The Pathway to Home

Rachel wiggles the head of the bear as she waits for more questions.

However, she noticed The Professor grew silent. She turned her head to see that he was looking at her with a strange look.

“What?” she asked him. “Why are you staring at me like that?” She looked down on the floor to see the broken pencil and back at him.

Brimstone looked as if he was seeing a ghost before blinking back to reality. “Oh? Oh apologies, i… My mind just went blank for a moment.” He said before coughing into his hand.

Having to look into this more in a bit. But even when he would investigate this for his benefit, this was the discovery of the century. Sadly it's based around the fact that this abused teen was another version, a variant, of his beloved daughter.

Another question he'll have to solve will be…if his own variant is responsible for Rachel's torment or someone else. On a whim if the variant of his was either dead or just not in the picture.

He straightened up his posture. “Okay, what I want to know is this: Who did this to you?” He wanted her to say it. He knew reports mentioned her father did this but he needs to hear it from her.

Rachel tensed up and went silent when asked that. An involuntary response. Was told in the past to never mention the abuse or she'll get it. After being ignored several times and beaten then, she stopped answering them. But the beatings never stopped.

If she was to be handed over, she can't say it.

Brimstone studied her reaction. “You don't have to say anything. You can just nod yes or no and that will be enough. I want to help you Rachel. You won't be sent back to whoever did this, but you need to answer.” He assured her. “Yes or no, is your father responsible for this?” he asked.

Rachel trembled, petrified by fear even trying to mention him.

She looks at this creature. Even though he was of different species and color, he has similarities to her father. But the way he was looking at her, the way he was speaking. When wanting to help, it was soft spoken. It sounded…kind. Unlike how harsh he was in the interview.

However, he was nothing like the bastard in the slightest.

Brimstone tilted his head a little. “I have a daughter myself back home. She's around your age, if something happens to her the way you have been treated, make no mistake whoever did it would pay for it.” He promised. “Rachel, he's not going to hurt you again.”

She pressed the bear to her lips then held it over her heart. Rachel looks to Brimstone. “How can you be sure?” she asked him in a whisper.

Brimstone's heart nearly shattered. Rachel has a deep raspy growl voice, which he could guess was the result of damaged vocal cords because when she whispered, she sounded just like Lilysky.

“I'm a pony of my word.” He tells her. “No matter what, he's not going to hurt you anymore, you're safe.”

Her eyes widened with a soft gasp.

“Is there anyone you want us to contact? Any other family member?” He asked the teen.

She shook her head. “There's no one.” Her voice trembled. Shoulders starting to shake.

“No one? No other relative or a friend~”

“There is no one!” Rachel exploded, cutting him off. “There is no one else, he made sure of it!”

“Rachel??” Brimstone jumped at her outburst.

“There’s nobody. Everyone I ever loved and cared about is dead, it's only him! You can't send me away because he'll find me and I'm dead!” Rachel sobbed. “My dad will kill me if he finds me, please you have to let me cross over!” She pleaded to him. “Let me go to Equestria, I'll do anything. I mean it, I'll do whatever it takes, name anything and I will fucking do it, I don't care what it is, but I need to cross the portal! I can't take it anymore!”

With her shouting alerting the staff members, a couple of security and a nurse with a needle comes in.

Brimstone snaps his head towards them, arm out. “Don't come closer.” He quickly tells them. “Rachel, you need to br~”

“He'll find me, he'll find me, he always finds me!” Rachel continued hysterically. “I tried everything to get away from my father but nothing ever works! No one helped, NOBODY!!! I DON'T WANT HIM TO HURT ME ANYMORE!!!! Let me cross over, I beg of you, I don't want to die, please!!!!”

Her chest started to constrict, her heart was beating so much and hurt so much that she was having problems breathing. Gasping for air.

“Rachel, Rachel!” Brimstone gets close to her. Seeing her triggering a panic attack, he stands up, gently puts one hand on her shoulder and another against her heart. “Breathe, child, you have to breathe.”

Brimstone starts demonstrating a breathing technique he used in the past. Not only to control his temper but also help get the heart rate down.

And by a stroke of miracle and with witnesses, this pony was able to work on getting her to calm down reasonably. Her gasps of air turned to uncontrollable wails.

By his surprise, however, the child twisted around and grabbed him. She grabbed handfuls of his clothes and leaned her head against his chest, shaking from head to toe.

“Please….please….” She spoke in between sobs.

Feeling his own eyes watered, Brimstone placed a comforting hand on her.

In all other accounts, the two were nothing to each other. Both from different universes and species, but it was clear that this child cannot go back to the monster who did this to her. With what he knows for certain, Brimstone was not going to let that happen.

The Human's system had failed her.

He doesn't know how he'll pull it off, but he knows two things for sure.

Rachel was going to Equestria, even if he had to smuggle her across himself. And Brimstone was going to pay the bastard a visit, regardless if they were his variant or not.