Rivet: Skyward dreams

"Dew, the gates are that way," Rivet struggled to point back to the street they had just left, the bulk of robes limited her movement, while Dew drifted beside her impatiently.

"I know, come on!" she urged Rivet on.

Rivet almost tripped over the robe "then where are we going?" she snarled, annoyed.

"To the newcomers gate, you can't go in through the other one," Dew turned a corner and was greeted by laughs from several stallions, masks on their faces, similar to the ones Rivet noticed when she arrived, one in a monkey mask stood, his mane was a brilliant blue and his coat a dimmer blue.

"Ah, Dew, going somewhere?" his mask obscured the words but they were still discernible.

"Winter, don't start," Dew glared at him "you know why I did it."

Winter smiled "but nopony else does, yet," his words were followed by a chorus of laughter from the others.

Dew lowered her head "and they wont," she walked up to him.

Winter chuckled "that's a good filly, come on," he straitened his neck as Dew threw her claws around it.

Dew slid a claw down his chin and onto his nuzzle, she pressed close against him, before pulling his masked nose away from his neck. The stallion stood catatonic for a second, before collapsing, his neck twisted so his nose was almost behind him.

Dew kicked the stallion again "no they wont, will they Winter?" Few turned to Rivet, who was trembling in shock "Rivet? You ok?"

Rivet's jaw dropped "you, you killed him!"

Dew walked back to Rivet "I'm sorry Rivet, but some ponies need to go," her voice shook "death is something we all have to live with."

An image appeared in Rivet's head, a candle.

Dew's eyes widened "a candle, your totem is a candle."

Rivet sat down hard, the vision had made her weak "totem? What are you talking about?" .

Dew picked up Rivet's hoof and threw it over her shoulders "I'll tell you, when you're inside, and, warm," she struggled to drag the limp Pegasus back to her house.

***

Rivet groaned as Dew set her down "what, happened?" she tried to say, but all that came out was a growl.

Dew understood "you just experienced a cross, the first one, I suppose," Dew seemed to think this was common knowledge "I should probably explain that a bit better, shouldn't I?"

Rivet wanted to throw up, but whenever she decided to try, a warning glance from Dew discouraged her "ah, yeah," she tried to say.

"You have a totem now, it's like a second destiny mark, a totem identifies you, mine was that feather you saw in your dream."

Dew's explanation sounded like a foreign language to Rivet "what? Destiny mark? Totem? What are you talking about?"

Dew laughed "tell me honestly, you couldn't care less, could you?"

"nope, not at all" Rivet thought, but she decided not to say it "of course I care! I want to know what happened!"

Dew wasn't falling for it, Rivet could see that, or maybe it was just Dew's apathetic expression she had worn since they met "no you don't, you don't care one bit, but I'm going to tell you anyway."

Rivet moaned acknowledgement.

Dew chuckled "a totem is, an item, like your destiny mark, you get one when you cross, yours, yours was a candle, because you've seen death happen suddenly, like, well, a candle, a candle in the wind, that's the expression, a cross, is when something in the past, changes due to your actions in the present, it's rare for your species, and age, usually only magic users get them when they're very young, you can only learn magic once you have a totem."

"wait, by destiny mark, you mean cutie mark, right?" Rivet asked.

"cutie mark?" Dew replied "that what you ponies call it? The thing on your flank?"

"yeah, that's it."

"that's a really sappy name, way too, filly-ish. Anyway what I'm saying is, you can do magic now,"

Rivet was suddenly interested "what kind of magic? How!" she asked frantically.

"whoa there, you don't know magic yet, and I can't teach you."

"who can teach me?"

"you'll have to learn by yourself."

"what use is that? How can I help anyone."

"you ponies, all of you, have some part of your brain that links to others, when you need it most, magic will come to you."

"so, what do I need to-"

Dew waved her quiet "it may not show itself, no fireballs or dimensional portals, true magic, true magic is a helpful wind while running, or the snap of a twig in the forest, revealing an enemy who would harm you, or your friends. True magic is no seen as anything more than simple luck, magic is long term, every magical thing moves us closer to the end," she turned, and walked over to a shelf, lifting a model of a fire red and orange Pegasus from it "sometimes, true, suptle magic, can wound the lucky soul," her voice shook "and sometimes, it can kill them," Rivet noticed a tear fall from the Gryphoness eyes, only now did she realize how beautiful Dew's eyes were.

"sorry. What happened?" Rivet asked.

"well, I have no parents, as you can see. They were killed in a war, my father was a guard. My mother was a maid in the royal palace, when I was a chick, the palace was overrun by these, these monsters, they

killed everyone in the city, except for me. I remember the image, the stallion, standing tall, wings outstretched among the debris of my home, he took me in, raised me as his own. Until they appeared, they tried to kill us, both of us, but a century-old oak found its calling and crushed them, all of them, and I was alone again, a lone wanderer, until I came here and, you know the rest."

A knock on the door made Rivet jump, Dew left, gesturing to rivet to stay put.

Voices could be heard from her direction, both were mares, again, Rivet found herself picking out Dew's voice

as harmonious and comforting, the realisation hit her like a train.

"A mother," she whispered as the voices grew louder, until the sources emerged."

A blue-grey Pegasus mare stepped into the room beside Dew, she

noticed Rivet and stopped, her face twisted into concealed anger "who, is that Dew? And why is she in our house?" Her voice was deep and purposeful, every word had substance and impact.

"This is Rivet," Dew seemed worried "she's, I guess, a friend, just a friend, honest."

The unicorn moved in close to Rivets face "look here you, Dew is mine, got it?"

Rivet nodded, the Pegasus's Bridlish accent just added authority to the voice "got it, ah, ma'am?" She squeaked.

Dew chuckled "Mist, go easy on the girl, she didn't want-"

"Dew, I will not risk losing you to any strange Pony! Wanting or otherwise."

"You didn't lose me," Dew locked a claw around Mist's hoof "I'm still here."

Again the soothing, mothering tone of her voice was apparent, it seemed Mist noticed it too, she recoiled away from Rivet.

"You, Dew I just cannot argue against you," she looked at the Gryphoness with sea-blue eyes "I am sorry," she said to Rivet, an obvious guilt in her voice "I trust you understand this, should you ever have loved anyone."

"You don't need to apologise to me, it's you I should be."

"Oh Rivet," Dew chirped "this, I believe, was my fault, Mist, I'm sorry for making you leave."

"And I am sorry for assuming such actions of you."

"Ok, now that we're all made up, what's going on here, in general, between you two, and about this gold-"

Rivet was quickly silenced by Dew shaking her head.

Mist turned to Rivet "Mist," she extended a hoof "Mist Shadow, I am Dew's-" she paused.

"Tell it how it is," Dew smiled "Rivet is, understanding."

"Alright, I'm Dew's-" she hesitated again "sorry, it, is difficult to just say, without," she paused again, suddenly, she turned to Dew, and kissed her.

'well, I did kinda see that coming' Rivet thought to herself, the couple separated and looked at her "Rivet," she took Mist's newly extended hoof "Rivet Dust, I'm looking for my wings."

The Pegasus spread her own wings "on your-" she stopped, and screamed, Rivet stumbled backwards as Dew moved in, catching the mare as she fell, and lying her down gently, Rivet noticed a growth in her abdomen and gasped.

"She's pregnant? How does-"

"I'll explain later, but first, help me get her on the bed."

Rivet hesitated, before helping Dew lift the pony onto the bed.

Dew rested a claw on her head and began to whisper to Mist, yet again, Dew's motherly nature was apparent.

When the Pegasus had calmed down, she closed her eyes and her breath slowed.

"Rivet, I have something to show you, follow me," she walked through a door into another room of her house. The room was empty but for a ball bearing in the corner, the walls a clinical white, something felt strange here, like she was alone, like something she couldn't quite pinpoint had been taken "strange feeling, isn't it?"

"Yeah, like, like I'm missing something."

"I bet you are, you've seen everything but the centrepiece, the walls, the tiny ball in the corner, the feeling of loneliness, but have you seen the box? Look into the centre of the room."

Sure enough, in the centre was a large wooden box, Rivet had skipped strait past the box.

Dew approached "you know what else is cool?"

Rivet regained her thoughts and trotted up to the box Dew opened the doors and they stepped in before Rivet had a look.

Once she did, she noticed that the room was much larger than

the box, she stood, shocked "it's, bigger on the inside."

Dew chuckled "I bet the previous owner got a real kick out of ponies saying that when they came in."

"Yeah..." Rivet was still in awe.

"Anyway, this isn't all."

"Show, me, everything."

"Easy there, I can only show you so much before your brain explodes, how's this."

Dew flew down to Rivet, holding a bottle, in which, a small rose grew.

"I don't think anything can top the box," she paused "so, if you and

Mist are together, how does she become pregnant?"

"Rivet, nothing is ever all good, you know? Some stallions, they act nice, and show you their heart of gold, but never the defiled and dissected corpse they took it from, I'll just, be glad I was the one pulling you into an alley, if you get my meaning."

Rivet blinked "sorry, I didn't."

"Don't be, he's dead, and now, I guess it's just our child."

"Are you a mother Dew?" Rivet blurted.

"Uh, I guess so, I will be."

"Ok, I just."

"I know, I've been told so before."

Rivet decided to revert the subject "what's with the bottle."

"Oh trust me, you know what, take it, trust me, you'll need it," Dew paused, I think, I've abandoned my goals of arson, let's get you to Gambit, ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good enough," she disappeared in a wing beat, and returned a second later with a stone, "ready?"

"What's this?"

"A stone," she offered it to rivet, after hesitation, Rivet reached to take it, but when both held it, the stone seemed to explode into a purple mist, when it cleared the two found themselves at The New Talisman "you're sure about this?"

"One hundred percent sure," Rivet stepped into the building, steering clear of any pony who seemed dodgy, followed by Dew shortly after.

The pair moved through the crowd into the corner of the building where sat a large dark green Alicorn Rivet assumed was Gambit, he wore a smart, upper class suit and hat.

"And you are?" His voice was deep and cold.

"Rivet Dust, I know who you are, and I will beat you."

The Alicorn laughed "a mare of purpose? Very well, the stakes?"

"You tell me where and how to get my wings to work, and, you pay Dew's dept."

"Hmm..." The Alicorn smiled "ha! And if I win, both of you owe me your lives."

"Deal," Rivet ignored Dew's worried look.

"Oh Celestia, Rivet!" Dew cried "what are you thinking!?"

"Trust me here, I won't let you down."

"So, it begins?" Gambit said, raising a hand for a dealer.

"Or," Dew muttered "in our case, ends."