filly’s mane, she continued to speak without waiting for an answer as her tears started flowing down, leaving wet spots in the violet hair.

“I loved Rainbow… Maybe more than she ever knew... And I miss her… Right now, I feel like locking myself in and crying for a week. Everything I see in this town reminds me of her... And it hurts... But I keep going, not only because of Spike or my other direct family, but also because of the one thing that reminds me the most of her... and that is you, her daughter.”

Twilight pointed her head to the sky, feeling a need to hide her tears despite them being obvious. A big lump in her throat was making it hard to speak, but she pressed on. She had lost the path of her plan, her own emotions forcing themselves out to be verbalized.

“We all care for you, Scootaloo. We all wish we could bring back Rainbow, but we can’t. I tried, believe me. But all we can do is protect and honour her heritage, her most beloved treasure... You... Scootaloo... You are not alone, you still have a family... Us... Rainbow wanted us to continue together. Please come with me. You can ride on my back. I will keep you warm. ”

No words were spoken after that, but the filly crawled onto her. It was a long way home.

Her bed hadn’t changed. It was the same warm and comfortable piece of cloud it had always been, the place of numerous sleepovers without actual sleep and even more nights spent in peaceful slumber.

What had changed was the world around it, the recent events inducing cruel nightmares into the once safe haven. Harrowing thoughts disturbed the filly this night and likely for many nights to come.

For the fifth time since Luna had raised the moon, she woke with a start, panting and sweating, possibly from screaming. The sheets clung to her fur as if glued on by some unfunny prankster.

Movement next to her told her that Twilight had been roused as well. Again. Thankfully. She didn’t want to be needy, to bother somepony else with her fears, but, at the moment, that was not possible. Her heart was racing, images and sounds from the dream still circled in her head, intensifying the impact of their simple message.

A blue Wonderbolt blanket was cast aside, revealing the mulberry unicorn rubbing her tiny sleepy eyes while trying to comprehend what had just happened.

“Same dream again?” the mare asked in a somewhat monotone, sleep-deprived fashion. By now, her head was resting on both of her forehooves, showing off the deep rings under her eyes as she looked at the filly next to her.

The young pegasus hastily crawled over, throwing herself at her nightly protector, visibly relieved to finally be able to do so. “They took me back to the orphanage, and Ms Birch was there. The other foals said I was a liar… That no one could ever love me. I... I...” High-pitched sobs escaped from the filly, ending her stammering in a new stream of hot tears that were running down Twilight’s chest.

The same dream, Twilight thought, mentally cursing the arrested mare who had broken the foal in a way that even a loving family and half a year of therapy could barely improve the filly's troubled mind. May she rot in her cell!

“It’s okay, Scootaloo. I am here. You’re safe.” Twilight was rocking back and forth in a slow but rhythmic motion, cradling Scootaloo and whispering words of consolation into the filly’s ear. “Rainbow promised you that you will never have to enter an orphanage again. I will keep that promise for her. I would even fight Princess Celestia if necessary.”

Right at that moment, only Scootaloo existed in Twilight’s world, the helpless filly triggering a warm feeling somewhere deep down in the caring unicorn. It was the same sensation she always felt when Spike was ill or in trouble, some motherly instinct that forced her into selfless action until her ward was fine. It was exhausting, but the most rewarding feeling in the world. She wasn’t sure how it had started for Rainbow Dash, but if the pegasus had felt these very same forces in her, it was no wonder her friend had succumbed to the love and desires of this wonderful foal. The fallen pegasus had done so much for the filly, selfless and loyal from the start.

For a moment, unpleasant memories returned to Twilight’s mind, recollections of how bad she had treated Rainbow in the past. She hadn’t been herself, accusing Rainbow of such vile things, jealousy driving her to her worst, as she only later had realized. It still hurt, after all this time, even after having found forgiveness for her misconduct from everypony... everypony but herself. Especially now, the guilt was driving her crazy, her mind working in overdrive, searching for things she could have done better, things that Rainbow might have held against her.

Making sure not to disturb Scootaloo or to interrupt her strokes over the soft and, at the moment, damp violet mane, Twilight’s horn began to glow, shooting a burst of magic out of the window. She couldn’t see far, but she was guiding it with her inner mind to a bell only a few doors away.

Aegis had asked to be woken if they needed anything, and the unicorn had decided it was time for a decent breakfast, and maybe some time to cry in solitude if his food didn’t work.

“Feeling any better?”

The filly responded with a wail muffled by Twilight’s body, pressing herself even tighter into the soft mare in the progress.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Twilight inquired, looking nervously at the doorframe, as if Aegis could magically appear only seconds after her ring.

Another wail told her that she wasn’t as good a mother as she had hoped and felt to be only moments ago.

“Do you want me to ask Zecora for a potion to end your nightmares?”

The orange head moved up and down, although restrained by its mulberry cushioning.

“Do you want Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to come over to play with you later?”

Again, the filly nodded, unknowingly restoring a part of Twilight’s maternal self-confidence.

“Come on, let’s get you a bath.”

Scootaloo didn’t protest as the violet glow surrounded her, only separating her for a brief moment from the mare it originated from as she was transported to the unicorn’s back.

While they had all agreed that it was best if Scootaloo stayed in her own flat for now, for Twilight, it was a self-inflicted torture, every aspect of it showcasing hints of the passed owner. There were the pictures, most of them turned face down to temporarily block out all memories. Orange and cyan feathers alike could be spotted here and there if one only looked careful enough. They were hidden in corners and edges neglected by Rainbow’s superficial style of housekeeping.

Even the bathroom had stories to tell. Countless bottles of bubble bath had been aligned along the huge two-pony bathtub. Twilight could only wonder how many mares had shared a bath with the pegasus in this very place.

Still, worst of all, was the one closed door that she had to pass to get to her current position. Sometime in the future, they would all have to be brave enough to clean out Rainbow’s room, but now was not the time for it.

Not daring to separate herself from her clingy passenger, Twilight stepped into the tub herself, levitating the showerhead on its mobile extension towards the two of them. Turning the valves, she placed a hoof under the jetting stream of water, making sure it was the right temperature for her ward.

For as long as she could remember, Twilight always had her best ideas while under the shower, a book hovering a safe distance from her, yet close enough to read. Today however, there was no book, and no rescuing idea would come. She felt empty, helpless even.

The water streaming around her couldn't change that. All it did was drench her coat, cleaning her. Still, that was the primary desired effect after all, dirt and water connecting through molecules of soap on their way down the drain.

If only similar contraptions existed to cleanse one’s mind...

Forcing herself out of even more bad thoughts about the past, she began massaging Scootaloo, drawing a few happy moments out of the chuckling foal as violet manifestations of magic found ticklish spots on the young filly.

“Feeling any better?” Twilight asked, reaching out with one of her hooves to stroke the filly’s mane in a more personal gesture than magic could ever provide.

“A little. Thank you for being here for me, Twilight.” Scootaloo brought her own hoof to the mare’s counterpart, eliciting a few well-hidden tears from the adult mare with this small but heartfelt gesture.

“I will always be there for you.” She pressed back on Scootaloo’s hoof, absentmindedly closing the faucet in a violet cloud of magic.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the rooms of the flat in a fast array, indicating that they were no longer alone. True to his words, Aegis was on his way.

“And Aegis will be there for you as well. I am sure of this,” Twilight went on, using the time until he arrived to throw a green terrycloth towel, that was softer than even the ones used at the spa, over the both of them.

“Are you alright!?” Aegis came sliding to a halt right before the entrance, panting a few times before continuing. “I was fast asleep and didn’t notice until now...”

“We’re both alright,” Twilight intervened, before he could bring out more unnecessary apologies. “We just had a rough night and could do with some breakfast and another kind soul to keep us company.”

Twilight’s pleading gaze met that of Aegis'. Relief slowly softening the contours of his expression as he took in the pair in front of him. He wasn’t too sure if all of the liquid running down the grown mare’s cheeks had originated from the shower they had obviously taken, puddles of clear water forming under them on the cold tiles.

“I can certainly serve with both. Follow me to the kitchen, and don’t worry about the water. I will clean it up later,” he finally answered, already slowly trotting off, a mulberry unicorn and an orange pegasus following in his wake.

The Sounds of Ingratitude

The Sounds of Ingratitude

Drums filled the air, their heavy resonance carried by strong sound waves. They were permeating through ice and stone alike, sending out a message of imminent death. For Blenda, it was the sweet sound of victory, a demonstration of power to all the clans that had refused to cooperate. For Rainbow, they were spelling her doom, a rhythmic proclamation to continue throughout her last hours.

All of the north had come to attend, all who wanted to see her die. Somehow this was even worse than what was going to happen to her very soon. She was a pony of the masses, working for them, living for their applause.

To think that so many ponies hated her... For trying to save their lives...

She hadn't done anything wrong. She had followed the command of her princesses and her own heart. She had done nothing but help a group of renegades to retrieve a dangerous artifact before any of the other clans could.

Everything had went according to plan... or it had seemed that way at least. She had passed the bordering mountains without notice, avoiding all sentries with pure speed in nearly oxygen-free altitudes. Contact with Jǫðurr had been quickly established, and a crew was dispatched with her to scour the country. Steep ridges and high peaks hampered progress to a painful crawl for all who could not fly. Unicorns and earth ponies were useless in the mountains, at least when it came down to raw speed, but the pegasi sent along with her had all been Wonderbolt material, the finest of their order.

Whoever had brought the orb to the north did a good job hiding it. Either that, or it was old enough to be buried into the ground, not changing its place while forces bigger and older than Celestia had moved layers of stone and ice around it. In the end, it didn’t matter. Rainbow had found it, its evil presence working like a magnet to all attuned to harmony.

They had dug it out, freeing it to relocate it to a more secure location, one greater than the unruly nature of the mountains.

All the hard, selfless work. All the sleepless nights spent working to be home again as soon as possible. All the pain she had endured to help Jǫðurr. All of that, just to end up being bound to a wooden stake, limbs and wings pulled to the sides by tight ropes that had been connected to other poles to her left and right.

Hadn't she been the pegasus she was, she surely would have been scared of the abyss only inches before her, a long drop onto grey and white spikes the length of multiple ponies. Should anyone happen to fall on them, they would be impaled in some kind of cruel barbecue.

Coincidence or not, this place was perfect for an execution with an impressive stage and enough room to the sides for the happy families to watch.

Rainbow didn’t want to die... but even more so, Rainbow didn’t want others to suffer for her death. Today, no winner could emerge out of the remains of her being.

The north would suffer. Not for killing her. Not because Equestria would seek revenge... Equestria would not be part of any war anymore.

The north would suffer because of the stupidity of a few who thought themselves mighty enough to wield an artifact that could not be used, disharmony chipping away the last amounts of restraint and cooperation in this dwindling and gruesome society. Wars would start, even more ponies would be killed over the orb. Foals that today would laugh about her death, would soon see themselves dead as well or alone without parents.

As for her own family... her own foal. She wasn’t sure if Scootaloo could cope with such a loss. She had made preparations, but nothing could replace a mother. Not even the combination of all her friends.

Rainbow closed her eyes, a few tears rolling down her muzzle, the liquid freezing on her short fur in the cold mountain air. An orange filly moved before her mental eye, jumping, running, laughing. She so wished for her daughter to be happy...

“Aww... Look who is crying.”

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes again, interrupting her gloomy thoughts for the harsh reality around her. She couldn’t tilt her head far enough to face the owner of the taunting voice, but she knew all too well who it was. It belonged to a mint-green unicorn mare with white hair braided to perfection and a blood-stained dagger as a cutie mark.

“I can’t help but cry seeing so much ignorance and stupidity,” Rainbow spat into the canyon, lacking Blenda’s face for the moment.

“Awww. I really missed that foul language of yours.” Blenda moved to Rainbow’s side, tracing a hoof over the pegasus’s snout. A matte black dagger moved through the air, a soft green glow emitting from its handle.

“Too bad I promised to keep you in one piece for your poor relatives.” The foul stench of the unicorn’s breath entered Rainbow’s nostrils, causing a series of coughs from the pegasus as Blenda whispered into her ear. “But that doesn’t stop me from a little torture.”

The sharp obsidian blade plunged into a cyan leg, drawing runny red blood as it carved its way through fur and flesh. Rainbow bit down, clenching her teeth in a feeble attempt not to cry out. She would not give in. She would not play her part in fulfilling this sick kind of desire.

“Let’s move a little higher then, shall we?” The blade slashed Rainbow’s side, barely keeping the wound shallow enough as not to damage the intestines. But that wasn’t what forced Rainbow to cry out in pain, her scream even drowning the rhythm of the drums for the ponies standing close by. It was the cramps traveling down her whole body that took her by surprise and in unrelenting force, her limbs involuntarily thrashing against her tight restraints.

“Now that is more to my liking.”

Rainbow could only guess that a large, crazy smile had appeared in the unicorn’s face. She could only answer the provocation with a loud moan as her muscles returned into a less tense state.

“I’ve got one more present for you.” The next cut created a deep gash directly beneath Rainbow’s left eye, hot blood running down her muzzle, dropping onto Blenda’s face and tongue.

“You taste so great, Rainbow. The iron-rich taste of victory...” The unicorn’s long, pink tongue delicately wandered over the ripped facial tissue, savouring the flavour of every inch of it and only stopping just before Rainbow’s eye. Pleased with the flavour covering her taste-buds, Blenda took a step back, this time using the hilt of her knife to ram into the first wound she had created accompanied by another agonizing screech from her victim.

“Today is a day of victory!” Blenda’s voice travelled across the mountains, amplified by her own magic and the natural power of her lungs. Her words were met by cheers erupting from the crowds, the stomps of a thousand hooves mixing with the pulse of the drums. The unicorn stood still for a few moments, eyes closed and an expression of ecstasy marking her features. She was savouring all the voices washing over her before finally silencing them again by holding up her dripping dagger.

“Today, we fight back against the torturous interference of other nations that have no right to control us. They want to control us. They want to reform us to follow their precious poshy princesses. But today, we refuse. Today, we tell them that Yggdrasil is the only supreme being we need. We will send out a message that could not be clearer in its meaning. Today, we send out a message of death!”

The knife floated over to Rainbow one more time, painting three interlocked triangles in crimson red onto the cyan fur in a well-trained motion.

“Rainbow Dash,” Blenda boomed again. “I hereby sentence you to death, executed by my own hooves. You have been marked with the Valknut. You have been marked to die.“

A roar went through the masses, unorganized chants soon synchronizing to the rhythm of the drums, merging into a canon consisting of no more than one word and a thousand voices. Rainbow didn’t know much about the old language, but even she recognized what it was and what it meant: andlát; They were shouting for her death.

New tears emerged from her eyes, burning in her wounds, freezing like before. Now that the end seemed near, all she could think of was Scootaloo. The pain she would cause her little filly.

“I love you Scootaloo,” Rainbow whispered to herself, mentally looking into the big purple eyes of her daughter. “I am so sorry.”

She didn’t see nor feel the blunt club ending her last thoughts.

Author's Note

We're not even halfway through the story yet...

A Message From the Past

A Message From the Past

“So... you are telling me Rainbow had left me a letter?” Scootaloo looked down at her long-gone cold soup, deciding once again that she wasn’t hungry despite her rumbling stomach. She had eaten two hot spoons of her favourite meal, much to Twilight’s delight, but afterwards, it hadn’t felt right anymore to move at all.

“She did. We all prepared for this case.” Twilight moved a little closer to the filly, pushing an ornamented antique box and a sealed letter next to the barely touched food in front of the filly.

“Then why did she have to leave? Didn’t she love me?” Thick liquid splashed over the table as an orange head sunk to the table, or rather, what was blocking its path. Scootaloo didn’t mind. So what if she was covered in soup? Why should it even matter? Nothing mattered to her anymore. Not the food. Not the mulberry hoof caressing her mane right now. Not even her own existence.

“Don’t even think something like that. Rainbow loved you more than anything else in this world.” Twilight tried to wipe away the tears that had again befallen the filly, but her hoof stopped midair, Scootaloo roughly hitting her outstretched leg.

“Then why did she leave me!? Why didn’t you stop her!?” Scootaloo didn’t even seem angry as she screamed, only tired and sad. The soup and tears dripping to the ground only added to the image her body language tried to convey. Not a single muscle had tensed up to improve upon her facial expression. For Twilight, it was the most heart-wrenching sight of her life, piercing right through her and forcing out emotions she had tried to keep in check for too long.

“Scootaloo, we didn’t know. It was just... We didn’t think... I should have...” Twilight leaned forward, embracing the filly as best as she could. All words had left her. She tried to speak, but she couldn’t. She had opened her mouth, but no sounds left her.

For a moment, they just stood there, both of them relishing the feeling of the other pony pressed against them but not actually realising the soothing properties of the embrace. Eternity passed, or so it seemed. Uneven breathings returned to regular intakes of oxygen, only slightly increasing in pace for the grown mare to match the filly’s speed.

“Can you read the letter to me?” It was Scootaloo who broke the silence at last but not letting go an inch of her protector.

“Are you sure? I imaging it is very private. After all, Rainbow really did love you with all of her heart. She made the trip to keep Equestria out of war. She agreed to do the trip only because she thought it was the only way to keep us all safe and most importantly, you. Don’t you ever forget that!”

“I know, Twilight.” If only for a few seconds, the two ponies shared a sad smile. “Please read it to me. I don’t think I have the energy to read it alone.”

“Then I will gladly do so.” A purple aura levitated the light-brown envelope over to them. Hesitating for a moment, Twilight broke the bright-red wax showing the dead mare’s cutie mark. Reaching inside, she found a single sheet of paper, written on both sides in the most awful mouthwriting Twilight had ever known. The paper was stained, ink blurred by small drops of liquid that had dried out many weeks ago.

Using her softest voice and holding up the paper in a way that both of them could look at it at the same time, Twilight began to read.

Dear Scootaloo,

When you read these lines, the unthinkable has happened,and I am very sorry I had to leave you this early on. If not, please put back the letter to where you found it,and I might reconsider grounding you for life.

Twilight paused for moment, exchanging a smile with the filly next to her before continuing in her task. Only Rainbow would think in these lines. She missed her so much. Her anti-egghead friend.

Scootaloo, I don’t really know how to start this. I don’t want to write this, but I know I have to do this as a responsible parent. I had so many surprises ready for you. I wanted you to be happy by my side. Now... Please try to be happy without me. This is my last wish.

Scootaloo, I am not good with words,so please just let me say it bluntly. I am not sure if my friends already told you, but I have passed away as your mother. I adopted you shortly before writing these lines. You are now officially a part of the Dash family,and I couldn’t be prouder of this than I am right now. As is tradition in Equestria, you are allowed to change your name for this event. I would be more than happy if you took “Dash” as your last name. There needs to be at least one awesome pony with the name Dash in this world at all times. But this decision is yours alone to make. I am sure Twilight will be more than happy to assist you with every wish.

As my official daughter, you are my only heir. I leave you my house, my money,and most importantly, my Wonderbolt souvenirs and action figures. Please take good care of them. As for your future, I made sure you will have no problems.I’ve got a few bits stacked up on my bank account,and you will receive an orphan’s pension from Princess Celestia each month. For now, I have appointed Twilight to administrate your money. She will go over all buying decisions with you. I hope this is okay for you.

As for where you will live, this is for you to decide. For now, you can stay in our flat. My friends and Aegis will take care of you there. However, sometime in the near future, I would like you to move in with one of my friends.

Of course,Fluttershy has offered her home. She said she would love having you around,and we both know that this is more than true.

Applejack is offering her home as well. Apple bucking would be a good supplement training for you,and Apple Bloom surely would like having you around all the time, so you should really consider this offer.

You are also welcome at Rarity’s, though we both know she doesn’t even have much time for Sweetie, and, let’s face it, you two aren’t really made for each other.

Pinkie is very sorry that she can’t take you in. After all,she doesn’t own a house and only has one room in Sugarcube Corner. Still, she offered you a lifetime of free party planning to make up for it.

And then, of course,there is Twilight. She has a spare room in the library ready and waiting for you. So if you ever wanted to live in a house full of books organized by a baby dragon and the second most awesome mare in Equestria, behind you, this is your best chance.

Rainbow thinks I am awesome? Twilight couldn’t help but pause again. She wanted to perform a back-flip in celebration, but at the same time, she wanted to cry out in pain. If only...

The little filly saved her from those thoughts, tugging at her hoof in the most adorable way.

“You really would take me in?” Scootaloo looked up at the mare on her side, for a moment, feeling comfortable enough to create direct eye contact before averting her gaze to the ground again.

“We all want you to be happy and not just because Rainbow asked us to. So yes... Of course... You’re always welcome.” Twilight snuggled closer to the orange pegasus, offering her shoulder as a comfortable resting place for her. “Shall I continue?”

“Please.”

Twilight smiled mildly, searching for the right paragraph.

Scootaloo, I have one last gift for you before passing on to the next realm. I know, right now, to fly isn’t your biggest wish anymore. Yet this is the only thing I can grant you. I have never told you that I know the reason you can’t fly. I wanted this to be a wonderful surprise for you. I wanted the day I returned to be the best dayof your life, mother and daughter soaring through the sky, side by side.

Life isn’t fair. You know that much already,and I am so sorry you do.

Scootaloo, you have been diagnosed with a very rare disease that cannot be cured. Your body does not produce enough pegasus magic. This is the reason you can’t fly.

In the box that came with this letter,you will find a necklace. You probably remember it. I have worn it for a few months, filling it up to the brim with my own magic. Whenever you wear it, you will be able fly, drawing the energy that your body can’t produce out of the crystal. Whenever you wish to, a part of me will come and help you in the air.

Absentmindedly, Scootaloo opened the box in front of her with a soft click, staring at the intense cyan, lightning-shaped crystal that was revealed to her. Slowly, she took out the necklace, feeling the cold of the golden, ornamented titanium against her hoof while her ears and brain tried to comprehend what had just been revealed to her.

A long time ago, this very necklace was owned by Commander Hurricane’s daughter. A spell had been written into the delicate metalwork that will keep you safe. The inscriptionreads: “Take this part of me as you are mine to protect beyond death.” I wished I hadn’t taken this as literal as Hurricane who had also passed away at a very young age.

Gentle orange hooves moved over the inscription, trying to complete what she could see with haptic perception.

More than anything else in the world, I wanted to fly by your side and hear your laughter as you spin through the air. Now, I can’t do that anymore, but a part of me will always be with you as long as there is a cyan spark left within the necklace. With use, my magic will slowly fade away, leaving the crystal dark-blue or filled with whatever colour your own magic will paint it.

Used right, it might keep you in the sky fora lifetime. You won’t do any stunts, but you WILL fly.

I exchanged a few letters with the Equestrian Skating and Scooting Association. You can even wear it during competitions. It is registered to your name as a legitimate prosthesis. You’re of course still not allowed to take off during competitions, but maybe it will help you gain the extra speed you need for some of the tricks youcouldn’t master until now. I wish I could see them.

There is so much I am going to miss out on. You’re gonna be great. I know it. All of Equestria will cheer your name one day. Please just promise me one thing: don’t chase any dreams but your very own. Don’t live for me. Live for yourself. Don’t spend your life trying to replace me. I fear that won’t be possible.

Scootaloo,I want you to be as happy as possible,and one can’t be happy chasing shadows. You will live up to your mother. I am so proud of you. Words can’t convey what I feel for you.

I am waiting in the next world for you. Please make it a long wait.

The room was silent again. The letter had come to an end, but Scootaloo hadn’t noticed. All she could do was to stare at the necklace. A part of her mother that she was just told to use up. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to fly anymore. Not like this... Life was cruel.

Sensing the little one’s inner turmoil, Twilight picked up the golden metalwork chain by hooves and not by magic. A soft clicking noise spread through the air as the unicorn undid the clasp, feeling the protective spell discontinue together with the eternal circle the gold represented. Softly nuzzling Scootaloo in the progress, she silently slid the necklace around the filly’s neck, closing it and renewing the magical continuity.

“I think I know what you are thinking,” Twilight carefully addressed the small pegasus. “You don’t want the last piece of her to go away.”

A small nod proved her right, small orange hooves clutching the loose hanging jewel on her chest.

“Remember what I told you yesterday? You are what reminds me the most of her. As long as you live, a part of her is in this world. She is within you, magic crystal or not. Just look at her signature.”

The letter, that was laid aside, floated back before their eyes. Together they read the last lines, holding onto each other for comfort once again.

Fly high, scoot fast. You are my legacy. Godspeed.

Eternally Yours,

Mum

Author's Note

Two more days...

Talking to Mum

Talking to Mum

“Hi mum.”

A soft gust of wind swept over the meadow, creating the soft rustling of the grass that she had learned to enjoy. Other than that, everything kept quiet. She closed her eyes, breathing in sync with the rhythm of the air currents around her. As a pegasus, she could feel the very essence of them, could predict them, if only for a few seconds in advance. Most of her life, she had ignored this feeling.

“I know you never bought some yourself, but I brought you flowers.”

It had been exactly two weeks since that day. Of the once magnificent ocean of cut flowers, only withered petals remained, green stalks and leaves disintegrated by natural decay and feeding animals. Five single lilies remained, neatly aligned in circle before the heavy headstone, surrounded by a violet force field that was protecting them from atmospheric conditions and timely decay. Each of the flowers symbolised one of the Elements of Harmony, their magically-enhanced colours matching the coats of the bearers. Only one element was missing.

Carefully, a radiant-orange lily was placed into the centre of their counterparts by an equally coloured hoof.

“I’ve flown a part of the way here. It was kind of weird. I mean... I just did the same I always do. But now, I just take off. I think this is how it should be for every pegasus. But for me... it’s weird....”

Silence engulfed the scene again, a hoof tracing the flawless, smooth marble. The headstone was cold and unresponsive, so very much unlike the pony that it had been erected for.

“Yesterday, I went to school. I didn't really want to, but Twilight said I should go. She said I need to take up a daily routine again... I think she is right with that... Everypony was looking at me the whole day, but it wasn’t too bad... Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle take good care of me... But they always do that... Even Diamond Tiara was nice to me yesterday. She asked me if I wanted some of the sweets she had brought... Cheerilee has given me a self-written summary of all the stuff I missed. She said I don’t have to take the tests scheduled in a few weeks. Maybe I’ll take them anyway.”

And again, there was silence. No answer was to be expected in this one-sided conversation. Scootaloo took a step back, feeling the grass tickling her legs and rump as she sat down. For the first time today, the sun broke through the heavy layers of cloud, a few warming rays shining down on her face.

“I brought you something else. I thought you might like it.”

Out of her saddlebags, she retrieved two photos. On one of them, six mares stood grouped together, all of them smiling into the camera, unaware of what was to come. The other one held an image of herself. She was smiling at the camera, a gold medal clutched tightly in her hoof, a silver one dangling around her neck. Rainbow was right behind her, satisfaction and pride showing in her extravagant stance.

“You can have them. I have another copy at home... home...”

Scootaloo let out a small sigh. Was it really still her home? Somehow it didn’t feel the same anymore without her mother. She closed her eyes again, taking in as much air as her lungs allowed before exhaling again in a slow but constant stream. Concentrating on the flow within her helped her to find the inner peace she needed. Calm at mind again, she found the strength to place the photos where they belonged, beneath her lily, sheltered by Twilight’s magic.

“There hasn’t been much news from the north. Everypony is talking, but nopony really knows what’s going on... Princess Celestia says whatever you tried to get... they haven’t used it yet. That’s good, right? Do we have you to thank for that? You always told me how proud you were of me, but I never told you how proud I am of you... I really am.”

Scootaloo tried to hold in the moisture rising in her eyes, a hoof covering them as if it could somehow stop her body’s reaction to her emotions, but it was no use.

“There might still be war. Princess Celestia has tripled the stationed soldiers on the northern border, but she said if they really had what you tried to get, we would know by now... Whatever you did... thank you. ”

The little filly looked up to the sky, drying her tears as she continued to speak.

“There is another reason I came today. You wrote in your letter that you want me to move in with one of your friends... I think I made a decision... Twilight’s been so nice to me all this time. Shetook on most of the shifts to care for me. She even stayed when one of the others was there sometimes... Nopony can replace you, mom, but I like Twilight. She’s so kind to me. Spike’s nice too. I never really noticed, but he is fun to be around... I am gonna tell her today, but I wanted to tell you first, to see if you are okay with this.”

No answer came, only more wind ruffling up her mane in its wake, blowing off the last tear from her cheek as she turned to face the headstone again. The monument was really beautiful in its own morbid way.

“Mum. There is another reason I want to move in with Twilight. I think somehow that not only I need her, but that it is also the other way around. I am not sure what is going on, but I saw her crying over a stack of photos from you one night, murmuring something about that she had lost her chance. I am not sure how I much I can do, but she always seems to be happy whenever Spike or I am around.”

A pair of mulberry hooves encompassed the little frame, somehow managing to not startle the filly as they drew her into a tender embrace.

“I really am.”

Scootaloo looked up at the grown mare behind her, tilting her head so she could directly look into the deep violet eyes. “I didn’t hear you coming.”

“That is because I teleported here. I am sorry I overheard those last things you have said. I just wasn’t fast enough to disappear again.”

“I don’t mind. The two of us can sit here together for a while.”

Scootaloo returned her gaze to the stone in front of her, this time closing her eyes to take in the feeling of warmth against her coat.

“We can do that. And after that, I will take you home. Just don’t worry too much about me. One day, I will tell you what it meant. Until then, just continue being the loving filly that you are and don't worry about me.”

Author's Note

1...

An Unexpected Visitor

An Unexpected Visitor

She was too late. She had known this much. Still, the giant headstone in front of her was the most impressive monument for her failure. It was everything a dead mare could hope for: giant, marble, and her cutie mark etched in perfectly vibrant colours. A grave worthy of a dead warrior and no doubt sponsored by Celestia herself.

All that splendour. It felt right to be remembered this way, and yet it wasn’t. In a slow motion, she picked up two photos out of a small magic barrier, carefully setting aside the beautiful lilies that accompanied them. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at the happy faces immortalized on the photos.

Pain. There was so much pain caused by her and affecting the wrong ponies. As if actually caressing the foal, she gently moved her hoof over the image, pressing her muzzle onto the glistening orange surface to intensify the imaginary contact.

Just what had she done? With a few strong flaps of her wings, she was up in the air again, the photos still clutched in her hoof. She had to find the filly. The very filly she had caused so much pain while only ever aiming for the exact opposite.

A shrill cry escaped into the air, a verbalized mixture of frustration and pain, as she pumped her wings, a colourful trail appearing in the sky behind her, strong burning muscles working against exhaustion and half-healed wounds that had plagued ever since starting her journey. She had to find her foal. And she vowed to do it fast.

Furiously, she pressed forward, increasing the frequency of her wing beats whenever she felt she had the energy to do so. Not far in the past, she had doubted to ever see the green outskirts of Ponyville again, a growing density of cottages and houses merging into the landscape. Yet, now that she was finally flying over her home another time, she had no eyes for it, her mind fixated on the one place she wanted to reach: the Golden Oak Library.

Scootaloo might not be there right now, but somepony else sure was. If anypony would know where the filly was, if anypony was smart enough to assess the situation fast enough to help her, it was Twilight.

A few seconds later, the characteristic treehouse grew in her vision, marking a point for a fast descent. Her friend’s home was large and comfortable, sporting several balconies within the branchwood that made for an easy landing on most occasions. Today, however, was not one of them, the fear of being caught up in a magical trap motivating the use of a more or less proper entry etiquette.

Craning out her wings, she slowed down, landing right before the front door in a slow aching motion, her body revolting against the forces she had put onto herself. She didn’t knock. Knocking took time. Instead she just rushed in, cracking the door open with a strong kick.

The main lobby of the library was huge, at least set by Ponyville standards, giving room for the majority of the building’s books and hosting several tables where visitors could read in silence whenever the house was opened to the public. At the moment, there was only one pony visible in the giant room.

There, right before her eyes, was the mare she desired, standing in a pose of determination right next to a table. A tripped chair lay to her side, an opened book rested face-down on the rough planks of the floor.

“We are not open at the moment madam. If you would be so kind to please come back tomorrow between ten and seven.” Twilight’s voice was heaving with her heavy breathing. She was visibly holding back her anger and shock, although the dark room made it hard to read her full range of expressions.

Rainbow took a step further inside, the evening sun at her back, casting a shadow through the entryway of the library.

“Twilight, please, where is Scootaloo?”

Snarling at the intruder, the unicorn advanced from her position with small deliberate steps, nervously eyeing the other pony as she spoke, “Why would you want to know—”

Twilight stopped mid-sentence, only now daring a closer look at her late visitor. Ragged strains of the mare's black mane flowed over the equally coloured coat. Huge wounds covered the body, held together by metal staples and loosening bandages. A large cut had been set right under her left eye, crude magic stitching unintentionally ensuring that a large scar would show up at this very position.

Other than that, there was one shocking detail about the pegasus: no cutie mark was showing on her flanks.

Twilight inched closer a little, her horn creating a glowing sphere to shed light onto the dark etched shadows on the mare in front of her, finally revealing patches of cyan fur and strands of colourful hair on the places where the dye had worn off. Could it really be?

“R- Rainbow?”

“It's me, Twilight. Please, I want to see my daughter...”

“But you are... how...?” Tears emerged in Twilight’s eyes, the unicorn trotting forward, tilting her head to various angles with every step, not really believing what her senses told her was true.

“I am sorry, Twi. It was the only way. It hurt to do it, and it still does... I hope you all can forgive me...”

Rainbow was stopped by a pair of mulberry hooves that tightly wrapped themselves around her neck. She could feel a few drops of liquid running down her body, but for once, it was not blood.

“I’m so glad you’re back. Just never leave us again...”

Animated by the strong sobs that ended Twilight’s ability to speak, Rainbow returned the hug, putting all the strength she could muster into the embrace. She was subconsciously petting the pony in her hooves.

“It’s alright...” She heard herself mumble, pressing her snout against Twilight’s soft mane.

After all that happened in the past weeks, to be connected to her friends again… For Rainbow, it just felt right. After all that time she had spent wishing for this to happen, yearned to reunite with her friends... She wanted this moment to continue for as long as possible, but another, stronger part of herself was pulling her away.

“I’m sorry Twi, but where is Scootaloo?” She hated to do it, but Rainbow withdrew herself from the embrace, looking up to Twilight’s tear stained expression, although the unicorn was still holding onto her.

“Scootaloo...” The effort visible in her features, Twilight suppressed another wave of oncoming sobs. “She is with Dr Staple at the moment. She is doing okay, Rainbow. Fly to her. I will get the others. We can talk later.”

Twilight released her friend again, showing a great smile under her bloodshot eyes.

“Thanks Twi. Please tell Princess Celestia it’s in the ash wood puppet, but I am not touching my grave.”

Ash wood. Suddenly it all became clear in an epiphany rummaging through her brain, pulling out pieces of unconnected memories that combined together into comprehension. How could she have forgotten about the great powers of Yggdrasil, the world tree that ruled all of the globe with organized chaos and self-controlled barbarous food-chains. Only Equestria had been taken out of its rule, equally strong magic reducing its influence to nothing more but a small viscous seedling know as the Everfree Forest.

Given a continuous source of power, ash wood could be formed into literally anything. Just why hadn’t she noticed this? It had felt so real. She had definitely felt the remains of Rainbow’s magic lingering on the body...

Her worries must have been showing on her face as she felt a hoof on her back that hadn’t been there a few moments ago.

“Don’t blame yourself, Twi. I nearly died creating it, even with twenty unicorns working on it. It had to be indistinguishable. Nopony could have seen it or even felt the orb within it.” Rainbow softly nuzzled the mare in front of her. “Thank you for everything.” Rainbow took a step back, turning on the spot to get outside, the anxiousness of her impending reunion fuelling her need to press on.

“Rainbow.” A mulberry hoof stretched out to hold back the pegasus, forcing Rainbow to look back at the owner. Twilight had missed so many chances in the past already... She had vowed to herself to never again lose the mare of her life...

Ignoring the lump forming in her throat, Twilight spoke up, her voice low and cracking. “Rainbow, I love you.”

A smile on her lips, Rainbow craned her neck to place a peck on Twilight’s cheek, the unicorn’s legs giving out the instant the dry and lacerated lips had made contact with her fur.

“I love you too, Twi.” Still grinning, Rainbow took to the skies, the red evening sun shining into her face as she sped to the filly that was her own.

Author's Note

0...
I could never really kill her... I love her too much for that...

Dreaming of a Better Future

Dreaming of a Better Future

She was surrounded by darkness, floating through a void with nothing but a small speck of orange at a distant horizon casting a faint light. She felt disconnected, body and mind no longer connecting to the same entity. Here, she was nothing but thoughts, a spirit free and yet caught in tight confine.

She knew this place. Only last time, she had been here alone. Summoning all her energy, she reached out to the other entity, trying to console the fearful and sad being that was calling her name, pleas and destroyed hopes rushing through the empty space in colourful waves of light.

There was pain, so much sorrow, a revoked desire to live.

If only she could find a way to directly communicate with it, to express all her love, but the distance was too great, her spirit stretched too thin. All she could do was watch and weep as the filly withdrew into herself again, leaving behind nothing but darkness and sadness. It was time for her to leave this place as well.

“I’ve failed.” Her voice was weak from a long time of disuse. Even the light movement of her jaw sent jolts of pain soaring through her skull, reinforcing the hollow feeling even more.

“You have all but failed, Rainbow. You have protected the clans and your own country. The coffin had crossed the border two days ago.”

Until now, she had refused to open her eyes, but she revoked her decision as she heard the voice of the blind unicorn leader. The light burned harshly into her retinas as her lids opened up, but she refused to close them again, forcing herself to fully wake up. It wasn’t easy, some very exhausted aspect in herself working against her efforts, dragging her back to sleep.

She was lying in a cave, the rough fabric of her uncomfortable bedding sticking to her sweat-soaked fur. She didn’t notice the wet stains her own tears had created on the pillow she was resting on.

Not far from her position, a plain, grey fireplace lit up the room, spending warmth with the flickering motion of the flames burning within. On a worn, red cushion, Jǫðurr sat right next to it, indulging in the heat that engulfed his old joints.

A small burst of light erupted from the grey unicorn’s horn, sending out a previously agreed signal for the ponies under his command.

At least that was what Rainbow guessed it was, as only a few moments later, a light-brown earth pony entered the room, balancing a tablet with water as well as another cup filled with an unidentifiable liquid on her head.

Suddenly feeling very hungry, Rainbow tried to sit up, crying out in severe pain as she moved her hoof mere inches across the rough cotton fabric.

“Please don’t move, Rainbow. Your body is still in shock after losing too much magic.”

“But I need to move.” Rainbow tried again, only to scream in pain the second she moved her leg. Her whole body felt as if it was on fire, her sore wings and the cut on her side alone creating enough agony that a lesser pony would black out immediately.

“Please stay down, Rainbow. You mustn't strain yourself. Everything is alright.” It was phrased as a request, but his tone clearly stated that it was an order.

“Nothing is alright. My daughter isn’t—” Rainbow’s voice gave out after this statement, a big lump forming in her throat as a new stream of tears built up in her eyes, wasting what little water was left in her weakened body.

Hastily, the servants took one of the glasses she had brought, aligning the edge to Rainbow’s mouth and forcing the mare to swallow a thick green substance that tasted suspiciously like medicinal herbs mixed with hazelnut pulp and water.

“Thank you, Terna. I think she will feel better in a while. I’ll see that she drinks more of it later.”

Even though it went unnoticed by her leader, the earth pony mare slightly bowed before retreating through the door, closing it as she passed through.

“You seem very young to have a daughter. Tell me about her.” Jǫðurr slowly rose from his position, joints creaking as he stretched them. He seemed years older than just a few days ago, letting his age show as there was no one left in the room he had to put on a show for.

Rainbow tried to turn her head, preferring to face her conversational partner, but failed, this time venting her agony in a low growl and a fearsome distortion of her facial expression. Admitting defeat, she spoke to the ceiling, knowing the words would find their destination nevertheless.

“She’s a lovely young pegasus. She lost her birth parents at a very young age and was severely mistreated in the orphanage she was put into. Can’t even fly on her own.” Rainbow kept quiet for a moment, fighting her own emotions that overtook her again. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me. She’s like a mini version of me. Only so much better. Signed the adoption papers right before I came to your aid.”

Rainbow paused again, swallowing a big lump before continuing, not even trying anymore to stop the stream of tears clouding her vision.

“Jǫðurr, she’s connected herself to my element. I could feel her crying out for me. I just had to endure the pain I inflicted on the one pony I love most.”

The old unicorn kept silent, instead deciding to move forward. In one long, almost painful looking motion, he lowered himself to the edge of Rainbow’s bed, making sure not to accidentally hurt the mare using his magical senses. Seemingly lost in thought, he brought down his horn to Rainbow Dash’s forehead, a soft white glow emanating from its tip as it made contact with the tender flesh.

A fast array of pictures formed before the pegasus’s inner eye, some of them blurred out by years of imperfect storage, others as sharp as if they came through her own eyes. All of them contained a set of three different ponies. At first, there was only one of them, an earth pony mare of breathtaking beauty with a green coat and shimmering violet eyes. A strange sexual attraction accompanied some of her pictures, mystifying Rainbow as it was not her own sentiment.

Two other ponies entered the pictures; A male, grey, earth pony foal followed by a vivid-green unicorn daughter. Many pictures showed them playing with each other as they slowly grew up into their teens, while others showed them cuddling with their mom.

The stream of happy pictures suddenly stopped, giving way to images of gore and fire that could not be described by words. Rainbow felt the heat singeing her fur, the anger and hatred rising in herself, not just because those feelings were imposed on her. No creature in this world deserved death, especially not in this fashion.

Thankfully, this was where the vision stopped, giving way to the image of the broken stallion next to her, tears emerging freely out of his dead eyes that were staring nowhere in particular.

“I’ve had a family once too,” he started in weak voice very unlike his usual commanding manner. “They all died during a raid of another clan. My wife was decapitated right before my eyes. She’d tried to hide the foals but without success. I found their stiff corpses three days later, deposited like trash in a heap of dead friends.”

He involuntarily raised his voice as he spoke the last words, sparks of energy traveling from his horn to the ceiling where they left black soot stains.

“This is what is considered everyday life here.” He was back to a normal volume, but his words were dripping with sadness. “The orb has been the centre of our quarrels for over three hundred years now. Claims have been made that whoever finds the orb first shall be crowned the ruler over all the clans. And yet, nopony ever found it. Didn’t keep those morons from slaughtering each other to gain the territories they thought it might be in. Never even questioned their bucking methods to find it. This damned nation is so far from harmony that not a single pony for generations could even feel this frigging artifact!”

He was back to shouting, his face distorted by anger and a shaking hoof raised to the air. Only his unmoving yet emotional eyes betrayed the deep sadness within him, showing the broken stallion he really was.

“Rainbow, thanks to you, the orb has left the north. You have sparked a new hope for all of us. Thanks to you, I will live to experience peace for the first time in my very long life.”

The smile that crept on his face for a few seconds looked very out of place on his worn features, inexperience clearly showing and telling a good part about his past. Wearily, he straightened up, directly facing the bedridden mare.

“If there was a way to bring you to your daughter right now. I would do everything I could to make it possible. I would even give my life if it would help. But at the moment, you have to heal. Many have left Blenda's side to join ours, but she still has power in the clans and so does her father who is the chief of a rather large tribe. She was rather well respected, traveling as some kind of ambassador for many years. That’s what made her so valuable to us until her betrayal...

“With her father and her remaining friends, she has closed the border in the vain hope that she could still intercept the orb. The only way through for you is to fly fast in high altitudes, your body dyed another colour. You won’t be able to move for one week, and I fear you won’t be back to proper flying conditions for another two weeks. I am so sorry...”

Rainbow groaned, the feelings of Scootaloo she had just felt through her element returning to her. Life sure was cruel to that poor filly.

“What about that Fliers Sprout I brought?” Rainbow inquired with a weak voice, already suspecting the answer.

“We used it all up. The protective spell we casted on you worked perfectly. We could revive you easily enough, and the wound on your head was only shallow thanks to the magic, but we had to utilise a large amount of energy out of you for the puppet. Your levels were critically low way too often. I feared for you life, so I ordered them to feed you all of it,” Jǫðurr answered in a sad, low voice.

“And the crystal is gone fueling the puppet,” Rainbow added more to herself than to her conversational partner, slowly realising that the stallion was right in his assessment.

The two sat in silence for a little while before Rainbow started to speak again.

“You know that I had brought a year's worth of that herb? That stuff sure is rare.”

“But not as rare as you are.” He slowly got up from the bed again, stretching out his legs a little. “I will leave you to rest a little for now. Know that you are safe here. Yrr and her companions still believe you are dead. If you need anything I can provide, there will be somepony within earshot at all times. Just tell them, and it will be done.”

He moved over to the door, just to stop and turn around again before actually leaving the room.

“I know it’s hard, but try to sleep a little.”

And with that, he was gone.

Reunion

Reunion

“So, how are you feeling today?” A smile on his lips and a plate filled with different variations of hazelnut and oat cookies balanced on his hoof, Dr Staple leaned forward to the orange filly sitting in one of his comfortable red armchairs, offering one of the treats to his patient as he always did at the beginning of a new session.

“Okay I guess,” Scootaloo responded weakly, taking one of the cookies and shoving it into her mouth before she continued to speak, little crumbs from her snack flying through the air. “I still feel pretty bad at times, but it’s not supposed to feel good anyway.”

“No, sadly it isn’t,” the brown earth pony answered after taking down a few notes on his notepad. “Are your nightmares getting better?”

“The sleeping potions Twilight got me are working great. Just ask Twi what happened the night I tried not to use them. I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow, thinking about how to respond to the filly who was just now forcefully avoiding his gaze, small orange hooves stroking unruly violet hair.

Whatever had happened, it hadn’t been good for the already small and beaten ego of the little pegasus. Another obstacle he had to work around, as if there weren’t already enough of them; Abuse, death, and the constant fear of rejection were ingrained in her brain by past experiences.

Suppressing the sigh on his lips, he heaved himself out of his armchair, making his way over to the filly, knowing somewhere deep down that not only verbal consolation was needed, but also a little more intimate solace.

“I’m sure Twilight didn’t mind and will tell nopony.” Having crossed the small distance while speaking, he placed himself on the armrest of Scootaloo’s seating accommodation, drawing the filly towards his side with his now free hooves. “You’re not weak, Scootaloo. Accidents happen. You’re holding up better than I would expect of any filly.”

Letting go of the foal for a few seconds, he reached for the cookies again, taking one for himself and firmly placing another one into the hooves of his small patient. “I know you feel embarrassed, but I swear to you, nopony will ever speak of it again if you don’t. So just forget about it. Okay?”

A nod was as much an answer as he would get, but it was good enough considering the situation. He could as well press on in the vain hope of finding a more happy subject. One that wouldn’t drag him down as much and make Scootaloo happy...

“Is there anything particular you want to talk about today?” he asked, daring once again a closer look at the filly.

There was something about her that made her hard to withstand, and it wasn’t just the visual cuteness she would never admit she possessed. Maybe it was because he felt the need to make up the bad foalhood she had. Maybe it was because he didn’t have foals himself and no other patients her age. He wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter anyway. He felt close to her. That was all that counted.

He had broken the rules so many of his colleagues held dear. He had become close to his patients, Rainbow and Scootaloo.

The past few weeks hadn’t been easy on him, countless nights were spent crying and more than a few days had him wonder if he was still up to the task. Scootaloo, as precious as she was to him, drained his strength with her proximity, leaving him weak and vulnerable during each of their sessions. Yet he could never skip them. They were too important… for both of them.

For a moment, he just looked at the still uneaten cookie in his hoof, sighing heavily before biting into the crisp surface that broke away with a loud crunch. Oat, his favourite. He knew they were great. He had eaten them countless times before, even baking them himself with a recipe from his mother.

Yet today, right at this moment, the flavour never registered on his tongue, his other senses overriding the normally welcome sensation.

Scootaloo’s expression had changed in a most uncommon pattern, her eyes suddenly shooting wide open and her stance shifting upright in contrast to her normal slouching posture. But that wasn’t what nearly literally threw him off the armrest he was still sitting on. It was the word Scootaloo had uttered that accompanied this unusual shift in behaviour. “Rainbow.”

If anything, Dr Staple was a professional of his trade. Still, he only barely managed to remain calm on the outside, his mind racing but finding no logical explanation.

“What exactly do you want to talk about her?” His hoof closed around the half eaten cookie, pieces of oat silently raining to the ground in his tight grip.

“Nonononono... Rainbow’s here. Mom’s coming.” Scootaloo had jumped off her seat as she spoke, or rather squealed, turning her back on the doctor in favour of staring at the window, her buzzing wings creating an uplift now that they were boosted by her magical necklace.

The doctor was at a loss of words. In the twenty years of his career, he had witnessed a lot of different ponies and their varying outbreaks. But this... This came out of nowhere. He had truly believed that Scootaloo was getting better, and, even during her worst times, he would have never expected such a random outbreak. Whatever had triggered this, he needed to bring her back to reality as carefully and gently as possible, and afterwards, maybe have a long talk with Twilight over some calming tea about what exactly had happened during the last week.

Wasting no more time than he already had spent thinking, he sat up and moved over to the filly, carefully placing a hoof on her back.

“I know you wish for this. As do I... But both you and I know the truth. You know this is not true. I am sorry.”

And then... It happened. The world proved him wrong as rainbow coloured spectra flooded across the window.

Normally, he hated being wrong, as his job demanded nothing less than constant correct conclusions and actions to help his patients. At the same time, many nights in his career had been spent sleepless and shuffling in his bed, his mind awake while his body was exhausted. A part of him was always hoping that things would turn out better for his patients.

If anything, he had one wish that was stronger than all the other ones in his life. He hoped that Rainbow could come back. It seemed like the most improbable event of all, the most foolish thing to plead for, but there it was.

Right before his eyes were the vibrant colours of a Sonic Rainboom, a phenomenon of true beauty created by the mare so many ponies had thought lost forever and mourned next to the monument of her grave in remembrance of her deeds. Could it really be?

His life shifted into slow motion as a black pegasus broke through his window, instantly ending all clear-cut thoughts. Thundering sound waves that had probably shattered more than a few additional panes of glass followed her wake, hurting his eardrums.

His office wasn’t small nor was it filled up with too much furniture, but it had never been designed to fly in.

An armchair was knocked aside with great force, crashing against the wall where it left a hole in the thin layer of the no longer wallpapered wood before dropping to the ground again. His ceiling didn’t fare much better, assaulted by a metal tray that only seconds ago had hosted several bottles of various drinks. The fluids soaked into his expensive carpet, while the metal disk dug into the structure.

None of this mattered, only the filly under his care did. The one that was only milliseconds away from impacting with the intruder as he could see out of the corner of his eye from his hiding position low on the floor. Strangely calm in his thoughts and automated in his movements, he spun around, his basic instincts assessing the situation far more effectively than conscious thoughts ever could.

Strong black hooves snatched the filly from the ground, drawing her into an instant tight embrace. No longer propelled by any of the participants, the newly-formed pegasus ball crashed onto the ground, the black mare cushioning the fall for her smaller counterpart. A crimson streak appeared on the floor, tracing the movement caused by leftover momentum that sent them slithering to the nearest wall.

He would never forget the scene that now unfolded right before his eyes. Not in a year. Not in a hundred years.

Scootaloo had crawled up into the black mare’s embrace, pressing her muzzle against the other pegasus’s cheek, all the while pleading to the mare to never leave her again. Little droplets of tears emerged freely from their eyes, intermixing with each other, gathering black dye or mixing with red blood on their path to the ground.

Exceptional as the situation already was, that wasn’t what made it so special. He knew those facial features. He had believed to never see them again as had the filly who had recognized them before him. Rainbow looked a lot older now. Her features were weathered by the events of the past weeks, fading dye and the uneven stitching of the newly opened wound on her cheek doing their best to disguise the mare she was.

However, no amount of damage to her once perfect style could mask her emotions. He couldn’t remember if he had ever seen Rainbow this happy. Her expression was one of pure content, one of a baby feeding off a mother’s breast.

Scootaloo was just the same, all of life’s wishes fulfilled in a single moment. She had her mother back. She had learned to fly. And, unbeknownst to her, where only moments ago had been bare orange fur, was now a colourful mark.

It was just too perfect to believe.

Unsure of what to do, he inched closer to the pair, one step at a time, carefully phrasing his next sentence in his mind before speaking out loud.

“Thank you for coming back, Rainbow.” A tear of joy was running down his cheek as well now. “Name what I can do for you, and it shall be done.”

Rainbow didn’t let go of Scootaloo or even look at him, instead intensifying the already crushing hug before responding. “I’ve got my daughter. What else could I need?” As gentle as only a parent can, she nuzzled her very own filly. “I'll never leave you again. I promise, Squirt, I promise. I never wanted to hurt you. Every day I thought of you. Just wanted to hold you in my hooves. Feel your warmth against me...”

Rainbow had closed her eyes, seemingly relishing the feeling she had just described. “Even the princesses can’t make me go again. I hope you can forgive me.”

There was no need to answer this question. The way she clung to her mother, the way she returned every small affectionate gesture with another one, was already enough to tell that there was nothing to forgive, as though nothing wrong had been done in the filly’s mind.

It was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen in his life. He had long thought these two were made for each other, some strange bond connecting them even before they knew each other. Now he had the proof right before his eyes. The way they acted together already gave that away, but they had behaved like that for as long as he knew them. It was the imagery on their flanks that validated it for good, the unsuspecting pair still oblivious to the recent development.

He was going to change that, and he was proud he could, although it should not be by his doing that the filly would notice, and there was one point he had to make sure beforehand.

With deliberately slow steps and a content smile etched in his face, he inched further forward to Rainbow, taking his time to scan every aspect of her body: Her feathers were ruffled. Her once glorious mane was dull and ragged, cut short with blunt tools and worn out by the alkaline dye. Her tail had suffered the same fate, but as bad as this might have looked, it was just hair, it would regrow.

The same thing could not be said about the large cut on her side, now oozing blood out of the parts where the crude metal staples had teared up the skin again as a result of the impact. Only by chance, he guessed, the long row of them lining up Rainbow’s hind leg had served their purpose of keeping the sides of the long cut connected.

Dropping himself to the floor, the doctor brought his muzzle next to Rainbow’s ears, whispering in the mare’s ear to avoid unsettling the filly on top of her.

“You look badly hurt. I will get a doctor for you while you enjoy your daughter. You should have a look at her flank while I am gone.”

Having made his point, he retracted his head, righting himself up again to his hooves in a swift, well-trained motion, not wanting to disturb the pair any longer than absolutely necessary.

However, he couldn’t even finish his first step on his way out of the demolished room. A patched black and cyan hoof was tugging on his tail, hindering him in his movement.

“I had to ask Twi where Scootaloo is. You know the egghead. Give her two more minutes, and I bet not only a doctor but also a constructive worker will be here. Thanks for everything.”

With obvious strain in her features, and a suppressed scream pressed through her teeth, Rainbow righted herself up to lean against the wall behind her, not even once separating herself from her foal in the process.

If asked a moment ago, Dr Staple would have sworn that it was physically impossible to smile even brighter than Rainbow had in this moment. Now he knew he would have been wrong in this statement, as an expression of pure pride crept over the mare’s face upon sight of the brand new cutie mark: a white cloud emitting a tricolour lightning bolt, an exact copy of her own cutie mark, except the red, yellow, and blue had been replaced by different shades of purple.

“You really are my daughter, aren’t you?” She placed a light kiss on the filly’s forehead before gently nudging the foal to look at her own backside. “It’s nearly as cool as mine, isn’t it?”

Cutie Mark Crusader meetings were always loud, painful to the ears for all but the participating fillies themselves. Shouting was part of their routine, from start to end, not forgetting the frustrated outcries when realisation hit them that once more there were no new colours on their flanks.

Now that the moment was finally there for one of them, not a single sound escaped Scootaloo, her head alternating back and forth between her flank and Rainbow’s proud gaze in a rapid pattern, right until she let out an exhausted sigh and dropped snoring on her mother’s chest.

“Isn’t she the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen?” Rainbow asked for the first time truly taking her eyes off the foal to face the doctor.

“Her friends are giving her good competition, but yes.” He allowed himself a low laugh before continuing. “But what does it mean?”

“Those who are born to loyalty are marked with the symbol of the bolt, a trait often combined with athletic speed and military leadership.” Averting her eyes again from the stallion, Rainbow reclined her head against the wall to a more comfortable position than before, speaking more to the ceiling than to anypony specific. “Twi’s rubbing off on me. Now I am citing old books I couldn’t even read without her help.”

Both of them kept silent after that. Rainbow had closed her eyes, the filly on her chest moving up and down with every intake of air, but Rainbow wasn’t sleeping. Reliving an unpleasant memory, her facial muscles twitched, and a new stream of hot tears emerged through closed eyes.

“Tell me what is happening in your thoughts.” Dr Staple had sat down next to Rainbow again, one hoof carefully stroking Rainbow’s shoulder, drawing the mare out of her bad thoughts.

Bloodshot eyes met his gaze, the mare they belonged to speaking slowly and shaken.

“Scootaloo is an Element of Harmony like myself. I’ve felt her twice. She was calling out for me all this time. But I couldn’t answer. We were too far apart, and I was bed-stricken. Just before I broke through the window, I could feel her again. And she felt me… That’s what it means. She’s an Elem—”

Before Rainbow could finish the last words, the door burst open more violently than necessary, destroying the hinges and the wall behind it. A sweating and panting Twilight entered, two medical ponies trailing behind and heading directly to Rainbow, two heavy sets of medical equipment floating next to them in Twilight’s purple aura.

“Here comes my mare in shining armour,” Rainbow Dash smiled at Twilight. “You forgot the construction worker, but I am going to let this slip for now.”

Epilogue: Scarred

Epilogue: Scarred

“So, how is life with Twilight so far?” Dr Staple let himself fall into one of his brand new anthracite coloured armchairs, waiting for his conversational partner to do the same before pushing his trademark tray of cookies towards her.

“Same as the last three weeks after I returned. She’s great. Wouldn’t know what to do without her.” Rainbow couldn’t help but smile, thinking about the mare she had grown so fond of and who had so generously opened her house to them so that they didn’t have to be alone. “Remember last time I told you I had problems waking up at night despite Zecora’s potions?”

“You did, and you mentioned that this hadn’t occurred as frequently while you were sharing a bed with Scootaloo, but that you understandably didn’t want her to see you when you woke up from a flashback.” He had taken out his notebook just in case, but hadn't even opened up to the first page.

“Right. We found a solution. I am sharing a bed with Twilight. It... hmm… just happened one night, and it’s working great. Don’t get me wrong, the nightly flashbacks are still there… And are as horrible as ever… But having her there... It’s just wonderful… She knows how to calm me down.” Eying an exceptionally large chocolate chip cookie on the tray in front of her, Rainbow reached out for it, slowly munching on it while waiting for a reply.

“I guess congratulations are in order. You know that Scootaloo has been waiting for two weeks for you two to make it official?”

Rainbow took another bite of her cookie, savouring the flavour while recalling the events of the last few weeks.

“I wasn’t even sure myself two weeks ago. She’s smart isn’t she?”

“Very much so. And Rainbow...” He made sure to create eye contact so his message would gain the weight it needed. “this is the reason why you can’t keep your problems from her. She’s heard you scream at night. She’s noticed that you don’t leave the house unless absolutely necessary. You need to talk to her.”

Rainbow closed her eyes for a moment, sighing heavily and, for once, forgetting to chew. “Do I really have to?”

“What does Twilight do when you wake up at night?” He took a cookie himself and bit into it, a sly grin forming on his lips.

“She usually draws me into an embrace and talks to me...” Looking up for affirmation, Rainbow couldn’t help but notice his expression. “You so like to be right, don’t you?” The pegasus averted her eyes to the ground, one hoof stroking a strand of her rainbow coloured mane. “You know I didn’t really mean it. It’s hard, you know.”

The smile faded out of the doctor’s face, regret animating the now active muscle parties. That wasn’t what he had wanted to imply at all. He had screwed up this one for sure, and now it was high time to correct this mistake.

Heaving himself out of the far too comfortable cushioning, he made his way over to Rainbow, gently lifting up her head with a hoof under her chin until their gazes met. Like many ponies he knew, Rainbow’s eyes were always full of emotion, often betraying the cool shell the pegasus had built around her if you just knew what to look for. Right now, the shell was almost gone, but her eyes still remained the best window to her inner thoughts, spelling a deep sadness residing in the mare.

Intensifying their eye contact, he began to speak slowly, making sure that every word hit home.

“You are a great mother. Scootaloo loves you, and so does Twilight. Nopony would ever question that. Nopony. I knew you would have talked to Scootaloo anyway. I just wanted you to see yourself just how important talking was. She needs you to vent her own fears, much as you need Twilight to vent yours.”

He let go of Rainbow, but remained close to her, placing his rump on the jet-black coffee table behind him but making sure to avoid the glass pane that made up the centre of it.

“Do you want a break? Anything to drink?” He gestured over to a big consortium of different bottles that lined up on an oaken cabinet standing next to the white panelled wall ornaments.

“You just want to show off your new mini-bar,” Rainbow interjected, giving her best smile to the stallion, although it wasn’t much.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you wrecked my practice,” he teased back, dearly hoping that Rainbow would get the joke.

“And Princess Celestia sure didn’t hold back. You got the most expensive stuff in here,” she replied.

“You are wrong there.” He made his way over to the cabinet, pouring two glasses of Apple Family light cider. “I actually had to negotiate Princess Celestia down. She had offered to build up a full new building for my needs. We could have had our sessions in a whirlpool.”

Balancing the precious fluids on his head, he returned to his place, hoofing over the drink to the waiting mare. The sad smile on her face told him he had done the right thing.

“Have a sip. I know you love this stuff.”

“This stuff, you call it, comes right after Scoots and Twi.” She took a long sip, closing her eyes, as she visibly savoured the flavour on her tongue, swishing the liquid from left to right in her mouth.

“I don’t want to advise you to become an alcoholic, but if enjoying the flavour helps, you should have a glass when you feel like it. I am sure Applejack will make you some.” He lifted his own glass up into the air, watching the surface glistening in the evening sun before partaking as well. “I sure understand why you like it.”

Taking her time, Rainbow brought the glass to her mouth again, appreciatively tilting the glass just enough for a few drops to bathe her tongue. “Now that is some medicine I like for once. Much better than this horrible ointment for my wounds.” Rainbow’s fur bristled just at the sheer mentioning of the salve, making her look ridiculously fluffy.

“Speaking of it, I can barely even see the scars anymore. Except the one on your cheek, that is. Can’t the doctors do anything about that one?”

A low knock emanated from the table as glass met with the wooden surface. Rainbow’s expression had gotten serious again.

“I chose to keep this scar. You can’t see posttraumatic stress disorder, but you can see this.” Her hoof traced along the ragged edge of the tissue.

“I just hope you won’t come to regret this decision.” He took another long draught out of his glass, all the while scanning Rainbow’s expression for signs of uncertainty. Her eyes were unwavering. As was her voice.

“I have talked this through with Twi. The ponies need a reminder that there’s still a lot of hardship in the lands around Equestria. The scar will even show in my Wonderbolt outfit. It’ll be on all promotional items.”

Again, Rainbow was absentmindedly feeling the tissue with her hoof, leaning forward far over the small coffee table, using the reflections of the glass before her as a makeshift mirror.

“You never cease to amaze me, Rainbow,” Dr Staple retorted. “You and Scootaloo. No matter what happens, you two just press on. Do you know when you will return to the Wonderbolt Academy?”

A smirk on her face, Rainbow righted herself up again, facing the stallion. “Oh, I am not going back there.”

Dr Staple frowned. “How so? I thought this was the only way into the team?”

“I was promoted to Marshal of the Air Force right before I went north, cause I had to be able to launch an instant interception mission and the like. She currently doesn’t report to me, but I’m Spitfire’s boss. Kinda kills the whole cadet thing.” Struggling a little with the cushions, Rainbow stood up from her armchair and made her way to the window, watching the ponies outside going unperturbed through their everyday life as she continued to speak. “With all the media coverage, they can’t afford not to have me in the team. They will wait until I am officially back on duty and then just ask.”

“Do you sometimes envy other ponies?” He had remained seated, closely observing every movement of his patient.

“Sometimes… Yes...” Rainbow paused to look at a light-red stallion outside playing with a young green filly that shared his mane colour. “But it is kind of cool to influence other ponies. Did you know that adoption rates are at an all time high since I took in Scoots?”

“I did know that, yes.” There wasn’t much left in his glass, so he just downed it. “It’s just one of the many things you did for this nation.”

No longer finding any solace from the outside, Rainbow turned to the doctor, yet not facing him, eyes averted to the ground. “And yet I’m the one suffering.”

The room remained silent after that, both ponies at a loss of words for the moment. Dr Staple couldn’t tell what Rainbow was currently thinking. He tried to read the mare, but he had never seen this particular expression on her. It was mixture of discomfort and determination, her eyes were closed, but her mouth was rapidly switching expressions.

She was reliving something, and, if he was going to help her, he had to know exactly what was going on in her. “Please let me be part of your thoughts.”

Inhaling deeply and exhaling in a long stream, she opened her eyes, this time locking her gaze to the doctor’s.

“I was thinking about Jǫðurr. He sent a message to the princesses. He got the clans to meet up and convinced them to set up a council of elders that could pass laws and resolutions. He’s asked for scholars who could advise them. And he’s asked for me to come as well...”

Whereas her posture had been low and slumped until now, she was now standing straight. Her toned body radiating an inner strength that only few ponies could convey.

“I am not gonna do it.” She trotted back to her seat, almost throwing herself back into the armchair. “I’m spent. It’s time for others to take on things for a while. I need a break. And so does Scoots.”

Dr Staple’s mouth stood wide agape, but he caught himself fast enough.

“I’ve never been prouder of the progress of one of my patients than right now.” He didn’t have to fake the huge smile on his lips. “How about I treat you to some more cider, and we can talk about some great ways you can enjoy yourself with your new family during this break?”

Rainbow nodded subtly. “It’s a deal.”

Author's Note

So the second part is over... A little short, I know, but the story I wanted to tell is done and there is no reason to expand it. Instead, I want to focus on my other stories. Eventually, there will be a third part of this series, set a few years after this one. So just keep watching.

Also, I'm working on another scootadopt. So if the fandom still exists after season 4, I will be here to entertain you again with a little less taxing topic. (It still will be serious.)

Let me thank you all for reading the Guardian of Many Hues and Lonely Mountains. Back when I created the concepts for both stories I only did so because I felt the need to write them. I hadn't created any fiction before, nor did I think I would be good at it. I'm not even a native English speaker. I just wrote because I found it helped me cope with all the bad stuff happening in my life. It was only when I had the Guardian done and started writing on Lonely Mountains that I thought maybe other people would enjoy the stories as well. So I started all over, revising the Guardian until I thought it was good enough for proofreading. Not to mention that actually getting it proofread was a rather lengthy process, with more than 3 proofreaders bailing on me. Kevinltk's fast and great work on Lonely Mountains was a pleasant surprise for me.

That so many of you out there liked it took me by surprise. A good surprise for sure. Thank you all out there for your support. Your likes mean a lot to me, as do my stories and my favourite ponies.