My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Friendship from afar.

Chapter 1: Storm of the Century - part 6

The door to Cloudkicker’s room creaked open slowly, bringing Dash out of her mental reverie as she looked up from her hooves wearily. She was exhausted; the storm’s fury combined with the guilt and anger over Cloudkicker’s condition, compounded with Cloudbuster’s lies and Dashs’ subsequent lashing out. Truth be told the exhaustion was more mental and emotional than pure physical. Her expressive, rose tinted eyes locked onto the forms that exited the room at nearly the same time. The nurse, (Nurse Monitor to be exact), fixed her gaze upon the rainbow-maned mare, gave a tired, yet confiding, smile before turning hard left, aiming for the nurses station directly down the hospital corridor. Dash only watched her go, her hoof steps growing steadily fainter until both vanished from sight and sound.

“...Dash...”

The sound of her name being called by her former teacher made the fur on Dashs’ back stand at attention. Her stomach became a erupting cauldron of bitterness as she glared daggers at the older mare; flames dancing just behind her rose-tinted iris’.

“You’ve got some nerve,” Dash seethed, doing her best to keep the bitter, bile-covered language from rolling off her tongue. “If you think I’ll just up and forgive you for l-“

”She wants to see you, Dash,” Cloudbuster uttered lowly and defeated. She trotted past the seated pegasus towards the main lobby. She stopped just shy of the double doors and looked wearily over her shoulder, “just hear her out, for my sake.”

*

Dash scuffed the door with her hoof, gently creaking it open. She entered nervously, her hoof falls echoing like drum beats upon the tiled flooring. She knew Cloudkicker was alive but knowing what she knew about Cloudbuster, it made her stomach knot up.

Swallowing hard, Dash moved carefully to Cloudbuster’s bedside, doing her best to keep her hooves from unplugging any of the monitoring machinery attached to the young mare. As she approached, she could hear the strong, rhythmic heart beats pulsing on the ECG; see the gentle rise and fall of her chest beneath the pristine sheets. She looked serene, almost angelic in state.

“No, I won’t think like this,” Dash mentally chided, shaking that though train until it derailed. “She’s gonna live to be the buckinest storm flier ever.”

“...Dash... “

”Hey kiddo,” said Dash, smiling warmly, “glad to see you’re alright..” A pause. “Your... mom told me you wanted to speak with me?”

The word ‘mom’ came out harsh, cold, and bitter, the way Dash had not intended. At least not in front of Cloudkicker. Dashs’ pride could only deteriorate as she saw the young mare’s body deflate slightly as she sighed.

“You’re still mad at her, aren’t you Dash?”

Rainbow just ground her teeth. “Furious.”

Cloudkicker knew the answer to her next question yet in order for Rainbow to truly understand her mothers motives and reasoning, she’d have to ask it anyway. She stilled herself and let the word fly.

“Why?”

Rainbow slammed her hooves down on the bedside as the simmering cauldron of anger within the pit of her stomach erupted into a geyser once again.

“Why? WHY!? Oh, I don’t know,” Dash began in a heavily sarcastic tone, “maybe it’s the fact you so called ‘mother’ kept her only daughter’s identity a secret from her best friend, let her go out into the worst storm fresh out of basics, and has the gall to place blame of her present condition upon said friends shoulders – me.” Shoving off the bedside, Dash plopped herself down into the bedside recliner. “No, kiddo, I haven’t the slightest inclination as to why I should be mad at Cloudbuster.”

The sarcasm was unnecessary, yet Rainbow couldn’t stop the flow of anger and bitterness; the proverbial dam had burst and not even the Princess’ combined magic would be enough to stifle the egress of fetid emotions. Dash exhaled exhausted, pinching her nose with her hoof’s pad. A faint whimper cause the pegasus to look up. What she saw made her feel two inches tall.

Propped up on her pillow lay Cloudkicker, eyes squished tightly, sobbing quietly. I her hooves she was clutching a small, worn picture frame; something Dash never noticed. (Maybe she had noticed but was too far gone in anger to care) Way to go, Dash. Keep making things worse. Leaning forward in the recliner, Dash reached out and placed a hoof on the younger mare’s shoulder. “Hey,” she began in a soft tone, “I’m sorry for taking it out on ya. Really, I am. It’s just. . . Everything’s falling apart. I don’t know who to believe or even how I should feel.”

“I know,” Cloudkicker sniffled as she gazed at her idol with puppy-dog eyes. Relaxing her grip on the frame, she lay it face down upon the bed sheet and slid it slowly over towards Rainbow. “I want you to look at this.”

Gently, Rainbow reached down and flipped the rustic frame gently as not to damage it. Despite its obvious age and wear, the inverse side was nearly immaculate, save a few scuffs and nicks along the glass’ upper right corner. Tilting it slightly to remove the glare, Dash examined the photo sandwiched between the glass. Two pegusai, one mare and one stallion, graced the center of the picture. Dash recognized the mare almost instantaneously. It was Cloudbuster; albeit a much younger version of the mare. A shy grin emboldened the young mares face as she is embraced by the stallion’s wing. Rainbow squinted at the image of the stallion, trying to discern it. Said pegusai stallion sported an off-white coat, a black cropped main and tail with the edges frosted in a deep crimson, and a rather adoring set of golden orbs for eyes. His posture hid his cutie mark but Dash felt something vaguely familiar about him.

“This stallion.” She said, eyes remaining fixed upon the photo. “Who is he?”

“Red Dawn.” Cloudkicker responded, nervously tapping her hooves together. She was still frazzled by Rainbow’s earlier outburst, but she pressed onward, knowing deep down it was for everypony’s good. Too much had gone unaccounted for. Time to set the records straight, once and for all. “My dad.”

Even if Princess Celestia had told her this before hoof, the news still came as a shock to Rainbow. It took a few moments for her brain to stop it’s rattling and process any type of retort. “Why are you telling me this?” Smooth Rainbow. Just the question you needed to ask.

Cloudkicker sighed and took a deep breath. “Mom told me you always visited her when she was in the hospital all those years ago. Did she ever tell you why she was there?”

“No, but the physicians told me a random lightning strike nearly ended. . .” Dash shivered, recalling the exact circumstances that had nearly claimed the young mare before her. She cleared her throat before continuing. “She was very lucky.” Dashs’ last words formed a sever understatement of said event.

“That’s. . . not exactly what happened.”

“What?”

Cloudkicker reached out with her hooves, motioning for the image in Dashs’ grasp; to which she returned, confusion plastered upon her muzzle. Dash could only watch, unable to speak, as the mare opposite her glided her hooves gently across the glass pane. She took a deep breath once again, giving Dash the inclination something serious was about to be exposed.

“It was just after Celestia had decreed that every quadrant near the Everfree Forest have its own weather team. Something about the growing population around the area demanding a more rapid response to seasonal emergencies. I think I was maybe two years old at the time it happened.”

“Cloudbuster really taught you history well.” Dash commented off-hoof, having becoming so engrossed in the events that her anger had subsided to almost naught. Rainbow shifted her haunches within the cushion, trying to get more comfort from them. This was also another part of the reason she hated hospitals. Damn furniture was too harsh. “But I still don’t understand what all this has to do with-“

”Windswept,” Cloudkicker forcefully uttered, catching Rainbow off guard “That’s where. . . my dad. . .”

Windswept: The highest plateau in the Saddles Range Northeast of Ponyville. Rumor had it that, at one time, the Wonderbolts Academy was located atop its’ polished top. Others claimed it was the highest ‘mountain’ in the Saddles until the battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon sheared off a large portion of its’ peak; subsequently creating Boulders Gorge. Whatever the story, (or ‘truth’ if you wish to call it that) the reason the Windswept brought up so much controversy was its’ uncanny ability to ‘catch’ remnants of other Pegusi created storms and lock them in the crevasses runing like massive rivulets down the marble-like sides; sometimes for weeks on end. Thanks to much stricter regulations and fiercer training of managing wind currents, situations of the magnitude were almost non-existent. Unfortunately for Dash, the mention of that name only managed to bring back bitter memories for the rainbow maned mare. Such rules and regulations were only in their infancy when she was a cadet; a certain lead mare of the Cloudsdale team grounding her entire curriculum from the juniors on down. It had been unfair. Rainbow remembered the anger and near deafening argument with Cloudbuster at the time. It took several of the senior members to restrain the pegasus to keep her in check. It was only a Celestia given miracle that she hadn’t been kicked out of flight school all together.

She’d flown to her dorm in a fit of rage, slamming the door so hard it caused Gilda to jump in surprise. Hour after hour she pummeled her pillow; sobbing as blow after blow reduced her comforter into nothing more that shredded linens and an entire room full of down. Her rage finally subsided but still she wept, distraught of the unfairness that Cloudbuster had waylaid upon her. Even Gilda, her roommate and friend (at least until she turned into a complete jerk when she visited Ponyville) finally gave up, bellowing out something about ‘crying over spoiled hay’ before heading out somewhere for the evening.

Gilda couldn’t understand; more that likely never would, that being the best was in her nature. The very core of her soul was to continually strive for excellence; pushing and pushing until every part of her body ached, burned. Then push it some more. So far the only thing she’d managed to work out were her vocal chords. For days afterwards, she’d been hoarse; whispering the answers to her study hall questions as best she could. The only thing that was louder that the students chiding and laughter was the echo of her sobs still ringing in her ears. In fact they seemed to be growing louder and louder, punctuated intermittently by large gasps for air.

“Was I really in that bad of shape,” Rainbow mused to herself as the sounds of unbridled hurt and sadness continued growing in length. “Wait a tic - Cloudkicker.“

”I’m sorry, Dash,” the young mare sobbed, clenching the photo tightly to her chest, “but I can’t. . .I-I just can’t.” She looked up at Dash pitifully, her face streaked with fresh tears. “I know we both kept you in the dark for so long. So many times I wanted to tell you, but I was too afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“That you would hate me and mom.”

Dash clambered upon the bed next to the injured pegasai and embraced her warmly, carefully avoiding the injured areas. “Don’t say that. Don’t even think it. I could never hate you or Cloudbuster.”

She sniffled, looking up at Rainbow. But I heard you scream... saw mom’s face.”

Dash felt her stomach twist in knots. She had lashed out in pure rage alone, foregoing any consequences for her actions at the time. The proverbial chickens had ‘come home to roost’ and now she found herself in the precarious position of explaining herself as delicately as possible. She eased her embrace and looked her friend in the eyes. “I was angry. I felt so betrayed that I lashed out without thinking clearly.”

A small sniffle and a smile. “Yeah, mom said you had a bad habit of that, even during the Academy years.” It was nothing more that a playful jab. Dash found herself smiling, her heart strings starting to overcome the tightness of her sorrow.

“Yeah. That sounds like me alright.,” the prismatic mare responded, tussling the young mare’s mane gently; greeted by one more sniffle and a stifled yawn. She’s exhausted. Don’t doubt it, though. Been a rough day for everypony. “I’m going to talk to Clou- I mean, your mom now,” Dash spoke as she eased off the bedside, “and I want you to get some rest.”

It was time to get some answers.

*

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dash asked; trotting along side her former trainer. She’d caught up to the older mare rather quickly, which lead Rainbow to believe Cloudbuster had returned to her daughter’s room shortly after leaving the first time, and had listened in upon the conversation within.

“I thought it would have been obvious by now.” Cloudbuster responded rather flatly. “Don’t tell me you spent this entire time in there and you still don’t understand.”

Keep it together Dash... “Look,” Dash started, twitching her tail in frustration, “I’m more confused now that ever. I know partially why you kept your daughter’s identity a secret all these years, but that still doesn’t explain why you grounded us, especially me.” She sighed. “What happened at Windswept. Why were you really in the hospital.”

Dash had to apply the breaks as Cloudbuster made a ninety degree turn and headed to the snack room on their right. She swung the door open quickly, motioning Dash inside, smacking her flank as she trotted past. With a swift movement, Cloudbuster slammed the door shut, following it quickly with a soft ‘click’.

“Sit,” the older mare commanded, pointing to a small, rectangular table and a set of four rather uncomfortable looking chairs. Dash simply did as she was told, wanting nothing more that to have an ending to this part of her life; simple closure, nothing more. She only watched as Cloudbuster cantered over to the set of vending machines. Removing a few bits from her saddle-bags she slid them in, a loud rattle escaping from the pit somewhere within the machinery. A few hoof presses on the keypad, (and a couple on the sides for good measure) she returned to where Dash had seated herself and placed two containers of apple juice and a few bags of Hay Fries upon the table before taking a seat herself.

The hiss of carbonation escaping the can only made Dash even more anxious to learn the truth. “Okay, Dash. Let’s get started, shall we?”