Of Loyalty and Loveby Pizzema ForteChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1A shrill, loud whine came from Rainbow’s right. She let out an irritated grunt as the noise pierced through her mind. Her cyan hoof waved madly as she attempted to silence the vexation of an alarm clock. Even after repeatedly hitting the clock enough to silence it, the loud ringing lingered in her head. The pegsasus’ pink eyes finally opened and focused on the object that had so rudely awaken her. “9am?...” Rainbow Dash murmured quietly to herself. Finally, the pony sat straight up. Her multicolored-mane stuck up in all directions. Crusties formed in the corners of her droopy eyes, which were highlighted with dark bags. As unmotivated as she felt, she crept silently out of her comfortable bed. Over half of Ponyville was probably waking up, and her boss had strictly demanded there be not a single cloud in the sky that morning. She wasn’t about to risk making the ill-tempered stallion upset again. Rainbow ventured downstairs to her kitchen. The room wasn’t large at all. The upper walls were aligned with six feet of cabinets. There was an oven in the center with four burners on top of it. There was a small fridge to the left of the stove, decorated in old pictures of family and friends. She passed by the white, magnetic surface and grinned like she did every morning. Although she didn’t normal eat when she first awoke, she had a job, and she needed the energy. Rainbow opened the fridge. There wasn’t a ton of food: a few bags of different vegetables and fruits, along with some fruit juices. She grabbed an apple and quickly starting munching on it. She tried hard not to concentrate on the hard work day before her as she poured a glass of orange juice. “Stupid boss…” She grumbled to herself as she swished down a large gulp of the tangy juice. “Making me get up early and do stupid weather jobs.” She finished her apple down to the very core and disposed of the remaining immediately before a loud knock came from her front door. She didn’t hesitate a moment to answer it. Rainbow greeted the grey pegasus with a smile. “Mornin’ Derpy.” Derpy grinned. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” She pulled a small cluster of letters from her saddle bag and said in a muffled voice. “These came for you.” Rainbow gratefully took the mail. “Thanks Derpy.” Rainbow shut the door and by habit examined the mail. Same old stuff she always got: bill, bill, advertisement, bill, hosp- “Hospital?” Rainbow stared at the blue envelope in confusion for almost a minute. Her name was written neatly in cursive with her address. She never received letters from the hospital. She didn’t owe them money from an injury. Finally, she decided to rip it open with her teeth and read it. It was written in black ink. In big letters at the top it read; “To Miss Rainbow Dash.” She was instantly enthralled and continued reading aloud. “We are sorry to inform you of the passing of Mister Rainbolt…..” That was the first line after the greeting, and her eyes already grew wide. Her jaw dropped agape. She could hardly comprehend what she’d just read. Tears swelled in her eyes, as only instinct drove her to read further. “He passed away yesterday, the 15th of April. His funeral has been arranged to be held April 18th at Vermillion Gardens in Cloudsdale at approximately 11am…” Tears now flowed from her eyes and she choked on the words as she continued reading. “H-his death w-was-s caused by…” She sniffled, struggling to read the rest. “A weather acid-dent… H-his ch-chest was crushed beneath a-a b-boulder….” Rainbow didn’t want to read the rest. That was final. She tore the letter in half and ran up to her room, a wet, sobbing mess. She stuffed her head in a pillow on her bed. Droplets of salty tears stained her pillow. “D-daddy…” was all she could say, and is what she kept repeating for at the entire time she was crying. Rainbow didn’t come out of her house for two whole days. She remained heartbroken in her chamber, looking at a large photo album of pictures of her and her father. There were photos of when she was only an infant up until the last time he saw him; five months prior to then. They met up at a restaurant and caught up with each other. She never imagined that’d be the last time she’d see him. She’d barely ate or slept since the news was brought to her. Hell, she didn’t even go to work like she was supposed to. She didn’t care if she were fired or not, though. Through all the glum and misery, she still made it to her father’s funeral. She didn’t own that many clothes, but she were a black scarf tightly around her neck, and a black skirt just to hide her flank and vibrant tail. She remembered Vermillion Gardens. It’s where he taught Rainbow to fly. She’d always hold this location close to her then shattered heart. The broken pegasus took a seat in the small cluster of attendees. There was only her, her only living grandparent, a couple of Rainbolt’s close friend and coworkers, her aunt and uncle, and the host of the funeral. He walked onto the stage slowly. He was an older pony with a gray, thinning mane and tail, He wore large, round glasses and a small, black bowtie. “We’re gathered here today to mourn for our dear loss. Rainbolt was a loving friend, father, and citizen of this fair country.” Rainbow got teary-eyed at the word ‘father’ but tried hard to stay strong. The last thing she wanted to do was have an emotional panic in front of the small crowd. She looked at the ground and tried not to remember all the good times. Everything the host said beyond that point was blocked out. She was trying too hard not to let out tears. “Would anypony like to say a few words about our deceased friend?” was the last line that came through clearly to Rainbow. The small crowd all put their heads up. Had they all gone through a prayer without Dash realizing? A light-brown coated stallion raised his hoof to volunteer. “If I may?” The old pony stepped back with a smile, allowing the stallion room to speak. He stepped up a few wood steps and stood directly in front of his friend’s casket. He cleared his throat, and a deep, but soothing voice emerged from his mouth. “Rainbolt was a good friend of mine… We used to work together in the same factory, and we’d occasionally get together on the weekends… We were pretty close, and when I found out about what happened…” Even the gruff-looking stallion was restraining tears. “I-It really…upset me… He was a good guy, and he had a lotta life ahead of him.” He wiped a tear from his eyes took in a breath. “That’s it…” Rainbow watched as the stallion galloped off the stage. She felt like bursting into tears. There wasn’t a way in the world she could present herself on the platform. She’d explode into a volatile mess of tears no doubt. The next pony to go up to the stage was her aunt Voletta Dash. Her coat was a light shade of purple and her mane was light purple, pink, white, and cyan. She had Rainbolt’s yellow eyes and mellow attitude. She stood in the same places Rainbolt’s dear friend was just standing. “As Rainbolt’s sister… I’d have to say, I looked up to him most of my life. He was my older brother… He meant a lot to me.” She put her head down as she continued. “I remember when I was eleven and he was fifteen, he snuck me out of the house when I was grounded and took me to an ice cream parlor. Our parents were pretty mad, but it was worth it… I loved him a lot. I just…didn’t expect he’d be taken out of this world so early…” She sniffled, and one could easily tell she was sobbing. “I…wish he were back…” Rainbow’s aunt ran off the stage rather quickly, and didn’t go back to where she was sitting, but far away. The funeral was outside, so she couldn’t simply exit a building to go up and weep. Rainbow would’ve done the same thing if she weren’t too afraid of making a scene. Only a couple more ponies said a few words, but Rainbow was too broken to speak. How she ever planned to solder her cracked heart, she had no clue. Rainbow was waiting for a moment alone with her father, and she surprisingly didn’t have to wait much longer. Within another fifteen minutes, everypony left. Rainbow was sitting alone in the chair she chose since the beginning. The funeral host looked at the pegasus in concern. “Miss? Are you alright?” Rainbow only sniffled and wiped her eyes of a few tears. “M-may I have a moment alone with my daddy?” The elderly stallion nodded and left the area slowly. The moment he was gone, Rainbow slowly walked up the wooden steps to her father’s casket. It was constructed of a glassy, smooth material and shone a hue of dark blue. The casket had been currently closed and had a small bouquet of flowers resting on the lower half. Rainbow knew she’d break down and her emotions would take control, but she did it anyway. She placed her hooves on the upper half of the casket, swallowed a large amount of air, and with closed eyes lifted the heavy top. Her heart wasn’t prepared for what she was about to see. She didn’t know why she tortured herself like this. Slowly, the shattered pegasus lifted her eyelids upon the sight and without another second to pass, she broke into a swarm of tears. She wrapped her hooves tightly around her father’s empty shell. She pressed her tear-stained face against his and cried uncontrollably. Tears streamed out heavily and she could barely contain herself. “D-daddy… Daddy, no…I love you… “ Rainbow lent down and kissed her dad’s cheek. The warmth she remembered being in his face had vanished completely. It felt cold and unwelcoming, but she couldn’t care less. She kissed him again and again and kept his not responding body secure in her hooves. “Please Daddy… Please come back…” She took in deep breaths and sniffles in between phrases. “I love you so much… please come back… I’ll do anything…” She wasn’t quite sure who she was begging. She was simply calling out to anypony that could help. She wasn’t expecting a response, but surprisingly, she received one. A familiar laugh echoed around her and forced her ears erect. “Oh, poor, poor Rainbow Dash. Lost her father to the cruelty of the world, and is desperate to get him back. How depressing.” The familiar voice seemed to be almost mocking her. Rainbow lifted her heavy head up and looked around, searching for the source of the noise. She was too depressed for her cocky, defensive attitude to emerge. “Hello? Is anypony there?” She asked in a weak voice. The answer came when a small cloud of white smoke encircled the casket and Rainbow as a whole. She watched silently. She didn’t feel afraid, but a bit confused. That’s when it happened. A clustered chaotic body emerged from the smoke. The draconequus emerged with a smile. “Ah, Rainbow. I haven’t seen your face since I was reformed.” Rainbow glared at Discord. “Whadda you want?” She asked with a sniffle. “This isn’t a good time, ya know!” Discord smiled. “Oh, but it is. You see, I can help you with a gift in exchange.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about.” Discord let out a little laugh. “Oh, Rainbow. Don’t underestimate me. Us draconequi are very, very powerful. I did just happen to overhear you say you’d do anything to have your precious Daddy back.” Rainbow gaped in shock. “You can…You can bring him back?” She wiped her remaining tears and not another one shed. Discord simply nodded to answer. “But, on the condition you help me with something.” A little gleam of hope sparkled in the pony’s eye. “Yes, anything… J-Just bring him back, please…” Discord smiled mischievously and flicked the finger on the back of his tail. The two were instantly transported to a rather large chamber filled with oddities and strange decorations. Shelves bordered the walls and had all sorts of collectables on them. In the far right corner, though, was a hallow mold. It was shaped like Discord, only a tad smaller and with a seemingly more feminine structure. In the two arm areas there was a wolf paw and the claw of an alligator. The body was filled with a brown strip of fur, and the tail seemed almost dolphin like. The two hind legs were constructed from a cow and a sheep. There was a deer antler at the head part, along with what seemed like a long unicorn horn. One wing was feathered and red, and the other was nothing but an empty slot. Discord pointed to it with a grin. “You see, Rainbow Dash. I’m the only draconequus left in existence. I’m hoping to create another one so that we may breed and bring our race back into the world. I know what you’re thinking; this is just a scheme to gain power and take over Equestria. That’s not what this is about. No, my aspirations are to create a world where draconequi and ponies can live peacefully side-by-side. What do you say?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow to Discord once again. “How do you expect me to help you with this?” “I knew this was coming. As you probably know, draconequus are known for having all sorts of animals mixed into us. As funny as it may seem, we cannot properly function if we’re made up of two parts from the same animal. And as you can clearly see, I’m lacking one wing.” Rainbow took a step back and repulsed at the words. “Y-you…want…my wings?” her voice squeaked. “Well, naturally. I truly hate nearly killing some animals to take their limbs. But don’t you worry. I promise, I’ll make this quick and painless. Just like when I took them the first time I encountered you ponies.” “Y-you… You can’t have them! No way!” She folded her wings tightly against her back and cowered. “Oh, well. I guess you’ll just have to get over your father’s death as time goes on.” Rainbow quickly stopped him. “No! Wait!” Discord gave her his attention. “Yes?” Rainbow gulped. “I-If I give you my wings… my dad gets a second chance to be alive?” Discord nodded. “And nopony will remember he even died. It’ll be as if it never happened.” The draconequus’ description was exactly what she was hoping and praying for. She knew deep in her heart that she’d gladly depart with her wings to see her father again for five minutes, but she was also aware that her entire life would change. She’d need a new job, new house, and her cutie mark would seem out of place. She hadn’t the slightest clue what she was going to do in life, but she took in a deep breath, and almost on impulse spit into her hoof and held it out with to shake. “Deal…” Chapter 2Rainbow took in a deep inhale. Her heart vigorously pounded against her chest. She slowly placed one hoof in front of the other, stepping closer to the draconequus. Her body tensed and her eyes trembled. She was about to give up the most wonderful earthly item she possessed. Her beautiful, cyan wings. Her breathing intensified. “O-okay…I’m ready…. Take ‘em…” With the snap of Discord’s talon, Rainbow’s prized, feathered beauties vanished. It was completely painless, but having an empty void in place of a body part felt very strange, and was definitely going to be difficult to get used to. Rainbow turned her head and examined her bare back. Not even having wings to flap or the ability to fly slowly sunk into her mind. She temporarily forgot her wonderful end of the deal. “So I’m an earth pony, now, huh?” Rainbow muttered to herself in gloom. “Actually, you’re a wingless pegasus. Earth ponies have a deep connection with nature, and are stronger than any other race.” Discord corrected, after overhearing her mumbles. Rainbow sighed and lowered her head. She felt almost useless. A wingless pegasus? “Oh, don’t be sad now, at least you have your daddy back.” Now remembering why her wings were even disregarded of, her ears perked up and her eyes now glimmered. “He…He’s alive…” A wide grin formed on her face. “He’s alive!” Discord found humor in the pony’s realization and nodded. “And because you seem to be missing your wings, I don’t suppose you’ve thought of a way to even talk to your dad, considering his house is in the sky.” It was true. Rainbow hadn’t thought ahead and realized contacting her dad wasn’t going to be easy. “Ah, man… You’re right…” Discord brought his tail under Rainbow’s chin and lifted it up surprisingly gently and smiled at her. “But at least you’re still technically a pegasus, so you can walk on clouds.” “Well…yeah… I could just take a balloon up there or something… Heck, I may not even have to get a new place.” Although Rainbow’s paradigms were positively shifting, she still felt uncomfortable in her wingless body. “And I could still fly with one of Pinkie’s silly contraptions. Or a spell from Twilight. If she could give Rarity a set of wings, I don’t see why she couldn’t give me a pair.” Rainbow was already feeling better about her situation. Positive thinking was definitely beneficial. “How about we just steer away from thoughts of the future for a bit. Don’t you have somepony you should be seeing?” “Yeah, I know… I just don’t know exactly how I’ll get there yet. I mean, he lives all the way in central Cloudsdale.” “Oh, Rainbow. You still underestimate me. You always have. Let’s not forget how poorly you treated me when you had your doubts I’d be reformed.” Rainbow blushed. “Y-yeah…” She brought her hoof to the back of her head and rubbed her neck. “Sorry about that…” Rainbow wasn’t one to apologize, but after today, she had a good reason to. Thinking back made her believ that she may have been a bit mean to him. “Well, anyway, I think it’d be best you leave at this point. I have a little project I need to attend to…” He smiled at the pegasus and flicked the hand at the end of his tail. “Arrivederci!” With that, Rainbow saw a quick flash and in less time than she could blink, she was in a new location. She stood before a one-story cloud house. There was a small, gray mailbox at the front of the yard and the house was bordered by fencing. The front door was white and there were two small windows on either side of the door. Dash recognized this house immediately. It was the home she grew up in. The house her father remained in his entire life. At this moment, her heart gained speed. Her eyes watered a bit. She didn’t understand what had made her so emotional at that moment, but she was. She knew her dad was in there, living, breathing, and existing. That very thought made her giddy. She took in a very deep breath and approached the door. “Be calm, Rainbow….” She told herself. “You’re about to see him again. Don’t act too outrageous… You don’t want him to suspect anything… Or scare him.” Rainbow took in another deep breath and tapped her hoof against the front door several times. Her heart felt like it could have exploded as it throbbed heavily. “Coming!” She heard a soft, but masculine voice call from inside. Rainbow smiled widely and her eyes twinkled. He really was alive. This was beyond fantastic. Rainbow’s heart nearly exploded when the light purple-coated stallion opened the door. His multihued mane was worn in a similar style to his daughter’s. His eyes were yellow-gold. He seemed a bit shocked and confused to see his daughter. “Rainbow, what are y-“ He didn’t have time to finish. The moment Rainbow saw him she threw both her hooves around his neck and burst into tears. “Oh my gosh, Daddy! I love you so, so much! I love you! I love you!” Tears rolled down her face as she nuzzled her head into his furry chest. The stallion took a step back. “That’s….nice, Rainbow. I love you, too. Just didn’t expect to see you today… And I especially didn’t expect to…see….you….” He paused a moment, and Rainbow felt his hoof on her bare back, then gasped. She didn’t even know what to say about her missing wings. Why didn’t she think ahead? “R-rainbow….Where are your wings…?” Rainbow brought her hoof to her eyes and wiped them of tears. She sniffled hard to suck in the runs of her nose. “Well…I, uh…” Her mind couldn’t come up with a plausible excuse. As hard as she tried, nothing came to mind. “I, uh… I got… into a…my… They got infected…and they had to be amputated or it could’ve killed me.” The quickest excuse she could come up with seemed reasonable enough. Her father looked down, his eyes seemed saddened. “Wow…that sucks…a lot.. What are you going to do?” Rainbow shrugged. “I haven’t really thought it out yet…But I just thought I should pay you a visit, you know…Just out of random.” Her father was still a bit too confused over the whole ‘losing her wings’ fib. It almost made him sad to see his own daughter in such a state. “Rainbow… Maybe you should stay with me a while… I mean, this must be depressing. I’m surprised you seem even a tad bit happy…” Stay with him a while? How could she refuse that offer? She missed him so dearly, and there was so much she wanted to tell him. There was so much that invaded her mind when he died. Half of it was relating to all the things she should have told him or never got the chance to. Now, she could tell him anything she wanted or needed to. “I’d love to spend some time with you. I mean, we haven’t seen each other in a while. And I need something to get my mind off the whole infection thing. I’ve been trying not to think about it.” Her father simply nodded. He didn’t seem happy at all and Rainbow could see the glistening in his eyes. Rainbow welcomed herself in and heard the front door shut behind her. The fluffy cloud floor beneath her felt nice under her hooves. She examined the house she’d once called home when she was a little filly. It seemed much larger when she was young. Her head turned ninety degrees and met eyes with her father. They were shimmering with a glaze of salty water. “Awe, Daddy… Don’t feel bad. I’ll be okay.” She put her hoof around him and her head in his chest. He returned the hug. “I know, I know…I just… You used to practice so hard with those wings. They were your pride and passion… I hate seeing you lose all that… I remember those long nights you’d stay out just to train…” Rainbow lowered her eyes. It was all true. She did give up a lot to keep her father alive. He meant a lot to her, but every dream she ever had, her job, her passion, and her pride were all gone. Discord had made a rather cruel deal, but it would have been unfair to not give him something in return. “Trust me, Dad. It was for a life.” Rainbow tried to purge her inner anguish and focus on the stallion that meant enough to sacrifice her wings for. She forced a smile, and he grinned back with sad eyes. “So…” Rainbow started, trying to get them off the topic. “How about we do something? You know: Watch a movie? Hang out? Catch up?” Rainbolt’s smile became more genuine. “That sounds nice. We haven’t seen each other in months.” The first two hours of Rainbow’s visit, the two did nothing but talk. Rainbow talked about how she helped book the Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire, what Daring Doo book she was on, some gossip she heard about her friends, her adopted sister Scootaloo, and a few more miscellaneous topics that came to her head. Rainbolt told her about work, a few of his friends and family members, some things he was working on outside of his job, old memories, and as Rainbow, a few random things that came to his mind. The whole conversation they completely avoided any topic to do with flying: the Wonderbolts, weather, or flying itself. Rainbow had never felt closer to her dad, and had never felt more grateful to have him next to her. “Dad…” Rainbow said during the very end of their long chat. “I…I just wanted to say thank you for everything. You’ve always been here for me, and I love you very much… You know I’ve looked up to you since I was a little filly. I have a lot of respect for you…” Rainbolt smiled, and scoot himself closer to his daughter. They were sitting on his long, light blue couch. He outstretched his left wing and wrapped it securely around his Rainbow’s body. His heart felt warm and tingly from her words. She wasn’t great with expressing her feelings, especially verbally, so hearing that meant a lot to him. “I love you, too, Sweetheart… I always will.” Normally, Rainbow would have outstretched her wing and wrapped it around him, as well, but not really given the option, she simply nuzzled her head deep into his chest and smiled. She felt his heart beating against his ribcage and his soft fur against her face. “Please never leave again…” She mumbled so silently, only she could her words, and even to her ears, they sounded faint and quiet. Discord smiled at his creation. She was so beautiful, so amazing, and so close to being finished. He grinned, only having a couple steps left. He made his way to the opposite side of the room and opened a wooden drawer of the dresser beside his bed. Inside was an odd collection of objects: some medical tools, writing utensils, a book, and some matches. With his talon, he grabbed a needle. It was rather large, with a long ‘tongue’. It could extract a couple ounces of fluids due to the rather large body. The draconequus took in a deep breath, pushed the button down, and pierced his arm with the sharp instrument. He only cringed as the button came back up, getting a small sample of blood from him. He took the needle out and smiled. “Perfect!” Discord retraced his steps to a large table. An assortment of animal parts and a skull patched with fur laid on it. All the various parts were stitched together with magic. The hardest part of creating her was finding a draconequus skull to use. Although draconequi existed in Equestria long ago, it was rare to even find any signs that there even was a race of them. Fortunately, he knew the location of a village where draconequi used to exist. He picked out a female head, knowing well that he wanted to reproduce and repopulate Equestria with his kin. The chaotic spirit forced the needle into his fellow draconequus and injected the blood. He then deeply began to concentrate and snap his talon. He waited several moments and rested his paw on the chest of his friend. He felt a quiet thump, thump within her. “A heartbeat…” He murmured. “We’re so close.” The draconequus was beautiful in his eyes. Her right arm was a wolf’s paw and her left arm was an alligator’s claw. Her right leg was a sturdy cow leg, and her left was a sheep’s. Her tail was sleek and gray like a dolphin’s, but ended with a pink fluff. One wing was from a hawk, and the other was generously donated from a dear friend of his. On top of her head was a deer antler, and a long, white unicorn horn. She had a full head of dark blue hair. Although her eyes were shut, Discord knew that one pupil would be pink and the other red, with the remainder of the eye glowing yellow. The rest of her body was a very light brown, even lighter than Discord’s, and her body had a feminine structure. From a more internal viewpoint, she had the heart from the lamb, two stomachs from the cow, guts and a digestive system from deer, the brain from the alligator, the lungs from the dolphin, and the reproductive system from the wolf. The blood was from him, but with all the magic inside him, he was able to clone the blood patterns and create enough to fill her body. Anything else in the body he got from any possible source he could. Everything in her body was magically sewn together by Discord. Only one final ingredient before she’d be alive and healthy. Discord took in a deep swallow of oxygen, and touched his lips to his creation’s, then breathed in. He filled her lungs with air then broke away. He watched the body for a good minute, and finally, his creation opened her eyes very slowly. Her vision was at first blurred, but became clearer after blinking a few times. The first thing her micth-matched eyes saw was the face of Discord. “Hello, Strife…” Author's Note The word "strife" is a synonym for discord. Honestly, thinking of the female draconequus' name was quite hard. If you have a better suggestion, please tell me. Until I can think of something better, Discord's creation will be named Strife. Chapter 3White morning light peeked through the blinds and landed on Rainbow’s eyelids. She lifted them slowly and wearily sat up. It was the best night’s sleep she had a long time. Who knew how comfortable sleeping without wings was? Her back rested so easily and sunk into the bed. Rainbow sat up straight and stretched with a yawn. Her back cracked as her hooves reached behind her and touched each other. She looked around the room. A dresser was placed directly across from the bed. Next to her was a night stand with a lamp on top. The walls around her were made of clouds. She sighed happily. She was sleeping in the same bed she did when she was a young filly and teenager. She had to admit, sleeping over at her father’s house as a grown mare with her own home was a tad strange, but she loved it anyway. The cyan mare crept silently out of her bed. That’s when a familiar smell hit her nostrils and made her mouth water. The smell of sweet, powdered sugar and melty chocolate caked in butter. It was the smell that always made her happy to wake up in the morning as a filly. “Chocolate chip pancakes...” She said with a watering mouth. Rainbow opened her door and the smell more powerfully hit her again. She took in a large whiff and sighed. She walked down to the kitchen and saw her dad flipping a pancake with a spatula held firmly in his mouth. “Mornin’, Daddy!” She greeted him with a smile. Rainbolt set the spatula down returned the smile. “Oh, heya Dashie. Hungry?” “Oh my gosh, yes. It smells so good!” Rainbow felt like a little filly again. Waking to pancakes, sleeping in her old room, and calling her dad, “Daddy”. She loved it. Rainbolt grabbed the spatula in his mouth again and scraped under the stubborn pancake before it finally gave in and lifted. He cautiously carried it to a nearby plate and set it down in the center of the plastic saucer. “You have this one. I already ate two.” Rainbow gladly took the plate and sat down at the dinner table. The table had three chairs placed at it. She sat at the same one she always had when she was young. Steam rose off of the delectable pancake. Little chocolate chips were buried in batter. She took in another whiff before lowering her head and taking one bite out of the unhealthy breakfast. The warmness of the pancake filled her mouth as she chewed and she let out a long, “mmmmm…” The soft, gooey chocolate chips meted further, turning into deep, sweet liquid. The powdered sugar added a sweet, lightening flavor. She savored the treat more and more with each bite. Her dad simply chuckled. “You always loved these as a filly.” “I still love ‘em,” Rainbow commented before taking another big bite out of her yummy breakfast. Her dad finally settled at the table after around five more minutes. He served two more pancakes to his daughter, and sat at the other end of the table with only one. How Rainbow-and even Rainbolt-loved and missed little moments like this. They were closer than bark on a tree when Rainbow was growing up. She never had a mother, so it seemed only natural to tightly bond with her father. After only that short amount of time, all of Rainbow’s regrets of her decision had faded. Rainbolt seemed a little awkward at first. He was taking small bites. Rainbow was in too good of a mood to notice. She wasn’t aware anything was wrong until he cleared his throat and spoke to her. “Rainbow… I know that you’ve really enjoyed staying with me, and that you’re going through an emotional-and physical I guess- recovery, but I’m not going to let you stay with me forever.” Rainbow’s pink eyes looked up at him from her pancake. She lifted her head and wiped her bottom lip of melted butter. “I know. You’re a grown stallion, and you need your space. I won’t stay any longer than you want me too. Promise.” Rainbow criss-crossed an X over her chest. Rainbolt wasn’t reassured. He knew his daughter was honest and sincere, but he was also aware of her habit to get a bit too attached to ponies when she was making an emotional recovery. She hated being alone, and seeing as she had no wings, she would have a hard time getting around. Hell, she may not even be able to live in her own home. “Two weeks Rainbow. That’s it.” The cyan pony took another bite out of her pancake and smiled with a nod. Two weeks? She thought. This’ll be a great two weeks! Two weeks…? Rainbolt contemplated within his mind. This’ll be the longest two weeks of my life! “Ugh!” the wingless pegasus grunted as she rolled around in the bonding sheets of her childhood bed. “Why did Daddy have to go to work today?” Rainbow knew she sounded like an immature foal, but then again, almost losing her father and attending his own funeral did make her feel depressed in his absence. Being around him made Rainbow feel as though she was living a miracle. At this point, though, she was bored. She had nothing to do inside, and she didn’t have her wings to go for a short fly and get her heart pumping. She was aware that there were other ways to work out, but her legs were sort of… weak. She was always up in the air, and although walking and running wasn’t uncomfortable, she couldn’t get half way through a work out with her legs. Her thighs, hooves, and legs would burn and ache within ten minutes. Rainbow sat straight up after many failed attempts of trying to nap. The thought of taking a snooze seemed extremely relaxing, but her body simply wanted to stay awake. Last night, her bed felt softer than a cloud. Her body just fell into it and drifted into slumber easily. Now, her mattress felt far too firm and her sheets weren’t as warm and loving. How she ever slept when she was a teenager (or last night, for that matter) was beyond her. She looked around her room trying to think of something to ease her boredom. Her nightstand to the right of her had a lamp and alarm clock set on top of it. Was it still there? She wasn’t sure if her father had moved any of her stuff around after all the years she was gone. Everything seemed untouched looking back on how she left it. She took in a breath and opened the small wooden drawer in the nightstand. The knobs were spherical and wooden, and quite hard to open with only hooves. When the drawer finally slid opened, though, her eyes widened and she gasped. “It’s still…here…” Rainbow’s eyes locked on a blue journal with large, white horizontal stripes. There was a white ribbon tightly wrapped around it. She would never confess to anypony that she had a diary. She hated reading at the time and didn’t want to be thought of as girly for one moment. Writing, though she hated to admit it, helped her to get out her emotions and write down her deepest and most personal thoughts. Some things she couldn’t tell her dad, but writing them down always cured the need to tell somepony. She didn’t know how she managed to forget the book when she moved out, but she did. Rainbow bit her lip as she wondered for one moment if her father ever took a peak. She purged the thought, though, and decided to have a look herself. She removed the book from its comfy spot in the drawer. Rainbow plopped backwards onto her bed. She flipped opened to random page and read silently to herself. January 5th, 2006. Hey, it’s me again. I’m sorry for not writing in you for almost three months. There just hasn’t been much on my mind. Lately, though… I don’t know. I feel like Daddy hates me. He’s always working and he barely ever talks to me anymore, even on the weekends. Last week I got straight A’s and he didn’t even seem to care. It makes me kinda sad, but I don’t tell him that. I know he’s really busy, especially in January. It’s a new year and his boss always works him extra hard. When he’s not at work, he’s at his desk writing. I don’t know what about, but when I ask he always tells me it’s work related. I’m trying not to think about it, though. I remember when I was 12 and he went through the same phase of ignoring me. He eventually apologized and told me how sorry he was and that he loved me. I’m sure it will happen again. I know he loves me, and I know he’s not trying to make me feel bad. I just can’t wait for this whole thing to blow over… Writing in you has made me feel better. Thanks. I’ll talk to you next time. “Wow….” Rainbow remembered that night vividly now. She had gone up to her dad and asked her if she could spend the weekend at Fluttershy’s. He was sitting at his desk in his room writing something. His response was a series of mumbles, and the only comprehendible words were “I don’t care.” She didn’t know why the words affected her so much, but she immediately went up to her room, closed the door, and wrote down her feelings. She licked her right hoof and turned to the next page. She silently read this entry, hoping it would bring back more positive memories. January 11th, 2006. Hey, Journal. Things have definitely been better since I last wrote in you. I told my dad how I felt and he said he was sorry and he never meant to make me feel bad. He promised to make time for me over the weekend. Like always, Daddy kept his promise. He took me to a park. We bumped into my teacher there, and he made a comment about how well I was doing in class. My dad seemed so proud of me, it felt amazing. After that, he took me for ice cream. It was that old shop across the street from Vermillion Gardens. I haven’t been there since I was a little filly, but the ice cream was just as good as I remember! I got strawberry with chocolate chunks and graham cracker crumbles. Man, did it taste great. Dad got just plain old chocolate. He’s doesn’t like trying new things, I guess. We went home later that day and watched a movie. It was a great day. I haven’t felt this close to Daddy in forever. Thanks for helping me through it, Journal. I love you. Rainbow felt much happier after reading that entry. Her father really was a great stallion. That was a simple fact she’d know until the day she passed. She hugged her journal and thought of all the wonderful memories her and her father shared. The newly born draconequus lifted her head and rubbed her large eyes with a feminine yawn. She stretched out her alligator claw and wolf paw while her entire body curved outward in a stretch. She then stared directly at her creator in wonder. The first words she heard from him were “Hello Strife.” Strife. Was that her name? She felt as though she was meant to be alive, but also was clueless of the world around her. She puckered out her lips and attempted to speak. “Lello…. H-Hello.” She rolled her tongue around, trying to get used to producing sounds. “Strife…” Discord began. “My sweet, sweet creation.” Discord put his talon under Strife’s chin and lifted her head so their eyes met. His lips curled into a smile as he examined her finer details. “You’re beautiful.” Strife was still a bit confused, but for some reason, could clearly understand every word the draconequus spoke to her. She looked down and examined the rest of her body. Her body remained an unorganized mish-mash of an alligator, wolf, dolphin, cow, and sheep. Her own body now bewildered her. She looked back up at her fellow draconequus and held out her paw to touch his face. Discord allowed her to, and even placed his head against her paw. She felt his warmth and life through her paw and smiled. “I-I’m Strife…” She managed to say almost effortlessly. Her voice was sheepish and feminine. Discord nodded. “Yes you are, my dear.” His voice seemed very loving and almost fatherly. “I would know, I did create you, after all.” Strife did nothing but stare at Discord. She wasn’t sure what words would describe her feelings. She simply smiled at her creator and reached her paw out to gently rub his face. She wasn’t sure how to express gratitude, but her actions felt natural. Discord calmly, and gently removed the young female’s paw from his face. “Listen, Sweety. I’ve brought you to life for a very specific reason. As you may be aware, our race became extinct a very long time ago.” Discord paused for a moment, allowing his product to respond. She comprehended every word clearly, and gave him a slight nod to acknowledge so. “And, being the last draconequus alive, besides you now, I want our race to flourish and once again live on Earth. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? A world where ponies and draconequus can live happily side-by-side?” Strife seemed a bit confused. She blinked her large eye-lash boarded eyes and frowned. She didn’t know what a pony was. She didn’t know how she alone could help bring back an entire race. Why had they gone extinct? How was he the last one alive? There were so many questions she wanted to ask but simply couldn’t. Discord took notice to her confusedness and sighed. “How about we start off simple? My name is Discord.” He held out his talon and forced her claw into a handshake. “You’re Strife. I created you, and this is your new home.” Strife looked around and observed the odd scenery. The wooden shelves on the walls were filled with all sorts of oddities. There was a large bed in the center with murky-colored sheets and several layers of pillows. There was a wooden drawer and nightstand to the left of it. There was a large window with two big, violet curtains masking it, making light struggle to find a way in. Strife’s mind was too concentrated on her surroundings to even notice Discord snap his talon a couple feet away from her. With that sudden motion, there was now a large table set in front of Strife. She looked at it puzzled. There was a light pink table cloth across it and a white teapot in the center. With another snap, Discord held a teacup in his talon and presented it to his creation. She sniffed the ivory handle and Discord giggled at her silliness. A third snap brought the teapot to life. Strife gasped and smiled in amazement as the little container hopped over to Discord and poured the contents inside into the small cup. She giggled and reached her paw out to pet the teapot, scratching lovingly under its ‘chin’. Discord smiled at Strife’s innocence and seemingly light-heartedness. He started to have more visions of his race and how they were. She brought back so many memories of draconequi he’d grown up around. Although he never made friends with other draconequi, he always found beauty in their chaotic nature and the sight of one made him very happy inside. Discord set the steamy cup of tea in front of Strife. She stopped showing affection to the now animate object and lowered her head to take in a large whiff. It smelt sweet like honey but also rich. It was a greenish-brownish and filled with herbs. She picked up the small cup and held it to her nose to smell it better. Her gaze then met Discord’s in a puzzled expression. He sighed and picked up an empty cup, held it to his lips and pretended to drink from it. “Now, you try. Only actually drink it.” With a small moment of hesitation, Strife put the ivory, smooth edge to her lips and tilted the cup. The tea slipped into her mouth and her taste buds danced in the wonderful flavor. Her throat was massaged by the warmness and her eyes closed in deep relaxation. After all the tea was drunk, she set the cup down and smiled. She's learning. Discord thought to himself as a smile formed on his lips. Soon she’ll know all the basics of living, and then my species will be reborn.
Chapter 1A shrill, loud whine came from Rainbow’s right. She let out an irritated grunt as the noise pierced through her mind. Her cyan hoof waved madly as she attempted to silence the vexation of an alarm clock. Even after repeatedly hitting the clock enough to silence it, the loud ringing lingered in her head. The pegsasus’ pink eyes finally opened and focused on the object that had so rudely awaken her. “9am?...” Rainbow Dash murmured quietly to herself. Finally, the pony sat straight up. Her multicolored-mane stuck up in all directions. Crusties formed in the corners of her droopy eyes, which were highlighted with dark bags. As unmotivated as she felt, she crept silently out of her comfortable bed. Over half of Ponyville was probably waking up, and her boss had strictly demanded there be not a single cloud in the sky that morning. She wasn’t about to risk making the ill-tempered stallion upset again. Rainbow ventured downstairs to her kitchen. The room wasn’t large at all. The upper walls were aligned with six feet of cabinets. There was an oven in the center with four burners on top of it. There was a small fridge to the left of the stove, decorated in old pictures of family and friends. She passed by the white, magnetic surface and grinned like she did every morning. Although she didn’t normal eat when she first awoke, she had a job, and she needed the energy. Rainbow opened the fridge. There wasn’t a ton of food: a few bags of different vegetables and fruits, along with some fruit juices. She grabbed an apple and quickly starting munching on it. She tried hard not to concentrate on the hard work day before her as she poured a glass of orange juice. “Stupid boss…” She grumbled to herself as she swished down a large gulp of the tangy juice. “Making me get up early and do stupid weather jobs.” She finished her apple down to the very core and disposed of the remaining immediately before a loud knock came from her front door. She didn’t hesitate a moment to answer it. Rainbow greeted the grey pegasus with a smile. “Mornin’ Derpy.” Derpy grinned. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” She pulled a small cluster of letters from her saddle bag and said in a muffled voice. “These came for you.” Rainbow gratefully took the mail. “Thanks Derpy.” Rainbow shut the door and by habit examined the mail. Same old stuff she always got: bill, bill, advertisement, bill, hosp- “Hospital?” Rainbow stared at the blue envelope in confusion for almost a minute. Her name was written neatly in cursive with her address. She never received letters from the hospital. She didn’t owe them money from an injury. Finally, she decided to rip it open with her teeth and read it. It was written in black ink. In big letters at the top it read; “To Miss Rainbow Dash.” She was instantly enthralled and continued reading aloud. “We are sorry to inform you of the passing of Mister Rainbolt…..” That was the first line after the greeting, and her eyes already grew wide. Her jaw dropped agape. She could hardly comprehend what she’d just read. Tears swelled in her eyes, as only instinct drove her to read further. “He passed away yesterday, the 15th of April. His funeral has been arranged to be held April 18th at Vermillion Gardens in Cloudsdale at approximately 11am…” Tears now flowed from her eyes and she choked on the words as she continued reading. “H-his death w-was-s caused by…” She sniffled, struggling to read the rest. “A weather acid-dent… H-his ch-chest was crushed beneath a-a b-boulder….” Rainbow didn’t want to read the rest. That was final. She tore the letter in half and ran up to her room, a wet, sobbing mess. She stuffed her head in a pillow on her bed. Droplets of salty tears stained her pillow. “D-daddy…” was all she could say, and is what she kept repeating for at the entire time she was crying. Rainbow didn’t come out of her house for two whole days. She remained heartbroken in her chamber, looking at a large photo album of pictures of her and her father. There were photos of when she was only an infant up until the last time he saw him; five months prior to then. They met up at a restaurant and caught up with each other. She never imagined that’d be the last time she’d see him. She’d barely ate or slept since the news was brought to her. Hell, she didn’t even go to work like she was supposed to. She didn’t care if she were fired or not, though. Through all the glum and misery, she still made it to her father’s funeral. She didn’t own that many clothes, but she were a black scarf tightly around her neck, and a black skirt just to hide her flank and vibrant tail. She remembered Vermillion Gardens. It’s where he taught Rainbow to fly. She’d always hold this location close to her then shattered heart. The broken pegasus took a seat in the small cluster of attendees. There was only her, her only living grandparent, a couple of Rainbolt’s close friend and coworkers, her aunt and uncle, and the host of the funeral. He walked onto the stage slowly. He was an older pony with a gray, thinning mane and tail, He wore large, round glasses and a small, black bowtie. “We’re gathered here today to mourn for our dear loss. Rainbolt was a loving friend, father, and citizen of this fair country.” Rainbow got teary-eyed at the word ‘father’ but tried hard to stay strong. The last thing she wanted to do was have an emotional panic in front of the small crowd. She looked at the ground and tried not to remember all the good times. Everything the host said beyond that point was blocked out. She was trying too hard not to let out tears. “Would anypony like to say a few words about our deceased friend?” was the last line that came through clearly to Rainbow. The small crowd all put their heads up. Had they all gone through a prayer without Dash realizing? A light-brown coated stallion raised his hoof to volunteer. “If I may?” The old pony stepped back with a smile, allowing the stallion room to speak. He stepped up a few wood steps and stood directly in front of his friend’s casket. He cleared his throat, and a deep, but soothing voice emerged from his mouth. “Rainbolt was a good friend of mine… We used to work together in the same factory, and we’d occasionally get together on the weekends… We were pretty close, and when I found out about what happened…” Even the gruff-looking stallion was restraining tears. “I-It really…upset me… He was a good guy, and he had a lotta life ahead of him.” He wiped a tear from his eyes took in a breath. “That’s it…” Rainbow watched as the stallion galloped off the stage. She felt like bursting into tears. There wasn’t a way in the world she could present herself on the platform. She’d explode into a volatile mess of tears no doubt. The next pony to go up to the stage was her aunt Voletta Dash. Her coat was a light shade of purple and her mane was light purple, pink, white, and cyan. She had Rainbolt’s yellow eyes and mellow attitude. She stood in the same places Rainbolt’s dear friend was just standing. “As Rainbolt’s sister… I’d have to say, I looked up to him most of my life. He was my older brother… He meant a lot to me.” She put her head down as she continued. “I remember when I was eleven and he was fifteen, he snuck me out of the house when I was grounded and took me to an ice cream parlor. Our parents were pretty mad, but it was worth it… I loved him a lot. I just…didn’t expect he’d be taken out of this world so early…” She sniffled, and one could easily tell she was sobbing. “I…wish he were back…” Rainbow’s aunt ran off the stage rather quickly, and didn’t go back to where she was sitting, but far away. The funeral was outside, so she couldn’t simply exit a building to go up and weep. Rainbow would’ve done the same thing if she weren’t too afraid of making a scene. Only a couple more ponies said a few words, but Rainbow was too broken to speak. How she ever planned to solder her cracked heart, she had no clue. Rainbow was waiting for a moment alone with her father, and she surprisingly didn’t have to wait much longer. Within another fifteen minutes, everypony left. Rainbow was sitting alone in the chair she chose since the beginning. The funeral host looked at the pegasus in concern. “Miss? Are you alright?” Rainbow only sniffled and wiped her eyes of a few tears. “M-may I have a moment alone with my daddy?” The elderly stallion nodded and left the area slowly. The moment he was gone, Rainbow slowly walked up the wooden steps to her father’s casket. It was constructed of a glassy, smooth material and shone a hue of dark blue. The casket had been currently closed and had a small bouquet of flowers resting on the lower half. Rainbow knew she’d break down and her emotions would take control, but she did it anyway. She placed her hooves on the upper half of the casket, swallowed a large amount of air, and with closed eyes lifted the heavy top. Her heart wasn’t prepared for what she was about to see. She didn’t know why she tortured herself like this. Slowly, the shattered pegasus lifted her eyelids upon the sight and without another second to pass, she broke into a swarm of tears. She wrapped her hooves tightly around her father’s empty shell. She pressed her tear-stained face against his and cried uncontrollably. Tears streamed out heavily and she could barely contain herself. “D-daddy… Daddy, no…I love you… “ Rainbow lent down and kissed her dad’s cheek. The warmth she remembered being in his face had vanished completely. It felt cold and unwelcoming, but she couldn’t care less. She kissed him again and again and kept his not responding body secure in her hooves. “Please Daddy… Please come back…” She took in deep breaths and sniffles in between phrases. “I love you so much… please come back… I’ll do anything…” She wasn’t quite sure who she was begging. She was simply calling out to anypony that could help. She wasn’t expecting a response, but surprisingly, she received one. A familiar laugh echoed around her and forced her ears erect. “Oh, poor, poor Rainbow Dash. Lost her father to the cruelty of the world, and is desperate to get him back. How depressing.” The familiar voice seemed to be almost mocking her. Rainbow lifted her heavy head up and looked around, searching for the source of the noise. She was too depressed for her cocky, defensive attitude to emerge. “Hello? Is anypony there?” She asked in a weak voice. The answer came when a small cloud of white smoke encircled the casket and Rainbow as a whole. She watched silently. She didn’t feel afraid, but a bit confused. That’s when it happened. A clustered chaotic body emerged from the smoke. The draconequus emerged with a smile. “Ah, Rainbow. I haven’t seen your face since I was reformed.” Rainbow glared at Discord. “Whadda you want?” She asked with a sniffle. “This isn’t a good time, ya know!” Discord smiled. “Oh, but it is. You see, I can help you with a gift in exchange.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about.” Discord let out a little laugh. “Oh, Rainbow. Don’t underestimate me. Us draconequi are very, very powerful. I did just happen to overhear you say you’d do anything to have your precious Daddy back.” Rainbow gaped in shock. “You can…You can bring him back?” She wiped her remaining tears and not another one shed. Discord simply nodded to answer. “But, on the condition you help me with something.” A little gleam of hope sparkled in the pony’s eye. “Yes, anything… J-Just bring him back, please…” Discord smiled mischievously and flicked the finger on the back of his tail. The two were instantly transported to a rather large chamber filled with oddities and strange decorations. Shelves bordered the walls and had all sorts of collectables on them. In the far right corner, though, was a hallow mold. It was shaped like Discord, only a tad smaller and with a seemingly more feminine structure. In the two arm areas there was a wolf paw and the claw of an alligator. The body was filled with a brown strip of fur, and the tail seemed almost dolphin like. The two hind legs were constructed from a cow and a sheep. There was a deer antler at the head part, along with what seemed like a long unicorn horn. One wing was feathered and red, and the other was nothing but an empty slot. Discord pointed to it with a grin. “You see, Rainbow Dash. I’m the only draconequus left in existence. I’m hoping to create another one so that we may breed and bring our race back into the world. I know what you’re thinking; this is just a scheme to gain power and take over Equestria. That’s not what this is about. No, my aspirations are to create a world where draconequi and ponies can live peacefully side-by-side. What do you say?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow to Discord once again. “How do you expect me to help you with this?” “I knew this was coming. As you probably know, draconequus are known for having all sorts of animals mixed into us. As funny as it may seem, we cannot properly function if we’re made up of two parts from the same animal. And as you can clearly see, I’m lacking one wing.” Rainbow took a step back and repulsed at the words. “Y-you…want…my wings?” her voice squeaked. “Well, naturally. I truly hate nearly killing some animals to take their limbs. But don’t you worry. I promise, I’ll make this quick and painless. Just like when I took them the first time I encountered you ponies.” “Y-you… You can’t have them! No way!” She folded her wings tightly against her back and cowered. “Oh, well. I guess you’ll just have to get over your father’s death as time goes on.” Rainbow quickly stopped him. “No! Wait!” Discord gave her his attention. “Yes?” Rainbow gulped. “I-If I give you my wings… my dad gets a second chance to be alive?” Discord nodded. “And nopony will remember he even died. It’ll be as if it never happened.” The draconequus’ description was exactly what she was hoping and praying for. She knew deep in her heart that she’d gladly depart with her wings to see her father again for five minutes, but she was also aware that her entire life would change. She’d need a new job, new house, and her cutie mark would seem out of place. She hadn’t the slightest clue what she was going to do in life, but she took in a deep breath, and almost on impulse spit into her hoof and held it out with to shake. “Deal…”
Chapter 2Rainbow took in a deep inhale. Her heart vigorously pounded against her chest. She slowly placed one hoof in front of the other, stepping closer to the draconequus. Her body tensed and her eyes trembled. She was about to give up the most wonderful earthly item she possessed. Her beautiful, cyan wings. Her breathing intensified. “O-okay…I’m ready…. Take ‘em…” With the snap of Discord’s talon, Rainbow’s prized, feathered beauties vanished. It was completely painless, but having an empty void in place of a body part felt very strange, and was definitely going to be difficult to get used to. Rainbow turned her head and examined her bare back. Not even having wings to flap or the ability to fly slowly sunk into her mind. She temporarily forgot her wonderful end of the deal. “So I’m an earth pony, now, huh?” Rainbow muttered to herself in gloom. “Actually, you’re a wingless pegasus. Earth ponies have a deep connection with nature, and are stronger than any other race.” Discord corrected, after overhearing her mumbles. Rainbow sighed and lowered her head. She felt almost useless. A wingless pegasus? “Oh, don’t be sad now, at least you have your daddy back.” Now remembering why her wings were even disregarded of, her ears perked up and her eyes now glimmered. “He…He’s alive…” A wide grin formed on her face. “He’s alive!” Discord found humor in the pony’s realization and nodded. “And because you seem to be missing your wings, I don’t suppose you’ve thought of a way to even talk to your dad, considering his house is in the sky.” It was true. Rainbow hadn’t thought ahead and realized contacting her dad wasn’t going to be easy. “Ah, man… You’re right…” Discord brought his tail under Rainbow’s chin and lifted it up surprisingly gently and smiled at her. “But at least you’re still technically a pegasus, so you can walk on clouds.” “Well…yeah… I could just take a balloon up there or something… Heck, I may not even have to get a new place.” Although Rainbow’s paradigms were positively shifting, she still felt uncomfortable in her wingless body. “And I could still fly with one of Pinkie’s silly contraptions. Or a spell from Twilight. If she could give Rarity a set of wings, I don’t see why she couldn’t give me a pair.” Rainbow was already feeling better about her situation. Positive thinking was definitely beneficial. “How about we just steer away from thoughts of the future for a bit. Don’t you have somepony you should be seeing?” “Yeah, I know… I just don’t know exactly how I’ll get there yet. I mean, he lives all the way in central Cloudsdale.” “Oh, Rainbow. You still underestimate me. You always have. Let’s not forget how poorly you treated me when you had your doubts I’d be reformed.” Rainbow blushed. “Y-yeah…” She brought her hoof to the back of her head and rubbed her neck. “Sorry about that…” Rainbow wasn’t one to apologize, but after today, she had a good reason to. Thinking back made her believ that she may have been a bit mean to him. “Well, anyway, I think it’d be best you leave at this point. I have a little project I need to attend to…” He smiled at the pegasus and flicked the hand at the end of his tail. “Arrivederci!” With that, Rainbow saw a quick flash and in less time than she could blink, she was in a new location. She stood before a one-story cloud house. There was a small, gray mailbox at the front of the yard and the house was bordered by fencing. The front door was white and there were two small windows on either side of the door. Dash recognized this house immediately. It was the home she grew up in. The house her father remained in his entire life. At this moment, her heart gained speed. Her eyes watered a bit. She didn’t understand what had made her so emotional at that moment, but she was. She knew her dad was in there, living, breathing, and existing. That very thought made her giddy. She took in a very deep breath and approached the door. “Be calm, Rainbow….” She told herself. “You’re about to see him again. Don’t act too outrageous… You don’t want him to suspect anything… Or scare him.” Rainbow took in another deep breath and tapped her hoof against the front door several times. Her heart felt like it could have exploded as it throbbed heavily. “Coming!” She heard a soft, but masculine voice call from inside. Rainbow smiled widely and her eyes twinkled. He really was alive. This was beyond fantastic. Rainbow’s heart nearly exploded when the light purple-coated stallion opened the door. His multihued mane was worn in a similar style to his daughter’s. His eyes were yellow-gold. He seemed a bit shocked and confused to see his daughter. “Rainbow, what are y-“ He didn’t have time to finish. The moment Rainbow saw him she threw both her hooves around his neck and burst into tears. “Oh my gosh, Daddy! I love you so, so much! I love you! I love you!” Tears rolled down her face as she nuzzled her head into his furry chest. The stallion took a step back. “That’s….nice, Rainbow. I love you, too. Just didn’t expect to see you today… And I especially didn’t expect to…see….you….” He paused a moment, and Rainbow felt his hoof on her bare back, then gasped. She didn’t even know what to say about her missing wings. Why didn’t she think ahead? “R-rainbow….Where are your wings…?” Rainbow brought her hoof to her eyes and wiped them of tears. She sniffled hard to suck in the runs of her nose. “Well…I, uh…” Her mind couldn’t come up with a plausible excuse. As hard as she tried, nothing came to mind. “I, uh… I got… into a…my… They got infected…and they had to be amputated or it could’ve killed me.” The quickest excuse she could come up with seemed reasonable enough. Her father looked down, his eyes seemed saddened. “Wow…that sucks…a lot.. What are you going to do?” Rainbow shrugged. “I haven’t really thought it out yet…But I just thought I should pay you a visit, you know…Just out of random.” Her father was still a bit too confused over the whole ‘losing her wings’ fib. It almost made him sad to see his own daughter in such a state. “Rainbow… Maybe you should stay with me a while… I mean, this must be depressing. I’m surprised you seem even a tad bit happy…” Stay with him a while? How could she refuse that offer? She missed him so dearly, and there was so much she wanted to tell him. There was so much that invaded her mind when he died. Half of it was relating to all the things she should have told him or never got the chance to. Now, she could tell him anything she wanted or needed to. “I’d love to spend some time with you. I mean, we haven’t seen each other in a while. And I need something to get my mind off the whole infection thing. I’ve been trying not to think about it.” Her father simply nodded. He didn’t seem happy at all and Rainbow could see the glistening in his eyes. Rainbow welcomed herself in and heard the front door shut behind her. The fluffy cloud floor beneath her felt nice under her hooves. She examined the house she’d once called home when she was a little filly. It seemed much larger when she was young. Her head turned ninety degrees and met eyes with her father. They were shimmering with a glaze of salty water. “Awe, Daddy… Don’t feel bad. I’ll be okay.” She put her hoof around him and her head in his chest. He returned the hug. “I know, I know…I just… You used to practice so hard with those wings. They were your pride and passion… I hate seeing you lose all that… I remember those long nights you’d stay out just to train…” Rainbow lowered her eyes. It was all true. She did give up a lot to keep her father alive. He meant a lot to her, but every dream she ever had, her job, her passion, and her pride were all gone. Discord had made a rather cruel deal, but it would have been unfair to not give him something in return. “Trust me, Dad. It was for a life.” Rainbow tried to purge her inner anguish and focus on the stallion that meant enough to sacrifice her wings for. She forced a smile, and he grinned back with sad eyes. “So…” Rainbow started, trying to get them off the topic. “How about we do something? You know: Watch a movie? Hang out? Catch up?” Rainbolt’s smile became more genuine. “That sounds nice. We haven’t seen each other in months.” The first two hours of Rainbow’s visit, the two did nothing but talk. Rainbow talked about how she helped book the Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire, what Daring Doo book she was on, some gossip she heard about her friends, her adopted sister Scootaloo, and a few more miscellaneous topics that came to her head. Rainbolt told her about work, a few of his friends and family members, some things he was working on outside of his job, old memories, and as Rainbow, a few random things that came to his mind. The whole conversation they completely avoided any topic to do with flying: the Wonderbolts, weather, or flying itself. Rainbow had never felt closer to her dad, and had never felt more grateful to have him next to her. “Dad…” Rainbow said during the very end of their long chat. “I…I just wanted to say thank you for everything. You’ve always been here for me, and I love you very much… You know I’ve looked up to you since I was a little filly. I have a lot of respect for you…” Rainbolt smiled, and scoot himself closer to his daughter. They were sitting on his long, light blue couch. He outstretched his left wing and wrapped it securely around his Rainbow’s body. His heart felt warm and tingly from her words. She wasn’t great with expressing her feelings, especially verbally, so hearing that meant a lot to him. “I love you, too, Sweetheart… I always will.” Normally, Rainbow would have outstretched her wing and wrapped it around him, as well, but not really given the option, she simply nuzzled her head deep into his chest and smiled. She felt his heart beating against his ribcage and his soft fur against her face. “Please never leave again…” She mumbled so silently, only she could her words, and even to her ears, they sounded faint and quiet. Discord smiled at his creation. She was so beautiful, so amazing, and so close to being finished. He grinned, only having a couple steps left. He made his way to the opposite side of the room and opened a wooden drawer of the dresser beside his bed. Inside was an odd collection of objects: some medical tools, writing utensils, a book, and some matches. With his talon, he grabbed a needle. It was rather large, with a long ‘tongue’. It could extract a couple ounces of fluids due to the rather large body. The draconequus took in a deep breath, pushed the button down, and pierced his arm with the sharp instrument. He only cringed as the button came back up, getting a small sample of blood from him. He took the needle out and smiled. “Perfect!” Discord retraced his steps to a large table. An assortment of animal parts and a skull patched with fur laid on it. All the various parts were stitched together with magic. The hardest part of creating her was finding a draconequus skull to use. Although draconequi existed in Equestria long ago, it was rare to even find any signs that there even was a race of them. Fortunately, he knew the location of a village where draconequi used to exist. He picked out a female head, knowing well that he wanted to reproduce and repopulate Equestria with his kin. The chaotic spirit forced the needle into his fellow draconequus and injected the blood. He then deeply began to concentrate and snap his talon. He waited several moments and rested his paw on the chest of his friend. He felt a quiet thump, thump within her. “A heartbeat…” He murmured. “We’re so close.” The draconequus was beautiful in his eyes. Her right arm was a wolf’s paw and her left arm was an alligator’s claw. Her right leg was a sturdy cow leg, and her left was a sheep’s. Her tail was sleek and gray like a dolphin’s, but ended with a pink fluff. One wing was from a hawk, and the other was generously donated from a dear friend of his. On top of her head was a deer antler, and a long, white unicorn horn. She had a full head of dark blue hair. Although her eyes were shut, Discord knew that one pupil would be pink and the other red, with the remainder of the eye glowing yellow. The rest of her body was a very light brown, even lighter than Discord’s, and her body had a feminine structure. From a more internal viewpoint, she had the heart from the lamb, two stomachs from the cow, guts and a digestive system from deer, the brain from the alligator, the lungs from the dolphin, and the reproductive system from the wolf. The blood was from him, but with all the magic inside him, he was able to clone the blood patterns and create enough to fill her body. Anything else in the body he got from any possible source he could. Everything in her body was magically sewn together by Discord. Only one final ingredient before she’d be alive and healthy. Discord took in a deep swallow of oxygen, and touched his lips to his creation’s, then breathed in. He filled her lungs with air then broke away. He watched the body for a good minute, and finally, his creation opened her eyes very slowly. Her vision was at first blurred, but became clearer after blinking a few times. The first thing her micth-matched eyes saw was the face of Discord. “Hello, Strife…” Author's Note The word "strife" is a synonym for discord. Honestly, thinking of the female draconequus' name was quite hard. If you have a better suggestion, please tell me. Until I can think of something better, Discord's creation will be named Strife.
Chapter 3White morning light peeked through the blinds and landed on Rainbow’s eyelids. She lifted them slowly and wearily sat up. It was the best night’s sleep she had a long time. Who knew how comfortable sleeping without wings was? Her back rested so easily and sunk into the bed. Rainbow sat up straight and stretched with a yawn. Her back cracked as her hooves reached behind her and touched each other. She looked around the room. A dresser was placed directly across from the bed. Next to her was a night stand with a lamp on top. The walls around her were made of clouds. She sighed happily. She was sleeping in the same bed she did when she was a young filly and teenager. She had to admit, sleeping over at her father’s house as a grown mare with her own home was a tad strange, but she loved it anyway. The cyan mare crept silently out of her bed. That’s when a familiar smell hit her nostrils and made her mouth water. The smell of sweet, powdered sugar and melty chocolate caked in butter. It was the smell that always made her happy to wake up in the morning as a filly. “Chocolate chip pancakes...” She said with a watering mouth. Rainbow opened her door and the smell more powerfully hit her again. She took in a large whiff and sighed. She walked down to the kitchen and saw her dad flipping a pancake with a spatula held firmly in his mouth. “Mornin’, Daddy!” She greeted him with a smile. Rainbolt set the spatula down returned the smile. “Oh, heya Dashie. Hungry?” “Oh my gosh, yes. It smells so good!” Rainbow felt like a little filly again. Waking to pancakes, sleeping in her old room, and calling her dad, “Daddy”. She loved it. Rainbolt grabbed the spatula in his mouth again and scraped under the stubborn pancake before it finally gave in and lifted. He cautiously carried it to a nearby plate and set it down in the center of the plastic saucer. “You have this one. I already ate two.” Rainbow gladly took the plate and sat down at the dinner table. The table had three chairs placed at it. She sat at the same one she always had when she was young. Steam rose off of the delectable pancake. Little chocolate chips were buried in batter. She took in another whiff before lowering her head and taking one bite out of the unhealthy breakfast. The warmness of the pancake filled her mouth as she chewed and she let out a long, “mmmmm…” The soft, gooey chocolate chips meted further, turning into deep, sweet liquid. The powdered sugar added a sweet, lightening flavor. She savored the treat more and more with each bite. Her dad simply chuckled. “You always loved these as a filly.” “I still love ‘em,” Rainbow commented before taking another big bite out of her yummy breakfast. Her dad finally settled at the table after around five more minutes. He served two more pancakes to his daughter, and sat at the other end of the table with only one. How Rainbow-and even Rainbolt-loved and missed little moments like this. They were closer than bark on a tree when Rainbow was growing up. She never had a mother, so it seemed only natural to tightly bond with her father. After only that short amount of time, all of Rainbow’s regrets of her decision had faded. Rainbolt seemed a little awkward at first. He was taking small bites. Rainbow was in too good of a mood to notice. She wasn’t aware anything was wrong until he cleared his throat and spoke to her. “Rainbow… I know that you’ve really enjoyed staying with me, and that you’re going through an emotional-and physical I guess- recovery, but I’m not going to let you stay with me forever.” Rainbow’s pink eyes looked up at him from her pancake. She lifted her head and wiped her bottom lip of melted butter. “I know. You’re a grown stallion, and you need your space. I won’t stay any longer than you want me too. Promise.” Rainbow criss-crossed an X over her chest. Rainbolt wasn’t reassured. He knew his daughter was honest and sincere, but he was also aware of her habit to get a bit too attached to ponies when she was making an emotional recovery. She hated being alone, and seeing as she had no wings, she would have a hard time getting around. Hell, she may not even be able to live in her own home. “Two weeks Rainbow. That’s it.” The cyan pony took another bite out of her pancake and smiled with a nod. Two weeks? She thought. This’ll be a great two weeks! Two weeks…? Rainbolt contemplated within his mind. This’ll be the longest two weeks of my life! “Ugh!” the wingless pegasus grunted as she rolled around in the bonding sheets of her childhood bed. “Why did Daddy have to go to work today?” Rainbow knew she sounded like an immature foal, but then again, almost losing her father and attending his own funeral did make her feel depressed in his absence. Being around him made Rainbow feel as though she was living a miracle. At this point, though, she was bored. She had nothing to do inside, and she didn’t have her wings to go for a short fly and get her heart pumping. She was aware that there were other ways to work out, but her legs were sort of… weak. She was always up in the air, and although walking and running wasn’t uncomfortable, she couldn’t get half way through a work out with her legs. Her thighs, hooves, and legs would burn and ache within ten minutes. Rainbow sat straight up after many failed attempts of trying to nap. The thought of taking a snooze seemed extremely relaxing, but her body simply wanted to stay awake. Last night, her bed felt softer than a cloud. Her body just fell into it and drifted into slumber easily. Now, her mattress felt far too firm and her sheets weren’t as warm and loving. How she ever slept when she was a teenager (or last night, for that matter) was beyond her. She looked around her room trying to think of something to ease her boredom. Her nightstand to the right of her had a lamp and alarm clock set on top of it. Was it still there? She wasn’t sure if her father had moved any of her stuff around after all the years she was gone. Everything seemed untouched looking back on how she left it. She took in a breath and opened the small wooden drawer in the nightstand. The knobs were spherical and wooden, and quite hard to open with only hooves. When the drawer finally slid opened, though, her eyes widened and she gasped. “It’s still…here…” Rainbow’s eyes locked on a blue journal with large, white horizontal stripes. There was a white ribbon tightly wrapped around it. She would never confess to anypony that she had a diary. She hated reading at the time and didn’t want to be thought of as girly for one moment. Writing, though she hated to admit it, helped her to get out her emotions and write down her deepest and most personal thoughts. Some things she couldn’t tell her dad, but writing them down always cured the need to tell somepony. She didn’t know how she managed to forget the book when she moved out, but she did. Rainbow bit her lip as she wondered for one moment if her father ever took a peak. She purged the thought, though, and decided to have a look herself. She removed the book from its comfy spot in the drawer. Rainbow plopped backwards onto her bed. She flipped opened to random page and read silently to herself. January 5th, 2006. Hey, it’s me again. I’m sorry for not writing in you for almost three months. There just hasn’t been much on my mind. Lately, though… I don’t know. I feel like Daddy hates me. He’s always working and he barely ever talks to me anymore, even on the weekends. Last week I got straight A’s and he didn’t even seem to care. It makes me kinda sad, but I don’t tell him that. I know he’s really busy, especially in January. It’s a new year and his boss always works him extra hard. When he’s not at work, he’s at his desk writing. I don’t know what about, but when I ask he always tells me it’s work related. I’m trying not to think about it, though. I remember when I was 12 and he went through the same phase of ignoring me. He eventually apologized and told me how sorry he was and that he loved me. I’m sure it will happen again. I know he loves me, and I know he’s not trying to make me feel bad. I just can’t wait for this whole thing to blow over… Writing in you has made me feel better. Thanks. I’ll talk to you next time. “Wow….” Rainbow remembered that night vividly now. She had gone up to her dad and asked her if she could spend the weekend at Fluttershy’s. He was sitting at his desk in his room writing something. His response was a series of mumbles, and the only comprehendible words were “I don’t care.” She didn’t know why the words affected her so much, but she immediately went up to her room, closed the door, and wrote down her feelings. She licked her right hoof and turned to the next page. She silently read this entry, hoping it would bring back more positive memories. January 11th, 2006. Hey, Journal. Things have definitely been better since I last wrote in you. I told my dad how I felt and he said he was sorry and he never meant to make me feel bad. He promised to make time for me over the weekend. Like always, Daddy kept his promise. He took me to a park. We bumped into my teacher there, and he made a comment about how well I was doing in class. My dad seemed so proud of me, it felt amazing. After that, he took me for ice cream. It was that old shop across the street from Vermillion Gardens. I haven’t been there since I was a little filly, but the ice cream was just as good as I remember! I got strawberry with chocolate chunks and graham cracker crumbles. Man, did it taste great. Dad got just plain old chocolate. He’s doesn’t like trying new things, I guess. We went home later that day and watched a movie. It was a great day. I haven’t felt this close to Daddy in forever. Thanks for helping me through it, Journal. I love you. Rainbow felt much happier after reading that entry. Her father really was a great stallion. That was a simple fact she’d know until the day she passed. She hugged her journal and thought of all the wonderful memories her and her father shared. The newly born draconequus lifted her head and rubbed her large eyes with a feminine yawn. She stretched out her alligator claw and wolf paw while her entire body curved outward in a stretch. She then stared directly at her creator in wonder. The first words she heard from him were “Hello Strife.” Strife. Was that her name? She felt as though she was meant to be alive, but also was clueless of the world around her. She puckered out her lips and attempted to speak. “Lello…. H-Hello.” She rolled her tongue around, trying to get used to producing sounds. “Strife…” Discord began. “My sweet, sweet creation.” Discord put his talon under Strife’s chin and lifted her head so their eyes met. His lips curled into a smile as he examined her finer details. “You’re beautiful.” Strife was still a bit confused, but for some reason, could clearly understand every word the draconequus spoke to her. She looked down and examined the rest of her body. Her body remained an unorganized mish-mash of an alligator, wolf, dolphin, cow, and sheep. Her own body now bewildered her. She looked back up at her fellow draconequus and held out her paw to touch his face. Discord allowed her to, and even placed his head against her paw. She felt his warmth and life through her paw and smiled. “I-I’m Strife…” She managed to say almost effortlessly. Her voice was sheepish and feminine. Discord nodded. “Yes you are, my dear.” His voice seemed very loving and almost fatherly. “I would know, I did create you, after all.” Strife did nothing but stare at Discord. She wasn’t sure what words would describe her feelings. She simply smiled at her creator and reached her paw out to gently rub his face. She wasn’t sure how to express gratitude, but her actions felt natural. Discord calmly, and gently removed the young female’s paw from his face. “Listen, Sweety. I’ve brought you to life for a very specific reason. As you may be aware, our race became extinct a very long time ago.” Discord paused for a moment, allowing his product to respond. She comprehended every word clearly, and gave him a slight nod to acknowledge so. “And, being the last draconequus alive, besides you now, I want our race to flourish and once again live on Earth. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? A world where ponies and draconequus can live happily side-by-side?” Strife seemed a bit confused. She blinked her large eye-lash boarded eyes and frowned. She didn’t know what a pony was. She didn’t know how she alone could help bring back an entire race. Why had they gone extinct? How was he the last one alive? There were so many questions she wanted to ask but simply couldn’t. Discord took notice to her confusedness and sighed. “How about we start off simple? My name is Discord.” He held out his talon and forced her claw into a handshake. “You’re Strife. I created you, and this is your new home.” Strife looked around and observed the odd scenery. The wooden shelves on the walls were filled with all sorts of oddities. There was a large bed in the center with murky-colored sheets and several layers of pillows. There was a wooden drawer and nightstand to the left of it. There was a large window with two big, violet curtains masking it, making light struggle to find a way in. Strife’s mind was too concentrated on her surroundings to even notice Discord snap his talon a couple feet away from her. With that sudden motion, there was now a large table set in front of Strife. She looked at it puzzled. There was a light pink table cloth across it and a white teapot in the center. With another snap, Discord held a teacup in his talon and presented it to his creation. She sniffed the ivory handle and Discord giggled at her silliness. A third snap brought the teapot to life. Strife gasped and smiled in amazement as the little container hopped over to Discord and poured the contents inside into the small cup. She giggled and reached her paw out to pet the teapot, scratching lovingly under its ‘chin’. Discord smiled at Strife’s innocence and seemingly light-heartedness. He started to have more visions of his race and how they were. She brought back so many memories of draconequi he’d grown up around. Although he never made friends with other draconequi, he always found beauty in their chaotic nature and the sight of one made him very happy inside. Discord set the steamy cup of tea in front of Strife. She stopped showing affection to the now animate object and lowered her head to take in a large whiff. It smelt sweet like honey but also rich. It was a greenish-brownish and filled with herbs. She picked up the small cup and held it to her nose to smell it better. Her gaze then met Discord’s in a puzzled expression. He sighed and picked up an empty cup, held it to his lips and pretended to drink from it. “Now, you try. Only actually drink it.” With a small moment of hesitation, Strife put the ivory, smooth edge to her lips and tilted the cup. The tea slipped into her mouth and her taste buds danced in the wonderful flavor. Her throat was massaged by the warmness and her eyes closed in deep relaxation. After all the tea was drunk, she set the cup down and smiled. She's learning. Discord thought to himself as a smile formed on his lips. Soon she’ll know all the basics of living, and then my species will be reborn.
