The Life I Lead

Rarity was pulled back to the present as her flashback ended, and her eyes locked on the stallion across from her.  He was leaning forward in his chair, both elbows on the table, and his chin on his hooves.  "To answer your question, I came to Ponyville to try and have a fresh start again.  Figured I would at least give that a shot before I did anything stupid."

Rarity eyed him suspiciously.  "What do you mean 'before I did anything stupid?'"

Moonbeam rolled his eyes.  "Well, by stupid I meant something like establishing a branch of the government that deals solely with silly walks.  I'll call it the Ministry of Silly Walks."

Rarity slapped a hoof to her face in frustration.  "I see your sense of humor hasn't changed."

"You seem surprised."  The stallion stated dryly.  "Anyway, since you apparently need me too explicitly state everything I imply, I'll make it clearer: I came to Ponyville to see if you were willing to help me get back on my hooves, since that would be a better alternative to jumping off another cloud."

Rarity gasped, eyes widening in horror.  "Moonbeam! Don't talk like that!  I'll gladly help you get a job, I even have an extra bedroom you can stay in for a while, just don't say things like that!"

Moonbeam bowed his head, completely ignoring Rarity's reaction to his statement.  "Thank you Rarity, it means a lot to me that you are willing to put up with me.  I won't stay long, as soon as I can, I'll rent another place."

The fashioniesta smiled warmly at the stallion.  "Of course, dear.  Anything to help out a friend in need.  And if you want, I think the Weather Patrol has an opening, and a good friend of mine is on the squad.  I think you'll be able to get in rather easily, considering how good you are at flying."

The stallions ears perked up upon hearing this, which Rarity knew was a rare occurrence for Moonbeam.  "Rarity, you are honestly the most generous pony I have ever met.  I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't be silly dear, you don't need to thank me."  Rarity stood up and walked over to where Moonbeam sat.  "I just want to see you get better."  She pulled the stallion into an affectionate embrace.

~~

About an hour later, the pair stood outside the Ponyville Weather Patrol station, which sported a help wanted sign hanging on the door.

Moonbeam turned to face Rarity.  "So I guess I just go in and say I want a job, right?"

Rarity shrugged.  "I suppose, dear.  I can't say I'm very experienced with job hunting."

Suddenly, a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane landed heavily between the two, prompting a yelp of surprise from Rarity and a raised eyebrow from Moonbeam.  "Sorry Rarity, I just woke up and I had to get here as fast as I could.  I'm so incredibly late."

Rarity face-hoofed.  "Rainbow, It's one in the afternoon!  Get an alarm clock for Celestia's sake!"

The pegasus mare shrugged in response, and turned to Moonbeam.  "Who're you?"

Before Moonbeam could respond, Rarity cut in.  "Oh! where are my manners?  Rainbow, this is my old friend from fillydelphia, Moonbeam Stygius.  Moonbeam, this is Rainbow Dash.  She's an amazing flyer."

"That I am!"  Rainbow proclaimed, extending a hoof towards Moonbeam.

"Privyet."  Moonbeam returned the hoofshake.  "Do you work in the Weather Patrol?"

"Yup, I'm really late though, so I gotta go!"

Before the pegasus could sprint through the door, Rarity caught her tail with a pulse of magic, pulling her rump down to the ground.  "Rainbow, Moonbeam here is trying to get a job in the Weather Patrol, could you put in a good word for him?"

The pegasus paused and turned to look at Moonbeam, looking him up and down appraisingly.  "Yeah, come on in with me.  If the boss is ok with it I'll show you the ropes."

Moonbeam nodded, and the mare walked through the door while Moonbeam stalled a bit to sneak a look at Rainbow's flank.  There was something about this mare that he liked.  It wasn't her body, as attractive as that was, but there was something under those violet eyes that contrasted completely with her bravado and confidence.  His thoughts, however, were rudely interrupted by Rarity scolding him.  "Moonbeam. No staring."  Shaken from his musings, and embarrassed from Rarity's stern voice, he begrudgingly followed the pegasus mare through the door, muttering in his native tongue.

~~

Fifteen minutes later, after Rainbows boss gave her another lecture about her work ethic, the cyan pegasus and Moonbeam were flying over Ponyville, herding the stray clouds away from the town and popping them with well-placed kicks.  Moonbeam wasn't very experienced with weather control, so his mistakes were pointed out and corrected by Rainbow Dash.  When his aim was off, she taught him how to pivot in the air while still making sure his kicks were in the correct spot.  Moonbeam, not being the most social of ponies, said very little during the first couple of hours, and only answered Rainbows questions with 'yes' or 'no' when he could.  His facial expression changed very little during the time they spent clearing the skies, and Moonbeam seemed very stoic to Rainbow, almost like he was hiding something.  When the pair settled down for their break, however, the veil that Moonbeam wore slowly came down, and he became more and more open to Rainbows presence and her curiosity.  As the two ponies leaned back on a tree in Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow turned to Moonbeam.  "That's some scar you've got there, how'd you get it?"

Moonbeam turned his head to look at her, debating whether he should tell the truth or not.  After an awkward pause, he concluded that he could tell the truth and not give too much away about his past.  "I got it my first night in fillydelphia.  I was jumped by a drunkard looking to let off some steam, and he had a broken beer bottle, which he slashed me with.  I was incredibly lucky that that my actual eye wasn't damaged, otherwise I'd be blind in that eye."

Rainbows eyes widened in shock as Moonbeam told the story, and when he finished she could do nothing but stare wide-eyed at him for several seconds.  When she finally recovered, She said the only word that her mind could come up with.  "Damn."

Upon hearing Rainbows response, Moonbeam snorted in amusement.  "Yeah, I guess that that sums it up pretty well."

After another pause, Rainbow spoke up again.  "How many stitches did you get?"

"I didn't get any stitches.  It was too close to the eye, and I couldn't speak much Equestrian at the time, so I just kinda waited for the bleeding to stop and took it easy until the wound healed.  The actual cut wasn't too bad, but the lack of stitches makes the scar look much worse than it really was."

"But didn't your parents do anything?  My parents would have forced me to go see a doctor."

As soon as Rainbow said the word parents Moonbeam stiffened, and the veil of stoic indifference came over him once again.  "I think it's time for us to get back to work, Rainbow.  There are still a few clouds to clear."  Never meeting the cyan pegasus's eyes, he took to the air without waiting for a response.  Puzzled, Rainbow followed.  This pony's evasiveness was unsettling, like he was hiding something.  She knew, however, that pursuing the matter further with Moonbeam would get her nowhere, so she settled to talk to Rarity and see if she knew anything about this mysterious pegasus's past.

~~

When Ponyville's skies were clear a few hours later, the pair landed outside Carousel Boutique, with Moonbeam's guard still up, and Rainbow's curiosity was nearly killing her.  Moonbeam and Rainbow walked through the door, with Moonbeam heading up to his room to unpack whatever belongings he had, and Rainbow going straight to Rarity, who seemed mildly surprised at Rainbows presence in her Boutique.  "Rainbow?  May I ask what brings you here?"

Rainbow glanced up the stairs to make sure Moonbeam wasn't around.  Once his absence was confirmed, she pulled Rarity closer, and her face grew serious.  "What's the deal with Moonbeam?  I got like five sentences out of the guy all day."

Rarity pulled herself out of the pegasus's grip, and recoiled in shock.  "What did you say to him?!" She hissed through gritted teeth.

Rainbow threw her hooves up in the air, attempting to show innocence.  "All I did was ask him a few questions over our break, and right when he seemed to open up he just clamped shut again and refused to talk for the rest of the day."

Rarity, now horrified, almost lost control and screamed at Rainbow, but she regained her composure somewhat and managed to keep her voice low.  "What questions did you ask him?"

"Well, I asked how he got his scar, which he seemed fine with, but when we got to how he didn't bother to get stitches, I said that my parents would have forced me to go see a doctor, and then he just clamped shut and said nothing except for 'yes' and 'no.'"

Rarity sighed heavily.  This was the exact thing she wanted to avoid, having to explain Moonbeams behavior by telling his past, one that she knew he hated ponies knowing about.  "Rainbow," she said sadly, "Moonbeam has had a rough life, and some truly terrible things have happened to him."

"Like what?"

Rarity chewed her lip nervously, looking around the room.  She didn't want to tell Rainbow these things, but how else could she get her to understand?  She finally caved after several long seconds of inward debate.  "Rainbow, if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell a soul.  I mean nopony.  Not even Tank.  You have to make a Pinkie Promise."

Dash nodded her understanding, and went through the motions.  "I promise not to tell anypony what you are about to tell me."

Rarity nodded, and leaned closer to Rainbow, her voice low.  "Moonbeam was born in Stalliongrad, and his father beat him almost daily until he was ten, when he ran away.  He wandered to Fillydelphia at twelve, and lived on the streets until he was around 19.  He, well..." her voice trailed off, trying to come up with a proper way to say it.  "He attempted suicide then, and I saved his life by slowing him down in mid-air.  We actually met in the hospital two days later, when he woke up from his coma.  We talked, got to know each other, and when I learned he was homeless, I helped him get back on his hooves.  He got a job, rented his own apartment, and then I graduated Fashion School.  And here we are, a couple years later, and he's back to square one.  He lost his job and couldn't pay the rent, so he left Fillydelphia and is trying to settle down in Ponyville."

When Rarity finished, Rainbow sat down on her haunches, stunned.  His behavior made so much sense now that she knew the motivations behind them.  Hell, if she were Moonbeam she wouldn't want anyone to know either.  Then she realized why he closed back up when she mentioned her parents: his father beat him, which must have traumatized him terribly.  His idea of a parent was a monster.  Suddenly, she was pulled from her thoughts by someone clearing their throat behind her.  Exactly where the staircase was.  She looked up to Rarity, who was staring past her, the marshmallow pony's face a mask of horror and guilt.  Rainbow spun around to see Moonbeam at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall casually.

The two mares were speechless.  Neither of them recovered from their shock before Moonbeam, his face showing no emotion, began to speak.  "Quite a story, isn't it?  I'm sure now you understand why I was so quiet all day, especially after you mentioned your parents."  His cold stare shifted to Rarity, who shrank back a bit.  "Of course, if you don't understand, it was because my past is not something I like other ponies to know about, which is the sole reason I told Rarity, because she promised."  He paused to drive the point home.  "Not."  His voice grew louder.  "To tell."  his voice was even louder now, almost yelling.  "ANYPONY!"  He bellowed, driving Rarity over the edge, and she crumpled in a heap, crying.  His rage concealed once again, he nonchalantly trotted out the door, leaving Rainbow sitting on the floor, still in shock, and Rarity collapsed on the floor, sobbing.

~~

Once Moonbeam was out of sight from Carousel Boutique, his pace slowed and he allowed himself to droop to the same condition he was in when he first walked into Ponyville.  He wouldn't do anything drastic, he told himself, that was why he came to Ponyville in the first place.  And look how that turned out.  Life everywhere is the same, barely worth living.  What made me think moving again would fix all my problems?  He continued down the darkening road, when he spotted a certain store window that just seemed to catch his eye.  He looked up quizzically, and his ears perked up the slightest bit at what he saw.  A liquor store, selling vodka made in Stalliongrad.  Well, he thought to himself, at least something good came out of this.

Fifteen minutes later, he was sitting on a park bench, a handle of vodka in hoof.  He unscrewed the cap, and took a swig, welcoming the burning liquid into his stomach, relishing the warmth that it spread through his body and mind, letting him feel good for the first time in too long.  He leaned back, and held the bottle in both hooves, reading the label.  It read: Stabil One, distilled and bottled in Stalliongrad.  The other side said the same thing, but in Stallian.  He leaned back, and let out a content sigh.  Hello, old friend.